Lost and FoundBy Colleen
This story is an original work and is copyrighted by the author. Copyright 2016. Feedback can be sent to khall828@earthlink.net
Thunder cracked overhead as she reached for another fallen branch on the forest floor. A squirrel scurried down a tree, and ran for the cover of a thicket of bushes. “Good place for you my woodland friend. I’m afraid this is going to be a big one.” Cheyenne Pike was collecting her sixth bundle of firewood. The rest of the kindling was piled high and dry back at her shelter. “How can a state park, with all of their technologies, not have predicted a spring storm on this mountain today?” She mumbled her question and other complaints to the trees and the wind, since there was no one else around to listen. Cheyenne was an avid hiker. Her career took her all around the world, where she had tackled the back county of many scenic lands. But she made her home in the great northwest of the United States. Having been born and raised in the region, her love of nature was nurtured from her beginning days in diapers. Family camping trips occurred at least once a month, and several weeks in the summer. While there was still a toddler in the family, they used an RV, but as soon as the kids were old enough, that was given up for a tent, a campfire and a big tree for a bathroom. She had experienced the roughest of the rough, although as an adult she preferred something between that and glamping (glamourous camping). If Cheyenne were someplace unfamiliar, she never ventured out alone, but this park she knew like the back of her hand, so on this day she had no company. When she had first noticed the signs of the coming storm, she realized very quickly that she never would have made it back to the ranger station before the deluge. But more importantly, Cheyenne feared being caught in a flash flood in one of the valleys she would have had to cross. Needing to make a sensible decision of how to ride out the storm, she had remembered a nearby cave. Lightning had joined the continuing thunder, and Cheyenne rushed back to her shelter with the final armload of wood she would have time to gather. Arriving, just as the sky opened up, she dumped her twigs and logs in the corner with the rest, hoping it would last until the rain stopped. She already knew she would be spending the night. And that it would be a chilly one. Grabbing her water bottle, Cheyenne took a generous drink before setting to her first task. She set up a ring of stones in the center of the cave, then put down some birch tree bark for tinder and a crosshatch of thin twigs. Retrieving something from her pack, and with a few quick flicks of wrist, the material was soon ablaze. Gradually feeding in thicker timber, the fire grew, flickering with a comforting glow. The heat wasn’t required just yet, but the movement of the flame almost made it seem as if another living thing was sharing the space. The sky was already dark as dusk, even though it was only mid-afternoon. Cheyenne never minded being alone, and she trusted her survival skills to see her through this incident, but now she was kind of regretting her decision for this solo day hike. * * * * It had been raining heavily for about thirty minutes. Cheyenne had taken a couple of pictures of the weather from the cave entrance, until the rain became a curtain, obscuring any more photos. With that done for the time being, she retreated back into the cave, and retrieved her journal from her well stocked back pack. The pack always added about twenty pounds to her average stature, but she carried the extra weight with ease. Her years of hiking had developed strong legs, and her time at the gym had added power to her back and arms. The nature loving blonde jotted down the facts of the day so far. She stopped to toss another log onto the small fire, when movement outside caught her attention. Straining to see through the rain, she watched from her seat on the ground, trying to make out the shape, hoping it wasn’t a bear. Although it was known that there were bears in the region, in all of her years hiking this park, she had never seen one in person. Cheyenne set aside her book, and moved to the cave entrance, studying the slow moving form. Another few seconds, and she clearly identified the tall, trim, two legged figure. Obviously, another hiker had gotten caught unaware. “Here!” she shouted. “Over here!” Not sure she was heard over the thunder and wind, she began waving her arms to get the person’s attention. The lost hiker had nearly turned to at least duck under some bushes, when the movement caught their eye. Breaking into a run, the person reached the safety of the cave in mere seconds. “Wow!” Cheyenne exclaimed, as a bolt of lightning hit something very nearby. “That was a close one. Get over by the fire,” she told the stranger. “You must be freezing.” Before she could even finish the sentence, the hiker had dropped next to the flames, getting as close as possible without getting burned. “Thank you so much,” the woman said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do. Oh gosh this feels so good.” Cheyenne joined the woman, sitting across from the fire, feeling just a tiny bit of apprehension in the company of a complete stranger. “Glad I was here to help,” she said. The woman’s, now warm hands, reached up to remove the cap from her head, then pulled out the tie, releasing her mid length mane of raven hued hair. Cheyenne got her first good look at the woman, most notably the exceptional set of brilliant eyes, reflecting the flicker of the flames between them. “Wow,” she repeated within a breath. The other woman’s head whipped back toward the entrance. “What, more lightning?” “Yeah, yeah…more lightning,” she said, covering her verbal slip. Offering her hand, she introduced herself. “I’m Cheyenne, by the way.” The dark haired woman repeated the gesture. “Scout.” Their eyes held longer than usual, and they each smiled warmly, putting both at ease in this unusual situation. Scout went back to warming herself at the fire, as another loud crack of thunder sounded overhead. Cheyenne began building up the fire to help the shivering woman get warm. “You should take your clothes off,” she said. A small smile shaped Scout’s mouth. “Well, you should at least buy me dinner first.” Cheyenne looked into the blue eyes full of mirth. “You’ve been wanting to use that line all your life, haven’t you?” she asked. Scout shrugged, sporting a bigger smile. “Guilty.” They both giggled. “You know, I would like to peel off these soaked clothes, but I don’t really want to sit here naked.” “Oh, absolutely not!” Cheyenne exclaimed…maybe a little too forcefully. “I mean…I’m sure you’re very…I mean…” Cheyenne took a deep breath. “I have a blanket you can wrap up in.” After handing Scout the cover, Cheyenne busied herself with her back pack, wanting so much to turn around and look, but being respectful of the situation. “Why don’t we pool our supplies and see what we have to work with.” “That’s a good idea,” Scout said as she draped her wet clothing over a couple of boulders. She certainly hoped her clothes would dry by morning. As attractive as it was, she certainly didn’t want to hike back down the mountain wrapped in the red and black plaid blanket. “I’m afraid I didn’t bring a lot with me,” Scout said, gesturing to her small pack. “I’m sorta new at this hiking thing.” “And you were out here alone?” Cheyenne asked. “Didn’t start out that way. I had a friend with me, but he decided to turn back after just an hour.” “Nice friend,” Cheyenne said. “He was afraid of being late for his date tonight. It’s his boyfriend’s birthday.” Scout took her seat by the fire, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulder, and being sure to keep her modesty covered. Cheyenne starting unloading her backpack, and listing her provisions. “I have purification tablets, and we can use rain water, so we’ll have plenty to drink. I have six trail bars, some dried beef and a couple of meals in a pouch. I also have some mixed nuts. How about you?” “Let’s see, I have some popcorn, also beef jerky and a bag of chocolate chip cookies. I had a big sandwich earlier, which I shared with some squirrels.” “Oh yeah,” Cheyenne said, “I found some sweet berries earlier.” Scout raised a questioning brow. “Are you sure they’re not poisonous? I sure wouldn’t want to have to guess which ones are okay.” “Swear on my life. Been eating them for years.” Cheyenne pulled out some other things, including a first aid kit and hand sanitizer. “Judging from those cookies, you must share my sweet tooth. So, I also have some instant hot chocolate…and some tea bags.” Scout tried to take a peek into the bright blue pack. “Is that one of those Harry Potter magical bags over there?” Cheyenne chuckled. “No. I’ve just had years of practice learning how to pack it efficiently.” She held out the bag of nuts. Scout grabbed a couple of peanuts and an almond, and popped in them her mouth. “How long were you intending to be up here?” she asked as she munched the snack. “Just a day, but I always believe in being prepared.” “Were you a girl scout?” “No, just the product of nature loving parents.” The awkwardness began to slip away as the taller hiker continued to warm up by the fire. Cheyenne repacked the items she wouldn’t be needing for now. “So, you are a girl Scout,” Cheyenne said. “Is there a story about that name?” * * * * They talked for over two hours, before realizing evening had come, and a dark sky had blanketed the mountain. The rain had slowed, and the temperature had dropped. The conversation had gotten continually flirty, with an obviously escalating physical attraction between the two beautiful women. They exchanged stories of family, careers, and current, personal lives. “It’s seven o’clock,” Cheyenne finally announced, “you hungry?” “Uh…yeah, I could eat.” Cheyenne took the two sealed pouches from her pack. “Do you want chicken and rice or beef stroganoff? I’ve had them both, and they’re both pretty good.” “They’re yours, you choose.” “Well, I claimed squatter’s rights, so technically you are my guest, so the choice is yours.” A chuckle left Scout’s lips before her response. “Okay, I’ll take the stroganoff.” With a curt nod, Cheyenne set about preparing them dinner, which they ate in short order. They each had half a dozen berries for desert, and then they were bored again. Until Scout remembered something. “I have a deck of cards.” “Great, Cheyenne replied. “What’s the game?” “Well, I think it’s useless to play strip poker,” Scout said, pulling at the blanket still covering her nudity. “Rummy then.” * * * * Two hours later, and the cards and the night were growing cold. “It’s only 9:30,” Scout said, “I haven’t gone to bed this early since I had the flu a few years ago.” “Yeah, but there’s nothing else to do,” Cheyenne said, as she pulled out her sleeping bag, unzipped it, and spread it open on the ground next to the fire. “Always prepared huh? You know,” Scout said, “It’s going to be difficult sleeping next to you, when I’m naked and you aren’t.” “Try your best.” With Scout using the only blanket, Cheyenne pulled a thin jacket from her pack and slipped it on over her clothing for a bit of added warmth. * * * * After quite a while, Cheyenne had finally managed to drift off into a restless sleep, but woke up just an hour later. Turning over, she found herself alone on the sleeping bag. “Scout, where are you?” “Over here by the entrance.” Cheyenne got up and joined the tall woman. “What are you doing?” “Moon watching. Just not sleepy yet.” “I know. After a full days hike, I would usually have a completely peaceful night’s sleep. But with my day cut short, that doesn’t seem to be happening.” They stood together for a few minutes, admiring the celestial orb, controller of the tides…inspiration for romance. Cheyenne finally mumbled, “Here we are with nothing to do again.” Scout was silent for a few more seconds, but then turned to face her new friend. “Well, there is one thing left to do…something I’ve wanted to do all day.” Cheyenne’s head tilted to one side in an endearing manner. “So, we should make love because there’s nothing else to do.” “Oh, no.” Scout reached out and caressed the soft skin on Cheyenne’s face. “We should make love because you are incredibly beautiful, and you have a hot body that I would very much like to explore. We should make love because I am very attracted to you…all of you. And I think the attraction is reciprocated.” Cheyenne nodded as Scout continued. “And I would like that to be part of this adventure.” Many wispy, first kisses followed. “It will also enhance the memory of when we met…as we remember it on our tenth anniversary.” “Our tenth anniversary?” Cheyenne questioned. “Absolutely. And then our fifteenth…and our twentieth.” “That’s awfully high expectations, especially since we just met a few hours ago.” “I know a good thing when I see it,” Scout said, accentuating her declaration with more kisses. Taking Cheyenne by the hand, she led her back inside the cave, where she tossed a few more logs on the fire. “I want you to be warm.” Cheyenne took a deep breath. “There’s no problem there. I am very warm, in fact,” she said, pulling at her collar. “I just happen to be perfectly dressed for this occasion.” Scout let the blanket drop to the ground, bathing her nude form in soft, glowing firelight. Cheyenne stepped back, taking in the beautiful sight. “And I’m definitely overdressed.” Scout took two steps forward. “I can help with that.” * * * * The rising sun set the forest aglow with golden light. The sleeping lovers, still entangled from their midnight maneuvers, dreamed of future days. Only when the birds began to sing, did Scout begin to stir. Eyes still closed, a big smile covered her face, obviously remembering wonderful things from the night before. She snuggled closer to the nude body beside her. “Good morning Cheyenne,” she slurred happily. “Too early to be morning,” Cheyenne mumbled. “I need at least two more hours. What time is it anyway?” Scout didn’t want to move to go to her backpack, where she had stowed her watch. “I would guess about eight o’clock.” Cheyenne was still loath to open her eyes. “Good god, we didn’t even get to sleep until three or four.” “I’m well aware,” Scout said within a yawn. “Come on. Let’s grab a quick breakfast and get started. We can get a room at the lodge, have a good meal, and spend the evening in comfort… do some more exploring.” Cheyenne stretched her stiff body. “We could do that,” she said sleepily. “But shouldn’t you get home to your dog.” “She’s okay in the back yard. I asked my neighbor to feed her this morning, since I knew I would be staying the night. I just thought I’d be staying at the lodge. I actually have more clothes in my car. Lota good that did me,” Scout chuckled. Neither one of them made a move to get up. They just lay there, looking at the ceiling of the cave. “We need to name this place,” Scout suggested. Cheyenne grinned. “It already has a name. Actually, it’s called Valentine’s Cave.” Scout scoffed. “You’re making that up.” “Nope. It’s named after Maria Valentine. In 1941, she used this cave as a base camp, while she performed a mineral study of the area. She did this all on her own, and she was seventy five. Her work actually kept this place from being torn to pieces, after rumors started circulating that there was gold on this mountain. It became protected ground shortly after.” “Exactly seventy five years ago,” Scout said. “That can’t be a coincidence.” “What do you mean?” “She saved the land from here, and now it saved us. We’ll have to come back here when we’re seventy five, to salute her…maybe on our anniversary.” Cheyenne smiled. “You said that last night.” “I just wanted to reiterate the fact, so you’ll believe that I believe it.” “Do you really think we will be able to climb this mountain when we are seventy five?” Cheyenne wondered. “Maria Valentine did.” Cheyenne considered that fact. “True.”
They had hot chocolate and trail bars for breakfast. But by the time they finished, the clouds had rolled back in and rain was beginning to fall. “Well, I guess we’re spending more time here,” Scout said. “You don’t sound too disappointed.” “Of course not. I wanted to spend more time with you, where it is, is not that important. Seriously, I want to see you again Cheyenne…go on a date…see if this can go somewhere. I know we live an hour apart, but I’m willing to make the drive.” “Of course I’d like to see you again. I really want to get to know you better. All I really know now is that you are a greenhorn hiker, a decent card player. Oh, and one more thing, you are a fantastic lover.” Scout went on to prove her skills, accompanied by the patter of raindrops. * * * * Their clothes were getting worn, with the on again, off again. Although they were more than willing to make the sacrifice. But they didn’t want to spend the entire day naked, just in case someone tracked them down. So more games of cards helped them pass the hours. By early afternoon, the dry firewood was gone, so the prospect of spending another night in the dark, cold cave was not appealing to either of them. By two o’clock, the rain had slowed to a trickle, and by three they were willing to take a chance. Packing up their stuff, they headed out, both with fond memories of Valentine’s Cave. * * * * About an hour into the trek, Cheyenne made a misstep on the slippery ground, and ended up with a twisted ankle. Her hiking boot kept the swelling in check, but walking was very painful. After seeing the continuing grimace on the blonde’s face, Scout carried her new friend piggyback the rest of the way. Before it got too dark, Scout stopped and took out her phone. Holding it out at arm’s length, she said, “Smile.” She snapped a picture with Cheyenne’s chin resting on her shoulder. “The first of many,” Scout said. Cheyenne kissed the nearby cheek. “If you’re okay,” she said, “we should get going. We’ve got at least another hour, maybe two, to get back to the ranger station. I bet they’re out looking for us anyway.” There was bustling activity around the ranger station as they came lumbering out of the forest. Cheyenne and Scout had not been the only missing hikers on Avalon Mountain. A sigh of relief was detected, once the duo explained who they were. Seeing the blonde’s injury, the chief ranger insisted that Cheyenne be transported to a nearby clinic. Scout followed her over to one of the park’s jeeps. The late hour, and rough trip down the mountain had them both pretty exhausted. “I think we better say goodbye here,” Cheyenne suggested. “Who knows how long I’ll be, getting this ankle taken care of. And I’m sure you have things to take care of yourself.” “Yeah.” Scout leaned over and gave her a single, soft kiss on the lips. “I’ve got your number,” she said, “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.” “I’ll probably sleep till noon,” Cheyenne said tiredly. “But I’ll be waiting for that call. Bye, Scout.” Scout gave a final wave as the little jeep pulled away. She grabbed a large cup of coffee from the ranger station before trudging to her car, and making the long drive home. Her dog, Cricket, was torn between being overjoyed to see her human, and showing her annoyance at being left alone for so long. The black lab had a nice house in the back yard, and plenty of room to run, and toys to play with, bit still alone was alone. Giving Cricket a good rub down, seemed to have won back the dog’s favor. And after a few extra treats, she finally let her person off the hook, and Scout was allowed to take a much need shower. With some substantial food in her belly, Scout finally snuggled down into her bed at about two thirty. Her last thought, before drifting off was of the green eyed blonde. The clinic had been closed by the time Cheyenne arrived. So she spent over two hours getting to the nearest hospital, having her ankle x rayed, and then having the sprained joint, wrapped. She hobbled, on crutches, into her house at about two o’clock in the morning. Despite feeling grungy, Cheyenne just didn’t have the energy to do more than grab a sandwich, and then fall into bed. The first dream to fill her head featured the tall, lost hiker. * * * * As she had predicted, Cheyenne had barely moved in her bed all night long, and she didn’t even begin to awaken until half the day was over. By then, the bright light rushed through her window, painting her face with gold and her eyelids with a thousand watts. She groaned and wrapped her arms around her head. “Uggg, the sun would have to shine today.” She lounged around for another few minutes, before hauling her tired self from the bed, her injured ankle screaming its presence. A bath was definitely first on the schedule. Then a good breakfast filled her stomach. Not being able to do much because of the sprain, Cheyenne turned on the television and her computer. She whiled away the hours, waiting for a call...but it didn’t come. “I guess I can just call her,” she said. Grabbing the cell, her finger hovered over the screen, but nothing came to mind. “I didn’t get her number,” she mumbled in annoyance, at her own stupidity. “Okay, I’ll just look her up. Scout…Scout? I don’t know her last name. Damn.”
Scout Maguire spent the morning taking her dog for a great run. She still felt a little guilty for leaving her alone for almost two days. But she remembered the time in the cave with a smile and realized she wouldn’t have changed anything. After lunch, Scout wanted to call Cheyenne, but decided to wait just a little longer. So she busied herself with some laundry and house cleaning, but by three o’clock, she just couldn’t wait any longer. Settling into her soft recliner, Scout pulled out her cell and dialed the number Cheyenne had given her. “Hi Cheyenne, it’s me, the cave woman.” “I’m sorry, you have the wrong number,” the woman on the other end said. “Oh, excuse me,” Scout said. “That’s okay.” “What happened,” Scout muttered to herself, “did I hit the wrong number?” She dialed again and gave a more cautious greeting. “Hello, Cheyenne?” “No, there’s no one here by that name,” the other person stated. “What number are you trying to reach?” Scout recited the number she wanted. “Yes, that is the number here. But I’m afraid it’s not what you want.” “Thank you. I won’t bother you anymore.” Scout let out a frustrated breath. “Don’t tell me I put in a wrong number. Okay, let’s see, Cheyenne Spike of Lawrence.” Nothing was coming up. “Damn! Would she have lied to me about her number, name or where she’s from? Then again we had just met. I guess it’s hard to completely trust a stranger.” Scout weighed all of the information. “There has to be a way to find her,” she finally decided. “And I will.”
Ten years later… A nice big fire illuminated the inside of Valentine’s Cave. Shadows danced along the walls as the tall woman waited. A blanket was set out by her side, holding two plastic tumblers, no glass in the park, and a thermos of sweet cider, no alcohol either. Two packaged meals, along with supplies for s’mores, sat inside her backpack, which was propped in the corner. A sleeping bag and blankets rested near the blue pack. Scout looked at them wistfully, hoping they would be put to use. “Ten years,” she said. “Ten years.” The other voice echoed from the cave entrance. Scout looked up and smiled brightly as Cheyenne sauntered over to the fire. She dropped her backpack and melted into Scout’s arms. A torrid kiss followed. Cheyenne pulled back, her face glowing stronger then the fire. She was happier then she had ever been. She reached up and brushed aside some hair from Scout’s face. “Sorry I’m a little late Sweetie. My flight was delayed.” Cheyenne had been away on a business trip. “It’s not the first time one of us has been late to a special occasion in the last ten years.” Yes, Scout and Cheyenne were celebrating the tenth anniversary of the day they met in the same cave. Scout had promised they would return to Valentine’s Cave. Although they had hiked together many, many times over the last ten years, they had intentionally avoided the cave, wanting this day to be very special. “Nice fire,” Cheyenne commented. “You’ve taught me a lot in the last ten years. Happy anniversary,” Scout said before another kiss. Cheyenne hugged her wife tighter. “It almost didn’t happen, but here we are. Happy Anniversary.”
Ten years earlier… Over a span of three weeks, Scout had exhausted every way she could think of to find Cheyenne. Really not wanting to just give up, and every now and then wondering why Cheyenne didn’t just contact her, Scout finally thought of one last, almost desperate, plan. Cheyenne had been out of the country, on business, for two weeks. While she was kept very busy with meetings and other things, her thoughts often drifted to the blue eyed Scout, whatever her last name was. Those thoughts, especially, came to her when she had taken a short nature hike. Still using a cane for her weak ankle, it was all she could manage. Cheyenne had found a bench in a grove of trees, and sat in quiet solitude for some time, reflecting over their time in the cave. She had wondered why Scout hadn’t called, like she promised. In the beginning, Cheyenne just assumed that Scout was a slick liar. But that assumption left a bitter taste in her mouth. She knew they shared something more than just a sexy few hours. So then she thought maybe something may have happened to Scout…an accident or something. And that scared her. She finally decided that she would never know what happened. As sad as it was, it was a fact. Cheyenne had returned home, and went back to her normal life. Work consumed most of her week, including many evening hours, so fortunately she didn’t have a lot of free time to wonder about her lost friend. It took two more weeks before her ankle felt strong enough to take on a full day’s hike. Returning to Avalon Mountain invoked a certain amount of sadness, but it was the best place in the area for a good, challenging hike. And maybe it wood shake off the emptiness she was feeling. But Cheyenne was definitely going to take the trail leading to the opposite side of the park, far away from Valentine’s Cave. Cheyenne’s small SUV pulled into the parking lot near the ranger station. Most of the park’s trails started off from the nearby woods. Stepping to the back of her vehicle, Cheyenne put on her backpack, then she slung a good sized water bottle over her shoulder. She stopped to take in some fresh air, before going to check in with the rangers. But she turned and got stopped in her tracks. An excited and relieved sob got caught in her throat at the beautiful sight. A blue eyed beauty stood tall across the parking lot, a lovely smile on her face. A rush of happiness propelled both of them forward, and they met in the middle, colliding in a big hug. “I can’t believe you’re here,” Cheyenne said as she pulled back to take in that face. “I am so happy to see you.” “I’m so glad I finally found you,” Scout said. She pulled the blonde in for another hug, and added, “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you.” Cheyenne took her by the hand. “Let’s go over here and sit down, we have a lot to talk about.” But the words didn’t seem to come quickly, as they just stared into each other’s eyes. Finally Cheyenne spoke up. “Why didn’t you call me?” Her tone wasn’t accusatory, just questioning. The dark head shook in bewilderment. “I must’ve hit a wrong number when I entered your phone number into my phone. And then I realized that I may have gotten your last name wrong. It was a comedy of errors that wasn’t funny.” “I know,” Cheyenne said. “I didn’t get your number at all. And I couldn’t find any other way to find you.” Scout explained her presence at the park. “This is the only connection I had to you. I remember you saying you came here a lot, so I’ve been here every weekend since we parted.” “That’s so sweet,” Cheyenne said with misty eyes. Scout cradled Cheyenne’s face into the palm of her right hand. “I would’ve come here forever, until I saw you again. I’ve been falling in love with you since we met.” Cheyenne gave Scout a tender kiss. “I found you. Now you found me. But there is one thing I absolutely have to know before we go on.” “Yeah.” “What is your last name?” Scout laughed. “Maguire. Let’s exchange the correct info right now.” After double checking all of that, Scout looked around at the beautiful trees, then up at the sunny, blue sky. “So are we hiking today?” she asked. Cheyenne thought about it for just a few seconds, her eyes studying Scout’s face. “I don’t think so. There is a great little picnic spot just inside the tree line. Let’s go and have some lunch. And later we’ll go back to my place. I want us to talk and concentrate on each other, without any distractions. We’ll save Valentine’s Cave for another special day.” “Sounds like a perfect day to me, either way.” “One more thing, Scout Maguire, I, Cheyenne Pike am falling in love with you too.”
The End.
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