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“MY LADY, WHAT ARE YOU doing out here this late?” Hikaru asked.
She shook her head back and forth slowly, then returned to an eerie, still state.
He took a step closer to her. She did not move. Her shoulders were taut as a bowstring and her eyes followed him. She threaded her fingers together in front of her. He held up his hands, showing that he meant her no harm.
“Are you hurt?”
She only shook her head once again. He could see her clearer as he drew closer. Her hair, a dark ebony, was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. Despite her fine clothes, there was no care or artifice done to her appearance. Yet her raw beauty shone through. Her round face, almond eyes and rosebud mouth were well formed. On closer inspection, she could not be the fox woman. She did not have ears and a tail, for one thing, and for another, the fox woman had coppery hair. He wanted to shake himself. There was no such thing as Kitsune! It had all been a hallucination brought on by a panicked mind. He must have imagined the woman. The resemblance was uncanny, however.
I jumped to the wrong conclusion because I found her alone in the dark. Where did she come from? He looked around; there wasn’t anyone around for miles. How did a woman so well dressed end up at the edge of a forest? They tell stories about women appearing to travelers. They seduce men and drain them of their life force.
When he looked back at her, she had moved closer to him. She looked at him with her head cocked to the side. She regarded him for a moment. He may have imagined it, but it seemed she recognized him as well.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” he asked.
She looked past him to the forest. He turned to look over his shoulder. This is the part in stories where the woman would transform into a monster and eat me. He shivered. When did he start believing in such superstitious nonsense?
“Are you hurt, is that why you do not speak?” Hikaru asked, trying to coax something out of her. Anything to offset this twisting feeling of dread coiling in his stomach.
She stared at him for a moment; then she raised her hands. Bringing them close to her face, she examined her flesh as if seeing it for the first time. After she had scanned both hands, she shook her head.
He frowned. She is very strange. “Are you unable to speak?”
She touched her throat and nodded.
He sighed. “Well, this could prove difficult.” He looked around as if the night would offer up the answers he sought. “Are you from around here?”
She smiled, a coy sort of smile. It was different than the smile of court ladies, it was playful and secretive. It caught him off guard. Though her clothes indicated she was, he wondered if she was a noble lady. What noble lady would be traveling alone and in the dark?
“Well, I suppose there is no use in standing out here in the cold. I’ll take you back to the palace and we can try to figure this out.” He held out his hand to her. She stared at it for a moment, hesitant to take it. He got the impression once more of a wild animal, but the thought passed quickly.
He helped her into the saddle of his horse and swung up behind her. He held his hands up, unsure where to rest them. It was not often that he was this close to a woman. He decided to rest one hand on his thigh and the other grasped the reins. She brushed against him by accident, and he could not help but notice how soft her skin was or how she smelled sweet like a blooming flower.
She leaned forward and pressed her nose against his arm. He jerked his hand back. Did she just smell me?
“Is anything the matter?” he asked. He looked at the back of her head, wondering if this was the right thing to do. Perhaps she was addled in the mind. It would certainly explain a few things.
She shook her head in response.
He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She did not seem simpleminded. One of his father’s tenant farmers had a son that was born simple. He often smiled at Hikaru when he rode through the countryside. He was harmless enough, but one could tell upon meeting him that he was not in full control of his mind. This woman was different. Though strange, to be certain, she seemed to be aware of her surroundings. Maybe she was confused.
She touched his arm with her fingertips, and just the innocent brush of her skin against his ignited his flesh in a way he had never felt before. He wanted to pull away, as was proper, but could not bring himself to do so. His arm brushed against hers when he twitched the reins, closing her into a tight embrace. She flinched and he snapped it back, bowing out his arm to avoid any further unintentional touches. She glanced at him over her shoulder.
He avoided her gaze by looking over the dark countryside. “It’s not much farther,” he said, his voice cracking.
She turned back around, a smile ghosting along her lips. She’s laughing at me, I am sure of it. If only I could share in the joke.
“I’m sure it seems strange that I keep talking. I know you cannot speak—or at least I hope this is not a cruel joke.” He paused. The plodding sound of the horse’s hooves filled the silence for a moment.
“You’re not tricking me, right?” He hated how vulnerable he sounded.
She shook her head and her shoulders shook as if she were laughing silently. His neck burned and he was thankful she was facing the other way so she could not see his mortification. Perhaps Hotaru paid her to humiliate me. He looked about, expecting to find his younger brother and his men hiding in the rice paddies. Hikaru and the strange woman were alone but for the moon’s reflection on the water of the rice paddies. He eased back in the saddle.
“Of course not,” he sighed, more to convince himself than her. Her secrets were locked tight within her silence. Which he had to believe was genuine. Unless her voice will reveal she is some terrifying Yokai intent on eating me. As much as he wanted to discard the terrifying notion, after the events earlier today, his long-held beliefs were shaken. The night birds called to one another in the dark and the wind brushed over them. He studied the back of her head, expecting a mouth to appear there.
The palace was in sight when he found the courage to ask, “This is going to sound insane, but you’re not an evil spirit, are you?”
Her body vibrated.
“I’m sorry, I did not mean to offend.”
Then she snorted.
Hikaru laughed, he could not hold it back. It was a rolling sound that erupted deep within him and shook his entire frame. She touched his hand and he stiffened all over. When she peeked at him from over her shoulder with a grin, whatever fear he had before dissipated. The stress of the treaty had been playing tricks with his mind. Evil spirits, Kitsune, and Yokai were all just myths. Nothing he had to worry about.
***
LORD KAEDEMORI STARED at the documents in front of him. His vision blurred as the characters ran together. There was more work to be done, compensation to be sent to the families of the deceased warriors, and more letters to write to their neighboring clans to placate their likely anger at his treaty with the Fujikawas. Just imagining their reactions made his head throb. He massaged his temple and closed his eyes.
With the Fujikawas’ backing, the Kaedemoris would be the most powerful clan in the region. Hikaru had laid the groundwork, but there was still more to be done. Just the rumor of a treaty had flooded his chamber with letters from the other clans sniffing for confirmation. Well, they would have it soon enough and then the real work would begin. If only this damn headache would desist. He glanced up, prepared to call for the servant to bring him a headache remedy, when he heard the tinkling of a bell.
He looked around the room. He was alone but for the shadows.
“Yoshirou...” The wind whispered his name, like a caress.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled. The fire in the braziers flickered and then died down to mere embers. It is my imagination; she has been dead for years.
Then he heard it again. “Yoshirou.”
The prickling sensation raced down his arms. He stood and went behind a screen to a secret exit at the back of his room. He would take a quick look, to sate his curiosity. Down wooden steps and onto a narrow pathway between buildings, he followed the track as he had done hundreds of times, the ground worn flat by his footsteps.
The shrine was empty, lit only by moonlight, which illuminated the idol in its alcove. He stood before the idol, the voice that had called out to him a figment of his imagination. But this time he swore he had heard her calling his name. He pinched the bridge of his nose. This is madness. When will she cease to haunt me? She had been gone for nearly twenty years. He looked up at the moon, a mere sliver in the cloudless sky. There would be no moon come tomorrow night, leaving the world in darkness. He touched the feet of the idol, an old habit. He turned to leave, back to his work. I may as well work through the night, I won’t be able to sleep either way. Then he heard it again, the tinkling of bells. He spun around and the space in the center of the shrine was occupied.
Wiping away his shock, he greeted his visitor. “What brings you here, priestess?”
The old woman smiled, a wicked smile that he never knew if it meant him good or ill. She wore rough-spun traveling clothes, a brown haori over dark brown hakama, white hair in a braid down her back. She looked ancient, deep creases carved around her mouth and eyes. A crescent-shaped scar on her face gleamed in the moonlight. How she moved silently and appeared without warning, he never knew. She had seemed ancient when he was a young man, and she looked the same now. He was surprised she lived still. Even when she was not dressed as a priestess, she exuded a spiritual aura that even he could see. It was why he had trusted her, once upon a time, but he had second-guessed his actions every day since. He turned his back to the shrine, blocking the priestess from seeing it. Even after all these years, he felt protective of this space. As if guarding it would preserve a piece of Sayuri from others. But the priestess never came to play games, not in all the years he knew her.
“I felt a disturbance in the energy and I thought I would come and visit, old friend.”
“Then you were in the area, for what reason?” he asked directly. If not, she would only answer in riddles, as was her way.
She tilted her head to the side and regarded him. “You have aged since the last time I saw you.” Her long white braid fell forward over her shoulder.
He folded his hands over his chest. And you have not. Do the Kami preserve you? “Did you come to mock me? Surely someone with your ability has better things to do.”
“You’re right, I do.” She smiled. She had a secret that she wanted him to fish for, but he was not the young man taken in by those smiles and secrets any longer. She had brought him danger before but saved him as well. It was what kept him from sending her away—he was just as guilty as she.
“If you have nothing of import to say.” He turned to walk away.
“Wait,” she called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. “There is something.”
He turned back around. “Yes?”
“I was walking along in the forest and came upon a Kitsune.”
He clutched at his chest. It felt for a moment as if a knife had been stabbed there. An old wound bled anew. “You cannot mean to say she has returned from the dead?”
She shook her head. “Don’t be a fool. What is gone is gone. This Kitsune is new to this region. I caught her and questioned her, but as you know, their kind can be tricky. I got no real answer as to why she came here.”
“Then why are you telling me this?”
“Because I thought you deserved a warning. The Yokai have long memories, and if one came for vengeance...” She shrugged her thin shoulder.
He kept his expression mild while his mind reeled. It means naught. Just a coincidence, perhaps the creature was passing through. But he said through dry lips, “What did you do with her?”
“She escaped, unfortunately. If you see any of suspicion, let me know.”
He held his breath. It was nothing but the witch’s taunting. But still he had to ask, “You don’t think she will come here, do you?”
“When it comes to a Kitsune, anything is possible.”
She bowed, and then with another tinkling of bells, she disappeared. He stayed in the shrine room for some time, staring at the shrine. A string of ofuda danced on the wind, but other than that, everything was still. Then very slowly he went and knelt before the idol, a fox—a Kitsune. He pressed his forehead against the feet of the idol.
“Will you ever forgive me? Perhaps in the next life I can make amends for my crimes against you.”
***
THEY ARRIVED AT THE palace late at night; the moon had already reached its apex. The palace doors were slammed shut. I didn’t count on them locking me out. Hikaru slid down from the saddle and approached the gate.
“Hello?” he called. His voice bounced off the walls and rolled over the farmland behind him.
He waited for a response. He looked back at the woman; she watched him curiously. I must look like a fool, locked out of my own palace. He turned back to the doors. He knocked upon the wood. The sound was quickly swallowed by the night. Even the night birds had ceased their singing to witness his embarrassment. What if my father uses this as an excuse to disinherit me? They must think I ran away. He held his breath, waiting. Surely someone had heard and would come open the doors. He craned his neck back; there should be guards walking the walls. He turned to walk over to Rin and explain when he saw the glow of yellow light over the top of the wall. Finally.
A slot in the door slid open and Hikaru approached it. The yellow light spilled through the opening and made a square of light on the ground beyond. Hikaru stepped into the shaft of light.
“Who’s there?” a gravelly voice said.
“It is Hikaru, first son of Lord Kaedemori.”
The guard peered at him through the hole. He recognized him as one of the men who had come with him to the Fujikawas. One of the survivors. He swallowed.
“Lord Kaedemori’s son?” the man asked.
“Yes. I went out for a ride and was delayed. Please let me in, we are cold and weary.”
The man’s face disappeared from the hole for a moment and Hikaru heard the man conferring with another. He clenched his fists and waited.
“Master Hikaru is asleep in his chamber. I think you’re an impostor.”
Hikaru clenched his jaw down on his anger. He took a deep breath and then replied, “That is not true. You saw me when I rode out earlier this evening. Let me in—”
“Get out of here or we’ll be forced to open fire on you,” the man replied.
Hikaru glanced up as half a dozen men armed with bows and arrows arrayed themselves on the wall. They trained their bows on Hikaru. He looked each one over; he knew them all by name. They had been in his father’s employ for years. They stared back at him with hatred and anger. They spared him no loyalty, and after he had mocked them and led their friends to their deaths, they wanted revenge.
Hikaru returned his gaze to the man who grinned through the square hole in the door.
He wanted to look back at the woman to gauge her reaction, but he feared he would see pity or revulsion there.
He mustered up all the authority he could manage and said, “I demand you let us in.”
“Demand all you like,” the man said. His face disappeared and in its place a notched arrow appeared.
Hikaru took a few steps backwards. What will my father think when they find my body? Will he weep, or will he blame me for my lack of leadership?
The woman jumped down from the saddle and approached the door. Her footsteps were so light she hardly disturbed the gravel beneath her feet. Hikaru held up his hand to stop her.
“Don’t, these men are mad.” Then to the men beyond the gate he said, “When my father hears of this, you will be flogged or worse.”
The man did not respond. The woman frowned and looked between Hikaru and the warriors on the wall. She gave him a questioning look that he could not answer. The arrow in the door disappeared. The men on the wall did not move from their spots, though a few tilted their heads towards the courtyard. Raised voices drifted over the wall, and a few of the warriors dropped their arrows. He looked at the woman. She shrugged. Hikaru approached the door, but as he did, it cracked open. Then with a groan it swung open. A man stood in the doorway. He was of average height, unassuming, his expression blank.
“My lord, I apologize for my men’s insubordination,” Captain Sadao said. He bowed to Hikaru. When he stood up, his eyes drifted to the woman and that was where they rested. They stared at one another, giving each other measured looks. Hikaru felt the urge to protect her. Something about the captain’s expression was honed and deadly. She seemed to recognize him as well.
“I’m glad to see you’ve returned, Captain Sadao. I was afraid we had lost you.” At least he had one less death on his conscience.
“I only just made my way back, my lord.” The captain nodded. “It was difficult to get inside. The men are a bit on edge after this afternoon, it seems.”
Hikaru avoided his gaze. He was not sure if that was meant as a dig at his poor decision making. Hikaru cleared his throat and said, “I found this woman along the road. Summon the head servant and have a room prepared for her.”
The captain bowed, and with a few quick words to one of his men, his orders were carried out.
The woman grabbed onto Hikaru’s sleeve. He glanced at her. The captain strode off, his men in tow looking sullen, and when he was out of sight, the tension melted off of her and left behind a childlike glee that sparkled in her eyes as she looked around the courtyard. She skimmed over objects, her gaze bouncing about like a ball.
Just then the elderly head servant arrived. His kimono was falling off his shoulder, and his hair was half down as if he had intended to brush his hair but decided against it at the last second.
“My lord, you have returned!” he gasped.
“Yes, I found this young lady wandering alone in the dark. I would have her fed and taken care of.”
“That is your father’s decision.” The servant wrung his hands. “He gave orders that you be brought to him the moment you returned.” His beady eyes flickered from Hikaru to the woman for just a moment before fixing on the floor.
“Very well, I will see him in a moment, but first I would have the lady’s comfort seen to.”
“He will want to see her as well,” the servant said while looking at the ground.
Hikaru clenched his jaw. He ground out, “Then we shall present ourselves to him.”