A softer path

The girls packed up and got underway, Sarah amused at how much faster she'd been without needing to dress. It was a calmer day, a bit of coolness in the breeze, not enough to be unpleasant but certainly enough to leave Sarah's nipples hard as rocks. One thing she was thankful for was that Mary was right, the path going forward was more of a softer dirt than before, it felt funny underfoot, feeling it slip between her toes, but it really did feel like connecting with nature...even if it made her feel far more naked.

Taking the lead this time was Katie and Mary, who seemed engrossed in their own conversation. Meanwhile Sarah and Annabelle both were perhaps unintentionally playing a game of keep away, with Sarah trying to sneak herself into the other woman's peripherals.

"So, Annabelle" Sarah began, breaking the awkward silence "Did you sleep well?"

"Oh I uh, kinda" The other brunette replied, trying not to look over.

"At least you got some sleep, it sounded like Mary put her tent up in a bad place" Joked the nudist, gauging her friends reaction.

She managed to get a small smile out of Annabelle, but her expression went back to being serious. The girl was always known for being at least a little cold, no doubt the nudity didn't help.

"...okay I have to ask. The girls can't hear us from back here, does this make you uncomfortable?" Sarah asked with genuine concern.

"The...walk...?"

"No not the walk. Annabelle you're my friend, I don't want to make things awkward"

The clothed brunette didn't reply for a bit, then cleared her throat "I like it. If you don't mind me saying, you're really pretty, it's just unexpected seeing you naked this much"

"Oh?" Sarah tilted her head, she could feel her cheeks flushing red "I'm...thank you, I think?"

"Sorry, it's weird to call you pretty like that, isn't it?" It was Annabelle's turn to blush now.

"What? No no, I think you're very pretty!"

"That's different though, I'm not naked. I think you're pretty, your body included. I think you're sexy"

"Oh, oh that's what you mean..." It was one thing having Mary tell her that someone found her hot, an entirely different thing having that person outright say it.

"It's weird, isn't it? I mean we're friends" Annabelle added, looking Sarah right in the eye. She seemed frustrated.

"H-hey friends can find each other hot" The nude girl replied, starting to get flustered "You're hot!"

"Hey that's not fair, you can't turn this around on me!"

"You called me hot first, I totally can"

"You started it!" The tone eventually devolved into childish giggling as they both walked on, the awkwardness felt like a distant memory.

The path started to dip into a treeline, they'd already had trees around them, but now they grew thicker and thicker, eventually feeling like a true forest. The dirt underfoot being littered more and more by fallen leaves and roots growing across the trail. All no issue for Sarah's bare feet, if anything it gave her a little more enrichment as she walked.

Up ahead Sarah bit her lip, there was a lone walker coming their way. A man, a little older than her at least by appearance, he had a dog with him, a cute looking border collie. He passed by Katie and Mary with a short greetings between them and his dog. But as he spotted Sarah and Annabelle a shocked expression was firmly cemented on his face.

"Uh, good morning" His greeting seemed quite uncertain, but credit to him he pulled his sunglasses up, perhaps as a sign of goodwill to show he wasn't just staring.

"Good morning!" Beamed Sarah, stopping in her tracks, kind of hoping he'd look "Lovely weather right?" She asked, smiling as his dog brushed up against her leg.

"Hey Roxy, leave her be. But uh, yeah, great weather for a walk uh, sorry it's just-" He began to make some awkward response, but Annabelle stepped in.

"Oh sorry she's a nudist" The clothed brunette said with a smile "She really just, you know, likes nature and stuff"

"Yeah it's the best" Grinned the nudist "Hey can I pet your dog?"

He seemed like he wanted to get on his way, but he simply smiled and stopped "Yeah, sure. Don't worry she wouldn't harm a fly"

Sarah squatted down in front of the pupper, who seemed more than eager to sit and accept ear scritches "I can tell she's well behaved, good doggy"

"Feels kinda public to go...y'know. Is this legal?" He asked, mainly trying to look at Annabelle.

"As far as I'm aware? Nope, not a cop are you?" Asked the clothed brunette with a smirk.

"Nah, just making sure you don't get into trouble or anything. You know how some people are" The man added with a smile, especially at seeing the petting that Roxy was getting.

"That's appreciated, but yeah we're just kind of hoping people are chill with it y'know?" Sarah stood up and shrugged "Know anywhere interesting around here anyway?"

He took a look around "Oh uh, there's a river with a waterfall that way if that's what you mean" He gestured a bit off the path "But there's a cafe a short walk up, they do pretty good coffee. Not sure how they'll be with, yeah."

"I guess we'll see how it goes" Annabelle replied with a faint smile "...could do with a coffee though"

"Yeah coffee sounds good" Sarah said with a nod.

"You girls all in a group? Those your friends up there?" He asked.

"The four of us, yeah. Better to hike long distance in a group" Sarah nodded again.

He just chuckled "Yeah that's a good idea, gives you backup in case anyone gives you any trouble about your uh, clothes. Anyway I gotta get going, or else Roxy'll get grumpy"

The girls said their goodbyes, thanked him for the chat and kept going.

"You're seriously just gonna talk to strangers naked like that?" Annabelle asked with a snicker.

"I'm not gonna talk to them clothed am I?" Sarah smirked back.