He returns the teasing with a mildly rueful smile, shrugging on his own pack and standing in a single smooth motion. There is a little more stretching as she mentally marks out their path, and then he lets her lead the way down the rocks and downhill. The energy is restored to his gait, but he schools himself to keep a few steps behind her, since deer trails don't allow for walking side by side. When he spots an owl camoflauged against its tree, and later a sleepy raccoon, he catches her attention to point out the sights, but apart from that he seems to have regained the quiet contentment of the vacation day.

The plane awaits them, undisturbed and shining in the gradually lowering sun, and the view from the air will be even more beautiful in the later light.