Probably the easiest explanation is the simplest. Vinga was leading a patrol to help an outlying garth, having heard rumours of trouble. Partway there, she realises she's been faked out of position, and runs back to the main stead.
P.S. for Yak: Tried to send this directly to you, but it bounced. We are both right. The number of hair follicles and sweat glands is determined pre-birth. However, the number of active sweat glands is determined by need after birth.
If anyone wants to follow it up, check this source: assets.cambridge.org/052183/4570/excerpt/0521834570_excerpt.pdf. It may not be the most authoritative, but it was the first one that I could find. Hope this will interest you. By the way, I used 'sweat glands', 'number' and 'climate' as the keywords in Google to find this source. Most other combos mostly gave hits for the genetic disease, and decline in the elderly that you mentioned.
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