High summer had rolled in without warning that year, and everything seemed lethargic under the hot noon sun. It was the stretch of year between Memorial and Labor Day, the perfect time for all things outdoors. The lake was filled with boats, which motored along noisily in the distance. Tanners stretched across the beaches, taking in the precious rays that poured down on them thanks to the cloudless sky. Evie and Sire could see it all from the small cliff view site they had come across when they rounded a bend on the trail they were taking. It was odd to see so many people in one place when they had been alone for most of the day. Perhaps it was colder down by the water, because no one seemed brave enough to take a hike in this heat except the two of them.
Where they were at now was an ideal resting place. It was a scenic view, and the park designers had known it. The trail was significantly wider for a few yards here, and the sparse greenery had been cleared to give a better view, though a short brick wall had been erected as a barricade between travelers and the actual cliff, after which there was a several-hundred-foot drop. There were a pair of benches for them to sit at here as well, and once Sire had taken His seat, He patted the wooden slats for her to sit as well.
"Are you tired?" he asked, noticing that there was sweat across her brow now that they were closer together. When they had been walking she had been noticeably a half-step behind Him, and He wasn't sure if it was out of deference or exhaustion.
"No not at all!" She replied, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand. "It is kinda hot though. You, Sire?" She reached for their water bottle, handing it to him before taking a sip for herself.
He took a long drink before answering, "Not yet. If I remember correctly, once we go about another quarter-mile we'll have some dense tree cover to look forward to. That will cool things off." Sire had taken this way a couple of times before, but never with someone else in tow.
They stayed for a few more minutes and chatted while they recovered and rested their feet. The sun showed no signs of moving on the horizon, and He wanted to get going. They had to get to the summit and be back to his car before it got dark outside. The park rangers were finicky about people being on the trail past dusk these days. Wolves, they said.
Yeah. Those. He chuckled in his head. They had no idea.
Once they had walked for another ten minutes they came to the beginning of the forest. Light filtered listlessly through the trees as they entered, their leaves barely moving in the faint breeze. The farther they went in the more it dimmed, and soon the old growth was upon them. Roots cut through the trail, which now zig-zagged around the old Methuselahs. Under the cover of the canopy, the temperature dropped instantly several degrees, a welcome change from their earlier journey.
Evie walked slower now, watching every step. Even in the dark she could see well, so she did not watch out of fear of tripping. Instead she kept a lookout for the slugs and bugs that crawled around and made this place their home, carefully avoiding each one. She found the moss and mushrooms equally enthralling. Occasionally she would stop dead in her tracks to observe a particularly fascinating example of flora or fauna, pull the small sketchbook from the back pocket of her jeans, and jot down a quick drawing for identification later.
That was the thing about travelling in the woodlands with someone who loved them: they were constantly stopping and wondering about each little detail. It really slowed down the pace. Her child-like obsession was adorable, but for now they had other things to do.
"Com'on Evie!" He called once she had fallen too far behind for His liking, "We have to keep going."
"Oh, sorry." She apologized, shaking her head to free herself from the daze the forest had had her under. Rushing up to his side so they were walking step and step together, she held her head low in repentance, whining. The notebook she had been drawing in dangled sadly from the end of her fingers.
He stroked the top of her head, "Now now, don't be upset. Aren't you looking forward to your surprise?"
Her ears perked up, "Yes..." Though the tone of her tone sounded defeated, He could tell by the shift in the air between them that it had cheered her up. When He had mentioned wanting to go on a hike a while ago to one of His favorite spots she had instantly wanted to go along. Spending alone time with her Sire was a precious thing with the rest of their family in such close quarters and on top of that there was the promise of getting to practice her scientific illustrations.
There was one condition though she if she were going to be allowed to go: she had to be on her best behavior for a whole two weeks. If she were very good there might even be a little something extra in it for her too. Needless to say, she had been exemplary, not even bothering to ask what the bonus might be. Evie had learned that pestering meant losing whatever it was she was pestering about. All the better for Him, then.
The route wore on for many miles, each more wild than the last. They passed only one more couple on their two hours of ascent. Being Sunday, most of the people were now heading home to beat the traffic back into the city. Late afternoon would be evening soon, but luckily for them they only had another twenty minutes to go which left them plenty of time stop and enjoy their accomplishment before returning. It had been a wonderful day on the trail, and all the world seemed silent. Only the faint calls of gulls by the far away beach or the drill of an unseen woodpecker had broken the still air.
Of the two Sire was the more experienced hiker. He had been an avid outdoorsmen since childhood, spending weekends camping, fishing and hunting with His father. Though her family had a rustic side as well, she was less inclined to go on large group outings and preferred to spend her time in nature close to home. Despite the fact she had spent less time wandering about the mountains, she showed admirable endurance as they finished their trek, doing a fine job keeping up with her Sire.
