The small band of gnarled and weather-beaten men were already on the move, following the sun as it rose over the dry, brush-studded landscape. Silence was the order of the day as they crested the top of the rocky escarpment. Too many past disappointments had trained them to be quiet and hold their expectations, their only guide lost to the wilderness weeks prior. But as they looked down into the valley they were not greeted with ever more scrublands and rocks. A small village, ringed by vines and olive trees beckoned below, bisected by a curve in the small river passing through. “We’re home, We’re home!” the contingent yelled as they dropped their heavy rucksacks and rushed down toward their future…