Now we were waiting not only for my brother to return with recruits, but for my son, granddaughter and Horatio. Nobody uttered a word as we perched wide-eyed in the trees. I kept my eyes fixed on the portal on the ground, willing my brother to appear. I didn’t think I had ever wished for his presence as much as I did now. A chorus of cawing broke out above us. It sounded like the noise of large birds flying overhead, booming and sonorous. Startled, Sofia moved closer to me and placed a hand on my knee. She didn’t say anything, but the gesture was reassuring. Sofia’s touch always had a way of reassuring me, no matter the circumstances. I wrapped an arm around her and held her closer to me on the branch as we waited. Twigs snapped beneath us. Leaves crunched. I heard the noise of an engine. Leaving Sofia’s side, I quickly swung lower down the tree to gain a better view of the ground. A motorcycle thundered along the wide track that led to the portal.
