The ground arched up, ever forward. Armada stumbled a few times over the cold ground, rocks or tree roots that were buried in the deep snow tripping him up. His breath formed small clouds of steam that were soon dissipated by the thick snow flurries that hounded him at every moment.
It was hard work, his legs tiring as he wore on. Every step he took was beginning to cause him more pain, but he knew he had to press forward.
The hill he was surmounting was gradually heading upward as he went on and on through the freezing snow to reach his destination. He glanced down towards his compass, and yet he garnered nothing. The snow blasted away any visual of his compass, and he could safely assume that it was covered in frost anyway.
As he climbed through the blinding weather, his mind began to wander. Later, he would attribute it to a need of escape the treacherous and torcherous cold, but at that moment he could have sworn something that wasn’t him was causing this.
He lay stretched out under a tree, staring up at her. Her green mane blew swung back and forth gently as she bobbed up and down on the low hanging springy yet strong branch that held her.
“Bet you I can climb all the way to the top!” Her voice was demanding, and powerful. He smiled as she spoke.
“Bet you five bits ya can’t!” He sprung to his hooves, and began to climb up the tree after. “Hay, I bet you ten bits I’ll beat you!”
“Oh, this is easy money,” she scoffed, and took up the tree. Not wanting to look like a fool who couldn’t keep his place, he shot up after her, hoof after hoof grabbing the branches as the two bolted up the tree.
She was older than he was by a few years, but by no means was he slow. Still, it was almost no surprise when he heard her cry out in triumph.
“That’s ten bits to me!”
He scowled a bit. “I wasn’t really trying...”
This was met with an off-hoof laugh. “Sure you weren’t...
“I wasn’t, I swear to Celes-” He stopped upon his head breaking through the top oak leaves. This particular hill that the tree grew on was situated slightly higher than the few others, and it overlooked a large woods full of oaks and maples. The summer sun basked the two of them as they overlooked the gorgeous sight.
“Wow...”
Armada kicked a rock that had been obscured by the snow. Cursing, he fell forward, the snow burning upon contact with his exposed flesh. He thrashed pulling himself upright as fast as he could. He shook himself free of any remaining snow, and shivered. The wind still howled around him, forever hungering. He spat at it, his saliva freezing into the snow.
He had been walking in some sort of autopilot mode that his brain had set him in when he began to reminisce about that summer day so long ago. He had not realize that he had reached the top of the hill until he nearly walked over the edge of the icy cliff.
Jumping back, the earth pony nearly lost his balance once more. Now not only shivering from the cold, Armada cursed his stupidity. What had he hoped to accomplish by heading up this hill? Did he expect the snow not to be as thick up here?
He sat down on his haunches, the wet coldness of the snow biting into his flank. He does so with quite a bit of force, and his saddlebag spilled open. Sighing, Armada turned to his side to pick up the fallen items, when something caught his eye.
It was the radio. It had fallen a few feet away from him, and the interface was on. Reaching out his hooves to pick it up, he held it gingerly.
He was almost afraid to speak into it... he hadn’t talked to anypony so far on his journey, and he didn’t want to waste batteries. Besides, he doubted anypony would pick up.
He set the radio aside, and instead set his mind on gathering up the other things that had spilled from his saddlebags when he had sat down. Two of his water jugs, along with some of his trail rations had spilled. He wasn’t hungry, but instead opted to drink some water before it froze solid.
Putting all of his items back into their respective places, Armada opened up the jug with his strong teeth. The cold water felt like tiny pins heading down his throat, but he ignored this. H wasn’t about to die from dehydration out in the snow.
After a few gulps, he replaced the cap and the jug back into its rightful place in his bags. Again, the radio invited him to use it, the interface blinking in the snow tantalizingly.
Armada sighed, and picked up the communication device. The knobs and dials used to confuse him, but he had learned how to use them properly. He used his stallion’s hooves to adjust and fiddle with them.
Static could be heard faintly under the sound of the shrieking winds. He honed in on the correct frequency, and waited.
All he was granted with was the sound of the ravenous winds.
“I knew it,” he muttered to himself scornfully. “What do you do, Armada? You build yourself up, only to let yourself down...”
“Hello?”
Armada’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t sure if the cold had finally gotten to his head or not, but one thing was for certain.
Somepony else was on the line.