The Fox, Red

045 - 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."