서나혜 is different... not just different but very different... a 구미호 surreptitiously living in a very secretive, closed, close-knit subculture that forbids almost all relationships with humans.
She's very intelligent, strikingly beautiful and deliber...
Heeding Sonia's sensible advice, we grabbed our backpacks, quickly descended the ridge, crossed the scree and hurriedly headed back along the main trail. This being a weekend with city-folk adventurers in town, I knew only a matter of time remained until other hikers on the trail would stumble onto that horrific scene we'd just fled.
A grey squirrel making rustling sounds in the forest undergrowth darted behind a tree. Immediately Sonia stopped and assumed one of her statue-like defensive stances; she seemed more agitated rather than less. When she made eye contact with me I pointed toward the nosy squirrel which was now poking its head around the tree trunk. Satisfied no threat existed, she cautiously stood down.
"Do you know another way back?"
"Why?"
"More of them may be around."
"Squirrels?"
In no mood for humour she merely responded with that 'if looks could kill' glare.
"Through there." and I randomly pointed at the surrounding forest.
"Lead the way!" she demanded without second thought.
I glanced at her wondering if she was serious but the expression on her face confirmed as much.
Truly determined not to fail her, I vowed, "I'll get you back safely."
After checking my compass for a bearing relative to our present location, and confirming our time check as 1:20, I pointed opposite to the direction we really needed and immediately we charged into the tangled undergrowth to quickly distance ourselves from the main trail. My plan was to gradually circle southward, cross severalunavoidable secondary trails and after that correct our course to sort of backtrack to a secluded location I knew where we couldrest or hide-out if necessary.
Sonia seemed to possess an amazing innate compass-like sense of direction and within minutes she tersely challenged, "Where are you going?"
"Getting us out of here."
"This isn't the right way." glaring at me.
"You're right." whispering my acknowledgement, "but trust me on this one."
I placed a finger across my mouth gesturing for her not to speak and then pointed at my ears. She nodded affirmative confirming she understood my meaning. Where the forest undergrowth became sparser, we made frequent pauses to look back and listen but neither of us heard anything tattling on anyone who might have been following.
Satisfied we were far enough away from danger, I stopped and removed my backpack. That knife gash on Sonia's upper arm was still dribbling but she was completely ignoring the wound. I'd noticed blood drops on the ground which to me was shouting out that we were leaving a marked trail for anyone tracking us.
Kneeling down on the ground but refraining from speaking I opened a backpack pocket and removed the small never used first-aid kit that had been stowed in there for several years. I pointed at the gash on her arm but she refused to allow me look at her wound let alone dress it until I pointed out her blood drips on the ground. Reluctantly she relented and removed her backpack.
I motioned for to her to sit and whispered, "Just keep your hair out of the way."
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