Duke Desmond de Montclair sent his troops to the border but in a less direct path than what they were going to be traveling. It would be good to have Eirenguard's focus on his men rather than the travelers coming through another pass. It would make it seem as if they weren't connected in any way.
The trail was cold but it wasn't anything the travelers weren't used to.
Cian and Desmond were protectors of their respective kingdoms and had spent a lot of time sleeping outdoors in unideal situations. It was Quinn who seemed to be the only one suffering.
Luckily Stephano gave him a fur lined cloak and red mana stones so that the journey south wouldn't be too taxing. Otherwise, his desire to take even a step forward would have diminished by that point.