Romancing The Snow
Darren G. Burton
Published by Darren G. Burton at Smashwords
Copyright © 2010 Darren G. Burton
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Romancing The Snow
It was early in the season so there was only a light covering of snow on the ground, and it was patchy at best. Some clumps were caught in the branches of the pine trees that dotted the hillside as far as the eye could see.
Matt watched the steam shoot from his mouth with every exhaled breath. He rubbed his gloved hands together as he walked and turned to his friend, Sara, who walked beside him.
“Sure feels cold enough to snow,” he said.
Sara nodded, the skin of her face under her cape flushed red from the chilly air. They both lugged packs on their backs, filled with provisions, tools and sleeping bags. Matt carried an extra item attached to his pack. It was a two person tent.
Together they trudged up the slope, weaving through the monotonous pine forest. Their destination on the three day hike was a river that should be visible just over the rise they were clambering up. Halfway up the slope Sara paused, dumped her pack on the ground and sat down on a bed of pine needles to rest. Matt sat beside her, a little puffed.
“Are you okay?” he asked her.
“Yep. The muscles in my thighs are burning a little.”
“Mine too. We’ll just take our time.” He looked up at the overcast sky. The cloud cover was too thin to hold any snow. “We’ve still got a few hours of daylight, so plenty of time to get to the river and set up camp.”
“How much further do you think?” Sara wanted to know.
He shrugged. “About a half hour walk from here. Most of that downhill. Once we get to the top of this hill we should be able to hear the river, if not see it.”
“I can’t wait to get there and get settled.” She smiled, her even white teeth glowing next to the reddish tone of her skin. “I thought I’d be fitter than this. I’m only twenty-five.”
“You are fit. You sure look it. You’re just not used to hiking up and down mountainsides with a big pack on your back. Plus it’s pretty cold. That doesn’t help.”
“Are we going to be warm enough when we’re camping?”
“Sure. Once we have a nice fire going we’ll be all cozy.” He hesitated, then said, “If you get too cold, you’re always welcome to cuddle up to me for warmth.”
Sara looked at him and smiled again. “We’ll see.”
The pair had been close friends for nearly five years. Sara used to date a mate of Matt’s; someone he was no longer in contact with. That’s how he and Sara had first met. When Jacob decided to move overseas and didn’t seem to want Sara tagging along, Sara’s relationship with Jacob had ended, but her friendship with Matt had remained intact. Jacob had been gone over a year now and Sara was well and truly over him. Matt and Jacob had simply lost contact over time.