The sky is a lovely shade of blue today.

Kerinan laughed. It's funny, he thought, the thoughts that run through your head when you're bleeding to death.

Kerinan laid in a small clearing deep in Isawa Mori. The snow all around him was stained red. He was actually thankful that the chill weather had lessened the pain in the jagged wounds running along his side.

Kerinan laughed again. Or maybe this comes from freezing to death. I suppose I'll never know which.

He looked down at the blade that hung limply in his blue-tinged fingers. It was still dark with blood. The wolves had come out of nowhere as Kerinan made his way home from town. It was always a risk, but it was the only way, really, since the path around the woods was a three day trip. Animal attacks were rare along that stretch, but the deep winter had apparently forced the wolves to find other food, while the rabbits stayed in their burrows.

They had jumped him from behind, the alpha shredding his left side under its claws. Kerinan yelled in pain, but quickly pulled the short sword he carried with him. It was to discourage bandits, mostly, but Kerinan managed to use it to great effect against the wolves. With one strong sweep and a lot of luck, he caught the wolf under the chin. The blow didn't decapitate the beast, but it did cut deeply. The wolf ran away, gurgling through the wound in its neck. Kerinan was sure it was already dead by now.

The pack had backed away into the thin shadows of the treeline after that. None were willing to risk the same fate as the last to attack him. But they were not stupid. Nor was Kerinan. He knew they were waiting for him. As soon as they thought he was no longer a threat, they would be back to finish the job. Occassionally, Kerinan would hear them at the edge of the clearing, as if they meant to see if their wait was over. He would yell and waive his sword, and they would dart back deeper into the wood. He had been trying to save his strength since the last time, but he knew it would not be long now before he could not raise his voice, much less his sword.

Kerinan heard a shuffling nearby. Something was stepping around in the snow. The crunch of the powder under the beast's feet was definitely drawing closer. Kerinan gathered his strength. He sat up quickly and yelled, brandishing his sword over his head.

At least, he tried to. He lurched upwards and yelped. The sword waved once in front of him and fell to the ground. Kerinan followed the sword back into the snow. He knew this was the end. He could not even open his eyes to meet his fate.

"Blast," a dry voice said. "I guess we didn't find dinner after all."

"Shut up, Kori," a second voice said. "Help me with him."

Suddenly, Kerinan felt warm. His vision went white.

I think I have heard that this is how it ends, he thought.

A sweet, spiced smell reached Kernan's nose. He pondered this for a moment, wondering if this scent was the normal reception into Yomi. He could see nothing. Thinking on this for a moment, Kerinan tried opening his eyes. They were leaden, but with great effort, Kerinan forced them open. He was in a small campsite. There were no tents, but a generous patch of gound had the snow cleared from it and a small campfire was burning. Over the fire was a spit with several small, skinned animals roasting. Around the fire were two of the strangest characters Kerinan had ever seen.

One was a gruff-looking, young samurai-ko. Her thick, black hair hung loosely about her face and was pulled back at the nape of her neck. Her clothes and skin and hair were all dirty. She looked like a beggar, except for her powerful build, the swords at her waist, and the axe on her back. The other was a young samurai, also looking rather rough. His hair was unkempt, his clothes disheveled and travel-stained. And although Kerinan had never seen the ocean, this man looked very much like the sailors he had seen pictures of. Kerinan could not even begin to imagine why such a ragtag-looking, mismatched pair were here in the woods. He was less worried about that, however, than he was about what the ronin had in store for him.

The samurai-ko looked over and noticed Kerinan watching them. "Oi, Sirezo," she said, "he's awake."

The sailor looked over at Kerinan. A slight grin passed over his countenance.

Kerinan felt a fire brewing in his soul. "Do what you will," he mumbled weakly, "but give me my katana so I can teach you as you do."

The brute and the pirate looked at each other. They started laughing furiously. "You mock me?" Kerinan asked.

After a moment, the sailor stopped laughing. "Good sir," he said, wiping the tears from his eyes, "we found you dead, or as good as. You were frostbitten, wolf-torn, and bloodless. Think on it a moment. If we meant to kill you, why would we nurse you back to health first?"

"Then," Kerinan said, his pain-addled mind slowly coming back to life as he worked on those facts, "you are not bandits?"

The samurai-ko began laughing heartily again and excused herself to the far side of the campsite.

"No," the sailor said, chuckling, "you are among friends. I am Sirezo, humble priest and wandering scholar. My easily-amused friend is Kori. I am not sure that she claims a profession, but she is handy to have around while traveling."

"I am Asako Kerinan. I am a traveling merchant when the roads can be traveled. During the winter, I just stay home. My house is on the other side of this forest, which is why I was caught inside of it. I am eternally grateful for your help."

"We were just glad that we could save you," Sirezo said. "It was no trouble."

"Ha!" came the voice of Kori as she walked back to the pair. "You only say that because I was able to bail you out again."

"That is not how it was at all," said Sirezo, feigning indignance.

"Blast," Kori said. "I guess we didn't find dinner after all."

"Shut up, Kori," Sirezo replied. "Help me with him."

Kori rolled the bleeding man onto his back as Sirezo began a plea to the fortunes. A white light shone around the priest as he laid his hands upon the man's side. "That will stop the bleeding," he said, "but this man needs much more attention. He is nearly dead. And worse." Sirezo took out his tanto and began to cut into the man's already ragged side.

"What are you doing?" yelled Kori.

"His wound is infected, even in this deep cold. If I do not remove the poisoned flesh before his body temperature raises, he will die as surely as if we had not found him."

"Fine, but you cannot do that here. Can you not hear them?"

Sirezo stopped for a moment, listening to the still forest. He heard a shuffling in the trees. Looking quickly, he saw a quick glint of gold.

"The wolves? Why are they still here?"

"The blood," Kori replied. "They have been pacing around smelling his blood for who knows how long. The game around here is thin, and they are hungry. Nearly frenzied. They will not leave until they have had a meal. If you start cutting on him, they will surely attack us here, even if the two of us are able to fight them. And I would prefer to not fight a pack of wolves with only my axe. Cut off a wolf's head, and it can still bite," Kori said, fishing through her small sack. She pulled out a thick, still recognizable piece of meat and walked slowly over to Sirezo and the bleeding man.

"One of your squirrels? What for?"

"Because your rabbit food will not work for this." She took the dried squirrel and rubbed it through the thick pool of blood underneath the man and handed it to Sirezo, then she slowly picked the man up and placed him over her shoulder. "Throw that into the woods where you just saw that wolf. Then try to keep up."

Sirezo nodded and threw the meat. As he ran after the samurai-ko, he could hear the sounds of the wolves growling and ripping meat. There is not enough squirrel for all of that, Sirezo thought. They are attacking each other for it.

"Your knowledge of the wilderness impresses me, Kori. And the fact that I am here to recognize that impresses me about you, Sirezo. I have been searching for some people like you. It's funny, I thought I would find someone this summer on my travels. I never imagined that someone would find me at my own home. I think you could be of some service to me."

"Looking for protection for your caravan?" Sirezo asked.

"Not quite. A valued customer of mine is actually looking for 'people of extraordinary ability,'" he said, obviously imitating this customer's voice. "He is gathering assistance from those who will aid him. I truly do not know his purpose, but he seems to me a good man, much as yourselves. I would be greatly surprised if it were for any illicit purpose, and I am a rather good judge of human character, if I may say so myself."

"Who is this man?" Sirezo asked.

"His name is Mirumoto Kenori. He is a scholar of some renown."

"Not much money in books," Kori said, growing somewhat bored.

"He is also an adventurer of sorts. Again, I do not know the details, but I do know that he has never been at a lack of gold when he called upon my services."

"And this Mirumoto Kenori," Sirezo said, "he lives in this town?"

"Oh, no. You would have to go to meet with him. He is arranging a meeting at his estate. It is not a very long journey." Kerinan thought a moment. "We are not terribly far from my home. I have maps. There I can show you just where you would need to go, if you will accept," Kerinan said, struggling to stand.

"Sounds good to me," Kori replied.

"No," Sirezo said, helping Kerinan to his feet.

"No?" Kori and Kerinan cried in unison, Kori adding several choice curses that would have impressed most Crab.

"Not until you are able to walk on your own."

Kerinan smiled. "All right, Sirezo. You have yourself a deal."