The Misty Mountains remained warm and humid even in winter, and I had to shed a few layers immediately after I landed. Fortunately, it meant that the forest hadn't changed at all since the last time we came, so I had no trouble finding my way to the cave entrance where we saw the bixie. Parting the undergrowth as I walked, I searched the area carefully, looking for signs of the guardian beast and her cub.
I didn't see even a footprint of a beast though. After a long while, I started to wonder how large a guardian's territory was—could it be wide enough that I couldn't possibly search the whole area in the amount of time I had? I considered it for a moment, then put my outer robes back on and summoned a cooling spell on myself. Bai Ye had mentioned that spiritual power fluctuations attract guardian beasts. Hopefully, this would help lead them to me.
