I own nothing!

"Did you do this?"

Usagi had to exert a lot of self-control not to smirk. In truth, he would have been hard-pressed to have come up with something so ingenious let alone execute such a plan. He eyed one big, fat flake of snow as it drifted down to tickle his nose before melting there. Then he looked back to the bat Kashira whose black fur and wings were already being covered in the fluffy, white wetness also coating all around them.

The forest area their enemies had sought refuge in was now in the midst of a heavy snowfall. Yesterday, a chill rain that turned to ice had gone on from some time after they'd paused to rest until well after the sun came up, though it then shone through clouds. Before the sun had set again it began to snow and had never entirely stopped since.

Usagi had heard many whispered complaints about ice on wings, pneumonia, and other possibilities if one dared to fly in such weather among the ninja shivering in the tree above them. Apparently their kashira agreed, because he and Lord Noriyuki had been shivering themselves in the small den beneath the great tree their captors were trying to take shelter in for some time. They'd only seen their captors when they threw them food. No one had asked one or both of them to come out until now. He'd been asked by Kurokaze himself.

He finally looked back to meet the Kashira of the Komori clan's narrowed gaze and answered his question. "How could I have done this?"

"Magic, a spell, an enchantment of great power meant to foil us!"

The Ronin raised an eyebrow. "'I' am a Samurai not a magician. Perhaps you should look elsewhere as to who is to blame for this." He meant of course the ninja himself as he thought if Noriyuki or Tomoe Ame had such a powerful friend somewhere to get such help from, he would have seen far less fear in their eyes than he had the past few days. However, the universe, if it was indeed fair, likely had little reason to treat the Komori ninja clan well today, yesterday, or for some time in the future. Perhaps someone powerful somewhere 'had' decided to take his and Lord Noriyuki's side. This idea was why Usagi had a hard time not smirking before the Kashira of the Komori ninja clan who was glaring at him now.

Lord Noriyuki stuck his head out just enough to watch anxiously as rabbit ronin and bat Kashiri stared at one another. Usagi was trying to look bland and bored. Kurokaze was looking cold literally and figuratively. The panda cub, meanwhile, looked as he was, petrified at the possible outcomes of this conversation he watched.

Finally, the ninja leader spoke again. "If it were not for your honor, ronin, I would be disbelieving you right now. The fact you surrendered to us, and the way I heard you tended to my daughter after she fell ill flying through a rainstorm would together be more than enough for me to hand you over to my torture-masters to ply their trade on you until you called off this display of power over the skies. While I have heard many crazy tales of you, though, and seen amazing feats from your myself, I have not yet heard of, nor seen, displays of magic from you before. Besides, I think your body needs to stay healthy and warm to keep Lord Noriyuki's the same until we fly both of you to those who patiently await your delivery."

Usagi then asked the question he dreaded an answer to. "And food, how much food have you for us both let alone yourselves?"

A ninja Komori in the tree snapped. "I knew it! He 'is' responsible for this! He is trying to see when to break the spell!"

The Kashiri of the Komori turned on his ninja. "Silence!" Then he looked back to Usagi. "If you must know, the ninja I do not intend to have carry you or the Geisha Daimyo are on short-rations already. But do not think this means any attempts at escape will be successful. Even you, let alone the cub, do not have enough woodcraft to fail to leave tracks in this snow. Besides, we know these woods well in all weather. The cub will remain healthier longer if you stay with us.

Usagi nodded. "Indeed, if I 'did' have power over the skies I would have made it rain warm droplets to form a fine mist to hide us in from you, not this cold snow to cover us and the ground and chill our fur and bones."

"Indeed, but such other weather would have been useless to you, Usagi, since 'we' can know where our enemies are even if we do not see them. Even in darkness, the Komori can see."

Usagi raised a brow at this. He'd heard such stories of what Komori, particularly Komori ninja, were capable of before. He hadn't known if he'd believed them. The Kashira Komori now gestured with a wing to Noriyuki's peeking head. "Now, go warm the cub again."

Usagi gave the slightest of bows not wanting to irritate the already far more irritated than usual ninja leader. Then he turned. Lord Noriyuki's head was pulled back into the den long before he entered it himself. He curled up with the cub once more. The child spoke. "Usagi, are we going to be rescued?"

"We shall see, Lord Noriyuki. For now, things are not as bad as they could be, and I do not think this snowstorm stretches far, but we are in the midst of still powerful enemies even if they be somewhat stymied for now."

Noriyuki shivered. "I wish they were stymied by something less cold."

Now Usagi let himself smile. "As do I, Daimyo of the Geisha Clan." He sighed, his warm breath showing in the chill air of their shelter. "As do I."

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes