“What?”
“I said move back!” Saya snapped at him.
Chihaya moved back a few paces but said, “If it’s because of the shark, it just died.”
Saya glanced over her shoulder at the shark’s motionless form and then stared suspiciously at Chihaya. “How did you know that? Surely you didn’t try to possess that monster? Because if you did, I’ll have nothing more to do with you.”
Chihaya shook his head. “I couldn’t have possessed it. That fish was a messenger from the God of the Sea.”
Saya’s mouth dropped open in innocent astonishment. “What did you just say?”
Chihaya looked at the fish that had breathed its last, and frowned slightly. “I heard the voice of the Sea God,” he said doubtfully. “But I think he must have talked to me by mistake. Surely he was mistaken.” Puzzled, he looked at Saya and said in a low voice, “He seemed to think that I was the Dragon.”
A chill ran up her spine, but while she stood there speechless, the children came back from the other side of the beach, leading two fishermen. They, too, stared at the huge shark, but when they saw that it was dead, they touched it and said, “This is a servant of the Sea God. We must prepare an altar and suitable offerings.”
Saya looked from one weathered face to the other in surprise. “You mean you worship the gods of the earth?”
“Of course. Fishing is our trade. How could we survive if we were cursed by the lord of the sea?”
“But I saw you worshipping the sun this morning,” Saya said, and the fishermen laughed, their faces untroubled.
“We wouldn’t be forgetting the blessing of the Light, young lady. The key is to live a life full of thanks and praise. Our work is so dangerous that even if we worshipped all the gods in the world, many of us would still die untimely deaths.”
“THEY’RE LUCKY,” Saya sighed after leaving the fishermen. “Why can’t the people of Darkness live like that, without fighting? To tell you the truth, I’m afraid of what’s going to happen.”
Brushing her windswept hair from her face, she turned to Chihaya with a pensive look.
“I don’t want to be swept up in this war against the God of Light. But there’s nothing I can do about it . . . Oh, I’m not even sure about whether or not there’s nothing I can do. What about you? Have you thought about what you’re going to do when we get to the people of Darkness?”
“No,” Chihaya replied promptly.
“And you have me worried, too.”
Saya sighed again. She was getting used to the fact that Chihaya was hard to understand. But it bothered her not to have the faintest idea what he, a Prince of Light, intended to do among the people of Darkness. She did not know how the latter would receive him either, or even how they would welcome her. Although she was of the same race, she had learned almost nothing about the enemies of the Light.
“I worry you?” Chihaya said in complete surprise. “What about me could worry you?”
“That’s what worries me!” Saya said in exasperation.
The sun had risen high in the sky and the tide had reached its lowest ebb when Torihiko came gliding on the wind in search of them. Saya and Chihaya were helping to dig up shellfish on the beach, and the children opened their mouths in astonishment when the huge crow landed purposefully on Saya’s shoulder. She quickly walked away and turned her back to them so that they could not be heard talking.
“We leave by boat this afternoon,” Torihiko said. “Lady Iwa said not to wander too far from the Sword.”
“I know,” Saya replied with some annoyance.
“I’ll be leaving ahead of you. Flying’s faster, so they told me to let Lord Akitsu know when we’re arriving.”
Saya suddenly felt alone and helpless. She looked at the black crow. “You mean you’re not coming with us?”
“Wouldn’t you know it! Now that I’ve got wings they think up even more ways to keep me busy.”
“Where on earth are we going anyway? Across the sea?”
“No, it’s not that far. We’re only going by boat because it’s easier to go around the point and enter from the shore. From here on, the mountains are very rugged, so it’s impossible to approach by land. Lord Akitsu resides in a hidden valley called Eagle’s Manor.” Torihiko broke off, and hunching his shoulders, he preened his feathers with his beak. Then he continued smugly. “Of course, it’s not much of a fortress if you’ve got wings. Old Akitsu will sure be surprised to see me.”
Saya bit back the words that sprang to her tongue. Torihiko seemed almost to be enjoying his new form. At least he never complained. And if he did, she knew he would never be caught griping about his fate in front of her.
“Take care,” was all that she said.
“See you later.” Watching him fly exuberantly into the sky, Saya wished that she had even half his talent for making the best of necessity.
2
THEY BOARDED TWO BOATS AT NOON that summer’s day and set off into the dazzling sea. The two attendants steered, sculling with practiced hands. Saya, who rode with Lady Iwa, shaded her eyes with her hand and watched the other boat some distance away. She thought idly that the grim figure of Lord Shinado contrasted with the slender, fragile form of Chihaya made him look like a slave dealer taking home a newly purchased prize. Although the little boats rocked back and forth, there was no fear of capsizing, and they forged ahead, trailing a wake behind them. Skirting the sheer cliffs on the cape at a distance, they rounded the promontory. On the other side, the cliffs gradually sank in height and the dense black forest covering the top came into view. Passing several reefs where white waves broke, they approached the shore cautiously until suddenly a hollow appeared within the bluff, revealing a hidden cove. As they passed between the cliffs, gazing up at the rock ledges lined with seabird nests, the water turned smooth and tranquil. Under the blazing sun, shore and forest were wrapped in silence, augmenting the air of secrecy.
Or perhaps this was only Saya’s imagination, sparked by her anxiety concerning those who awaited them. It seemed to her that the entire cove held its breath, watching them intently. But there was no sign of anyone waiting in ambush when they landed on the empty beach near the mouth of a river flowing into the cove. They set out on foot, following the river in the sweltering heat. No one spoke, and the only sound to be heard was the chirring of the cicadas. Soon the river entered a steep valley and the path became increasingly rugged and lined with boulders.
Chihaya glanced up suddenly, and Saya, following suit, glimpsed tiny forms at the top of the cliff ahead, where the canopy of leaves was thinner. She thought she saw them wave, and then they disappeared. The idea that she would have to climb so far was almost too much for her. It was a windless afternoon, hot and humid even in the shade—certainly not the season for sweating one’s way up a rock cliff. However, she need not have worried. They had gone only a few paces farther when they were met by a group of brawny men.
The bearded leader bowed his head respectfully. “Please forgive our delay. We apologize for not coming sooner, but we had to make sure that you weren’t followed.” There were at least twenty men with him. They all wore black headbands and protective vests of hard leather over their bare, tanned chests. Although they appeared respectful at that moment, Saya felt that underneath they were rough and dangerous. Lord Shinado accepted their greeting solemnly.
“Thank you for your trouble. Bring the litters here.”
Two litters without canopies, each supported on long poles and carried by four men, were immediately brought forward. Saya was gazing at them curiously when Lord Shinado said, “You should get on.”
“Me?” she said in surprise. It had never occurred to her that she would ride while Lord Shinado walked. Confused, she looked from left to right and stammered, “I–I can walk. I’m not that tired.”
“It’s all right,” Lady Iwa reassured her, already seated on the other litter. “Go ahead. Remember, you’re the princess of our people.”
Havi
ng no choice, Saya sat down, but in the end she found it much more tiring than walking, for she held herself rigid the whole way lest she should burden the bearers.
Finally they came to a hollow behind which rose a rock wall shaped like a folding screen. Before them lay cool green meadows and cultivated fields. As they came closer, Saya saw houses built in rows along the bottom of the cliff and a crowd of people gathered in front of them, cheering loudly. She recalled the day she had reached the Palace of Light and how the people had waited in the fine rain, lined up in an orderly fashion. This was a much more boisterous crowd, with children and dogs racing about.
“Look! She’s come back at last.”
“The Princess of the Sword has returned!”
“There’s the mistress of the sacred Sword.”
These words were on everyone’s lips as she passed by. Immensely thankful for the thin silk veil hanging from the brim of the straw hat that someone had lent her to keep off the sun, she hid herself within its shadow. Of any reception she could have received, the worshipful adoration of these people was the most unsettling. Wondering what on earth Torihiko had told them, she struggled as best she could to conceal her discomfort.
LORD AKITSU’S hall came into sight at the far end of Eagle’s Manor. The space before the entrance formed the largest courtyard in the valley, and the back of the hall was set against a sheer cliff. The floor was raised high off the ground, resembling a wide shelf perched on the cliff face. Saya did not think it was very large. In fact, she had seen much grander structures owned by mere vassals in the capital of Mahoroba. But she later learned that she was mistaken, for the main part of his dwelling was inside the cliff itself.
The one-eyed lord came to greet them at the gate. Although he smiled, his smile was as stern as a rock long weathered by blizzards. In one hand he grasped a gnarled staff, on the top of which perched Torihiko, looking nonchalant, as if he were merely an ornament.
“Well met,” Lord Akitsu greeted Saya in a deep resonant voice, the beautiful timbre of which belied his looks. “You’re a brave girl. That’s even clearer now.”
Wondering perversely what they would think if she burst into tears as she wished to do, Saya bowed her head silently as her common sense dictated.
“Lord Ibuki will join us in a few days. Then we’ll all be gathered together once more. But first you must rest yourselves in my hall.”
He beckoned them inside, as if he noticed nothing unusual, but his one eye missed nothing as it fixed shrewdly upon Chihaya. He waited until Lady Iwa passed him and then spoke in a low voice so that no one would overhear. “That boy, he can’t be . . .”
“But he is,” Lady Iwa replied, looking up at him.
Lord Akitsu could not hide his surprise, and he stared after Chihaya’s receding figure. “Him? But he’s so young.”
She blinked her heavy, sparsely lashed eyelids. “Yes, he’s but a child not yet fully developed,” she whispered. “Which is precisely why he may yet become ours.”
THE ROOM to which Saya was led was long and narrow, with one wall of stone, and she felt that she had indeed been placed upon a shelf, although it was much cooler and more pleasant than she had expected. Tired, she sat where she had been left, dozing, but she started when she noticed a young woman kneeling respectfully beside her. The girl was round-cheeked and cheerful-looking. Although her hair had been put up in a bun, it looked as if it had been fastened only with much effort, and many obstinate locks had already escaped.
“My name is Natsume. I have been assigned to serve you. Please don’t hesitate to tell me what you need,” she said in a clear, crisp voice. Not much older than Saya, she nevertheless radiated a calm confidence.
“Really? Oh, I’m so glad!” Saya exclaimed, jumping to her feet. “I’m so glad that you’re not an old woman. Will you be my friend?”
Natsume’s eyes widened slightly, but then she broke into a smile and said, “Yes. Gladly, if I’m acceptable to you.”
“Are you married?” Saya asked, wondering if it was also the custom here for married women to wear their hair up.
“Yes. I was married this spring,” she replied, her cheeks turning a charming pink.
“How nice. What’s your husband like?”
Still blushing, Natsume began to laugh. “Really, my lady! One of these days, I’ll tell you. After all, he, too, serves the lord of this hall.”
NATSUME was a hard worker by nature, completing her tasks quickly and efficiently, and she made sure that Saya experienced no inconvenience in this unfamiliar place. She enjoyed her work so much that just watching her was a pleasure. Now that Saya had found someone with whom she could feel totally at ease, she took full advantage of Natsume’s attentions and did not leave the hall for the next few days. Chihaya, she heard, also had a servant and lacked for nothing. While it may have been normal for Chihaya, however, it was unlike Saya to remain indoors, ignoring a new people and a new land. Although she herself remained unaware of it, she had not escaped unscathed from the string of events that had led her here, and the scars of that experience had made her timid. She also found the reverent glances cast her way by the people of Eagle’s Manor confusing and intimidating.
Still, she was young and quick to recover. Within a few days, her natural curiosity began to reassert itself. She had just reached the point when she could no longer stand being cooped up in her narrow room all day and was trying to think of some excuse to go out when Natsume returned from preparing the evening meal.
“I wonder if he’s looking for something,” she said.
“Who?”
Natsume blushed. “I don’t know his name, but, you know, the handsome one.”
“Oh, you mean Chihaya.” Puzzled, Saya looked at the flustered Natsume. “What about him?”
“I saw him beside the main building. He seemed to be looking for something, so I spoke to him, but he walked away as though he didn’t even hear me.”
“That’s strange.”
She could not think of any reason for him to do that. Yet, the fact that he was walking about alone did not bode well. She rose. “I’ll go and see. Would you take me to where you saw him?”
When they reached the courtyard adjoining the kitchen to which Natsume led Saya, they did not see Chihaya anywhere. They walked a little farther until they neared the wooden fence enclosing the hall, and there they found him surrounded by several guards in front of the guardhouse.
I was afraid it might be something like this, Saya thought. The guards, catching sight of the two hurrying toward them, released Chihaya’s arms and bowed their heads respectfully to Saya.
“My lady! We didn’t expect the honor of your presence in such a shabby place.”
Although she had known her appearance would have some effect, she was disconcerted by this sudden deference. Somehow it did not seem right to be treated this way when, such a short time ago, she had been just an ordinary, insignificant girl. At the same time, she could not reprove them for showing respect.
“Has he been causing trouble?” she asked as she went to Chihaya’s side.
“He ignored our challenge and began to approach the armory, so we ordered him to stop. He doesn’t even attempt to answer our questions,” one of the guards replied.
“Well!” Saya looked at the dreamy-eyed Chihaya. “What did you want in the armory?”
His gaze, which had been roving far away, finally focused on her face. “Nothing,” he said. “I just wondered if there wasn’t some way to get to the top of the cliff.”
When they heard this, the guards’ expressions once again grew grim. “And what business do you have up on the cliff ? Only the sentries are permitted to go there.”
Saya hurried to defend him. “I’m sure he had no special reason. He just isn’t used to being in a place like this.”
“We know that he’s a guest, one of your company, my lady, but we can’t ignore such suspicious behavior,” said a serious-looking man who appeared to be their leader. “If anyth
ing should happen . . .”
“What will you do with him, then?”
“Those who behave suspiciously must be imprisoned and interrogated.”
Saya gasped in shock. “I give you my word that he can be trusted. I’ll talk to Lord Akitsu myself, so please, couldn’t you let him go this time?”
The leader of the guards looked uncomfortable, but said, “My lady, it’s our duty. If we fail to fulfill it, we’ll betray our lord’s trust. Please try to understand that.”
Saya bit her lip in consternation. But at that moment someone spoke behind them. “It’s the Princess of the Sword who begs this favor of you. Why don’t you let him go?”
Turning around, she saw Lord Shinado standing there watching them. His lean figure, while not particularly remarkable, conveyed more force than all the guards combined. He, too, was an honored guest at Eagle’s Manor, and, having nothing to do, he had apparently just happened along at that moment.
The head of the guards protested. “I beg your pardon, Lord Shinado, but he ignored our challenge as if he didn’t even hear us. How can we be expected to preserve order in the fortress if we overlook such behavior?”
“It’s not worth worrying about. He simply doesn’t have the brains of an ordinary man, that’s all. Like the lady, I’ll vouch for him, so let him go.”
“Oh, I see. Is that how it is?” The guard looked hard at Chihaya, and his expression turned to one of pity. “In that case, we’ll overlook it as long as it doesn’t happen again.”
“Why, of course,” Saya said hastily. At her urging, Chihaya came away quietly. As they walked back toward their lodgings, Saya glanced uneasily at Lord Shinado walking beside her. She did not know whether she should thank him or not. While she appreciated the fact that he had come to her aid, she was annoyed by his choice of words.
Lord Shinado, his face stern, also gave Saya a sidelong glance, and then said curtly, “Don’t let Chihaya behave in such a way that he betrays his lineage. Most of our people aren’t ready to accept a Prince of Light into their midst. I can’t guarantee his safety should they find out. If he’s going to walk about as he pleases, he just might be better off in prison.”
Dragon Sword and Wind Child Page 15
