When they arrived at the trailhead, David turned to his friends. “Listen,” he said. “I paid for us to have a private tour, so it’ll just be the four of us and our guide. His name is Teague, and he’s an indigenous man of the…” David drew a deep breath, “I hope I say this right, of the…Tlingittribe. They’ve inhabited the Tongass for as long as they can remember and consider themselves custodians of these lands and waters.” He turned Nate around and steered him toward a gentleman with a sign reading: Gardener-Reese Party.
Teague introduced himself and led them down a gravel path. “We’ll enter the rainforest just ahead,” Teague told them. The path ran alongside a swiftly flowing river, and as they ventured into the heart of the Alaskan wilderness, the air around them filled with the sweet scent of cedar and the sounds of rustling leaves.
The trek began with a gentle ascent through towering Sitka spruce and Western hemlock trees, their moss-covered branches creating an almost mystical aura. As they walked, Teague shared stories of the Tlingit people and their deep connection to the land.
Colin moved to walk beside him. “Do the Tlingit people still live here? Does the tribe still use resources from the forest?”
“The Tlingit have lived in the Tongass for over ten thousand years. We occasionally harvest cedar for carving and bark for weaving. Our harvesting practices are carried out in a sustainable manner. Also, the forest provides the materials we need for creating totem poles, which play a central role in Tlingit traditional art and storytelling.” He nudged Colin’s arm and smiled. “They are also an important source of income. We run a Tlingit cultural site in Ketchikan where you can see demonstrations of totem pole making and learn the stories and significance behind each carving. You should visit it when we get back.”
“We will.”
The group walked the three-mile trail in silence, and as they did, Colin felt a sense of tranquility gradually wash over him. “It’s so quiet here,” he murmured to Teague. “I canfeelthe presence of these trees. It seems wrong to talk in a normal voice around them. It’s almost… disrespectful.”
Teague peered at him through narrowed eyes, then nodded and gestured around him. “Breathe deep, Colin. Take in the ancient life force of the forest. Feel the moss beneath your feet. Hear the sound of the wind in the branches. Let it all fill you.” He turned away and trudged forward. “I get the sense that you need it.”
Colin stood in silence, watching their Tlingit guide move down the path to where David and Nate stood waiting. He felt movement at his side and turned to see Joshua. “You OK?”
Colin draped an arm around his neck and nodded. “Yeah. I’m fine.” He kissed Joshua’s cheek. “But, babe, could you… I mean… can I have a minute alone?”
Joshua nodded. He kissed Colin’s cheek, then followed in their guide’s footsteps until he reached the spot where Teague stood, pointing out the various flora and fauna to David and Nate.
Colin stood alone on the path where Teague had left him. He tilted his head back, and for a long time, he stared up at the towering trees’ interlocking branches and lush foliage. “I’m surrounded by giants,” Colin whispered. Gaps in the canopy created cathedral-like openings that allowed glimpses of the blue sky. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in scattered rays, creating patterns of light and shadow on the forest floor. Colin drew another deep breath, feeling a welling sense of enclosure and even more… sanctuary. The great trees seemed to enfold him in a protective embrace, shielding him from the dangers of the outside world and immersing him in a serene and timeless beauty.
“I didn’t know,” he said in a low undertone. “I didn’t know how much that case affected me, how much all the cases affected me, how much I needed this.”
He looked ahead to where Joshua stood waiting. His husband leaned against one of the giant hemlocks. His eyes were fixed on Colin, and even from this distance, Colin could see they were dark with worry. He smiled and trudged down the path until he reached his husband’s side. “Hey,” he murmured, drawing Joshua tight in his arms. “How you doin’, bud?”
“More to the point, how areyoudoing, myyedid?”
“I’m feeling…” Colin began, then stopped for a moment. He drew in a deep breath, then took Joshua’s hand and placed it at the center of his chest. “Peace. I’m feeling peace,” he said finally. He lifted Joshua’s hand to his lips and shook his head in wonder. “This place is magical,” he murmured. “There’s a power here.” He lifted his eyes to the canopy. “An ancient power. The Cliffs of Moher in Ireland give me the same feeling.”
Joshua nodded and wound his arms tightly around Colin’s neck. “I’ve been worried about you ever since Juneau. I know how much that damned case upset you.”
“Theyallupset me, Josh. All of them.” He rested his forehead against Joshua’s. “I need to remember this,” he said, gesturing to the trees surrounding them. “I need to remember to get away. To take us both to someplace clean and pure. Someplace that’s light-years removed from the pain and ugliness of our work.”
“I’m going to remind you of this.” Joshua’s fingers caressed Colin’s cheek. “The next time I beg you to go to David’s cabin with me, and you tell me you can’t because you’re buried in cases, please remember this moment.” He kissed Colin again, then captured the face he loved between his palms. “Please.”
Colin nodded, then kissed Joshua’s dark hair. “I will. I promise.”
As the end of their trek approached, Teague led them into a secluded nook at the foot of a breathtaking waterfall. Colin wrapped both arms around Joshua as they stood at its base, watching as it plunged from the moss-covered cliff, its waters sparkling in the dappled sunlight. The pristine liquid descended in a series of tiered steps, creating an ethereal mist that danced in the air and caught the light like a shimmering veil.
“Almost as pretty as Ireland,” Colin murmured, then nuzzled against Joshua’s cheek. “But not quite.”
The group took a moment to soak in the beauty of the falls, then followed the gentle stream formed by the waterfall as it meandered through the forest and eventually led to the ocean’s edge. As they walked, Teague shared stories of how such waterways are essential arteries connecting the lush interior of the forest to the wide expanse of the coastal regions.
“Everything here speaks about harmony and balance,” Colin mused, staring out over the rolling waves.
Teague nodded and gestured around him. “We have a place in the natural order that gets lost in the stresses of everyday life. Being in a place like this resets our understanding of that place. Resetsus! Renewsinnerbalance and harmony.”
The four friends were silent on their journey back to the ship. It was dark by the time they arrived at the dock, and they all smiled at the sight of their ship, blazing with lights against the dark Alaskan night.
“Here we stand,” Joshua whispered, arms tight around Colin’s neck. “Under the midnight sky.”
Colin nodded and held him close. “Where every star tells a story all its own.” He nuzzled against Joshua’s hair. “But none as wonderful as ours.” He kissed his husband several times, then took his hand and led him toward the ship. “And now,grá mo chroí, the Lido deck awaits.”
CHAPTERTHIRTEEN
LORDS OF THE DANCE
