The Test On The Mountain VI

Morning comes once again with the sun peeking through the one window in the whole cabin. Whoever built this knew what they were doing. It was to bring in the sun where the bed sat to wake them for a morning of hunting at the earliest light. As for us, that means it's time for us to get moving.

We made a lot of good progress yesterday and I would like to continue that pace. I know I'm pushing us hard but I feel we're in the home stretch. As long as we continue on this path, we'll make it. Madam Odette is right behind me in getting out of here. Both of us are looking rather grungy. The first thing I'm looking forward to is taking a hot shower and getting all this crud out from under my nails and off my fur.

Sleeping in a proper bed is also enticing. Just imagining being back in my little cabin is enough to keep me moving. Throughout the day we traverse this trail leading to who knows where. I can feel the air shift the further we travel. The hills become less intense until it begins to flatten out. This is good. We'll be able to travel further but there will be less chance of shelter as we go.

The hours pass. I keep our spirits up as I start to just talk about what we've done over the past few days. "Do you know how awesome it's going to be to say that you fought a whole wolf pack in the dead of night? That's not something a lot of people get to share." Madam Odette rolls her eyes, "Red, you fought a pack of wolves. I stayed back."

"But you were there! You were involved. So you get the credit for it too."

She just seems to be in disbelief that I'm trying to get our achievements straight so we both get credit with an awesome story to tell. "We traversed the savage mountains, and survived raging streams!"

"We crossed a trickle of a river."

"Not if we don't say it like that. This is how legends are born."

A breeze kicks up with a brush of fresh air. It's chilled yet not cold. With us constantly moving we're producing enough heat that we're keeping well regulated. The breeze only helped keep us moving. With it being so late in the season we shouldn't have to worry about any storms. We'll just have to find something to cover ourselves for the night.

The sun begins to set. We have a lot more daylight than we did in the mountains but we'll still have to find something. We may end up really roughing it this evening. When the sky turns to fire orange, that's when I know we'll have to stop. "Well… shit." That's all I've got for right now. I can only mutter a swear as I try to collect the information around me to find shelter. There are a few trees but they're starting to spread out more. Nothing really stands out that could be used. I let out a single pulse to quite a distance and it's all just trail, woods, and wildlife.

A few steps off the trail I find a sturdy tree that has some branches that hang low. It'll provide enough for tonight assuming nothing comes our way. I tap the ground with the heel of my paw feeling what's underneath. I can feel some of the tree roots, and some rocks, but the dirt is still pretty soft. I take one deep breath and slam my whole foot down. With enough air pressure from what's around me I can push a small hole we can sit in. The ground is compacted so it'll be solid. It's dry so we won't be sitting in anything wet either. All I need to do is make a small fire and we'll have heat and light for the night.

It's become pretty simple for me to find branches and find some dead trees that I can use for kindling. I'm not sure if it's just me but I don't really feel that hungry. Might be that we've been moving all day and working. My body always seems to lose its feeling of hunger when I exert myself. Even so, I know I still need to eat and provide for Madam Odette.

Madam Odette stays behind while I head out. I ping the area looking for something to hunt. I can tell now that I'm starting to feel a little of the fatigue. My ping isn't as accurate as it could be. I keep losing spots of my vision as I go. I'll just have to settle for some squirrel this evening. Nothing larger is around and birds are not my forte.

Squirrel on a stick isn't the greatest meal. But this is survival. It'll do.

The night is quiet in the foxhole. The fire dies down to cinders providing radiant heat in the area. As I begin to fade off I see Madam Odette in her hunched-up position she's been sleeping in. She sits up with her face down. As she breathes she doesn't move her body. Her head bobs up and down but she is rock solid. I wonder how she can do that and keep herself upright. I tried once and couldn't keep myself upright as I started to nod off. She's something else.

Morning comes. This is day seven out in this nonsense. According to Madam Odette, this is the day she believed that we would be back. Am I going to meet her expectations or am I going to fall short and cause a lot of issues for us? I guess we'll find out.

We smother the fire as we fill the hole before leaving on our way. We press forward down the trail reaching an area with rolling hills once more. Are we going to head back into the mountains? I sure hope not. I'm not sure I have it in me to do that again. I trust the trail though. It winds around the hills bringing us ever closer to its end, wherever that may be.

As we go I see something. The trail looks more recently beaten. Almost as if someone was using it to drive on. Instead of the route we've taken though, it veers off in another direction through the trees. I'm at another point where I have to make a decision. Do I follow the trail to the left or to the right? Right looks like it goes further into the trees we are trying to get out of. The other goes around the hill where I can't see any further.

"C'mon, can't someone leave a marking or sign? I just need a break." I feel the weight on my shoulder from Madam Odette's paw. "Decision time once again. Which will you go with?"

Ah, there's the crushing pressure of Madam Odette's watchful eye as I work. I can't tell which way the tracks are going. Only that there are tires from a vehicle. They used to go the way we were going but now they fork in another direction. I'm thinking… it's pretty safe to head left. That should lead to where the track originates and maybe a road.

I point with authority declaring that we will go left. Madam Odette nods letting me take the lead once again. This trail is pretty beaten but still kept pretty fresh from use. We stick to the side where the ground is less chewed from wear and tear.

Hours pass, and the sun starts to get higher in the sky. I'm beginning to wonder if this was the right choice as we approach an incline. Hills have been the bane of my week. I may be over-exerting myself trying to get up this damn thing but I need to see what's on the other side. Now I can feel the blisters on my paws from the miles I've put on them. "C'mon, you can do this…" I have to mutter encouragement to myself to keep myself going. I want to be done so badly. I believe that drive is the only thing keeping me going at this point. I need to get Madam Odette home safely.

The hill crests with the trail taking a turn to the right. The slope keeps going, taking us down with it. With a sharp turn to the left, it keeps going down but it leads to a color I have not seen in a few days that brings me some glee. Grey. Solid grey of a road. The excitement starts to get to me. My pace picks up as I almost tumble down the hill trying to see where we are.

We're on an access road for utilities. It's clearly marked for no access other than authorized vehicles. It's not a sharp turn into this road so they have to come from one direction. And that direction means a town or a building at least. I look behind us in the other direction and sure enough, there's a location marker. I almost sprint to it to see where we are.

"Madam Odette! The nearest town is only a few miles that way!" I point where I had thought we needed to go at first and only confirm that I was right. I can see the smile on her face as she has some sense of pride. We're almost there. If we can flag a vehicle, then we can get there faster. Until then we are trekking it.

Compared to the rest of this trip, these last few miles are nothing. The road is a great guide while in the back of my mind I keep telling myself "we're almost there" over and over again.

Finally, a city limits sign. I recognize the name too. Ammay. I remember the sign from a long time ago when I first rode with Madam Odette. It seemed so small at the time yet it burnt into my mind.

Sadly, no vehicles come our way but when I see the first building I know we've made it. As we get closer I see a familiar face. I know them. I see them almost every day. He always stands at the ready for Madam Odette when she's ready for transportation. He gave me a ride a time or two from the manor to town and back. As reliable as ever, Denny is waiting with his usual poise.

We can't be more than 20 feet before my knees buckle under me bringing me face to face with the road. All the push, all that drive that brought us from the side of a snow-covered mountain, through valleys, the wilderness and the creatures it wrought against us, and the sheer distance we traveled finally gave. I'm laying on my back looking up at the sky as Madam Odette is looking over me with semi-concern, semi-mockingly. We are so close and this is where I give out.

I manage to get myself up on all fours, then back upright for the last push. Danny has the door open and ready for us. I'm not even sure I can really sit. I just sink into the first seat I land on. Madam Odette keeps her class together as she gracefully takes her seat. Danny closes the door before taking his position in the car for the hour ride back.

Madam Odette reaches into her coat she's been treading with us the whole trip pulling out what looks almost like a TV remote. The red light on it flashes every few seconds before staying solid and shutting off. Without another word, she hides it back in her pocket.

Did… did she have that the whole time? What was it? I just kind of stare as I rack my brain. She still keeps quiet. Instead, she just taps her claw on her muzzle with a wink.

It clicks.

We were never in danger.

We were never lost.

Someone out there knew where we were the whole time. If needed, they could have come and gotten us. She had a survival tracker on her the whole time! It makes sense but it would have been great to know!

Well, maybe not. If I had known would I have taken it as seriously as I did? It doesn't even need to be asked. I would have taken it a lot easier. My head drops back against the headrest with a sigh. She knew. She always knew.

"Well Red, here is what we will do. You did get us back in just the nick of time. I'll mull over the past few days and I'll give you a sort of grade tomorrow. But what I want you to do is think about that question I asked. I really want you to think about it. There is no hidden meaning in it. There is no right or wrong answer. I just want your honest answer."

She shuffles in her seat, still looking a bit on edge. It's subtle, but it's there. "But for tonight, rest. You've had a rough week. I'll wake you up early tomorrow morning."