Page 72 of Kiss Across the Universe
Forty minutes later, they left the fire behind, doused with sand and the damp oatmeal remains. Kit stopped at the lake and refilled his water containers, dropped purifiers into them, sealed them and put them back in his pack. The pack looked a lot heavier with the water topped up, but the weight didn’t seem to bother him.
Alannah knew from experience that if the pack straps were properly adjusted and the pack a good design, it was possible to carry alotof weight with relative comfort. But when she was competing, she still went as light as she could, because speed was more critical that being comfortable overnight.
For that reason, she preferred the one-day competitions, or the competitions where the competitors’ gear was loaded in a truck and carried to the overnight station for them. She went full-luxury for those competitions, because being comfortable also meant being well rested the next morning, which gave her an edge for the competition.
This walk across the mountains was teaching her a lot about how much she could do without, comfort-wise.
She didn’t know when, exactly, they hit the peak of the pass, but she did spot the moment they began to climb down, instead of up. They were following the lake, still, which Alannah was beginning to suspect was a section of river, perhaps cut off from the main stream.
The mountains on either side of them were just as close and vertical as they had been for most of yesterday. Then, almost as though they had rounded a corner, the pass widened and the view opened up.
Far below, the prairies of Alberta spread out beneath them like a pale patchy blanket. The prairies had received more snow than the mountains. Tree lines separated the white sheets. There were thick clusters of trees directly below, but farther out, Alannah could see where farmland took over, and the separating tree lines grew straighter and more regular.
Evidence of people.
Kit stopped to look at the view, too. “We’re making good time,” he told her. “Stopping for lunch won’t be an issue at all.”
“Lunch…and dessert?” she suggested, shading her eyes against the strong sunlight.
Kit’s smile was sudden, as if she had caught him by surprise, and as if he liked the suggestion. “We’ll see,” he prevaricated and hitched the pack back into place.
She wouldrunall the way, if it meant a longer lunch break and the delights that break could deliver, but Kit was carrying the pack, so she had to let him dictate the pace.
He did seem to be walking faster, though.
Downhill sounded easier to the untrained, but it taxed the quads and calf muscles in a way that increased lactic acid and could leave her legs trembling. Plus, the downslope didn’t end. There was no relief, except to stop, which was unacceptable in a race.
But they weren’t racing now, except to beat the internal clock Kit had set up. He clearly wanted to finish the walk out of the pass by tonight, so they wouldn’t have to camp once more. That made sense, if there was only the one meal pack left. But there was bison, and they could live on that for a day or two without issue, if they had to. The water was no longer an issue, and the coffee container was a big one….
Perhaps he just wanted to be out and free of her. Except, no, he hadn’t looked offended by her suggestion about dessert.
Then he wanted to reach civilization, where he could reach out safely and get news. He was a trained soldier. Those instincts didn’t go away. Jesse still quartered any room she entered, logging exits and the most dangerous person in the room.
In a tactical situation, the side with the most accurate information had a distinct advantage. Kit had to be itching for news, because Alannah was. She didn’t know if the shield she held over herself on the timescape would be disrupted if she looked for others there. And besides, she wasn’t Jesse. She couldn’t communicate with anyone there unless she’d brought them onto the timescape herself and they were mentally connected to her.
Besides, the timescape only told her where and when everyone was. It didn’t tell her what they were doing, or if they were in danger.
Getting home was the only way she could check up on everyone.
And on Iron Grey.
The descent continued. There was a path of sorts, which was probably a broad goat track, made wider by hikers. The path followed the least dangerous route, winding around rocks and outcrops and descending in big steps and slopes. The trees grew thicker and the temperature perceptibly warmer.
Alannah began to feel the drain of a long night short on sleep and high on activity. There was no need to watch too carefully where she put her feet, for the path was quite clear. She simply followed Kit and let her thoughts wander.
She longed to stop, just to pause long enough to let the ache in her legs subside and to regather some energy. She didn’t realize she was nearly asleep on her feet until she rammed into the back of Kit’s pack. He’d stopped in the middle of the path, and was looking through the trees to his right, up the slope.
“What?” she asked, her heart zooming.
“Looks like a good place to stop for lunch.” He nodded at the upslope.
She spotted big rocks through the trees, bathed in sunlight. “Sure,” she said. Her stomach rumbled loudly.
Kit grinned and picked his way through the trees. There was a faint path he followed that said others had thought the location a good one to check out, too.
They broke out into sunlight and Alannah raised her face up to the sun. “Nice,” she breathed.
“Yes,” Kit said, lowering the backpack and leaning it against one of the bigger rocks, which came up to his thighs. It was flattened on the top, and would make a good table. Or seat.
