by T. Isilwath
“Yes. Everyone returned unharmed,” Kaemon answered, pleased.
He let out a deep sigh. “I’m glad. When they weren’t behind me… I was concerned.”
“Hiroshi-dono will want to question you,” Ichiro told him.
“I understand.” ‘He’ll want to flog me if he believes that I abandoned the men. And since none of them will admit that they were the ones who ran away…’
“Such things are for tomorrow. For now, you look exhausted and your clothes are in tatters. I’ll see what we have in the offerings. I seem to remember some garments that might fit you,” Kaemon said.
‘Hmm, the offerings. That’s a step up from the rag bag.’
“Thank you, Kaemon-sama.”
The young priest nodded and disappeared into the house.
“How many oni-gumo did the exterminators flush from the caves?” Ichiro asked suddenly.
He blinked at the unexpected question and tried to recall the number of spider demons that had been barreling down on them.
“At least five, but there may have been smaller juveniles behind the adults that I couldn’t see,” he replied honestly.
“Five? They flushed a large nest,” Suzuka noted.
He looked at her, confused. “Yes. They wanted the egg sacks.”
“For the poison,” Ichiro finished.
“Yes.”
“And they were herding them south,” Suzuka said.
“Yes, towards the river…”
“Because oni-gumo can’t swim,” she realized, her face thoughtful.
“Exactly,” he confirmed.
“But five is a huge nest even without juveniles. The exterminators were foolish to flush them. They should have killed them in the caves,” Ichiro complained.
“Then the egg sacks would have been destroyed,” Suzuka pointed out.
Ichiro shook his head. “It was not worth the risk. If they had broken ranks and come here to the village… One or two we could manage, but five? Half of us would have been killed before we could bring that many down.”
“How many did you kill, Hanyou?” Suzuka asked.
“None, Suzuka-sama,” he answered. “Once the exterminators rendered the oni-gumo’s webbing useless, they were vulnerable from behind so I led the men to attack from the rear. When I discovered that Genru and the others weren’t with me, I went back. That was when I got pinned between the oni-gumo and the exterminators. They saw me, and since the men weren’t with me…”
“The exterminators disabled the oni-gumo’s webbing?” Suzuka questioned.
“Yes. They have darts that they shoot into the oni-gumo’s rear. It paralyzes the web sack so they can’t shoot webbing. They can also cut the muscle that contracts the web sack, but that’s harder to do,” he explained.
“Did Genru and the others know that the oni-gumo couldn’t shoot webbing?” Ichiro asked.
He looked up at the head priest. “Yes, I told them so.”
“How did you know the oni-gumo couldn’t use their webs?” Suzuka inquired.
“Because they wouldn’t have run otherwise. If they had been able to shoot webbing, they would have stayed in the cave and wrapped up the exterminators. The first thing the hunters do when they attack a nest is go after the web sacks.”
“I see,” Ichiro commented pensively.
The look on the old priest’s face intrigued him. Ichiro looked like someone who had just had a revelation and wasn’t happy about it.
‘Does he realize that the men abandoned me?’ he wondered.
Just then Kaemon returned with a clean set of clothes, and he was surprised to see a nicely made green patterned kosode and a pair of matching nobakama field pants. The villagers and visitors to the shrine often brought gifts of clothing for use in charity or for the priest’s family. This set looked like something that would fit Kaemon or another young man of his build. It would probably be a bit large on him, but a tight obi belt and rolled up cuffs would suffice.
“Here, Hanyou. See if these clothes fit you,” the young priest said, handing him the clothing.
“Thank you, Kaemon-sama.”
Kaemon nodded to him as he accepted the kosode and nobakama pants.
“Are you in need of medical attention?” Suzuka asked coolly.
“No. Rest and food is all I need. The oni-gumo poison is gone and my wounds are healed.”
“Very well. Since my services are not required, I will take my leave of you. I highly recommend that you take a bath before you return here. Your stink is an affront to the gods,” she told him.
He nodded meekly. “Yes, Suzuka-sama. I will bathe in the river tomorrow.”
“That would be wise,” she agreed, then walked into the house.
“I, too, will take my leave. Kaemon?” Ichiro added.
“I’ll be along in a moment, Chichi-ue.”
Ichiro nodded to his son and quietly entered the house, leaving him alone with Kaemon. He picked up the bowl of tea and barley and began to eat it. It was cooler now and didn’t burn his tongue when he sipped it.
“This is very good,” he said, indicating the food.
“It is an easy way to serve leftover grains,” Kaemon answered simply.
“Still, I am grateful,” he insisted, finishing off the bowl and water.
Kaemon collected the empty bowl and cup when he was done and gave him a little nod of his head.
“I am glad that you survived, Hanyou. It is very good to see you,” the young priest admitted, then walked quietly into the house.
“Thank you,” he whispered to the retreating back and slowly left the engawa to head for the forest.
Once he was out of sight, he shook the pins and needles out of his limbs from sitting huddled up for too long and stretched. He had the new clothes tucked under his arm, and he went directly to the river close to the village so he could wash the grime from his face and body. As he had thought, the new clothes were a size too big, but he tightened the kosode closed with the obi and folded up the leg cuffs of the nobakama pants. He also had to make an opening in the pants for his tail otherwise he would have been very uncomfortable. He kept his old clothes in hopes that Johrannah would be able to clean and mend them again.
That night he slept curled at the base of a tree. The makeshift bed he had tramped down was lumpy and uncomfortable, and cold because he had no blanket. He marveled at how quickly he had become accustomed to the soft bed and warm blankets as he struggled to find a comfortable position, and he found himself missing Johrannah’s scent. He entertained the idea of going back to the grove, sleeping there until the early hours of morning, and then returning before Ichiro and his family woke, but decided against it. If he gave in to the temptation, he might not return and he still needed to go to Edo. He finally managed to fall asleep with his back to the wind and his face buried in his tail for warmth.
In the morning he found a bowl of food left out on the engawa for him, but no sign of anyone around. He decided to stay close to the village because he knew Hiroshi would want to speak with him about what had happened. He was right because the village headman came looking for him a short time later.
Hiroshi wasn’t carrying a hon-nawa rope for the Hojojutsu binding or the bamboo punishment rods so Akihiro took that as a good sign. He waited in the forest until he saw Hiroshi walk across the porch of Ichiro’s house to the bell hung at the end of it. The bell had been put up by Genkichirou, and it was used to call him to the shrine. He could also use it to call someone to come to him as well, and he usually rang it when he had food to give to the village. He hadn’t rung it yesterday because he had wanted Ichiro to assume that he didn’t have the energy it would have taken to swing the clapper.
When the man rang the bell, he responded slowly. It was daylight now, and his acting abilities would be stretched to maintain the perception that he was wounded and recovering. He toyed with the idea of using a glamour, but decided against it. If he lost the illusion in the middle of being questioned, it would go very
badly for him. As it was, he moved with painful stiffness and kept his ears, tail and eyes down.
“Hanyou, Ichiro-sama told me you had returned,” Hiroshi said when he had crawled onto the engawa.
“Yes, Hiroshi-dono,” he replied and knelt meekly at the headman’s feet.
“He says that you sustained serious injuries from the exterminators.”
“Yes, Hiroshi-dono. I was shot with three poison arrows.”
“Show me these wounds,” the man ordered.
Obediently, he untied the obi and opened the kosode to bare his chest and abdomen. The wound in his shoulder was still apparent as was the incision in his belly. He used a very little bit of magic to make the smooth scar appear ragged and puckered because he knew a clean wound would be questioned. He didn’t think it was too much of a risk because he doubted the man would want to look at his half-demon body for very long.
“The other is on my thigh, Hiroshi-dono,” he explained.
“You burned them closed.”
“Yes,” he answered, closing the kosode and retying the obi. He kept his eyes down in submission, and would not look up unless invited to do so.
“How did you come to be shot?”
‘This line of questioning is very interesting. I expected him to demand to know why I abandoned the men,’ he thought curiously. “When I became separated from the village men, I tried to double back. I thought they were behind me, and I was worried about them when I found that they weren’t there. The oni-gumo were being herded towards the river, and it was very dangerous. I got pinned between the trap and the exterminators, and two of them saw me. I tried to run, but they flushed me out with stink-smoke. One of them was waiting for me when I came out of the woods, and he was the one who shot me. I kept trying to get away, and I made it to the trade road, but the poison had started to take effect and I was too slow. The exterminators netted me and I went down.” There were a few moments of silence then Hiroshi questioned him further.
“And what of the mountain witch who saved you?”
“I have no memory of a mountain witch, Hiroshi-dono. My last memory of the exterminator was of him standing over me with his sword drawn, and I was certain I was going to die. When I woke, I was under a tree and had been sick with fever for three days.”
“How did you know it was three days?” the man asked shrewdly.
“From the moon phase, Hiroshi-dono. When I woke it was nearly full.”
“Hmmmm,” the man said thoughtfully.
He heard at least three others approaching and swiveled his ears back to try and identify them, but he did not move from his submissive position at Hiroshi’s feet. He knew how to play this role. He would not speak unless spoken to or move unless asked to. He would accept whatever treatment they gave him and do nothing to defend himself. This was the price he had to pay for the safety of living near the village. The newcomers were Ichiro, Kaemon and Genru.
‘Genru? He was leading the men.’
“There he is, the deserting coward,” Genru accused.
He flinched, his ears lowering almost into his hair, and prepared for a beating. He knew none of them would believe him when he said he hadn’t abandoned the men, and they couldn’t smell the fear and lies in Genru’s scent.
“Hold, Genru,” Hiroshi commanded. “I have not finished questioning Hanyou about what happened.”
He blinked, but did not raise his head. ‘What is going on here?’
“How many spider-demons were flushed from the nest?” Hiroshi asked.
“Five, Hiroshi-dono, but there could have been juveniles hidden behind the adults,” he answered truthfully, still not looking up.
“Were there five, Genru?” Hiroshi questioned.
“Yes, Hiroshi-dono. There were five,” the man replied after a pause.
“What happened next, Hanyou?”
“They were being herded towards the river. I decided that going left was the safest path. It took us out of the direct charge and gave us the chance to attack from behind. The exterminators had disabled the oni-gumo’s web sacks so they were vulnerable from the rear. I called to Genru and the others to follow me when I made my move and went ahead, but when I looked back to make sure they were there, I couldn’t find them.”
Genru huffed. “He just disappeared and we had no idea where he went!”
“Do you have any direct evidence that he deserted you on purpose?” Hiroshi questioned.
They were the last words Akihiro expected to hear from the headman’s mouth, and his confusion grew. He waited eagerly for Genru’s reply, but the man just sputtered intelligibly.
“Here is what I think happened,” Kaemon offered, speaking for the first time since he and his father arrived with Genru. “I think there was a great deal of disorder and fear when the oni-gumo started to charge. The sight of one demon spider running at you is disconcerting, but to have five coming at you must have been truly terrifying. I think that you became separated in the confusion.”
“Are you saying that he didn’t run off and leave us?” Genru accused.
Akihiro said nothing and kept his head down. So far the conversation was so completely different from what he had been anticipating that he was almost afraid to speak. It honestly seemed that Kaemon was defending him against Genru, and that Hiroshi was listening.
“I am saying that it must have been very frightening and confusing for you, and I think it was simply a mistake. Hanyou thought he was leading you to safety and assumed you were behind him, but you and the men did not understand what he was doing and did not follow him,” Kaemon corrected.
“I will speak with the exterminators. They should never have flushed such a large nest. They put the village and the men at risk,” Hiroshi promised.
“Why are you defending him?” Genru demanded.
“Because he is still under the protection of this shrine, and no one should be facing down five oni-gumo at once,” Ichiro replied tersely.
Akihiro could hardly believe his ears. ‘What is going on here? It almost sounds like he feels guilty for sending me out.’ He took a discrete sniff. ‘He smells guilty. Could it be that he regrets telling me to go with the men? Why would he regret that?’
It was true that it was the first time he had been badly injured while on a village assignment, but he didn’t think that had mattered to the older priest.
‘Does he feel responsible for my injuries? Then again, if I am killed, I wouldn’t be able to find food in the winter or dig the village out when it snows.’
“Yes, this must not happen again. If they want oni-gumo poison, they should choose nests that aren’t so close to a village,” Hiroshi agreed.
“Perhaps I am wrong, but I believe that the oni-gumo are increasing in numbers and moving closer to humans. I think it would be wise to have a supply of oni-gumo poison antidote ready at all times,” Kaemon suggested.
“That is a good idea, Kaemon,” Hiroshi answered. “I will send some women out to look for the ingredients.”
“Suzuka should go with them. She knows the plants well,” Ichiro added.
“Hanyou,” Hiroshi said, addressing him again. “Are you healed enough to guard the women while they are in the forest?”
“Yes, Hiroshi-dono. I will gladly guard the women,” he readily answered.
“Very well. You will go with them today. The rains are coming, and I want the village to have the poison antidote before they begin.”
“Yes, Hiroshi-dono. Of course, Hiroshi-dono.” ‘I’m not going to be beaten. Ichiro and Kaemon defended me…’
“You will stay nearby until Suzuka and the women are ready to go. They will ring the bell for you,” the headman ordered.
“I understand, Hiroshi-dono.”
“Come with me, Genru. I have other matters to discuss with you,” Hiroshi said and Akihiro heard the two men leave the shrine. Neither acknowledged that he was still there or said goodbye.
“I have duties to attend to,” Ichiro announced and then he left
as well, leaving only Kaemon still standing close to him.
He ventured a quick glance up to see what the young man was doing.
Kaemon looked pleased, and somewhat smug, and Akihiro wondered how much influence the young priest had had on the events that had just transpired.
He dropped his eyes quickly when the man looked his way.
“Thank you for the barley, Kaemon-sama,” he ventured cautiously.
“You were injured and needed food to regain your strength.”
“I will bring a fish in repayment.”
“It will be welcomed.”
He nodded.
“Expect Suzuka to call you soon.”
“Yes. I will be close by.”
“Good.”
“Thank you.”
“Hrrm,” Kaemon grunted, the smug smile returning to his lips, then he folded his hands together and quietly walked away.
Akihiro took it as his cue to move so he lifted himself up from his kneeling position and headed for the forest once again. There he sat in a tree and waited for the bell to ring, sniffing the air to see if he could smell any obvious threats.
There was a lingering scent of oni-gumo, but it carried the stink of death with it so he knew he was smelling the spider demons that had been killed. A short time later, he heard the bell ring, and he hopped down to go to the shrine.
Suzuka was waiting for him along with four other village women, each with baskets for gathering herbs. The young miko was dressed in the traditional clothing of her vocation: a white chihaya kimono and red hibakama trousers, and she had her long, black hair tied back with a white ribbon. She was considered quite beautiful by human standards, and when she had announced her intentions to become a miko, several of the village men had been very upset.
He had once secretly loved her himself, but that had been while she was still a kit and had treated him kindly. He had dreamed that her fondness for him would stay as she grew into a woman, but her affections for him turned to dis-
dain once her father convinced her that he was a worthless half-breed. Even to this day, the coldness in her eyes was sometimes hard for him to bear.
