The Beast Player

by Nahoko Uehashi

  After that, the discussion focused on planning their travels and how to protect the Yojeh and her procession. The Kazalumu highlands were about one day’s travel from the capital. They had decided that the Yojeh would stay one night at the manor of the lord of Kazalumu. However, traveling by horse and carriage on the unpaved highland roads would be very hard on her at her advanced age.

  “There’s no choice on the way there because the terrain is all uphill. On the return journey, however, the best solution might be to travel to the town of Salano and, from there, take a boat down the river.” This proposal came from the lord of Kazalumu, who had offered her his manor on the way there.

  “But she might feel queasy,” one of the ministers protested. “And besides, traveling by boat is dangerous.”

  The lord of Kazalumu shook his head. “That river is very broad and flows slowly, so there is no fear of capsizing. Many elderly people prefer to travel by river than by horse because it’s much easier on the body than bumping over rough roads in a horse-drawn carriage.

  “As the river flows all the way to the capital, I believe that going by ship will be less strenuous than other forms of travel.”

  Trial runs by both boat and carriage were undertaken, and it was confirmed that boat was easier, just as the lord of Kazalumu had said. The Se Zan were split in two, some to accompany the Yojeh and the rest to remain in the palace to guard Princess Seimiya. Ialu was in charge of protecting the Yojeh.

  It was on a bright, cloudless summer day that the Yojeh left the wood surrounding the palace, and the air was fresh with the scent of green leaves. People eager to see the procession lined the road and strewed flowers before her carriage wherever she went. The entourage proceeded to the Kazalumu highlands without incident. The Yojeh, for whom this was the first long journey of her life, was certainly tired when she reached the lord’s manor, but she was treated to such a warm welcome, and had such a good night’s sleep, that she felt refreshed by morning.

  Gazing at the vast green meadow from the carriage window, the Yojeh exclaimed with childlike excitement, “What a lovely place!”

  A leisurely wind pushed cloud shadows slowly across the field, while birds flitted between earth and sky, chirping merrily. Flowers, yellow and white, dotted the field and swayed in the breeze. But when Kazalumu School came into sight, the Yojeh’s face clouded.

  “My goodness… What an old building. I never thought it would be so plain.”

  Her nephew, Damiya, who sat across from her, smiled wryly. “It’s a sanctuary for Beasts that are ill. Naturally, the official Royal Beast Sanctuary in Lazalu is much grander.”

  The Yojeh frowned. “Then we’ll have to think of a more fitting treatment for Kazalumu. After all, they have achieved what the grand Lazalu Sanctuary could not.”

  Damiya grinned. “I’m sure your gracious words will send this lot into ecstasy.”

  Ialu rode ahead, intent upon the surroundings. Although he had posted many guards around the highlands, in a place as open as this, it would be quite possible for an assassin to kill one of his men without being noticed, and so he remained vigilant as he escorted the carriage.

  The entire school, from the teachers to the students to the custodians, were dressed in clothes specially ordered for this day. Tense and nervous, they stood to attention to greet the Yojeh. The twelve-year-olds, their cheeks flushed, burst into a song of welcome.

  The Yojeh smiled as she listened. When the song came to an end, a middle-aged woman, who appeared to be the headmistress, stepped forward. She delivered a speech of gratitude for the honor of this visit in prim and proper language befitting her station. She then gestured for the Yojeh to proceed toward the stables.

  It was a fine day, and the Yojeh could see the Beasts in the sanctuary napping here and there in the sun. Her eyes crinkled in a smile as she watched them from outside the fence.

  “They look so content. The grass must feel very warm and cozy on such a sunny day.”

  The headmistress stopped just before the rolling meadow and said, “If it would please Your Majesty to look in that direction, you will see Leelan, Eku and their cub, Alu, just over there.”

  “Oh my!” the Yojeh exclaimed. “So there they are! Why, what a darling little cub!”

  Hearing her excited cry, the others also looked toward the meadow. There, indeed, stood two large adult Beasts with a small cub at their feet. The grand chamberlain who had accompanied the Yojeh frowned, however, and turned to Esalu.

  “But they’re so far away,” he said. “We can’t see them very well from here. Why didn’t you keep them in the stable?”

  “If we kept them inside on a sunny day like this, they would make a great fuss to go outside. We let them out because if they threw themselves against the stable walls, they could injure themselves.” Esalu responded with firm composure, and the grand chamberlain fell silent.

  The Yojeh, who was a head taller than the headmistress, smiled down at her. “I see… But as the chamberlain said, it is a bit far. We have come all this way to see them. Could we not be allowed to go a little closer?”

  Esalu shook her head. “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty. Royal Beasts never become truly accustomed to people and…”

  But Damiya interrupted. “What could be the problem? Her Majesty only wishes to go a little closer. Surely the Royal Beasts would never harm the Yojeh. And even if some problem occurred, you could use the Silent Whistle.”

  Ialu noticed the frown that flickered across Esalu’s face at his words. But Damiya missed this reaction entirely as he turned swiftly to Ialu. “Our dear Swift-Footed Ialu, it is the Yojeh’s wish. It won’t matter if we go beyond the fence and get a little closer, will it?”

  Ialu thought a moment, and then asked Esalu, “If several people with Silent Whistles stand ready, would they be able to stop the Beasts for certain?”

  Esalu nodded reluctantly. “Yes, I believe so, but I still cannot recommend it. Besides, if too many people approach at once, Leelan may become agitated.”

  Ialu nodded. “In that case, choose a few teachers who are accustomed to handling the Beasts to accompany the Yojeh with their Silent Whistles ready. From our group, only the Yojeh, Damiya and I will go.” He turned to his men and gave them instructions, while at the same time checking his bow.

  As Esalu was selecting the teachers to accompany the Yojeh, Ialu noticed something unusual. Instead of being focused solely on the Yojeh, the eyes of the teachers and students, who were keeping their distance, kept flitting elsewhere. Following their gaze, Ialu’s eyes fell upon a tall woman. She appeared to be a young teacher. She wore the same uniform as the others, but of all those assembled, she was the only one who never even looked at the Yojeh. In her hands she bore a strange-looking harp partially covered in leather, and she stared steadily at the Beasts with their cub. This bothered him, but as he sensed from her no hostility or intent to harm, he shifted his attention outward to the whole picture.

  Esalu, who up to that point, had been very efficient and quick, seemed to be having trouble selecting the teachers. She said something to the teacher beside her. He turned on his heel and began making his way through the students, heading toward the young woman. When he spoke to her, she listened carefully, then began to speak. The teacher, obviously her senior, listened to her, nodding frequently. Ialu thought that he would bring her, too, but when she had finished, he came back alone.

  “What message did you give that girl?” Ialu asked.

  Esalu raised her face to look at him. She mumbled at first and then said, “…That girl is an apprentice teacher who cares for Leelan. She has a cold so I asked her to leave this to us and not to approach the Yojeh.”

  The teacher returned and whispered something to Esalu. She nodded. “All right. I see… But you’ve told her not to come this way just to be on the safe side, yes? Good.” Esalu then turned to the Yojeh. “Your Majesty, I beg pardon for the delay. The preparations have been made. Allow me to serve as a guide. I must ask Your
Majesty not to make any loud noises or sudden movements.”

  The Yojeh’s attendants looked offended, but the Yojeh nodded magnanimously. They entered the meadow through a place where the fence swung into the field. Ialu walked in front, opening his being to every sensation around them, and placing himself between the Yojeh and the Beasts.

  The two adult Beasts raised their heads and looked toward them, as if wondering what was going on. The cub, which stood between its father’s feet, extended its neck just like its parents and watched them approach.

  “It’s adorable,” the Yojeh whispered, her voice filled with emotion.

  The cub’s fur shone brightly in the sun. Its innocent eyes moved from one face to another as if fascinated.

  “I’ve never seen such beautiful Beasts before… Of course, the cub is amazing, but look at its parents. The color of those wings! Lapis lazuli with fine lines of red, just like a gemstone! And their breasts of shining silver. They are more magnificent than any Beast I’ve ever seen. The large one is Eku, and the smaller one, Leelan, yes?”

  “Yes,” Esalu whispered from behind her. “Your Majesty, forgive my rudeness, but I must ask Your Highness to please stop here.”

  The Yojeh stopped, but Damiya smiled and looked back at Esalu. “Surely a little further won’t hurt. That Beast was a gift to the Yojeh. It would never harm her.”

  The Yojeh hesitated for a moment, but then, as if pushed on by the thought of the long distance she had traveled, she stepped forward toward the Beasts.

  With a frown, Esalu whispered to Ialu, “You must stop her. If we approach any closer, it will alarm the Beasts. Remember, they are protecting their cub…”

  Ialu nodded and was about to call out to the Yojeh when Eku began to quiver. Letting out a shrill warning cry, he raised his wings protectively. As the startled teachers raised their Silent Whistles to their lips, a stern voice cried out. “No!”

  Ialu was stunned to see the teachers release their whistles. Nocking an arrow to his bowstring, he spun in the direction of the voice. The young woman was racing toward them. “Don’t use your whistles!”

  The maidservants, who were crowded along the fence, screamed.

  Damiya whispered fiercely, “What’re you doing? Use your whistles! Hurry!”

  But the young woman ran straight toward the Beasts, without even a glance at the Yojeh. She spoke to them, and then began plucking her strange instrument, which, although it sounded like a harp, had a duller tone. She played a complex melody, and the Beasts mimicked it, as if in response. Eku flapped his wings angrily two or three more times, but then reluctantly folded them in response to the soothing sounds Leelan was making in her throat.

  For a moment, Ialu forgot his mission and stared at the tall girl. She was standing so close to the Beasts that she could have touched them. Gazing up at them with a worried frown, she plucked the strings of her harp, oblivious of all else. From here, her eyes looked green.

  Impossible. Could she be Ahlyo?

  At that moment, a shaft of sunlight shone through the thin clouds and softly lit her straw-colored hair as she exchanged sounds with the Beasts.

  “What is she doing?” the Yojeh whispered.

  Esalu wore an anxious frown. “She’s calming the Royal Beasts.”

  “She can do that? With a harp?”

  “Yes,” Esalu answered, and then, abruptly changed the subject. “Your Majesty, we must leave this place. Please understand that it is particularly dangerous to approach Royal Beasts when they are rearing their young.”

  Leaving the Beasts with the young woman and her harp, they quietly exited the meadow.

  2 DAMIYA’S PROPOSAL

  The Yojeh was enjoying a conversation with Esalu over tea and sweets in the dining hall, which had been specially decorated in her honor. The headmistress, whose skin was liked tanned leather, appeared intimidating, but the Yojeh seemed very taken with her. She asked her many questions, not only about the Royal Beasts, but also about everything from education to the management of the school, and made no move to retire, even though the afternoon was wearing on.

  Ialu, as usual, stood listening to the conversation from a slight distance with his attention focused on their surroundings, yet he noticed that every time the Yojeh tried to bring the conversation back to the young woman who had calmed the Beasts with her harp, the headmistress casually changed the topic. When the Yojeh said, “I have never seen anyone calm the Beasts with a harp before. Is that a method you often use at the Sanctuary?” Esalu was silent for a moment, as though considering her words with care. Even when she finally responded, she was still hesitant.

  “No, Your Majesty, we do not… In the case of Leelan… She has been listening to that harp since she was a cub… I believe that may be why the sound of it soothes her.”

  Ialu was puzzled. Why did she become disturbed every time the young woman was mentioned? Did she fear that she would be reprimanded for entrusting a Royal Beast to an Ahlyo?

  “I’d like to talk to her myself,” the Yojeh said.

  Esalu bowed, but then replied, “I am afraid that that is not possible… The girl is coming down with a cold, and therefore I have strictly forbidden her to approach Your Royal Highness.”

  Damiya drank his wine and listened to the two of them for some time without uttering a word, his eyes on Esalu’s face as if he was pondering something. Presently, he put down his glass and rose from the table. With a flick of his eyes, Ialu directed the guard beside him to follow him. Even when close to half a toh had passed, Damiya had still not returned.

  Noticing that the light shining through the window had turned the color of honey, the Yojeh smiled. “…My, look at the time. It was so interesting talking with you that I could not stop. But we should be going soon.” Yet despite her words, she appeared very reluctant to leave. She looked at Esalu. “The Royal Beasts return to the stables for the night, don’t they?”

  “Yes. It is almost time for their evening meal. They are most likely returning to the stables now.”

  The Yojeh laughed lightly. “I would love to see the Royal Beasts and their cub one last time before we leave. Please take me to see them. Surely you will let me see them feeding?”

  Esalu did not respond immediately. Her face went blank for a moment, as though she were thinking, but then she nodded. “Yes, of course, Your Majesty. It would be a great honor… Allow me.”

  Esalu took the lead. Ialu directed his men to encircle them as they walked, while he himself walked at Esalu’s side. The procession moved through the long shadows of the trees and the golden light of the westering sun that filtered through the leaves.

  Esalu pointed out the largest of the stable buildings and said, “That is the stable that houses Leelan, her mate and cub.” Ialu noticed that the guard he had sent with Damiya was standing idly by the door.

  “What are you doing?” he asked as they approached.

  The man’s face went rigid. “He ordered me not to come in…”

  Peering inside, Ialu frowned. The young woman was standing by the bars where the Royal Beasts were. Her face was stiff, and she was staring at her feet. He could hear a man’s voice.

  “…There’s no need to be so defensive. I’m a straightforward man. I like you and I’m just letting you know that.”

  It was Damiya’s voice. Hearing footsteps approach, Ialu looked over his shoulder. Before he could speak, the Yojeh put a finger to her lips and shook her head. Her face taut, Esalu also stopped and stood listening to the conversation inside.

  “…Think about it. My offer is to your advantage, too, isn’t it? There’s no need for you to be separated from these Beasts. All I’m asking is that you bring them with you and move to Lazalu. If you think that working with the teachers there will be a problem, I can simply replace them for you with the staff from Kazalumu.”

  The young woman made no response. Damiya grasped her arm, as if he had run out of patience. She raised her face with a startled expression, but her eyes went n
ot to Damiya but to the Beasts. They had begun to growl, perhaps out of concern for her, and she seemed to be desperately trying to calm them with her eyes. She turned quickly toward Damiya and said in a low but clear voice, “…I beg your pardon, but as I have already told you, I am not in the position to make such decisions. Forgive me. Please, would you let go of my arm?”

  Standing by the door, Ialu suddenly smiled. Damiya’s charms appeared to have no effect on this girl. He could imagine the wry smile on the man’s face.

  Damiya dropped her arm abruptly. Accustomed as he was to courting women, he must have recognized that pushing her would only have the opposite effect. “You’re a cool-headed woman, aren’t you? That was a bit of a blow to my confidence. I thought myself a little more attractive than that. Did you feel nothing? Not even when I touched you?” She did not answer, but gazed at him steadily. There was not a trace of flirtation in her face.

  “What beautiful eyes. I have never seen eyes like yours so close before. Now I can see why people say the Ahlyo have magic.” He reached out his hand and gently touched her cheek. Her face froze, but she said nothing, only glaring at him.

  “Now don’t be angry with me,” he murmured. “The Ahlyo are wanderers who have not sworn fealty to the Yojeh. If it became known that such a person was caring for Royal Beasts, people would be bound to talk. The position of the headmistress might be jeopardized. But I have fallen in love with you. I will protect you.”

  From behind him, Ialu heard the Yojeh’s sigh. She walked past him and entered the stable. The young woman turned, and Ialu saw her eyes widen in surprise. Then he heard Damiya’s laughter.

  “Were you listening? Well, that’s embarrassing. How long were you there?”

  “Long enough to know that you were pestering this girl and that she refused your advances.” She sounded amused. Turning to the girl, she said, “I apologize for my nephew’s behavior. It’s a bad habit of his. When he sees an attractive girl, he just can’t help but approach her. I hope you’ll forgive him.”