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Dizziness interrupted this train of thought.

“Whoa there laddie. That rock must’ve smacked ye a good’un. Yer bleedin."

Hands grabbed at the head, searching though the mop of hair.

“Ayuh, nailed right upsid the head. A bit more to the left and ye’dve taken a dive alright, and not made a sound. It just missed yer temple. Hold still a might. I’ll bind it up.”

Staggering backwards away from him, the srtanger puts his back back firmly against the cliff face behind them. Feeling and ignoring the assorted lumps and bumps jabbing into hip, side and back at odd locations the srtanger tries to speak.

“Who..” croaks out. Licks dry lips and tries again.

“Who are you? Where in the nine hells am I?”

Panic is rising in him. it's evident by the way his body is shaking, and the eyes are frantic.

The blizzard wind whips the words away shredding them gleefully.

With ever increasing panic, the bewildered stranger notices there’s more people behind them, blocking the path down. A whole column of them. All in armour, carrying assorted weapons.

“Well laddie yer in the Belkin Pass, an’ we be the boarder guard. Now what mischief ‘ave ye been upte? Who’re you and why’re ye tryin to climb te the summit of Ol’ Queirioth there?”

“Climb?... Summit?” Confusion was rising at an equal rate to panic in the sstranger's eyes.

“Ay Markinoth!” another voice chimes in. A slender woman strides lightly up to the man.

“ Markinoth, the fall has obviously addled this one’s wits. Tie a rope around his waist, and let’s get to the Border House and out of this blizzard. The Captain can deal with him there.”

“ Just take away his weapons before you do tie him, Jesrath.” booms in a third voice. This one’s a blonde, if the frost covered moustache is anything to go by.

“W...weapons? I’m carrying weapons?! What?” squeaks out of the stranger.

Great basso laughter is surprised out of the third man.

"You’re carrying two swords at your waist, a longbow and a crossbow, as well as assorted climbing picks and the crampons on your feet, and you claim to not be armed?” He shakes his great head.

Jesrath shakes her dark head in pity, “poor thing. You’re lucky you know which way is up. Come on, lets get you roped in so you don’t get any more lost than you already are.”

Her hands reach for the figure’s waist. “Just let me take these off, so the boys aren’t afraid of you.”

Gloved fingers fumble at catches and buckles.

“Here, Spiroth, make yourself useful. You take his pack, I’ll carry the swords, and Markinoth can take the bows and their quivers.”

A few moments later, lightened in load, if not in panic or confusion; the figure watches as Jesrath swiftly ties a rope around the waist.

The men had watched with interest as Jesrath had soothed the stranger and removes the weapons from the figure.

As soon as the rope was wrapped around the waist that had so recently been wrapped in twin sword belts, Jesrath sopke into the screaming winds.

“There, that’s done. I’ll lead you to our Boarder House. You’ll be safe and warm there. We’ll leave the doctoring until then. It’s only fifteen meline from here. We’ll be there in about a tiern. if the storm doesn’t worsen.” Raising her voice slightly “ Lead us out Markinoth. The House isn’t getting any closer for the standing here!”

The distances and time references didn’t register. The trek took a while, and had narrowed at the end to the screaming wind, stinging snow, and the effort to put one foot ahead of the other. At first the lights didn’t register. Then slowly thought the fog of exhaustion, fear and pain, the significance of the square lighter patches began to filter in. As they trudged closer there black outline of a large building loomed out, highlighted by the lit squares of windows.

The sise of the place didn't quite make itself felt until they arrived in the lee of the outside walls. from far away they looked to be the size of a regular privacy fence.. roughly 8 feet high. When the group formed up at the base it bagan to filter in that they were over 3 stories high, with a gate in it close to 12 feet high and over 10 feet wide. It was of thick wood banded in iron. to the weary eyesof the traveller, it looked like whole trees were squared off and then placed together side by side to form the massive gates. The misery of the march in the cold had leached the energy from all the soldires, and they just wearily stood in formation as markinoth went thru the formality and ceremony of entering the "House".

While Markinoth went trhu the steps, Jesrath watched the stranger out of the corner of her eye. He had completed the march on his own two feet, much to her surprise given his condition when they found him. She noticed little tell tales thogh. He had not been in the military she thought; given the way that he did not fall into step with the others as they had marched across the mountain trails. The long stride and disinclination to follow in the path carved by the men ahead of them, Jserath figured the stranger to be a specilasit, like a scout or ranger.