Wrapped in long cloaks, the ikkou trudges through a snowy mountain pass. Goku and Gojyo gripe about the cold, and Hakkai reminds them that this wasn't his idea: a villager told them the only way west was over this mountain. Gojyo hopefully asks if there might be a village or an inn on the way. Hakkai doubts anyone lives up here-- but then a flight of arrows zings into the snow at their feet. Go home! get off this mountain! yells a young, angry voice, and we see the archers are a gang of little kids. People from the village aren't supposed to come up here, they say, and Gojyo's attempt to explain that they aren't villagers is just met with more arrows. Ignore them, growls Sanzo, and the ikkou takes off at a gallop through the blinding snow--and runs right off the path, landing in a heap (not too far) below.
A tall figure, dressed for the weather and muffled up in scarf and goggles, finds the unconscious foursome...
We see a pot of soup bubbling over the fire. Sanzo's eyes slowly open; he sees a youkai bending over him and in a flash has the demon by the collar, pistol at his head--but we can see that this youkai is the one who rescued them. Wow, you're fast, says the stranger mildly, and then Hakkai and Gojyo chime in to assure their leader that the demon, whose camp they're in, is their benefactor. Quite a greeting, says the big guy, amused; you're pretty violent for a monk. [He has a nice smile, dark hair and grey eyes; a deep voice and a steady, calm presence.] Sanzo snorts; so, a youkai not affected by the Minus Wave, he says. --Something like that. --The youkai passes Sanzo a bowl of soup. Gojyo adds with tipsy happiness that there's sake' in it, and Goku is already sound asleep by the fire =). Sanzo accepts the bowl with poor grace and irritatedly asks why the group is so relaxed. Hakkai replies that there's not much more they can do right now, as the snowstorm has turned into a blizzard. The big youkai [I'll go ahead and say that his name is Yakumo] adds t
Envuelto en largas capas, el ikkou camina penosamente por un paso de montaña nevado. Goku y Gojyo se quejan del frío, y Hakkai les recuerda que esta no fue su idea: un aldeano les dijo que el único camino hacia el oeste era sobre esta montaña. Con suerte, Gojyo pregunta si podría haber un pueblo o una posada en el camino. Hakkai duda que alguien viva aquí, pero luego un vuelo de flechas zumba en la nieve a sus pies. ¡Vete a casa! ¡Bájate de esta montaña! grita una voz joven y enojada, y vemos que los arqueros son una pandilla de niños pequeños. Se supone que la gente de la aldea no debe venir aquí, dicen, y el intento de Gojyo de explicar que no son aldeanos se encuentra con más flechas.
