He's back shortly, indeed carrying a thick rope.

"Just in case I'm missing something here, these don't come off easy, do they?"
\ -- I shake my head -- "yeah, thought so."

Another minute of silence, then a determined look: "let's do this."

"Here's my idea: use your legs to go down, I'm going to hold you with the rope
\ in case you slip, but please try not to. Now, I need to tie this around your chest."

I don't like this plan. There's a tree right beside us, I point to it with my head.

"Okay, a tree?"

I draw a coiling rope best I can with my hoof.

"But the ladder is the other way around."

I turn my back at him and try to jingle a huge D-ring in my collar. Somewhat successfully.

"Tie a rope to your collar? And then?"

I point to the hole in the ground and try to act out myself hanging from a rope.

"Lower you down with a rope tied to your collar?"

I nod enthusiastically.

"Girl, you're crazy."

I roll my eyes at him and pound my hoof. You know, me and this harness -- we are friends. We've seen things.

"I hope you know what you're talking about." -- oh look, we have a comedian over here.

And so [[the descent begins.|next]]

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