[center][h3]The Chalk Prince, the Fallen Child, the Prisoner, and the Skullgirl[/h3]
[b]Location:[/b] Frozen Highlands - Dragonspine
Linkle’s [@Gentlemanvaultboy], Frisk’s [@Majoras End], Prisoner’s [@XoXKieroBombXoX] [/center]

Teba's suspicious expression gained an air of incredulity as Frisk spoke up, as if the child could possible have anything to say that might sway the airborne archer when Albedo's best attempt to smooth things over fell short. In fact, all Frisk could offer was uncertain reassurance without confidence, and it left a lot to be desired. With a dismissive shake of his head Teba was ready to brush the kid off before they even finished speaking, but at the last moment he heard something that made him think twice. Frisk volunteered not just their help, but that of the entire party, for whatever ends the Rito might see fit so long as he allowed them a respite by his fire. The fact that his eyes narrowed in consideration told the heat-seekers that there just might be something he needed help with as well, enough to make him seriously entertain the thought of obliging the four even when curt refusal had been on the very tip of his tongue.

He didn't debate Frisk's proposal long, but stuffed the rabbit spirit into his pouch and turned to walk away. After a few steps, however, he turned halfway around and motioned for the others to follow with a flick of his head. Albedo complied, leading his party after Teba at a respectful distance, and aware of the sharp eye that his guide kept on his group the whole time, and the bow that never left his hand. Should he, Frisk, Linkle, or the Prisoner make any trouble he seemed ready to spring into the air at the drop of a hat, a deluge of lethal arrows left in his wake. The alchemist took pains not to betray his morsel of goodwill in any way.

Teba brought Albedo's group through a copse of bulky, misshapen trees, leafless and long dead. Their unusual mass and unsettling contours made it difficult to obliviously pass them by, and it took only the tiniest amount of examination to determine that these were no ordinary trees. Instead, they appeared to be giant corpses, their peeling skin and tough as hard as bark, with severed limbs that terminated in clusters of branches, and bodies pierced by multiple trunks as if grown from within. Eerie and macabre, even more than the grove of dolls that Frisk traversed near Treat's lonesome manor, the gravewood encouraged the visitors to hurry on their way, and Teba picked up the pace accordingly.

Just up the hill from the gravewood they came to a particularly large giant tree, those one crusted over in ruby-red sap with sinister connotations. Nestled as if in its lap was the bonfire that the four came to find, and around it were tents that took advantage of the branches and roots for stable construction. There, the newcomers spotted a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Ob5F7iz.png]little boy[/url] huddled up by the flames, as well as an [url=https://i.imgur.com/qyPcMuB.png]older woman[/url] with her arms crossed. The moment she spotted Teba on his way, followed by a bunch of strangers, her expression turned as cold as Dragonspine itself. "...Teba. Who might they be?"

In turn the Rito glanced at Albedo and Frisk, his pointed expression saying that they ought to make their case for themselves. "Just travelers, in search of warmth and rest after a snowman ambush by the icy river," Albedo told them. "Your friend brought us here in return for us offering to help with some unspecified task afterward."

Teba's eyes narrowed, displeased that any words might be put in his mouth, no matter how minor. Before he could say anything, though, the little boy jumped to his feet. He seemed to have a haunted sort of look to him, as if anxiety had been eating away at him from inside for quite some time. "Are they gonna help find dad?" he blurted out, his desperate face possessed of only the faintest glimmer of hope.

The woman pursed her lips, then motioned to the newcomers to come over to the fire. "Sit." As Teba stalked over, she kept her eyes on Albedo and the others. "No funny business either. It's not just us here."

As if to emphasize her point there came a sudden surge of cold wind that flapped the four's coats, hair, and scarves. Albedo glanced around idly, but couldn't immediately identify a source. Whatever these campers might have in store, it would be for the best to make them feel as secure as possible. "Understood, ma'am."

Once he and the others seated themselves by the fire, and the boy fixed them with a pleading stare, the woman spoke again. "I'm Melony. This is Joel, and over there is Teba. Joel's father, Joserf, went up the mountain some time ago, but he did not return on time. Teba has been taking care of him since then, bringing food and such." The archer closed his eyes and looked away, as if the very idea offended him. "I myself was on an expedition with my three Pokemon to the caverns inside the mountain when we were caught in an avalanche." Her expression turned bitter. "When it was all over, I only found...one of them, no matter how hard I searched. And then, when my back was turned, my own partner attacked me! If not for Teba out on a hunt, I would have died. Chased it off, but it must have followed us back, because that night it returned, and Teba had to put it down."

Melony closed her eyes and breathed in. "I'm telling you this to warn you. There's something strange on this mountain. Too many have gone missing. Right now, what we need more than anything is to find Joserf for poor Joel."

"Trouble is, I'm the only fighter," Teba stated. "Can't leave either or both these two alone, and can't risk their lives bringing them with me on a long search up the mountain. If you're actually willing to help, then once you're all warmed up, here's what you can do. Go up the mountain, and find the kid's dad."

Following the explanation, Albedo gave a slow nod and looked at the others. "That sounds like a reasonable proposal. Though we have our own concerns, finding this poor child's father is of critical importance. Do you agree?"