Completed The Unpleasantness of Hiking

[Azira]

62nd of Fall

Normally on your day off you do something relaxing or fun. Not Azira. She'd gotten the idea into her head that she'd go hiking. The huntress wasn't one for any form of mountaineering. She had her routes, easy ways through the forests but she didn't move up and down the mountain anymore than necessary. Yet now it was her intention to spend the day, the whole entire day, walking on the mountain. Well walking wasn't really the best term, it'd be more like slipping, sliding and skidding on the uneven and sometimes treacherous terrain.

The young woman dressed in her usual hunting gear but left her braids loose for once, reasoning that if they annoyed her she'd tie them up. Dressing warmly in her katinu, scarf and boots, she filled her backpack with food and other necessities. After much deliberation, the huntress decided to leave her bow, knowing that she'd only distract herself from her day's purpose, before setting off for the Sanikas Gate and the day's hike.

She wasn't exactly eager for the day's endeavour but she was determined. She intended to improve her ability to traverse the terrain. Seeing as the game was going further and further afield, she was being forced to move further and further from the city and had found herself unable to access certain parts of the mountain because she hadn't been able to walk on them. The girl was also aware that there were goats, and plenty of them, but that they were in high, out of reach places and she had no hopes of bagging such food if she couldn't reach it. And the city sorely needed food.

She'd heard the whispers that they'd all starve come winter, something that was rumoured every year but this year was different. She knew that the food wasn't coming in. It was extremely difficult to track down anything and the hunting had been terrible all year. Perhaps it was a consequence of the Djed Storm but nobody knew for certain. Everyone was scared that this year the Inarta would die.

x

[Azira]

   

The walk to the Sanikas Gates didn't take more than a few chimes but as soon as Azira stepped out of the city she wondered if it wasn't a better idea to just turn back now and admit defeat. She hadn't even begun hiking yet but it seemed like it was going to be hellish. The weather couldn't be said to be helping matters, on the contrary, the already difficult terrain was probably slowly turning into mire thanks to the rain that was falling at a steady speed from the miserable sky. The wind was whipping wildly around her and she found that she was glad that she'd had the foresight to dress so warmly. Despite the daunting appearance of the future endeavour, the huntress was determined to go through it.

It was for the city after all.

Cocking her head to one side, the teen contemplated which way to go. She seemed to remember that there was a mountain, not too steep, off towards the east. That would probably be as good a place to start as any. It'd be a long enough walk, maybe three quarters of a bell, perhaps more on a day like today. It's probably take longer because the ground was sure to be more slippery than it looked and it looked pretty slick already. The earth hadn't become complete liquid but it was wet enough to have formed little muddy pools on the surface in places.

This was going to be one messy day if she fell, that was for sure. Watching her step, the Avora set off on the course that she'd chosen.

x

[Azira]

On a good dry day, the mountain that Azira intended to hike up would not have been too difficult to navigate. The mountain was not too steep and there weren’t a lot of loose stones or scree but it still would have been enough of a challenge to leave the huntress with aching muscles and sore feet. But that was when it was dry which it certainly wasn’t now.

When she reached the bottom of Mount Skyinarta, she’d already slipped and slid her way down on mud and wet stones so she should have known just how bad it would be to try to walk up a mountain that looked like a mudslide waiting to happen. Water ran in rivulets down its side, the liquid stained brown from the earth that it was passing over. The mountain seemed to shine with water and mud as the rain continued to fall. The rain wasn’t even that heavy but she’d hate to see what the mountain would be like if it was lashing rain. It looked so muddy, so unappealing that she seriously considered turning back now rather than attempt the endeavour but she wasn’t going to admit defeat. No way was she going to allow a mountain to get the better of her.

The girl began to take careful steps up the slippery surface of the slope, her boots sinking into the soft mud. Water swelled up around her shoes, muddy bubbles forming on its surface. She pulled her boot free with a squelch and her foot sought more solid ground. Her foot reached a patch of mud that simply slid away under her, making her stumble but luckily after an awkward moment of nearly doing the splits, Azira manage to right herself again. Glaring angrily at the ground beneath her as if it had personally offended her, she placed her foot more cautiously the next time.

Every few chimes in spite of her caution, she found herself slipping on the slimy surface. Her boots were caked with mud and her bryda splattered with brown speckles. If the teen fell she was going to get absolutely covered in mud, an idea that was none too appealing yet now she felt that she couldn’t go back. Azira was certain that if she tried to turn on the slope that she would land on her backside and get covered in mud anyway so what was she to do. So she continued in the hopes of getting to the top in a reasonable state of cleanliness and to find somewhere where she could turn around.

x

[Azira]

   

As Azira continued her trek, she was disgusted to see a hare standing not ten feet from her. An animal, a potential source of food that was actually in easy reach and it was the one and only time that she didn't have her bow. She screamed furiously at it and it bolted for its life. Her fury didn't help her balance much but she carried on, sticking to her plan.

Perhaps Azira's plan might have turned out all right if the sky had not opened up and proceeded to shower her with ice cold streams of water, turning the ground beneath her feet into a river. She was nearing the halfway point on the mountain at that stage and she'd been hiking for about two bells already. However when the drizzle became a torrential downpour, the huntress found herself in trouble.

The slope seemed to suddenly become nearly vertical, or at least that's how it felt to the Avora anyway. She could get little to no grip in most places and she was getting tired to boot. It was then that she fell for the first time. One foot went from under her and she just couldn't catch herself in time and landed with her hands out to stop her fall.

Her knees slammed into the ground, the mud clinging sticking to her bryda. Mud had splashed up covering her vinati, splashing across her chest and face and even slipping down into her vinati. Making a noise of disgust, the teen tried to rise to her feet but couldn't get up more than a few inches before falling back into the mud heavily.

She'd have to go back. No matter how determined she might have been before, right now she just wanted to get back to the warmth of the city where it was considerably less wet and dirty. Unfortunately she couldn't manage to stand up. The ground just wouldn't stay still beneath her, or maybe that was her feet and so each time she tried she got just another bit muddy. The only solution that had presented itself but which she was loath to do, was to roll over so that she was facing upwards instead of face down. She might be able to get up that way but she couldn't be sure and she really did not want to cake her back in mud too plus if she fell, her hair would probably land in it too and that was just a horrible thought. The huntress didn't have much choice though.

Carefully, she rolled over feeling the mud squelch horribly beneath her. It was not a pleasant experience at all. She pressed her lips tightly together to stop the string of expletives from coming out and was horrified to discover that her lips had been splattered with mud too. The teen would have preferred to find that out some other way aside from actually eating it! She spat but the taste wouldn't leave her so she did her best not to think about it or to try to wipe her mouth with her hands. Wiping was a no no. Wiping meant more mud and that certainly wouldn't help matters.

Shuddering at the texture that now coated just about all of her clothing and bare skin, the girl pressed her palms flat into the mud and raised herself into a sitting position. Bringing her legs up, she placed her feet flat on the muddy ground and tried to push herself up with her limbs, gripping the mountain for support. The huntress plopped back down again. 

There was a tree just a little further down from where she was and she slid her way down to it, scraping her backside a little despite the layer of clothing and mud. When she reached it she placed her arms around the trunk and hauled herself up against the rough bark, her hands reaching for branches to stop herself from slipping back down.

After a chime's worth of hauling, the Avora had managed to get into a standing position. She stood hugging the tree for another chime or two, panting. When she felt ready, she began to slip and slide her way back down the mountain.

x

[Azira]

   

The mountain was definitely out to get her. The huntress found herself landing on her backside fairly often on her way back down the slope. She was going to be covered in bruises by tomorrow, especially her legs and bottom which would become a patchwork of black and blue by the following morning. The next morning was not going to be fun at all. Her body was already aching and it was sure to be much worse by the time she'd finished sleeping. What a jolly good idea this had turned out to be!

The rain had been falling fast and cold on her for a while now but the chill that it had caused was finally beginning to come to the attention of the huntress. The cold had begun to seep under skin and into her bones. The chill was almost painful and it also meant that the Avora started to shiver violently. Her shivering meant that she was even more unbalanced and each time she fell she only became more coated in mud and water.

Eventually though the girl reached the base of Mount Skyinarta and proceeded to climb it. When she fell here, the girl could crawl up the incline until she could find a point where she get up on her feet again. Her fingers and toes were completely numb which hampered her movements a bit but the teen soldiered on, the desire to get home urging her on. The promise of a hot bath was also very appealing. She would be able to wash away all the mud, get some warmth back into her body and perhaps relax her sore muscles a bit.

When the Sanikas Gate finally came into view, the huntress let out a cry of triumph and actually felt tears spring into her eyes as she looked on the entrance to her home with relief. She trudged up to the city and into the Inner Warrens trailing mud behind her all the way. The Avora must have been some sight. Although she had originally been caked in mud, a lot of it had been washed away by the rain, only leaving behind a wash outed brown colour on her clothing and skin.

As she walked through the Warrens, the citizens of Wind Reach gawked at her. Azira knew that she must have looked terrible maybe even frightening, like some monster that has risen up from some deep, dark place. It was a relief though to get to the baths where she finally managed to see her reflection.

Her entire face was stained dark except for a few areas around her eyes, at her nostrils and on her lips. Clumps of dirt hung in the braids of her hair and the mud and rain had stained her hair a darker colour so that her hair looked more brown than red. The girl wouldn't have been able to recognise herself.

A soak in the first bath removed the layer of dirt, the water stained a filthy colour when she left it. Once she was cleaner, the Avora moved onto a warmer bath. The water seemed to scald her skin as the cold began to leech out of her. As her body adjusted to the new warmth she shivered until she got used to it. Once she did she moved to one of the hotter baths, the steam billowing around her as she reclined in the water. The heat soothed her sore muscles and Azira put her head back and allowed herself to relax.

Hiking had turned out not to be her thing at all but at least the day was finally over and things could return to normal. The girl let her eyes drift shut and she began to doze, perfectly content now.

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[Harrier]

Skills	Amount
Mountaineering	4
Observation	3
Intimidation	1

Lore

Rumors of Starvation

Mountaineering in the Mud

Scaring Rabbits

Vanity: Mud in the hair is not cool

Using gravity to get on your feet

Additional Comments: I really had to laugh at the thought of Azira being vain about getting mud in her hair and on her clothes when she's a hunter who potentially gets filthy all the time.

(c) abstract