Title: A Fox In The Snow
Author: Pip
Series: 2nd in "Collar" series
Rating: M (NC-17 chapters posted on my journal)
Pairing Goku/Sanzo
Warnings: None really. A happy Sanzo?
Notes: I really, really wanted to write some sympathetic, powerful, female characters. There's been a lot of talk on some of my groups about a lack of a positive female presence in slash and yaoi fic and I wanted to do my bit to remedy the situation in my own writing.

Saiyuki Belongs to Kazuya Minekura.

A Fox in the Snow

Chapter 1

It was cold. Really cold. Snow lay on the ground, on the branches of the trees. There was ice on the banks of the rivers and many of the streams they encountered were completely frozen. Sanzo could see a plume of cooling mist before his face, where his warm breath met the coldness of the air. He pulled his hood a little further down. Goku, sitting next to him, tossed a blanket over the pair of them and leaned against his side. Sanzo's arm went around his shoulders.

"That better, Saru? You've been shivering for the last fifteen minutes." Goku smiled up at him and nodded, drawing the blanket closer about his wind-bitten face. Gojyo looked back at them over his shoulder, his red ponytail swishing in the wind, vivid against the whiteness of the snow.

"You guys want the thermos? There's still plenty of coffee in it." Gojyo asked, with a grin.

"Thanks!" Replied Goku, taking it from him, pouring a cupful of the steaming liquid and handing it to Sanzo, who sipped it and handed it back. Goku warmed his hands on the cup for a moment or two then sipped it himself and passed it back to Sanzo. It was an odd, affectionate little ritual, this sharing of body warmth and coffee and their companions watched with amusement, saying nothing. They had their own rituals. Gojyo was teasing Hakkai, who was responding in kind, their talk peppered with double entendres. Sanzo wasn't really listening, he was warm now, and comfortable. Goku's head rested against his shoulder and the smell of the coffee was strong in his nostrils. He shifted slightly as Goku slid his arm around his waist. His cheek dropped against the monkey's hair. Contentment had always been such a rare thing, something to be treasured and he had felt a good deal of it recently. It was Goku's gift to him, along with so many others. He had tried hard not to allow his demeanor to change. He couldn't afford for their enemies to think he'd gone soft or to permit them to use his feelings for Goku as a weapon against him or worse, to use him against Goku, but he was far happier and anyone who really knew him would notice. Gojyo and Hakkai certainly had. Sanzo drifted, until he saw something move in the snow out of the corner of his eye. It was small and white and was gone in a flash. He watched for it again and it reappeared, apparently keeping pace with them a couple of minutes later.

"Goku, do you see that?" He whispered, hoping that whatever was tailing them didn't hear.

"See what?" Goku whispered in reply.

"Over there, in the trees. I think it's following us. It's tiny and moving very fast."

"I see it! It's a fox spirit and I think it wants to speak to us. Stop Hakkai!"

Hakuryuu slid to a halt in a shower of snow. The white vixen trotted out into the road and jumped onto the bonnet, crouching low because the metal was warm and she cold. She looked at each of them in turn with bright, intelligent eyes.

"Can we help you, my lady?" Hakkai asked politely. She nodded.

"If you please." She replied in kind. A fox woman. Supernatural, dangerous, whimsical. Capable of great cruelty or kindness.

"And how can we help?" Hakkai continued, his manners almost courtly.

"The winter is harsh," She said "and my cubs were born late in the summer and are too young to hunt." She spoke with a faint accent. "I fear that without your help they may starve before I can find prey."

"I see your problem." Hakkai replied. "Sanzo, we bought a lot of beef jerky in the last town for emergencies. Can we spare some, do you think?"

"I think so. Enough to feed the fox lady and her cubs for a few days at least, then you'll be able to bring down some prey." He smiled at the fox woman. Caution was by far the best policy with foxes and this one was in trouble. She was intelligent and she had children to feed. They could hardly turn their back on her. "May we give you a lift back to your den?"

"Thankyou, I would appreciate that." She replied, bobbing her pretty, triangular head. "I used a great deal of energy chasing you." She leaped into the back seat, onto Goku's knee. He wrapped her in a generous fold of the blanket. She crouched low, trying to get warm. Hakuryuu roared back to life. She looked up at Sanzo. "You are Genjyo Sanzo, aren't you?" Sanzo nodded. "Then you should know that War Prince Homura passed through here earlier today, with his companions and a contingent of men-at-arms. He's planning to lay a trap for you. I heard him discussing it with his companions, so take care. I will give you all a spell, which should even up the odds." She smiled toothily at him. "I dislike that man." She turned her head and looked at Goku. "And if you are Son Goku you should be especially careful. He needs you for purposes of his own."

"Needs me? I thought he was just playing games. Thanks, you've been amazingly helpful!" Goku grinned at her, friendly to a fault.

"Don't thank me! You helped me first and I pay my debts. My den is just down here, about fifty meters into the forest. Would you care to eat your meal with us? That will give me the opportunity to cast the spell I promised you." Hakkai stopped Hakuryuu and pulled off the road.

"And it'll mean we can meet your cubs!" Goku seemed delighted with the possibility. "I'll carry the gear..." He packed a bag of food, with a generous portion of jerky and eggs for the foxes and enough for a meal for themselves. Hakuryuu changed form and rode on Hakkai's shoulder. The fox trotted ahead of them, leading the way. Her den was much larger than they had expected. There was a fireplace with a blazing fire and a thick rug in front of it. A basket rested on the rug and as soon as their mother entered five little cubs came tumbling out. The four of them sat and played with the cubs for a time and then Hakkai started to prepare a meal. He soaked the jerky for the foxes, scrambled them half a dozen eggs and made a wonderful-smelling stew for everyone else.

Gojyo looked around and noticed a desk in one corner, a chest and cupboard, as well as the fireplace. There was far more to this fox than met the eye.

"Lady, this may be a dumb question, but how did you manage to light the fire?"

"I have a human form as well as a vulpine one. I'm, Seruei, one of the kin of Inari, so I guess that makes me a goddess of sorts."

"So you didn't actually need our help, after all." Said Sanzo, his tone carefully neutral.

"I certainly needed your help. The snow has arrived very early and even I can't find game where there is none. It's a week's walk to the nearest settlement. My kitlings would not have survived without your help. I did want to know what manner of people you were, though. I wanted to help you against Homura but I needed to know I wouldn't make matters worse if I did. If you had compassion on my plight, especially at some cost to yourselves, I knew it would be safe to trust you."

"I see." Sanzo replied. One of the cubs sidled up and nibbled his fingers. He smiled and stroked the little creature's ears. The cub caught his hand between her jaws, gently, and nibbled his fingers.

"Why do you want to stop Homura doing whatever it is he wants to do?" He asked Seruei, looking up from her engaging daughter.

"Because he's bitter and disgruntled. I'm afraid of him and what his plans may be. Because of the way he spoke about you and particularly Goku, as if he was an object, a pawn in his game. People are not possessions and it's wrong and shameful to treat them as if they are. The ease with which he spoke of killing the three of you, as if you were mere obstacles in his way also rubbed my fur the wrong way. I know some of your story. When I was considering what to do I spoke with Inari and asked for his advice, so I know what you're going and why and that Homura should be prepared to put that in jeopardy for his own selfish purposes..." She chattered angrily.

"What, exactly, did Homura say? Can you remember word for word?" Sanzo sipped his tea. Seruei settled her chin on her paws.

"He was eating a meal with his friends with his warriors close by but I was able to get close to them with the aid of a little magic. He said that he wanted to set a trap for you and he intends to abduct Son Goku." She looked at Goku. "He said that you would be essential for the ritual he would need to perform later. He went on to say that you had more power than you could ever imagine and that with you on their side they could not fail." She looked back at Sanzo. "He wants to talk him into it if he can, or seduce him but he made it clear that he will kill the three of you and take both Goku and the Maten scripture by force if he must. He made it clear that he didn't think persuasion or seduction would work, that the relationship between the two of you was too strong and therefore the third option was most likely. He seems to want revenge against heaven. I don't know why. I stayed hidden, hoping to hear more but the wind changed direction and carried their words away from me."

"Then we must be on our guard. I have no intention of losing either." Sanzo voice was full of determination. Seruei smiled in her foxy way, her white ears pricked forward.

"I did not think that you'd want to lose your family any more than I wanted to lose mine. When I saw you two in the back of your car, sharing a blanket and a cup, I knew I couldn't let Homura harm any of you if I could stop him." She fell silent for a moment and then continued. "I have an idea that might help all of you." She continued. "I can create a telepathic link between you that will be active when, and with whom, you want it to be and will drop away when you don't need it. I think it would be the most helpful gift I could give you in thanks for all you've done for me. Will you accept it?"

Sanzo thought for a moment, thinking through the possibilities and realized that to be able to communicate, even over short distances, without words and without a line of sight could be very valuable. Then he glanced at Goku and saw possibilities there, too. It didn't sound too invasive, either, if it could be dropped at will.

"It sounds very helpful." He said. "Over what sort of distances?"

"For you about two miles. For Hakkai, Gojyo and Goku, much more." She looked thoughtful.

"And you could include us all?" Asked Gojyo.

"Certainly. You could speak to one another as if you were in the same room together or you could single one another out and just speak to that person."

"I'd certainly be happy to do that." Said Goku, smiling delightedly at the idea.

"And I." Said Hakkai. Gojyo nodded as well.

"Thankyou," Said Sanzo. "This could be extremely valuable to us."

" Then I must change form. I'll need hands to cast the spells." Her form started to shimmer and change and soon a pretty, white-haired young woman, with bright, apple-green eyes, stood before them. Her features were sharp, delicate and elegant and she was simply dressed in a white tunic and trousers. Her hair fell in long bangs about her face but was cut short and fluffy at the back. She had retained her fox ears and her little fangs. She smiled in a friendly, unselfconscious fashion, then turned to the desk in the corner and picked up a small box, which she placed carefully on the table. From it she took a little ink jar, filled with gold ink and a fine calligraphy brush.

Goku was first on her list. She looked into his face and then took his chin between her thumb and forefinger, turning his face this way and that, looking for a surface on which to draw. "You are not what I expected, Son Goku. Not from the way I heard Homura speak of you."

"What were you expecting?" He asked, as she raised her brush and dipped it in the golden ink. She smiled.

"I was expecting an eight foot bruiser with a very bad attitude and enough yokuryu to ooze from you and lie a foot thick on the floor of my little cave. I would have been afraid to bring you back here and allow you to play with my kitlings." She sang a single note and drew her brush down his cheek. She smiled, as if pleased with her handiwork. She sang a different note and drew her brush across. "And what do I find? A very sweet youth that I would have been proud to have raised myself. You love life, your friends, your journey. A good way to be. Please, don't let that change." Three more notes, three more strokes of her brush. She sang all five notes in rapid succession, tracing the character in the air before his face. It glowed in the air and then faded. "There! The ink will be absorbed by your skin and will leave no trace." She smiled at him. "Sanzo, you're next!"

Sanzo took his place. The vixen washed her brush and took a bottle of purple ink from the box.

"You are a strange one, Genjyo Sanzo. So much pain, so much strength and courage. A solitary human in a party of powerful youkai, with the monkey king as your companion and yet it's you who leads. You must be so very strong! But Sanzo, keep track of the number of demons you kill. You know as well as I do that the legends are true. If you were to change and you had no limiter the result would be catastrophic." Her smile reflected her concern.

"I'll do as you suggest, it's been bothering me for a while. I've not been keeping count and I should have been. I know it's more or less inevitable. If I'm to defend myself I must be prepared to kill youkai who attack me, so eventually I'll change. I see no way around it." Sanzo replied. Seruei nodded. "As long as you anticipate it and make plans. We cannot afford to lose you. You need a limiter and you need someone who can create one for you, as you can create one for Goku." She dipped her brush in the purple ink. She sang as she drew the character, her brush sweeping across his pale, ivory skin.

Gojyo was next. She used red ink for him. She looked at him for several seconds, turning his face gently by the chin, as if trying to make a decision. "I rather hesitate to ask, but would you like me to remove those scars? I rather like them, they add character to your face and they don't really mar your beauty but if you're sensitive about them I'd be happy to get rid of them for you. If you want to keep them I'll simply draw on your other cheek." Gojyo blinked. If she had been less straightforward and thoughtful he'd have been sure she was hitting on him but she was smiling at him in pleasantly, simply waiting for his answer. Just as well. Fox women had a reputation for being vindictive if turned down and he hadn't even noticed anyone but Hakkai for months now, and frankly, couldn't imagine wanting anyone else. Oh, he played the game, chatting up the women, making a fool of himself but only to protect Hakkai. The fewer people who knew of their relationship, the better. Sanzo and Goku were quite enough. They had to provide strength for one another, not make one another vulnerable.

"I don't think I want you to remove them. They remind me of what I was and how far I've come." He glanced at Hakkai and grinned.

"Then you definitely don't want rid of them! Be proud! You survived." He grinned back at her. She turned his face, raised her brush, sang and swept the strokes onto his left cheek, drew the character in light before his eyes and sang her simple melody.

"And now, Master Hakkai, it's your turn!" She washed her brush and dipped it in green ink. "You're the subtle one, aren't you? The strategist. The others go in with their weapons but you fight with your spirit and your brains. I've rarely seen ki as powerful as yours in a changeling. They must be terrified of you, in spite of your gentle appearance." She smoothed the green ink onto his cheek, sang, and traced the light through the air.

"There!" She seemed pleased with her handiwork. "Now all I need to do is awaken the spell and fuse it!" She made a series of mudras, spoke each of their names and sang the notes again. The colors flared about them and reached out for one another. They met and fused, creating a web of colored light between them. The light faded, but the web remained.

? Sanzo sent the thought out through the web.

I'm here! Goku sent back, beaming him a wonder-filled smile.

And I! Replied Hakkai.

Me,too! Gojyo grinned.

Seruei laughed. "You see? It works!"

Now you'll need to go to my journal to see pt 2. There's a link in my profile page.