From Chapter 1, 'Angel in the Forest' - The hour was very late, a little past midnight. -
Evergreen trees, boughs heavy with icy snow, presented a forest very thick to the mind, almost a solid wall. It was, however, in this area that the forest barrier was broken by an old wagon road. - Darkness charged forward to engulf every tree, cascading to hide most every passing cloud, and blurring any other objects to the eye. There was only a quarter moon that occasionally glowed through the clouds. Little of its light could be seen or reach the road through the broken cover. -
The dense forest stretched for a thousand miles or more in the higher reaches of eastern Russia. -
The stillness parted as a lone figure trudged along the road, wrapped in heavy clothing with a sack over his right shoulder, fur hat with ear muffs pulled down and tied tight to his chin. -
The thick layers of snow and ice crackled under foot. Breath held frozen by the air. Step after step the movement continued as if a deeply possessed purpose drove the being on. -
If you closed the distance on the figure, you could hear talking, singing, laughing, and praying. A man’s voice, rough from the cold and scratchy with fatigue, was resoundingly happy. A lovely sing-song tone broke the silence in the dark forest. -
Occasionally he would slow his pace, gaze up and speak. Speaking to someone or some entity? Was this freezing weather causing delusions? Was he even sane? -
The man would listen as if an answer might be coming back, at times smiling, and then again, began his trudging. -
Two more hours slowly faded behind the traveler’s determined stride. -
At last, mile after mile, a clearing in the woods opened, rambling down to the road. The man stopped, he seemed to know this was the right place. A low slung log cabin appeared, nestled back in the dark of the flat field, gently surrounded by a fresh, smooth blanket of snow. As he squinted into the darkness an oil lamp flickered, showing a silhouette in the only window made of tree branches and stretched animal hide. -
From the edge of the road the nearly frozen walker cried out as loud as his throat would allow, “Gustavo, are you in there? Are you home?” -
After a long pause, the cabin door creaked open slowly and an old man peered out into the dark. He hesitantly replied, “Steffen, that is you, yes? You made it? -
As the being stomped over the snow and approached the cabin, Gustavo knew those eyes shining in the dim light and the long gray beard. He knew now prayers were being fulfilled. He shouted out, “Praise the Lord. Steffen come in, come in.” -
The weary man quickly squeezed through the door into the warmth. Gustavo immediately questioned, “You are alone? Is Sophia with you?” -
“Oh yes, Sophia is near. She is always near."
