The deer-drawn carriage stopped at the foot of the mountain where my friend's house was at the summit of, and from there I put on snow-shoes and continued on foot. As I followed the mountain trail, my body began to flush with heat and built up fatigue.

Perhaps the wound I received from the snake monster was the cause, or maybe it was merely a simple cold. Just as heavy snow began to flit into my vision, a blizzard whipped up in the blink of an eye; but in a stroke of good fortune, I found a cave that looked like it could provide us shelter.

The blizzard showed no signs of abating, and my fever continued to rise. In the end, we ended up passing the night in the cave, and while this filled me with self-deprecating thoughts, at this point our only choice was to rest there for now...