I shake my head. "Nothing, Oliver." rubbing my neck. "Just a hunch. Don't worry."
Oliver looks up.
"Alright. Let's hope it doesn't lead us into an obstacle. We're already exhausted from the journey," he mutters.
A soft snoring drifts between Oliver and me. Rose?
"Rose, are you asleep, huh?!" Oliver asks.
No answer. She is completely out.
"Good grief. The journey is still long. There's no time to stop."
Oliver rises and opens the map, studying it.
"We really have to move again," he says.
I look at Rose's face for a long moment. Snore after snore—at the end, she's holding back a smile.
"She's really ridiculous," I say, standing up.
Oliver hoists his bag onto his shoulder.
"Alright. Let's continue."
---
The journey starts again. I carry more packs now—because of Rose. She's being a burden. Oliver carries her as we walk.
I'm certain she's doing this on purpose, choosing the easiest way to keep going—of course she lets her uncle carry her.
And really, why should I make a fuss about it?
Still… it annoys me.
We eat dinner while walking. I've lost track of how long we've been moving. Day turns into night. We don't need a lantern—the moonlight is bright enough.
"Hiro," Oliver calls.
"What is it?" I reply.
Oliver stops and half-turns toward me.
"Look ahead," he says, pointing forward. "Look closely."
I stop. I fall silent.
"…Is that a ridgeline?"
"Exactly. I've checked the map carefully. The coastline is bordered by a long, stretching ridge. That means..." he trails off.
"We've alrea—"
"Of course. If we can see that ridgeline, then we've arrived," he cuts in, excited. The ocean lies just beyond it.
The sound of flapping wings reaches us from afar. I notice it first.
"Oliver," I say.
"Hm?"
"The dove has arrived."
The dove flies straight overhead and lands on his shoulder.
"Exactly. Did you sense it too, Hiro?" he asks.
I say nothing, only tilt my head slightly.
Oliver gently lays Rose down on the soft ground, not too dirty. He sits and pulls out a small sheet of paper and an ink pen from his bag.
Oliver steps away from us. He stops and looks back at me.
"Please watch Rose for a moment."
He continues toward the ridge, the dove perched on his shoulder.
I nod quietly and sit down.
I look at Rose's face again. Again—she's holding back a smile.
"Ridiculous," I mutter.
She opens one eye.
"Blah blah blah. I'm exhausted, you know," she says as she sits up. "I couldn't even keep walking. Besides, we're already here, right?" she adds, tilting her head.
"Sure. With Oliver struggling to carry you the whole way," I reply.
"Ugh. He's my uncle. Don't worry—he's strong. And he didn't even wake me up," she says.
"Whatever," I answer.
I look toward where I last saw Oliver. The air falls silent. Then he emerges from that direction.
Oliver raises one hand to chest height. The dove hops from his shoulder to his hand. He ties a small rolled message securely to the bird's leg with a thin hemp cord. When it's set, he lifts his hand above his head, and the dove shoots into the sky.
"The message is sent," Rose murmurs. "Uncle, did we find the opening?!" she calls as he approaches.
Oliver doesn't answer at first. He walks closer and stops between us.
He looks up at the crest of the ridge that blocks our view of the sea.
"I told them to come to us," he says. "And now… we wait for something to happen."
"Hm? What do you mean, Uncle?!" Rose asks.
"There's no opening behind that ridge. The patrols are tighter than ever, my lady," he replies.
"Hiro?" Oliver calls, turning to me.
Rubbing his neck.
"I have a bad feeling too. I hope…" he trails off, "…that this bad feeling doesn't lead to an obstacle."
I don't respond. I just look up at the sky with him.
"So… there's really no way out?"