Chapter 5: Saturday Morning

Matt sighed as he tied down the final strap of his roof rack, watching Kuma circle in the front seat. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, and signalling that the man had once again gotten up and gotten ready a little too early. Yet, this time he wasn't beating himself up about it, he was actually kind of excited. He hadn't gone out with another person since he was a child, but now he had a chance to go out with a someone who seemed to know her stuff.

If she would show up sometime soon.

Matt glared down his long drive-way, but softened his face when he saw a jeep bouncing into view. The snow tires ripped through the snow that had started falling out of nowhere the day before, skidding to a stop a few feet away from him. A flannel bound woman soon popped out, smiling brightly as she walked over. Charlie tossed a worn red and white bag to him, reaching into his truck to pet Kuma.

"Did you pack a town in that rack?" she laughed.

"Nah, just enough for two, and extra in case of emergency. It's snowing, so I'm going to be extra cautious about that too."

"Okay then." Charlie grinned, walking around the truck to hop in the passenger seat. "I'm not gonna complain about that!"

Matt chuckled, joining her in the cab a few moments later. As soon as he was buckled in, he tore off through the woods, driving fast down a trail Charlie couldn't believe she didn't see on her way in. She watched carefully as he maneuvered the old truck up and down ridges she wasn't sure she would have been able to follow him over even in her jeep.

"Wow, no wonder you didn't want me driving."

"Nope. Don't worry, it's only a few more miles to the spot where we'll be camping. I picked a spot I know kinda well, you know, since it's your first time doing this with me."

"Want to see if I can spot the important things you already know are there?"

"Precisely." he glanced at her. "So, what can you tell me so far?"

"You're heading North, toward the cliffs of the mountain range, following the river. Judging by the way it's getting rougher and rougher as we get farther North, I'd say we'll be fairly close to the waterfall, and to the caves." she smirked at him. "You're also putting us deep in bear territory, so any cave we have to take even a brief break in will have to be carefully checked for bears, wolves, or mountain lions."

"Very good." he pointed at the rifles behind him. "And that's why these are here. I trust you actually know how to shoot, right?"

"Give me that .22 and I'll shoot what ever I need to."

"Cocky, heh, I like that." he smirked, finally pulling to a spot in an area damn near exactly as she guessed it. Just through the tress up ahead, she could already see the caves, and as she got out of the truck she could hear the waterfall.

"I guess I for being as cocky as I was, I was damn near right."

"Mm hmm," he shoulder one of the rifles as he got out of the cab, handing the other one to her before beginning to unload the truck. "There's a cave directly ahead of us with an orange line around the entrance, take Kuma and go check it out."

"Right." Charlie took a moment to check her gun, then held it ready as she called for Kuma to follow her. The wolf barked and walked just ahead of her, crouched low but walking fast. A few minutes later, Charlie returned.

"It and the surrounding caves are clear. Kuma's sitting in the entrance waiting for us."

"Yeah, 'cause he knows I'd make his furry little ass carry some of this too." Matt grunted, passing some bags to her. It some how only took one trip, and soon enough the duo was getting a tent set up, right inside the cave. It had proven to be much more spacious than she had orginally thought when she saw that tent stand up inside, far back from the entrance of the cave.

"Did you bring a tent for yourself Charlie?"

"Uh yeah," the woman retrieved the bag that held her tent. "But it's nowhere near as big as yours. I couldn't even fit a cot inside it, but it's all I have."

"We can use it to keep our food in." Matt reasoned, calming her down when she noticed that she seemed slightly embarrassed. "That way, we'll know if something tries to get it."

"Alright." and under his direction, the tent (that actually made him cringe when he saw just how small it really was) was soon set up ahead of the tent that they would be sleeping in. While she carefully went about putting the food and other necessities inside it, Matt set up a pair of cots in the main. Kuma yawned and quickly claimed one the second his master's back was turned, leaving the blonde to cursed and retreat to aid his companion.

"Hey Charlie, how's it-" he stopped when he saw the woman sitting up in front of a fire, sitting on a damp log he realized she must have just pushed in with a pile of sticks and dry leaves beside her.

"Hm, did you say something Matt?" she turned to him, munching on a marshmallow.

"Uh, how long was I in that tent?"

"About ten minutes." Charlie shrugged, picking up a carefully chosen stick to put another marshmallow on. "Want one?"

"No thanks."

She gave another shrug, holding the stick over the flame. "Get the cots set up?"

"Yeah."

"Good, because it's looks like the snow is about to start coming down heavy."