Counter Attack

"I fear my teacher is behind this attack," Nyrielle said, coming to the only conclusion that made any sense. Before, she never would have considered it, but after learning about Shubnalu's involvement in turning powerful Frost Walker ancestors into deadly Blood Golems, she couldn't deny his aparent ability to control this isolated clan. 

She'd heard from Hamdi that the Fangs of Death had ordered her capture and she avoided the other vampire Eldritch Lords for the remainder of her journey through the Eldritch nations precisely because of that, but no it appeared that her teacher had come for her himself. 

Given everything he must have heard during her travels, perhaps it was unsurprising. The barren High Pass would weaken Ashlynn and the other witches traveling with them, and the cold itself, combined with the narrow roads and the rough terrain would allow even a weaker force like the Frost Walkers to cause significant damage to her forces.