A cold mist hung low in the air of the sleepy mountain village. He ambled forward, letting out a yawn while rubbing his arms to stave off the crisp morning air. Then sun's rays were barely reaching above the horizon. No one else had begun to stir and the old houses were still and silent as he passed. The village lay on a small flat section of cliff near the tree-line, nestled against the steep face of the mountain. The village was on the south facing side of the mountain peak, and there was a sheer drop off at the end of the cliff the village rested on. To the east of the village, was the forest and the path down the mountain. To the west, was the path further up the mountain. It was a steep and treacherous climb that led to a small mountain lake. The lake spilled over the side of the mountain cliffs and fed the river below.
The village was small, consisting of about twenty cobbled together huts nestled high in the mountains near the tree line. The houses were made of a mixture of wood and baked clay from the river. They had simple thatched roofs. They were very meager accommodations, even the village chiefs home consisted of only a few rooms. A single thin dirt road wound its way between the houses.
He continued down the small dirt path past the furthest hut in the village toward the trees. He followed the path down the mountain for a few minutes before turning off the path and into the forest. The forest was not particularly thick this high on the mountain and it was fairly easy going. He stopped once he reached a small flat clearing in the forest. He glanced around, it was silent and empty. He sighed and moved forward toward the lone boulder occupying the area at the edge of the clearing. He swung himself onto the rock and folded his arms, swinging his legs impatiently. It was just like her to be late.
It was her idea to be here in the first place. Normally he would never have gotten up this early. He scowled at the empty clearing. He was trying to decide whether he should go back to the village or not when he heard the leaves rustling above his head. He glanced up at the branches and saw something moving in the leaves. A round face suddenly burst through the leaves,
"Bah!" The face yelled at him. He yelped slipped of the rock and hit the ground flat on his back. He watched as a small girl swung herself down from the branches while laughing.
"You should have seen your face!" She said before slipping off the branch. She fell down and hit the ground hard on her bottom.
"Oof! That hurt." She stood up and began brushing the dirt off her long gray dress that was tied in the middle with a simple rope. She had long black hair, so dark that it gave of a midnight blue sheen. Her eyes were a piercingly deep emerald green. Her appearance was a stark contrast to his ordinary brown hair and brown eyes. She was adventurous, a little hyperactive, and a lot annoying, but she was also his only friend. Though not entirely by choice, she was the only other ten-year-old in the village.
"Well don't just lay there!" she chided, "Let's go!". He sighed and sat up.
"Go where?" He asked skeptically, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Don't worry," she said shrugging off his concern, "It won't be like last time."
"You always say that," he replied pulling himself to his feet and dusting off his own gray tunic.
"I'm not a little kid exploring the woods for fun anymore," she said putting her hands on her hips and leaning forward with a frown, "I want to learn how to survive in the woods. Now follow me!" She turned around, and skipped into the trees, quickly regaining her normal zeal. He sighed, slumping his shoulders, and following behind her. It was no use trying to argue with her, instead, he began to think of an excuse to tell the village chief when they were inevitably late for dinner.