Nikki neither slowed nor changed direction.  "I know they are, but this way's faster~" she called back, still laughing.  "It's a shortcut.  Just be careful, you don't wanna fall!"  She leaped off the edge of a short drop, landing in a crouch at the bottom and following a path half-overtaken by grass and following it around a bend and over a rope bridge that had seen better days.  She didn't even break her stride as she darted across, though the placement of her feet was clearly carefully considered, and none of the boards she stepped on were damaged enough to break at the impact.  The bridge, or rather what ws left of it, was both rickety and missing planks, and a careless step might easily spell disaster -- particularly since only one of the side ropes was still whole.  In short, precisely the sort of route Nikki would pick, given the opportunity.