He walked all night, and found a cluster of boulders just as the sun rose in the east.  There were, in fact, several piles, and the sand was giving way to hard earth as he neared the hills.  Perhaps only another night’s march and he would be there.  He crawled under a slanted rock that had a shady spot on its northern side.  It would be out of the sun all day, even if it was not as secluded as his little cave from the night before.  He quickly fell asleep, exhausted by his night-long march.  He knew the dreams would come back, but could not fight off his weariness.

            This time he saw a house in the hills.  A man stood outside of the small dwelling, and in his arms he held a baby.  He was tall, his hair golden in the sun, and his eyes were the blue of the sky on a gorgeous summer day.  He stared at the baby, and looked up.  His eyes seemed to lock with Ethan’s, and he smiled.  He raised one hand as if in blessing, and then the dream faded into another vision.

            He stood on a boulder at night, and beneath him on a lifeless plain he could see a smoking pit.  Beside him was the same man, only he was different.  Younger, and his hair was light brown instead of gold.  The same eyes, and the same smile, however.  It seemed sad, yet at the same time glad to see him.  The man was bleeding from several scratches, but he seemed determined to continue on.  Towards what, Ethan was not sure.

            Ethan nodded at the man and drew a sword.  They ran as one towards the pit, Ethan’s sword blazing against the darkness of the night.

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