“Do not fear,” Chika reassured Mami, who was fretting about her eldest boy’s first deep diving trip for oysters. “Yoshi has been nothing but good fortune since she arrived.”
“Since who arrived?” A deep voice sounded behind them. Both women spun about and then dropped prostrate on the sand when they spotted the trio of samurai. Neither woman spoke up, so Shimamura stepped closer and asked again.
“Since who arrived?” He repeated and placed a menacing hand on the hilt of his sword.
“Yo…Yoshi,” Chika finally replied, utterly terrified for her unborn baby. Both women understood the unpredictable nature of samurai, especially to those beneath their station, and each was keenly aware that they could be killed on a whim.
“Yoshi? Who is this Yoshi?” Shimamura snapped, knowing that fear would keep these women honest.
“She’spromised to Araki Katashi,” Chika answered softly, not daring to glance at Mami, who was trembling with fear.
Shimamura stood silently over the pair for a moment, staring out at the bend where the junk had disappeared. “How long has she been in Atami?” He finally asked.
Chika considered lying to the man, but quickly dismissed the notion as too dangerous. What could the truth hurt in any case? What would the samurai want with some farmer’s daughter? “Two…three weeks,” she replied, her face so close to the sand that she could feel the heat coming off in waves. “She’s come from Numazu.”
Shimamura considered this for several long moments before finally glancing down at the two prostrate women. “Leave now, you smell like fish,” he spat scornfully and both women quickly took the offer, bowing low numerous times as they scurried away.
♀
It only took about an hour to sail out to Hatsushima Island, which was nestled relatively close to the mainland in Sagami Bay. The oyster beds off the northwest shore of the island were some of the area’s finest, and the best divers from Atami visited them at least once a month.
Hayato was renowned for his ability to hold his breath for long periods and was able dive incredibly deep to harvest the oysters. His daughter Sakura was quickly gaining her own reputation, having inherited her lungs from her father. Katashi on the other hand was not nearly as gifted, true with repetition and training his lungs had grown stronger, but he was still unable to reach the deepest beds. It was not a failure that concerned him in the past, snatching up oysters from the deep was not nearly as satisfying as bringing down a Sika deer in the hunt. But as Jirō anchored his boat off shore, Katashi found that he desperately wanted to be able to show off for Chisuzu. He was anxious about the coming dive, afraid he’d lose face in failure while his sister succeeded. His father however, must have read his thoughts and spoke up quickly.
“Why don’t you take Yoshi closer to shore and harvest kombu,” he suggested softly. Kombu was edible kelp, a delicacy served in almost every traditional dish. It was highly sought after, but not very glamorous to harvest.
Katashi hesitated for a moment.
“She hasn’t had the training Katashi,” Sakura interjected. “She’ll never be able to reach the bed from here.”
Katashi silently blessed his sister for allowing him to save face and after a moment, gratefully agreed. Chisuzu was disappointed at first. She truly wanted to find a pearl on her own, but when she realized she’d be all alone with Katashi, she immediately had a change of heart.
The island was only about two hundred shaku away and the sea floor deepened very gradually along the western shore. Jirō, Hayato and the rest would be diving in waters around fifty shaku deep, which was challenging, but not overly dangerous to experienced divers. Still, it was far deeper than Chisuzu should attempt on her first trip out. Plus they would all need to keep a close eye on Goro, who was on his first deep dive.
“Let’s go,” Katashi said and quickly stripped down to his fundoshi loincloth. Holding only a single sharp knife, he smoothly dove from the side of the boat. He cut through the water cleanly and quickly broke the surface before spinning about and smiling up at Chisuzu.
“You’re a strong swimmer Yoshi?” Jirō asked and Chisuzu smiled.
“Hai,” she answered and shyly stripped out of her noragi.
“You can make it to shore?” Hayato questioned and handed her a small, sharp knife incased in a sheath. Chisuzu, who stood nearly nude in the early afternoon sun, fastened the knife to the narrow straps of her own fundoshi, her hands trembling slightly as she worked.
“Hai,” she replied once she was finished, repressing a shiver as goose bumps prickled along the skin of her arms. She quickly moved to the side of the boat and before any further concerns could be raised she put one foot on the side and jumped. Of course she was planning an elegant dive, but as she pushed off, the boat gave more than she was anticipating and she ended up hitting the water stomach first with a loud smack.
She broke the surface with a screech but turned back and gave the laughing people on the boat a rueful smile. She waved to indicate she was fine and quickly forgot about her tingling skin when she caught Katashi’s eye. Her smile widened considerably as she swam his direction. The gentle current aided her progress and she reached him quickly, stopping close, their heads bobbing slightly as they worked to tread water.
Katashi remained caught by her dark, fathomless eyes, fascinated by the little rivulets of water than streamed from her black hair and down her cheeks. They remained close for nearly a half a minute before their arms accidently brushed as they swayed back and forth.
Katashi was vaguely aware of his father and sister diving off the far side of the boat but he couldn’t take his eyes from the face before him. The trance was only broken when her foot accidently banged against his shin.
“Sorry,” she apologized and giggled.
“Come on,” he said, feeling very content. “We’ll go all the way to shore and then work our way out to the kombu forests,” he told her and together they struck off toward the island.
Chisuzu was actually a very strong swimmer and almost immediately pulled ahead of Katashi, which caused him to go faster, which caused her to go faster, and quickly they were racing across the water toward shore. Katashi was the first to reach the beach, partly because he was taller and could stand sooner and partly because Chisuzu began to tire.
They swam their way toward shore until Chisuzu could stand comfortably. When she finally managed to get her feet under her the water was slightly higher than her waist so her breasts were completely exposed. Katashi tried not to look as they each caught their breath, but his eyes betrayed him over and over again. Chisuzu pretended not to notice the attention he was giving her, while in turn, she tried not to stare at the water dripping from his bare chest.
“The best forests are farther up shore,” Katashi told her and together they began to wade to the north, walking almost parallel to the beach. As they moved, they naturally worked their way closer to shore until the water was only a little over their knees. They were both nearly naked, only sporting small loincloths to hide their private regions, but each politely ignored the enticing situation as they moved farther away from the boat and the others. Despite their revealing situation, there was nothing innately sexual about it, other than their strong attraction to one another. They were both very accustomed to various stages of undress and thought little about it. It was only because of their heightened awareness of the other’s physical presence that either felt any nervousness at all.
Chisuzu however, quickly took advantage of their relative solitude and faked a stumble. Katashi’s strong arms were quickly around her, as she hoped they would be. He held her close for several perfect moments.
“Thank you,” Chisuzu said gazing up into his face and enjoying the feel of his warm hands on her shoulders. Kelp hunting was the farthest thing from their minds, but when a shout echoed off the water from the direction of the boat they instinctively jumped apart and glanced out to sea. It took a moment to realize that the yell was not aimed at them, no one near
the boat was visible and they were obviously not paying the two any attention. When they resumed their journey, Katashi slipped his hand into Chisuzu’s, ostensibly to steady her, but both knew that was not the only truth.
They continued on in comfortable silence, each enjoying the feel of the others hand, until they came to a rocky outcropping that jutted into the ocean for at least fifty shaku.
“The forest grows out on either side of the point,” Katashi explained and led her out onto the natural causeway. “Dive down and cut the kombu about two shaku from the base,” he told her as they reached the point. “Don’t worry, it grows back very quickly.” With that they hopped past the breakwater and began to swim out to sea.
Chisuzu could see the Kombu swaying in the water beneath her long before Katashi stopped swimming and turned back to her. They clung to one another for a moment, not smiling, both very intense.
“I’ll dive and cut a stalk,” he told her, “and we’ll pull it to shore together.”
Chisuzu nodded once and suddenly he was gone, flipping over and giving her the briefest glimpse of his toned backside before kicking his feet and disappearing beneath the water. Chisuzu bobbed with the waves and waited, inexplicitly happy to be near Katashi. She knew the strong, warm feelings that threatened to overwhelm her were futile, but she couldn’t banish them no matter how she tried. When her father came, she would leave…and Katashi would most definitely not be coming along. It was quite impossible. She was samurai…he was not. Father would have him killed if he even suspected intimacy between the two.
Frowning, Chisuzu shook her head in an attempt to drive off such unwanted thoughts. She pulled herself back to the here and now. She wanted to enjoy the time she had with Katashi, no matter what the future. She spun around, suddenly worried, and wondered just how long Katashi had been underwater. Suddenly she was sure it was too long. She felt a moment of panic and was about to dive beneath the waves when Katashi’s smiling face abruptly broke the surface of the water, some twenty shaku from her position.
“It’s big!” Katashi exclaimed loudly, clearly excited.
A wide grin bloomed on Chisuzu’s face as he struggled toward her, swimming with only one arm. She took off quickly and was soon clutching his shoulders.
“I was worried,” she scolded. “You were down so long!”
Katashi grinned. He’d purposefully stayed under just as long as he could to impress her, and as she clung close to him he had to admit he was very pleased with the results. Suddenly, without thinking, he dropped the kombu stalk and pulled her warm body close. Without thinking of the consequences he kissed her hard on the mouth. He was dimly aware of her stiffening in surprise. He felt her begin to pull away, but then she relaxed and returned his kiss with more passion than he could have possibly imagined. Locked together as they were, with only their legs trying to keep them afloat, they slowly slipped beneath the surface. Neither wanted to break contact however, so the kiss went on long after they were submerged. When they finally pulled apart, Chisuzu tentatively opened her eyes. Katashi was clearly visible, surrounded by a forest of tall, green plants that swayed in time to the music in her heart, as if they too shared her happiness. Katashi stared intently back at her, a slight smile on his face. She returned his stare, stunned by her strong reaction.
‘It cannot be!’ Her mind screamed and then a bubble of air popped out of her mouth and moved quickly upward. Katashi continued to smile at her, clearly pleased. Chisuzu scowled and kicked her way to the surface, her air nearly gone, and Katashi followed her up.
Chisuzu was still panting when he broke the surface in front of her.
“You cannot do that!” She admonished loudly, but before he could mount a defense she was in his arms once more, pulling his nearly nude body against her own and kissing him with abandon. They struggled and fought to stay on the surface as they kissed and groped, unable to control the pent up passions that threatened to overwhelm them both.
Finally, she pushed him away with far more force than she intended.
“Enough,” she told him, trying to be strong, “this cannot be! Father will kill you and I will be shamed.”
Katashi frowned, knowing what she said was true…if her father ever reclaimed the Izu peninsula.
Chisuzu expected him to submit to her will and admit the impossibility of their position; after all it was obvious to both of them. Katashi however, did no such thing, instead he moved closer and she had to repress the desire to kiss him again.
“But what if he never comes?” Katashi suggested with a strange intensity. “Kiyomori has driven his army from the peninsula. What if your father never returns?”
Chisuzu huffed indignantly, growing angry.
“He will!” She insisted, refusing to admit that the thought had already occurred to her in the deepest dark of the night. “He will!” She repeated, and suddenly felt very tired. Without another word, she turned and swam back to the shallows.
Katashi watched her go for several long moments, wrestling with the realization that he hoped Taira no Kiyomori would be victorious. Slightly ashamed, he followed Chisuzu and sat next to her on a rock near the shore. Despite their recent intimacy, they sat apart, not touching, but the relentless waves gently pushed and pulled on them until their legs occasionally brushed against each other.
Chisuzu remained silent, still angry, as she tried to ignore the intermittent touch of Katashi’s soft skin.
“Your father is the true lord of this land and I hope he returns,” Katashi lied, “but even you have to admit there’s no certainty. He fled Kamakura. He may not be able to return,” Katashi argued softly. He did not wish to hurt her with his words, but he desperately wanted her to embrace the truth in them.
“He will return!” She insisted, furious at Katashi’s simple fisherman’s logic, “but even if he doesn’t? You want me to deny I’m samurai? You want me to stay in Atami a peasant…a fisherman’s wife?” She snapped, wanting to hurt him now. “You think you could make me happy with such a life? You think too highly of yourself Araki Katashi!” She added and spun away, pulling her leg from his, leaving his touch and desperately wishing she could leave her feelings behind as well.
Katashi sat in stunned silence, staring at her wet, black hair as it glistened in the sunlight.
With sudden insight he knew she was right. Kissing and playing at peasant romance was one thing, but leaving a life of nobility for the drudgery of the fishery was quite another. No one in their right mind would even consider such a thing and he was highly embarrassed by his obvious naiveté. He stared a bit longer at the Chisuzu’s naked back and shoulders as the crushing weight of his loss descended upon his soul. He would never have her. She would never be his no matter the situation. He was a fool…the biggest fool in all Nippon. Silently he stood and without looking back he waded out to sea.
Chisuzu stewed on the rock until she realized Katashi was struggling to bring the first of the Kombu ashore. Grudgingly she swam out to meet him and they pulled the large plant ashore together. They worked in silence for nearly three hours, thinning the underwater forest at an astonishing rate.
“Impressive!” Jirō exclaimed, as he guided his boat close enough to shore to see the haul. The pile of kombu was very large, almost too big to fit comfortably in the boat.
“You two must have worked very hard,” Hayato added with a smile that neither returned, and suddenly everyone on the boat was aware of the uncomfortable tension between Katashi and Yoshi…everyone but Sakura.
“I got you this!” Sakura exclaimed happily and handed Chisuzu a perfectly smooth pink pearl. Chisuzu accepted the gift with a small bow, no longer feeling self-conscious by her skimpy attire, or by Jirō’s stares.
Chisuzu smiled uncomfortably at Sakura. Surprisingly, she wanted to show the small treasure to Katashi but was afraid to meet his eye. She still believed everything she’d said, but that didn’t diminish her attraction to Katashi and she regretted the necessity of hurting him. She fervently hoped
that they could still be friends; his bravery and loyalty demanded at least that. Once dried and dressed however, she hid in the company of Sakura and avoided Katashi as well as she could on such a small boat.
To her chagrin, Katashi seemed wholly impervious to her aloof behavior, though to be fair he hardly seemed to be aware of anything. Everyone on board was chatting away happily. It had been a good harvest of both kombu and oysters, but Katashi hardly noticed, he just sat and worked the kombu with the others, cutting and pruning the large sea plants down to more manageable pieces. He even remained silent when they finally returned to Atami and unloaded their catch.
“Okāsan will be very pleased,” Sakura exclaimed happily as they gathered up their family’s share.
“Hai, she will,” Hayato answered as they started home, hiding his growing concern for his son and their guest. Something unpleasant had happened during the harvest, and Hayato had a good idea what it might be. He just hoped it wouldn’t interfere with the deception that must be continued; otherwise it could cost them all their heads.
Hayato was still dwelling on the grisly possibility as they rounded a corner and found the samurai Shimamura and five others waiting for them outside their home.
Chapter Twelve
Katashi and Chisuzu
October 13th 1180 A.D.
Hayato’s heart fell as he spotted the enemy samurai. Shimamura stepped forward boldly, his right hand resting on the hilt of his tachi sword.
“Araki Hayato?” Shimamura barked. Hayato and his family bowed together and quickly went to their knees, Chisuzu only slightly behind the others. She was suddenly petrified that Taira’s men had found her out, but she remained perfectly still and said nothing, wishing silently that Katashi was by her side.
“Hai Shimamura-sama,” Hayato answered nervously, keeping his eyes in the dirt.
“Araki Hayato,” Shimamura repeated loudly, “you’ve been hiding someone from me.”
One Life Well and Truly Promised Page 26
