[Kanji_The_Wanderer]

We fly all day on Gana's back. I start to feel drowzy. I ate all my cheese, and some of the jerky. Gana was soft. Nozomi was afraid but she managed to fall asleep pressing her head against my back. She was sort of mumbling. She must of been dreaming.

I could tell that Gana too was getting tired. She started to fly slower. "Gana, take us down, the sun is setting and you have to rest." Gana knods her big head and brings us down. Gana goes back below the clouds. She decides to land on the Misty Mountains for awhile.

Good, I think to myself. We are half way at Asgard. We can rest here for about an hour then go back to the skies. We might reach Asgard by daybreak if we are lucky..

It was no warmer on the Misty Mountain peaks. Snow was everywhere. I told Gana to go hunt, and bring up her stamina. She knods again obeyingly and takes off to find a meal. I look around. Nozomi is holding onto me, still wearing my robes. She is sleepy but realived to be on solid ground.

I find us a cave and bring her inside. I start a fire with a few nearby sticks and stones. I sit in front of it and fry up some jerky that Gruntz gave me. Nozomi falls asleep again while she rests on my left arm.

"It is the first time we are alone." I say to Nozomi quietly to break the silence. "It is kind of weird actually, this is the first time we aren't looking for Ichirin."

I don't know if she hears me but I continue...she may be asleep already. "things have gotten really crazy since I met you guys. Our group has grown and we have seen alot. I have been all over the world before but Iwas always alone. I have never traveled with a companion."

I rub Nozomi's head. I think of Shima again. Why? I don't want to think of Shima anymore...Why can't I just let her go? I look into the fire, to change my thinking. The flames are so bright. The wood crackles under the heat...My body is no longer cold.