Open Orongorongo Day Hike

[Elizabeth Fletcher]

Elizabeth had waited all week for this moment and could hardly wait to get out of the car. She begged her mom to take her to Orongorongo Track to go hiking, but she was too busy with work. Her mother had given her permission to go with a babysitter to a guided day hike on the trail. Elizabeth wasn't as excited for a guided trail but was still excited to get out an explore.

Her babysitter, Alyssa, pulled into the parking lot where they were to meet the other hikers and the trail guide. Elizabeth hopped out of the car and began to grab the hiking bag that she carefully packed. Skipping over to the trail guide, she sat down on the ground and began to double check the contents of her bag.

"Flashlight? Check. Compass? Check. Extra socks? Check. Water? Check..." Elizabeth spoke quietly to herself.

 

[Arthurian Taylor]

Arthur was glad his mother trusted him while she was at work. He'd told her he was going to go hiking, and she had agreed so long as he kept his phone on him. He had his bag over his shoulder, slowing as he neared the trail. Looked like there was a group. He shrugged. Could be more fun that way. He walked over, hands in his pockets. There were mostly adults, but he noticed a girl that looked close to his age sitting nearby. He walked up behind her and crouched down quietly, leaning in until he was close to her ear. "Hello," He whispered, a mischevious grin already on his face.

 

[Elizabeth Fletcher]

Elizabeth felt somebody lean in next to her and whisper hello. She was used to her twin brother always trying to spook her and it usually worked. Her initial reaction was to whip around fists ready. Elizabeth held her fists up as she looked at the boy that spoke to her.

"You should be more careful," Elizabeth said in a playful tone. "I could've hit you." She lowered her fists and shuffled a few items in her bag around. Grabbing her compass, she strapped it to her wrist. It was quite handy since it had a strap on it. "Are you going on the hike too?"

 

[Arthurian Taylor]

Arthur straightened, smiling at the girls' reaction. He shrugged as she told him to be more careful. He was too quick to have to worry about it. He watched as she pulled a compass from her bag. "Yes," He told her softly. It was obvious she was going to. "Bring enough?" He asked, wondering what else she had in her bag. What, had she brought her entire closet with her? He gave her a half of a grin.

 

[Elizabeth Fletcher]

Elizabeth rolled her eyes hard. Being prepared for a hike is the first rule of adventure. The second rule is being able to adapt to anything. "I brought what the hiking guide said to bring and a few other things that my dad suggests." She said smugly. "You didn't bring anything?" Elizabeth wondered.

 

[Arthurian Taylor]

Arthur smiled a little at the girls spark. This could be interesting. He nodded at what she said. He had pretty much the same, he thought. His mom had packed his bag. He shrugged and showed her the bag on his shoulder. "Mum put mine together." He trusted her, so he hadn't bothered looking inside. He wondered over next to her, looking up the path to see what might be in store. "Ready?" He asked.

 

[Elizabeth Fletcher]

Elizabeth nodded looking at his pack. "I'm glad you are prepared." She put her pack back on her back and glanced at her babysitter. Alyssa seemed indifferent. "Of course I'm ready." Watching the guide talk about safety guidelines like staying with the group, she only half listened. Something about staying on the trails caught Elizabeth's attention. She wondered what was off the trails and if there was something interesting she could examine.

The small group of day hikers took off down the trail and she looked around her surroundings and then back at the boy. "You came all by yourself?"

 

[Arthurian Taylor]

Arthur shrugged. Of course, he came prepared. It would be dumb not to. He didn't pay attention as the guide spoke, looking around instead and wondering what would prove to be the best adventure. He'd have to come on this trip a few times before wandering away alone. He started moving when the others did, turning to the girl as she spoke. "Yeah," He replied flippantly.

 

[Elizabeth Fletcher]

Elizabeth didn't let her go on hikes alone anymore, even with a guided group. She was known to follow her own trail and do her own thing. Not that her babysitter really paid attention anyway, Elizabeth could sneak away if the time is right. The trail was a little damp with a few muddy spots from the recent rain, but it was mostly clear.

"I am not allowed to go on hikes alone anymore." She stated, not really wanting to give more information. Besides, she kept it all written in her adventure journal. Reaching into the side pocket of her bag, she pulled out a trail guide. Elizabeth's eyes scanned the page, looking for something interesting on the map. "Have you done this hike before?"

 

[Arthurian Taylor]

Arthur shrugged as she said she couldn't hike alone. That seemed like a personal problem. He shrugged again when she asked if he'd been on the hike before. "No." He told her simply. That would change, of course. "Have you?" He asked in return. Maybe if she was a regular he'd see her here more. He needed to familiarize himself with the trails before he went exploring on his own.

 

[Elizabeth Fletcher]

Elizabeth nodded. "I have only done the entire trail once, but parts of it multiple times." It was her favorite trail and a place of comfort for her. She had a bunch of memories with her father there. "There is a lot of different streams. The Butcher track has a lookout. That's where I am hoping to go today." Elizabeth had been there with her dad before and wasn't completely sure if this hike would cover it. Either way, she intended on seeing it.

 

[Arthurian Taylor]

Arthur listened as the girl talked about doing the hike before. He thought he might stick close to her then- she wasn't overly annoying, and she had a better idea of where they were. "Okay," He told her. "Me too," He nodded decisively. He gave her a grin, not minding at all that he'd just invited himself to spend the day with a girl he'd just met.

 

[Elizabeth Fletcher]

Elizabeth looked at the boy curiously, wondering if he had actually planned that. It didn't make a difference to her, it was always good to have a hiking partner. She looked at her map and at the trail markers, they were still a little ways away. "My name is Elizabeth by the way. What's yours?"

Out of Character:

Congrats on Gryffindor!

 

[Arthurian Taylor]

Arthur was glad he didn't have to try to argue with the girl about him staying with her. It seemed pointless and annoying to do so. He gave her a small grin when she introduced herself. "Arthur." He told her simply. He looked around as the others kept moving. For all the people there, none of them seemed to be paying any attention to the two kids. How rude. He thought slyly to himself. Maybe he would pull a prank before he and Elizabeth slipped away. Create a distraction. That would be fun.

 

[Elizabeth Fletcher]

Elizabeth nodded at Arthur. She wondered if he had any ideas on how to get away from the crowd. She knew where to go. "I know how to get the lookout, but we got to figure out how to get away." Her smile turned to a smirk. "That is if you aren't too scared to come with me."