The Test On The Mountain II

I'm used to the woken up by the sun coming through my cabin window. It wakes me up slowly letting me enjoy the warmth of my bed. This morning I don't get that luxury. The sun begins to beat through the snow. Where we are right now, the snow-covered hills, every little ray of sun is reflected off those hills in every direction. The thin walls don't do anything against the sun. It's almost jarring.

I don't have to move to feel the pain my body is in. The frozen ground does not make a good bed. As I try to wake myself up and adjust to the light I can see the shadow of my other occupant. She hasn't moved since last night. Her legs are crossed, her arms are tucked inside her coat, and she has her head down emphasizing her breathing as she continues to rest.

I shift myself against the ground to get myself up to a sitting position. The little bit of movement is enough to wake up Madam Odette. Her head just raises as she blinks. Her eyes adjust to the light rather quickly. She looks at me still looking like she's in a half-asleep state. I'm not awake either.

The unfamiliar setting activates some survival instinct in me quickly bringing myself from this half-awake daze into what is almost full-blown panic. With one deep breath, I bring myself back down to where I can think clearly. I get to hear the soothing voice that puts me at ease, "Good, you've got control again."

Madam Odette sits across from me staring at me as I collect myself. I'm not sure exactly what it is but her eyes seemed to have changed. Almost as though she's lost something of herself. Maybe she's just serious. This task she's given me isn't small by any means. Making sure that both of us arrive home safe and sound is a huge undertaking. She did mean it when she said this would be a test of everything I know.

With no better time than now, I stand up breaking through the snow cover that was our shelter bringing in the bright morning light reflecting off the snow. It's blinding every time. Part of my preparations should have been sunglasses or better eye protection. Madam Odette stands with me brushing off some of the snow from her coat.

"Red, before we continue…" Her voice trails off as though she is lost in thought again. It's like when we landed. Something was on her mind she wanted to say but couldn't. "Red, the next few days are going to be rough. I want you to remember them well and I want you to think about what you want to do after this. This is your final test."

Those words carried more weight than normal. It almost felt like there was a second meaning behind them. She wants me to think about what I want to do after this. Does this mean once this test is over she'll have nothing left for me? Does this mean the world will be mine to do with as I please? To travel, to learn, to be my own person again.

I can think while we move through. We still have a lot of ground to go. The only relief I can find in this area is that some portions of the snow drifts are lower than others. It makes it easier to traverse. The big thing that I have to figure out right now is which direction to go. I may have to change my game plan.

I've been trying to head down this mountain trying to get to where I can find flat land. But what will I do when I get to flat ground? I still have no idea where we are and in which direction I need to go. The change would be to find a higher vantage point to try and find a landmark or something I have familiar with. I also have to consider what Madam Odette told me. At best, we will make it back in five days. She expects us to make it back in about seven.

So far to this point, I have taken her expectations and surpassed them. But there is a lot more at stake here. It might be best to take it slow and make sure that I do this correctly.

The day is long. Madam Odette and I barely speak the entire time. She occasionally makes a noise like a cough but our communication is limited. I lead us around the base of a small point where two mountains connect. Where they have been shoved together by the Earth's shifting. On the other side, I can see that it is much more open. I may get my wish of being able to find where we need to be but we'll have to backtrack a bit. That will be the plan for tomorrow. For today, we are both tired and need to rest.

I take a seat at the base of a tree to get some shade from the sun. I hear Madam Odette sit close by taking a deep breath as she relaxes. I take in the sounds around us as I feel the wind pick up. We've reached an area where the wind shouldn't be as violent if it kicks up. There's still enough snow on the ground so I can create another shelter. This may be where we camp for the night but I still want to know where we are.

The want to know is bothering me. It might just be my own curiosity. I have to show restraint though. I should get a good night's sleep so I can make the trek up the side of the massive hill I'm on. With a deep breath, I let out a ping to survey the surrounding area. It's a lot of trees, some small wild animals, and a mountain. If there was at least a cave I could use that as shelter but I'll have to whip up another one tonight.

The sun sets as we both rest. The temperature quickly drops once the light is gone. I once again ask Madam Odette to wait while I go off to find something to burn for warmth. Like the night before, I build the snow dome, light the fire, get the area warm, then seal us in for the night. Madam Odette takes the same position as she did the night before. Her legs are crossed, her arms are across her chest, and her upper body is slightly slumped forward but still holding herself up.

I take my spot across from her laying down on the ground using my arm as a pillow. I focus on her breathing waiting for her to fall asleep. Once she's out, I'll be able to relax a bit more and maybe get a decent night's rest.

Something stirs me from my slumber. There's a far-off howl of a wolf. I have no idea if it's crying at the moon or for its pack. The answer came quickly when I heard something outside of the shelter beginning to dig through the snow. I bring myself up as I see a paw breakthrough by my head. Once the small section was broken through a much larger hole was created. On the other side of the wall, I could see the snarling teeth of the wolf that had been hunting us.

I stayed as still as I could, being in no position to fight back. It bared its teeth as it gave a low growl. I stay still waiting for it to move on. It keeps pushing its head through the hole breaking the wall further. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Madam Odette locked onto it as well.

My mind races trying to think of some way to get the beast away from us. Only to scare it, not to harm it, and show it that we are not something it wants to fight with. The only thing that worries me is that wolves hunt in packs. This won't be the only one here.

They're smart creatures as well. One may draw attention while another moves around to a creature's blind side and attacks from another direction. Once they bite down, then the one the target was focused on will attack. The howl was too far away to be from this wolf. There must be more. I can't let inaction be my action anymore.

I whisper to not cause an alarm or stir in the wolf, "Madam Odette, I need you to get flat onto the ground. Quickly." I saw her nod as she looked from me back to the wolf. Once she drops I stand breaking through the wall. I hear the wolf bark before everything in my sight goes a bright white.

In the short moment I had, I focused on fire, specifically on Lux or light. I want the fire to burn but I want it to burn bright and blinding. The flames reach out touching some of the trees and setting some leaves ablaze. Once the flash is gone I can see that it was effective. The one wolf that was looking into our den is blinded. The disorientation has it stepping backward biting at random for anything that may be trying to go after it in this state.

My eyes can't see in this dark anymore. The bright light killed my night vision. With a quick ping, I can see around me. One… two… three. Four… five… six of them. A good half dozen are within the immediate area. A few of them look to be backing off but there are still two that are working their way around. There may be no other option than to fight.

I keep my ping going, watching every move they make. The blinding light seems to have worn off the four it blinded. They are back to moving around like the others. It's do or die and I refuse to die here.

I relax my wrists letting my paws go limp. I take a deep inhale as I clear my mind and focus. Ice, cold, the temperament around me. It all comes to me as I exhale twisting my palm upwards. With one slash an object catches the glint of the fires as it flies in front of me and through the wolf that discovered us. With a weak whimper, the wolf falls to the ground, lifeless.

A little spell I like to call "Ice Knife" did the trick. Using moisture from the air I can pull the remaining energy from my body to quickly freeze it into a sharp object. Then using a gust make it fly to where I want it to.

I can manifest it anywhere I please within my eyesight. As the wolf was facing me, its body was not broadsiding toward me. With the ice knife to its side, it was an easier shot to strike the wolf, and an even better chance of hitting something vital to drop it quickly.

It worked as planned. With a ping, I check the other wolves and they seem unphased at the death of their pack member. They continue to move around us looking for a shot. I cannot let them have a chance. With another inhale and some quick focus, another knife streaks through the air landing square within the heart of another wolf. This shot was more thought out. The other wolves could see it. The wolf whimpered as it died in the snow. The others, seeing their comrade fall, decided that this was not the best prey to go after.

They began to step back slowly waiting to see if I would attack again. Once they got some distance between us they bolted off through the snow. I could relax now. "Madam Odette, you can get up now." She stands from the collapsed snow mound brushing herself off. "That was… something else. I'm impressed, Red."

Ah, the words of praise from Madam Odette. It's quite a rare treat and I will relish it as long as I can. The wind around us begins to pick up again. The wolves must have been looking for food before the weather kicked in. We are now left exposed to the elements once again. I can try to make another shelter but we would have to move.

The smell of the fresh meat could attract other predators to the area. The ground around us was flashed with fire so the snow is no longer usable for shelter. We have no choice but to move in the darkness to find a more suitable area to stay for the night. Madam Odette will have to make this possible. I'd hate to have her do something during my test but if we want to make it out of this we'll need to work together from here on out.

I grab some sticks and branches to make a new fire. Madam Odette will have to hold them as we move. I'll produce a small light so we can see but we'll have to move fast. The light could attract more unwanted attention. Speed is key to this. We need to get to where we are going to be staying and set up again. We need to put enough distance between us and the site of the fight.

There's so much that needs to be done in such a small time. All the while, I have to make sure I don't lose my position so I can get back up the side of the mountain to find the direction we need to be heading. "Madam Odette, it may be a lot to ask, but I need you to make sure that you keep up with me as we move."

All I get is a nod as she adjusts the sticks in her arms. The area flashed by the fire was small so we began to battle with the snow again. I raise my knees making sure that I'm not encumbered by the snow. I can hear Madam Odette's boots crunching against the snow as we move. It's a great indicator of how close to me she is and if I need to slow down. It's a hard push to do in the cold and dark but we have to make it.

I feel my lungs starting to burn as I continue to push. I think this is all I can do for now. I push the snow out of the way pointing to the ground for Madam Odette to place the wood. With one swoop I bring up another shelter of snow sealing us inside. The fire is started with an open flume to allow the smoke to escape while the fire heats the inside.

The fire dies out, I seal the heat inside, and we can rest easy for a little while longer. It hits me though. During this attempt to get back to what I've called home for the last few months, I've forgotten some of the most basic needs. Food and water. My stomach begins to turn in knots as it asks for something to keep my going. My mouth tastes like the ashes in the center of the shelter. As I wonder about myself, it hits me that Madam Odette is in the same predicament. I've been pushing her through the same issues.

Now I regret moving so quickly. Two wild wolves were ready for cooking that we could have used as food. This is the kind of test where mistakes like this can't be forgiven like at home. These are the kinds of mistakes that can mean we don't make it home. I can try to hide the discouragement all I want but I know by the tone of her voice she can see it herself.

"Red, you're pushing yourself too hard with nothing to replace it with. I thought you did your research on survival." And the worst part of her jab at me is that I did. The big three points that I kept reading about in every book written by so many different people all made the same points; shelter, water, and food.

Water isn't hard in this snowy region. Just melting it in your paws can provide it. Your body needs water more than it needs food. But with the magical energy I've been expending, and the run we just went on, I've used way more than I should have. It's obvious too. I can feel that my whole body is out of balance. Something burns, something feels nothing at all. I need to get myself back to a good balance if I want to be able to continue. Does that mean I have to go back and brave the darkness for the food we left behind? Do I even have the energy to do that? Once more, what if something else has moved in to claim it? Can I fight them off?

Madam Odette rustles around in her coat pulling out what looks like a brick. "I figured we would reach this point right about now so I brought two of these." She hands me one while she rips the wrapping off the other.

She's always prepared for everything it seems. These are concentrated nutrient bars. "These will make sure you're feeling 100% when we start to get going again but they won't last long. Anything your body doesn't use will be expelled. You'll have to find out how to make it last." So I have one bar to last another four days. That doesn't seem like I'm going to make that work unless I get creative. I take the first bite thinking it over in my mind but I can't piece it together. This bar also tastes like chalk…

"Red, finish it, get some sleep, and tomorrow I'll help you." She crosses her legs and her arms as she does when she sleeps while chewing the last of her bar. I hear her swallow the last bit before she settles herself into her spot.

I just stare at mine for a bit before taking a second bite. Have I failed already? I need Madam Odette's help to make it through this test and we're not even at the halfway point. Tomorrow starts day three of this possibly seven-day journey and I've already fallen short of her expectations. What am I going to do?

I'll try and sleep for now. With something in my stomach, my body feels a bit more relaxed. When the sun comes up… well… I'll deal with it then. For now, I need to make sure I'm good to take care of us.