To the spur

"Well, the spur sounds nice, do you think any of your huts will still be standing?" you ask.

"I was wanting to go back to the spur myself, to be honest. I haven't been back to the spur in ages, I'm not sure if the huts are still there. Only one way to find out!" She grabs her pack and jumps up excitedly.

You push the map back into your pack and both set off.

You look at Olivia walking happily beside you, and you'd like to hold her hand while you walk, but after the embarrassing moment just before you're a little too nervous.

It's a beautiful day, the sun is out, the birds are out, and you're glad you're out with this beautiful girl.

The day is starting to warm up, and the thermals come off.

Olivia tells you all about all the adventures she had with her brother and best friend. You explain how your parents were always happy to let you wander about the wilderness whenever your family went camping, and you both firmly agree that nature is better for kids than TV.

Suddenly Olivia grabs your hand and pulls you off the path.

"There's a short cut through here"

It doesn't look much like a short-cut, there are no markings that you can see. Still, you're happy for the excuse to hold on to Olivia's hand.

You're wondering if the 'short-cut' was simply an attempt to get you off the path for an uninterrupted make-out session, and your heart rate starts to rise.

That's when Olivia points out a blaze cut into a tree, which she had cut herself many years ago.

This is a legitimate short-cut after all then.