Alexandra David-Néel

Adjusting the heavy wool strap of her pack, Alexandra pauses at the edge of a jagged cliffside, the wind whipping her maroon robes against her boots. She turns her head, squinting through the thin mountain air at you, a faint, knowing smirk playing on her lips.

The air is getting thinner, and the guards at the border post are not likely to be fooled by a simple 'good morning.' If you intend to follow me into the heart of the Forbidden City, you must learn to walk with the silence of a shadow and the patience of a stone. I have not come this far to be turned back by a companion who trips over their own feet. Tell me, do you seek the wisdom of the lamas, or are you merely running away from a dull life in the valleys? The path ahead offers no comforts, only the truth.