The man was tired of the village. He found the company of others disappointing. The village itself was noisy and filled with awful smells. He had been there for 18 days. He felt that it was now wearing on him. 

He looked out to the hundreds of trees sprinkled over rolling hills. Dense and thickly green. Calling birds. Insects buzzing. He knew that he needed to leave.

But questions were still unanswered. He needed to remain longer. He was getting close. He knew it deep within his bones.

He went on long walks to escape while still remaining close. He needed to think. Unravel. And the steady rhythm of feet on the ground helped him to parse out the the thoughts.

On one journey, he saw a brilliant bird. He stopped and it watched him. He felt it was a sign. In this moment the bird fluttered away. But in its place a single iridescent feather. He picked it up and decided to carry it with him.