"Hurry!" the monk urged, as he sped Azuki towards the trees. "How far is the camp, Shota-kun?" Shota took to the air.
They broke the tree line, running down a narrow trail, wider than a deer track. Humans used this route.
"One and a half, maybe two cho. Watch out for the gravel!"
"Meters, Shota-kun," Yuta thought sternly, hoping to distract the children from what he suspected was peril. What he suspected fed on fear. "We're supposed to use 'meters' now. That's how many meters?"
"One hundred and nine per cho," Shota replied. "Watch that muddy bit! It's slick!"
Azuki yelped as she slid down the slope, her wooden geta sandals catching their bottom risers. She grabbed a branch and scrabbled for footing. She smiled in triumph as she gained firmer ground, then gasped.
"Ufff!" The monk's ge
