Overstepped

Wander On

  Addie took one more look at the village as the sun began to rise, drenching it in orange light. She'd be back, but not for a few weeks. They'd called this place home for months now, but longed for more. Saying a temporary farewell wasn't so hard, since their 'home' was technically coming with her... "All right, I've finished gathering everything we'll need for the first part of this journey. These supplies should last us until our first village," Zenyatta stated, making his way over to his apprentice. "By 'us'," Addie replied, "You mean 'me'...right?" They gave a small smirk saying this, resulting in Zenyatta shaking his head. "I suppose you are correct. Are you excited?" "I am, actually," Addie confirmed, "A little nervous... But more excited to see new places." "Wonderful, I must admit that I'm excited as well. Are you ready to go now?" Zenyatta replied, adjusting the cloak he'd put on prior. "There's no time like the present, so let's get moving!" Addie said quickly, seeming enthusiastic. It would only be so long before the caffeine wore off, however... Regardless, the two began the journey into the mountain. Behind the lodge, a trail led upwards--continuing from the one that lead into the village. Addie never saw anyone come from the mountain to the village, so they figured this trek would be difficult. With Zenyatta by their side, however, she felt it would be okay. As for Zenyatta... He'd made this trek a few times before, and thusly knew what to expect. At first, there wasn't much going on, besides the altitude slowly changing and the scenery becoming rockier. Addie could see, in the distance, the 'maw' of the mountain... It looked like a tunnel system, where the trail continued. "That's... Ominous," Addie commented after a long while of listening to nature. "Hmm?" Zenyatta replied, seemingly not understanding what they were implying. "The, uh... That cave-thingy," the latter quickly said, gesturing. "Oh, yes. You needn't worry, since that's a part of the trail, it's well-lit inside." "Ah, okay... I mean, I wasn't afraid or anything, it just looks like a maw. It's ominous in that aspect," Addie said in response, giving a subtle pout. "I suppose you are right. There's nothing wrong with being scared, though," Zenyatta reminded. "Sure, but I've never seen you afraid," Addie stated, shrugging. "Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it hasn't happened. That time I went into the village when you insisted on staying behind..." For a moment, the two stopped in their tracks, only a few feet away from the 'maw'... "I didn't mean to scare you back then, Master," Addie said quietly, their voice laced with shame. She looked as if she wanted to speak again, but didn't. "You've improved much since that day, and I couldn't be prouder of you and your perseverance." "Do you... Mean that?" Addie asked slowly in response, seemingly guilty. "Of course. I wouldn't say it if it weren't true," Zenyatta confirmed. "Then... Thank you, Master. And also... Thank you for not giving up on me. I realize that I'm a bit much, so... Thank you," Addie commented, giving a bow to their master while looking down. "There is no need to thank me. You are not a burden, and training you is not one either," Zenyatta stated, briefly returning the bow. Despite Addie having trouble facing Zenyatta at the moment, she still smiled. He had a way of shutting off people's worry, no matter what... Addie hoped they could do that someday, too. What an incredible skill to have...

  The two continued the journey through the cave, where it became notably colder. It wasn't bothersome to either at this point, so they kept going. At certain spots within the cave, there were small piles of snow and frozen puddles--likely from previously melted snow. Addie wondered how they got there, when they realized wind from snowstorms likely blew some in. This likely meant they were nearing an exit... "Once we exit this cave," Zenyatta began, "The trail will lead us to the next closest village." Addie nodded, watching the exit come into view as they turned a corner. The sun was nearly blinding, so she tipped down her hat a bit to block it. Zenyatta was right about it being useful for the journey... Finally, they'd exited the cave, which gave way to rocky terrain and snow everywhere--except for the trail, which was marked with rock-salt lamps. The heat coming from them kept the trail...slightly cleared of snow. "Are these solar powered?" Addie asked, looking at them as they walked. "I believe they run on batteries during the day, but use solar power at night. Only the heating function they have is useful during the day, anyhow." "Right, without that, we'd probably lose our way since the trail would be covered," Addie replied, chuckling a little after. "It's quite easy to get lost further in the mountain, so be sure not to stray when we leave the village," Zenyatta commented, giving this warning in advance. Addie nodded, not planning on straying from their master anyway. So far, there wasn't anything amiss in their travels, and the thermal gear Addie wore was holding up quite nicely. To Addie, the change of scenery was quite nice, as well. Zenyatta seemed to be... Deep in thought. It was probably nostalgic for him, being up this way again. Because of this, the journey became comfortably silent again for a while, with neither having anything to say. The only sounds for a while were Addie rummaging through Zenyatta's satchel every so often to have a snack or rehydrate themself, and of course, the sound of the two's footsteps. This leg of the journey continued well passed the afternoon, into the evening, but eventually... "Ah, a village!" Addie suddenly exclaimed, pointing at lights in the distance. "Indeed. We are making good time. It shouldn't be too long before we arrive." "We'd be making better time if we didn't stop a few times, though," Addie replied quietly, seemingly disappointed in themself. "Stopping for your sake is necessary. After all, if you tire yourself out in a place where we cannot stop..." Hearing her teacher's words, Addie sighed a bit. He was right, as always. "Yeah, yeah," she replied in an annoyed tone, despite the acknowledgment. "Are you getting tired?" Zenyatta asked, "You must be hungry by now, no?" "No need to worry, I've been picking at the snacks you brought... Though I guess I could go for an actual meal when we get into town. My legs are gonna be so sore later, though." "I only ask because you sounded...irritated," Zenyatta replied, "You've been doing well on this journey so far." "Oh, yeah," Addie said, "I'm stubborn, of course I get irritated when you're right." They laughed a bit before speaking again, "But thank you, regardless... For looking out for me." "Of course, my student. I do worry, being up here... For you, it must be quite cold--and irritability is a sign of hypothermia." "Oh-- Is it?" Addie asked, tilting their head a bit at her teacher, "I'm an EMT and I didn't even know that, go figure." "Indeed, I read about it a long time ago. I suppose it's not a 'common' symptom, but still, I've seen it before," Zenyatta replied, deciding in that moment that he no longer wanted to walk, as he adapted to a sitting position while floating. Initially, Addie made a face at their master--one that seemed unamused. They wished she could fly as well, to conserve energy. "I suppose it makes sense," she began, "Since you live in a lodge, you'd have to care for humans that come through from the mountain... I never thought about that. Makes me wonder why we rarely see anyone coming through..." "It could be a multitude of reasons," Zenyatta stated, "It could simply be unnecessary right now for anyone to make the trip, weather conditions could be unfavorable..." Addie nodded as Zenyatta listed reasons. "Speaking of weather, it's... Not as bad as I thought up here." "Well, we are still relatively low in terms of altitude on the mountain. Once we pass the village, weather conditions will likely change," the monk replied. Again, Addie gave a nod and looked ahead. The village was getting closer... Soon, she would be able to eat and rest.