Traveling

As if some miracle, the snow had stopped enough that the group could move forward with their plans for travel. In the end, the travel party was small. Hitsugaiya and Himeko opted to go, along with taking Chihiro with them. Of course that would lead to some difficulties, and it did lead to many arguments between Kaeruko and them. By the end, Himeko had convinced Kaeruko to allow it. After all, even if it was dangerous, Chihiro would not fare well without her parents. Beyond that, they were the ones best suited to travel with the group. It seemed only correct that they would be their companions. 

Chihiro seemed quite enthusiastic about the chance to travel without the rest of the tribe. She looked like a little snowman dressed up in heavy winter clothing, but the toothy grin on her face made it quite clear how excited she was to explore with her family. In the end, they did decide to bring a sheow with them. It only made sense, especially with the addition of Chihiro. If she got sleepy, she could just sleep on top of the sheow as they continued to travel. Not to mention but it would give her a job to do to keep her occupied, which was equally as important during a journey like this. 

There was no grand goodbye party or send off, as was requested by Kaeruko and Kumako alike. A send off would make it seem too real for them. Neither wanted to think about the very real possibility that this would be their last time seeing home. Such thoughts were not pleasant or welcomed. Doubt had no place within their minds, and regret would only hold them back at this rate. Himeko and Hitsugaiya had agreed. 

The travel route was simple. They would begin by traveling further east, to avoid getting into the path of chaos directly. They would travel until they would reach the coast, by a small place called The Valley. There they would be able to rest up, and stock up, before heading down south. Thankfully it was a fairly straight journey to Qasr Alshams from there, so long as they were able to get through the vast forests and then desert in between The Valley and Qasr Alshams. Sitria estimated that so long as they were able to move quickly, they should be to Qasr Alshams within two months. The snow surprisingly made it much easier to move, since they could simply use sleds for the time being. Sitria even offered herself up to drive one of the sleds so they didn't have to care for more than one sheow. Everything was set and in order. 

On a dark morning with grey clouds and thick fog covering the Hourou, Kaeruko, Kumako, Himeko, Hitsugaiya, and Chihiro looked back at their home. It would be the last time that they would see it for a long while. Chihiro held onto her mother tightly, waving goodbye to her home. Kumako and Kaeruko stood close together, and Hitsugaiya had an arm around his wife. No one wanted to be the first to say goodbye, to turn their backs and begin the perilous journey that would lie ahead. After a lifetime, Kumako turned their back to the tribe and began to walk along Sitria. Hitsugaiya and Himeko followed, with Kaeruko being the last. Everyone was still asleep in the Hourou tribe. 

The morning was rather cold as they moved farther and farther from home. Their leather boots were thick enough to keep the wet out, and thankfully they had warming herbs in their gloves and shoes to keep frostbite away. The snow had become a sheet, even and hard. It wasn't quite as slick as Ice, but it was still slow to get across for the time being. Kumako could not wait until the sun's beams would warm them up, even if it was just a little. 

Their cheeks had become red from the chill, and the fur around their head didn't seem to be enough at all. They missed their fire in their yurta at home desperately, as well as the warm soup that they had eaten the night before. They stood close to Sitria in an attempt to stay warm, the great white bear almost disappearing into the white scenery. They were grateful that she had chosen to take that form. It was so warm, and it seemed far more suited to this weather than other options. Kumako let out a frosted breath, shaking a bit before they leaned against Sitria. No one said a word for almost an hour. It felt as cold and empty as the snowy landscape ahead of them. 

White trees lined the horizon as the sun peaked out in small streams from the gray clouds in the sky. The smell of morning and fresh pine filled the air, and birds began to chirp and move about the landscape without a care in the world. Their song began to fill the air and the silence that had overtaken the group. Even with only a few rays of light in the sky, it felt warmer. The snow crunching beneath their feet and the young wind blowing in from the north reminded the group of the cold. 

A few more hours passed. The dawn has quickly dissipated into day, although the sky did not turn blue. It remained a sad grey with small peaks of sunlight every once in a while. The birds became quieter as time marched on, and their voices became replaced with the voices of the travelers. Chihiro had been the one to begin chatting, asking Kaeruko to tell a story to pass the time. She had started to tell a story, only for Sitria to interject and add upon it. That turned into an extensive conversation, and now the group was laughing and chatting the time away. By noon, when they made a temporary camp, the sullen mood had melted away into cheerful excitement. Hitsugaiya began to make a stew over the fire, throwing potatoes, carrots, and some of the meat they had carried in. The sheow made a rather loud yawning noise as it laid down in the snow, covering it's wooly fur in white. Chihiro began to run around, playing with a kendama that she had brought along to entertain herself with. Kaeruko prepared tea, and laid out mugs for everyone. Of course, only Kaeru and Kuma had the special frog and bear cups. Sitria laid down as well and stretched herself out, extending her paw out like a cat only to relax it. Himeko took the resting time to work on a knitting project she had brought. She had insisted that she needed something to pass the time, and this seemed the perfect thing to do. Inga sat by Himeko and watched her with fascination in his eyes, for once rather quiet. Kumako laid themself against Sitria, closing their eyes to rest a bit more. They would have at least another 6 to 7 hours of walking ahead of them, after all. They already wished for the warm comfort of sleep that would come at the end of the day. 

"Food is ready." Hitsugaiya announced calmly, handing out bowls to everyone so that they could serve themselves. Himeko played her knitting down and whistled for Chihiro to come over to eat. Kumako sat up and stretched, yawning before they too got up to retrieve food. 

"It smells so yummy!" Chihiro exclaimed with a bright smile, clapping her hands as Himeko handed her the bowl. 

"Don't spill any of it now, and eat slowly. We can't stop for food after this until we reach our next camping sight. Make sure to eat all of your carrots too." Himeko instructed her, earning an eye roll from the small dark haired child. 

"Yes mama." She said, immediately digging into the stew and getting it all over her face. Once everyone was seated and eating, Sitria got herself food as well. The sheow also got lunch, though that was in the form of grass from a patch that had been defrosted just for her. She seemed quite happy to have grass for the first time in a while. Something about soggy grass from freshly melted snow was delicious to her. 

"This is really good, I have to say. You have out done yourself, Hitsu." Himeko hummed, laying her head against his shoulder affectionately. Kaeruko smiled as she glanced at the two. 

"I have been too busy lately to cook. It is nice to be able to make food for everyone. Although I could never compare to you Hime." Hitsugaiya said affectionately, kissing his wife's head. 

"I am jealous. You two are so close." Kaeru mused, resting her head against her hand as she looked at the two. She was dressed similarly to Kumako, a large fur lined coat covering her head, her face red with cold. Her eyes seemed to mimic the grey sky, or perhaps it was more that the sky was mimicking her. 

"It takes a lot of work. We have not always been this secure in our relationship." Himeko admitted. "There was a time that I thought we would not be able to make it work. But with enough time and effort, its become something wonderful." Himeko kissed his forehead. Hitsugaiya smiled softly. His normally harsh features and strong face melted into softness with her kiss. 

"I would be lost without Himeko. If I am being frank, The only reason that we have made it so far is because of her. But there is no real reason to be jealous. I am sure that one day you will find your person as well. Just be patient." Kaeru nodded and smiled at the two, taking in the advice. 

"Do you even have anyone you like, Kaene?" Kumako asked, raising an eyebrow at their sister. They certainly hadn't heard about anything, but then again, perhaps she was hiding it from them. 

"No, I just… I guess for a moment there, I had thought that I did. I realized that it wouldn't work out. At least, not until we finish our mission. There is far too much that we have to do." Kaeru blushed slightly. Suddenly Chihiro peaked up from her meal, soup dripping down her chin. 

"Kaerukone has a crush?! Ew! That is gross." Chihiro made a face. "Don't be like mama and dad. They are gross all the time." She huffed, groaning as Himeko wiped her face. 

"I agree. Gross." Kumako teased, nudging her shoulder. "Who was it? I mean, I know it doesn't really matter but I need to know. You never said anything to me about it before, after all." They pouted, though it was more teasing than anything. To them, it was amusing that Kaeruko actually had feelings for someone else. After all, it was hard to imagine their oh so serious sister ever having feelings. 

"It is not important--"

"IT WAS KAMI!" Inga yelled, jumping up from his hiding place. Kumako nearly spit their food out. 

"Kaminoko?! The priestess???" Kumako yelled, and both Himeko and Hitsugaiya looked surprised as well. Kaeruko swung back and smacked the spirit before she bit the inside of her cheek. 

"It is not that important. We are gone anyways and besides it wouldn't have worked out." Kaeruko sighed deeply. "She was… she was mad when we left. I understand why but.. We didn't end on a good note. So there is not a reason to dwell on it any further." 

"I am just surprised… Growing up she always seemed so… far off. It is hard for me to understand how you ended up liking her." Kumako muttered, looking at their sister confused. "I mean what did you see in her?" 

Himeko giggled a bit. 

"I am interested in knowing this too. She was terrifying." Hitsugaiya noted, though he was smiling as if he already knew the answer. Kaeru relented. There was no avoiding this conversation it seemed.

"I suppose… She was just incredible. She was always so sure of herself, calm, and collected… she always knew what to do and when I thought I had lost everything, she was there. I admire her greatly, more than I have ever admired anyone else. She helped me become more of a leader, and…" She looked down. "I have never felt so broken over someone being mad at me. It felt like we did break up, even if we were never dating in the first place." It was clearly difficult for her, but Kumako wasn't sure what to say to her. It was the first time that they had really heard her be so.. Melancholic. 

"I didn't realize you had felt that way.. Now I get why you were so upset after that talk with her." Kumako said softly, gently hugging their sister. "But it will be okay. We will be back home soon enough, and when we do, everyone will want you." Kumako teased. Kaeru laughed a bit. Chihiro made a face. 

"Wait wait wait. Did you say you like Lady Priestess? Is that even allowed?" Chihiro asked with a high pitched tone. 

"Yes dear. You are allowed to love whoever you want." Himeko said, gently fixing Chihiro's hood. 

"But that's not like you and dad! Priestess is a girl. How can you have a family if you are both girls?" 

Kaeru bit her cheek again. She didn't want to say anything. 

"That doesn't matter! You can love a girl if you want, or you can love a boy. You can love anyone you want, so long as it makes you happy." Hitsugaiya responded, clearing his throat slightly. "Plus, you can have a family no matter who is in it. Think about Memeobasan." Memeobasan, or just Meme, was Chihiro's grandmother. "She lives with Yamatoobasan, and they had mama." 

"Memeobasan and Yamatoobasan are different. They are old." Chihiro argued. "Old people are lonely." 

"Chihiro! Don't be rude." Himeko scolded her, flicking her forehead slightly. "They raised me together even when they were young. They haven't always been old." 

"Wait really???" Chihiro was already learning lots of amazing things on this journey. The conversation continued on like that for a bit. Suddenly Chihiro laid her eyes on Kumako. "What about Kumako?" 

"What about me?" Kumako asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling. 

"You aren't a girl or a boy, right?" She asked, tilting her head. 

"Yup. I am just me." Kumako grinned, winking at her. She giggled in response. Sitria however sat her head up then and looked almost baffled. 

"That reminds me… You dress both feminine and masculine. I did not really think about that until now. How did you come to that conclusion?" Inga asked, though only Kumako and Kaeruko could hear. 

"Ah.. I guess Ive always been this way. I never really thought of myself as one or the other. Mom always said that I was closer to the spirits because of it. I guess that is true now." Kumako sighed. "But that is okay. I like being just Kumako. Unlike you guys I couldn't really live up to being a woman or a man." 

"I see. That makes sense." Inga and Chihiro said in unison. Inga laughed at the coincidence. The rest of the meal they spoke about silly things, including Chihiro's love for the ocean even though she had never once seen the ocean. Himeko decided it was best to keep the fact that they would likely get to see the ocean a secret, more or less to ensure that Chihiro didn't drone on about it the entire trip. That would have been a bit painful to sit through. 

They traveled for nearly 5 hours straight. They only took a small break to use the bathroom, and by the end of hour 5 going into hour 6, they were all exhausted. The sun was already gone, and the night sky shone clearly above their heads. They stopped and made a quick camp, putting up tents and fires, feeding everyone, and then they all went to sleep. The next morning they did it all again. 

This pattern continued for almost a week. Occasionally they would stop to hunt if they saw deer or other food sources, but the majority of their time was spent walking. It was perhaps for the best, considering that they had a lot of ground to cover. The weather seemed to be the same grey cold everyday, but there was hope that they would evade a snow storm before reaching the next town. It was a major concern, after all. If they got caught in a snowstorm, it could set them back for weeks. As soon as the smoke billowing from chimneys was made clear in the distance, a sense of relief came over the group. That meant that there was a chance to stay at an inn, or at least, inside a barn to stay warm. 

Once they arrived in the small city, it became clear that this wasn't a normal place. At least, not like any place they had been before. The only times they had ever gotten close to a city of any size was for supplies, and most of the time they were run out. This town however was made of stones. Houses lined the stone made streets, and there was no snow on the ground. Smoke came from chimneys, and people walked back and forth along the roads. Yet at the gates of the town, not a single guard was posted. They were flung wide open, and no one even glanced their ways as they made it through the large wood gate. 

It was an odd little city. The outer gates which blocked out the chaos were made of what seemed to be steel and wood. A thick wood with a deep red color, unlike anything that the group had seen previously. Reenforcing it were dark black steel beams, and at the top were sharp edges made to look decorative. The two wide bases by the gate were decorated in carvings of what looked to be ravens and other creatures of the woods. It was ornate and unlike anything that they had seen in this area. It looked far more like Dom-styled architecture than Valley-folk. Leaves of craven wood, deep rivers dipping into rich pools with strange creatures in the center. If time had allowed, one could stare at the art on those bases for hours and still not see every detail. They did not have the luxury of time, and yet it still was captivating. 

The people here were dressed far differently than the travelers. They wore furry hats, and long coats with fur trim at the bottom. The women's hands were covered by fur-covered tubes, and they were uncomfortable looking shoes with heels that were unnatural. The large coats had embroidery on them, going up the arms and down the center of the coats where they came together with what looked to be buttons. They were unalike any buttons that the group had seen previously though. They looked like little pearls, smooth, round, and creamy in color. They stuck out from the dark wooly fabric beautifully, adding to the aesthetic of the outfit. The women's hair were all done up differently and were strange in color. It was not like the tribe at home. Young women had light colored hair that curled up in strange ways, like large silky loops that shone even in the dim light of the day. 

The men were dressed differently than the woman, something that struck Kumako particularly as odd. They wore tall furry hats and had short hair close to their heads. They too had long coats that were absent of the fancy pearls and swirling embroidery. Instead the hoods of their long coats looked to have bear fur on it, coarse and thick. Each man had a different color of coat, though it was hard to tell if that had meaning or not. They wore leather boots of black that shone as they stepped, and it seemed that their eyebrows were furrowed in a harsh contortion of disapproval. Though it was hard to say whether they actually were upset, or if that was simply how they always looked. Their hair too was lighter, and thick beards and mustaches covered their faces. The mustaches were curled up at the ends, and the beards were braided in several places downwards. Facial hair was only common amongst the elderly at home, so this too felt surprising for the travelers. The group stood at the gate, staring at the streets and people passing by with a million thoughts and questions in their heads. Yet it seemed as if none would reach the brisk air. 

"Стоп. Что вы делаете? Паспорты?" A rather large man with a thick brown beard and no hair on his head approached up, raising a gloved hand as if expecting the group to hand him something. The group stood silently, not sure what he had said. Actually, it was odd. None of them, not even Himeko, had ever heard such a language before. It was smooth and yet harsh at the same time. The r's had a rolling quality about them, very different from their own. In fact it sounded nothing like an Hourou's r. Constances mushed together in ways that none of them had thought possible. It sounded unnatural, and strange. Nothing like Valley-folk speech.

"Простите нам, у нас нет паспортов. Мы из Хоро, и Мы хотим всего лишь переночевать в отеле. Восможно?" Sitria spoke up suddenly, and the man jumped back with wide icy blue eyes. Kumako looked back at Sitria, shocked too. She did not hesitate to speak here, and it seemed like she spoke this language perfectly. They were definitely going to question her about this later on. 

"О, Господи, помилуй меня, молю тебя". The man stumbled backwards and suddenly went on his knees and clasped his hands together. Sitria spoke to him for a few moments longer, and soon enough the man was leading the group to what could only be assumed to be an inn. The man spoke feverishly to the innkeeper, who nearly coughed up the chewing tobacco he had in his mouth. It was not long before they were set up in a rather large room, with several beds raised above the ground. They had steel frames holding them up, and it was empty underneath. 

"Mama, why is the futon up like this?" Chihiro asked, tilting her head. "And this yurta looks weird… I don't really get it. But I really like it." She jumped onto the bed and suddenly her eyes widened. It was bouncy. She began to jump up and down, giggling with glee at the newfound toy. 

"It is not a futon, it is a raised bed. They are fun, but please do not jump around too much and get hurt." Himeko said as she unpacked the essentials. Kumako meanwhile looked sharply at Sitria, who looked as if she had shrunk down in size so that she could better fit within the confines of the wooden building. She was currently sitting by the fireplace that was roaring with warmth. 

"Sitria! How do you know this weird language and what did you say to that guy?" Kumako asked sharply, looking at the bear who sighed deeply. 

"He asked us if we had passports and I told him no. This area must be a new expansion of Rus. Surprising since this used to belong to the Valley folk, but not the worst thing in the world. They worship me as well, and I suppose he just figured that I was a great spirit." She laid her head down on a rug and took a lazy breath. "This is actually my native language. It was only after I had become a proper goddess that other nations started to worship me. Originally, it was just these guys." 

"Oh. I had not realized that the goddess actually originated from one particular place… I suppose I always just assumed that you had, I guess appeared." Kaeruko said, sitting on the edge of her bed. 

"It isn't particularly important where I started. Besides, the world is very different from when I was here. The most important thing is that we are able to get to Qasr Alshams. We will stay here the night, and then we will move on." Sitria didn't quite seem bothered. Inga didn't seem satisfied with this. 

"Sitria, not to be a bother, but don't you think that you should bless them with the gift of language? It will do us no good if you have to be the one to talk no matter where we are." Inga said, tilting his head slightly. "I can help Kaeruko, but I am not strong enough to extend that."

"Hmm… I guess that would be helpful." Himeko and Hitsugaiya had gotten used to the idea that there was someone in their party that they could not see. Chihiro didn't seem to mind at all. If anything, Inga was not fully convinced she could not see him. "What do you think, Kuma?" 

"I obviously think that would be beneficial. I didn't really think about the language barrier until now. We know Valley folk speech, and that is about it minus our home tongue." Kumako said, wondering what other languages were in this world. There was so much that they did not know about this world. As scary as it was, it was also exciting. Wood buildings with black metal holding them together, beds that were raised from the floor, strange women with light hair despite being youthful… Even just this was exciting. They couldn't wait to see what else would lay ahead of them. Sitria sat up properly after that and took another deep breath.

"Fine fine. I will do that tonight." The white bear rolled around so her back was facing the fire. "Everyone should rest up. They said that they would give us dinner and drinks. However I do not recommend that we stay here long." 

"Why is that?" Kaeruko asked, looking down at the map she had pulled from her bag. 

"Because, this place worships the Raven."