were working their way up another steep incline now. The ground was so slippery with dead needles and leaves that they had to keep grabbing hold of each other so they wouldn’t slip all the way back down.
Cleo was breathless; there was a bit of dirt smudged across her nose. Steven grinned and reached out to wipe it away with his finger. For one moment, they stared at each other, and that was all it took for desire to rise up again, as though all it took was one look at her to set him aflame.
He leaned in to kiss her, feeling out of breath himself. Her hand came up to cup his face, her thumb gently stroking along his cheek as she sighed approval against his mouth—and then she yelped. Both of them slid rapidly downward, scrambling to find a hold until Steven’s hand finally closed around a root.
“Don’t let go,” he gasped. Slowly, he pulled both of them up until their feet found purchase on the slope once more.
Cleo giggled helplessly when she finally got another look at him, then reached out to wipe some dirt from his nose this time.
“OK, let’s try this again. Careful this time,” she commanded, keeping one hand on him and one on another root.
Slowly, they made their way back upwards. This time, they passed the spot where they had first slid down. They were both breathing heavily when they finally reached the top—but the view more than made up for the adventure.
“I believe that is your Christmas tree,” Cleo informed him smugly.
Steven gaped, and then began to laugh. “Sorry! It seems your Grandma was right!”
Before them, a fallen fir tree rested on the ground. It must have been very old, for the trunk was large and wide. Moreover, it had now turned into a new home for mushrooms which had grown all over the trunk and the large branches that remained.
“So these are our Christmas baubles—it was mushrooms all along!” He prodded one of the large protrusions. The mushroom was dry and spongy beneath his fingers.
Now that he knew what it was supposed to show, the small drawing suddenly made sense.
“I’m sure she’ll forgive you,” Cleo said, still grinning as she pulled out the map once more. “All right, let’s see what’s next!”
Discovering the mysterious Christmas trees had restored their spirits after the effort of climbing up the slope. They were very close to the X now. It was surrounded by a cluster of tiny drawings. Neither of them recognized any of the landmarks from their explorations of the forest, although a few of the sketches were clear enough.
There were two waterfalls at least. The other drawings were more mysterious—one very much looked like a bed.
“Let’s search for a waterfall,” Cleo decided. “I think that’s easiest.”
“And we should hear it if we get close—unlike a bed.” Steven frowned at the map once more.
A bed inside a mountain, if that was even what the map showed? It made no sense—but then, neither had the Christmas tree at first.
They walked for a while. They kept heading east, as the map had demanded, but after fifteen minutes of walking, they still couldn’t hear any sounds.
In fact, the forest was eerily quiet. The trees above them were rustling and creaking, but no birds were singing. There weren’t even any squirrels making angry noises at their intrusion.
They kept going for another ten minutes, scanning the area around them for any sign of water. Finally, just when they wanted to give up and return to the tree they had started from, there was a sudden, distinct croak somewhere in the distance.
They looked at each other with delight.
“A frog!” Cleo pointed excitedly into the direction from which the sound had come. “And there—water!”
When they hastened onward, they found a small creek meandering between the giant, old trees and their roots. They followed it until it was joined by another creek. For a few more minutes, they walked downstream. At last, another small ravine opened before them.
Here, the water came
Cleo was breathless; there was a bit of dirt smudged across her nose. Steven grinned and reached out to wipe it away with his finger. For one moment, they stared at each other, and that was all it took for desire to rise up again, as though all it took was one look at her to set him aflame.
He leaned in to kiss her, feeling out of breath himself. Her hand came up to cup his face, her thumb gently stroking along his cheek as she sighed approval against his mouth—and then she yelped. Both of them slid rapidly downward, scrambling to find a hold until Steven’s hand finally closed around a root.
“Don’t let go,” he gasped. Slowly, he pulled both of them up until their feet found purchase on the slope once more.
Cleo giggled helplessly when she finally got another look at him, then reached out to wipe some dirt from his nose this time.
“OK, let’s try this again. Careful this time,” she commanded, keeping one hand on him and one on another root.
Slowly, they made their way back upwards. This time, they passed the spot where they had first slid down. They were both breathing heavily when they finally reached the top—but the view more than made up for the adventure.
“I believe that is your Christmas tree,” Cleo informed him smugly.
Steven gaped, and then began to laugh. “Sorry! It seems your Grandma was right!”
Before them, a fallen fir tree rested on the ground. It must have been very old, for the trunk was large and wide. Moreover, it had now turned into a new home for mushrooms which had grown all over the trunk and the large branches that remained.
“So these are our Christmas baubles—it was mushrooms all along!” He prodded one of the large protrusions. The mushroom was dry and spongy beneath his fingers.
Now that he knew what it was supposed to show, the small drawing suddenly made sense.
“I’m sure she’ll forgive you,” Cleo said, still grinning as she pulled out the map once more. “All right, let’s see what’s next!”
Discovering the mysterious Christmas trees had restored their spirits after the effort of climbing up the slope. They were very close to the X now. It was surrounded by a cluster of tiny drawings. Neither of them recognized any of the landmarks from their explorations of the forest, although a few of the sketches were clear enough.
There were two waterfalls at least. The other drawings were more mysterious—one very much looked like a bed.
“Let’s search for a waterfall,” Cleo decided. “I think that’s easiest.”
“And we should hear it if we get close—unlike a bed.” Steven frowned at the map once more.
A bed inside a mountain, if that was even what the map showed? It made no sense—but then, neither had the Christmas tree at first.
They walked for a while. They kept heading east, as the map had demanded, but after fifteen minutes of walking, they still couldn’t hear any sounds.
In fact, the forest was eerily quiet. The trees above them were rustling and creaking, but no birds were singing. There weren’t even any squirrels making angry noises at their intrusion.
They kept going for another ten minutes, scanning the area around them for any sign of water. Finally, just when they wanted to give up and return to the tree they had started from, there was a sudden, distinct croak somewhere in the distance.
They looked at each other with delight.
“A frog!” Cleo pointed excitedly into the direction from which the sound had come. “And there—water!”
When they hastened onward, they found a small creek meandering between the giant, old trees and their roots. They followed it until it was joined by another creek. For a few more minutes, they walked downstream. At last, another small ravine opened before them.
Here, the water came
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