The wind blew hard and cold. The gray dreary sky overhead was enough to make Juliette want to turn back to the hotel suite, but she'd made a promise she intended to keep. Her cellphone in one pocket and the small tin canister holding some of her mother's ashes in the other. They both felt like stones, weighing her down.   

The silence of the world was interrupted by the distance roll of thunder. The storm was moving inland and she was without an umbrella. Juliette muttered under her breath as she stuffed her hands into her pockets and wrapped her jacket tighter around her body. If she walked fast enough she could probably make it to the cliff-face and back before the storm let loose. Fingers crossed.

If it weren't for the fact that her mind was consumed with dark thoughts, Juliette may have found beauty in the world that currently surrounded her. The hill unfolded with green grass and shrubbery, broken only by large stones – some sat like benches to observe the world, others reached high like pillars toward the heavens. The stillness of the wild made her feel edgy.

Juliette wasn't a fan of the bustling energy of the city but it helped to keep her focused. The noises of grinding machines, raised voices, and the electrical hum – they all helped block out the nagging voices in the back of her mind. Here, in nature, there was nothing to keep them at bay. All of the things she had been swallowing, repressing – they rose with the tide and threatened to drown her.

How was she going to survive what she knew was coming?

Juliette knew she was thinking too much – she needed to relax, breathe. Shelby's future was already written and no matter how hard she fought – some things were unavoidable. Why was it so hard for her to just let go? She hadn't always been this burdened and stressed. Somewhere, buried under the rubble, an older and freer version of herself was screaming for help – waiting to be released.

She closed her eyes, sealing them tight. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly as her feet continued to move her forward. This was something Juliette practiced in the quiet moments, walking without sight. She couldn't explain how or why, but somehow it calmed her. The darkness and the freedom of never actually knowing where her foot would fall next or where she was headed – gave her the peace that she lacked. Even if it was a silly trick – a self-made illusion, it helped.  

The smell of the briny sea and the moisture of the approaching storm tickled her nose. In the distance, the waves crashed against the cliff face and the thundered rolled. The seagulls called to one another. A feeling rose in her chest, one she couldn't name. A sense of peace surrounded her as a sudden gust of wind took her by surprise, blowing her hair into her face. Juliette turned away to shield herself, sputtering while strands got caught in her mouth and on her lips. She reached up and cleared it from her face as the wind died down, tucking it tightly behind her ears.  

When she turned her attention back to the trail she was surprised to an older man walking ahead of her. He looked sturdy from behind – broad shoulders paired with a taller stature. It was hard to tell his age from the back, though he had a head full of gray hair – bordering white. She would have put him in his mid-seventies. She was soon to find out because she was gaining on him, fast.

He stumbled a little and a stab of worry broke through any calm she may have built. She looked around – it was only the two of them out here as far as she could see. That knowledge shattered her calm entirely and her mind began to race. What if something happened to him? Juliette knew first aid, CPR, and a couple of random things from her time in school and the hours she spent at the hospital with Shelby. Still, she was only one person and they were, at the very least, two miles from town.

She heaved a sigh as she realized that her conscience would not allow her to ignore the situation. Juliette cursed herself and her compassionate nature. It had always been hard for her to turn her head and look the other way when people were in need. She blamed her mother – she had taught them from a young age If they had the power to help people then it was their responsibility to do so.

"Excuse me?"

She cleared her throat and raised her voice when he ignored her. "Excuse me, sir?"

He paused, turning his face to her. Juliette hesitated. There was something about this man, despite his casual demeanor and attire, that made her heart quicken. His good eye was trained on her – the other covered by a patch.

"Yes?"

She swallowed, casting her gaze to the horizon, squinting against the sunlight breaking through a crack in the clouds. There was no reason for her to feel nervous, but her palms began to sweat.

"It looks like we're headed in the same direction."

"So, it does." His replied in a gentle voice, each word feeling as though it had been chosen with forethought.

Juliette turned to gaze back to the stranger. "Would you like to walk together, for a bit?" She had meant to offer him help. He looked pale and tired, in need of some assistance, but the words felt lodged in her throat. Juliette got the sense that doing so would have wounded his pride. So, she had settled for an excuse – a reason to walk with him in case he needed help.

He smiled. "Company is always welcomed."

She smiled back, hesitant as she approached him. "I'm Juliette, by the way." He inclined his head before he turned and began walking again. There was a purpose in his stride as if he had someplace to be.

She waited a moment, unsure what to do. She had greeted him and had expected to be greeted in return. What an odd man. He had smiled at her and welcomed the company, that was more than enough for her to assume he didn't mind her presence, wasn't it? Juliette fretted for a moment longer on what to do.

"Have you decided to go another way?" His question startled her.

"No. I'm coming." She hurried her steps to close the small distance he'd put between them. 

They walked in silence for a few minutes.

"So, have you been to Norway before?" She asked, feeling awkward around the stranger.

He made a thoughtful sound with his throat. "Yes. This place is beautiful."

Juliette turned her eyes to the world around them. She wished she could enjoy it without guilt, but a part of her wished that Shelby were there to enjoy it instead of her. "It is."

Silence overtook them again, but this time Juliette felt no need to fill it. The tension that had been with her, in the beginning, was drifting away with the wind. The light steps of her companion on the trail beside her were enough to drown out the darker voices in her head. 

"Tell me, why did you come here?" His question surprised her.

"My sister, she's sick – well, she's been sick for a while and she isn't getting any better." Juliette found the words tumbling from her mouth like they'd been waiting for the chance to slip free in a moment when her guard was lowered.

His gaze remained on the horizon. "There isn't much time left." It was hard to tell if he was talking to her or himself. His manner of speaking was on the vague side. 

She sucked in a hollow breath. "Yeah. It's been hard." 

She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don't know if I have it in me to—" 

"You do." He interrupted before she could finish her thought. 

Juliette turned to find him looking at her. There was a peaceful and knowing expression on his wrinkled face. "You are stronger than you think you are, Juliette. You've come this far. What are a few more steps?"

She stared at him. 

He spoke as though he knew how hard she had struggled, but he didn't. Not personally. It was in his eyes, the pain of life – his own sorrows and regrets. "Being a leader is a heavy burden to bear, wouldn't you say?" 

Juliette nodded her head. She wouldn't have called herself a leader but she did know the burden of being responsible for someone else – did that mean she understood what it was like to be a leader? She doubted it. 

"And yet, there is still more to bear." The old man smiled as he turned his eye back to the horizon. He seemed tired, more so then when we'd begun walking together. "This is where I will leave you." 

"Are you sure?" Juliette turned to see nothing but a grassy hillside. She didn't like the idea of leaving him alone, especially with the storm drew closer. 

"Don't you have something that needs doing other than looking after this tired old man?" His brow lifted and his blue eye filled with amusement. "A promise to keep perhaps?" 

She pursed her lips, not happy about leaving him behind but knowing that her time was limited. Juliette sighed as she turned in the direction of her destination – She could see the sea from where they now stood. It could be another half mile for her to reach a good spot to release her mother's ashes. The thunder was getting closer and the wind was blowing harder – the water looked choppier. The storm might be moving quicker than she originally thought. 

Juliette frowned, her time was definitely limited. 

"I'll go on then." She turned to the old man, to find he had already begun to walk away – in the opposite direction that she was headed. She watched him for a moment before moving on, promising herself she would be sure to find him before she headed back into town.