Timeless Companion

The sun shines across the horizon, turning what was once a blue sky into an array of pink and purple hues. Holly glances down at her hiking partner and pauses, a smile making its way across her face. Oliver begins wagging his tail, tongue lolling out of his mouth.

“Hold on, boy. Just need to get a picture of this.” Holly reaches down to scratch behind Oliver’s ears before shrugging off her pack and pulling her camera out of it. Holly knows for a trip like this, that bringing her prized camera was perhaps not the smartest idea—at the end of the day, it’s just dead weight in her already heavy pack. That’s what her mother would say, anyway.

But Holly doesn’t care about any of that right now. She knows how important this shot in front of her is. She watches the fading sunlight glisten through the trees, turning the lightly dusted snow across them into brilliant, sparkling diamonds.

Holly’s tongue pokes out of her mouth in concentration as her finger presses lightly against the shutter. Oliver plops onto the ground, emitting a loud huff through his nostrils. A second later, the camera shutter clicks. Not immune to the way Oliver is staring at her, Holly quickly stuffs the camera back in her pack. She’ll have to analyze the photo later—perhaps when they make it to the top of the trail. She cranes her neck up to their final destination for the night.

She can see the small cabin faintly in the distance. Holly can’t help the way excitement zings through her body at the thought of finally, finally getting there. Holly has heard whispers of stories about the cabin and the fabled old woman who lives there. She wants to understand it all, with her own eyes and heart.

“C’mon, Ollie!” Her trusted companion springs up from the ground as if coming back to life. He circles once around Holly, tail wagging so much that it causes a head of dandelion seeds to fly up around him, before he falls into step with her as they traverse across hard-packed dirt.

The sun continues down its path, falling over the horizon and turning the sky into a watercolor painting of light and dark. Holly falters in her steps during certain moments as she looks up towards the constantly changing sky above her. Oliver pauses at her side when the stars begin to awaken and blink down at the two of them. Keeping her gaze locked on the beauty above her, Holly pulls the flashlight hanging from her belt and turns it on with a soft click. She lets out a breath of excitement at the sheer expanse of vastness stretching out before her; at the twinkling lights that sparkle and shimmer like dancing fireflies.

This is what it means to be alive, Holly thinks, one hand caressing the crown of Oliver’s head.

A cool breeze blows through the night as the dirt against Holly’s worn hiking shoes gives way to a talus field. It’s Oliver’s turn to pause at this new terrain, but with a whistle and a grin from Holly, he’s bounding up beside her once more.

Holly’s legs are on fire now—they have been for a while—but she doesn’t stop once. She can’t think about stopping now, not even for a second. Not when she is so, so close. Only a few more miles to go.

Until, in her brash haste, she falters. One tiny misstep. Holly’s knee hits the jagged edge of a talus stone, the flashlight falling from her hand as her sharp cry echoes throughout the mountains. Not a moment later, Oliver is pressed against her side, a whine low in his throat. His nose nudges her leg softly, and in the bright light of the moon, it comes back tinged with red.

“Shit,” Holly breathes out, clenching her teeth. Blood drips against the stones. She can feel Oliver’s warm breath on her bare knee from her now-ripped hiking pants. She reaches for the main zipper of her backpack and pulls out the small first aid kit. The supplies within it are sparse.

As Holly dresses the wound, hissing through her teeth, Oliver circles around her. His nose is pointed forward, his ears perked up. He stills, going ramrod straight as the wind whispers through the trees. Holly puts a limp hand to his fur as she struggles to stand, placing most of her weight on her uninjured leg. Oliver presses against her side.

Holly sighs and then sets her shoulders. She reaches for her flashlight. It’s cracked, but still useable. Oliver looks up at her, the stars glistening in his gaze. Holly’s lip quirk up faintly.

“C’mon boy. Can’t give up now.”

Despite its shorter length, the rest of the journey isn’t easy. Holly winces and breathes harshly through her nose as blood continues to seep through the bandages hastily wrapped around her knee. They travel at what seems like a snail’s pace across the rest of the talus field. Eventually, it fades away to a winding path of dirt.

Holly can just see the cabin in the full light of the moon. She closes her eyes and exhales slowly.

One more mile.

Oliver is with her, every limping step of the way.

When the twisting trails lead to the top of the ridge, all that meets Holly is the small cabin. No more trees, no more fields of stone. Just a simple log cabin. She almost falls to her knees at the sight of it.

The Cabin of Dreams, a sign in front of it says. Holly breathes in the crisp night air, and she can taste a faint aroma of spices and sweetness along with it. She steps up towards the door and gives a sturdy knock. An older woman, looking about her mother’s age, opens the door. Her gaze moves across Holly’s face.

“I’ve been expecting you. You’ve been on quite a journey, hmm?” She murmurs, the light from the moon turning her hair a luminous silver. She glances down at Holly’s leg, a crease knitting between her brows.

“Come inside,” The woman says, before turning towards the door. Holly follows her in, Oliver sharp at her heels.

The cabin’s light is dim, but cozy. And it’s warm—so very warm, compared to the chilly air outside.

“Not many people can make this journey, you know.” The woman’s eyes pierce through Holly’s own. “And I’ve never met somebody as young as you. At least not for a long time.” Holly just nods and looks down to her black-furred companion.

“Well, I wouldn’t have made it even halfway without this fella,” Holly says, more to Oliver than to the woman. Oliver lays beside her hurt leg, huffing out a breath of what appears to be gratitude through his nose.

The older woman smiles and begins moving around the kitchen, her hands flying everywhere. Holly relaxes into a chair with a quiet sigh.

“Here’s something for your friend.” She motions to Oliver, placing a bowl of water at his feet. He jolts up and begins lapping it up hungrily, drops of water flying across the worn rug under his paws. Holly smiles at him before slumping further in her chair.

“And, something for you after a hard journey’s work.” She places a cup of steaming tea into Holly’s hands. “It’ll make you feel better in no time.” She winks at Holly before moving quietly around the kitchen.

“Thank you,” Holly murmurs. She places her lips to the mug, and the tea tastes like nothing she’s ever had before. It’s sweet in a way that reminds Holly of something out of dream. It tastes like all of the gentle stars blinking at her in the sky; it tastes like something far off on the horizon.

Oliver rests against Holly’s knee as she sips. The mug is soothing against her hands, the tea warm as it seeps down her throat. Soon, Holly can feel no pain at all as she takes one final sip and places her hand against Oliver’s waiting head.