There was once a wise King who loved a lass so true he chose to make her his Queen. Alas! Soon after they were married, the Queen was bitten by a snake. She became terribly sick and fell into a coma. From all his royal physicians and advisors, the King was heartbroken to hear she had little chance of survival.

Never one to give up, the King disguised himself as a fish monger and went into the village. He wanted to hear what people were saying in the streets. Being wise, he knew that street smarts were often more valuable than book smarts.

“Fresh fish!” he called, walking a fish cart through the village. “Get your fresh fish!”

As villagers approached his cart, asking about the catch of the day and how best to prepare it, the disguised King would engage them in conversation. “What news of the Queen?” he would ask. And “What do you think the King should do?”

All morning, throughout the afternoon, and late into the evening, the King pushed his fish cart through the streets looking to find an answer. Finally, with only one fish left, a woman old as dirt walked up to his cart. “Sir” she said, “though I have but a penny, I could surely use a pound of fish. What say you?”

The King, done with all pretences replied, “Keep your penny, woman, for I am King.” He handed her the fish. “I have only been peddling fish today to find a cure for the Queen. She was poisoned by a serpent.”

The old woman looked at him in surprise. “There is a cure!” she exclaimed. “An antidote for snake bites! It comes from the nectar of a rare and beautiful flower.”

“Where! Where is this flower!?” The King asked urgently.

“It can only be found on the other side of a high and distant mountain. A mountain so perilous very few have scaled it. I can give you the directions, but if you go, it is unlikely you will return. Even getting to the mountain can be dangerous.”

“Draw me a map.” the King said. “And tell me everything you know about the path.”

The woman did as she was bid. For her help, the King gave her ten gold pieces. He then walked home thinking about his plight. He knew if he stayed the Queen might never wake up. But if he left, he might never come back. “Only two options” he thought. “Two options is not a choice. It’s a dilemma. What could be a third?” He decided to sleep on it.

The next morning, walking in the royal garden – the same garden where the snake had bit the Queen, he saw two men tending to the cala lilies. Both appeared to know their flowers. And both were already under his employ. The King had found another option.

“Men.” he said. “I have a job for anyone brave and strong enough to take it on. Both the risk and the reward is great.”

The King told the men about the Queen. He showed the men the map. He shared everything the old woman had told him, and he emphasized the danger of the mission. “To have us risk our lives,” the first man asked, “how much will you pay?”

“Bring me back this flower. Even if it doesn’t work, even if the flower doesn’t save the Queen, then I will pay a hundred gold pieces."

“And what if it does work? What if it does save the Queen?” the second man asked.

“Then bring with you a wheelbarrow. For 3 days, you can take from my treasury as many loads of gold as you can wheel away. More than enough to set you and your families up for life.”

The two men thought about it. The first man, the one who had first asked about the pay, said “Before I can agree, I must discuss it with my wife. Can I give you my answer tomorrow?”

The King replied “Of course. What is your name?”

“Jon Atticus.” The first man replied.

“And I am John Ried” said the second man. “I am also married. Plus, we have 7 children. But I’ll tell you right now. All that gold? I’m in. No matter what my wife says.”

Each of the two men went home to tell their families what the King had offered. Their wives both turned out to be supportive, though the second man’s wife was angry he hadn’t spoken to her before committing. Early the next morning, both men approached the King saying they were ready. Along with a detailed map and the old woman’s instructions to find the flower, the King equipped them with the very best of everything they would need to protect and provide for themselves on their journey. Including his two fastest horses to carry them to the foot of the mountain. The two men saddled up the horses, loaded their supplies, and set out on their quest.

No sooner had they begun than the skies darkened and a fierce storm blew in. Arctic winds like wolves began to howl and chew the horses’ flanks. Freezing rain like fangs bit into the men’s faces. But man and beast alike were still fresh and full of fire. “This is nothing.” John Reid shouted above the icy wind. “I have farted bigger storms!”

“Ha!” Jon Atticus laughed and shouted back. “Nothing but a summer breeze! Maybe I will take off my shirt and get a tan!”

Deaf to the men’s bravado, the weather was unrelenting. But the horses were magnificent. As much as nature pounded them, they pounded the ground right back. Finally, the storm let up. The rain stopped, the sun came out, and at last the road ahead was clear. The rider’s picked up their pace.

But then, tragedy. Running full out to make up time, Jon’s horse tripped in an ice fissure. It fell sideways and went down with a shriek of pain, snapping a leg beyond repair. Fortunately, the rider was unharmed. But the horse, whimpering now in agony, would have to be put out of its misery.

Jon pulled out his shotgun. Bending low to lay his hand on the horse’s head, he thanked the noble steed for all its strength and service. Then he stood, fired, and put the beast to rest.

“Fuck.” said John, still sitting high upon his horse. “Just my luck. Now I suppose you’ll want to ride with me.”

The first man looked up and quietly regarded the second. A moment past where each took full measure of the other. Calmly, though in a voice not easily dismissed, Jon said, “Your choice.”

Another moment passed while John thought more carefully about his options. “Ok, ok.” he sighed dramatically. “Let’s repack the gear and be on our way.”

Through out the night and for half another day the men rode on, only stopping every few hours to eat and rest the horse. The King had said it was a long hard road even to the foot of the mountain and that was certainly the case. After the terrible storm, and after they’d lost a horse, the two men had to slowly pick their way through dense forest and thick underbrush, always wary of their mount, always fearful of wasting time or getting lost. By the time they arrived safely at the foot of the mountain, both were too tired to even setup their tents or build a fire. Instead, cold as the night air was, they each opened their bedroll and slept underneath the stars.

In the morning both men woke up feeling saddle-sore but refreshed. They ate breakfast then turned to regard the mountain. Daylight revealed a stark contrast between the grassy, wooded knoll where they had slept, and the barren, icy rock that lay ahead. The incline was still relatively slight, but the ice was going to be a problem.

Jon said “We’re going to have to make a decision about the horse.”

“Yes.” agreed John. “We obviously can’t take her any further.”

“Well, we can either tie her to a tree or set her free. She’s your horse. What do you want to do”?

John looked around at the harsh and barren landscape. He stared up at the angrily pregnant clouds. Wanting to turn back but not wanting to admit it, John asked “How long do you figure it will take to climb the mountain?”

Jon replied “It is not only the first ascent we must consider. It is also the descent, then finding the flower, then ascending and descending once again. Could take us days to come back. If we come back at all. It is best we set her free.”

“I think you’re right” sighed John. “It’s a long way home on foot, but I’d hate to leave her tied indefinitely. Besides, judging by the look of the sky, I think another storm is brewing. With a good head start maybe she can stay ahead of it. Maybe even find her way home.”

“Good call.” said Jon. “Let’s make haste. More bad weather is surely on its way.”

John Reid removed his saddle and with a solemn slap on the horse’s rump, sent her back in the direction they had come. He watched her go until she was out of sight. Slowly he shook his head, and reluctantly picked up his pack. “Ok” he said. “Let’s go.”

But seeing his horse leave greatly affected the man’s mood. Especially when it began to rain again. After less than an hour on foot, he began complaining. “We sent the horse back too soon. The ground here is rocky but not steep. We could have ridden her further.”

Jon Atticus didn’t say anything. He just kept on walking. After another hour had passed, John said “My pack is getting heavy. I think I need to rest.”

Again, Jon did not respond. He just kept up his same, steady pace. By the time the third hour passed, the rain had stopped but John had fallen far behind. Feeling concerned though undeterred, Jon set down his pack and waited. About 10 minutes later, John caught up with him and said, “I have a stone in my boot. Hang on a minute while I get it out.”

John put down his pack beside the other. But instead of taking off his boot, he took off his mitts, opened up his pack and took out a sandwich. And his thermos. “God I’m starving!” he exclaimed. “Thirsty, too.”

Patiently, the first man waited for the second to have his snack. “Thanks” John said. “Should’ve had more breakfast.”

After eating, he adjusted a few things in his pack and hoisted it on his back. “Ok” he said. “I’m ready.”

“What about the pebble in your shoe?”

“Oh. Yeah. Hang on a sec.”

He removed his pack again, set it down, and then made a show of removing his boot, as well. He held the boot upside down and shook it. Nothing came out.“That’s weird.” he said. “I could’ve sworn there was a rock in there or something. But it sure feels good to take my boot off. Whaddaya say we stop here and set up camp? Get a fire going?”

“Do what you want.” said Jon. “There is a long way to go and plenty of daylight left. I am going to walk until nightfall.”

“Ok” John sighed. “Wait up while I retie my boot.”

For the rest of the day, the two men walked the cold and barren rock in silence. They covered a lot of ground, but by the time the sun was setting, John was clearly feeling down. He sat slumped against his backpack, staring at the ground. Jon, meanwhile, tired but satisfied with their progress, built a roaring fire. Then he went in search of dinner.

About an hour later, when Jon came back with a couple of hares to cook, the other John had already pitched his tent and fallen sound asleep. Jon threw another log on the fire then skinned and spit-roast the rabbits. He ate half of one and stored the rest in a leather storage satchel. Then he, too, pitched his tent and was soon asleep.

The next day was bright and sunny. Good thing, too, because just ahead the incline started getting steep. Soon they would need to use their ice picks and crampons. Before the real climbing started, they would also need to put on harnesses and tie themselves together. Jon woke up early and started getting the equipment ready.

“What are you doing” asked John, arising some time later. “Do we really need all that rope?”

“Better too much than not enough.” Jon replied. “How did you sleep?”

“Not good. Even with the fire I was freezing. Got into my sleeping bag and slept for a little while, but then I had to piss and was too cold to get out. Finally pissed in my thermos. But then I couldn’t get back to sleep. Kept on thinking how hard that climb is gonna be. How hard everything has been already.”

“Well, it’s a new day” Jon said cheerfully. “Here. Have some rabbit. I cooked it up last night.”

The second man took the rabbit. He ate the whole thing, but it didn’t cheer him up. It seemed to do the opposite. “What if we starve up there?” he said. “Or fall off the side? Or into a crevasse? Or freeze to death?”

Jon smiled and quipped “Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone. As for me, I could die with today in my eyes.”

John glared. He didn’t care for such cavalier optimism. Given their circumstances, he felt it was totally inappropriate. He sat and stared at the dying embers of the fire. After awhile, he looked back with longing the way the horse had gone. Then he looked up at the steep and foreboding mountain. He shook his head.

“I can’t do it.” John said. “I just can’t do it. This journey has turned out to be so much harder than I expected. And thinking about what comes next, climbing all the way up there with nothing but ropes and picks…impossible! There is no way I can do it!”

Jon was quiet for awhile. He too, looked up at the sheer, icy mountain face. Cold and scary as anything he had ever seen. He looked back in the direction they had come. Warm and comfortable as, admittedly, most of his life had been. He gazed neutrally into the fire. It only took a moment to assess his options and rekindle his resolve. With a nod to the other man, he turned away and began to climb the mountain.