"That's a nice view," Amy commented as we rounded a bend in the trail and got our first look at the river.
"It's supposed to get even nicer further ahead," I responded. Then I added, "I think we want to take the right fork up ahead there? Across the bridge, then it'll loop us back over another bridge right over the falls."
My girlfriend smiled, "Sounds good. I was starting to worry the whole hike was going to be kind of boring."
"Yeah same," I grimaced as we started walking again.
We'd already covered about two kilometres, but unfortunately a lot of that wasn't much fun. From the crowded parking lot where we left the car there was about a half kilometre through some lightly wooded hilly terrain, then we had nearly a kilometre and a half through open meadows punctuated with some low brush and the occasional tree.
Rather than hiking it was basically just walking along a dirt path through an open field. The view wasn't even that great, there was an open pit gravel mine only a couple hundred meters to the north of the trail which wasn't that fun to look at. Between that and the summer sun beating down on us, I was almost starting to regret trying this location.
We were in a small provincial park about fifteen kilometres north-west of home. It looked ok on the website, a river went through the west side of the park and there was a small waterfall and some rapids, along with some old nineteenth-century ruins. Unfortunately it felt like all the interesting stuff was in the far north-west corner, but the parking lot was at the opposite end. And so far the terrain wasn't interesting enough to make it a challenging hike.
Fortunately the last hundred meters or so things finally improved, and the two of us made our way across a wooden bridge onto the north side of the river. The trail went through some more woods there, and both Amy and I appreciated the shade.
"Ok that makes it worth-while," my girlfriend commented when we emerged from the trees again.
The bridge was a small modern footbridge, but it was built on the remains of what was probably a railroad bridge a hundred and fifty years earlier. Walking out over the river we had what might have once been a millpond to our left, while immediately on the right were the falls. And further in that direction were the rapids as the river went through a small gorge.
The falls weren't that high, neither was the bridge, but it was still a nice view. Amy and I both got out our phones and took a few pictures before we continued moving.
The trail we were on followed along the top of the gorge on the south side of the river, although we didn't always have a good view of it due to the trees. There was a lookout spot another hundred meters or so down the trail, so we stopped there for the view and some more pictures.
The downside was where we had a good view we were also back in the direct sunlight, and at about two in the afternoon in the middle of summer it was really warm. It was also the middle of the long weekend, which meant the park was very busy. Especially the scenic spots where everybody wanted to stop and enjoy the view.
It was the same at brunch earlier too, the breakfast place was packed and we had a long wait before getting a table. The food was worth it though, and I was determined to make the most out of the day regardless.
I was also looking forward to the evening, we hadn't made dinner plans yet but I figured we'd probably order in. Then we'd be celebrating Amethyst's holy day, which meant I'd be doing the thing with wine and cookies before getting some one on one time with the goddess herself. And thinking about that almost made me impatient for the day to be over already.
"I was thinking about Ada yesterday," Amy commented as we continued on our hike. "I don't know if she texted you as well, but she's made arrangements to make up the exams she missed in June? She said she'll be doing that in the second week of August. It feels to me like she's getting her life back on track now, and that's all thanks to you going out and talking with her two weeks ago."
I shrugged, "I guess? You did all the real work, I just prodded her into asking."
My girlfriend insisted, "She wouldn't have asked for help without your talk."
"If you say so," I replied. I still didn't think I did that much, but it wasn't worth arguing about.
Then as we stopped to look at another nice view of the river in the gorge I asked, "So why did you want to talk about Ada?"
There was a long pause before she responded, "It wasn't so much about Ada, as about you? I guess what I'm wondering is now that her life seems to be getting back on track, how do you feel about getting back to doing the cleric stuff? Would you be up for performing another miracle for someone?"
That left me frowning as I stared down at the river, "I hadn't really thought about it yet, to be honest? Why, do you have someone in mind?"
"Not at the moment," Amy replied. "I'm still helping folks who pray to me, but apart from Ada I haven't done any house-calls in a while. Mostly it's been word-of-mouth stuff? Like I help someone, they tell a friend, then the friend prays and I help them too."
I nodded slowly, then sighed "I'll be honest I haven't really been looking for any opportunities yet. And you know I'm still getting settled in with full-time work, that's where a lot of my focus and mental energy is going right now."
My girlfriend moved close enough to slip an arm around my waist as she nodded, "I get that love. And I hope you don't think I'm trying to pressure you or anything? I was just thinking, if you've been holding off because of what happened with Ada then maybe knowing things are looking up for her would help you get over that setback."
"Yeah," I grimaced. "It wasn't just Ada's life that got messed up though. That fiasco had a huge impact on April as well. Now I'm thinking I should probably reach out to her again, to see how she's doing since Ada moved out."
"That's actually a good idea," Amy agreed. "According to Ada, the two separated on good terms. Ada said she and April are still friends, even if they're not in a relationship anymore."
I lowered my voice as I asked, "I don't suppose April's prayed at all lately? Is she even still a worshipper?"
My girlfriend sighed, "I haven't heard from her since the night we were there to see Ada."
"I'm sorry," I frowned.
Amy shook her head, "It's fine Tess. Nothing in that entire situation was your fault. I'm just sorry for how it hit your confidence."
She kept an arm around my waist as we started walking again, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The trail continued to follow the river as it turned to the left, then meandered along as it continued running south or south-east. The area was still wooded which was nice, it kept us out of the direct sunlight. It also helped the trail feel less crowded, as it was harder to see the other people around thanks to all the trees.
The two of us walked in silence for the next minute or two before I finally responded, "Anyways I'll make a point of reaching out to April. Maybe I'll text her tomorrow, just to see how she's doing. And I'll try and keep my eyes peeled for anyone in need of a miracle."
"Thanks Tess," my girlfriend smiled.
Eventually the trail turned east away from the river, and the two of us ended up following it back in the general direction of the parking lot. Shortly after that the trees gave way to the open field again and we ended up walking in the bright summer sun once more.
"Any thoughts about what you'd like to do for dinner tonight?" Amy asked as we wandered east along the path.
I shrugged, "Not really? I guess we could go out if you wanted to do something special? Or just order something in."
"I could cook something?" she offered. "We might have to stop by the grocery store on the way home though, I don't think we have much in the fridge."
That made me smile, "If you really want to? But it's your holiday cutie, I don't want to make you work. We're supposed to be celebrating."
"Or is the real celebration going to happen later tonight?" I added with a naughty smirk.
Amy giggled quietly, "We'll see about that."
"Apart from that stretch alongside the river this hike's been a bit of a let-down," she added with a sigh as the trail took us past a large odd-looking pond. "I didn't even get to summon my staff or anything."
I made a face as I agreed, "Yeah. Maybe if they let you explore off the trail, I bet it would have been fun and challenging hiking down in the gorge right alongside the river? Except the place seems to get a lot of traffic, if they let folks do that the natural areas would probably degrade pretty quickly."
"Yeah good point," she nodded. "I guess we'll have to travel further afield if we want to find some challenging hiking trails."
It was only another minute or two before the parking lot was in view, and soon enough the two of us were back in Amy's car. It was still early, only a bit past three in the afternoon, but neither of us had anything else we wanted to do or places to see. Rather than rush home we ended up just randomly driving around the rural roads. It was maybe a bit cliché, but then again it was Sunday after all so a Sunday drive in the country was kind of appropriate.
We stopped at one point when we saw a little ice-cream shop and enjoyed a couple cones while standing in some shade on the side of the road, then drove around a while more before eventually ending up back in town by about five. Amy didn't bother stopping at the grocery store, she just took us straight home at that point.
As soon as we got in the door we both got out of our hiking boots, then Amy continued to strip all the way down.
"I take it we're not going back out again for dinner?" I asked with a smile, as I watched her pull on a comfy little nightshirt.
She shrugged, "I can always get dressed again if I have to? But right now I want to be comfy."
I ended up following her lead, everything I was wearing went into the laundry hamper then I slipped on a pair of loose cotton shorts and a comfy old t-shirt. And shortly after that the two of us were relaxing together outside on our balcony, with a glass of wine in one hand and a girlfriend in the other.
Our apartment was high enough up that there was a nice breeze to offset the mid-summer sun, plus we'd reached that in-between time where the afternoon heat was starting to give way to a comfortable evening.
"It's times like this that I'm so happy we moved here," I commented after a sip of my wine. "The view's not bad, but the fresh air and the breeze are perfect."
My girlfriend smiled, "Same. It's a good place."
"Agreed," Siggy chimed in as they joined us outside.
The small torty wandered around as if exploring the balcony, then my heart nearly stopped when they jumped up onto the railing.
"Woah!" I gasped. "Please be careful Siggy! We're five stories up!"
They started walking along the narrow railing as they replied in an amused tone, "It's fine, cats have nine lives."
Amy frowned, "You're also immortal, but nonetheless please be careful. Neither of us want to see you fall off."
"Fine," they sighed.
The little cat turned around once more so they were facing towards the two of us. Then they crouched, their butt wiggled twice, then they leaped from the railing onto my girlfriend's lap. Where they promptly curled up and got comfortable.
She and I exchanged a look and an eye-roll, but neither of us said anything. It seemed easier to just let the cat do what they wanted. For now, at least.
Instead I had another sip of my wine then asked, "I don't want to get dressed and go back out, so what do you want to order in for dinner?"
That sparked a short discussion with all three of us getting involved, although Amy made it clear that Siggy didn't get to vote on dinner. We settled on wings, with onion rings on the side. And since my girlfriend was currently trapped beneath a torty, I got up and went to get my phone so I could place the order.
Then while we were waiting for dinner I ended up texting April, to see if she was interested in talking with me at some point. She actually got back to me fairly quickly, and the two of us made plans to meet up for lunch later in the week.
When dinner arrived I brought everything out onto the balcony, along with some plates and a bunch of napkins. Then as Amy and I started to eat a small furry thief stole a wing off my girlfriend's plate then hid under my chair to eat it.
"Siggy," Amy commented, "Would you mind spending the night at your place tonight? There's something Tess and I need to take care of and I'd prefer the two of us to have some privacy for it."
The cat stopped munching on her wing for a moment to ask, "Is this a sex thing? I thought we already got over that? I won't tell anyone what you two get up to, and I won't sit around and watch."
Both Amy and I blushed, but my girlfriend shook her head "It's not a sex thing. This is one of my holy days and I need some goddess time with my top cleric."
"Oh ok," Siggy replied. "I'll go when you're ready to begin."
Amy smiled, "Thank you Siggy. You can come back tomorrow, but not until after the sun's up."
The little torty didn't complain about that, but they did steal a second chicken wing. Apart from the feline felonies the rest of dinner was perfect, Amy and I enjoyed a tasty unhealthy meal coupled with more of our favourite cheap white wine. Afterwards all three of us stayed out on our balcony to watch the sunset.
My girlfriend and I finally went back inside about an hour before midnight, while Siggy teleported away. I had some excited flutters in my stomach as I got changed into my white gown while Amy put on a little black dress, then we lit some candles in the living-room. I set out the offering of cookies and ice wine on our dining table, before finally moving to stand in front of my girlfriend.
She'd placed a cushion on the floor between us, a moment later I sank down to kneel before Her as the divine power radiated off Her and left my knees weak while the flutter moved down from my stomach to settle deep between my legs.
I smiled happily as I greeted her with a devoted whisper, "Hello my Goddess..."
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"That's a nice view," Amy commented as we rounded a bend in the trail and got our first look at the river.
"It's supposed to get even nicer further ahead," I responded. Then I added, "I think we want to take the right fork up ahead there? Across the bridge, then it'll loop us back over another bridge right over the falls."
My girlfriend smiled, "Sounds good. I was starting to worry the whole hike was going to be kind of boring."
"Yeah same," I grimaced as we started walking again.
We'd already covered about two kilometres, but unfortunately a lot of that wasn't much fun. From the crowded parking lot where we left the car there was about a half kilometre through some lightly wooded hilly terrain, then we had nearly a kilometre and a half through open meadows punctuated with some low brush and the occasional tree.
Rather than hiking it was basically just walking along a dirt path through an open field. The view wasn't even that great, there was an open pit gravel mine only a couple hundred meters to the north of the trail which wasn't that fun to look at. Between that and the summer sun beating down on us, I was almost starting to regret trying this location.
We were in a small provincial park about fifteen kilometres north-west of home. It looked ok on the website, a river went through the west side of the park and there was a small waterfall and some rapids, along with some old nineteenth-century ruins. Unfortunately it felt like all the interesting stuff was in the far north-west corner, but the parking lot was at the opposite end. And so far the terrain wasn't interesting enough to make it a challenging hike.
Fortunately the last hundred meters or so things finally improved, and the two of us made our way across a wooden bridge onto the north side of the river. The trail went through some more woods there, and both Amy and I appreciated the shade.
"Ok that makes it worth-while," my girlfriend commented when we emerged from the trees again.
The bridge was a small modern footbridge, but it was built on the remains of what was probably a railroad bridge a hundred and fifty years earlier. Walking out over the river we had what might have once been a millpond to our left, while immediately on the right were the falls. And further in that direction were the rapids as the river went through a small gorge.
The falls weren't that high, neither was the bridge, but it was still a nice view. Amy and I both got out our phones and took a few pictures before we continued moving.
The trail we were on followed along the top of the gorge on the south side of the river, although we didn't always have a good view of it due to the trees. There was a lookout spot another hundred meters or so down the trail, so we stopped there for the view and some more pictures.
The downside was where we had a good view we were also back in the direct sunlight, and at about two in the afternoon in the middle of summer it was really warm. It was also the middle of the long weekend, which meant the park was very busy. Especially the scenic spots where everybody wanted to stop and enjoy the view.
It was the same at brunch earlier too, the breakfast place was packed and we had a long wait before getting a table. The food was worth it though, and I was determined to make the most out of the day regardless.
I was also looking forward to the evening, we hadn't made dinner plans yet but I figured we'd probably order in. Then we'd be celebrating Amethyst's holy day, which meant I'd be doing the thing with wine and cookies before getting some one on one time with the goddess herself. And thinking about that almost made me impatient for the day to be over already.
"I was thinking about Ada yesterday," Amy commented as we continued on our hike. "I don't know if she texted you as well, but she's made arrangements to make up the exams she missed in June? She said she'll be doing that in the second week of August. It feels to me like she's getting her life back on track now, and that's all thanks to you going out and talking with her two weeks ago."
I shrugged, "I guess? You did all the real work, I just prodded her into asking."
My girlfriend insisted, "She wouldn't have asked for help without your talk."
"If you say so," I replied. I still didn't think I did that much, but it wasn't worth arguing about.
Then as we stopped to look at another nice view of the river in the gorge I asked, "So why did you want to talk about Ada?"
There was a long pause before she responded, "It wasn't so much about Ada, as about you? I guess what I'm wondering is now that her life seems to be getting back on track, how do you feel about getting back to doing the cleric stuff? Would you be up for performing another miracle for someone?"
That left me frowning as I stared down at the river, "I hadn't really thought about it yet, to be honest? Why, do you have someone in mind?"
"Not at the moment," Amy replied. "I'm still helping folks who pray to me, but apart from Ada I haven't done any house-calls in a while. Mostly it's been word-of-mouth stuff? Like I help someone, they tell a friend, then the friend prays and I help them too."
I nodded slowly, then sighed "I'll be honest I haven't really been looking for any opportunities yet. And you know I'm still getting settled in with full-time work, that's where a lot of my focus and mental energy is going right now."
My girlfriend moved close enough to slip an arm around my waist as she nodded, "I get that love. And I hope you don't think I'm trying to pressure you or anything? I was just thinking, if you've been holding off because of what happened with Ada then maybe knowing things are looking up for her would help you get over that setback."
"Yeah," I grimaced. "It wasn't just Ada's life that got messed up though. That fiasco had a huge impact on April as well. Now I'm thinking I should probably reach out to her again, to see how she's doing since Ada moved out."
"That's actually a good idea," Amy agreed. "According to Ada, the two separated on good terms. Ada said she and April are still friends, even if they're not in a relationship anymore."
I lowered my voice as I asked, "I don't suppose April's prayed at all lately? Is she even still a worshipper?"
My girlfriend sighed, "I haven't heard from her since the night we were there to see Ada."
"I'm sorry," I frowned.
Amy shook her head, "It's fine Tess. Nothing in that entire situation was your fault. I'm just sorry for how it hit your confidence."
She kept an arm around my waist as we started walking again, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The trail continued to follow the river as it turned to the left, then meandered along as it continued running south or south-east. The area was still wooded which was nice, it kept us out of the direct sunlight. It also helped the trail feel less crowded, as it was harder to see the other people around thanks to all the trees.
The two of us walked in silence for the next minute or two before I finally responded, "Anyways I'll make a point of reaching out to April. Maybe I'll text her tomorrow, just to see how she's doing. And I'll try and keep my eyes peeled for anyone in need of a miracle."
"Thanks Tess," my girlfriend smiled.
Eventually the trail turned east away from the river, and the two of us ended up following it back in the general direction of the parking lot. Shortly after that the trees gave way to the open field again and we ended up walking in the bright summer sun once more.
"Any thoughts about what you'd like to do for dinner tonight?" Amy asked as we wandered east along the path.
I shrugged, "Not really? I guess we could go out if you wanted to do something special? Or just order something in."
"I could cook something?" she offered. "We might have to stop by the grocery store on the way home though, I don't think we have much in the fridge."
That made me smile, "If you really want to? But it's your holiday cutie, I don't want to make you work. We're supposed to be celebrating."
"Or is the real celebration going to happen later tonight?" I added with a naughty smirk.
Amy giggled quietly, "We'll see about that."
"Apart from that stretch alongside the river this hike's been a bit of a let-down," she added with a sigh as the trail took us past a large odd-looking pond. "I didn't even get to summon my staff or anything."
I made a face as I agreed, "Yeah. Maybe if they let you explore off the trail, I bet it would have been fun and challenging hiking down in the gorge right alongside the river? Except the place seems to get a lot of traffic, if they let folks do that the natural areas would probably degrade pretty quickly."
"Yeah good point," she nodded. "I guess we'll have to travel further afield if we want to find some challenging hiking trails."
It was only another minute or two before the parking lot was in view, and soon enough the two of us were back in Amy's car. It was still early, only a bit past three in the afternoon, but neither of us had anything else we wanted to do or places to see. Rather than rush home we ended up just randomly driving around the rural roads. It was maybe a bit cliché, but then again it was Sunday after all so a Sunday drive in the country was kind of appropriate.
We stopped at one point when we saw a little ice-cream shop and enjoyed a couple cones while standing in some shade on the side of the road, then drove around a while more before eventually ending up back in town by about five. Amy didn't bother stopping at the grocery store, she just took us straight home at that point.
As soon as we got in the door we both got out of our hiking boots, then Amy continued to strip all the way down.
"I take it we're not going back out again for dinner?" I asked with a smile, as I watched her pull on a comfy little nightshirt.
She shrugged, "I can always get dressed again if I have to? But right now I want to be comfy."
I ended up following her lead, everything I was wearing went into the laundry hamper then I slipped on a pair of loose cotton shorts and a comfy old t-shirt. And shortly after that the two of us were relaxing together outside on our balcony, with a glass of wine in one hand and a girlfriend in the other.
Our apartment was high enough up that there was a nice breeze to offset the mid-summer sun, plus we'd reached that in-between time where the afternoon heat was starting to give way to a comfortable evening.
"It's times like this that I'm so happy we moved here," I commented after a sip of my wine. "The view's not bad, but the fresh air and the breeze are perfect."
My girlfriend smiled, "Same. It's a good place."
"Agreed," Siggy chimed in as they joined us outside.
The small torty wandered around as if exploring the balcony, then my heart nearly stopped when they jumped up onto the railing.
"Woah!" I gasped. "Please be careful Siggy! We're five stories up!"
They started walking along the narrow railing as they replied in an amused tone, "It's fine, cats have nine lives."
Amy frowned, "You're also immortal, but nonetheless please be careful. Neither of us want to see you fall off."
"Fine," they sighed.
The little cat turned around once more so they were facing towards the two of us. Then they crouched, their butt wiggled twice, then they leaped from the railing onto my girlfriend's lap. Where they promptly curled up and got comfortable.
She and I exchanged a look and an eye-roll, but neither of us said anything. It seemed easier to just let the cat do what they wanted. For now, at least.
Instead I had another sip of my wine then asked, "I don't want to get dressed and go back out, so what do you want to order in for dinner?"
That sparked a short discussion with all three of us getting involved, although Amy made it clear that Siggy didn't get to vote on dinner. We settled on wings, with onion rings on the side. And since my girlfriend was currently trapped beneath a torty, I got up and went to get my phone so I could place the order.
Then while we were waiting for dinner I ended up texting April, to see if she was interested in talking with me at some point. She actually got back to me fairly quickly, and the two of us made plans to meet up for lunch later in the week.
When dinner arrived I brought everything out onto the balcony, along with some plates and a bunch of napkins. Then as Amy and I started to eat a small furry thief stole a wing off my girlfriend's plate then hid under my chair to eat it.
"Siggy," Amy commented, "Would you mind spending the night at your place tonight? There's something Tess and I need to take care of and I'd prefer the two of us to have some privacy for it."
The cat stopped munching on her wing for a moment to ask, "Is this a sex thing? I thought we already got over that? I won't tell anyone what you two get up to, and I won't sit around and watch."
Both Amy and I blushed, but my girlfriend shook her head "It's not a sex thing. This is one of my holy days and I need some goddess time with my top cleric."
"Oh ok," Siggy replied. "I'll go when you're ready to begin."
Amy smiled, "Thank you Siggy. You can come back tomorrow, but not until after the sun's up."
The little torty didn't complain about that, but they did steal a second chicken wing. Apart from the feline felonies the rest of dinner was perfect, Amy and I enjoyed a tasty unhealthy meal coupled with more of our favourite cheap white wine. Afterwards all three of us stayed out on our balcony to watch the sunset.
My girlfriend and I finally went back inside about an hour before midnight, while Siggy teleported away. I had some excited flutters in my stomach as I got changed into my white gown while Amy put on a little black dress, then we lit some candles in the living-room. I set out the offering of cookies and ice wine on our dining table, before finally moving to stand in front of my girlfriend.
She'd placed a cushion on the floor between us, a moment later I sank down to kneel before Her as the divine power radiated off Her and left my knees weak while the flutter moved down from my stomach to settle deep between my legs.
I smiled happily as I greeted her with a devoted whisper, "Hello my Goddess..."
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