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“I always knew you were a real-life Goldilocks,” I retort.
“So now you’re making fun of my blonde hair?” she teases, “Ooh, girl, you better bring your boxing gloves and step up.”
I giggle again and say, “You better be careful. I’ve been training in jiu-jitsu.”
“You have not been training in jiu-jitsu,” she says.
“Okay, fine, I’m not training in jiu-jitsu. I’ll still kick your ass, though.”
“Well, getyourass up here and prove it!”
“All right,” I say, “I will. I gotta hang up now, though. I need to get ready so I don’t miss the airport shuttle.”
“Okay but call me when you land!”
“I will.”
“You better.”
She hangs up, and I sigh. I debated finishing the fantasy about Adrian, but the moment passed. I don’t know, it kind of feels like if I finish, it will be like Tara caught me masturbating instead of just interrupting. I finish packing, grab a shower, and then wait. Before long, I grab my luggage and then head outside just as the shuttle arrives to take me to my last hurrah before adulthood.
Drake
As I soarhigh above the rugged landscape, enveloped by the vastness of the Alaskan wilderness, the magnificent Alaska Range unfolds before my eyes. A breathtaking panorama of snow-capped mountains, soaring peaks, and deep valleys stretches to the horizon, painting a mesmerizing scene. For almost sixty-five years I have lived here but to this day, the sight still overwhelms me and makes me feel small.
I’m seventy-two feet long with a wingspan twice that and weighs something like eleven tons in dragon form. It says something about the sight that it can make me look small.
The Alaska Range is one of the most awe-inspiring mountain ranges on Earth, extending across central Alaska for more than four-hundred miles. As I glide effortlessly over this expanse, I feel the familiar overwhelming sense of grandeur and untamed beauty. I have seen many mountain ranges, but this is the only one I’ve made my home.
Below me, imposing snow-covered summits pierce through the clouds, their jagged edges carved by nature's forces over millions of years. Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, looms majestically in the distance, its apex hidden among swirling clouds. The sheer scale and magnitude of these colossal mountains fills even me with a sense of insignificance, humbling me in their presence.
Actually, I remember now that they changed the name of the mountain to Denali. When one lives as long as I do, one tends to forget how whimsical and transient human conventions are.
Below me is a mosaic of colors. The lower elevations are adorned with abundant vegetation, including thick evergreen forests, vibrant alpine meadows, and shimmering lakes reflecting the blue sky. These pockets of life amidst the austere nature of the mountains create a striking contrast, demonstrating nature's resilience, I suppose. More than anything, they remind me that lush cannot exist without stark, that dark cannot exist without light, and that there is beauty in this world that is welcoming but also beauty that is brutal and unfeeling.
Glaciers, like great frozen rivers, etch their way down the mountainsides, snaking through the valleys like icy serpents. Their pristine white surfaces glisten under the sunlight, while deep crevasses hint at their shifting and dynamic nature. Witnessing the immense size and splendor of glaciers from above leaves me in awe of the immense power they possess, sculpting the landscape over centuries. I love this place. I love the enforced solitude and the chance to just fly.
As I fly, I catch a glimpse of a solitary Dall sheep clinging to a rocky ledge, its white coat standing out against the dark cliffs. There’s a natural instinct to hunt and I have to resist the urge to swoop down to enjoy a mid-afternoon snack. I resist, though, distracted a bit by bald eagles patrolling the skies, their wings outstretched as they search for prey. I know below me, Moose roam through the dense forests, and if I’m hungry later, I’ll just swoop down and eat my fill.
I lose myself in the sight and the grandeur of the situation. It’s very difficult not to lose myself, actually. Finally, I figure it makes sense to get home and leave the sky behind for a while. I turn in a wide arc, but I abort the turn when I see through a haze of white a small flash of orange-pink. There’s a mountain climber. This person must be insane to climb in this area.
That’s another peculiar trait of humans. They’re insane.
All right, that’s not a fair thing to say. The reality is that when most creatures find limits, they avoid those limits. When humans find limits, they seem to feel a compulsive need to push past and overcome those limits. It’s actually one of the most incredible traits of their species, and frankly, it’s the reason why they and not dragons rule the world. One of the reasons anyway. The fact that dragons very rarely reproduce while humans, as the saying goes, breed like rabbits, is probably an even more powerful factor.
I’m getting sidetracked. The point is, there’s a mountain climber trying to scale Mount Hunter alone, once more demonstrating the insanity and drive of humanity.
Mount Hunter is shorter than Denali by about six thousand feet but is generally considered to be far harder to climb. This person is making that climb alone, which even the most insane of humans would consider foolhardy.
I shake my head and focus my vision to see the climber more closely. Dragons have a vision as sharp as eagles, so even from thousands of feet above, I have no trouble making out the details of the climber.
It’s a woman! A lovely woman.
That’s not really a surprise. Women challenge their limits as much as men do and mountain climbing is one of those arenas where women have proven to be the equal of their male counterparts. Still, in addition to being lovely, this particular woman looks young, still in her early twenties, I would guess.
Why is she alone?
I feel a touch of irritation watching her. It’s one thing to challenge yourself, and even take risks. It’s quite another to put yourself in unnecessary danger. Would it really be so much trouble to travel with a partner or a group to help in case things go wrong? What happens if she hurts herself or if there’s an avalanche? At this altitude on the slopes of a steep and rocky mountain, it’s not likely she’ll encounter a predator, but that doesn’t make it okay that she’s putting herself at this much risk.
