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“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked angrily as I jogged up behind her. I was tired and grumpy and in no mood for Lena’s sass.
“I mean what I said,” she snapped. “This is all your fault.”
“My fault?” I said. “Who decided to walk down completely the wrong path? Who?” I said, coming up beside her and lowering his voice, in case of an eavesdropper, “And then decided to kiss me up there on the hill?”
“Oh, so you’re saying it’s my fault?” Lena replied.
“No,” I said. “I’m saying it’s both our faults.”
“Well, I wouldn’t be stuck here if it weren’t for you!”
I sighed. I had to confess that she was right. It had been my idea to take Lena out to the island. My idea is to walk around it. I was never late for anything, and never missed my travel plans. I’d always been on time.
Up there, in the sunlight on the hill, Lena had been irresistible. I couldn’t help but hold her, couldn’t help but put my hands on her body and feel her beating heart in that lonely, beautiful spot.
But I was rapidly aware that night was approaching soon, and without clothing, food, or shelter we’d be screwed. My survival instincts kicked in. For better or worse, we’d have to get along until we reach the village before sunset, or we would be lost in unfamiliar territory.
I looked up and could see the stars appearing already in the sky. “Well, that’s Ursa Major,” I said to myself. “So that’s North. And the village is on the east side …”
“What are you saying?” said Lena, who was walking ahead of me.
“I’m saying, I know where we are. Or at least, I know which direction we have to go in.”
Lena stopped and looked at me.
“You can tell by the stars?” she said, and for the first time, I saw a strange smile playing on her lips. She was impressed, even if she was still angry with me.
“Sure,” I said. “Look, see Ursa Major, there? You can follow—” I gestured up, “—those two stars, and they lead you to—” I gestured further down in the sky, “—the north star. And since the sun’s setting in the West, that means we need to go this way.”
I walked along the path, and gradually Lena fell into step behind me. Eventually, in the distance, we saw a light.
“There it is,” I said.
“Well, I’ll be,” said Lena quietly. “Guess you’re not such a bad navigator after all.”
“Thanks,” I said. I’d done my fair share of navigation training—polar expeditions, fieldwork, orienteering across desolate plains. And I’d spent a little time behind enemy lines, where radio silence was the norm and all you had to guide you were natural landmarks.
When we reached the village, it was quiet.
“That must be the wildlife outpost, and that’s the weather station.”
“What’s that over there?” said Lena. At the end of the dry, dusty track which led through the simple buildings and whitewashed houses of the local fishermen and the scientists, was a large wooden cabin.
“That’s the residential office,” I said. “I think they can find us somewhere to stay.”
When we got there, the place was closed. I banged on the door until a lady came to the front.
“You them folks that came in on the boat earlier?” she said. “Thought you would have left by now. There’s a storm on the way, you know.”
“I’m aware,” I said. “Look, we missed our ride out. We just need a place to stay for the night.”
“Two places,” added Lena, and I gruffly nodded.
“Well, there’s a family in the cabin down the road. That’s the two-bed,” said the woman, sadly. “All I got for you is the old cabin up on the hill.”
She gestured up the trail, and there, nestled in the greenery, I could see a log cabin.”
“We do charge, though,” she added.
