On Saturday morning the weather was cold but clear. The children met early at the entrance to the trail.
Elpida held the map as if it were something sacred.
"So… ready?" she asked.
"As ready as anyone can be for a treasure hunt," said Kostas.
They began walking, following the directions on the map. At first everything seemed simple. The path was wide and the sun was shining through the trees.
But slowly the landscape was changing.
The fog began to descend and the trees to thicken.
Rania felt a little uneasy.
"Are we sure we're going the right way?"
Elpida looked at the map.
"Yes… at least I think so."
Kostas tried to lighten the mood.
"What do you call a sailor who can't read the stars?"
The girls looked at him suspiciously.
"What?"
"An astronomer!"
"If you tell that joke again, we'll leave you here," Christina said.
Despite the teasing, everyone felt a little excitement inside them – and a little anxiety.
They didn't say it out loud, but they were all thinking the same thing:
"What if we actually find something?"