This last stretch of travel had been far tougher than usual, any semblance of order scattered by the emergence of steep slopes and rocky outcrops. Oxen were not particularly adept mountain-climbers while living and even less so while dead. All had been forced to dismount the beasts a while back. And to make matters worse, the air was positively frigid. A cruel chill hung against the ardent Plaguedoctor's skin despite her many cloaks and tunics.  She could see, out of the corner of her eye, her travel companion suppressing another bout of shivers. Teskaska inwardly cursed herself for not thinking to bring some heavier garb. Mountains were not woodlands, and by all means they were not deserts. The cold of even the foothills had licked over her with tongue like ice.<br/><br/>The scent of rotting flesh soured the air, not as awful as it could have been but awful still. Beside her a hulking bear, decayed muzzle swaying side to side, stumbled along with heavy steps. Lovely little critter as he was, he didn't help the smell.<br/>All this, and her body still managed to hunger. Her stomach made noises as if it were trying to claw its way to her spine. Awful body, horrible human distress...<br/><br/>Sometimes she wished she were instead a seamless golem, built for purpose, bodily distraction exorcised. Sometimes.<br/><br/>"We can pause for feed if you would like".<br/><br/>It took a moment for Teskaska to realize Quinn had spoken, her head was so full and his voice so often pointedly ignored. The young necromancer was older than she by a good hand of years. As an acolyte he wouldn't have dared speak unless spoken to, but with his recent graduation had come a certain...strength of will. She liked for him to think his opinions still irked her greatly so she scowled. The effect was lost between her hood and wavy hair and Quinn Plait's new-found stubbornness.<br/><br/>"You do realize," he continued, to Teskaska's slight agony "we have not eaten in nigh one and one half days? And you not slept in Fall knows how long. There is only so much that magic can - "<br/><br/>The bear behind the first drew casually to its standing-height, a goblet of frothy liquid dropping from between its teeth to splot against the rocky ground. Quinn fell silent and continued on as he had before, though she thought she saw a pale to his face. Teskaska pulled her hood down low so he wouldn't see the tickled grin she felt tugging at her lips.<br/><br/>Silly Quinn Plait.<br/><br/>How could he fathom stopping? Even with fatigue, even with hunger! Teskaska felt her fingers tighten around the grip-ruined letter in her hands and her smile grew. Blackvein!<span style="font-style: italic">Blackvein</span>! Had she truly been summoned by the Plaguedoctor? Just the idea sent shivers of happy anticipation down her spine. That she had allowed herself to become so excited ruffled her, but she could stop it nonetheless. She had knocked heads with a couple of great professors from Sar'a'nihb and discussed theory at length with those open enough to listen to someone of her...demographics. But she had never met with a necromancer of this renown, and never been<span style="font-style: italic">summoned</span>. She wondered the extents to which his Lifeweaving could be applied to fauna...<br/>And she had been wanting more ideas of how next to improve Scuttle besides her own and Quinn's...<br/>Her million thoughts were kindled with the prospect of being<span style="font-style: italic">invited</span>to speak with a Doctor so knowledgeable.<br/><br/>Fall and Fountain pray he was not also stupid.<br/><br/>So many were.<br/><br/>Quinn grunted unhappily and shifted the bulging sack of spare bones he was carrying, finally giving up trying to seem as if he could keep on as Teskaska did. If she hadn't stopped to make sure he wasn't jostling them too much, she would have walked straight into the Mercenary that rounded the rocky corner. Her first instinct was to shove him over for startling her. She managed to keep herself composed.<br/><br/>The Mercenary looked briefly at the group as if he would say something snappish, but a look of recent memory came over his face and he apparently thought better of it. Two more of his kind loped into view just as big, looking just as scarred. Teskaska lamented someone having traumatized them ahead of herself. Almost, at least. If these belonged to Blackvein as she thought they did it would be foolishly, needlessly inconsiderate to bring them harm.<br/><br/>Quinn grunted again, eyeing the three with mild distrust. The Mercenary took it as a threat, it would seem, and raised a hand before speaking.<br/><br/>"We're here to escort you".<br/>He motioned to Teskaska offhandedly. "And your acolyte".<br/><br/>Teskaska felt a twinge of something<span style="font-style: italic">murderous</span>knuckle her stomach. Quinn spoke quickly before she could react, and after a short exchange they were being led around the corner and down the beginnings of a valley.<br/><br/>Behind them flowed a shifting mass of nightmare, bone occasionally glinting through flesh in the sun.