Beneath Ceaseless Skies #79

by Parks, Richard

  Who...?

  I didn’t have time to finish the thought. I heard the twang of the bowstring this time, and the thug attacking me screamed as an arrow ripped through his thigh. He leaned over, instinctively grasping the shaft, and I seized the chance and cut off his head. It rolled to a stop at the feet of one his three surviving companions, and that apparently decided the matter for them. They took to their heels, but a sixth man went down with an arrow through his neck before the surviving pair reached the cover of the woods.

  The bowman stepped out of the trees and onto the road. He wasn’t in his guard robes now; he wore a tight-fitting hitatare and a plain hunting coat of dark gray, but I recognized him immediately.

  “Minor Guard Captain Fujiwara no Tadanobu,” I said, between gulps of air. “You are quite the archer... thank you.”

  The young man smiled. “You seemed to be doing well on your own,” he said, “but I did not think you would mind a little assistance.”

  Kenji leaned on his staff, like me trying to catch his breath. “Mind? I will say prayers for anyone you name, free of obligation, for the next year.”

  Tadanobu looked serious. “For my uncle, then, Lord Yasunori. He was a good man.” He glanced toward the trees on the other side of the road where the last of our attackers had fled. “Pity those two got away.”

  I looked around. “Yes, it would have been better if we had managed to capture one alive. I would dearly love to know who set them on us.”

  “It’s not as if they gave us much choice in the matter,” Kenji said, scowling.

  Tadanobu examined the body of the first man he’d killed. “No, they meant your deaths, and no mistake. I think we can safely assume what happened to the unfortunate deputy stewards.”

  “While I am in your debt,” I said, “I am a bit surprised to see you here, young sir. My understanding was that your family had prevented you from making this journey by having the commission withdrawn.”

  He laughed. “True, but no one said anything about not making a pilgrimage to Mt. Hiei itself. Such is an act of piety.” Then his tone turned serious again. “Lord Yamada, I know what you must think. While I am disappointed in losing the income from my uncle’s estate, I am not without other means. Yet I apparently sent three men along this road to their deaths. I would like to know why.”

  I was no admirer of the Fujiwara clan in general, but I had to admit that, every now and then, they produced men of worth. At that moment I considered that Tadanobu might be one such.

  “Two men, I think,” I said.

  He frowned. “But the third—”

  “Was killed just outside the estate proper, and obviously not”—I glanced at the bodies on the ground—”by these fine fellows. If they were archers themselves, we would not be standing here now. That leaves the question of what did happen to the unfortunate third deputy.”

  Tadanobu fell silent, but his glance strayed toward Mt. Hiei towering in the background, and that glance spoke volumes.

  “You can speak freely in front of my friend here,” I said, nodding at Kenji. “There’s nothing you can say about Enryaku-ji that he hasn’t said himself.”

  Tadanobu sighed. “Very well. I had kept some contact with my uncle over the years. I was rather fond of him. Every now and then he would write ominously of the monks of Enryaku-ji. He knew they coveted his estate. I did not think too much of it when the first man disappeared; a lone traveler can easily meet with misadventure. But after the second....”

  “You suspected the temple.”

  He looked a little defiant. “I did, though it may be impious of me.”

  “Wise of you, rather,” Kenji said.

  Tadanobu shrugged. “After the first two deputy stewards vanished I did not think to appoint another, but then Kintaro volunteered.”

  Kenji frowned. “Mika Kintaro?”

  “Yes. Did you know him?” Tadanobu asked.

  “I knew of him. He was a low-ranking servant at Court. He was also a lay brother at Enryaku-ji.”

  “Which you also knew,” I said, speaking to Tadanobu. “Or am I mistaken?”

  “I wouldn’t have done it,” Tadanobu said softly, “but I was certain he would be safe. If the Temple was behind the first two attacks, as I believed, then I felt certain they would not harm Kintaro. His first loyalty was to Enryaku-ji, I knew, so why would they pass up the chance to have their own agent in place? And if he succeeded where the other two failed, I would know for certain that Enryaku-ji was involved and then could decide a course of action. But then Kintaro was killed too.”

  My estimate of the young Fujiwara was rising by the moment, but there was a point he was overlooking.

  “But not, as I stated before, by these men.” I nudged one of the bodies with the toe of my sandal. “Look at how they are dressed and armed. The unfortunate Kintaro was not killed by a cudgel and then buried in some deep hole in the woods, as I believe happened to the first two deputies. By all accounts his body had more holes than a fishing net. More, he did safely reach the entrance to the valley where the estate is located, as you expected, which would only have happened if these men had allowed him to pass unmolested. We still have no proof that Enryaku-ji is involved in this matter, but if they are, the circumstances of Kintaro’s death suggest that whoever killed him was not acting on behalf of the temple. Therefore we can rule out archers from Mt. Hiei.”

  Tadanobu frowned. “But if not the Temple, then who?”

  “That is a very good question, and one we will need to answer—”

  We were interrupted by a scream from the woods in the direction our attackers had fled. Without a word all three of us set out into the woods at a run. The trees in this section were mostly chestnut and maple, with a few pines scattered here and there. There was little undergrowth, and we moved quickly. We had gone no more than the distance of two or three bowshots when we came across two bodies, which I immediately recognized as our assailants from the road. Each had been killed, by the look of it, by a single sword cut.

  “Someone truly did not want anyone to question them,” Tadanobu said. “Not that we don’t already know who is behind this.”

  I sighed. “Yes, but without a witness to that effect there’s no chance to prove it.”

  Tadanobu just looked at me. “Would that have mattered?”

  Kenji shrugged. “Minor Captain Tadanobu has a point. No monk of Enryaku-ji attacked us, so none was caught or killed to show the Temple’s complicity. Even if the men who did attack us were hired by the Temple and we had caught one of the louts alive, the temple could simply deny everything, and it would be their word against those of common thieves and murderers. Who would the Court believe?”

  It pained me to admit, but I knew Kenji was right. If there was to be any justice at all in this matter, I would need to find it elsewhere.

  There was no sign of whoever had killed the two men, but then we hadn’t expected these two to stay so close by. Since a renewed attack was unlikely, it made sense that they had remained to meet with someone, perhaps an employer. “Please, gentlemen, stay where you are for a moment.”

  I started where the two bodies lay and walked around the spot in a gradually widening circle. There had been a late summer rain a few days before; there was still enough moisture in the forest floor to take a footprint, and soon I found some. They were faint, but telling. One man had killed both of them, and done it easily. Perhaps because they had not expected it. Or perhaps because the person in question had more than basic skill with a blade. I glanced further into the woods where bramble thickets grew and placed my wager. I bent over and picked up a small object up from the forest floor.

  I called out to Kenji and Tadanobu, some distance away from me now. “These men were indeed killed by a sohei, a warrior monk from Enryaku Temple. Here’s our proof.”

  I walked back to where they stood, and I could read the questions in their faces before they asked them, but I held up a hand for silence. They both frowned but obeyed. Togethe
r we made our way back to the road.

  “What did you find?” Kenji asked once we were back on the road.

  “An early chestnut. A rather nice one, too.”

  * * *

  The road turned into a broad path just before it reached the entrance to the valley. There we found a winsome young woman digging burdock in a small meadow adjacent to the path; the aroma of burdock root and the late summer flowers blooming there made a pleasant scent. The woman was dressed as a peasant farmer and wore a large reed hat, but I could easily imagine her in court robes moving about a palace. She was quite pretty, with hair so long, thick, and glossy black that any Lady of the Court would be jealous of it. When she saw us, she dropped her digging spike and bowed low.

  “Greetings, noble sirs.”

  I thought I detected a note of apprehension in her voice, which I quickly moved to dispel.

  “We mean no harm. I am the new steward of this estate. My name is Yamada no Goji. What is your name, girl? Who is in charge here?”

  She looked up at me, dark eyes wide and innocent. “You are not bad men...? Oh, forgive me. I’m called Kasumi, sir. No one is in charge. Our beloved Master is dead. Do you mean Mistress Aiko?”

  I glanced at Tadanobu, who grunted. “A local woman who managed my late uncle’s household. I’ve met her a few times, and I know he held her in high regard. I gather she’s been holding the estate together since his passing.”

  “She works hard,” Kasumi said.

  I considered. “Kasumi, are you up here digging burdock root very often?”

  “Oh, yes, sir. I am very good at gathering burdock. The best, Mistress Aiko says. I can take you to her, if you wish, but I really should stay here and finish my work. Would that be all right?”

  “That will be fine, Kasumi,” I said. “We’ll find her.” I turned to Tadanobu. “If you will accompany us?”

  Tadanobu frowned. “But I can’t—I gave my word not to enter the estate. Perhaps I should remain here and keep this charming girl company.”

  I noted with some amusement that Kasumi was blushing, but I insisted. “That would not be a good idea. I do need you with me.”

  He frowned. “You think there will be trouble within the estate itself?”

  “I think there is already trouble, and Enryaku-ji is only part of it. We need to sort out the rest now, or all is for nothing. For the sake of your uncle’s memory, I need you to come with me. I will ask Prince Kanemore to intercede with your family if it becomes an issue. I will try to make certain it does not.”

  Tadanobu reluctantly agreed, and we continued along the path, which began to slope downward. Almost immediately we could see the rice paddies spread out below us, thick and green with plants almost ready to harvest. Peasant farmers moved through the fields, adjusting the irrigation gates, funneling water with bamboo pipes. There would be holding tanks built higher on the hillside to catch and keep rainwater, though little would be needed now as the fields were almost ready to drain for harvest.

  “I understand this was mostly swampland on the valley floor before it was drained and reclaimed. Look at it now,” Tadanobu said.

  “Quite an accomplishment,” I said.

  “It’s unfortunate that the Temple agrees,” muttered Kenji.

  “There may be a solution to that,” I said.

  Kenji and Tadanobu both looked at me. “What is it?” Tadanobu asked.

  “If it proves possible, I’ll tell you. That is one thing we are here to discover.” I nodded at Kenji. “What were your impressions of Kasumi?”

  “Lovely girl,” Kenji said. “If a bit simple. Also a little young for my—”

  I sighed. “I meant what did your senses tell you?”

  He frowned, then understanding dawned. “Oh. Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “Nothing aside from the smell of burdock?”

  He shook his head, looking puzzled. “Did I miss something?”

  “I’m surprised you didn’t mention her hair. It’s a truly astonishing feature, to find such long, beautiful hair on a peasant girl. They usually keep it shorter. As for missing something, I think we’ve all been missing something. I know we have an ambush waiting for us back on the road. I should know, because I arranged it. I just hope we aren’t walking into another one on your uncle’s estate.”

  “There are no warriors here, even if Mistress Aiko and her folk had some reason to wish us harm, which I do not believe to be the case,” Tadanobu said.

  I glanced back up the path. “I would not be too sure of either one of those conclusions.”

  We met one of the farmers on the path, an older man who bowed as we passed. “A girl named Kasumi told us that Mistress Aiko could be found here,” I said. “Is she a servant of Mistress Aiko, and are we on the correct path?”

  “Yes, masters, to both. Just a little further and you’ll come to the manor house. You should be able to find her there.”

  “Thank you. You’ve been very helpful.”

  He bowed again and then hurried off on his business. “Very helpful,” I said again when he was out of earshot. “In fact, you just told me more than you knew.”

  Tadanobu looked at me. “Lord Yamada, what are you talking about?”

  “Just that there were depths to your late uncle that we had not suspected. I’m intrigued.”

  Tadanobu sighed. “Is he often this impenetrable?”

  That last was directed at Kenji, who just spread his hands. “I’ve seen worse but, yes, quite often. It really is annoying. Yet this time I do follow his meaning.” Kenji turned to me. “Before you ask, yes. I sensed it. I’m either tired or getting old, that I did not pick up on this sooner.”

  Now Tadanobu was scowling at both of us, but I just shook my head. “I ask that you trust me for now, and take no action without a word from me. Will you promise?”

  Tadanobu assented, though he looked skeptical—whether of me or the situation I did not bother to find out. We continued along the path skirting the rice fields and soon came to what could only be the manor house.

  It was built in the shinden style of the Capital, with a plastered, wood-shingled wall and iron-reinforced wooden gate. A servant showed us inside. There was a garden, small but immaculate, in the courtyard. The main house had a high-peaked roof covered in the same plain wooden shingles as the wall, but the carpentry was on a par with any I had ever seen. Likewise for the two outbuildings linked by covered walkways that made up the east and west wings of the manor house. Tadanobu looked at the work approvingly.

  “I remember how proud he was when this was completed; he wrote to me about it,” he said. “My uncle Yasunori was a man of impeccable taste.”

  The servant, an older woman with a cheerful smile, bowed low. “Please come inside. I will fetch my mistress.”

  “Please do. And tell her we would like to speak to her in private.”

  “Of course, gentlemen.” The old woman hurried ahead.

  We entered the reception hall. Yasunori had it set up like that of a mansion in the Capital, only there were bundles of Kasumi’s burdock piled against one wall, apparently awaiting stripping and preparing, and the scent was heavy. We heard muffled conversation from a nearby room and then the very faint footsteps of someone approaching.

  A noblewoman would have spoken to us from the dais at the back wall of the room, from behind a curtain. Mistress Aiko instead entered through a side door, alone, and immediately kneeled and placed her forehead on the floor.

  “Mistress Aiko? I am Lord Yamada,” I said. “This is the priest Kenji, and I believe you’ve met Lord Tadanobu.”

  “We have been expecting your arrival,” she said. “And Master Tadanobu, it is good to see you again.”

  “And you, Mistress Aiko. I would also like to offer my thanks for taking care of my late uncle for so long,” Tadanobu said.

  “One does what one can,” she said, not looking at us.

  I seated myself on one of the cushions arranged before the dais, and Kenji and T
adanobu followed my example. “Please sit up, Mistress Aiko. We have business to discuss.”

  “Of course.”

  She raised herself to an upright kneeling position, and I got my first good look at her. Mistress Aiko was a handsome woman, perhaps in her forties. She was dressed in simple work clothes, though instead of pulling her hair up under a scarf like many peasant women, she wore it in one long strand down her back, tied with blue ribbons. She appeared to be no more than she was supposed to be, but the signs were there if one knew where to look. I heard a grunt from Kenji to my left, and I was certain he was carefully reaching for one of the spirit wards he kept about his person at all times. I glanced over at him.

  “I do not believe you will need that,” I said to him.

  It was a critical moment, and I did not know how it would end. I only knew how I wanted it to end. I could feel the tension in Mistress Aiko’s body, and I knew I was about to make matters worse, but there was no other way.

  “Mistress Aiko, how long did Lord Yasunori know that you were a fox?”

  She glared at me, but she did not move. “Lord Yasunori was a good man. Why do you think he would associate with such a creature?”

  Tadanobu gasped, but I glanced at him and he kept still. “Because he did,” I said. “For thirty years or more. Or are you really going to claim that he didn’t know?”

  “Of course he knew,” she said, softly. “How did you know?”

  “Because I have some experience with your kind. And Kenji, here,” I said, nodding at the priest, “is spiritually sensitive to such things, when he isn’t too much in his cups or besotted by a pair of pretty eyes.”

  Now Tadanobu spoke up. “You mean Kasumi? She’s a fox, too?”

  I smiled. “No, I am fairly certain that Kasumi is not a fox. Isn’t that correct, Mistress Aiko?”

  “It is,” she said.

  “In fact, I would wager that only a small percentage of the inhabitants of this valley are foxes. The rest run the gamut, I suppose? Tanuki? Yokai? There are all sorts of shape-shifters, aside from foxes.”