Rocky Mountain High

[Seiben 0]

"Rocky Mountain High, Part I"

Log entry 07 SD: 10407.16

 

"Self preservation nature's first great law,

All the creatures except man doth awe"

-Andrew Marvell, (1621-1678)

 

In the safety of the tree, Koga watched as the giant cougar finished devouring the young billy goat. Granted, he was a little ticked that the cougar is enjoying his spoils, but remembers that in this stage of the game, finding food doesn't really matter that much. He still had 3 days of hard tack, and even though it tasted like construction chaulk, it still was better than nothing. After the big cat finished, it licked its lips one last time, and walked away to parts unknown. Without a sound, Koga jumped off of his perch back down to the forest ground.

 

Koga looked around to make sure the cougar was gone. After being sure, Koga resumed his climb back up the forested hills of his mountain surroundings. Along the way, Koga was fortunate to find large stick along the way. It would make a good hiking stick, and would help ward off any future cougars along the way. Koga knew that when encountered by a cougar, one should try to act big, by flapping one's arms or opening your coat.

 

If that doesn't work, then one should try to fight back. There have been many cases, where people had successfully warded off cougars using rocks, sticks, or even one's bare hands. Simply running away, the cougar will sense the person as prey.. and that's where the cases of y'ya by cougar are mostly caused. With the help of stick, Koga makes his way to the top of the hill.

 

What matters most to him now, is to find a container for water. Though, Koga was fortunate enough to have his pack full of rope, a kaleh and 3 days rations, what his pack didn't contain was a canteen. Koga searched the forest floor for something to use as a container. Quite a hard task, since the forest floor didn't really offer anything.

 

Continuing upwards, Koga scraps the idea and instead looks for fruit, rich in water and juices. Gathering up berries, like raspberries, black berries, red currants.. these fruit will indeed keep Koga hydrated. As Koga vendures deeper in the valley, he sees in the distance a waterfall, probably about 20 feet tall, and the large mountains.

 

He felt lucky when he landed here after deploying here from the RAC. In his youth Koga would spend many hours hiking in the trails near the his home on ch'Rihan. Though, this time, Koga had considerably less supplies on him, and has to worry about some hunter guy going after him. But at least, if he survives, it shall be a glorious victory.

 

Reaching the river bed, again Koga goes looking for some type of container. In the distance, he sees something. Ie.. a large shell in the water. Koga turns it over, and happily sees its empty. It's a rather large shell, and could probably hold 500-600 mL of water. It probably belonged to some hermit crab, or something. "Thank the elements" Koga said, picking up the shell. It's quite hard too, and should survive when Koga has to boil the water.

 

As time rolls on, the air gets chillier. Koga dips the shell in the river, and ties it to his pack. Koga's fortune also continue after finding a few large crawfish and an adult trout, and a sunfish in the river. With a bit of persistance and patience, Koga spears the fish with his kaleh as they swim by his feet. With a now bountiful array of sea food for dinner, Koga walks into the dense forest, and gathers up some firewood.

 

It is a smokeless kind, from bark and branches of certain trees as not to attract any attentions, and the musky smell of the forest should mask the scent of burning meat. Koga sets down his back pack, and places the wood down in a neat pile. Then, using some pine needles, bark and branches Koga gets two sticks and starts rubbing them together.

 

With all his strength, Koga furiously rubs the sticks together trying to get enough friction to make a fire. But, that of course is easier said than done. Twenty minutes later, the branches wear themselves out. "Darn it" Koga says. His arms feel like jelly, and small calluses appear on his palms. "Ouch.. " Time was passing on, and Koga did have to start a fire before it got dark.

 

Koga grabbed some new branches, and placed it on a clump of bark and needles. After placing a small rock under the stick, Koga ever so vigourously rubbed the stick on the rock. After five minutes, smoke started to appear. Gently, Koga started to blow on the clump to fan and spread the flame. "whoo.. whoo.. come on!" Koga said. "Come.. Na... NAAAAAA!!!!" Koga slumped in defeat as the smoke died out. His half hour of hard work coming up short.

 

"So.. close" Koga sniffed. "Well, if at first au don't succeed.." Koga mutters as he tries a third time. Rubbing the stick on the rock like a madman, smoke soon began to permeate throughout the clump. Gently blowing, the smoke continued to increase, until finally a small lick of flame appeared. "Ahh..ahh" Koga burst with anticipation, and quickly placed it under the big pile.

 

Koga blew on the flame, and within minutes, it spread to the entire pile. A warm glow of orange flame filed the skies. "Hanny'yo Elements" Koga happily said. The tempurature was dropping rapidly and Koga warmed jhimself by the fire. Rigging a type of holder, Koga placed the shell over the fire to boil the water inside for purification. He then placed the one of the crawfish, and the sunfish over a make shift cooking pit.

 

Using some of the burning embers, Koga digs a small hole in the ground, and wraps the crawfish and fish inside a leaf. Koga made the hole smaller than the fish and crawfish, and had to move each of them to evenly burn the meat successfully. The smell of the cooking crawfish and sunfish filled Koga's nose. It also seemed to attract another small animal, resembling a Lloahn'na rabbit. Koga tossed a few raspberries. As the rabbit nibbled on the fruit, Koga silently snuck behind the animal, and threw the kaleh at it.

 

The kaleh hit its mark skewering the creature through the chest. The rabbit didn't take long to y'ya. Retreiving his blade and cleaning it, Koga picks up the rabbit cleans it up, and places it on the fire. Koga smiles as he cooks the meal throughouly. "Mmmm, mmm.. I eat good tonight!" Koga happily says to himself. With his dinner fully cooked, Koga walks over to a tree stump nearby to enjoy his meal. The meat are all a tad bit burnt, but still very delicious, particularly the crawfish and rabbit.

 

Alongside a handful of the berries he gathered earlier, Koga slowly enjoys the victory of his hunt. I might na even need the hard tac. Koga chuckles and thinks to himself. As the sun began to lower on the mountain top, Koga breathed in the cool mountain air. It was truly an awe inspiring sight as the sun glistened over the mountain tops and river. "Beautiful" Koga mutters.

 

Although, absorbed in the vast beauty of the area, Koga remembers that this isn't a vacation. He still has to worry about t'Phishore. The fire burns invisibly, and Koga hears a distant cry of a loon. He still has to be on guard. But in the same time, Koga wonders how the others are doing. Destorie, t'Ditsy.. how are they doing? But Destorie, should be fine, even if he got nothing. Heh, and with his recent luck, that's probably the case. Koga thinks.

 

Although t'Ditsy, Koga wasn't so sure of. Since they're all on their own, t'Ditsy would have to survuve on her own. She was kinda growing on him, even though her stalking him was kinda creepy. She was cute in a.. dumb blonde kind of way. But Koga doesn't imagine little Ditsy is Survival material. Koga takes a bite of the rabbit smeared with raspberry. After receiving his fill, Koga placed the rest of the meat in his pack. He probably should consider building a temporary shelter soon.

 

Koga takes a sip of the warm, but now safe water, he starts looking for some big sticks and leaves for shelter. There is till plenty of daylight left, but this will be his first night in an unknown woods, alone. Koga got goosebumps just thinking of it. For, who knows what the night will hold.

 

End log?

Edited July 16, 2004 by Seiben