Time Elapsed: 5:51:58

When Severance appeared in the Eternal Champions stronghold, the first thing he noticed was a biting, icy wind. It stung his exposed skin, prompting him to shiver. He immediately thought of the poor Valkyrie in his arms. Her clothing was in tatters; she had less protection from the cold than he.

He pulled her close and turned his back to the wind. She wasn't conscious, but her condition was so poor it wouldn't take much push her over the edge. He frowned, lifting his eyes to the three great hills in front of him. Unlike the last time he'd been here, snow dusted the upper regions.

The frigid wind suddenly made a lot more sense.

"Identify yourself!"

Now Severance noticed a second thing. He wasn't alone on the wide-open court, for there were no less than 6 armored guards surrounding him, and more than a few weapons were at the ready. They all watched him and Vast intently, and as Severance warily eyed them, half a dozen strange names appeared over their heads.

+1 Wisdom

A deep grumble came from beside him, low at first, and then going even lower. The volume wasn't very high, but the frequency was inhuman. It was like standing next to a massive subwoofer that blasted out vibrations, and Severance's heart involuntarily skipped a beat. He instinctively wanted to move away from the source of the discomfort, but he didn't dare. If he took action, then so would Vast.

He immediately opened a hand, revealing the wooden token, while bracing the weight of the Valkyrie against his forearm.

"I'm Severance of the Veiled," he said. The wind pushed his coat against his legs, and sent a few snowflakes dancing past him. "I have a token."

The weapons didn't lower, but one of the guards came forward. He stopped after three steps, because Vast bared his teeth in a snarl.

"Vast," Severance frowned. "Quit it."

He didn't expect much, since the vastlhidan had his own mind, but to his surprise, Vast whined and sat. The warning rumble lessened to something more bearable, but it didn't go away entirely.

Severance gave a quiet huff of relief.

"Sorry," he said to the guard. "It should be okay. Just... don't get too close."

The man eyed Vast, before a corner of his lips quirked. He heeded Severance's advice, approaching slowly, and stopped several feet back. There, he was able to observe the wooden token in Severance's palm.

"It's ours," he said. Immediately, weapons lowered, and the remaining guards relaxed. Most didn't move away, however.

"Who gave you our token?" The guard asked. There was nothing threatening or accusatory in his manner; he was simply seeking information.

"Linjao," Severance answered. He shivered as the wind seemed to grow in intensity. He couldn't feel his nose or his face any more. "Hey, can we get somewhere warm? She's not in the best shape."

The guard nodded to one of the others. A woman immediately turned and headed for the closest set of stairs. She bounded up them with the ease of someone who'd spent their life traversing endless amounts of stairs. The guard then returned his attention to Severance.

"Who is this?"

"A Valkyrie," Severance immediately said. He had to fight to keep his teeth from chattering. "I found her at a ruin just inside the Lost Lands. She was-"

The memory of what he'd seen rose up then, and his stomach revolted. He clenched his jaw, inhaling sharply. The cold fresh air helped ground him, though now he was shivering even harder. More snowflakes drifted down from a gray, overcast sky.

"She's the only survivor," he clarified. It might have already been too late for her, but they had to try. "I didn't know where else to take her, so I brought her here. Can you help her?"

The guard cocked his head, his expression a little strange. It wasn't just him; the other guards seemed to be taken aback.

"You are an Outsider for the Veiled?"

"Yes," Severance said. He wished they'd hurry up and move a little faster. Any longer, he'd be a living snowman. And the Valkyrie... she didn't have much time.

"Very well. Come this way." Instead of going up the main set of stairs that led towards the closest peak, the guard went to a shorter set off to the side. It led to a plain guardhouse, and as Severance numbly climbed the stone steps behind him, he could see an orange glow peering through the narrow slot windows.

Warmth, he thought. He glanced down at Vast, who'd been thankfully behaving himself. It helped that the guards kept their distance, even as they all followed behind him. None of them made loud noises or any sudden moves, either.

The guard in front pushed back a heavy curtain of woven material from the door. But he didn't immediately go in. Instead, he peered inside.

"Soet, Munir - out."

Vast lifted his head sharply, ears forward. Every ounce of his attention was trained on that door.

The reason became evident, for two shaggy hounds trotted out. Both spotted Vast, and they immediately stopped, going rigid as teeth were bared.

"Back off," the guard said mildly.

Immediately, the hounds put away their teeth and obediently trotted to a pile of straw beside the guardhouse. They circled the straw once before they plopped down on their bellies, and laid down their heads. Despite this, their eyes watched Vast carefully.

Vast whuffed, very softly, and then he turned his head away, as if dismissing the existence of two lesser beings. His tail flicked side to side lazily.

The guard at the door smiled slightly, and then he gestured for Severance to go in.

Severance did, with Vast right beside him. Walking through the doorway was like getting enveloped in a warm hug. There was a stove in the center of the room, in which merry flames danced. He gravitated towards it, while looking around.

It was one large room, with an area near the back sectioned off by hanging curtains. There were weapons racks along one side, holding all manner of weapons, and on the other were rows of shelves for armor and other supplies. Low benches, perhaps a foot off the ground, hugged the wall between each storage unit.

Severance set the Valkyrie down on one of the benches close to the stove. He carefully arranged her on her back, making sure to fold her arms over her torso so the one didn't flop over the edge. Laying there, she looked ready for a burial. It was hard to even tell she was alive.

He touched her face. Grime smeared beneath his finger, but he didn't notice. The crust of blood and pus was more prevalent, but even more than that, her skin felt like ice.

Alarmed, he held a finger beneath her nose. The faintest of puffs sent waves of relief throughout him. Still, she was far too cold and far too fragile.

He saw that only the one guard had entered after him. He wasn't sure to be relieved or worried; did they consider him a friendly visitor, or did they think him so weak that he only warranted one guard? He pushed those thoughts aside. That wasn't important right now.

"Do you have a blanket? Something to cover her with?"

"Here." The guard pulled a bundle from one of the shelves and tossed it over.

Severance caught it and shook it out. It was the same material that covered the doors, being heavy and dense while still remaining soft to the touch. It made him think of wool. He draped it over the Valkyrie and tucked it under her chin.

Then he drew out a fan, and summoned a healing breeze. He wasn't sure if it would help, but if she picked up a chill while being out in the cold, then maybe a quick Mend would help alleviate the negative effects.

The wind that danced throughout the guardhouse was the opposite of what howled outside. Rather than bite, it caressed, and instead of chilling, it warmed. The guardhouse seemed to grow a few degrees warmer in an instant.

When he finished, Severance returned the fan into Inventory. The guard was watching him again for some reason.

"What?" he asked.

The guard looked amused. "I didn't realize you were a healer. You don't look like one."

"What's a healer supposed to look like?" Severance felt vaguely offended. He reached down without looking, and absently patted silver fur. Vast always knew where to place himself for convenient pats.

"Not like a gloomy shadow, for one thing." The guard raised both eyebrows. "I am curious, though. How did you come by a vastlhidan?"

Gloomy? The choice of words took Severance back a little. He didn't think he was gloomy. Was he? He looked down at Vast, and received a little lick on the hand for it. Nah. This guy was probably high on Elionan weed or something.

"Found him in the woods when he was a pup," Severance purposefully didn't say anything about the kids or his clan. "He was alone and he was dying. I healed him, and now here we are."

He shrugged. There wasn't much to the story, really.

"You're very lucky," the guard mused. "If either of its parents had been around, they would have killed you. Or, in your case, they would not have forgotten your scent." He gave a slight smile, which did very little to soften the implication of his words. "There is a reason that very few people manage to bond with one."

Thankfully, before Severance could even try to come up with a response to that disturbing observation, Vast lifted his nose, scenting the air. He grumbled quietly, a warning before a rich voice rang out merrily.

"Hallo there!"

The door flap was pushed aside by a brawny arm, followed by a woman of impressive stature. Severance recognized her instantly.

"Jaema," he greeted, relieved.

The warrior lady swept the interior of the guardhouse once with her gaze, lingering briefly on Vast, Severance, and the blanket covered form of the Valkyrie. Her face betrayed none of her thoughts.

"Jaema." The guard gave her a respectful bow. "This visitor bears a token."

"I am aware," Jaema Yorvok dipped her head, acknowledging the bow. Her attention settled on Severance and her lips curved into a wry smile. "We meet again, Severance of the Veiled."