The Test On The Mountain I

The powder on the ground is still fresh. It's so remote that it's been untouched but it's still deep. I check the time on my watch to try and get a sense of where we may be. It's about midday. Looking at the sun won't help me figure out a direction at this time. A quick pulse shows nothing around us. Just trees and hills.

"Find anything good?"

Madam Odette can feel my pulses. I keep forgetting this. When she mentions something she catches me off guard with it every time. "Nothing within range. We are out in the middle of nowhere aren't we?" I get a nod from her. Her arms are crossed as she watches me to see what I do. I look at my watch again mulling over a few options in my head. I don't have a compass to give me a direction so I'll just have to wait.

Going downhill would be the best option but without some type of direction we could end up walking around in circles for hours. The biggest problem I will need to conquer is energy consumption. Food might be scarce, foraging won't be a reliable option, and water won't be a problem with all the snow, but walking, moving, setting up, and breaking down camp is going to be consuming. With the colder temperatures, our bodies are going to be working harder to keep warm.

With no other option, I move under a nearby tree and take a seat where there's the least amount of snow. Madam Odette follows me leaning against the tree. "Madam Odette, you did say I was in charge of this, correct?"

"I did."

"Have a seat. You use less energy than standing."

Without anything else, she takes a seat next to me. "Explain to me what you're thinking by sitting under a tree." I look at my watch again before leaning over and showing it to her. "I'm trying to use the time to figure out a direction we should be heading. With the sun at its peak, I can't tell what direction it's rising or setting. So we have to wait."

She accepts the reasoning with no questions. I rest my eyes while I wait. Keeping them closed feels nice against the blinding snow. Even so, it's still bright out. The little bit of cloud cover is helping right now. Who knows when it will pass or get worse. If it ends up getting worse we'll have to deal with it getting darker sooner. It's dangerous to move in the dark. Not only because it's hard to see but because there are other animals that are nocturnal that will come out.

We may be seen as an easy meal. The less we have to deal with and the sooner we make it back the better. I can only plan right now. The more I think about it though the harder this seems it's going to be. I have to keep myself in the right headspace.

That was one thing I remember reading very vividly. It said something along the lines of;

If you think that you are going to die, you will. Keeping a positive attitude is vital for survival but not being overconfident is just as important to making smart decisions in a time of crisis.

It's not just my life that's involved in this. Madam Odette placed herself in this position as well and trusted herself to me. Now, I know she's a very smart woman. She must have a plan in case something goes wrong. Something to alert someone that we are in danger and need assistance. I think I can make a flare type of projectile to alert anyone nearby. That is if anyone is nearby.

With the blindfold on during the trip, I have no idea how far away from anything we are. I mull everything over making sure that I have the best plan that I can. I check my watch often watching the minutes tick by. I look up occasionally to see where the sun is. It's slowly moving. I need just a little bit longer. I watch the shadows start to grow as it reaches the peak and begins moving down.

It's a long hour to wait but I can reliably tell what direction we are facing now. I still don't know what direction we came from but I can begin moving down this mountain to somewhere more sustainable. "OK Madam Odette, we're leaving."

"Do you know which direction we need to head?"

"I hope so."

I can't give a definitive answer to that question. Without knowing which direction we came from I can't backtrack. As soon as the snow starts getting deep I shorten my steps. I have to. The snow may be light but it's pushing back with every step. Solid step, shift, kick, move, and repeat. Taking high steps reduces the resistance of the snow. Lower steps don't require as much movement though. The push is easier to deal with than the raising of my leg and stomping down on the snow.

Madam Odette is keeping behind me matching me step for step in the snow. We create two lines in the snow slowly making our way down this hill. I wanted to try to avoid walking through heavily wooded areas but they have the least amount of snow on the ground. It's still not easy to move around. It's a little weird with all the underbrush still sitting on the ground. Some places are uneven making them more dangerous. Every decision I make is going to have to be based on risk versus reward.

I'll have to think about the time it will take, the possibility of injury, the ease of access, and the energy we'll need to expend to achieve it. There are so many different variables I have to keep track of. On top of that, I have to keep my own and Madam Odette's health at the top of the priority list. We can't make it back if we're both dead out here. These stakes are way too high for my liking.

But the challenge was presented to me by the woman who has seen my progress, judged me since day one, and knows my abilities better than I do. I'll trust her that she knows I can do this.

Trudging through the snow is starting to wear me out. Madam Odette isn't panting hard but I can tell she's breathing heavier. This is going to be a long trip for the both of us.

It feels like we've been walking for hours. I can feel the cold starting to get to my paws, even through the boots. I take a moment to lean against a tree to catch my breath. I'm starting to sweat a bit but I can't afford to lose any of that heat. "How are you doing Madam Odette?" I hear her take a deep breath before answering, "I'm keeping up."

"Good. We'll take a moment then keep going."

She just nods and agrees before I take a seat at the base of the tree. She follows behind me leaning against the tree and myself. I just take the moment to catch my own breath and listen to her breathing as well. "Red."

"Yes?"

"What do you want to do with your life now that you've found out about yourself?"

This is an odd question and an even odder time. "I don't really know at the moment. Everything is so new that I almost feel like I've started over. I need direction in this world that's opened up before me. That's why I rely so heavily on you for things. A lot of it is guidance right now so I can try to figure out what I want to do."

I think that's a fair and honest answer. There's just so much out there now. I have to explore it all again. But was that the answer she was looking for? She took a pretty deep breath without giving me anything back. She has been taking a backseat during this adventure letting me drive everything.

I can feel everything starting to get better. My breathing is more under control. I'm not feeling as warm as before. This whole ordeal is nothing but a weird balancing act. I can't overheat myself or I'll sweat to excess and lose too much water. And again, I have to keep in mind that someone else is with me. I have to keep an eye on her well being.

I stand myself up brushing off some of the snow. Madam Odette does the same shortly after. I have a tough decision to make here. We can continue down the mountain or begin moving in a lateral pattern keeping our elevation the same. I think we should keep heading down. Finding the base of this mountain should be step one to getting back home.

"Ready Madam Odette?" She just gives me a nod. Turning away from her I start to plot a line by sight to get through the trees following the way down.

The rough terrain and the snow is making it hard to make any good speed. I have to avoid obstacles, watch out for anything that may be dangerous, all while keeping myself and Madam Odette safe. All we can do is keep pushing forward. We reach a point where we have to rest again but this time, the sun is beginning to set behind the mountains making it dark and harder to traverse. We'll have to stop for the night.

Shelter needs to be established but I thought about that beforehand. Snow, while being frozen water, can be an insulator. "Madam Odette, I want you to stay here. I will return shortly." Again, no words. Just a nod.

One bit of precaution I take is to make sure that she never leaves my sight. All I have to do is collect some twigs and sticks to perform a quick burn. I use my air razor to trim low branches easily. I keep my eyes on Madam Odette the entire time. I have a strong feeling that I am going to be graded. One of those may be any additional daner that I may place her in. Keeping myself close means a quick response to anything that may happen.

She has her back to me while she just sways back and forth. She's probably doing that grading at this moment! I need to get back!

I rush through the snow huffing as I get to her. "OK! This should only take one moment. I just need you to stay close to me and crouch down." She looks rather confused but follows my instructions. I take one deep inhale. I had practiced this all week expecting snow because of the cold. It paid off and now I get to use it. It just takes a bit to focus.

Aura; the air around us used to move the other elements into the form I need.

Gelum; the cold and frost of the snow that needs to take the shape of what I require.

Solum; using the soil and imperfections in the snow to solidify the structure.

Between these three, they overlap in many focal points. I can't let the elements mix otherwise the output will be incorrect. As I exhale I bring the snow around us over like a blanket. The aura element leads the form I want it to take. Gelum brings the snow and controls the form I wish it to take. Solum, after the rough shape is taken, it will need to be solidified to endure for the night. This makeshift igloo will be our shelter.

Once it's sealed I can breathe easy with a smile. "And there we go. It's snug, but it will provide. But first…" I punch a small hole in the roof about 2 inches diameter. The sticks I collected are piled and using a simple flick of fire I start letting them burn. The smoke needs to escape but the quick burn will get the temperature up to a good spot.

After what little I burn is done, no more will be needed. We'll bury the ashes and hunker down for the evening.

"Red." Madam Odette gets me attention as the fire begins to burn. She has an odd look about her. "Yes, Madam Odette?"

"...nevermind. We'll be able to talk about it later. We should get some rest."

She wraps herself up in her coat nestling her head into herself. I sit up leaning against the sturdy wall I created while the branches burn. Once they go out I throw dirt over them. I leave the hole open for a little while longer until the smell dissipates and the air is clean. Using a smaller version of the spell I can seal it up and keep the warm air inside.

It's not easy to sleep in this position but we can. The night with no issue. But the next few days are going to be rough.