Chapter 5

Okay, she could catch fish from the lake, but that seemed to be the only likely source of food in the area. Mentally, she kicked herself for going uphill simply because it was the least obvious choice. It was least obvious for a good reason.

She looked up at the sky. Some time past noon, she thought. Still plenty of daylight left. She sighed. This was getting harder. While every move she could make opened up different choices, those choices were all limited. Okay, she’d have to get to the lake. The only way she could be sure of getting there was to follow the ravine down. When it stopped being a ravine, she could follow the stream that ran from it to the lake. Maybe, just maybe, if there was an unmarked trail here upslope of the one she’d started on, there might be another unmarked trail down by the lake. She sighed again and shook her head. About the only choice left now was which side of the ravine to travel on, assuming she could get there without being overtaken.

She’d seen no sign that anyone was after her, but she knew they were out there, looking for her, no doubt more than a little irritated that she was making this so difficult for them. There was a chance that someone would be waiting for her up ahead. There was an even better chance that someone was following her tracks, slowly closing in. She shivered at the thought.

She had to cover some ground while it was still daylight, and the trail, risky or not, would have to be used. When she got to the ravine, if the water had gone down enough she could move down it for a little ways and then climb out at some spot where it wouldn’t be easy to track her. She folded the map and stowed it away. Time to get moving. Maybe she could outdistance anyone following her. Before getting back on the trail, she moved along a rocky stretch of ground where she wouldn’t leave tracks, rejoining the trail some distance from where she’d left it. It wasn’t much of a trick, but it was all she could do just now.

It was well after noon when he came to the spot where she’d left the trail. He could think of a couple of reasons for doing that…but he didn’t see any sign that she’d gotten back on the trail. He frowned. That would be her first stupid move, just wandering into the woods. Well, if she had, she’d be easy enough to find a bit later, but he suspected she hadn’t. He continued on the trail for a while, looking for any sign of her. He found it, sooner than he’d expected. So, another little trick from the elf-girl. He shook his head, grinning. He was really looking forward to catching her. It should be very interesting. He set off in pursuit.

Kimberley kept mulling things over as she walked. She’d need food and water….both could be had by the lake. She wasn’t entirely sure she could get to the lake uncaught, but it was the only choice she seemed to have. Of less immediate importance, she was wearing her last change of clothes, and it was beginning to bother her just a little. Outdoor living had its disadvantages. If she could get across the next ravine on the trail, she’d head downhill alongside it. At some point, she ought to find a spot where she could do some washing. She was normally very fastidious, and wearing the same clothes day after day, however necessary, bothered her.

Some adventures got pretty arduous, she thought. She was in good shape, but today she noticed that the trek was taking a toll on her. Well, she’d been cutting her rest halts short, trying to keep some distance between her and her still-unseen pursuit. She halted on the trail and looked back, shading her eyes. No sign of anybody. She was certain, though, that there was someone back there, following. Maybe even catching up. Turning away, she trudged on.

He had to stop for a while. She was setting one hell of a pace. While he felt that he was slowly gaining ground, it was going to be a while before he caught up with her. A lot depended on whether or not Kurt or Lloyd could somehow get in front of her, but until he was sure which way she’d be going for a while there was only a small chance of that. They were both back by the original trail, waiting for word from him. He hoped to be able to tell them something soon, but elf-girl was elusive and unpredictable.

Still, he told himself, she only had so much food. Sooner or later she’d run out, and start to weaken. The way she was going, though, it didn’t look like it would be any time soon.

It was late afternoon when she reached the second ravine. The water had gone down since yesterday…or maybe this particular ravine just didn’t get that much in the first place. Standing on the rim, she looked down it. It looked difficult, but practicable, and it was unlikely anyone could track her through that jumble of rocks. She checked her gear to make sure everything was secure before starting down, stepping carefully. Some of the rocks were loose, and the wet ones were slippery. There was enough undergrowth growing in the ravine to give her some cover once she got far enough along it. As she picked her way, she kept an eye out for someplace she could climb up and out without leaving any traces.

He reached the spot where the upper trail crossed the next ravine. Her tracks showed that she’d gone down into it, but hadn’t come out the other side. He sat down on a convenient rock, shaking his head in rueful admiration. It would be just about impossible to track her in all those rocks, which was probably why she did it. Elf-girl was tough.

Even so, she couldn’t go very fast down there. She’d tried a trick earlier, where she’d left the trail only to get back on it later. She’d probably exit the ravine somewhere to travel on easier ground. The only question, then, was which side would she get out on? He hated having to make a guess, especially with this girl. Whichever way he went, he thought it likely he’d be wrong. Time to contact the others. He took out his radio, hoping the battery would last. If Kurt and Lloyd could take positions on the lower trail where it crossed the ravine, they had a chance to intercept her. If and when they did catch her, they’d have to be careful that she didn’t get away.

The ravine was treacherous. Besides all the loose or slippery rocks, the depth of the water varied widely. The old saw that still waters ran deep was true enough, though. If she could see the water flowing, it was probably shallow enough to ford. If she saw little or no movement, she had to go around. She wished she’d taken the time to make herself a walking stick. It would be very useful here.

She was skirting one particularly dark and deep-looking pool when the rock she’d stepped on suddenly shifted under her weight. She flailed wildly for balance, but it was no use. She toppled over backwards into the very pool she was trying to avoid, praying that it wasn’t too deep as she fell. With all the gear she was carrying, she’d never be able to swim.

The shock of the cold water made her yelp. She went under, felt herself hit bottom, and struggled to get her legs under her. Her feet touched the bottom and she bent her knees before pushing upwards as hard as she could, ready to gulp air as soon as she broke the surface. The weight and bulk of her backpack slowed her.

The pool turned out to be no more than chest-deep. She stood gasping for breath, more out of shock than anything else, looking around wildly before she realized she wasn’t going to drown after all. Getting out of the pool proved to be difficult. There were few handholds, and she was soon shivering uncontrollably from the cold, cold water. She finally struggled out, dripping wet and chilled through. She’d have to get up out of here, on to level ground, and build a fire as soon as she could. She wished for the hot, dry weather she’d had to endure earlier.

It wasn’t easy to get out of the ravine. She had to move a considerable distance downhill, shivering worse with every step, before she found an exit. After two tries, she found she couldn’t climb out still wearing her backpack. It was too bulky, and some of the contents had taken on water, making it heavier. She shucked it off, tying a rope to it. With the rope in her teeth, she clambered out, getting very muddy in the process. Finally out, she hauled the pack up, using the rope. Once she’d retrieved it, she leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. The exercise had about done her in for now, but she still had work to do. When she’d recovered a bit, she picked up her pack and carried it with her hands until she found a spot where she could make a fire. She cleared an area of the accumulated leaves, down to the bare earth, and used the drier leaves and some small twigs for kindling. She had some matches in a waterproof container on her belt. Once she had a small fire going, she carefully placed bigger fallen branches on it. As they were catching, she stripped off her sodden clothes. She had to remove her socks too, but put her boots back on. Uncomfortable as wet shoes might be, there were too many sharp or hard things that could hurt her bare feet. She collected more branches, feeding them to the growing fire before opening her pack to see what damage had been done.