Kapitel 9: A Wonderful Time
Callie stood looking out her window. She wiped her hands on her jeans wishing she wasn’t so nervous. It was, after all, nothing more than a hiking trip. Nothing more. Yet, just thinking she was going to see him again had her heart pounding and her palms sweating.
Her heart stopped as the Mustang pulled up in front of her house. Taking a deep breath, she picked up her backpack from where she had left it by the door and walked out. Jardan had gotten out of the car and met her on her side.
She admired how he looked in his jeans and t-shirt. He was more than just a good-looking boy. There was something about him that showed strength and maturity which had not seen in any boys her own age back home. Maybe that was what was so appealing about him. He wasn’t like all the boys she knew. He was much different.
“Hey, ready to get sweaty.”
Callie gave a nervous laugh. “Sure. I’m up for it.”
“Here. Let me take that.” He took her backpack from her and tossed it in the backseat of the car. He moved around to open her door for her. She couldn’t help but notice the muscles rippling under his shirt.
It only took them ten minutes to reach the park that was the head of the trail. Along the way, Callie took the opportunity to ask a few questions about her new home.
“How old is Shadowfort?”
Jardan slowed down around a curve. “Tradition has it here long before the first explorers appeared.”
Callie turned her head toward him in surprise. “How is that possible?”
“A native civilization had a rather large city here at one time.”
That intrigued Callie. “Do we know anything about them?”
“Yes, there are some records from near their end. They were a thriving and peaceful group. There is no evidence of war though they had ways to protect themselves. The early contacts with outsiders showed they rarely used them and continued to be peaceful.”
“What happened to them?”
Jardan carefully took a sharp curve. “They faded away. No one knows for sure. Rumors have them dying out or just merging in with the settlers when they arrived.”
“Are there any remains of them like buildings or anything?” Callie loved archaeology stories and was thinking of pursuing it as a career.
Jardan hesitated. “There are a few, but they are hard to get to. It would take a much longer and dangerous hike than we are going to do today.”
“So the town is not built on top of their village?”
“Parts of it. Here we are.” Relief seemed to rest in his voice.
Callie looked up to see the gravel parking lot set out in a wide circle at the base of the mountain. Jardan pulled into a slot, though he could have chosen any since no one else was around.
“Does anyone else come out here?” Callie asked as they stepped out of the car.
Jardan opened the back door and pulled out their backpacks. He slung a camera around his neck. “Quite often. There were probably many here this morning hiking. Afternoons tend to be quiet, which is why I like them.”
Callie nodded as she took her pack from him and shrugged it onto her back. It had been a long time since she had hiked. It would feel good again, and the company wasn’t bad either.
“Ready?” Jardan flashed her his heart-melting smile.
“Yes.” Callie fell into step behind him and followed him toward the path that she had not seen when they first pulled up.
The whole area was surrounded by thick trees and wood flowers that covered the forest floor. The path, located behind the park sign, led them deep into the woods. It was a dirt path but well-worn. It began as a steady incline up the mountain and then tapered off slightly level as it made its way around the mountain.
Callie breathed in the rich smells that surrounded her. She could detect the fir trees that were scattered among the hardwoods as well as the violets that sprung up between them. The intensity of the fragrances in the woods startled her.
Spring was her favorite time of the year. Even though it was getting to be the late part of the season, she still loved the wide variety of color that arose with the blooming of trees and flowers. It was great to be walking into the woods and seeing it all as well as breathing it in.
They moved on in silence along a trail that was rather flat as it circled around the base of the mountain. They got to a fork in the path. Jardan paused.
He turned and waited on Callie to stop beside him. Pointing to the path that led to the left, he said, “That one leads down into the valley and to the remains of where the original settlers lived. The right one is the one we will take. It leads up the mountain.”
“Have far does it go?”
“About ten miles, but we won’t go the whole distance. That would get us back here after dark. There’s a place we’ll stop at and eat a bite before making our way back down. You’ll love the view.”
Leading the way up, Jardan took her up the mountain. Callie smiled as she followed. It was turning out to be a wonderful time.
Callie never would have thought she’d be having fun in Shadowfort. No one had really reached out to friend her. Okay, not exactly no one. Jardan had smiled when she was introduced in class. It was a reassuring smile, not like the venom-filled one from Sharon Copeland. The bleach blonde had looked her up and down as though apprising the competition and summarily dismissed her. From then on, everyone turned their back on her and avoided her at all costs. Callie felt like a carrier of Eboli.
Though he never really spoke to her outright, Jardan always caught her eye and smiled. Yet, he didn’t approach her until three days ago when the projects had been assigned and her name was paired with his. He had walked up after class and suggested they get together at his house. Callie was hesitant, but they did need to get to work on it soon. Now she was glad she had agreed.
She thought on Jardan as she followed behind him. He was hot. No one could dispute that, but what she couldn’t understand was why he was the one to befriend her. He didn’t seem to be influenced by everyone else’s opinions, for which she was glad.
Geschenke
-- Geschenk
erhalten Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein