“This should keep you going on your walk, gentlemen,” she said cheerfully. “Can I expect you back in time for dinner at six?”
“You can indeed, ma’am,” Theo said. He winked at George. “My friend here will never forgive me if he misses dinner.”
18
GEORGE
By the time they set off, the sun was fully up, and as the morning wore on, the weather only improved. Other than a few wispy clouds, the sky was clear and the day warm. The higher they climbed, the colder and gustier the air grew, but George was thankful for the cold wind ripping through his hair and drying the sweat on his brow.
The landscape here was bleakly grand and awe-inspiring, so very different from the gentle Wiltshire countryside he was familiar with.
“Look at that,” Theo breathed as they crested a rise and a new vista opened up to them. His expression was one of pure, unreserved joy. Theo smiled often, but this was different. He was open and unguarded in a way George wasn’t sure he’d ever seen before.
“You love it out here, don’t you?” George observed.
Theo glanced at him, a little self-consciousness creeping in. “Do you find that odd? Some people do. My father always says he can’t understand why I want to go up a mountain when I’m only going to come back down again.”
George felt annoyed on Theo’s behalf. “That’s an idiotic way of looking at it.”
Theo’s mouth ticked up on one side, amusement glinting in his eyes. “Is it?”
“Yes!” George said. “As though you’re doing something only to undo it again.”
Theo chuckled. “I think that is rather how he sees it.” He came to a stop then, pointing ahead. “This is where the path starts getting more difficult. Follow me and be careful where you step.”
He led the way up a narrow, steep path, and soon they were scrambling, seeking out handholds to steady themselves. Theo climbed quickly, and George’s thighs were soon burning with the effort of keeping up with him, his breath sawing in and out of his lungs. In short order, though, they were standing at one end of Crib Goch, staring at the long, bony spine of rock that stretched ahead of them, not so much a path as an edge to balance on, with steep, craggy falls on either side like broken teeth.
For George, it was an intimidating sight, but apparently not for Theo who merely adjusted his knapsack and set off along the ridge. George followed, but after a few yards, he hesitated. The ridge was very high, the fall a long way down. Though the rocks were dry, the weather fine, and his boots stout, it was still a thought, to set off across that exposed blade of stone.
Theo turned around, looking back at him. “Are you all right?” he called, brows drawing together in concern. “Do you want to go back?”
George wasn’t sure if he was all right, but he didn’t want to go back. He wanted to do this, for Theo, and for himself, so he called back, “I’m fine. Just let me catch up to you.” And then, heart slamming, he was setting one foot in front of the other as he carefully, watchfully, made his way over the ridge towards Theo.
By the time he reached him, Theo’s grin was broad. He set an approving hand on George’s shoulder, saying, “Good lad.” Which, absurdly, made George’s belly tighten with something that felt like a mix of pride and longing.
“Stay close to me,” Theo said then, and set off again.
They made their way carefully across the sawtooth track, George sometimes resorting to scrambling on all fours, using his hands to steady himself, even as he marvelled at Theo’s upright body and easy gait, the unconcerned way he would turn around to check that George was managing to follow, and not struggling too much.
Twice he returned to George, once to offer a steadying hand and once to offer guidance as to how to balance his weight and where to step, but for the most part, George managed it himself, and as they progressed along the ridge, his confidence grew, his bearing gradually straightening. He even relaxed enough to look all the way down to the lake that gleamed darkly blue against the green foothills, far below them.
As they approached the end of the ridge, George saw there were some sizeable pinnacles to be navigated, and he slowed, eyeing this new obstacle uncertainly. Noticing his hesitation, Theo halted beside him.
“This part looks daunting, but don’t worry. We won’t go right over the top—there’s a safe way around the side.” He smiled at George reassuringly. “I’ll be careful picking our handholds, and there are natural ledges we can use. Just follow me. I’ll go slow and lead the way. ”
George managed a tight smile. Something about his expression made Theo's gaze soften. “Don’t worry. I’ll be watching you carefully.”
George swallowed. Theo was always friendly with him, but this was different. There was care in his gaze, and the craven, needful creature inside George that yearned for affection wanted more. Thankfully, Theo didn’t seem to notice his reaction. He was already turning away and calling over his shoulder, “And you’ll be pleased to hear that after this we’ll be having lunch.”
“Thank God,” George called after him. “I’m starving.”
Theo laughed, and George set off after him. He stayed as close as he could manage as they clambered around the pinnacles, carefully watching where Theo placed his hands and feet and doing his best to mirror his movements exactly. Not that he entirely managed it—Theo moved over the falls of rock with a practised, easy grace that George could not hope to perfectly emulate. By comparison, he felt heavy-footed and inflexible, but he managed to keep up and to do mostly as Theo did, grateful for his careful slowness, and how often he glanced back to make sure George was all right.
It wasn’t long before they were descending the final pinnacle and making their way onto a flat, grassy area where, it seemed, Theo had decided they would be having lunch. Leaving the rock-strewn path, Theo took off his knapsack, sat himself down, and began pulling out the contents. George flopped down next to him, grateful for the rest. Stretching out his legs, he leaned back on his elbows, gazing out at the great, jutting peaks, the deep, green bowl of the valley, and that inviting, dark blue stretch of water below.
“What’s that lake called?” he asked.
“Llyn Llydaw,” Theo said, then added, “I’m quite sure I haven’t pronounced that properly.”
