The trail was easy to walk at first, but it didn't take long for it to get more and more rugged, and the sounds and sensations under our feet told us that we were walking on a mountain road that was mainly composed of stones and gravel.

I walked at the front of the group behind the guide, this guide didn't seem to be strong, in fact, compared to our group, he looked thin and thin, but when he walked up the mountain, he seemed very relaxed, of course, not the kind of walking like flying in martial arts, but you look at the rhythm and appearance of his walking, and the breathing rate that is not hurried or slow, you will feel that he can go out.

"Follow me, walk where I walk. One by one, don't mess around. The guide whispered as he walked forward.

I glanced at him and passed his words back. After a moment, Lukovich whispered, "How long does this mountain have to climb?" “

"Huh. Climb slowly. The guide smiled, "Now we are still in Turkmenistan." This is just the beginning, at the current rate, after midnight, and after midnight we will be on the side of Afghanistan. But then you can't just talk. I guess you won't have the strength to talk by then. “

"There will be Yankees after the border? They still operate everywhere at night? I asked in a low voice.

The guide stopped and looked back at me and said, "There may be some Northern Alliance people near the border over there, or some local people who can't escape, it's best not to be discovered by them, no matter who it is, don't be discovered by them." Otherwise, something will go wrong. “

"Isn't it even anti-American forces?" Said asked.

"No, I can't. They will only cause problems for you. Unless you're here to fight the Yankees, but in my opinion, there's not much point in fighting now, and it's just going to cost you unnecessary casualties. The guide continued his way up the hill as he spoke.

As we continued to climb up, the guide's words were quickly fulfilled, and the trail became more and more difficult, and in some places it became more and more rugged, and at other times I was worried that we would not fall down with one step in the air. But looking at the guide's steady steps, I know that such worries are unnecessary.

However, as time goes on, our energy is rapidly depleted, and now it feels much worse than Paul said. The wind here is very cold at night, I don't know if it's because of the mountains, but it feels much colder than during the day in Turkmenistan, and the air is very dry, plus the physical exertion, the feeling of breathing makes people feel a little uncomfortable, and it is becoming more and more laborious. At the same time, the things on my back felt heavier and heavier, and now I had a deep understanding of the guide's outfit with almost nothing but two rags.

What's more troublesome is the old guy, although the nineteen of us will feel tired, but it is not a big problem to keep moving forward, but the old guy is not good, he still breathes abnormally and weighs without carrying anything, and walks forward slowly. It didn't take long for me to have to take turns helping us forward, as if we were carrying a wounded man.

After walking like this for about two hours, the guide suddenly slowed down, and then he came to a stop at a large rock. He looked up at the moon and said, "Take a break." Looks like we're going pretty well. You're better than I thought you would, except for the old guy. Ha ha. “

"This... Is this the end of the mountain climb? Or let's take an intermission? Lukovic began.

The guide shook his head, "Find a place to sit down." Don't talk, take a break, and some water, but don't drink too much, just moisten your throat. Now the climb is over, but don't think that the drudgery is over, the descent is the challenge. ”

I motioned for everyone to sit down, and the guide looked at me and said, "There is no need to arrange for someone to keep watch, no one will come to this place at all, let alone in the middle of the night." ”

I took out the kettle and took a sip and handed it to the guide, who shook his head and said, "No. I have water. As he spoke, he lifted the cloth he was draping on, or rather wrapped around him, took a water bag out of it, and took a sip of it.

I put away the kettle and looked at everyone, and the guide was drinking

After salivaing, he put away his hydration bag and looked at the old fellow Younis, who was sitting not far from him. Younis didn't speak all the way over, probably because he was tired enough, and after sitting down at the moment, he just gasped there, and he didn't make a sound.

"Huh. Take a 10-minute break. Let him rest a little longer. The guide leaned back to the big rock behind him, "After the rest, please don't talk anymore, don't make a noise unless you really need to, if we can maintain the speed we had before, we can go down before dawn." After that, we can find a safe place to rest. ”

Ten minutes may seem like time when you're just waiting for nothing, but when you need a break, it feels like it's just a flash. The guide was very punctual, and he made me think that he had a different control over the time, because he didn't even look at his watch or any other timepiece, and when he stood up again, the time was really about ten minutes.

"Everyone. Remember what I say. Pack your things up and check again, especially if the straps are fastened, if the straps are properly carried, and even if your shoes are worn properly. After checking and confirming that there is no problem, we are about to go. I warn you that I am not saying this because I am treating you like children or that I am idle, but that the road down there will be more difficult, and if something slips off your body in the middle of the way, you will have to say goodbye to it. I don't have the courage and guts to find you in the middle of the night and on the way down the mountain. After he finished speaking, he looked at the old guy Younis, who had already stood up, "You, grab the backpack of the person in front of you, and the people walking behind him help him help him." lest he roll down, even if he finds it and pulls it back at his age and state, it will be useless. And yourself, it doesn't matter if you go slower, but you must step on it before you go. The guide said and looked up at the moon, "Are you all ready?" ”

We each quickly checked it from top to bottom, and then the old guy seemed to recover a little, and he looked at the guide and said, "Can't you be gentle for the sake of my age?" Can you say something nice? ”

The guide sneered and said, "Do you know what I hate to see the most when I climb the mountain?" One is a child, and the other is an old man. After saying that, he stepped forward and walked out, "Remember what I said, watch the road, watch this old fellow." Shut up and don't talk on the road. ”

We each said yes softly and set off again, following the guide for a while, and after climbing a rocky slope, we began to enter the way down the mountain.