A Dark Path - Prt 05

Ursa Blacksong - 101st of Autumn YSTR 112

“Nothing burns like the cold.”

...

For the count of five days, Ursa had followed the Northern road steeling herself as she focus on the path ahead of her. The broken stone of the roadwork that lay hidden beneath the ice and snow under her feet as she pressed ever forward fighting the wind and snow of the raging winter storm with every step. Soft curses escaping her lips every now and again when the weather got the better of her.

Thankfully as bad as the weather was, it was far from the worst weather she had ever experienced. Ursa had also prepared herself in advance this time out so she was more than able to handle things. Only calling upon one protective charm or other now and again to guard herself against the wind and cold as well as to warm herself now and again when the elements threatened to overwhelm her.

Reaching the crest of the high hill Ursa crouched down pausing for a brief moment to take a deep breath of cold air and let her gaze drift across the snow-covered landscape before turning her attention to the tracks in the snow noting that others had passed this way ahead of her not more than an hour or two before.

There were three on horseback traveling slowly, keeping pace with roughly a dozen or so others on foot. Mercenaries perhaps given the random marks in the snow that suggested they were armed but carried little else.

Her senses however warned of other dangers. The faintest hint and barely noticeable smell of rot lingering in the air. The unnatural chill that might go unnoticed by others given the cold of winter but it was an obvious sign given her own experiences.

Closing her eyes Ursa focused her energies before speaking the words.

“ Ostende mihi quae pericula praecedunt? ‘

The magic came in a sudden rush, her power extending outwards like some great unseen wave rolling outwards across the landscape for a fair distance in every direction before fading to a whisper.

She could feel them, or at least the memory of them.

A pack of feral ghouls to the east, A lone undead warrior to the southwest… two or three other unknown entities just beyond the reach of her ability but all of them being drawn north like herself.

...