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A few days out from Costa del Sol and going back sounded far too good. It was never meant to be a long stay but the time spent there was so much fun. Late nights, late mornings. The sun, the sea. Fresher air than ever. No need to keep on moving or keep on pursuing an elusive quarry who had slipped away from them once already. No bags to carry. Fresh food. Comfortable beds.
No one had voiced the same thoughts, but the rest of Avalanche might not oppose the idea. Of course, there was no way they could stay there, no way the group could afford to keep paying for the inn or the food. And it would be remiss to not worry Hojo of all people showed up there; he could not only set Shinra onto them, but if they got too distracted they might never find Sephiroth and whatever risk he presented to the Planet.
The first night’s camping was the worst since they began. Grassland fine to sleep on before – with a decent amount of padding – back when it was new and exciting. Back when they left Kalm and headed into the wilderness. The extreme sport of Camping had never appealed before – nor could Aeris in any way facilitate such an activity in Midgar – but it represented something fun and new. Somewhere along the line though it became tiring and a chore. No. Must stay focused. There was more to see ahead of them. This part of the world boasted the Gold Saucer. And Nanaki had said his home was somewhere beyond.
They spent two days making far shorter treks with more breaks, the rhythm of their previous hikes disrupted by the extended break. On the third day Avalanche ran across a secluded hollow a day or two from the Corel mountain range. A cluster of trees helped screen the area from nearby view, an unexpectedly clear stream trickling down the far side to fill a small pool in the centre. It was a little after 2 o’clock in the afternoon.
“Let’s camp here.” Yuffie let her pack fall from her back.
“What?” Barret gestured to the sky. “We’ve got hours of daylight left.”
“Yeah, but-“
“But-“ Tifa let her bag slide from her shoulders. “This looks a good spot to stop. We don’t know what the terrain ahead is like.”
Barret grimaced, nodding. “Cloud? You okay with stopping here too?”
Cloud jerked and glanced around, blinking rapidly. “Huh?”
“You okay stopping here for the day? I know it’s early.” Still odd how Cloud became the group’s leader, but his position now seemed all but unassailable.
“Well, I’m staying here anyway.” Yuffie grabbed her bag by one strap and dragged it down into the hollow.
More or less settled. Aeris smiled. “There’s no risk of rain, right?” The sky was clear from grey clouds; weather could change. Worrying thought of the hollow flooding in a deluge and ruining everything they had. Possible? Again, extreme sport she never had anything to do with before.
“We should be fine-“ Cloud stared into the distance. But not to the end of the path where it lead to the mountains; his gaze was instead at one of the nearer peaks. What had he seen? He shivered. “We’ll be fine.”
Preparing camp was tiresome but well-practised – despite the beach break in the middle. Some setup tents, some gathered firewood. Far too early for food as yet – and they had spent hours walking. The sun shone down pleasantly into the hollow, screened off from mild breezes. “Almost like being on the beach again,” Barret murmured at some point.
Avalanche found their own entertainment; Yuffie with her materia, Nanaki curling up to sleep, Tifa and Barret with books. Aeris opened her own book, bought from a second hand shop in Costa del Sol and struggled to focus. The air was warm and the hollow comfortable. Maybe some coffee- Everyone was asleep. Yuffie curled around her pile of materia, Tifa and Barret flat on their backs on sleeping mats. Cloud alone was still awake, checking around the area. Keeping look-out.
An opportunity. Aeris grinned. So close in Costa del Sol, so near to having enough privacy and time for each other. They’d been dancing around each other since Midgar, flirting as time allowed, playing innocent when with the rest of the group. Now might be a chance for some time alone. Not the best circumstances, but travelling with four other people at all times hampered things.
Aeris picked her way carefully between her sleeping companions and tapped Cloud on the shoulder. “Hey.”
“Huh?” It took him a pause to focus on her. “Oh, Aeris. Are you okay?”
She curled a stray bang around her finger. “I was just wondering if you wanted to have a walk. With me?” A glance to the rest of Avalanche; still sound asleep.
“Uh, sure-“ He frowned. “Will the others be okay?”
“They will.” They would. They’d coped with enough monster attacks in the middle of the night. Avalanche would be fine. “Plus, I wanted to spend some time with just the two of us.” He got the hint. She took his hand as they wandered away. A chance for some privacy and whatever a little intimate time with Cloud would allow.