The Jedi was curious to know why the Azguardian Government had chosen Dolash as its representative but neglected to make a remark on it.

"Where I come from?" he asked, looking as if he didn't quite understand, his eyebrows rising in bewilderment for a brief moment.

"I was born on Coruscant, though I don't consider it to be my home world like I do Naboo. I've lived on both lands equally for many years. Coruscant is surrounded with buildings, its quite active, really. I suppose that's why I left there. Naboo suits me better, you could say."

The mountain Cole had been looking for finally came into clear view and he gestured outward toward it, his hand shaking ever so slightly from the cold.

"There, won't be long now before we reach that mountain. I trust you'll be able to climb it?"

Dolash grinned.

"Azguard is nothing but mountains and rivers, this will be easy.

"So you were born on Coruscant, I have heard much about this place. Galactic seat of power for the Empire now, very sad. Someone told me that the Empire is run by a Sith, is this true? Because if so then that makes the Empire very dangerous, and very evil."

He squinted through the wind and snow to look at the mountain, which was suddely very cloe. It was nothing compared to the mountains back home, some commented his homeworld looked like some spikey urchin creature.

Before his master could respond to anything he had said he added "You'll of course be able to climb the mountain too, right?

(Don't want this tumbling away.)

"Of course," he said confidently, but truth be told he wasn't sure if he'd be able to climb the mountain. He wasn't about to let Dolash know of his uncertainties.

Cole's mind wandered back to Dolash’s previous question, though he failed to answer the question directly.

"Glad to be away from Coruscant."

It was just as he said Coruscant that the winds began to pick up. They would need to find shelter very soon if they wanted to survive.

"We've got to speed up our pace slightly... Snow storm might be approaching."

Dolash increased his pace. The mountain loomed ahead like some... great big... looming thing... and he was already rummaging around in his pack for some climbing gear. He also took the time to take out a heating-pack that he placed under his hat. It was indeed freezing.

But so what? He could feel the force, as he had been able to his whole life, and he had the feeling that so long as it remained with him he would be safe. He then realized that perhaps this is why his Master wore so little protective, anti-winter cloathing? Perhaps this was a test of some sort?

"Master" he said "It is deathly cold, is there some way the force is keeping you warm? Anyone else would be dead by now, I am sure."

He also took a moment to contemplate his master's mention of Coruscant. It did not surprise him that his Master would prefer staying off the planet, as it seemed so dangerous and distant, the realm of the Sith, with one ruling over the entirety of an empire from there.

Donovin seemed to stare back at Dolash for what seemed like too long, meeting him with silence. Just when Dolash didn't think Cole would respond, he did, with a grin.

"No, I just didn't come prepared.... Quite the excellent role model, aren't I?"

Donovin looked away from the padawan, laughing a little.

The two had finally come to reach the mountain, and despite his uses with the force, the cold air was finally settling to play its affects on him.

"You start up the mountain first, I'll be right behind you. I need you to be in front of me so that I can keep an eye on you if something were to go wrong."

It would be quite the difficult climb, the will of both strength and endurance.

Dolash dug his claws deep into the mountainside. With an effort, he brought a booted foot up, and placed it upon the rock. Lifting himself slowly up, he dug his next claw in and continued to climb. An Azguard climbing is like a fish swimming, and he soon adapted to the colder stone of these mountains. Below, his master patiently followed. Dolash felt a stirring respect for his master, even though not even the force was keeping him warm he took it in his stride. There was something to be said for any man like that.

He looked upwards, at the snow coating the rocks, and focused. Above him was a smooth piece of stone that he knew his claws would not cut. But he decided it was a worthy challenge He came to a veritible stop, but he decided it was worth it. Slowly, he reached at the edge of his being, and found there perhaps the suggestion of wispers. The stone ahead of him was wrong. To be right, it had to move out more. He could tell his master had probably stopped short beneath him, but to dwell on that would break his concentration.

The stone was wrong, he told the wispers. It must be changed. Fix it, before reality noticed. And he could sense them replying, saying that Yes, they would fix it. When he opened his eyes, the Stone had changed into a hand-hold. He smiled and continued the climb.

It was a short while of climbing later when he called to his master.

"Is our target location near the top of this mountain, perhaps? If it is not near we will need to stop soon!" He had spied a cave that should provide shelter, and even his mountain-climbing physique would need rest if it were much further.

As Dolash climbed up the mountainside, Donovin fell behind. Donovin had done many more grueling acts within his lifetime thus far, and he didn't think climbing a mountain would be such a chore. However, his legs provided him with a different sense of accomplishment, exhaustion.

As Cole struggled to climb the mountainside, occasionally he would stop to glance upwards to find Dolash way far off ahead of him.

".. Much too hasty.. "

Ever so often the Jedi Master would mumble to himself, finding imperfection after imperfection from the padawan. Yet as hard as he was on the Azguard, he knew Dolash would one day make a great Jedi Knight.

The Jedi finally reached a point where he felt he needed to stop, a caveat perhaps.

He heard Dolash call out to him, the padawan no more than five to six feet from him. It was as Dolash turned to look down at Donovin through mid sentence that the Jedi Master’s green eyes went wide.

"That's probably not such a good idea, Dolash..."

The Jedi Master's gaze seemed to look past Dolash as he spoke; looking upon something that the Azguard had yet to see.

"... Dolash must have aroused it with his yelling," Donovin mumbled to himself, eyes only slightly wide open as he continued to stare past Dolash and onto the beastly looking creature.

The creature looked much like that of the famous ice creature found on Hoth, the Wampa. However, there were some dissimilarities. Instead of white fur, this creature had brown fur, and no horns seemed to adorn its head like that of the Wampa.

Donovin didn't bother to call out to Dolash to warn the Azguard of the impending danger that came from behind the padawan, doing so would only make the situation all that much more critical.

Instead, he shook his head at Dolash, warning him, pleading with him not to move.

Donovin would have to find some way of dissolving the troubling situation, and soon...

Dolash looked down to his master. He seemd worried, looking anxiously behind him. Slowly Dolash turned to face the creature.

It was huge, even compared to the tall frame of the Azguard. It must have been in the cave... Damn. Dolash mentally cursed himself for forgetting to bring a weapon. Perhaps, just perhaps, he thought, the force could do something. The beast seemed to be curious as to wether he was alive, and wether he was worthy prey, giving Dolash time to think.

He closed his eyes, and with every fiber of his being tried to speak to Cole without speaking. He imagined every word, painfully forcing them out one by one like lumps of lead caught in his throat. But slowly, he almost felt sure that they had reached his master.

What... Should I.... Do... Master? Should I..... Fight..... Or turn and climb... down?

It wasn't easy, but he thought it had worked. While he did that, the Wampa creature reached slowly towards him with a large, clawed hand. Dolash tried to stay still but knew if he didn't move soon he would be mauled. He extended his claws and fangs and prepared to grappel the creature if need be.

He just waited on the word of his Master.

Donovin barely came to recognize Dolash's thoughts as his words came to brush across his mind. He wanted to scold the padawan for moving, but decided it best to not bring about any reprimanding; it was neither the time nor the place for such things. What the Azguard received instead was a firm order.

Don't move!

The Jedi removed his presence and attention off of Dolash only to have it follow off toward the creature. Reaching out with the force, Donovin immediately went to work. However, his own actions seemed to bring hesitation toward his efforts.

I will do what is necessary...

Cautiously the Jedi reached out toward the creature's mind, probing it. There came no visible display of Cole's actions, his form in perfect stillness as he looked onward while using the force to his own will.

He explored the creature’s entire mind within seconds, the creature being too weak minded to be closed off to the force. It was not long after that the Jedi began to control the creature through the use of its mind.

Slowly but surely the brown furry creature began to turn away from the Azguard, it's new found path of direction being centered back onto the cave that it had burrowed out of.

Keep moving, Dolash. We'll have to continue across the rest of the mountain. I'll be right behind you.

Donovin was on the move once again as he continued to struggle up the mountainside. Only when Dolash turned back around to continue up the mountain did the Jedi stop for a brief moment to remove his lightsaber from his belt before continuing on.

He would not be able to fend off the beastly creature for long.

Someone's about to take a hike down the mountainside..

By any means necessary the Jedi Master told himself as he let his left hand hover over the activation switch of his lightsaber.