Page 24 of Shadow of Hope
Yeah, what about that? “We don’t have anything with us, so we can’t say fishing. Or gathering berries. We don’t have any, and when we go foraging after breakfast, we could locate some, and I would look incompetent for missing them.”
“Then one-on-one training in something?”
“Sure. I can say I helped you identify trees and shrubs that might work better for fire-starting. But I warn you, they might see through that and think we’re trying to cover a romantic thing developing between us and wanted to get away.”
She shrugged. “I can handle that if you can.”
“It might come across as unprofessional, which I don’t like, but it can’t be helped. We don’t have any other good reason for being out here together. Especially when we come back from your latrine area where I shouldn’t have a reason to go.”
She gave a firm nod. “Then we’ll go with the trees. But on the way, fill me in on what you might’ve told me.”
“Glad to.” He started naming trees and only hoped she would remember them. He didn’t like coming across as unprofessional for any reason, but when it came to keeping her alive, he would compromise his needs and so much more.
6
The sun battled with clouds to break free. Ava sat near the still-roaring campfire while Micha led a first-aid training session. As a nurse, she didn’t really need the session, but it never hurt to have a refresher. Especially when it came to wilderness survival. She’d like to say she was paying full attention to him, but she kept checking the trail for Ryan’s arrival. He should be there any minute, and she was both looking forward to seeing him walk up the trail and dreading it.
Dreading, because Micha was right. The others had snickered when they explained where they’d been. Now, when she left with him, that would raise all kinds of questions. Still, she doubted she would be finishing out this week with her classmates.
But she also was looking forward to Ryan getting there so she could leave whoever was trying to hurt her behind. She’d been trying to catch a glimpse at boot patterns whenever a guy lifted his foot, but so far she didn’t see one that resembled the print they’d spotted on the trail. She’d especially focused on Jamal as his late-night wandering put him at the top of her list.
Micha clapped his hands, the sound reverberating through the trees and sending birds in flight. “Let’s take a quick break. Hit the latrines. Get some water. Then we’ll finish up.”
“How long until we actually do something?” Buck asked. “I mean this is good stuff, but man, a guy can only sit around so long.”
“You like to stay active?” Ava asked, hoping to get him to tell her the brand of his boots.
“Like? Not sure that’s the word for it, but I’m used to being on the go. Off-grid lifestyles guarantee that if you want to have food, water, and decent shelter.”
“I was wondering.” She looked at Micha. “Do you plan to talk about good brands of clothes and boots to purchase for off-grid living?”
Micha shook his head. “Not something we cover here. Maybe the guys here who are already living the lifestyle could share with you.”
Buck lifted his boot. “No hikers for me. Steel-toe work boots all the way. These babies are Redwing. Won’t wear anything but American-made, and they’re made in Red Wing, Minnesota, where I grew up.”
Jamal lifted his boot and swiveled it. “I prefer hikers because I do a lot of hiking for the fun of it. These are Lowa Camino, but I have a pair of Jim Greens in the tent. I like to let my boots dry out each day.”
“I checked out the Lowa’s, but they’re way out of my league for price,” Ernie said. “Went with a store brand from a discount store.”
“If you really do go off-grid and wear them every day,” Buck said, “you’ll probably regret getting the cheapies.”
“You could be right,” Ernie said. “For now I’ll stick with these. If the wife agrees to leave her creature comforts and move to my cabin with me, I might change my mind.”
“Enough talk about boots.” Fritz picked a hunk of wood from the stump he sat on and shredded it. “We all have our favorites, and you’ll figure it out. Same with clothing. What fits, is comfortable and affordable is my motto. If that’s not enough advice, maybe you could get some more extra tutoring from the big cheese here.” He smirked.
Micha opened his mouth to speak but then must’ve reconsidered and snapped it closed.
“I have an odd question,” she said to draw attention to herself. “Anyone here involved in LARPing?”
“LARPing.” Buck stared wild-eyed at her. “Who in their right mind wants to play dress-up at our age?”
“I don’t even know what it is,” Ernie muttered as if embarrassed that he wasn’t in the know.
“Live Action Role Playing,” Ava said. “The participant physically portrays a character in a group. They wear costumes and use props.”
“So itisdress-up then,” Ernie said. “Sounds fun.”
“I thought so, too,” she said. “And figured it might be something inexpensive I could get involved in when I move off-grid.”
