I've decided from today forward that I'm going to split same-day entries into parts to make it a bit easier on myself. It was bugging me for a while, but given everything that's been happening today, I just never got around to it until now.
Now, though...
Well, now I have nothing but time at the moment. In all honesty, the only reason I started writing now was that it helps keep my nerves in check. Right now it's just about the only thing keeping my nerves in check. The good news is that we—that is, Rarity and I—found another cave to rest in just as a truly monstrous blizzard hit the mountainside.
The bad news is that our so-called expert mountaineer has gone missing.
It happened about a half-hour or so before the blizzard really kicked in. Like I mentioned before, this stallion was practically invisible in the snow, even with all his gear. It wasn't really that big of an issue during the first half of the climb, but it got harder and harder to make him out as we ascended the mountain because of the constant snowfall, but that fact alone wasn't actually why or how we lost him.
As we passed the halfway point, visibility tanked completely, and ultimately, due to that and the increasingly steep climb, we all decided to form a rope team. Probably should've done that earlier now that I think about it, but we hadn't expected the snowfall to get this bad. In fact, our guide had assured us that the sky was going to be clear for the majority of the hike.
I was a bit skeptical but he knew these mountains like the back of his hoof, or so he claimed. Had we a pegasus traveling with us, I'm sure they could've told us otherwise. And really, 'knowing the mountain' doesn't exactly mean that you know the weather surrounding said mountain. I knew that, but I hadn't said as much and now I'm regretting it with every fiber of my nearly frost-bitten being.
Getting back on track, the whole safety rope thing worked pretty well for a while. With Mister Yeti at the head, Rarity in the middle and me taking up the rear, we all made it a good way up the rest of the mountain without any major issues. The problems began once we tried to cross over a narrow pass. It wasn't icy, but the snow was loose and as we made to round a bend, a large pile of it gave way.
What we all thought was solid ground wasn't so solid and our guide ended up taking a tumble off the side. The only reason I'm here with Rarity instead of lost or worse out there in that icy nightmare is that the stallion unhooked himself as he was falling. Wasn't sure how he managed it in that instant, but thanks to his quick thinking neither of us was dragged down with him.
Thankfully the drop wasn't too steep and he managed to get away with just a sprained leg. Still, the ledge was too high for him to climb back up and the rock that made up the cliffside was evidently too fragile to support his weight so ice axes were out of the question. Ultimately there wasn't much choice left other than to find another path up. Rarity wanted to go back down the trail and try to meet up with him, but Mister Yeti wasn't having it.
He called out to us to keep heading up and that we should find another cave not too far from our location. He said he'd meet us there and went on his way, sprained leg and all. That was the last we saw of him and it's been well over two hours since then. It wasn't long after we parted ways that Rarity and I found the cave, or rather it was Rarity that did most of the finding.
The entrance was kind of hidden beneath another ledge and I would've missed it entirely if it weren't for Rarity's gem finding ability. Apparently, the cave had quite the deposit somewhere deeper within. With some careful maneuvering, we made it inside, set up a small campfire, and waited. The blizzard started not long after and it's been going strong ever since.
All we can do now is hope Mister Yeti made it somewhere safe in time. Since the stallion knew his way around the mountain he let me carry the map we'd brought with us, so there's that, but the problem is I can't make heads or tails of it. I did learn how to read maps as part of my training, but this map was hoof drawn by Mister Yeti himself and mapmaking is clearly not the stallion's forte.
I told Rarity we have the map so we should be good to head down on our own if necessary, but that was a lie, and judging by the look she gave me when I told her, she clearly knew it was a lie. If Mister Yeti doesn't make it back then we'll have to find our own way down the mountain as best we can with this two-bit map. Still, she didn't say anything about it so I have to assume she's aware that arguing won't change our situation.
Really, I don't even know why I bothered lying to her. It's not like either of us gain anything out of it, and she's a grown mare who's already shown she really can handle herself.
Guess as a professional I just wanted her to think I could handle the situation.
Heh... 'professional'. Not likely. Not yet. Far from it.
In any case, this cave, unlike the one before, actually goes a lot deeper. Rarity thinks it might be connected to a whole system of caves leading further up the mountain. If that were true then that means we were probably not too far from our—or rather my goal. When I asked her how she knew about the cave system and again, it all came back to her gem finding ability.
An ability that I'm finding increasingly strange the more I think about it.
As far as I know, cutie mark talents don't give you extrasensory abilities—at least not to the extent that Rarity seems to show. Yes, cutie marks do have an effect on our innate magic and I will grant that I'm no expert on the study of cutie marks, but something about Rarity's 'talent' seems... off. Most talents act more like a sort of small nudge, pushing a pony's mind, body, and/or magic towards a certain affinity for a certain thing.
But whenever Rarity uses her 'talent' it almost looks like it's using her rather than the other way around. It's like how my magic went out of control during the exam all those years ago, or how Prism Streak couldn't control her speed...
But no... that couldn't be it, could it?
...It's getting late and I honestly don't think our guide is going to make it back, at least not today. Not with conditions as they are now. We may end up having to stay the night in this cave if this blizzard keeps up, which I'm honestly not too broken up about. Thanks once again to my training I've had experience with camping out in the wild and at least this time we have a few provisions that will make things a bit easier if it comes down to that.
I mean, the specific scenario of sleeping in a cave on a snowy mountain never came up back then, but I'm sure it isn't too different from what I went through... hopefully. More importantly, if this cave really does lead to more caves further up the mountain, then maybe it might be best to move on soon. We're not exactly equipped to go spelunking, but we're not completely without options or supplies either.
With Rarity's 'talent', navigation wouldn't be too much of an issue, at least it shouldn't be. If it comes down to it, I'll do what I can to get us both off this mountain alive and in one piece. That's all I can do right now, and even if Rarity herself insisted she come along, I still feel like I have a responsibility to see her safely home. All that said, I also have another—arguably more important responsibility to see my mission through, and whether I like it or not, Rarity has a role in that mission.
Possibly a much bigger role than either of us realize if my suspicions are correct.
I'll wait a bit longer to see if Mister Yeti makes it back before making the suggestion to Rarity that we move on. In the meantime, I'm going to try and ask the mare more about her 'talent' and how she actually got her cutie mark.