Mountains of Dawn

"The setup is ideal," Tanya said, her gaze traveling over the landscape. "I'll use the big hall for storing sketches and painting. It has long, thick drapes to keep the light out, which will be great once we've cleaned the dust of years out of them. I'll paint up here, on the terrace. It's on the northern side. Perfect for my work. The light will be uniform throughout the day."

Tanya's days became filled with peace. She rose early, painted for a while on the terrace, then wandered her property with her sketching material. She walked the hills and examined the beauty of the land. Her favorite spot became the top of the second hill; it was surrounded by ancient defensive walls, and well protected from the prevailing winds. A natural balcony, she could watch the rage of the waves, the sun's disappearance from the depths of the woods, a storm approaching from the mountains. The lands abounded with wild flowers and bushes already in bloom. Tanya felt continually inspired, not only by the sights, but by the feel of the air on her skin, the scents on the wind, the touch of the sun. More than anything, she felt the security, the peace of the land, and a timeless sense of wonder.

* * *

"Malcolm, I'm telling you. Everything is fine," Tanya said for the second time. "Really, Malcolm. No need to worry."

Malcolm had been on the phone for at least twenty minutes, asking an enormous amount of questions, and fretting at her.

"You aren't having trouble adjusting to the new environment?" he asked.

"No, not at all. It's different, Malcolm," she replied. "I know. At one time, I felt like a package, shipped from one place to another. Now, I have some control over the situation. I can do the work I want to do. I can finish my degree, paint… I'm surrounded by familiar faces…" She drew a deep breath. "Malcolm, I feel safe. I'm happy."

"I see," he said. "By the way, you're about to get a neighbor. You know the property adjacent to yours?" He paused for a moment, as if he were unsure of what he was about to say. "That belongs to a Mr. Kevin Edward Matwin. He's about to arrive there, fairly soon now. He'll stay for a few months, then disappear again." He waited for Tanya's reaction. Where there was none, he continued. "What I mean to say is, you don't have to worry about him. He's a respectable person, not involved in any type of shady business. We check him out-thoroughly. Really thoroughly, Tanya."