"Dear Izo,

It's been weeks by now since you've been up in the North. I've been missing you. We've been missing you. Kaze asks after you still. We've been down in the capital for your sister's wedding to Prince Takashi and a tournament that follows. I wish you could have seen both of them. Hikari looked radiant in her dress and Prince Takashi looked rather dashing. Both of them were so patient with everything the queen planned for the day. I still think she was rather mad at your father and I for our secret, surprise "country bumpkin" wedding all those years ago. She spared no expense at your sisters wedding here.

After the wedding, we had the tournament. King Hayate wanted to show off Hikari's strength, her almost "warrior angel" like persona, even though you as well as I know her demon side is the most dominate. She and I fought in the tournament together, Great Mother, I thought I would not make it out of the arena alive. Well, maybe I exaggerate, but she has grown fierce under the training with your father. I barely defeated her in combat. I suffice to say, had you been there and I fought you instead, I may not have walked out of that arena a victor.

I hope you are managing well in the North. It's not too cold for you up there as it was me, I am certain. I miss the chill of your presence. While we were down in the capital, your father came upon our friend Yukina. When she heard about you staying up in the North, I have to admit she was worried. She asked after you and wants you to leave the North because she worries it isn't safe up there for you. It's ultimately your choice to stay up there, but just be careful.

Your father, brother, and I will be leaving back to Alaric Castle soon. Your sister will be staying down in the capital, and I am a bit nervous if I can admit about that. She'll be one of the few non-elves in the capital, something she's never been much exposed to before. Yusuke and Keiko will be there for her, and Yukina and Kuwabara, but they live in the less affluent area part of the capital. She's learning about elvish culture, but I do worry it might be hard for her to understand. I felt overwhelmed by it coming from the human culture of the South all those years ago. She and Prince Takashi, I am sure love each other, but only a few days after they were wed, at the tournament, Yasha had to derail a fight that almost started with them over a trivial comment she made. You recall, I am sure, how much they used to fight when he was left in our care at Alaric.

I love you and I miss you fiercely. Hopefully one day Maeshu and the other demons will allow you to come back to Alaric Castle for a visit, maybe even a trip to the capital to see your sister. I'm sure she would love to spend time with you again, perhaps spare. Write when you get the chance. Let us know what you've decided.

All my love,

Your mother,

Nanashi Urameshi"

Dear Izo,

I know I have not written you before directly nor have seen you in quite sometime, certainly since the last time I visited Alaric Castle. I have an urgent matter to warn you about. Your father told me to write you about it.

You need to be wary of the ice maidens who live on a floating island near the ice mountains in the North. Your father has kept this as much a secret as he could keep. He descends from one of the ice maidens, who had been taken advantage of by your elvish grandfather.

This ice maidens are dangerous, don't think them being maidens makes them peaceful or safe. They have cut themselves off from the world and from men. They are strict, rigid, emotionless, and cruel. Those who don't adhere from their norms are hunted down and murdered. They would have killed your father had they not assumed him dead when he was thrown from their floating island as an infant. I managed to allude them when I escaped from them, but not without, among other things, sheer luck.

You need to get out of the North, away from the demon area. Or at the very least, stay to the far away from the ice mountains. If they sense you, they will hunt you down and kill you. They might even hunt down your family members as well if they find out your father is alive. Your sister might be safe in the capital, but everyone else is certainly at risk if you are caught.

Do not go after them. Do not hunt them down. Do not provoke them. If they come for you, run. Don't fight. Go as far south as South goes if that's what it takes.

I hope you are not offended by my warning you, like I am somehow assuming you are too weak to fight them, but they will come after you in a squad. They'll overwhelm you and kill you. Please, if you won't leave the North, at least be sure you avoid them and the ice mountains no matter what.

Sincerely,

Yukina"

Maesu held both letters to Izo in her hand in her private tent. One from his mother, one from what was at the very least his father's friend, maybe even his kin. Maesu had wondered how a mixed race boy like that ended up being an ice elemental in dominant. She had been suspicious of what this Yukina's letter had said, but was unsure until know. This confirmed her suspicion. The boy was a descendant of an ice maiden, not the co-ed ice demon tribe like Touya was. His grandfather had been awful to her and the other demons he dominated for years up here, but in her mind, this was a low even for him. How Ichiro had even managed to get an ice maiden pregnant was a new low, even for him. Maesu puzzled at that, having thought Ichiro was gay based on the young demon males he would have dragged into his tent when ever he was lonely. He had been wealthy when he came over to their area of Alaric...

She fiddled with Yukina's letter, reading it over once more. She begged Izo to avoid the ice mountains... It risked the ice maidens sensing him and hunting him. The boy represented his sister, who was handed control of Alaric all because of a whim of Lord Mukuro's. His sister and her parents had abandoned them demons up here, ignoring them for years, which allowed Ichiro's dominance. They never bothered to come check. They never cared until Hikari had been kidnapped. Then they bothered to notice there was a problem.

Maesu heard someone outside of her tent, seeing their shadow on the tent flap. She folded up the letter in her hand into a tiny square before shoving it into her pocket. "Come in," she called. She hoped it was who she had asked for earlier.

In came the ice demon shinobi, Touya, just the person she was interested in seeing. He had been born from the ice demon clan that was separate from the ice maidens. The shinobi ninjas were his brothers and sisters, like a fraternal order, a brotherhood, that went beyond kin. Beyond race even as there was half demon, half elf in their mix. Measu, being appointed the leader of the demon tribes up here after Ichiro had been overthrown, was deemed fit now to task them to do things around the North, almost policing if she chose it. Their numbers had dwindled thanks to Ichiro.

"My lady," he greeted with a polite bow. She nodded her head to him in turn. "I was bid to tell you the shinobi would like to leave the area soon, before the other clans do, to avoid the crowd," he said. "We are interested to hear of tasks you might want for us. If you have none, we would like your leave to recruit more demons into our ranks."

"Why yes, I do have a task for you," she preempted. "Can you explore one of the outposts Ichiro had, but abandoned. The one by the ice mountains. I want it torn down and the resources shared amongst the tribes you can reach."

"Just that outpost, my lady?" he asked questioning.

"For the shinobi, yes," she answered. "I can have other groups destroy other outposts he set up as well."

"Yes ma'm," he said, nodded his head. "Can I ask you what you plan for the representative, Izo? Will he being staying close to you as you travel around the North?"

"Why do you ask?" she said, almost purring. "Are you interested in recruiting him?"

"Well, actually yes. It's rare for an ice demon male to be so strong. I saw him fight with his mother's kinsman. With his talent and ability, and my tutelage, I feel he may be a great addition to our ranks," Touya explained.

Maesu smiled at this and how smoothly this worked. She had heard the other day the shinobi were looking prospectively at the boy. It was all too easy. "Very well, you may ask him. If he says yes, then he may join you and your shinobi brotherhood in destroying the outpost by the ice mountains," she ruled.

"Thank you, my lady," Touya said, bow once more. "May I have your leave to go seek out Izo then?"

"Yes, I think that would be best," she agreed. "Before you do, I have a letter for him. If you wouldn't mind, could you deliver it to him for me?" She held out Nanashi's letter for him to take. "It's from his mother."

"No bother, my lady," Touya said, holding two hands out to take the letter from her. "Have a good evening, my lady," he added, walking backwards until he was out of the tent.

Maesu allowed herself to smile broadly once he was gone. She pulled out Yukina's letter to Izo, reading over one more time in privacy. After that, she followed back up into a tiny square, and left her tent. She went over to the cooking area. In the nearest fire, she threw the letter into it, watching it burn into nothing. She looked up at where the boy Izo was sitting. She saw Touya walking towards him. She smiled at the sight of it.