“Yes, I do,” said Carter.

Giancarlo’s gaze softened

“I thought as much,” he said at hearing the quiet determination in the young man’s voice. “In that case, if you’re ready, andiamo !”

With Giancarlo in the lead, the two began the ascent.The path through the woods that began at the edge of the meadow at first climbed at a gentle grade, but it was not long before it began to gradually steepen. Carter was a well-trained athlete.The moderate pace Giancarlo set taxed him only a little. Nonetheless he was not accustomed to the particular stresses hiking up a mountain with a full backpack put on one’s legs, and he was soon feeling the first hints of a burn in his quadriceps and calves. He watched Giancarlo closely as he followed him up the path, amazed at how effortlessly the older man climbed. There was a discernible precision in each step Giancarlo took, a practiced efficiency of motion. His focus was always on the trail just in front of him, his walking stick tapping out a methodical rhythm. Regardless of the terrain, his pace never varied. He neither sped up nor slowed down, but simply pressed on with quiet, relentless intensity. Carter had no particular trouble keeping pace, but he knew he was working, and he was not disappointed when Giancarlo stopped from time to time to take a break.

For his part, Giancarlo was experienced enough to know his own limitations, and he was careful not to exceed them.To be sure, he felt entirely at home on the mountain.With every step, he reacquainted himself a little more with the terrain he knew so well in his youth. All the same, it had been a very long time since he exerted himself in this way. He had to be cautious not to tire too soon, so despite his desire to move quicker, he made certain he maintained a sensible pace.

Now and then, at various junctures as they progressed up the mountainside, Giancarlo would stop and survey the landscape. As he cast his gaze about, it seemed as though every bend in the path, every rocky ledge, held at least one memory, however faint it might be. Letting his thoughts dwell on them, he hoped to jog some recollection of the past, some clue that could provide a hint as to where his brother might have gone.