Year of the Boar, Eleventh Month, Day 18.

We have been forced to stop at another inn. Riko, one of the younger maids has taken ill and even I am not heartless enough to force her to continue riding in this bitter wind if she ails. I cannot help but think that this is a ploy to slow my journey. Perhaps she is not ill at all and this is merely a stalling tactic intended to isolate me here with no guards to protect me. In my haste to escape Shigeru’s threat, perhaps I have fallen straight into a trap. 

I do not know what to do. The weather has worsened in the few days we have been travelling; the first snow has fallen and it will not be long before winter truly sets in and we are at the mercy of biting blizzards. If we do not arrive at the Summer House before then, I do not know what we will do. 

I realise as I write, that I have not given this plan nearly enough thought. Once the snow begins to fall in earnest, I will be forced to remain at the Summer House until the spring… How stupid I have been. Why did I not just wait until Seira came back…? She would know exactly what to do. I should never have let her go away with no idea of when she would return. 

Atsuko says she has given the Diplomats strict instructions and that they have sent to Shimmering Dawn for soldiers in case Shigeru does make good on his threat. How does she expect me to be reassured by that? I do not know what sort of army Shimmering Dawn has. Surely it is not big enough to send a contingent through Fallen Sakura to defend Dying Crane and still protect their own Lands? Perhaps the threat alone would be enough to send Shigeru on his way. 

How I wish I had paid more attention to my lessons. If I had, perhaps I might be able to see a way out of this nightmare…