The Ranger's Passionate Love

Kyara made a face at him.

“Crystal's a little young for you, you know,” she teased.

“True,” he paused to sigh dramatically, “but when you find something special, you just have to go for it. That's why I've had to bring you out into the woods. I'm afraid I'll have to kill you and hide the evidence so that she and I can be together in our forbidden love.”

“I understand,” Kyara said with mock solemnity. “I wish you two the best of luck.” She leaned up to give him a peck on the cheek, but he swept her up, holding her to him as he explored her lips with his own. Even hugging through their heavy coats, Kyara felt a rush of warmth at his touch.

When he finally put her down, she shook her head a little to clear it.

“Why are we out here?” she asked. “When you said we should go on a real date, I sort of thought you meant the movies or something.”

“What, this isn't beautiful enough for you?” he asked, gesturing at the scenery around them. Kyara paused to take it in. A light dusting of snow, untouched from the night before, coated everything in a thin white blanket. Weak sunlight filtered down, just enough to give the world a sparkle without being painfully bright. Just beyond them started the woods, dark and deep even in the afternoon light.

“It is,” said Kyara faintly. “I suppose I was too caught up in other things to notice.”

Jason's smile matched her own.

“Well, city girl,” he said. “I thought we might continue getting used to the woods. Your new home has some amazing and beautiful places for people who are willing and able to find them.”

“Places we can't drive to?” asked Kyara, putting on her heaviest accent and a false tone of horror.

Jason snorted.

“Those are for tourists. Like it or not, you're becoming one of us now. That means knowing the really good spots.”

Kyara nodded, not entirely sure how she felt about being labeled “one of us.”

“Alright then, oh Guru of the mountain ranges. If I’m going to be one of you, you’ve got to teach me what you know,” she told him.

For the next hour they walked through the woods. Jason showed her different trees, and tracks.

This isn't really my thing, Kyara found herself thinking, but he seems too happy out here. So peaceful. I could get very used to seeing him like this.

In time their walk turned into more of a game of hide-and-seek, with Kyara using her new skills to move from tree to tree as quietly as she could while Jason tried to track her.

“What if I lose you?” Kyara asked him. “I mean, sure, it's easy to follow in the snow, but under some of these trees it's practically bare.”

Jason's smile was easy and confident.

“Even the heaviest snows have trouble getting below these older trees,” Jason admitted. “The needles can give you away, but you have to be a much more experienced tracker to pick up on that. Fortunately, I am.”

And so he was. Despite her best efforts, he always caught up to her, stealing kisses each time he did.

Finally, Kyara found herself backed up against a steep incline down to the river, not yet frozen over. She was eying the bank, trying to decide if she could make it down without slipping.

“Don't,” came Jason's voice, a hint of urgency coloring it. “If you get soaked all over, you’ll never keep warm enough. Stay dry, stay warm, stay alive.”

Kyara looked down at the stream again, then backed up.

“Good tip,” she said.

“Besides,” followed up Jason, “I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” Kyara asked. “I hope it doesn't involve going too much farther. I'm a little lost as it is.”

Jason shook his head.

“We're actually not that far from where we started. The trail does a big loop around from north to west, and the town is south of here, so as long as you go in one direction you're bound to hit one or the other. No, come on, there's just something I want to show you down the stream.”