Apparently, Kisako felt the same way for she now snapped, “Toko, you’re so heartless! You could at least join me in my sorrow. How can you rush me like this? You’re leaving your homeland behind forever too.”
But Toko gave no ear to her reproaches. “We promised the high priestess that we would go to Izumo. That’s all I am going to think about. If I do what you want, we’ll be here all day.”
“You’re so mean! You have no compassion at all, do you? I’m not feeling well today, you know. I have stomach cramps and a headache too. I’ll need to stop and rest often if I’m going to climb any mountains.”
“Honestly! It’s not like anyone else is bursting with energy!” Toko exclaimed. “What’s wrong with you? You were fine yesterday.”
“That’s why people say you lack delicacy, Toko,” Kisako retorted, almost spitting with anger. “Any woman would understand immediately. They’d know that there’s one day a month when they don’t feel well either. But no, not you. I bet you don’t even know what I’m talking about.”
Toko blushed, a fact that Kisako did not miss. “It’s no use talking to you if you’ve never experienced it,” she concluded. “That’s what makes women unsuited for traveling. You ought to be more considerate.”
Toko recovered by becoming annoyed. “If that’s the case,” she said, “then I hope I never experience it. Who in their right mind would want to? When we get to Izumo, I’m going to become a warrior.”
“Are you still saying that?” Kisako said, exasperated. “Are you serious?”
“Why would I say that if I wasn’t serious? I’m the one who will find Oguna. I’m the one who will make him pay.” Toko’s decision to become a warrior was the only thing that kept her going right now. Turning her back on her homeland, she began to walk.
I won’t look back and I won’t cry anymore. From now on, I’ll think of myself as a man. I don’t need a woman’s weakness. Not until I see Oguna again … and kill him.
And when he died at her hand, she thought, the two of them would once again be Toko and Oguna. Then she would be able to love him again, just as she had when they had played and laughed so innocently as children.
PART II
THE MISUMARU
The beautiful beads of the Misumaru,
Ah, that string of beads
that graces the neck
Of young Orihime in heaven.
—Kojiki
chapter
five
SUGARU
Sugaru
ALTHOUGH the ancient earth gods were gradually fading from the land, to travelers they were still very real. Wild and violent, gods inhabited the mountain passes and steep valleys far from the villages of men, where they randomly killed hapless travelers. Only two out of every three, and sometimes only one out of every two, made it through alive. The gods needed no reason to kill. Unpredictability and cruelty were simply part of their nature, and mortal men could only bow their heads in awe and submit to this capricious culling of their ranks.
A handful of women, however, had the ability to at least intuit what the gods felt, if not to actually converse with them. These few were the shrine maidens. Though her training was incomplete, Kisako too had learned to read their intentions, and thus she and Toko were among those who survived. Except for a moment of poor judgment on a snow-bound mountain pass, they successfully cleared the most perilous reaches, where even the strongest men feared to go.
Indeed, men were far more dangerous than gods. Of the many travelers who feared the mountain passes, more than a few fell victim to that man-made calamity known as bandits. In the face of this peril, it was Toko who displayed wits and courage. Strapped to her waist she wore a short sword she had taken when she left Mino. Too big to be a dagger, it was still small enough to fit perfectly in her hand, and she did not hesitate to use it when needed, although she used her bow more frequently.
During their long and arduous journey, the blisters on the girls’ feet hardened to calluses, and their temerity and naivety gave way to determination. As two young women traveling alone through the bitter winter months, Kisako and Toko were frequently forced to rely on the compassion of others, and the warmth of unexpected kindnesses tempered the desolate loneliness of their quest.
The most memorable encounter occurred when they began climbing the mountains north of Mino at the beginning of their journey. In their haste to cross a pass, they underestimated the weather and lost their way in a blizzard. Some hunters passing by dug the half-frozen girls out of the snow and carried them to a hot spring deep in the mountains where the steaming water revived them. Toko and Kisako had heard rumors of a mountain people who shunned the settlements below, but this was the first time they had met any. Robed in bearskins and shod in thick winter boots, the men appeared wild and fierce, but of all the people the girls met on their journey, these mountain folk were the kindest.
The two girls stayed at the hot spring for about ten days. During that time, many creatures joined them under the shelter of the rocks in the steaming pools: monkeys with their young, deer, badgers, and white rabbits. Their faces looming out of the vapor made the girls laugh. It was like experiencing a different side to the violent deities of nature. Now they understood why the hunters did not want to come down to the villages below—perhaps they were even closer to the gods than the shrine maidens, for they knew what the gods protected.
When Toko and Kisako had fully recovered, they made their way slowly westward, growing a little wiser as they did, until finally they reached the land called Izumo. It had been almost three months since they had set out from Mino, and most of that journey had been through deep snow. Now winter was at last departing from the land and traveling back up the trail by which the girls had come.
The first view that Toko and Kisako saw of the town one fine spring morning was a fleet of ships gathered, like a flock of migratory birds poised for flight, in the bay.
“Izumo looks awfully big, doesn’t it?” Toko said.
“It seems so much livelier than Mino,” Kisako agreed.
They were visibly shocked to find the town so much grander than their own. A bearded man belonging to a band of villagers leading packhorses laden with wares to sell overheard them and laughed. “Don’t tell me you’ve never heard how wealthy Izumo is?” he said. “Why, her sailors travel all the way to Koshi in the north and across the seas to foreign lands in the south. They bring back things that not even the emperor in Mahoroba owns. It won’t be long before the ships are ready to head off again.”
Toko and Kisako followed the villagers to the marketplace and there witnessed Izumo’s prosperity firsthand. The roads leading to the port converged in a large square overflowing with people. Never having seen Mahoroba, it seemed to the girls that it must be as crowded and busy as the capital.
“Well, this is where I set up shop,” the bearded man said. “Have a safe journey.”
Toko and Kisako bade him farewell but were reluctant to turn their backs on the marketplace so soon. The aisles were full of people, including many young women who walked among the vendors and gazed at the wares with shining eyes. Toko and Kisako had seen nothing like this on their long and difficult journey.
“It’s impressive, isn’t it?” Kisako said with a sigh. “The clan that rules this land must be far stronger and richer than ours. I wonder if they will even bother to meet us.”
“They’ll have to,” Toko said. “There’s no reason we should hesitate to ask them for help. We may be wearing rags, but we’re still Tachibana.” She spoke confidently, but inside she too was nervous.
“Wearing rags …” Kisako looked down at her faded hakama. “Toko, why don’t we get some new clothes in the market? I still have some of the agate beads the high priestess gave me. We should be able to trade them.”
“You’re always so worried about appearances, Kisako.”
“It’s all right for you,” Kisako retorted. “You can pass yourself off as a servant boy. But I must present myse
lf to the clan ruler as the daughter of the chief of Mino. I’ll bring shame to our people if I go dressed like this.”
“And just what do you mean by that?” It was Toko’s turn to be annoyed. True, she had pretended to be her cousin’s servant boy for the entire journey, but that was not the same as having Kisako call her one. “If you’re getting new clothes, then so am I.”
Dividing the beads equally, they joined the throngs crowding the square. Instantly, their quarrel was forgotten and their scowls vanished. Instead, they nudged each other and pointed with cries of delight at all the fascinating goods that could only have come from across the sea—glazed pots, colorful fabrics, musical instruments they had never seen before. It was not long, however, before the girls became separated. When Toko glanced up, Kisako had disappeared in the surging crowd.
Oh dear …
Toko was searching anxiously when she heard someone call out in a lively voice. “Hey there, little man. That’s a nice sword you’ve got. How about trading it for one of my magatama?”
Startled by the word magatama, Toko looked around to find the speaker and saw a young man sitting cross-legged at the edge of the road with his wares spread out on a cloth in front of him. Although he was just sitting there, something about him immediately drew her attention. Perhaps it was his bright red, unkempt hair. Though he grinned up at Toko in a friendly and agreeable manner, he seemed rather uncouth, and she doubted that he came from a respectable household.
Ignoring her suspicious glare, the young man continued, “I’m a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to swords. You can tell a good one by the hilt. That’s not from this area, is it? It looks like a masterful piece of work. Where’d you get it?”
“Mino,” Toko answered proudly. “Mino smiths are the best in Toyoashihara, and the iron is fine quality too.”
“That explains it. Mino iron is famous.” Then suddenly he burst out laughing. “Well, well. You’re dressed like a boy, but I see you’re actually a girl. All the more reason to exchange your sword for a necklace. Take a look. Which one takes your fancy?”
Necklaces of small green and red stones on colored strings were spread out on the cloth. Toko moved closer for a better look, but they were clearly just cheap beads that only young girls would wear.
“I don’t see any magatama.”
The young man winked at her conspiratorially. “It wouldn’t do to leave a magatama lying out like this. After all, they’ve got magic powers, right? ” Pulling out a deerskin pouch, he shook out three stones. Green and curved, they were indeed magatama, but Toko could see that they were far too inferior to be stones of power. Even the agates she had were better quality.
“What’s so special about those?” she demanded. “Stop playing games with me. I’m only interested in real magatama.”
The young man looked taken aback and stared at her curiously. “I see I’ve picked the wrong person. You wouldn’t by any chance be the daughter of a bead maker, would you?”
“No, I wouldn’t.” But she had barely completed her sentence when two young women butted in, blushing and giggling.
“Give us a necklace, please,” one of them said. “One just right for each of us.”
Immediately dropping his conversation with Toko, the young man turned his smiling face upon these new customers. “Of course. I’ve got just the thing for two such beautiful women as you. Take a look at these magatama. They’re charmed, you know.”
“What kind of charm?”
“Why, a love charm, of course.”
The girls laughed.
What nonsense! Toko shrugged in disgust and left.
She had to find Kisako, but she had no idea just how hard that would be in a crowded marketplace. She went from one vendor to the next, but Kisako was nowhere to be found. Toko began to fear that something might have happened to her. The carefree faces of the people passing by seemed to mock her, and she was close to tears. Just as she stopped to look around once more, a long-legged young man raised a hand in greeting. It was the magatama seller. “Yo!” he said. “So there you are! I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Do you want something?” Toko asked, frowning up at him. He was a head taller than anyone else in the crowd.
“What do you mean ‘Do you want something?’ We were in the middle of a conversation, remember? I’ll admit that my magatama are worthless. It’s just a way of earning a little money on the side. But if you come back to my village, I can show you some real magatama. I come from the bead-makers’ village. We use jade imported all the way from Koshi. I’m quite taken with your sword. Will you trade it for a real magatama?”
“No,” Toko said without even bothering to look at him. “I need it to protect myself and my companion.”
The red-haired youth snorted. “Really? You?”
“What business is it of yours?” Toko retorted. “Look. I’m trying to find my friend, so stop bothering me.”
“Oh, that’s why you’re so preoccupied,” he said, nodding. “But I bet you can’t see much from down there, can you? Shall I give you a ride on my shoulders?”
“Do you want me to punch you?”
The young man laughed. “Well then, at least let me help you look. What does your friend look like?”
“She’s a girl,” Toko said somewhat hesitantly. “She’s wearing a straw hat tied with a red ribbon and faded red hakama.”
“And her face?”
“Well, she’s beautiful, I guess.”
“Right. Let’s find her then!” he exclaimed with sudden enthusiasm.
MANY PEOPLE called out to the pair as they walked through the center of the market. The young man seemed to be very well known. Although Toko feigned disinterest, she registered the fact that most of the people who spoke to them were young women. And the looks they gave the young man made Toko feel very uncomfortable.
“Where have you been, Sugaru?”
“Did you sell your necklaces?”
“Where are you going, Sugaru?”
“Sugaru, who’s the kid?”
The young man answered cheerfully and then deftly fended off any further conversation. “See you later. I’m looking for a beautiful woman wearing red hakama.” But a girl from one group stopped him and said, “Really? If you’re talking about a girl with a straw hat and red hakama, I saw her. She was heading for the pine grove by the sea with a group of young men from the next village.”
At this, Toko’s heart skipped a beat and she broke into a run. Kisako! Honestly! She never thinks of her position. As far as Toko could see, Kisako failed to appreciate her rank. Her naivety was understandable, for she had known only the inside of the chief’s hall and the shrine before this journey. But as the last heir of the Tachibana high priestess of Mino, she needed to realize how easily a shrine maiden could lose her purity.
Seeing Toko dash off, her face pale, Sugaru started after her, but several pairs of hands grabbed him and held him fast. “Wait a minute. You’d better explain yourself. Don’t expect us to let you get away without telling us why you’re looking for a beautiful woman,” one of the girls said.
TOKO RACED out of the market toward the sea. She finally found Kisako at the edge of a grove of black pines that grew along the shore. Surrounded by a group of young men, she was crying, her back pressed against a tree. Grasping the situation at a glance, Toko pushed her way through and grabbed Kisako by the arm. “How could you be so stupid?” Toko whispered. “Why on earth did you come here?”
Kisako looked at her with red-rimmed eyes and burst into tears again, this time apparently from relief. “They … they said … they would show me a magatama. So I-I …”
Toko took a deep breath. “This country seems to be riddled with magatama. If we’d known, maybe we wouldn’t have been so easily fooled.”
“Hey, you,” one of the young men interrupted. “Get out of the way. Our leader’s talking to her. This is no place for kids.”
Furious, Toko snapped, “You’ve got to be joki
ng! Who in Izumo would waste his time trying to seduce a shrine maiden? You’d do better to flirt with a toad.” She stared defiantly at the leader of the gang in front of her and, taking in his wide-spaced eyes and froggy expression, realized belatedly that perhaps the word toad had been a bad choice.
The leader’s bulging eyes flashed angrily. “You’ll pay for that, you little squirt!”
Kisako buried her face in her hands. Toko! Honestly! She never thinks of her position.
Toko was already regretting what she had said. She could not afford to get into a fight here. But there were six of them and they did not seem likely to let the two girls go easily. Reluctantly, Toko reached for the hilt of her sword. But at that moment, someone called out in an incongruously cheerful voice, “Well now, you’ve got some nerve, haven’t you? Swaggering about my turf and picking on defenseless young women.” Sugaru stood behind them, the wind playing in his hair. Pausing for a moment, he unfolded his arms and scratched the top of his nose. “What was your name, again?” he asked. “It’s slipped my mind. Toad Boy, wasn’t it?”
The blood rushed to the leader’s face. “Don’t make me laugh. You act as though you own the biggest marketplace in Izumo.”
“Oh, but I do,” Sugaru said. “Along with all the girls who come here. So if you want one, you’ll have to ask me first.”
Toko gaped in astonishment. But she was even more astounded when the girls in the crowd that had gathered to watch shouted, “You tell him, Sugaru!”
He gave them a friendly wave and then turned back to the leader, his expression serious. “I get all fired up when there’s a crowd cheering me on. I like to put on a show worth watching. If you want a fight, I’d be more than happy to oblige.” Casually picking up a stick from the ground, he settled into a fighting stance. He looked long, lean, and strong, like a wicked blade before the stocky Toad Boy. Toko could almost smell the flame smoldering inside him. Sugaru grinned as though he were just itching for an excuse to fight.
Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince Page 20
