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<b> The Winding Way ~Scouting Trip~ ~Hyul 157, 8th Moon, 11th Sun 5 a.m. GuYuk and I entered the north western Vale as the sun began to rise. The chilly air felt so sharp it. GuYuk walks like a Ranger should.. silently and effortlessly. His eyes were constantly scanning our surroundings.. We headed east. The forest got thinner as we walked, with trees leaning from strong winds. Soon we reached a bridge that went south. We had to be careful due to bears in the area. It seemed like a choice had already been decided. Just south of the bridge the land changed unexpectedly. The creek water spread out.. soaking the ground and making it soft like a sponge. Squirrels break the quiet with their tree playing sounds. Insects flew in groups that floated around but never disappeared. We spotted a rabbit standing perfectly still like a dead tree branch. There was a big trail of something heavy moving through the water. It must of been a large fish. The tracks revealed to everyone that a bear in the area had passed through. We turned south from the bridge and noticed this hill rising to the southwest. It was older than the swamp. The climb made my legs feel really tired. The loose dirt almost revealed our location but GuYuk showed me where to find a solid path. At the top of the hill was a door made of rocks. It looked worn from the weather and seemed to be part of the hill. The hill had learned how to open it. Vale offers many different paths to different locations. We found shelter near a lone tree and looked up at the sky before going inside. Tough land attracts tough weather. The air felt light and clear.. There was no room for weakness and no tolerance for loud sounds. The creek below us was alive with movement. The wind above us looked for errors in us. We walked through the door. It took us to the southern Vale. This lead us to a different hilltop. At the top of the hill is a village made of tents. Some big tigers walked along the edge like some protective guardians of the area.. Large felines. GuYuk and I remained hidden. We used bushs, uneven ground and the long breaks between our breaths. Security isn't just about having walls.. it's about being able to see everything clearly and keeping things quiet. Tigers serve as both a warning signal and a powerful weapon. Don't confront them. You understand their patterns and go where they aren't paying attention. We watched until the sun set and the tigers took different paths. We left just like we arrived, nobody noticing or remembering us. We took the map of our scouting trip with us in our minds and the lesson we learned in our hearts. -Heuk Sa | |