Rozhward spoke with longing and hope, words that should have been enticing to those enduring cold, hunger, and fatigue. Yet, the companions merely kept their heads down and pressed on without a word, like a group of ascetic monks.
Extreme exhaustion and biting cold can deaden the brain, bringing thought processes to a standstill. Under certain extreme conditions, marching troops might even sleep while on the move. Scaling treacherous icy peaks is already highly taxing physically, and with the specter of escape hanging over them and comrades dying one after another, their bodies and minds were nearing their limits. It was only natural that they could muster no energy to answer others' questions.
On the surface, this was the reasoning. Deeper down, it stemmed from their concerns about themselves and the "Freedom Legion."
