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| Around noon the trio reached the end of the path.

"What now?" Kitty asked, looking up at the mountain directly in front of them.

"Afraid now we go cross-country mountain climbing," Mikael informed her. On the other side of these mountains is a trail that runs east to west. Once we get there, the road is clear to Solitude."

"There's no road?"

Ubergard spoke up then. "There is. We could have traveled the route towards Markarth then turned north to Rorikstead. But that winds southward and would have added another day most likely. I agree with Mikael's decision to go straight north and over these Hjaalmarch mountains. We'll be in the wilds for a bit, but we come out near Morthal sometime tomorrow and we skirt the worst of the bandits this way." | |

| Kitty took a deep breath. Though she was fit and healthy, she was no mountain climber. She took solace though knowing that Mikael wasn't accustomed to the rigors of life in the wild either, and decided that if he could manage it, so could she. They angled northwest to avoid the steepest of the inclines and soon she found that the air was indeed becoming colder. The first sign of snow appeared and before long she was trudging in the footsteps that Ubergard left. | |

| The sun had already begun it's decent when Ubergard called for a stop and they sat on a ridge overlooking the plains below them as they ate their lunch.

"You doing alright?" Mikael asked Kitty, himself breathing heavily from the exertion of the previous hour.

"Well enough, but you know I'm not used to this!"

"Nor I. I've gone this way a few times, but these mountains are tough. I notice Ubergard has hardly broken a sweat... well... if that's a thing Argonians do anyway." | |

| "She's as tough as the mountains, Mikael. So, what dangers have you led us into?"

"Oh, the usual. Bears, mountain cats, deep ravines."

"And that's... better than the road?"

"Well, at least they are nature's dangers. We know how to prepare and avoid them for the most part. It's the intelligent dangers that are of more concern. Robbers, bandits and worse. But they tend to avoid the wilds, unless we stumble across their camp anyway. Not much for them to raid up here. Don't trust my decision to go this way?" | |

| "Oh, I trust you and Uber to go the best way possible. I just like to know what I'm likely to come up against up here."

"Hopefully nothing but some snow. But should we run across a bear or a cat, stay close to Ubergard. Or climb a tree quickly."

"Hmm. I've done that before."

"Oh, how'd that turn out?"

Kitty considered her answer. Mikael didn't know about her affair with FarSeer, and to keep things uncomplicated, she preferred it remain that way. "I survived," she smiled enigmatically. | |

| "I assume we won't get to the road or Morthal tonight then?"

"No. But just one night in the wilds. We'll get there easily by tomorrow morning. In fact, unless we need it, we'll probably skip Morthal altogether and just go on to Dragon Bridge and stay the night there."

"So, where will we stay tonight?"

"My tent. It's small, but should do for our needs."

"Will it hold Ubergard too?" | |

| "Well. Yes... but not her, us_and_ that armor of hers."

"Oh, she may not like that. Maybe she brought her own?"

Mikael shrugged, "Maybe..."

"UBER!" Kitty called to her friend who was just returning`.

"Yes?"

"Did you bring a tent or anything?"

"Just a sleeping bag. Why?"

"Mikael has a small tent. We could all sleep in it tonight." | |

| "Are you sure I wouldn't be imposing? I know you two."

"Not at all. I'll make sure he doesn't get frisky."

Ubergard considered. "The warmth would be welcome. If you really don't mind."

"There's just one thing. Your armor..."

"Hmm... You've got a good point. It would keep me warm, but it would have you two frozen by the middle of the night."

"Huh?"

"I don't really know how it works, but in the cold up here it somehow pulls warmth from the air for me, but the exterior becomes unbearably cold to the touch. No, I couldn't wear it even if I wanted to in a tent with others.

Are you sure you really want me? I'd be fine in my sleeping bag." | |

| "I'd really feel better if we all stayed together in the night."

Ubergard nodded. "Frankly, I agree. If anything should attack during the night... Well, I'd prefer to be nearby too. I'll keep my armor and blade just outside should I need them."

"Then it's settled. You'll stay with us."

As they resumed their hike up the mountainside, the light began to fade and the snow to increase as the winds blew ever colder. Ubergard began scouting for a protected camp site. | |

| "Another night of celebacy. But in exchange I get to sleep nestled in between you two. A fair exchange I suppose."

"And no waking up and poking me in the middle of the night either!"

Mikael looked hurt. "Madam!" he protested, "No matter what your opinion of my love making, I refuse to allow you to refer to it as 'poking'!"

Kitty smiled back as she staggered upwards. "Well, I'll grant you, it's very_nice_ poking!" | |

| In the end, during another break, Kitty took Mikael aside in private and performed a quick act upon him to prevent any amorous urges during the night that might arise unbidden. However, as Kitty was later to discover, the rapidity with which a male is able to recover varies in proportion to the stimulation and novelty that he receives... and sleeping with Ubergard's scaley curves against him was definitely going to prove a novelty! | |