Usagi Yojimbo (v.3) #8: "A Promise in the Snow" (1996)

[riddler13]

There are several ghost and supernatural stories in Usagi Yojimbo, and not only dealing with Sasuké battling demons. Some of them, like this one, start off unassuming and take different paths along the way.






Gen was right, and Usagi reaches a crossroads. He finds fresh blood and follows it to its source: bandits are attacking merchant Araki's retinue. Usagi manages to fight them off, but Araki is seriously wounded and won't make it without proper help.





Usagi asks Fumiye why her father was travelling through the mountains. She explains that Araki had to make a pilgrimage to the temples, and the bandits were after the money he was offering the priests. She guides bunny ronin all through the way towards her village.

A pack of wild and hungry tokagé lizards attacks them. They manage to fight them off, but Usagi is wounded.



And after that, there is the mandatory avalanche. Usagi cannot take it anymore.



He stumbles through the snow and reaches the village, collapsing in one of Araki's neighbours' house.





Thoughts, comments, suggestions, etc., all below!

Comments

[tripodeca113]

That was sad.

[riddler13]

Ending gets a lump in my throat every. Single. Time.

[q99]

A solid self-contained story

[burkeonthesly]

I only saw the twist coming because you prefaced it by telling us this was a ghost story. Without that, I wouldn't have seen it 'til the end. Damn good stuff.

[bradygirl_12]

Spooky!