Atlast Nezuko reached the other peak. She noticed that as she moved higher and higher, the tree cover decline until there was only but a few shrubs and grasses. The peak was different than what she had thought. Their was a monumental structure entirely made up of boulders. The boulders were laid side by side. They were fitted so closely to each other that there was not a single gap. The boulders were put in a round fashion, over which a tremendous flat rock was put above acting as a roof. That was surely an archaic hut, Nezuko thought. But it serve it purpose. Nezuko went inside. The ground was filled with damp vegetation. It was not a place to sleep. Not in the condition as it was now.
Nezuko hurried into the forest. She sat on the ground and started pulling the long grass blades. She did it until there was a heap of it. She carried it back to the peak and laid it inside the stone hut. It would be a nice bed. The sun was about to sat and their was no time to search for food. Nezuko slept that night with an empty stomach. But that was not a problem for her. She had to pass couple of days with little food so that her siblings could eat at ease.
The next day she headed to the forest and collected whatever the autumn forest had to offer. Nut, berries, seeds, flowers everything that was edible was collected. She ate some and stored the rest in the hut. Soon winter came. Dense snow covered the forest. Food and water were scarce. Nezuko would slept three day straight to conserve energy. The hut was excellent. Even in the mountain peak, it didn't allow a gust of wind to enter, but still it was cold. When hunger compelled her to look for food, she would wander around the forest.
Sometimes she was lucky to get something to eat, sometime nothing came to hand. During the winter her only source of nutrition was by scavenging. She would eat the dead animals that couldn't make it to spring or she waited for predators to leave the carcass behind. This was a hardship that Nezuko had never faced in her life, so intense that it brought her to the brink of tears.
The winter faded and gave way to spring. Conditions turned to better for Nezuko. Mountain seclusion had surely made an effect on her. She was thinner, but more robust and resilient. One day when she returned from foraging, Tomiko was sitting infront of the hut, with her fox mask.
"You are still alive. I thought you had ran away." Tomiko said to Nezuko in a light humoured manner. "I seriously thought a hungry animal had already eaten you!" But Nezuko bursted into tears.
"Hey, quit crying! Half of the training is still left to be done." She said to Nezuko and lifted her by the shoulder and took her back to her house.