Page 74 of Hero's Prize

“Then let’s go build shelters. But you plan on sleeping undermine with me. We won’t do anything inappropriate, but I want you next to me, Butterscotch.”

What was she supposed to say to that? “Okay.”

He winked at her, and everything inside her body went soft and gooey. Good thing there were a bunch of kids around.

He let her go, and they turned and walked toward the group together. A number of the kids had noticed the moment between them, as well as Lilah, who was waggling her eyebrows. Ella just ignored them.

They could think what they wanted, but Ella needed to keep focused on the truth: what she had with Colton was temporary, and soon, he’d be gone.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-SIX

“In the wilderness, we have what’s called the rule of threes.”

The next morning, Colton sat back and listened to the lesson Bear was teaching around the campfire as the kids ate breakfast. It wasn’t anything Colton hadn’t already heard before, but watching the kids listen so raptly had renewed Colton’s interest in the basics also.

“The human body can survive for roughly three minutes without oxygen. So, that’s for if you’re trapped underwater.”

Or under snow, but Colton didn’t interject.

“We can survive about three hours exposed to extreme elements,” Bear continued. “You can survive three days without water, and three weeks without food.”

One of the kids laughed and shook his head. “I’m pretty sure I couldn’t survive three weeks without food.”

Bear grinned at the kid. “Actually, you can probably last quite a bit longer than that, but it wouldn’t be fun.”

Marshall raised his hand. “Which of these aspects is the most dangerous? Which type of exposure tends to kill the most people?”

Bear rubbed his hands together. “Great question. Anybody want to take a guess?”

The kids immediately started discussing the ramifications among themselves. The general consensus was that lack of water tended to kill the most people.

“Actually, it’s exposure to the elements that takes out the most hikers and wilderness enthusiasts. That’s why we spent so much time yesterday discussing how to make shelters and fires. It’s why you should always have different types of clothing layers in your backpack when you go camping, as well as a tarp and an emergency blanket.”

Lilah nodded next to Bear. “Especially around here in the mountains, the weather can change drastically and quickly. You have to be aware of what’s going on around you.” She pointed up to a set of clouds in the distance. “I’m keeping my eye on those. Right now, it looks like the storm will miss us, and that’s great. But if anything changes, what would I want to do to prepare for a possible incoming storm?”

Hands shot up all around the campfire.

“Build a shelter,” one kid said.

“Absolutely,” Bear nodded. “And what’s our rule about shelter?”

“Higher is drier,” the kids all called out together.

Bear grinned. “Yep, if rain is coming, you don’t want to end up in a flash flood area.”

“What else?” Lilah asked. She pointed to Ashley.

At first, Ashley didn’t look like she was going to respond but found her courage. “Getting some tinder together and keeping it dry so we can restart the fire after the storm.”

Lilah ran over and gave the quiet girl a high five. “Brilliant. I sometimes keep some dried grass and tiny sticks wrapped up in my jacket when I see a storm is coming. Nothing worse than trying to rebuild a fire when you’re cold and everything is wet.”

Bear and Lilah fielded all the other questions and comments from the students, then they went back over certain knots and fire-making techniques that had been discussed briefly the day before.

Colton listened while occasionally glancing over at Ella. Sheseemed to be relaxing more with each hour they were here in the wilderness. He’d loved having her sleeping beside him in their primitive shelter. They hadn’t even so much as been touching, but just having her nearby had felt right. He’d slept nearly the whole night.

The kids prepared another meal over fires they’d built then they split into groups for the afternoon’s activity: a wilderness scavenger hunt.

---