The Mountain by Richard Turner

Author:Richard Turner [Turner, Richard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Base camp

Mount Naraka

With a weary sigh, Bruce plonked his aching frame down on the ground and then with a pained expression on his face, he pulled off his snug leather boots. He looked down and saw his toes wiggling through a couple of large holes in his worn socks. Bruce removed his socks and started to massage his aching feet.

“You’d better fix those socks before we start the climb,” Shaw said to Bruce as he took a seat beside his friend. “I have a needle and thread in my pack if you need them.”

“No, it’s ok,” said Bruce. “I always carry spare socks.”

“Suit yourself; however, you may need all the clothes you can carry when we’re standing on top of that mountain.”

“Captain, do you know how far we’ve walked in the past five days?”

“No, but it seems like a lot, doesn’t it?”

“Let me enlighten you then. On the first day after we left the horses behind, we walked just over eleven miles through the worst terrain I have ever seen in my life. I’m truly surprised I didn’t fall into one of the deep crevasses along the way, my poor body never to be seen again. On the second day, we walked thirteen more, which was made all the more miserable by the cold rain that fell for most of that day. On the third day, twelve more. Let’s not forget the rickety rope bridge we had to cross over that raging river, which looked to me like it had been built by a bunch of drunken boy scouts, sometime in the last century. After ten miles on the fourth day, we pushed on for another fourteen today, which gives us a grand total of sixty miles. If I had wanted to march up and down narrow rock-strewn mountain passes, I would have joined the bloody infantry.”

“Well, at least it’s behind us now,” said Shaw, optimistically.

“That’s a cheery thought, Captain; however, all of that pales in comparison to the warning signs that we have been seeing or, in this case, not seeing for the past two days.”

Shaw scrunched up his face and said, “What do you mean, warning signs?”

“Have you noticed the distinct lack of dwellings the closer we get to the mountain?”

“Now that you mention it, I have.”

“Also, there has not been a single animal, wandering through the countryside for the past two days. It’s as if this entire region has been picked clean.”

“Odd isn’t it,” said Shaw, realizing that his friend was right. Normally, there would have been birds chirping in the trees around. Instead, it was eerily quiet.

“Aye, it’s odd all right, and now we have a bloody great big mountain in front of us,” said Bruce, pointing up at Mount Nakara, looming high above them.

“What are you two going on about?” asked Amrit as she strolled over, carrying a red woolen blanket and a small leather satchel slung over her shoulder.

“We were just saying how relaxing the approach to the base of the mountain has been,” replied Shaw.

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