***
As Mark and Connor sped away from them Sarah couldn’t help but look at her mate’s bottom. He looked so tempting in those shorts of his. She also noticed that both Connor and Mark traveled in a rapid yet measured pace that only experienced hikers know how to travel.
Sarah happened to glance at Kara as she saw the last of their men vanish from sight. She had a dreamy yet sad expression etched on her expression. She asked compassionately “Kara, what’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?” She adjusted the long bow on her back, trying not to speak any further. She turned to look at Sarah with a barely pouting bottom lip.
She pointed to where the boys vanished like silent specters. “Has something gone wrong between you and Mark?”
Kara looked straight ahead as she answered. “I’m not sure actually.” She sighed uneasily. “I’ve known Mark for about as long as Brother and he has always been so nice towards the two of us. He never pressed himself against us, but he is like family.” She glanced at Sarah for a moment. “The day Brother had to track you down, Mark stayed with me that entire night. It was one of the first times we spent so much time together, alone and without interruption. We talked about many different things and I got to really know him or thought I did. I asked him why he lives alone and why he never talks about his family. He had a look of longing, but like either he has never had a real family or his family didn’t want him. He might be Brother’s best friend, but he can sure be mysterious at times.”
Sarah touched her sister-in-law’s shoulder. “One thing is for sure, you share your brother’s compassion and observational abilities.”
Kara started laughing. “I could never have half the instincts that my big brother has.” She looked at the ground after remembering something. “That’s not all though.” Kara looked up at her, wearing a fake smile. “Mark and I have been kind of dating as long as you and Brother have. I love having him around me all the time he makes me feel… I really can’t put the feeling into words.”
“Whole?” Sarah supplied, trying to help.
“That’s a good word.” She put her hands behind her head as she walked. “During the school carnival; that was the first time he actually kissed me and I was so happy. He is a great kisser… but…
“That night I went over to his apartment and we stayed up all night talking. It was weird though…I thought that we would do more. You know what I mean?” She jiggled her delicate eyebrows provocatively. “We didn’t though.” She looked ahead again, still walking uphill and not even getting winded. She didn’t lie about being an experienced hiker. “I can feel that he wants to be with me. I can see it in those silver eyes of his. Every time we get close though, he pushes himself away from me. It’s really getting annoying. I know he’s hiding something from me because it’s like he’s trying to protect me from some secret.”
“Would you like my opinion?” Sarah asked evenly, knowing the burden and value of secrets.
“Why do you think I’m spilling my guts to you?” She said sarcastically. “I wouldn’t be able to tell anyone else I have a boyfriend who doesn’t want to jump my bones.”
“It seems to me that since I’ve known him, he’s looking at life at a new angle now.”
“You have to give me more than that… Stop being so vague.” She stopped walking and Sarah turned to look at her holding her pack in one hand.
“You have seen the changes that Connor has gone through recently?” Kara nodded in understanding. “Do you also see how he always follows Connor around and listens to whatever he has to say?”
She looked up, thinking, just like Connor does. It is a strange habit they share. “You are right, but what does it really mean?”
“This isn’t exactly the right answer, but I think Mark is searching for something that he doesn’t know how to find. When I see Connor serious, I know for a fact that everyone will follow his command. He is a natural leader…if he wants to be.” Kara nodded twice. “Mark, I believe, is trying to find his place in the world and instinctively he’s following your brother for guidance.”
“For guidance?” She tilted her head to the side.
Sarah cracked a one sided shy smile. “As humans, we hate being alone. We are social creatures. When we come together with common interests or ties; some people have an innate sense to become a leader and take charge. Connor is that leader. Through his actions he shows his strength, compassion, protectiveness and above all else, his heart.” Sarah touched her chest over where her heart is and smiled to herself. “That’s why I love him and why I will always be with him.” Sarah looked to her right and witnessed Kara staring at her and wearing a pleased smile. “Both you and Mark feel the same way towards him. Both of you love him and follow Connor in your own way.”
“How will this help get Mark to make a move?” She chirped.
“I think that this is the first time he’s really falling in love with someone.” Kara’s eyes went wide. “I think he’s watching and learning from Connor to see what love is like and how he can understand it in himself.” She took a deep breath. “Men learn about love quicker from another man who is in love. They normally don’t ask another man about their love lives, because they don’t need to. Most men learn by watching and studying; unlike us women who learn quicker by asking questions.” She looked directly in Kara’s twinkling eyes while speaking delicately and clearly. “Let Mark learn from your brother and when he finds his answer, I guarantee that you will be the first to know everything.”
She nodded in careful consideration. She then looked up in the canopy like Connor does when he’s processing information. “That makes sense.” She turned to look at Sarah again. “Was Brother like that with you?” Kara asked seriously.
“In his own unique way, yes.” Sarah admitted.
Kara started walking again and Sarah caught up quickly. She watched the quiver at Kara’s left hip swing back and forth along with her gentle strides. And she asked “Kara, may I see one of your arrows?” She turned her head. Without looking down she quickly pulled out an arrow by the tail end with her right hand and handed it over. Sarah grabbed the arrow by the shaft.
At the end of the shaft held a carved wooden nock that would fit perfectly on the string. The vane’s were made from plastic and colored a bright pink. The shaft of the arrow was made out of a hardwood, she assumed oak, and the wood had been stained a dark brown almost like the earth. She crested her shaft with what looked like acrylic pink nail polish that was in three separate rings, spaced a half inch apart. The point of the wooden tip was sharpened to a point and fire-hardened, but it didn’t have any barbs. “Why don’t you use an arrowhead? That would keep the arrow in its intended target.”
Kara kept walking as she said. “I don’t like killing animals unless I have to or unless I was starving and had no other choice. I would rather wound or incapacitate them if given a choice for me to escape.”
“Hmm, that’s interesting.” “Just like your brother.” Sarah said under her breath, but Kara heard it and smiled. “Where did you get those arrows from?” She handed the arrow back, trying to return to the subject.
She slid it back into her quiver. “I made them myself.” She looked straight ahead. “Brother was never a good Marksman with any projectiles. He can throw with deadly accuracy, but he is more the hand to hand fighter type.” She flashed a smile. “Me on the other hand, I’m a Marksman. I have rarely missed a target that was in my sights.” She knelt at the ground and studied the earth. She moved some leaves over. “This is Mark’s print without a doubt, we’re still in their trail.”
Sarah felt for her bond with Connor and knew she was right. “How do you know its Mark’s?”
“Brother’s feet are larger, but Mark’s impressions are heavier. Brother never leaves tracks unless he forces himself to do so. He has to think about it. It’s always perplexes me that a person his size does these things.” She said standing up. “Any other tests you want to give me?”
“Ok ho
w about this!” Sarah walked over to a fern and snapped off a small leaf. She walked back and handed it over to her. “About how long ago did it rain?”
Kara studied the leaf intently. She snapped it in half and looked along the break. “I would say about two and a half to three weeks ago.” She said throwing the leaf down.
“Not bad!” Sarah was honestly impressed. “What kind of flower is this?” She pointed at a sunny spot that held a large, bright reddish-orange flower.
“That’s easy. It’s a Wood Lily.” She said instantly.
They walked for over two hours, testing each other back and forth with each new plant they came across. Sarah also noticed that all of the fruit bearing plants were completely stripped of vegetation and some trees had odd marks on their trunks.
Every now and then either Kara or Sarah would kneel down to make sure they were still on their trail that the men left. Sarah forced herself to keep up the pretense of tracking even though she strongly felt the bond with Connor. They had been stationary for some time now. Their path suddenly turned to the left side of the trail and they left an obvious sign for any to follow.
He carved into a tree ‘This way ladies’ and an arrow underneath pointing to the east.
Kara put her hand to her forehead and sighed. “Brother, you are such an idiot.”
“At least we know we didn’t lose them.” Sarah added.
“There’s that.” Kara agreed with a small laugh.
In about thirty minutes Sarah knew through the bond that Connor was close. She looked up and saw there remained nearly two hours of sunlight left. She didn’t tell Kara how close they were, but she knew as well.
Before Sarah heard anything Kara said “I hear a fire crackling! They must be finished building up the camp site.” She took a deep breath. “Brother! Mark! We made it!” She yelled in her quick, chirpy voice.
“We know Kara! I heard your footfalls a minute ago.” Connor called back. And Sarah could hear Mark laughing.
They entered a small clearing with short green grass that covered the ground. There were two logs and between the men sat a fire pit. Two people could sit on one of the logs and three on the other. Connor sat at the larger one while Mark took residence on the other, shorter log. Above the flames of the fire hung a large metal bowl that looked to be filled with water that had just begun to boil.
Behind Connor stood a big, opened front, lean-to shelter that had a small canopy that provided shade and another runoff incase it rained. The shelter not only had a back steeped wall, but three more sides. Two of the walls blocked the outer sides of the shelter and the third wall sat in the middle; separating the shelter in two rooms. It had been designed to shelter each couple. And there were two litters that made a raised bed that stood about a six inches off the ground. No one would have to suffer by sleeping on the cold ground. On the top of each of the two litters laid open were their sleeping bags.
Connor continued looking at Sarah with a smile on his face. That smile can make even a sunset seem boring. He stood saying “Does this appease you?”
“It suits me nicely.” Connor walked up and unsnapped the clip between her breasts and helped remove the pack. Sarah was lucky to be a Balancer or else her legs and back would be in excruciating pain after such an arduous hike. Holding the pack in one hand, he kissed the top of her head.
He walked over to a tall tree, sat the pack on the ground and then reached up and untied a piece of rope. He let the packs that were tied to the other end of the rope slide down to the ground. He tied her pack to the rest of them, hoisted the bags back into the tree and tied the other end back to the limb.
She thought to him. “Why are you putting our packs up in the tree?”
“There are animals that will make quick work of our meager supplies. We only brought enough for three days. Even if something does get to our supplies I can find us food without fail.”
“What kinds of animals live around this area?” She wanted to know what to keep an eye out for.
He turned to look at her. “Animals like; raccoons, opossums, foxes, wolves, black bears, skunks and other critters along that line.” He walked up and took her hand and interlaced their fingers with a spine-tingling smile.
Connor turned her around to sit by the welcoming fire. Kara took off her bow and laid it on the ground, next to the log, but out of reach from the pit. Still standing, she unfastened her belt and sat the quiver next to the bow.
Mark’s eyes were carefully watching her as she finished setting her things down. She stepped over the log and sat down on it; touching thigh to thigh with him. She looked at him and smiled. “Where is the closest water supply?”
He pointed over his shoulder. “Behind those bushes is a waist deep and slow moving stream. I would say about thirty yards away.” She nodded and turned her head to look at the fire.
Connor led Sarah to the other log and she sat down first followed by Connor. She understood why they sat on the larger log. Since Connor’s frame is larger; he needed more bottom room.