Prelude

The Shepherd gazed across the fields and smiled. She envisioned sheep grazing and moving slowly across the coastal plain. In the distance, buildings reminiscent of a Greek villa clung to the side of a steep slope, catching the rays of the setting sun. A young Gotland lamb stood at her feet, its fleece the color of her grey gauntlets. She reached down to rub under the lamb's chin in the very spot to elicit a tail wag.