It had been over a month since her boy was too distant to reach mentally. At Nishi's behest, Hiei tried to reach him each and every night. She seemed to grow sadder each time he told her he could not be reached. It was different with his girl, she lived close enough at the clan's territory that she could be reached by letter, phone, mental, etc.
It was to their shock that the ice master showed up at his girl's castle, with the news that her boy had disappeared and that he wanted to see if he had just run off and returned home. He had two other demons with him, a large, male, ice demon and a pint sized ocean demon. Each of them looked worn out. They met him in the entryway, with him to irritated to meet anywhere else.
"Gods be good, please tell me your son is here," the ice master exasperated.
"What are you talking about?" Nishi asked. "He was with you. He has been, training with you." She seemed suddenly nervous and withdrawn into herself.
"Izo disappeared over two weeks ago when scouting for Haru and Airi in the ice mountains," the ice master tersely replied.
Hiei felt a chill shiver down his spine. "The Northern Ice Mountains?" he asked, nervous about the answer.
"The northern ones, yes," the ice master replied. "We went up there to train and meet up with Haru and Airi. They were late, trapped by a blocked path caused by an avalanche. I sent Izo to scout for him by flying his ice dragon, and he disappeared." The ice master snapped his fingers. "He did seem to have changed him mind early on about being my apprentice, so it wouldn't surprise me that he ran back home."
"My son wouldn't do that," Nishi said confidently. "Did you search for him?" Her voice cracked with worry.
"We combed the mountains for three days, finding nothing to hint at his location. We came straight here to see if he had come back here.," the ice master replied.
"Only three days?" Nishi's voice was tense, but dark with disappointment. "Did you search every peak? Did you sense for him? Did you-"
The ice master interrupted her, "we did as much as we could. We did not see him. And Airi could hardly handle much more of the cold, else wise we have searched longer, I swear it."
Nishi stood up straighter, closing the distance between the ice master so she stood right in front of him. She was shorter than him, but not afraid of him. "Izo would never do that," she said in a quietly, but commanding voice. "You lost him. You find him." She looked back at Hiei for a brief glance. "You help us find him. And we don't stop looking until we find him."
The ice master looked back down at her, the look she was giving him dared him to say no. "You swear he's not here? Or with his sister? Or hiding somewhere in the Human World?"
"I swear it on my life," she growled. "When do we leave?" she asked in all confidence.
Hiei hated to shatter it. "You can't go, Nishi," he stated. Her eyes went wide at what he said. She turned around, looking hurt at his words. "It's get as cold as -90 degrees Celsius or lower in the Northern Ice Mountains. You'd never survive the cold."
"It is very cold, ma'am," a lilting, female voice came from behind the ice master. The ocean demoness was speaking. "I could barely handle it as a demon myself."
Nishi looked downcast, stepping away from the ice master and over to Hiei. "The Northern Ice Mountains..." she mumbled. Her eyes flashed in sudden recognition. She knew what was up there. "Promise me you'll find him."
"I promise," he swore.
"Promise me you won't stop looking until you find him," she demanded.
"I promise," he swore.
"No matter what, you bring him back here." She blinked. "You will bring him back to me."
"I promise," he swore.
She turned back to the ice master. "You left him... you just assumed... you left him," her voice had that ice cold, deadly tone that Hiei hated to hear used on him. "If you don't help my mate find him, I will make sure the shinobu line dies within the year. Even if I have to hunt all you down myself." Her eyes flicked over at the tiny ocean demoness standing behind the ice master. "She can't handle the cold as well as you three can. She stays here as my hostage until Izo is found, one way or another."
The ocean demoness looked suddenly frightened while the big ice demon looked protective. "No," he spoke. "My apprentice stays with me."
"I won't lose her," Nishi promised with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
The ice master, who looked caught in the wrong, turned back to this big ice demon, hand raised in the air. "She'll be safe here."
The big ice demon looked over to Nishi. "Put her under your protection," he blustered.
Nishi shook her head. "Find my son that you all abandoned in the mountains."
The ice master and the big ice demon seemed to give into her demands, even with how uncomfortable the whole situation blossomed into.
"You have an hour to get ready and go," Nishi demanded. "I want my son returned to me."
No one in the area dared to argue with her.