Dirty Little Secrets(105)

Carrying the sapling over, I showed it to her, alternating between the saw tooth back and the razor-sharp blade to trim it quickly to the proper length. “The wood is a bit green, so it’s going to be springy,” I explained as I handed it over to her, “but it should help with footing and stability on some of the rockier ground.”

Robin set the staff I made aside and got to her feet, wrapping her arms around my waist and laying her head on my chest. “I’m sorry,” she replied. “I’ve just been so frustrated that I’m slowing you down so much that I let it out against you. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

Whatever had been wrong between us evaporated, and I squeezed Robin tight, knowing she didn’t really have anything to apologize for. I could have found ways to help her maximize what she could do, but that wasn’t really on my mind at the time. It was new territory for me.

In the Army, I had been a grunt, part of a squad, never really in charge of anyone. After that, my work has also been pretty solo, taking care of myself more than worrying about other people. Stepping back, she kissed me on the cheek, and then on the lips. “Thank you,” she said.

Before she could go on, I lifted her chin and kissed her again, my fingers stroking through her hair.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for. We were supposed to be here on kind of a vacation. I had planned on teaching you some outdoor skills, but nothing to this magnitude. But anyway, I think we should start gathering food for dinner. That grove had some bushes that looked pretty good for getting some berries, and I bet we can find some other stuff if we look around. The wild is full of food, we just have to look for it. How’s that sound?”

I watched as a smile crept up Robin’s face, lighting her up and making her even more beautiful. Robin is sexy when she’s mad and sexy when she pouts, but she’s absolutely angelic and amazing when she smiles. “Okay. Although if you don’t mind, I might just munch as I go. Lunch of crackers and cheese spread was kind of weak, if you know what I mean.”

I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I agree. And the only rule I have is that if you want to eat one, you have to put one in the bag.”

“What bag are we going to use?” Robin asked, shouldering her pack and picking up her walking stick that I made. The limb was about two inches around, and fit her hand well in her glove. I didn’t think she would need it much, but it seemed like it was helping her as she walked. Sometimes, even a placebo is helpful, and I knew it also helped her with her sense of safety. I’d seen Robin practicing martial arts when we were in high school, and she was pretty good with the staff, although against a grizzly bear we’d both just be snacks. I wasn’t going to tell her that, though.

“The plastic outer bag from the rations,” I replied to her question, fishing the thick plastic out of my cargo pocket. “We can forage as we go, and stop about an hour before sunset to set up camp and gather the materials we need for the night. We’ll get to the lake tomorrow.”

“What about water?” Robin asked as we headed toward the grove of trees. “I thought that was a problem.”

“We’ve got two canteens full of snow, those soda bottles as well, and still that one liter bag that is about half full of water. We won’t be taking any baths tonight, but we can make it to tomorrow.”

Leading her into the grove, I took her over to a bush I had identified earlier, showing her the small berries. “They’re pretty late in the season, but these are related to blackberries,” I said, taking one and popping it in my mouth. The first bite was sweet, almost too sweet, and I wished I had picked them about two weeks prior, when they would have been a bit tart as well.

“First rule for any berry or plant is to smell first. Our noses are one of the main ways we have to detect things that are dangerous to us. After that, a small bite, which is then spit out. If you still feel good after ten minutes, you can start to gather to eat later. I already know these really well from prior trips up to this area, so we can eat and gather at the same time.”

Taking her bag, Robin gathered and ate handfuls of the sweet dark berries, until the juices trickled from the corners of her mouth. I followed suit, both of us chuckling and feeling like kids again as we enjoyed both the sugar rush and the fluids. I knew how to keep going even if I am a bit dehydrated, but Robin didn’t. The fluid was helpful. We filled about half of her bag before the bush looked picked clean. She stowed the bag in one of the outer pockets of my pack, while I stored mine in hers, since it was easier to reach than taking our own packs off. We then resumed our trek, almost casually strolling through the woods while I pointed out various food sources and forest animals.