Saya was about to retort, but he left her side abruptly and, turning his back on the hall, walked away. She vented her feelings to Chihaya. “Don’t you care what he says of you? He called you a fool.”
“Oh, really? I didn’t notice.” His response was so vacant that there seemed no point in going on, and she held her tongue.
Overcoming her irritation, she asked, “Why did you want to go to the top of the cliff ?”
Chihaya’s face instantly filled with a lively enthusiasm, making him seem like a different person.
“Something was there early this morning. It was too far away to touch my mind, but I know something came. Something that I’ve never seen before—like the shark.”
The change that came over him made her realize just how little the argument with the guards had registered in his mind. When she stopped to think about it, Chihaya had been extremely taciturn during their journey and since their arrival. In fact, she suddenly realized that she had never seen him talk with anyone other than herself. This made her even more anxious about the future.
Could it be that Chihaya wasn’t ignoring the guards but actually didn’t hear them?
THAT NIGHT, Saya was summoned by Lord Akitsu and told much the same thing she had been told by Lord Shinado, although he chose much milder words to convey his meaning. He wished to know, however, why Chihaya had suddenly taken it into his head to venture to the top of the cliff.
“I’m not sure, but he said that there was something up there, something that attracted his interest,” Saya said thoughtfully. “Although he seems so absentminded most of the time, he’s very sensitive in unusual ways, so I believe that there was indeed something there. Chihaya seems to perceive things differently from the rest of us. When we were on the beach the other day, he said he heard the voice of the Sea God.”
Lord Akitsu was listening intently. “Is that so?” he remarked. “Yet I don’t think any god resides on the top of this mountain. Except for the sentries, there aren’t even any human beings up there. Only deer and mountain goats.”
“It could be something like that,” Saya said hesitantly, “because Chihaya is drawn to beasts rather than to people.”
“Hmm.” The one-eyed lord nodded as he considered this. Then, as if he had suddenly hit upon a brilliant idea, he said, “In that case, tomorrow I shall climb to the top with him. I have been thinking that it was about time to do something like deer hunting to keep from getting stiff. Has he ever used a bow? No, of course not. Anyway, I’ll guide him. You should come, too, if you like.”
3
EARLY THE NEXT MORNING, Saya fastened the garters of her trousers and set out in high spirits. When she had said, half in jest, that she would need trousers in order to follow the hunt, Natsume had actually produced a pair. In Hashiba, women were not permitted to wear such things, and in the Palace of Light she would likely have been punished just for mentioning the idea. But Saya had always wanted, at least once, to stride boldly forth like Princess Teruhi, unencumbered by long skirts. Natsume had laid out an outfit of white trousers and a jacket with a light green border and red garters adorned with little bells. Seeing Saya’s excitement, she said, “In times of war, all the women of Darkness must don men’s clothes and fight as bravely as the menfolk. We all have one such outfit to wear should the need arise.”
“Would you fight, too, Natsume?” Saya asked in surprise. Fighting seemed as appropriate to her gentle nature as fangs to a fawn.
“If the enemy attacks us, then I will defend what must be defended,” Natsume replied, adding somewhat harshly, “for the army of Light gives no quarter to women and children.”
When Saya went outside, Torihiko flew down from a branch and alighted on her shoulder. “Well, well. You’re wearing trousers.”
“Of course. Don’t I look dashing?”
“About as dashing as Chihaya,” Torihiko replied. “His arm is at least as thin as yours. His bow is weeping. Look.”
She turned and saw Chihaya dressed in hunting attire with a bow and a quiver of arrows, but, at best, he appeared only to be carrying them for someone else. Beside him Lord Akitsu stood smartly equipped, every inch an experienced huntsman, with a falcon perched on his forearm. When Saya approached with Torihiko, he glanced over his shoulder at them and frowned slightly. “Torihiko? You aren’t planning to join us, are you? You’ll upset Madarao.”
The falcon, a cord fastened to one leg, screeched, opening and closing its wings repeatedly. It seemed poised to fly at the crow at any moment, but in fact was terrified of him. Chihaya was staring intently at the falcon.
“What difference will it make?” Torihiko calmly retorted. “It’s obvious you intend to hunt bigger game than falcon bait today considering the number of beaters you sent out this morning.”
“You’re a hard one to beat. Well, never mind. Just don’t get so close that Madarao breaks his jesses and escapes.”
“Why would I want to be near you? I’m going to stay with Saya.” Bobbing his head up and down, he said to her, “I’ll teach you how to shoot a bow and arrow. I used to be a good shot with the short bow.”
The hunting party left the gate and, cutting across Eagle’s Manor, set off along a mountain path. Torihiko told Saya in a low voice that there was actually a direct path from the rock face behind Lord Akitsu’s hall to the top of the cliff.
“But it’s a secret. Lord Akitsu’s a shrewd man. He thinks of everything, although he doesn’t let on,” Torihiko told her softly. “Take that falcon, for example. He doesn’t need it for the hunt. He brought it along on purpose to attract Chihaya. He’s hoping it’ll make him open up.”
Saya realized that Chihaya had been so engrossed in the falcon that he had followed the lord ahead, leaving them behind. She shrugged. “Well, I hope that at least they can become friends.”
The leaves were thick on the trees in the forest, and thickets and creepers grew densely, making visibility poor. It was certainly not the best season for hunting, but the lord and his company did not seem to mind. As the hunters moved rapidly ahead, Saya gave up trying to keep pace with them to the site of the kill, stopping instead at the edge of the forest to practice archery with Torihiko. They stayed there till the sun rose high in the sky while Saya shot at a wooden target mostly for the fun of it. Through the trees, the faint sound of the beaters’ whistles and drums could be heard intermittently. The beaters had left before dawn and now were gradually tightening their circle, driving their prey in the direction of the river, where the archers waited. Hearing without really listening, Saya thought not of the excitement of those waiting with bows drawn but rather of the trembling of the living creatures who fled from the sound of approaching death. Run! Run! Run! To those fleet of foot and sharp of hearing shall the reward of life be given.
“Is something wrong?” Torihiko asked, jolting Saya back to her senses.
“No. Nothing.”
“Saya, I’m afraid you’ll never make a good archer. For one thing, you have no concentration,” Torihiko said bluntly. But at that moment there was a slight movement at the edge of Saya’s vision. A bright reddish brown form passed swiftly and silently on the other side of the trees.
“Shoot! Shoot!” Torihiko screeched, flapping his wings, beside himself, but it never occurred to Saya to shoot. What she glimpsed through the thicket was a spectacular stag. Stately eight-branched antlers soared on his proud head. The fur at his throat was silver, while his back was dark, proclaiming him to be a long-lived veteran of many hunts. He glanced questioningly at her with glistening black eyes, and then disappeared once more without apparent haste. He bore himself with a spellbinding grace. Saya gazed after him for some time and then said to Torihiko, “He was like a god. If someone told me he was an earth god, I’d believe it.” She had no idea what an uproar this stag would soon cause for the hunters.
It grew hot, and the hunt should have been winding up when Torihiko, who had flown off to check on the hunting party’s progress, returned in a fluster.<
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“Saya, Chihaya’s run away! Everyone has stopped chasing game to chase him.”
“What?” Saya raised her voice in astonishment. “I can’t believe it. Why would he do that?”
“Lord Akitsu said to come quickly. Hurry!”
Saya rose and ran after Torihiko.
Lord Akitsu was in the middle of the forest, far above the hunting site along the river’s course. When he caught sight of the breathless Saya, he began to speak before she even had a chance to ask. “I don’t understand it. He suddenly threw down his bow and quiver and ran off. I’ve never seen anyone move so fast. We still haven’t managed to catch him even with so many people searching.”
“When did this happen?” Saya asked. “When did Chihaya leave you? Or should I say leave Madarao?”
“Madarao’s with the falconer now, looking for Chihaya. But the falcon no longer seems to interest him. He ran off after he saw the deer. A stag more than eight years old, a rare sight to behold, leapt out in front of the beaters, but before we had a chance to shoot, Chihaya ran off.”
“After the stag?”
“No, in the opposite direction.”
“Why would he do that?” Saya wondered.
“You mean you don’t know either?”
“I don’t know that much about Chihaya.”
“Well, I can tell you one thing: he’s amazingly fast. He didn’t seem human,” Lord Akitsu growled. “I was totally deceived by the way he looked.”
Saya, who was now quite worried, pleaded, “Please don’t accuse him of anything until we find out what happened. I’m sure there will be a simple explanation for this. In some ways he’s just like a little baby.”
Lord Akitsu nodded but continued to frown. “All right. But if he won’t come quietly, we may have to catch him with a net like a wild animal. Although I’ll do my best to see that he comes to no harm.”
In a short while the men who had tried to surround Chihaya reported that he had slipped through their circle and disappeared. It seemed that the manhunt would continue for some time. There was one possibility that worried Saya, but she was so uncertain that she decided to keep quiet until she could see Chihaya for herself. The sun sank steadily lower in the sky. Lord Akitsu finally turned to her and said, “The mountain paths are treacherous at night. My servant will take you back to the hall now before it gets dark. Don’t worry. We’ll find him and bring him home.”
Torihiko remained behind to help for as long as his bird’s eyes could be of use. Saya was sorry to leave, but she could not go against the lord’s wishes.
If only I had stayed with him, she thought bitterly. She descended the steep mountain path in silence, rebuking herself for her reluctance to rejoin Lord Akitsu’s company just because she had found the hunt boring. When Eagle’s Manor came into sight, she noticed a crowd of people in the distance.
“What’s going on?” she asked her companion, but he did not seem to know either. As they drew near, he exclaimed with relief, “Ah, Lord Ibuki has arrived. I must tell him why Lord Akitsu isn’t here to welcome him.”
By this time Saya was able to make out the giant of a man who stood conspicuously in the middle of the crowd. Beside him even the tallest men looked like children clustered around their father. They wove their way through the wall of people until they reached Lord Ibuki. He noticed Saya at once. His bearded bearlike face lit up and broke into a broad grin. “Well, well. If it isn’t Saya, the Water Maiden! I’m glad to see you looking so well.”
But Saya did not bother to return his greeting for her eyes were riveted on the squirming, struggling young man in his arms, who had until then been obstructed from her view by the crowd. Covered in scratches, he flailed desperately, trying to wriggle out of his captor’s grip, but Lord Ibuki did not budge, whether kicked or hit. When the captive began to use his teeth, however, he hoisted him onto his shoulder in exasperation. Marveling at this feat, Saya finally found her voice again.
“Chihaya!”
Her companion also blurted out in surprise, “Where did you find him? Lord Akitsu is in the forest searching for him right now.”
Lord Ibuki blinked several times and rubbed his face with his free hand. “Well, actually, thinking that I’d like to bring a little present with me, I went into the forest, but instead of game this thing sprang out. I couldn’t really leave him there tangled in the brambles. But what a surprise to learn that Lord Akitsu is looking for him.” He glanced at Chihaya who was struggling wildly on his shoulder. “Such a handsome lunatic is a pathetic thing indeed.”
“Please—just put him down.”
When he finally stood before her, Saya took a close look at him. It seemed that he had indeed been caught in a thorn bush for he looked a terrible mess. His hair hung in disarray, his clothes were in tatters, and blood oozed from countless scratches covering his face and limbs. But more than anything else, it was his eyes that shocked her, for in them resided only naked terror, ignorance, and despair.
“Lady, I will return to the mountain and report that Chihaya has been found,” the manservant said.
He was turning to leave when Saya shouted, “No! No! This is not Chihaya!”
“What do you—” he began.
But Saya cut him short. “This is not Chihaya. What stands before us is a deer—a stag whose body has been possessed by Chihaya.”
Lord Ibuki blinked again, as if he hoped that by blinking he would gain enlightenment. “Hmm. I’m having some difficulty following you.”
“What I mean is Chihaya has possessed a stag. Without thinking of the consequences, in the middle of the hunt.”
This was the result of borrowing others’ bodies. Saya recalled the time when Chihaya had restrained her. Then her body had been occupied by a mouse’s spirit, and even now the thought gave her the shivers. She held out her hands, but Chihaya fell back and lowered his head, ready to charge her with nonexistent antlers.
“Don’t be afraid. It’s me, Saya,” she said in a soothing voice. “Don’t you remember? I didn’t shoot you with my bow and arrow. I promise not to hurt you. I just want to help you. Relax. I’ll see that you get back to normal as soon as I can.”
She spoke gently and repetitively, and his breathing became slower. Gradually, he relaxed, looking timidly into her face. When she held out her hand once more, he sniffed it first, like a wild creature, and then came meekly to her.
“There, there, easy now.” Saya stroked his twig-tangled hair lovingly. Suddenly recollecting herself, she turned abruptly to the servant and said, “Go quickly and tell Lord Akitsu that I want him to catch the stag with the eight-branched antlers. But he mustn’t shoot it, because that’s the real Chihaya. Oh, but it would be faster to take his body there.”
She was suddenly filled with impatience. At any moment Lord Akitsu or one of his men, ignorant of the truth, might shoot the great stag as he carelessly approached them. It would be just like Chihaya.
“We must hurry! Please, show me the shortcut that leads to the top of the cliff. If we don’t go right away, it will be too late.”
“But . . .” the manservant protested, looking troubled.
Glancing at the others, Saya realized that no one had yet grasped the situation. But Lord Ibuki said, “Do as she says. It’s the Lady of the Sword who speaks. Even if we don’t understand, she’s bound to have a good reason.”
Lord Ibuki’s words seemed to carry special weight with the servant, who obeyed immediately. But then it would be difficult not to accord special respect to the words uttered by a man whose barrel chest towered high above him. The servant led Saya and the others toward the side of the lord’s hall. There they saw a cave concealed behind the building. It was a natural hollow that had been further shaped by the hands of men, and steps had been carved in the rock at the far end, leading upward. The servant, bearing a torch, beckoned them. “It’s this way.”
Although Saya herself did not mind, it required great effort to lead the terrified Chihaya along the passageway.
She had to stay by his side, soothing and coaxing him so that he would not panic, and they moved ahead only one slow step at a time. Lord Ibuki followed, but he had to fold himself in two to keep his head from scraping the roof. Even so, the sound of his head hitting stone echoed countless times in the narrow cave.
After some time, their patience was rewarded, and they finally felt a breeze and saw the night sky. Stars twinkled. It was already dark. The sentry challenged them but let them pass when the servant uttered the password.
“Did you see a stag? One with huge antlers?” Saya asked, squinting against the glare of the watch fire. But the sentry shook his head. Chihaya, however, appeared calm and turned his face to the wind. “Let’s wait a little. If he’s not a complete fool, he’ll come here in the end.” Before she had even finished speaking, she sensed something moving among the trees at the edge of the light cast by the watch fire. Everyone turned to look and saw two black eyes glinting in the firelight and the trembling black silhouette of a pair of high, branched antlers.
“Chihaya!” Though Saya tried to speak calmly, her voice rose to a shriek. “Come back here! Right now!”
The stag leaped suddenly. But its movements were awkward. Saya felt a stab of remorse at the sight of a broken arrow shaft sticking out of its hind leg.
From beside her, Chihaya suddenly spoke. “Phew! I’m tired!”
Startled, she whirled to stare at him, and at that moment the stag bounded into a thicket. “Wait!” she shouted hastily after it. “You’re hurt! Let me dress your wound.”
But the stag disappeared into the darkness, never to return.
“DO YOU REALIZE how much trouble you caused everyone?” Saya scolded Chihaya furiously after they had returned to the hall. In her relief, she was suddenly filled with anger. “We were all scouring the mountainside for you, including me. Not only that, but everyone in Eagle’s Manor is now convinced that you’re crazy. And just think of that poor stag!”
Dragon Sword and Wind Child Page 16
