Stream Crossway

A narrow trickle of water cut across the loam, blocking the forward path. I knelt by the bank to assess the flow velocity. The current carried tiny gravel but posed no structural hazard to my armored joints. Looking for elevated passage, I noticed three flat slate pebbles half-submerged near the mossy bank. I planted my left boot firmly on the first dry stone, shifted my center of gravity, and pushed a damp birch twig across the gap to gauge resistance. It held rigid. Stepping decisively onto the mossy boulder on the far side, I established a secure crossing point for subsequent patrols.