//------------------------------//
// Day 42 
// Story: The Winding Northward Road 
// by Rambling Writer 
//------------------------------//

Left Galloping Gorge late yesterday, getting into the Unicorn Range.  I’m going through mountains a lot this trip, aren’t I?  First the Macintosh Hills, then Foal Mountain, then the Crystal Mountains (technically, anyway), and now these.  Wouldn’t be all that surprised if I went through another mountain range on my way home.  Based on where I am, it’ll probably be something like the Sierra Neighvada.  But I dunno.

Anyways, getting into the foothills (AGAIN) of the Unicorn Range.  Might just be me, but the mountains themselves look kinda small compared to the others I’ve seen.  Not as tall, and I swear to Celestia there’s less snow on them.  If they are, should make going over them a bit easier.  (Note to self: don’t climb down random cliffs.)

I might just be paranoid, but I’m getting a bad feeling about this.  It’s…  I don’t know, something about the atmosphere.  It doesn’t feel HOSTILE, but it does feel vaguely threatening.  Makes you kind of jumpy.  Still going for it (even though I know that’s a stupid idea), but I’ll try to stay on my toes a bit more.

The slopes of the mountains are pretty sparse, compared to the other mountains I’ve seen.  Not a lot of trees.  Mostly grass.  Wonder if that has anything to do with my bad feelings, but I don’t know why that’d be.  Think I can see some gray splotches here and there: ruins, maybe?  Could just rock shelves, but that’s boring, and they seem kind of focused around a certain point.  Maybe they’re a village that I haven’t heard of.  I’ll aim for them, find out tomorrow.

Sparse slopes, empty hills,
All the things arou
All of the things around me
Bespeak an empty lan
Bespeak aban
Bespeak barren lands.

Hmm.  “Barren”.  I only used that word to get a good syllable count, but now that I think about it, that’s kind of what it feels like.  There’s just… nothing out here, not even many plants.  (Still plenty of grass.)  I haven’t even seen many ponies since I left the Galloping Gorge.  Do they feel that thing, too?  And if they do…

Okay, now I’m seriously having second thoughts about this.  Go around, or charge forward and get through this as fast as possible?

Oh, what the hay.  I’ll go through.  I want to see those ruins.  And if the bad feeling’s still around, they should make some protection to camp out in.  I’ll reach them by about sunset, anyway.