Ted had never thought extensively about the difficulties of climbing a mountain, but now he jumped straight into the actual experience. Although the rise did not feel steep at first, the change in the air and the wind around him was tangible, or as tangible as a change in a gaseous substance could be. The high cor had to be mindful of the way he was breathing; otherwise, he would have simulated for himself a condition called asthma. His chest felt strangely tight, his limbs were weary, and Dogormo claimed that this was but the beginning.
Things would get worse and worse as they gained some real altitude, but on the other hand, the wizard was already on the move. It was within the realm of possibilities that they would reach him before they would reach his lair.
