Neither the length of the journey nor the increasingly cold climate seemed to overly phase the strange creature that followed in the wake of the red unicorn. Despite the lack of fur on arms and face the centaur remained comfortable in the snow and the cold wind, a heritage from a strong, durable race that since long ago had been resilient in most climates. He did have his quirks though. Each time they stopped for a pause the red-haired stud insisted upon lighting a fire with whatever scrambles of wood or lichen he could find on the steppe, and with deftly set snares made from the hair of his own tail he caught himself several hares and plump birds as they went; confirming the suspicions of his herbivore guide that he indeed was inclined to consume meat. Kelec had been quick in assuring that he never would be driven to ever feeding on anything resembling a horse - the very thought seemed to disturb him deeply, and that evening he had abstained from the rests of the ptarmigan caught the day before, as if to hammer down the message.

As they got closer to the distant mountains, his initial talkative manner became slightly more subdued, as it sensing the impatience with the unicorn. By the time they reached the borders of the northern territory the powerfully built centaur seemed almost mute, resorting to simply offer a reassuring nod each time d'Artagnan or Aramis turned to see if he still kept up. Instead, rather than talking or asking questions about the region the stud was taking in the surroundings with his own eyes, studying the landscape with alert attentiveness as if trying to imprint each detail of it into his mind. The mental map over the world he kept in his head was slowly extending further and further north, and it came to a point where he actually began to doubt whether the glass-horned horse knew where they were going. Had he been on his own Kelec would have turned around a long time ago, deeming the tundra inhospitable and barren... Now, however, he simply accepted the situation and remained silent, eyes trailing over the horizon as they went.

He knew something was up when the posture of his red friend suddenly began to change. With great interest the centaur watched how the others head reached forward, ears perked up and a new poise entered the steps, became more certain and confident. Realizing that they must be nearing the goal of the journey, Kelec followed closely behind the horse and the hound as they rounded the mountain, let the blue gaze trail forth beyond the narrow pass that marked the entrance...

Taking a slow, deep breath in surprise he came to a halt next to d'Artagnan just as the other lifted the maw and called out, likely for the rest of the herd. A grin stretched over his face as he put his hands against the sides and studied the hidden valley before them, taking in the caverns that littered the mountain sides, the sparse forestry and the steam that rose from the hot spring in the center of the cauldron.

"Impressive" he said and gave the unicorn a quick glance. "I would never have thought that a place like this would exist in the middle of the tundra. It's quite big. How many horses live here?" He shifted his stance, feeling how tanned hooves sank into the snow and soaked the chestnut legs to the skin. It would become necessary to do some adjustments if he were to reside here. Thicker clothing to keep the metabolism down, a proper shelter, some way to extend the cultivation season... Plans began to swirl through the mind of the traveler, and with a faint smile tugging at the lips he hoped that the leaders of the herd would allow him to settle down there. It would be nice to be able to stay in one place for a while, to build up a real home. May the fates see to it that his wandering days were over.