That morning they were given complimentary cold weather gear and Tea picked up enchanting so she could enchant their gear with more cold resistance before they set out. Immediately the chill in the air coming off the snow bit at Yugis skin even through his heavy snow gear. There were no large winds, the area was rather calm and the path clearly visible so it was easy enough to follow and walk through yet still Yugi trailed in the middle of them. Duke and Tristan lead the way while Joey and Mai walked closely together. Tea walked with her arms folded across her and her head down while Atem followed behind watching Yugi closely. This morning he hadn't said much and looked exhausted as well. He knew he hadn't got much sleep last night but the cold never bothered him this much before and he was worried he was hiding some kind of sickness.

They walked for an hour before they found an abandoned hut on the road. They stopped to investigate as the door was left open but there was no one nearby. Some wood was half chopped around the back of the house as if the owner was in the middle of gathering firewood but where the owner had gone so suddenly was a mystery.

"Maybe he headed back to town to pick something up?" Tea suggested as she rubbed her arms.

"And left the door open?" Duke asked incredulously.

"I've got tracks leading into the trees over there. We could investigate?" Mai suggested.

"Okay, how about Mai and I go, you guys stay here in case he comes back?" Joey suggested.

"Will you guys be okay on your own?" Tea asked.

"Yeah well be fine. We wont be long." Mai said with a thumbs up and they left together following the tracks.

To yugi they looked more like dragging but there was no blood around. Perhaps he was dragging something away into the forest and would be back soon. "Well I'm sure whoever it is wouldnt mind if we waited inside." Duke suggested as he nudged the door open for them.

It was a very small house. The bedroom was partially separated by a thin wall and the rest of the house was a single room with a hearth, a couch and a table for eating at. It was simple, quaint and very old. The hearth had gone out early this morning though, the smell of it still lingered in the air. The owner must have been gathering the firewood for tonight. Dead rabbits were hanging to dry near the hearth, dripping into a pot resting on the floorboards and various herbs and spices were in jars on a shelf nearby. On another shelf were scrolls and papers but no books and candles decorated every other nook and cranny. The windows were glass panels with thin cloth curtains. It would get very cold here at night.

Atem closed the door behind them while Duke tried to light the fire in the hearth but the wood was so charred he couldnt get a spark.

Impatiently Yugi clicked his fingers, magically bringing to life a bright orange flame that danced within the fireplace but burning no wood. Immediately though he felt his strength fall from the effort and he needed to sit down weakly by the fire.

"Yugi, what's wrong?" Tea asked worriedly as she came to crouch beside him.

"I'm okay…. Just…. Cold." Yugi whimpered as he shivered.

"In all that gear?" Duke asked with a cocked brow.

"He was cold last night too. Unusually cold that is." Atem admitted to them, earning himself a tired look from Yugi. He shrugged it off though, his wellbeing was more important than a temporary scowl.

"Hes freezing. You're not coming down with something are you?" Tea asked as she felt his skin.

"I dont… think so… I'm just c-cold."

"Your pulse is pretty slow." Tea said while she counted the beats in his wrist. "Weve got to warm you up somehow. Have you eaten anything unusual?" Tea asked as she pulled him into a tight hug.

"No… what are .. you doing?" He asked.

"Keeping you warm. My healer instincts are telling me that if you get much colder it could be really bad for you."

"That bad huh?" Duke asked. "Well, should we go back?"

"I'm fine. I just need to warm up. I'm okay." Yugi said as he nuzzled into Teas hair. He enjoyed her scent so much it was intoxicating. He could already feel his heart rate increasing as she pressed herself against him. He wasnt feeling much warmer but his energy was returning with her presence. He liked this. If they could stay like this he would be fine.

"Okay well we have to wait for those two to get back anyway." Tristan said. "And they could be longer than we'd like them to be."

"Whys that?" Atem asked innocently.

Tristan and Duke blushed and refused to answer him, leaving him clueless and annoyed.

They were only around half an hour though before they came back, both covered in snow and brushing one another off.

"Well we couldnt find anyone out there." Mai said.

"How hard were you looking?" Duke asked annoyed.

"Hard enough. Theres no one out there. The tracks stopped at the tree line, there was nothing else to follow out there." Joey said.

"What's wrong with Yugi?" Mai asked.

"Yug?"

"Hes very cold. Weve gotta get him moving." Tea said.

"Alright well let's go then. Yug, come on. Race me."

"To… what?" Yugi asked weakly as Atem and Tea helped him stand.

"I dunno, let's just run." Joey said excitedly. He knew what he was doing: trying to get him pumped. He didnt feel like it but he appreciated it all the same.

As they got outside though his legs almost gave out and Joey was there to catch him.

"Woah, Yug. Dude you okay?"

"I'm… fine. Let's just go. The sooner we are through this the … better." Yugi said impatiently as he started leading the way.

"Your not going anywhere lads." A husky voice came from around the corner of the house. A tall man dressed in black thick furs lowered his hood to reveal gruff looking man, thin shaven and scarred. A dirty scowl painted his jaw and his right eye was scarred and milky.

4 others, similarly dressed surrounded them and another 3 aimed bows at them from the roof.

"Where did they come from?" Atem asked no one in particular.

"Who are you people?" Duke asked them.

"Who we are is not important. Who you are though-" one of them said.

"Or rather one in your group." Interrupted another.

"That's a much more interesting story."

"What do you want?" Tea asked bravely.

"Among your group is one who does not belong in low temperatures. If you wanted to kill him there are faster ways." One said.

"But if you don't wish to see him die in this land then youd be best to trust us with him." Another said.

"What are you talking about?" Joey asked.

"If you are rare hunters you're looking in the wrong place. There are no rares among us. Just simple players with a simple desire to cross this snow biome. Leave us be." Atem declared.

"Ah so you either claim ignorance or you do not know. It makes little difference, your friend will be coming with us either way." Said the gruff man.

"Over our dead bodies!" Joey threatened.

"That was the idea." One of the bowman said as he fired an arrow towards them. It hit Joey in his arm, causing him to scream in pain and buckle to his knee immediately.

"Joey!" They screamed.

Tristan brought out his shield to shield them from further attacks and Duke threw a smoke bomb at their feet to try and hide them. Tea moved to Joey to take out the arrow and heal him.

"What do we do?" Mai asked frantically.

"Get inside the hut." Atem ordered them. They moved quickly, barring the door with a chair and moving the shelves over the windows.

"We cant stay in here forever." Mai snapped.

"We need to handle this carefully. They're here for Yugi right?" Duke asked.

"I think that's a safe bet." Tristan said urgentl.

"Okay well Yug you stay inside and keep warm. Atem stay here with him and warm him up with ya fire spells. We will go out and beat these numbskulls to next week." Joey said confidently as he clenched his fist.

"What? Why am I s-staying in here?" Yugi protested.

"Because you cant fight like this Yugi." Atem said to him gently.

"I'm fine. I'm not going to let you fight them without me, especially if it's me they're after." Yugi argued.

"Yugi it's especially because they're after you you should stay in here." Mai said.

"But…"

"we don't have time to argue. Atem keep him here." Tristan said as he raced out of the door. Joey followed quickly, shield and sword in hand.

"Sorry Yugi. Try to get as warm as possible." Tea said as she left too to keep them healed. Duke and Mai left too and closed the door behind them.