Galloping over another field they saw the snow covered mountains in the north which was to their left. Nothing but trees was to their right. "Soon it will be the end of summer have you guys had horrible winters" Kamodichi asked Ataku. "Winter wasn't a problem for us. We stored a lot of things in the village cellar for such times and the stronger, more tolerated men distributed food to our homes. Women would cook for them and do winter weather tasks in the house" Ataku told him. "What did you do" he asked. "I'd watch the snow fall" she said remembering.
"It was so pretty, I couldn't help but want to go out and touch it. We had many uses for the ice. For us, it was fresh water. We'd take buckets and put the top layer of thick snow in it then bring it into the warmth to melt" Ataku told him. "Wouldn't the villagers prefer you to do what the other women were doing" he asked. "Most were getting ready to end their pregnancies or starting ones so no" Ataku told him. She shook her head at the thought. "Oh I apologize for asking" Kamodichi said. "So you went outside a lot" he concluded. "When it didn't blizzard. I remember once it Blizzard in our village and we had to stay in the house for weeks eating on the food that we could all share. I sometimes gave my portion to Myro and Faye for they were always hungry" Ataku told him.
"You would go hungry" he said. "I would eat snow" she admitted. "Why the snow" he asked. "It keeps you hydrated" she said it like she had experienced it forever. "Who taught you that" Kamodichi asked. Ataku went silent, it wasn't Hokina. "Is it personal" Kamodichi asked. "No, I just don't know" Ataku said. "I guess maybe that's apart of the memories you lost" Kamodichi told her. "Maybe" she sighed. They traveled on without stopping going down a loop hillside. The trees changed to spade leaf trees and the trees were shorter and farther apart from one another. Of course Ataku had no idea where they were. Kamodichi trotted to find where the posse's trail headed next. As he was going he saw burnt wood and lost things such as clothing, sewn toys and other personal objects until he arrived at the ruin of a village.
Ataku had been following him and gasped at the sight. Her heart swelled with sorrow. Matteo had struck again and maybe worse than her village. Kamodichi shook his head in disappointment. He took a stick that was long and strong. He picked up a piece of burned clothing, he ripped it then tied it around the stick. He stuck it in the ground then cut a mark on the branch with his sword. "I can't believe he destroyed another village" Ataku said. "Yeah I know. This will stand in honor of the dead and to tell us that we have been here before so if we have to retrace our steps or feel like we are lost we know where we are" Kamodichi told her. Ataku nodded and Kamodichi got back on his horse. They turned right in front of the ruin village and headed down a slope with thick under brush. After about sliding down two hills they had begun to lose the trail. They arrived at a thin stream. They rid along side the stream slowly. Ataku and Kamodichi heard sounds from a crowd of people in the distance. Kamodichi had a glint of hope and galloped over the stream with Ataku following. The trees were higher than the other ones and their trunks barely had branches. There leaves blocked out sun and the sky. They heard the crowd of people voices get louder. A huge crowd of people had been gathered in the forest. They had gathered here for a reason too. A woman in red robes and armor with two other men in the same thing flanked her and stood on a wooden stand above the people. "Who are they?" Ataku asked. "Kingdom soldiers" Kamodichi said glaring with hate. Why would Kingdom soldiers be here?
