The Assonans

A solitary figure in black stood on the stone parapet, watching the lines of blue-and-gold sky slowly descend toward gray water. Below the fortress walls, grass sloped down to the gentle waves rolling in and breaking on the shingle, as the late-day sun lost its battle with gravity and slipped out of sight behind the horizon. The sky began to darken almost imperceptibly as the figure turned and strode toward several slightly smaller figures lined up farther down the catwalk. A bell tolled th...