Day Four

Day Four

Lauren helped me get dressed. Rather than shoulder my pack, which only hurt, I simply carried it down to the fire site.

“Morning, John!” François said cheerily. “Ready for the day?”

“Morning, François. Going well. You’ve got Lauren first thing, then back with me in the woods with only a map and a compass for company.

“Looking forward to it!”

“What’s breakfast?”

“Oatmeal. Something to stick to your ribs,” Roger said.

“The only way I like oatmeal is with plenty of cold milk and heaps of brown sugar.”

“Me too,” Dan said with a laugh.

‘Me mum, she makes a really good slow oatmeal,” Tay added. “Takes hours.”

“Traditional Irish?” I asked.

“Yeah. Really good.”

“I haven’t had that in a long time. Fire’s hot? Let’s get cooking. Cassie and Eric are the chefs?”

I got out of the way, and everyone went to work. Around us, the other teams were beginning to get their act together.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Joanne asked me as I looked around.

“Just thinking how different the teams are.”

“We do seem better organized.”

“Just luck, I guess. Anyway, I need to go and get some lunch fixings.”

I wolfed down my breakfast and headed for the main building. Rick was just coming out for the morning briefing.

“Morning, John, how’s the day?”

“Morning, Rick. Good thanks. Can I get some cold cuts for lunch? I have to rearrange my course over the lunch break.”

“Yeah, stick your head in the back door, Margie should be able to hook you up.”

“Thanks.”

“Did you brief your team yet?”

“No, I was going to get lunch and then do that before I took Andre’s group up.”

“OK. See you in a couple then. How’re things going?”

“Andre’s team and Lauren’s teams are a bit behind, but mine should be doing dishes about now.”

“I noticed that too. OK. See you there.”

I headed for the main building, and Rick went to brief folks on the upcoming fun for the day.

“Knock knock,” I said, coming into the kitchen area of the main building.

“Hey, John, how are you?” Margie asked, dusting flour from her hands.

Margie was Rick’s wife. We had not seen much of her, which was no surprise given she was about six months pregnant. She tended to stay out of the sun, but she was an excellent cook and a fun lady.

“I need some lunch fixings. I have to reset my course during lunch.”

“Of course. Sit down, let me get you some things.”

She puttered around the kitchen for a couple of minutes and put together a couple of sandwiches for me in a bag, then added a couple of bottles of water.

“It’s hot up there, even when it’s cool elsewhere. You’ll need the water even if you plan to come down in-between. Drink all of it. Hear me?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said in all seriousness as I put the things in my bag. “And thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Go get ‘em!”

“Thanks, Margie.”

She waved at me as she went back to work, and I went back to the fires.

“Any questions?” Rick asked as I slipped up to my fire. “OK, get cleaned up. John, where do you want the next team?”

“We’ll leave from here in about ten minutes?”

“Right, let’s get to it then, shall we?”

Everyone went back to finish their breakfast or start cleaning up. My team went to get ready for their rotation. I watched Andre wrangling his team. He was a good leader, but they were not self-starters. When he was not around, they tended to flutter off to their own devices. I looked at Lauren’s team. They had a couple, but most seemed caught up in preening with each other. I guess I had lead a sheltered life. Getting things done without being told to do them had been drilled into my head. I was lucky to get the team I had. They seemed to pitch in without anyone telling them what to do.

“You are very intent,” Joanne said, coming up to me.

“Hm? Just wool-gathering. Waiting for folks to finish up their cleaning.”

“Why are you so focused?”

“Sorry?”

“You seem to be very focused.”

“I guess I am doing things in the background. I am thinking about the new layout for the course starting this afternoon and whether I can get it all done over the lunch hour.”

“It was more than that,” she said.

“Not really.”

“OK. If you want to talk, just let me know.”

“Thank, Joanne. Time to get to work.”

I stood up, grabbed my pack, and walked over to where the team was putting their dishes away.

“Are we ready?”

They seemed startled and looked at each other, one still eating.

“We haven’t finished breakfast.”

“Then I guess you will have to finish it at lunch. We have a schedule to keep. Grab your gear. Let’s go.”

They grumbled up to the site, then some more as we walked from marker-to-marker. By the time we got to the third marker, I had had enough.

“Listen up. I don’t care if you never learn how to do this. But someday, maybe this summer, maybe next, you will find yourself in a situation where six scared, tired, whiney kids will be looking at you to get them unfucked from the situation that you got them into. And then you will have to explain to the director, and their parents, why you could not extricate your team from the forest, swamp, or mountain top where you have gotten lost. So perhaps you should pay attention to more than your sore feet, the breakfast you missed, or any number of things that get in the way of your comfort and think about how you are going to look after six kids that are entrusted to your care. Am I clear?”

I think I reached a couple of them, because the rest of the morning, while not picture-perfect, was completed without any more complaints.

“When we next meet, the course will be different, and you will be expected to do it alone. I encourage everyone to study the materials I gave you. Now, which way do we go to get back?”

As they trooped off down the trail, I sat down hard on a rock and tried to forget them. Some rustling caught my attention.

“Good speech,” Rick said as he came up to me. “You sure you’ve never done this before?”

“Done what?”

“Been a guide.”

“I’m not a guide. But I have been one of those scared, whiney kids. At least for the first six minutes, then I started trying to figure out how to keep the rest of the cabin from distracting the staff.”

“John, you have all the instincts of a guide and the skills. I watched you do that fire the other day. Textbook and even Andre was impressed. I’ve read the reports from your other trips up here. You can set and strike a camp, get the important stuff done, and with wet feet. I know about your canoe work. You have what it takes to be a guide.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Need a hand resetting the course?”

“Yes, that would be wonderful, thanks. Here’s what I have in mind.”

I pulled out my second map and showed him the plan along with the additional markers. We walked the course, checked my measurements and bearings, then verified that my handrails were in place. The biggest one was a small creek to the west that lead back to the lake. It was a bit of a long way around, but if you got lost, it would get you to safety.

“I wish there was a good handrail on the east side,” I said, as we walked back to the starting point.

I had looked up, left, down, checked the map numerous times, but there was nothing obvious.

“It is pretty sparse out here, yeah, which is why it is a good location for this. You picked well.”

“Too well. For beginners, they need all the help they can get. I am not sure this group will make it.”

“What about your group?”

“I am worried about Dan and Don mostly. They seem to be the most unsure in the woods.”

“They will be OK. Trust the teaching.”

“I’ll do that, thanks. And thanks for the help.”

“Not a problem,” he said before he clapped me on the shoulders.

I am sure I winced.

“Sorry. Lauren mentioned you were a bit sore. Let me see.”

My shirt had stuck to my back in several places, but between the two of us, we managed to get it up and off without causing me too much more pain.

“Ouch. She did a number on you. And yea, that was a huge splinter. You should stay out of the lake until you heal. Use the shower upstairs in the main building.”

“Thanks.”

“Don’t worry. Lauren’s a good friend. She came looking for more ointment to cover those. You’re good for her. Keep it up.”

“I will. Thanks again.”

I watched him head for the trail before I pulled my shirt back over my head. It was wet and sticky. I tried not to wince. I reached into my pack and pulled out some ibuprofen. I washed it down with my lunch, which, despite the number of sandwiches, was quickly gone. I drained the second bottle of water and looked around. The site was ready, the heat climbed, and I listened to the sounds of the forest at noon. It was pleasant. My solitude was soon broken as my team walked up the path. They were not quiet, but they were certainly less noisy than other groups.

“Here he is,” François said as he rounded the corner.

“Afternoon, all.”

They arranged themselves around me while I passed out some new maps with the latest course on it.

“I want these back, please. Any notes, please make them on a separate piece of paper. It will only ruin the surprise for the others.”

There were some chuckles and some groans as I said this.

“Here’s the play. You each have a map. You will do this in pairs. Originally I was going to have you go out individually, but I think from a safety perspective, two is best. If you get into a bad place, your handrail is the creek that runs down to the mouth of the bay. Walk around the shoreline, and you will be at the sauna. Questions?”

There were none. I split them up into what I thought were good learning pairs and sent the first ones off.

“You missed lunch,” Suzanne said, handing me a sandwich.

“Thanks. Margie hooked me up, but I am still hungry. Resetting the course took a bit. You’re up. Be safe.”

She kissed me on the cheek and gathered up Eric, and they set off to the first marker. Jackson and Tay headed out next.

“Rick said you could use some water,” Joanne said, passing me a bottle. She and Jackson were the last ones to go out.

“Thanks. Yes, I am a bit parched. Be careful out there, OK. Jackson, you listen to her, she’s got a good sense of direction.”

“You bet. It’s been a great couple of days so far. Thanks for all the knowledge.”

“Glad to help. It is as much to keep you safe as to make sure the kids have a fun time.”

“Too right.”

“Ready? Off you go. See you are the end.”

The last instruction was to make their way back to camp when they hit the marker, so I picked up my pack and headed down the road. There was a secondary footpath that dumped out behind Andre’s cabin. It was cool in the shade, and I took advantage of his chair to rest. When I got there, François and Dan were coming down the path already.

“That was quick. Maybe I should have set up something harder.”

“No, no, that was plenty hard. Nice swamp too,” Dan said with a laugh.

“That was not a swamp, ami,” François said. “But, it was fun.”

“Go hit the lake. Try not to wander too far afield. If the rest are not back by 4, we will have to look for them. Maps and compass, please.”

The handed them over to me, and I noted the time they arrived on my tracking sheet, then waved as they headed off to their cabin as I sat down to await the next pair. About a half-hour went by before four people trotted down the path.

“Good work. Any trouble?”

“None, but man, you are heartless,” Eric said.

“At least you are here in order. Good to see that. Give me your maps and compass, then go and cool off. If we are missing anyone by 4, we will have to rustle up a search party.”

They handed over the tools, I made notes, and they were off. A moment later, Suzanne was back.

“Forget something?” I asked.

“Just making sure you’re OK.”

“I’m fine. Why?

“You looked, I don’t know. Off.”

“Probably just tired. Resetting the course. Even with Rick’s help, it took longer than I thought.”

“OK, as long as you’re sure. Need anything?”

“No, I’m good, thanks.”

She bent down, and rather than kiss my cheek, she kissed my lips. It was a soft, gentle kiss. Fortunately, she braced herself on the back of the chair rather than on my shoulder, for which I was grateful. She was gone a minute, and two more came down the path. Tay and Cassie were chattering on like old friends.

“I need to make it harder next time,” I said.

They looked up in surprise, then Cassie smiled.

“Hey, John,” she said. “Yeah, it was pretty easy. Joanne and Jackson are behind us.”

“Thanks. That’s everyone then. Maps and compasses, please.”

They handed them over and headed for the beach. It was just a bit before four as they walked down the path to their cabins. They had just rounded the bend when Jackson came around the bend, with Joanne behind him.

“What did you think?”

“Bit of a challenge,” Jackson said, “but yes, it was good to have someone with a sense of direction.”

“Told you. Maps and compasses, please. Get yourselves cleaned up.”

Jackson waved at me, then headed down the path while Joanne handed me the tools of the trade.

“Now what?” she asked.

“What do you mean?” I said as I put things away.

“What are you going to do now?”

“Probably go and change clothes, maybe take a nap before dinner,” I said as I picked up my gear and stepped down off the porch.

Joanne fell in next to me as I walked up the path to my cabin.

“John,” she said, touching my back.

“Ow,” I cried out.

“What?” she said, suddenly concerned.

“Nothing, I just got too much sun.”

“Today?”

“No, yesterday.”

“Ah, that’s why you have been carrying your pack. Well, come on, let’s get some aloe on that burn, or you will be miserable.”

“It’s OK.”

“John, I’ve got four brothers, and hell, half the guys around here, are shirtless more than than they aren’t, so I can handle a naked back. Go on.”

To her credit, she pushed my ass rather than my back. Fortunately, I did not have any aloe, so my stall would work.

“Come on, let’s get this done,” she said as she pulled some from her bag.

“Joanne.”

“Call me, Jo. Come here.”

She sat on the edge of my makeshift double bed. Rather than pulling my shirt out, she flicked the button on my shorts and had the zipper down before I could react. She winked at me as my shorts fell with their own weight.

“I told you I have four brothers. You are not the first male I have seen in his underwear.”

With that, she grabbed the hem of my shirt and slowly eased it off, standing up as she did. Joanne has two notable features. First, she had sparkling blue eyes that seemed to laugh regardless of what she was saying. The second was a prodigious chest. Lauren’s tits were an average size, Joanne’s were huge, and as she stood, they dragged up my body, which caused my cock to take notice. Fortunately, she was already on her feet by the time I was erect and pulling my shirt over my head and tossing it aside.

“Lay down,” she said, turning me around.

Reluctantly I did.

“Now, let’s ... what the fuck. The bitch, she’s made a mess of your back. I’ll kill her.”

“Jo, keep your voice down. Sound carries this close to the lake. And I don’t know who you mean, but trust me, she feels as bad about what she did as I do.”

“I can’t believe that.”

I turned around and caught her face in my hand.

“Jo, she does. There was a lot of ... emotion. Just forget it, OK?”

I let her go, but she was not letting me go.

“Sorry. Look, John, lie down. Let me treat those at least, and tell you a story.”

I gave up and lay down as directed. She did have a tender touch as she put ointment on each of my scratches.

“This isn’t a scratch,” she said as her finger traced the splinter site.

“No, splinter.”

“I can’t wait to hear that story. Anyway, you know Suzanne has the hots for you, right?”