“True.”
Toko did not like the way Sugaru laughed. When given a choice between two roads, he invariably staked his luck on the riskier one. If she was going to continue traveling with him, she needed to think more carefully, but she was not very good at that yet. Oh well, never mind. Things will work out somehow. Putting her anxiety firmly from her mind, she urged her horse forward.
They traveled several days without incident, meeting hardly anyone on the road. After all, it was not the time of year for carrying tribute. But just when Toko had relaxed, believing that they would make it to the capital smoothly, they ran smack into a group of bandits. She and Sugaru were riding through a meadow in a valley, the tall summer grasses brushing the tops of the horses’ knees, when a group of seven or eight men suddenly rose up out of the grass, arrows flying from their bows.
Astonished, Toko reined in her horse. “But why? Can’t they see that we have nothing to steal?”
“We have horses,” Sugaru said, dodging an arrow. “They’re the most valuable prize of all. Anyone who has the luxury of traveling on horseback should expect to be attacked.”
“Then why didn’t you say so sooner?” Toko said, turning her horse’s head around.
“No, don’t turn back. That’s exactly what they want.” His tone was suddenly sharp and commanding. “Listen. If you don’t want to lose your horse, ride straight at them. Forget about the arrows. They’re just a threat. They won’t want to hurt the horses.”
Toko sucked in her breath, but what Sugaru had said made sense. His eyes were dancing. For him, an attack like this was just another thrill, and his contempt for the thieves gave her courage.
“Let’s go!” he said.
Following his example, Toko bent low in the saddle and spurred her horse to a gallop. They raced neck and neck, swooping down on the bandits. Toko could not help closing her eyes as they drew close, but Sugaru’s tactic caught the men off guard, and she and Sugaru swept through, leaving them far behind.
“You see. I told you,” Sugaru said triumphantly.
Still in a cold sweat, Toko wondered whether she could stand to travel like this much longer. “I have yet to figure out if it’s good or bad that someone like you is the bearer of the magatama,” she said.
“What do you mean?” Sugaru said, looking surprised. “You won’t find a better man than me no matter where you look.” He so clearly meant it that Toko dropped the subject.
The next day they ran into the bandits again. But this time they were mounted. After confirming they had Toko and Sugaru, they charged.
“They don’t give up, do they?” Sugaru said.
“They didn’t like you making fools of them, that’s why.”
There were more of them than on the previous day, and Toko and Sugaru had no choice but to flee. They rode as hard as they could, but the bandits’ light-footed steeds gained on them quickly.
“Toko!” Sugaru yelled. “Keep going! Flee to the forest and don’t stop!” Toko could see the dense trees looming up ahead. Biting her lip, she urged her steed on.
“See you later,” Sugaru called out. Toko looked back in surprise to see him riding away, his red hair streaming in the wind. He planned to stop their pursuers and let her escape. But how …
He was clearly outnumbered—just one against ten or more. He might be strong, but there was a limit to what even he could do. She drew her horse up. I can’t leave him to fight alone. Her mind flashed back to the day she had left the fort at Kamitsusato. Recalling the anguish that had wrung her heart then, she knew that she could not escape on her own. Turning her horse, she sped back.
The bandits, seeing Sugaru and Toko racing toward them, opened their ranks and spread out to surround them. Glancing back over his shoulder, Sugaru looked shocked to see Toko riding up behind. “Idiot!” he yelled. “Go back!” But it was too late. Several of the men had turned their mounts to let her through, then quickly crossed in front of her, cutting her off from Sugaru. Spooked, her horse reared. Ropes flew through the air, snaring Toko and her steed. They’re going to take my horse. The men yanked the ropes tight, and before she knew it neither she nor her horse could move. Falling to the ground, Toko saw several men leap toward her. She had had no chance to even draw her sword. She closed her eyes, certain that she would be killed.
But no matter how long she waited, nothing happened. Although she could hear what sounded like a fierce battle raging, no one even touched her. She opened her eyes cautiously and then stared in astonishment. A shadow, outlined in light, was wreaking havoc like some sort of malevolent spirit. Terrified horses screamed and reared, dumping their riders on the ground as they fled in panic. The riders staggered to their feet only to be felled, one by one, like trees in a high wind. Yet no blood flew. Squinting against the glare, Toko saw that the strange apparition wielded not a real sword, but a wooden one—or rather, a stick, the stick that Sugaru had sheathed in a scabbard of woven vines just to make it look like a sword.
Recognizing the haloed creature to be none other than Sugaru, Toko calmed her racing heart. She chided herself for thinking, even for a moment, that he was some kind of demon. Even so, she was still a little afraid. When he finished off the last bandit and strode over to her, she could not help cringing.
“So you just couldn’t bear to be parted from me,” Sugaru teased her. “You need to practice doing what you’re told.”
Toko was so relieved to hear him sound like his old self that tears pricked her eyes. “I was going to help you … but I see that you didn’t need it.”
“Did I scare you?” Sugaru asked, crouching down to peer into her face. Toko nodded silently. “Are you still afraid?”
She looked up at him. “Sugaru,” she said. “Did you know? From before?”
“Yeah. I found out when we routed the guys from Mahoroba at the mountain of fire.” He scratched his nose, looking slightly sheepish. “I didn’t want to frighten you. That’s why I told you to go on ahead.”
“Is that the power of the magatama?”
“Yes. Because now there are two.”
Toko sighed. “I feel like I’m finally beginning to understand. Stringing the magatama together to make the Misumaru isn’t that simple, is it?”
“You’re not kidding. Every time you add a new one, their power increases. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like when there’re three or even four of them. I’ve just got two and already I’m not quite human.”
Toko looked at him. If it weren’t Sugaru, I would have been even more afraid. Because it’s him, I can handle it. Maybe that’s another reason he’s the bearer.
“Are you ready to give up the quest then, Toko?” Sugaru said, flashing another of his wicked grins.
“Don’t be ridiculous. That was nothing,” she replied indignantly. She jumped to her feet and began brushing the grass and dirt from her clothes. “It’s only natural that the Misumaru is powerful. After all, it can defeat the Sword. I’m going to get that string of beads no matter what. So—” She hesitated for a second, then continued. “Please come with me, Sugaru. I want you to be there to the very end. I need your power.”
Sugaru just smiled, looking highly satisfied.
THE BANDITS STILL lay sprawled on the ground, but unfortunately, Toko’s and Sugaru’s horses had fled. “There’ll have been no point to this if we lose our horses. Let’s go find them. They’re sure to be somewhere close by,” Sugaru said. They had run off in the direction from which Toko and Sugaru had originally come, so the pair retraced their steps. They passed through the dim light of the wood and out into the open again. There, an unexpected sight awaited them. Row upon row of bandits, their weapons held at the ready, stood facing Toko and Sugaru. Evidently, the men Sugaru had beaten were not the only members of that band. A whole troop confronted them.
2
TOKO FELT SUGARU brace himself beside her. He was planning to fight. But now there were thirty or forty men confronting them. Even if Sugaru could beat them, Toko had
had enough. She didn’t want him to test his power like that. She didn’t want him to see how much of that power his body could actually take.
The bandits did not attack immediately, perhaps because they had already heard of Sugaru’s extraordinary strength. Both sides just stood there, glaring at each other for several moments, when suddenly a voice broke the silence.
“Lady Toko? It can’t be. Is that Lady Toko from Mino?”
“Who is it?” Toko asked, searching for the speaker. From the midst of the band stepped a fearsome man, a giant in both girth and height. Keen eyes, heavy brows, and a hawklike nose. No longer young, his calm self-possession made it clear that he was their leader. Toko doubted her own eyes. She knew this man.
“Nanatsuka?” she said, her voice husky. “But I thought you died along with the prince …”
“So it is you, Lady Toko.” He sighed. “To think that we should meet again like this. I’m ashamed to even look you in the face. Yes, I should have died. But for some reason, fate deemed otherwise, so here I stand before you. Although in your eyes that in itself must seem a great disgrace.”
Toko stood rooted to the spot. It was his voice, not his words, that held her mesmerized; his was a voice that summoned a flood of memories, transporting her back to the world as it had once been when Nanatsuka was there in Mino with the merry Prince Oh-usu and his radiant Lady Akaru. Toko came back to the present and suddenly she was flying toward him, leaping into his arms like a little bird alighting on a huge and ancient tree.
“How can you say that? I’m so glad you’re alive! Thank you for recognizing me.”
Nanatsuka seemed stunned. “Lady Toko … you haven’t changed a bit.”
The band of thieves lowered their bows at this unexpected turn of events, glancing uneasily at Sugaru. But no one dared to interrupt. Sugaru was just as confused. Folding his arms, he called out irritably, “How fortunate that you’ve found an old friend, Toko. Why don’t you tell him to return our horses so we can get out of here?”
“But first you must let us make up for our rude welcome,” Nanatsuka said. “If I had known that it was Lady Toko and her companion, we would never have done this. We’ve never encountered anyone before who could lead us around in circles like that. How about it? Our base is nearby. Won’t you allow me to offer you some hospitality to atone for what we did?”
“I’m not interested in befriending any bandits. I haven’t fallen that low,” Sugaru said curtly. “Toko, hurry up. Let’s go.”
Nanatsuka looked at Toko. “Who is that red-haired young man?” he asked. “He’s as strong and fearless as a demon.”
“His name’s Sugaru. He’s from Izumo,” Toko said. She needed to do something to bridge the gap between the two men. Turning to Sugaru, she said, “I want to hear what Nanatsuka has to say. I’d like to accept his invitation. I can vouch for him. He’s a good man.”
“You’re the one who’s always in a hurry. Not me.”
“I know. And I’m saying that I’d like to take a little detour. So there’s even less reason for you to hurry, right?”
Sugaru looked disgruntled, but still he came and together they followed Nanatsuka to his fort.
NANATSUKA, it turned out, was the leader of a small army of thieves. When they reached his base in the mountains, Toko was surprised. Built directly into a cliff, it looked more like a rock castle than a fort.
“You were such a faithful servant to the prince. I had no idea you had this other side,” she said.
“I was a bandit before the prince found me and took me into his service.”
Caves had been carved into the bare rock, and rope ladders hung down to the ground and also across the cliff face, from cave entrance to cave entrance, to ensure swift passage. The fortress was equipped with a watchtower, stables, and a kitchen as well. Toko and Sugaru were led high up the cliff to a cave reserved for Nanatsuka. Although it was just a hole in the rock, the interior was luxurious, with furs covering the floor and a fire to keep the space dry.
“You certainly live in style, don’t you? ” Sugaru said bluntly. “Stealing from innocent travelers. You won’t get away with this for long, you know.”
“It’s true we take tribute that’s headed for the capital. But we try to limit our evil deeds to that,” Nanatsuka said.
“You expect me to believe that when you tried so hard to kill us?”
“That—” Nanatsuka suddenly broke into a grin. “You were just so much stronger than us. It was a matter of pride. And besides, I thought that anyone as strong as you could only be heading to Mahoroba on a secret mission with some important message.”
“And what if we had been?”
Nanatsuka paused to give Sugaru a measured look. “We don’t intend to spend the rest of our days as thieves,” he said finally. “We’re gathering our strength so that when the time is right we can infiltrate the capital and take revenge on the emperor.”
Sugaru and Toko both started in surprise. “The emperor?”
Nanatsuka looked at Toko. “There are quite a few among my men who survived the battle in Mino. They all loved the prince. They joined me because they share the same goal. Every one of them was willing to sever their attachments to their families and the world and become outcasts—we won’t let it end like this.”
“You’re going to avenge the prince’s death?” Toko asked in a small voice.
“What else can I do? Why else did I survive? I’d have no regrets about sacrificing my life for my prince.”
Toko felt tears rising. “I know how you feel,” she said. “Because I feel the same way. That’s why I’m here. Only you said that you’re going to take revenge on the emperor. But it was Prince Ousu who killed the prince.”
“At first, that’s what I thought too. I thought that I could never forgive him for his betrayal. I already tried to kill him once. But … in the end, I came to see that it’s the emperor who’s behind it all. That cold, hard man who sends his own flesh and blood to war and death, he’s the true monster.”
“But Prince Ousu is the one who wields the Sword,” Toko protested. “The Sword is an abomination. It twists fate and brings death and destruction to all. And not just to Mino. The Sword has left tragedy in its wake everywhere. Terrible things will happen if it isn’t stopped and the bearer destroyed.”
Nanatsuka stared at Toko in disbelief. “Lady Toko, you aren’t thinking of taking revenge against Prince Ousu yourself, are you?”
Toko looked surprised that he should even ask. “Didn’t I mention it? We’re on a quest to find the Misumaru, which is powerful enough to defeat the Sword. That’s why we’re going to Mahoroba.”
“But, Lady Toko, you can’t possibly.”
“I can understand why you might think so, but you’re wrong. It’s my duty as a Tachibana. Since ancient times, my people have been endowed with the power to sheathe the Sword.”
Nanatsuka’s face remained clouded. “That’s not what I meant. Lady Toko, do you seriously mean to kill him, to kill your Oguna?”
“Don’t say that,” Toko said sharply.
But Nanatsuka continued. “Remember the time we met in Nobono? You wept inconsolably. How can you possibly kill someone for whom you shed so many tears? It’s not right. It would be like killing your own self.”
“Oguna’s dead.” She leaned forward, her voice fierce. “It’s precisely because I grieve for him, precisely because I wept for him, that I must do this. It’s the only thing that I can do for him, now that he’s changed beyond recognition. I have no intention of letting anyone else do it.”
Realizing that it was better to change the subject, Nanatsuka called for food and drink. The meal was as rich as the furnishings. Plates piled high with grilled meats and big bowls of stew were placed on the table. Drawn by the food, Toko regained her cheerful spirits. She rarely had a proper meal while traveling. She consumed whatever was put in front of her, but the sake proved to be a little too strong. Soon her head felt fuzzy and she could no longer car
ry on a conversation.
“Whoops. I should have thought of that,” Nanatsuka said. He quickly removed the sake cup from Toko’s hand, but by this time she was already hopelessly drunk. After some commotion, she was carried to a room that housed the few women in the fort, after which she knew no more.
In stark contrast, Sugaru downed cup after cup but showed no sign of getting drunk. Impressed, Nanatsuka kept pouring more. “I know that thieving is not something I should recommend as a profession,” he said, “but it’s a shame to bid farewell to someone as strong and fearless as you. How do you intend to use those abilities? Would you consider joining us in overthrowing the emperor?”
Sugaru emptied his cup yet again. “I’m not interested in saving the world. I’m going to go home and get married. I have to take care of the old man.”
“Then why are you here, traveling with Lady Toko?”
Sugaru paused for a moment and then blurted out, “You know, I’ve been wanting to ask you something. I’m a bit confused. When you and Toko were talking before, it sounded like Oguna and Prince Ousu are the same person.”
“They are. Oguna is Ousu. Ousu is Oguna.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. Prince Oh-usu named Oguna Ousu when he brought him from Mino.”
Sugaru scowled. “That Toko … She didn’t tell me. I might have chosen differently if I had known.”
“She couldn’t tell you. Or, more likely, she refuses to even let herself think of it.” Nanatsuka’s voice was heavy. “When I first saw them in Mino, Toko and Oguna were like two little lovebirds. When they laughed, they had exactly the same look on their faces. But everything changed so quickly once Oguna came to the capital. He took up the Sword and led the forces that invaded Mino. He robbed Toko of everything she loved—her land, her people. Hating him would not be enough.”
Mirror Sword and Shadow Prince Page 30
