by Noah Ward
Shay leant back. “I’ve been moving around a lot recently. It hasn’t really given me much time to, er, try the local food, sightsee.”
“Why’s that?”
She was not foolish enough to divulge her full reasons for being here, but the girl was nice enough, if a little...brash. Besides, it had felt like a lifetime since she’d spoken to someone her own age. In her village she always felt ostracised. This girl didn’t know she was sworn. Shay could be whomever she wanted to be.
“Just travelling. I’m from the south but have family in Zenitia, so I’ve just been visiting them.”
“Wow! All by yourself? I don’t think my mother would even let me out of her sight.”
Her chest swelled with pride. She had come a long way under her own steam. That was something that was true whether Kaz or Gin were here or not. “I’ve travelled by myself for a while, yes. But now I’m with my uncle, who’s going to take me to see some more of my family further north.”
“At this village?” Hachiko asked.
“Er, no.”
“Where further north? Looking at the maps, there doesn’t seem to be too much around here.”
Now comes the fall, Shay.
“I’m not sure, exactly. I don’t know Zenitia, so he’s like my, like my guide.”
The boat lurched to one side. Shay looked up.
“Oh, we’re nearly there!” Hachiko said. “Can’t wait to get to an inn and have something to drink. What do you like, Shay?”
“To drink? Like, alcohol?”
“No. Like your favourite cup of water. Of course booze. Rice wine? Spirits?”
“I, er, don’t really mind…”
“What did I say about wandering off?” said a voice. She looked up and found Gin standing there, staring down at her. Behind his impassive eyes, she knew he was glaring.
“Oh, this must be your uncle!” said Hachiko. She beamed up at him and gave a short bow. “I’m Hachiko.”
Gin returned the bow. “Yes. Her uncle.”
“My much older uncle,” said Shay.
“Shay told me you’re doing a little travelling,” said Hachiko.
“Did she now?” said Gin with a smile Shay knew to be fake.
The boat rocked again, moving into its space in the docks, she reckoned.
Hachiko jumped up. “Oh, I’ve got to help my cousin! It was nice meeting you both. I’ll see you soon, Shay!” She practically climbed over the other passengers, much to their annoyance, and scrambled towards her cousin.
Gin moved to stand in front of her. Shay knew what was coming.
“What do you think you’re doing, girl?” Gin hissed.
It seemed her sole purpose in life was to annoy her seniors, and she was getting sick of it.
Shay folded her arms. “Shogens forbid I speak to anyone or even try to be normal.”
“Perhaps contain that urge until after we finish our journey, eh?” He sat next to her. “You don’t know that girl. People in small towns talk. No, they don’t talk. They gossip. And what do you think happens if someone catches our trail and starts asking around about a man and a girl who clearly aren’t from Zenitia?”
Shay looked away. “They’re traders and will be moving on soon enough--”
“Even worse,” Gin snapped. “Traders are the first people that inquisitive minds turn to.”
“How am I supposed to know that? I’m not a ka--”
“Don’t,” he said, clutching her forearm a little tighter than necessary. “Make no mistake, I am helping you, but it comes with rules and obligations. One of those is not to go running your mouth every chance you get.”
Shay wanted to scream. Wanted to make a scene. He didn’t understand. She wasn’t a kamen. She was just...just a girl, but to him she was a burden, cargo, a hinderance. Shay couldn’t believe she’d even thought to trust him in the first place.
She shook off his hand and stood. The boat had docked and now a swell of people were heading up the stairs to the top deck. Shay didn’t wait for Gin’s say so, and instead muscled her way into the crowd.
Up top, the air was crisp and night had settled in. Stars decorated the sky like millions of tiny pinpricks in black fabric. A ways across the river, the lights of Akimaru were glistening. The scene helped cool her off, but she still had no intention of running to Gin just yet.
Following the tired masses took her off the boat and to the village’s small docking area.
“Kikori…” Shay muttered to herself, remembering the markings on the map that Gin had produced back at the inn. From here, it would not be far to the shrine he believed her father was heading to.
As she stared out at the village ahead of her, she willed Saito into existence. It was possible that he may be here already, but it was never that easy. He’d probably already been and gone, wasting no time. When the thought struck her of saddling up a keval and riding into the night, a great wave of exhaustion came crashing down atop her. She wanted to carry on. Eat and sleep had evaded her for days, and the warmth of the boat which she had now traded for bitter cold was quick to remind her of this.
Shuddering, she brought her meagre clothes tighter and began trudging along the dock.
The village of Kikori paled in comparison to Akimaru. Here, the land was mostly flat and buildings of various sizes--ranging from larger store houses closer to the dock to inns and stores dotted along wide streets to clusters of houses could all be absorbed. It was mostly haphazard, and the abundance of housing closer to the docks told a story of Kikori’s capitalisation of visiting merchants and those who travelled across the river to work. This area was the main pocket of industry, which seemed to tail off the further you travelled from the centre. Beyond, all she could see were tall, sturdy trees rising into the night and effectively walling the village off.
“There you are!” came a voice as an arm encircled her own.
Shay instinctively tried to pull away, but when she saw it was Hachiko, she allowed herself to relax.
“Oh, hello,” said Shay.
“Where’s your uncle?”
Shay gave a half-hearted look over her shoulder. “He’s...there somewhere.”
“Between you and me, he didn’t seem like the most fun person.” Hachiko began walking with Shay across the docks to the village.
“He just has, er, a tight schedule he wants to keep.”
“You look like you could use a rest, and, more importantly--a drink!” The girl smiled back at her. “Come sit with me and my cousin. We’re going to the inn. Bring your uncle if you like.”
Even though she was knackered, she did appreciate someone treating her like an equal. Shay wasn’t an adult yet, but was stuck in the position of wanting to be treated like one without any of the responsibilities.
“That sounds nice,” Shay started.
“I’m afraid we have a busy day ahead of us and she will have to decline,” said Gin’s voice from behind them.
The two girls stopped and slowly turned around.
“You’re offer’s very kind, but we really must be on our way.” Gin gently parted the two girls and then took Shay by the hand.
“But--” Shay began to protest.
“Apologies,” Gin offered Hachiko.
“Maybe some other time, Shay!” the girl shouted back.
45
Tipple
Children. You could never let them out of your sight, not even for a second. They were like moths, drawn by every bright light they came across.
In an attempt to cement some trust in himself and to stop the girl worrying over the ryojin, Gin had opted to tell her the truth. Well, his truth. And for all he knew it was the empirical truth. Though not a great deal was known about Saito’s sworn, the big hitters were easy enough to identify. A change as drastic as altering one’s total physical appearance was something beyond the realm of known possibility. Not to mention if a sworn arose with the power to shapeshift like that, his clan or one of the others would have snapped them up. What’s
more, Kaz’s ability with the blade and general bodily prowess were beyond a normal human.
Revealing that information should have made their current situation easier; instead, Shay had meandered off and started running her mouth. It was understandable, and that girl didn’t seem a threat, if a little precocious. And preciousness draws attention.
“What? A girl and a man? Weren’t they with that loudmouth girl?”
That’s how dead trails were resurrected, and Gin was not foolish enough to doubt the fact Shay had vanished was enough for Saito and Asami to give up the chase, despite what other cogs they had turning.
When Gin came upon the annoying girl who had ensnared Shay once again, enough was enough. Upon finally tearing the girl away from her newfound friend, he bullied their way towards Kikori.
It was not a village he had ever visited and there was no safe house available for him, but there was at least someone on their journey to Daikameda where he could leave a message. There was, however, still an issue of trust. Izado or whatever he called himself was too old to be acting alone and could still be playing him, though he’d seen no sign of it so far. Eventually, Gin would find his hand forced.
Stop trying to think a thousand steps ahead. Focus on the now.
“We’ll get ourselves a couple of kevals and then head off,” he said, more to himself than to the dead weight he was dragging behind him.
He looked over his shoulder to make sure she’d heard him and found a small, shivering wreck.
Gin sighed and guided Shay away from the main stretch of dock. Despite the late hour, the streets ahead of them were lit and bustling. Bars and inns were open, people chatted and caroused on the snowy streets, and it seemed those who appeared weary on the ride over had become suddenly animated at the whiff of a good time.
“It’s only going to get colder as we venture further north,” Gin said as he rooted around the sack he’d hastily packed and brought with them. From inside he yanked out a thick fur shawl, which he draped around the girl’s shoulders.
“We’re not going to rest?” she said. Her doleful eyes shimmered in the moonlight.
“We may not have much time, Shay. If your father truly has come this way, then he will not be slowing down.”
“I know...I know. I’m just…” She sighed.
He could see it. The girl was exhausted. When was the last time she ate a proper meal? Slept? If he tried dragging her along in this state then he may be opening himself up for a bigger fall later on. Shay wasn’t trained like he was. She was just a girl looking for her father.
Gin offered up his own sigh and tapped her on the shoulder. “This is our plan. We will find an inn. You will eat and rest. I will secure everything we need. We wake before dawn and head out. Understood?”
A half-hearted smile broke her sulky expression and she nodded.
Gin led her towards the main stretch of road, careful to stay with crowds and keep their heads low. They were just travellers washed in with the tide. As such, he forewent any of the inns on the main stretch of roads; if people were asking about them, then that would be their first port of call. While it might not buy them too much time by heading further out, those minutes or hours could prove invaluable.
In the end, Gin selected a semi-respectable inn on the fringes of Kikori’s bustling dock area. If he went further out, that may make them more conspicuous. Before they entered the building, which was sandwiched in between a conveniently placed stable and keval seller, along with a merchant shop on a street filled with similar businesses, he spoke to Shay.
“You’re going to be my son,” Gin said to her. Shay frowned at that. “That cloak is big enough to hide your body and that rag on your head obscures your hair.” He flipped up her hood. “You’re sick, caught a chill, so you’ll cough and keep your head down. Understood?”
“Okay…”
He took her by the shoulder and led her towards the door. “You’ll feel better soon. Trust me.”
Inside, the inn was thankfully quiet. Behind the front desk in front of him was an communal area to the right and a set of stairs to the left.
“My son and I require a room for the night,” he told the man. Shay kept her gaze at the floor and coughed. Good enough.
Gin paid for a night and tipped the man a few extra bronze onos for the bath and some food. He put them in a ground floor room, which had a door separating two small beds, at the rear of the inn, with two windows--effective for a quick escape if it came to that.
Shay practically collapsed on her pallet when the innkeeper had left. Gin sighed. What was he doing? Leading a girl around like this. Saito may sooner want to kill her than accept her as his daughter. Like most of Retsudan’s higher ups--anyone for that matter--the image painted from hearsay and rumour tended to be hyperbolic. He could be a ruthless killer or doting father for all Gin knew. In his experience, the only real truth you could glimpse from people is when they thought none were watching. Lucky for him, it was his speciality.
“Eat, then bathe,” Gin told her. “I’ll gather you some clothes fit for the road ahead.”
She yawned and then looked up at him. “Everywhere is closed.”
Gin raised an eyebrow at her.
“Oh…” She scoffed. “I suppose that isn’t a problem for you.”
When food eventually arrived, it was decent enough, hearty fare. Given Kikori’s proximity to both the river and woods, it was a mixture of fish and rich game, with a lot of herbs and spices thrown in. While he wasn’t exactly hungry--he always lost his appetite during a mission--he ate out of necessity. Shay, however, inhaled the selection of meats, sauces, baked goods, and rice in front of her. It was impressive.
Not long after they had finished, one of the servants alerted Gin that Shay’s bath was ready. He had arranged a private booth for her, and she dutifully wandered off in a post-gluttony haze. While she was indisposed, he slipped out of the window and dove into the shadows and entered the streets.
It did not take Gin too much time to locate a suitable clothing store. Sturdy and warm winter gear was a necessity around these parts. While its owners slept upstairs, Gin rifled through their wares and selected proper winter garb for the girl: a thicker blue hakama and underdress, as well as some sturdy boots for the terrain. Up until now, the girl had been woefully ill-equipped for Zenitia.
Satisfied, he left some silver hans for the owner--he was no thief--and returned to their room. He abandoned the newly bought clothes in Shay’s room. A little later, the girl returned.
“You have new clothes in your room,” he said. “Best discard and burn your old ones. People will be looking for you.”
She was wrapped up in the thick cloak and simply nodded at him before retiring wordlessly to her bed. Gin rose and tapped on the sliding door.
“I’ll be securing our kevals. I’ll wake you in the morning,” he said.
She murmured in response. Gin set out; he still had a long night ahead of him. However, when he did return, he found no sign of Shay.
46
But Home Was Nowhere
Shay hadn’t fully assuaged the guilt she’d felt at not being able to hop off the boat and go rushing into the cold night to find her father. Her feelings were not aimed at Gin, but herself. She had been tearing about as soon as she had crossed into Zenitia and it had finally caught up to her. She was a wrung out rag. Couldn’t give any more. But Gin was smart, resourceful; he’d be able to pick up the trail. She had no other choice.
The food had helped, plus the bath, and she felt a little more human after it all. Still, Shay couldn’t help a stab in her stomach whenever her mind wandered to Kaz. It seemed now she longed for answers more than ever. Answers that would never arrive. The fact she’d abandoned Shay still hadn’t quite settled in...
She tried her best to take her mind off things with the new clothes that Gin had purchased for her. They were men’s clothes, but she didn’t mind. They looked warmer and more durable than what she had brought with her. And no
w, staring at the dirty, tattered clothing there was no sense of nostalgia. This outfit had belonged to her for a couple of summers--over which time it had needed adjusting. She smiled when she remembered her mother shaking her head and commenting how quickly she was growing, the times she would sit by the fire with a needle and thread.
A long sigh escaped her lips. There would be none of that anymore. Nothing would be the same. The clothes were a symbol of that. Shay wasn’t that girl. She had to be someone new.
She bundled the old clothes together and placed them by the door before lying down on her bed. It was comfortable enough, and could well have been a pile of rocks for all Shay cared right now. Exhaustion glued her to the mattress, forced her eyelids shut, but sleep evaded her. Her head still swimming with thoughts--Kaz, Gin, her father, the road ahead, home. It all swirled about. She wished she could yank out a plug in the side of her head and let it all spill out…
Time had passed, she did not know how much, but there was a slight shuffling at her window. Her heart leapt into her throat, and Shay reached for the blade she had stuffed under her mattress.
The window creaked open a slither. She readied herself to draw her blade…
“Shay...are you there?” said a voice.
The girl frowned. “Hachiko?” The one from the boat?
The window silently slid open a little further, revealing the girl’s large eyes and mischievous smile.
Shay let herself relax and released her blade. “What are you doing here?” she said through a half smile.
Hachiko glanced around. “We’re staying not far from here and I saw you and your uncle come in earlier. I...knocked a few wrong windows before I found you, though.” She choked off a laugh. “Come out. Have a drink!”
Shay chewed her lip, looked at the door. Gin wasn’t here, but he’d be back soon enough. “I don’t know…”
She was tired, but hadn’t found solace in sleep, and her mind had been constantly racing.
“What? Your uncle?” Hachiko rolled her eyes. “Look, I don’t know him but he seems bossy. Go here, do that. Looks to me like you were cooped up on that boat and now you’re stuck in this room all by yourself.”
