Shichi rose before the sun. Chiyo was curled up at his side, still sleeping. She was a ball of white, her fur rising and falling with each slow breath. He sat upright, careful not to bump the kitsune as he…

The forest was quiet. It was the most silence Shichi had heard in months, having spent the winter in the bustling city of Osaka. Though the air was still cold, the monk could sense the approach of spring. It was…