They walk through a spruce forest, then a deciduous forest, gradually leaving the cultivated landscapes for wilder nature. They start a competition about who will cook the food and offer foot massages. They walk through the forest, surrounded by spruces, and the bright sun filters through the needles and leaves above.
Nina mentions that she has GPS on her phone, of course. She can find the way with its help, but she'll soon turn off her phone to save battery until it's really needed. Dan admits he's already done that.
"Do you have a map?" Dan asks.
"Yeah, in my side pocket," Nina replies. Nina stops so that Dan can find the map in the side pocket. When he reaches for it, he feels something furry, soft, and smooth.
"Do you have a teddy bear with you?" Dan wonders curiously.
"In the other pocket," Nina interrupts him, and he finds the map right away.
Dan takes out the map, and together they try to determine their location. They're a bit uncertain about where they are; they haven't seen a trail marker yet, which should be here. Markers along the trail, usually orange rings around trees or diamonds shapes on rocks, indicate the correct path, that they are on the trail. Sometimes posts with markings are set up if there are no trees or rocks to use. At the moment, there don't seem to be any visible markers along the trail. At all.
Nina, who has a competitive side, sees this as an opportunity. She suggests that they should compete to see who can find a marker first and confirm that they are on the right path.
Dan wonders what they should compete for, and Nina smirks as she replies,
"Whoever wins gets to decide who cooks supper when we get to our night camp." She thinks to herself that a light foot massage would be a nice reward after a full day of hiking, but decides to keep that thought to herself.
Dan notices her teasing smile but accepts the challenge nonetheless. He feels filled with the new sense of being on an adventure, and this suggestion makes it even more exciting. So, they start looking for markers while they talk.
As they walk along the trail, Nina tells Dan that she has a pet rabbit, also named Dan, what a coincidence, she says. Her rabbit is the cutest in the world, it's white, has fairly short ears that it enjoys being petted, and it makes little pleased noises. Dan enjoys Nina's adorable story about her rabbit. She looks happy and content as she tells it.
Dan finds it an odd coincidence, but Nina explains that it's exciting that they share the same name. Dan thinks he might make pleased noises too if Nina were to pet him. Together, they walk through a lush and cooling deciduous forest on a narrow trail. In the distance, they can hear the sound of the sea and the cries of seagulls. Dan daydreams a bit about Nina's nose, which he finds very cute; she has small red freckles at the bridge of her nose. "So lovely," he thinks aloud.
"What?" Nina says, what's lovely?
Dan smiles and looks slightly embarrassed. "Oh, it's nothing special. Just a silly thought that crossed my mind."
Nina raises an eyebrow and gives him a smile that's a mix of laughter and skeptical curiosity. "So, you're saying it's a silly thought, but I can see from your expression that it's something else too?"
Dan laughs nervously and runs a hand through his hair. "I promise, it's really not something to worry about."
Nina gives him a comically skeptical look. "You're very convincing, Dan."
He laughs and shakes his head. "I was just thinking out loud about... how nice your nose is. You know, with those little freckles at the bridge."
Nina laughs heartily, a mix of astonishment and surprise in her voice. "My nose? Seriously? It's the first time anyone has said something like that to me."
Dan blushes a bit and laughs along. "Yeah, it's really... I know. I apologize if I was too forward or something."
Nina shakes her head and laughs. "It's actually quite cute."
Nina thinks of something flirtatious to say in return but can't come up with anything, she feels like she wants to, maybe later.
Dan thinks he sees a marker on a rock, but Nina beats him to it with her confident statement,
"I see a marker!" which turns out to be correct.
"Congratulations," says Dan, "apparently, I'm cooking for us tonight!"
"Apparently, I'm the one who gets to decide that," Nina corrects him, "The winner got to decide WHO would cook."
"Okay, who do you think should cook then?"
"You, of course," says Nina, beaming with joy. "Maybe a little foot massage too?" Nina adds eagerly.
"Perhaps," replies Dan with a hidden smile.
"Ooh, a foot massage from a handsome stranger," Nina says with only partially feigned excitement.
"Am I the stranger?" Dan wonders in surprise.
"The handsome stranger," Nina clarifies.
"In that case, I probably can't say no," says Dan, blushing a bit, feeling his ears tingle.
The path now leads into an open, moor-like terrain, the scent of heather is strong, the occasional rocks and small birch trees offer neither coolness nor shade, and persistent crickets chirp loudly, overpowering everything else. The two adventurers feel the hot rays of the sun on their shoulders, and their backpacks are starting to feel heavy.
"I think it would be good to have a water break soon. Some water and snacks would be perfect." Nina says, feeling the sweat run down her back.
Dan nods as he scratches his neck. "I was thinking the exact same thing. It's definitely time to stop and catch our breath."
Nina smiles gratefully at Dan and looks for a suitable spot to sit down. But then she surveys the barren landscape and hesitates.
"Or maybe not here. It seems like there isn't much shade, and it's really hot."
"You're probably right. We should wait until we find a place with a bit more shelter."
Nina raises her water bottle to her mouth and takes a sip. "Yeah, we need to be smart about our breaks and not get too exhausted in the strong sun."
"Definitely. We don't want to burn out already at the beginning of the adventure."
After walking a bit further, they see a stone cairn wall cutting across their path, with a ladder over it. The kind of ladders that are perfect for hikers to step over, but with their heavy backpacks, it's a challenge. Nina throws an uncertain look at the ladder and then at Dan.
"This could get a bit tricky."
"Indeed, it looks like quite a test. But I think we can help each other get through it," Dan remarked.
Nina hesitated for a moment but then smiled encouragingly. "Let's give it a try."
They approached the ladder built from branches and tied rungs and carefully made their way across. The rungs appeared a bit fragile and unsteady for their weight, but they managed fine. Nina went first, with Dan's assistance. When she landed on the other side, she noticed something under her feet.
"What's this?" Nina exclaimed, pointing at the ground adorned with suspicious brown heaps.
"Wow, you startled me. Is it a snake?" Dan replied.
"No," Nina replied disgustedly, "something slimy and sticky."
Dan, not trusting the stability of the rungs to support his weight, handed his backpack to Nina on the other side of the wall and quickly climbed over to investigate.
Dan surveyed the ground and chuckled. "It seems like we've stumbled into the kingdom of cow pies. Be cautious; they've left them all over the place."
Nina laughed and couldn't resist making a joke. "Oh, lovely. I know it's cow dung, but still, a bit of a surprise! How about a cow dung picnic?"
Dan laughed along. "I think we'll stick to snacks and water this time."
A bit further along the trail, which cut through the pasture, they spotted a large oak tree whose branches offered much-needed shade. However, the sight of cow patties scattered across the meadow made them hesitate.
"Do you see what I see?" Nina asked with a mixture of wonder and horror in her voice.
Dan nodded and chuckled lightly. "Yes, cow pies. It looks like they've taken a break here too."
Nina frowned. "We need to be careful not to step in them."
Dan laughed and agreed. "Definitely. Let's be vigilant and find a spot where we can pause without the risk of messy surprises."
They continued along the trail, carefully examining the ground to avoid stepping in cow dung. The landscape felt surreal yet magical—nature and fauna in perfect harmony, even if the balance seemed a bit too cow-pie-centric.
The oak tree's shade, though limited to a small area next to the trail, proved to be surprisingly free of piles. The ground was even and somewhat trampled, probably from the cows bustling about or seeking shelter under the oak during storms. Its shade was a welcome respite, and there was no detour needed. They settled on a large rock beneath the oak, and as they opened their backpacks to enjoy their picnic, the cooling shade was a relief to them.
Nina offered some of the dried apricots she had brought along. "Would you like some?" she asked, extending her hand toward Dan.
Dan smiled appreciatively. "Sure, thank you. They look delicious."
"I hope you enjoy them; I can really recommend these apricots," Nina said, reaching for one of her water bottles.
At the same time, Dan opened his own backpack and retrieved a bag of almond and raisin mix. He leaned toward Nina with a smile. "Would you like to try my mix? It's really tasty too."
Nina smiled and nodded. "Absolutely, sounds delightful."