The Adventures of identical twins Feldspar and Gypsum

You Can't Trust Anything

11/22/2015

The brothers decided it would make more sense to allow Gypsum to take the lead rather than Feldspar climbing past him. So the younger twin took up the lead. They did not neglect the security needed.
Gypsum used the pitons his brother had driven while Feldspar gathered up the ones he passed. Soon Gypsum reached the spot his brother had reached when he had the mishap.
There was a convenient knob of rock--an inviting handhold--and Gypsum grabbed it, tested its strength, and pulled himself by it. As soon as he lifted his foot from its placement the knob came loose in his hand and he replayed his brother's trip down the rock face, to have his slide stopped by the rope It was his turn to pause and allow his heart rate to slow. Then he climbed carefully up to his brother's place and they discussed the situation.
They had heard stories of this spire, but had dismissed them as fantasy. They immediately reassessed. This was the Living Spire. This particular rock was aware of itself and those that chose to climb it. It tried, within the limits of its abilities, to defeat the climbers.
Feldspar again took the lead and when he arrived at his previous spot, the same knob of rock had been regrown by the sentient rock and waited oh so temptingly for the climber to repeat the mistake.
Not this time. Feldspar drove a piton into the rock near the treacherous knob and used it for his hand hold as he pulled himself up. Another piton, and the previous one became a foot hold. This was going to work. The climb would go quickly now, and they were near the top.
But the spire was not yet beaten.

** Due to the possibility of long work hours leading up to Christmas, this may be my last post for a while. If I get to post more, I'll announce it on Facebook. Thanks for reading.

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Getting Enough Rope

11/14/2015

The last jutting spire of treacherous rock advertised itself as the most dangerous. Of course, it was the first spire for any traveling in the other direction. At the bottom of the spire, piled between it and its neighboring hazards, were bodies. Below the bodies were skeletons. The twins estimated there might be the remains of close to fifty unfortunates.
They knew they must use extra caution on this ascent. They did so. Feldspar was meticulous about driving the pitons, both in placement and depth. He chose his hand and foot holds carefully, testing each one before daring to put even half his weight upon it. Gypsum was extra careful to secure the rope between them to the pitons and wait until his brother was well established in a new position before moving himself.
The most dangerous enemy is the one you do not recognize.
Feldspar reached up and grasped an obvious and convenient knob of rock. He pulled on it, testing it carefully. It was strong, and he pulled himself up. The knob responded with strong stability. The twin lifted his right foot off its resting place to set it upon its new foothold.
The knob of rock came off in his hand and he skidded down the rock face in an uncontrolled slide, grasping uselessly at nonexistent handholds as he fell past his brother.
Gypsum braced himself and tightened his grip on the rope. Feldspar quickly reached the end of the rope and hung, helpless, his fate in the hands of his brother.
With help he was soon re-established on the rock face with a secure foothold and a firm handhold. He waited a few minutes for his heart to slow before attempting to continue the climb.
But they had not yet discovered the true danger of this particular spire.

November 01st, 2015

11/1/2015

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The two possessed only limited climbing experience. There were no peaks or cliffs like these near Groakpod. But there were smaller rock formations and small cliffs and they had practiced there. Though limited in experience, they were knowledgeable. Their father and uncle had coached them, even giving them written instructions to be memorized during their trek across the plain.
The cliffs they faced looked like a mouth full of closely cropped fangs. Each one, the color of old bone, was a spire ending in a sharp peak. They were of various widths and heights, and put together so closely that climbers never reached a flat expanse over a yard square. They had to climb carefully up and down one smooth conical peak after another, with no place to rest with any comfort.
It took them less than an hour to realize how fortunate they were to have had that instruction. They saw three skeletons lying at the bottom of the second cliff they scaled. One was not so much a skeleton as a body. The scavengers had barely started on him. A long piece of frayed rope stretched across his chest and face and a rock hammer was still clutched in his furry hand.
According to the men that had come to Groakpod from the villages across the treacherous terrain, lone travelers seldom survived the attempted journey. Two or three traveling together stood a much better chance.
Feldspar led the way. Although they were identical twins, there were differences in attitudes and preferences just as in temperament. Since youth Feldspar enjoyed exercises that increased strength while Gypsum preferred sprints and other work that increased his speed. The differences between the two were not especially notable but they were real. Therefore Feldspar initiated the climbs and broke the trail up or down the rock faces while his brother anchored him with the rope until the older one had achieved a solid and roomy base. Then Feldspar would anchor while his brother made the climb, removing pitons as he passed them.
Only once did disaster threaten. Once was enough.

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You Can't Trust Anything

Getting Enough Rope

November 01st, 2015

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