赤裸裸的滑稽故事

The hike up the mountain took longer than anticipated. Between the children needing to rest and the natural difficulty of the terrain, the pace of the group had to be slowed much more than Ashleigh had hoped.

Looking at where they were on the mountain, she knew that if she went straight up, she could reach the village in only a few short hours. But, to keep the others safe from danger, she would first need to take them to the lake.

While the children sat and drank from their water bottles, Myka approached Ashleigh.

“Hey,” he said, smiling. “I know this is taking a bit longer than planned, but we can still make it up today.”

“It’s all right,” Ashleigh said. “We need to do what is best for the children, which means taking a slower pace.”

Myka was surprised and glad to hear her response. He knew how badly she wanted to explore the village and the mound. But perhaps he had been right about giving her something else to focus on. She was naturally protective, and she was good with the kids. This trip could be a turning point for her.

“You’re right,” he said. “But I was thinking, I know you said it wouldn’t be great for the kids to explore the village.”

Ashleigh looked up, meeting Myka’s eyes with concern.

“And I agree,” Myka said quickly, seeing the look she gave him. “But I know how much you wanted to get there today. Right now, it will take us the rest of the day to get to the lake, and the sun will have set by the time we set up camp.”

“I know,” Ashleigh said with a nod. “As I said, we must do what’s best for them.”

“And I appreciate that consideration,” Myka replied with a bright smile. “As well as choosing to go to the lake because you know they want to go fishing.”

When Ashleigh had told him the plan, he was surprised. He had expected to go straight up the mountain rather than curving around to hit the lake. It was the faster route to reach the village, but Ashleigh had insisted that the lake was the best camping option.

Ashleigh nodded and looked away.

“But how about this,” Myka continued. “Let’s adjust our course.”

Ashleigh turned back to him.

“What do you mean?”

“We head straight up,” he said. “Toward the village, you can go ahead and go there. The kids and I will find a place to camp nearby.”

“No,” Ashleigh said immediately.

Myka was surprised. He thought she would have been happy with this compromise.

Ashleigh swallowed and turned away.

“Thank you,” she said. “For trying to help me get there quicker.”

She turned and smiled at him.

“But, I don’t want the kids inside the village. They will want to check it out if we're camping close by, especially if I’m already heading in that direction.”

Myka felt uneasy. Something about this felt off, but he couldn’t figure out what it was.

“Let’s just go to the lake like we planned,” Ashleigh said. “In the morning, you take the kids to fish, and I will check out the village.”

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Ashleigh nodded and patted his shoulder before moving away.

“I’m going to scout ahead,” she said as she walked away.

Myka didn’t get a chance to respond before she was gone. He watched after her, the unease he felt was still there, but he had no reasonable explanation for it.

When Ashleigh was sure that Myka was no longer watching her, she took a deep, shaky breath. Then, she closed her eyes and shook out her nerves.

“Are you all right?”

Ashleigh’s head whipped back at the voice. It was Stefan. He was a few feet back and walking toward her.

“What are you doing over here?” she asked.

“Myka said you were scouting ahead,” Stefan replied. “He said it was all right if I came along.”

Ashleigh swallowed and turned away.

“Wouldn’t you rather stay with the others?” she said. “Scouting ahead is pretty boring. I’m just looking for anything in our path, like downed trees, natural wells, or sudden drops.”

Stefan shook his head.

“Scouting ahead is an important part of keeping everyone safe,” he replied. “It’s not boring at all. It’s an honorable job.”

Ashleigh looked back at him. His expression was sincere and focused. He truly believed the words that he said.

“Known a few scouts, have you?” she asked. Knowing the look of a proud family member when she saw it.

Stefan nodded.

“My mom was a scout,” he said.

“So was my dad,” Ashleigh said, a soft smile spreading over her lips as she thought of him.

“I know,” Stefan smiled.

Ashleigh looked at him with confusion, and then it hit her. How could she have forgotten?

Stefan took a step toward her.

“I have never gotten the chance to speak with you,” he said. “I have spoken with Luna Corrine and Alpha Axel. Given my thanks and apologies. But this is my first chance to speak with you.”

He looked up at her, that sincere and serious look in his eyes.

“Your father saved my life,” he said. “He was a great man; without him, none of us would have gotten out of Autumn that night.”

Her heart ached thinking of Wyatt’s final night. She hadn’t seen his body. Caleb wouldn’t let her, and, in the end, she was thankful for it. But she had heard enough about the night's events to know that his last hours were filled with pain.

“Stefan… you don’t…” Ashleigh stammered. She licked her lips and turned away. “You don’t have to… do this.”

“I do,” he said. “Because I am truly grateful. I owe every member of his family my gratitude and my sincere apologies. I will remember him for the rest of my life. It is the least that I can do to honor him.”

Ashleigh looked down at the boy. He bowed his head to her, a sign of respect for the memory of her father.

Stefan was a child. Not even ten, but his words and actions spoke of the experience of an adult. Ashleigh felt a heaviness in her chest.

She swallowed the unpleasant feeling as she got down on one knee before him. She brought her fist to her heart and bowed her head.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

They took a few silent minutes to settle themselves. Then, once Ashleigh felt calm and in control again, she asked Stefan if he was still willing to scout ahead with her. He eagerly agreed, and they moved forward together.

As they walked, Stefan told Ashleigh about his parents, specifically about his mother’s job as a scout. It seemed he truly appreciated the role and wanted to pursue it someday.

“My sister signed up just after her last birthday,” he said softly. “She would have started her training by now.”

Ashleigh nodded, looking away into the trees. Caleb’s smile flashed in her mind.

“The war prevented many of us from living the lives we were supposed to,” she said bitterly.

“It wasn’t the war that killed my sister,” Stefan said.

Ashleigh furrowed her brow and looked back at him.

“The Reef was destroyed by the war. My parents died because of it,” he said. Then his tone became cold. “But my sister died because one selfish person thought his wants were more important than her life."