Глава 6

Obi pops in a window to greet Zen,who is reading stacks of books with Mitsuhide, as "Master". Zen reminds him he is not his "Master". Mitsuhide warns that if Obi continues using the trees as means for transportation, the guards will end up arresting him. Obi informs them that the messenger Zen sent to the Raxd Fortress, never returned. Concerned about the inability to successfully contact the fort, and worried for the soldiers safety, Zen and the others prepare to travel there themselves.

In the pharmacy office, Garrack nails the map of the land with a knife from across the room. Where it lands, she chooses as the town to buy herbs from. Zen overhears, looking in the window for Shirayuki and offers to go, the town being just north of Raxd Fortress, but Garrack declines immediately. The prince has no place running errands. Shirayuki enters and is assigned the task abruptly.

Kiki, Zen, and Mistuhide head out towards Raxd on horseback, Shirayuki riding with Mitsuhide. Unable to take her all the way due to their rush, they drop her near the town she needs to visit, and continue on.

When they arrive at the Raxd Fortress, they find it silent and deserted. No one is keeping watch and no guards stand outside. after a moment of calling, a boy (Shuka) rattles around inside bursting through the front gate. The boy, Shuka, is weak and shabby, relieved to see Mitsuhide and Kiki but alarmed by Zen's presence. He warns the prince to leave, that he won't be able to leave if he enters.

Obi drops out of the trees, startling Shuka, warning that everyone inside the fort is sleeping. Shuka warns that the fortress is possessed by an evil spirit, afflicting all inside. one by one the soldiers dropped, even the doctor. Zen begins to walk around, investigating the cause, promising Shuka that he will not over do himself. He tells Shuka to rest now because he has endured enough. Obi and Zen find the armory door open, returning to the others, they inform them that it is empty. Clearly a robbery, Obi is prepared to hunt the thieves down, but first he is sent to fetch Shirayuki.

Shirayuki arrives and begins treating the soildiers while Shuka explains the situation. The doctor had said when things got out of hand, that in this season, his medicine could not keep up. Zen questions Shiriyuki about that, to which she informs him, cold stunts medicines effect. They would need more than twice the normal amount of herbs to treat anything. She then tries to send Zen out of the fort, worried he may fall ill. They argue until Mitsuhide takes Zen outside.

While reading and comparing the doctors notes by the fire, Shirayuki finds herself unstable and falls to the ground. According to the notes, it took days for the soldiers to become effected. Remembering that they take shifts outside, she realizes something in the room must be the cause. Shriyuki wobbles he way out the front gate where the others are sitting in the snow. She warns them not to light their fire, the wood is the cause of the illness. It's poisoned. The wood was diversion for the armory theft.

After seeing that Shuka is up and able to walk around, Zen asks Shirayuki to stay longer and care for the soldiers until everyone is completely well. Zen, Mitsuhide, and Kiki head off with Obi, who has found the thieves, to confront them. While they are away, Shuka shares with Shirayuki his fear that after this embarrassing blunder, Zen may not want return to visit them again. That he will be ashamed of their fort. Shirayuki assures him that all Zen is concerned with now, is their recovery and that they are safe.

When Zen and the other confront the thieves, they find themselves a laughingstock. Unaware who they are speaking to, the thieves heckle them. Seeing Kiki they laugh harder, and tell them to leave her with them and just go away. After this banter they take the group down, and return with the armor. Zen is excited to see everyone is on their feet and greets them at the gate.

## Персонажи

* Зен Висталия
* Оби
* Митсухидэ Роэн
* Кики Сэйран
* Гарак Газельт
* Ятсуфуса
* Рю
* Шираюки