Chapter 81 – The Ghost of the Mountain
The 4:00 AM wake-up call felt like a physical blow. The air inside the dome had cooled as the stove burned down to embers, and the world outside was a deep, frozen violet. Amber stirred beside Dan and he smiled. Their need to keep warm and the anxiety of being in such an alien environment caused them to not only sleep together but to remain in a constant state of cuddling.
"This is going to be pretty rigorous, isn't it?"
Dan nodded behind her, kissing the top of her head. "It will be, but we are prepared. I am just worried about the batteries and the drone. Even my Solos will be tested in these temperatures."
"I am sure you will make it work."
She turned and smiled at him, freezing his thoughts. He breathed an inner sigh of relief as the attendant signaled at the entrance of their domed retreat that their po cha—yak butter tea—and tsampa were ready.
Tenzing had already advised them to eat before they left and eat as little as possible during the hunt. Dan still snuck a few of the goji berry protein bars into his jacket as a precaution. As he stored them away in one of his many pockets, he looked at Amber; he would not allow her to be in any type of danger.
They met Tenzing outside. The stars were so bright they looked like they were vibrating. "Diamond dust," Tenzing whispered, pointing at the air sparkling in their headlamp beams. "It is very cold. We must be silent. No 'Live' streams, Mr. Trace. The air carries sound for miles."
Dan nodded, clicking his Solos into a passive recording mode. "I'm dark, Tenzing. Lead the way."
The trek was more strenuous than either Dan or Amber thought it would be. They moved in silence, layered in heavy expedition gear. They had both taken their doses of Diamox before leaving, and still, they breathed heavily behind their thermal balaclavas.
They trekked the beautiful, otherworldly terrain in silence for hours. Dan knelt down frequently, checking the battery connections on Amber's gear before his own. He wasn't worried about the vlog right now; he was worried about her toes in the sub-zero trek ahead—and he wanted to ensure that her hiking boots were retaining their warmth.
They followed Tenzing's "shadow," stepping exactly where he stepped to avoid the "cat-ice" that could crack like a gunshot. As the first hint of the Alpenglow hit the peaks, turning the snow a ghostly pink, Tenzing stopped and crouched behind a jagged slate ridge.
"Look," Tenzing breathed. A fresh pugmark was pressed into the frost. "She made a scrape here. This is her highway."
They sat for two hours, "glassing" the opposite ridge with high-powered binoculars. The cold was a living thing. Dan kept his spare drone batteries inside his jacket, tucked against his chest. Every few minutes, he'd reach over and squeeze Amber's hand for warmth.
Suddenly, Tenzing went rigid. "The Bharal sense something," he whispered.
Across the ravine, a herd of Blue Sheep had stopped grazing. Their heads snapped up-slope, staring at a cluster of rocks that looked like a thousand other rocks. Amber gripped Dan's arm. "There," she mouthed.
At first, Dan saw nothing. Then, a shadow detached itself from the stone. The leopard moved with a liquid grace. Her tail, thick and nearly as long as her body, balanced her as she prowled along a sheer ledge.
Dan moved with agonizing slowness, deploying the "Whisper" drone. Through his Solos, he saw the leopard pause and let out a low, breathy chuff, her breath visible in the morning light.
Amber was frozen, tears pricking her eyes at the beauty of it. The scientist in her was recording every movement—the camouflage, the power in the feline's haunches.
The leopard sat on a high outcropping, surveying her kingdom as the sun broke over the horizon. For five minutes, they were the only people on Earth watching a ghost. Then, as quickly as she appeared, she slipped into a crevice and was gone.
Dan brought the drone down, his fingers shaking. He looked at Amber, who was still staring at the empty ridge.
"She was so majestic, Dan." Her whisper was colored with awe.
"And we got her on film," Dan whispered, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Am, we actually saw her."
Amber leaned into him, her breath hitching. "She was perfect. Thank you for bringing me here." She gasped with sudden excitement. "A still shot for the hotel! We can have a beautiful rare moment and design one of the rooms around it."
Dan held her tighter. He loved how she could enjoy life and engage her creativity simultaneously. She was his personal wonder.
Tenzing stood up, a rare smile breaking his weathered face. "The Shan has blessed your journey. Now, we move fast. The wind is turning."