L5R Chronicle: Surprises and Revelations
My eyes snapped open and my mouth opened in a soundless scream of Kozaki's name. I scrabbled for my no-dachi in the grass, my legs kicking out reflexively in a desperate attempt to ward off the oni before it was upon me again. My right leg tangled in sheets and as my flailing arm encountered smooth wood and not dirt, my vision cleared. I drew in a long gasping breath and danced my fingers wonderingly down my chest as I stared at the ceiling of a pleasantly sunlit room. A long scar slid diagonally beneath my fingers, but there was no pain, or any sign of my other wounds.
Kozaki.
I sprang up and dashed to the door, fully intending to rip down the walls of wherever it was that I was if that was what it took to find the boy. As I slid open the door, however, Kozaki himself lay in the hall outside, asleep at my feet. I fell to my knees and gathered him into my arms, closing my eyes to prevent tears from escaping. He mumbled something in his sleep, a smile spreading across his relaxed face. My breath caught and I buried my face in his small shoulder as he wrapped his arms around my neck and I rose to my feet.
Setting him tenderly on my bed, I passed my hand over my face and stared down at him. I'd kept him alive. That last desperate stroke as I fell with the oni's claws in my chest must have killed it. I smoothed his hair, thanking Kumo over and over in my head for having left me that bit of jade that had allowed me to save Kozaki's life. Kissing his forehead gently, I left the room to find out where I was and what had happened to the others.
"Excuse me?" I finally pulled over a courtier in Scorpion robes, the first person that I saw walking through the halls. "Pardon me," I took a shot in the dark, "but where could I find Bayushi Shoju-sama?" The man blinked at me.
"In the audience chamber, of course," he replied, and pointed down a side corridor. I thanked him and strode off before he could think to ask me who I was. As I walked down the hall, it looked more familiar, and by the time that I reached the great doors to the audience hall, I recognized that I was in the castle of Otosan Bayushi. The guard seemed to recognize me, for without challenging me at all, he nodded me through.
I entered and almost immediately sank to my knees, hoping that Shoju would take it as a sign of respect, and not the weak manifestation of my relief and shock that it was. They'd won. Shoju was alive and well, and the oni masquerading as Shosuro Hametsu must have been defeated, for Shoju sat in its place, favoring me with a pleasant nod. I cast about for a moment before deciding that the direct approach would work as well as any other.
"Shoju-sama, how long have I been abed? The battle seems to be over and won, and I seem to have missed all of it."
He nodded. "You were found unconscious with a dead oni spawnling and the child guarding you soon after the battle with Hametsu the oni was won." A distant look came into his eyes. "The monk and I were the only ones left standing against Hametsu," he shook his head slightly. "You have been asleep for four days. I suggest that you seek out your fellow magistrates, Otaku-san. The Isawa shugenja has recovered from her injuries, and your companions have been waiting for you to recover before leaving on the task that the Emerald Champion has placed upon you."
I gasped. "Isawa-san was injured? Are you sure that's she's recovered sufficiently to travel?" When he nodded, the other half of his sentence struck home. "Another... task?"
"Yes," he affirmed. "A spawnling of the oni that we killed, similar to the spawnling that attacked you and the child, has escaped, along with several of the Black Scrolls. The Emerald Champion has tasked you and your fellow magistrates with the slaying of the oni and the retrieval of the Scrolls." My dismay and confusion must have been evident on my face, for he continued, "Doji-san decided that since it was your companions that dealt with the oni, they are the most qualified of the Emerald Magistrates to deal with its spawn. Now," he said, "I must ask that you request further information from your companions or the Emerald Champion himself. All should be about the castle or in their rooms in the same wing in which you were placed." He nodded politely, but dismissively, at me, and I made a respectful exit, my thoughts awhirl.
**
Another task, placed upon our band of misfits. I still didn't even know why we'd even been assigned as Emerald Magistrates. I headed quickly back to the room I'd woken in, and checked the rooms around me. All were empty, save Kozaki still asleep in mine. Worrying about Atsuko, I made my way to the kitchen. I was starving. As I walked in the door to the dining hall, however, all thoughts of Atsuko, food, or anything else for that matter, fled.
At the far end, Benkai was sitting at one of the tables.
My legs trembled and I grabbed hold of the door to remain standing. A tug on my sleeve startled me, and I bit my tongue to keep from screaming as I swung around to see Kozaki, sleepily rubbing at his face. He smiled muzzily up at me and took my hand.
"You're alright, Otaku-san!" His smile fell and he crankily told me, "I'm hungry." My jaw dropped.
"Kozaki," I whispered, "do you see that man across the room?" He looked over and nodded disinterestedly.
"I'm HUNGRY, Otaku-san!" he complained. I ignored him and stared across at the dead man.
"Ben... Benkai-san?" I wavered. I shook as I stepped forward. "Benkai-san, is that you?" It felt an eternity as the man turned to face me.
"No, Benkai is my bro-" he began, but trailed off as he leapt across the room to support me as I sank down on my knees. He extended his hand down to me, but I could do nothing but stare numbly up at him. He only had one tattoo, and had hair. But those features... they were definitely those of my dead partner.
"Otaku-san," Kozaki said peevishly, "I'm hungrrrrryyyyyyy! Get up off the floor because you're all right now." Dizzied by his ten year old logic, I accepted the man's help in standing.
"Are you all right?" the man asked solicitously. "You must be the Unicorn magistrate; let me help you." He led me to a bench and helped me sit down. I continued to gape weakly at him.
"Who? Brother? Huh?" I stuttered. I raised my hand shakily to point at him. "Who ARE you??" Kozaki was making aggrieved noises and I lifted him into my lap to tell him it'd be just a moment.
"I'm Mirumoto Shun," Benkai's mirror image told me. "Isawa-san anticipated that you might have a nasty shock meeting me, as she knew that you were rather close to my older brother. She had hoped to be able to introduce us, to reduce your distress, especially considering your recent battle with the oni."
"Older... brother?" I interrupted. He nodded, then pointed to Kozaki with a small smile.
"Yes, Togashi Benkai, originally Mirumoto Benkai, was my elder brother. Before I say more, I think you'd probably better feed that young man and yourself before he squirms himself to death, or you faint. You aren't looking very well." I agreed dazedly and excused myself momentarily to find food for myself and the boy. When we returned with rice topped with a strange, spicy purple sauce, Shun was still sitting at the bench, smiling at me with Benkai's lips.
As Kozaki and I ate ravenously, Shun explained that as Benkai's relative, he'd been sent to retrieve his brother's possessions and body from Ryoko Owari. Upon arrival, he'd been told, somewhat to his surprise, that he was the new Dragon Emerald Magistrate for Ryoko Owari. He'd been hustled out of the city to join his new partners, and had caught up to us a day or so before. I ate in wondering silence and slowly convinced myself that this was, indeed, a different person from my partner and friend.
I'd just finished my food and opened my mouth to finally speak when a huge bowl, held by equally huge hands, got set down on the table next to me. I looked up to see Satsume, mouth full, settle down on the bench. He mumbled something unintelligible that I took to be a greeting, and I began to respectfully bow my head. Just as I remembered who it was that I was dealing with, I caught myself. The Emerald Champion grinned widely at me. I had the strangest idea that if I'd gone through with my respectful motion, he'd been planning on thwacking my head with his chopsticks. Shun, however, apparently didn't know the Champion well, for he stood and bowed rather formally. Satsume rolled his eyes and taking an immense bite from his noodles, waved irritatedly at Shun to sit down.
"So you're leaving soon, then," he told me, with no introduction. "They've been waiting for you to recover before they left." He eyed Kozaki, who was sticking his face inquisitively in the Champion's bowl. Satsume edged the bowl a bit away from the child before continuing. "I'm sure you all will take care of the situation well.... It's mine, boy, back off," he told Kozaki sternly.
I smiled slightly and stood. "Just a moment, Champion. I'll fetch some of those noodles for Kozaki before he stoops to thieving yours." The Champion waved and I went, Kozaki in tow, back to the kitchen. Kozaki was chanting for rice noodlies, rather loudly. I couldn't help but laugh a little, in spite of my confusion and distress about the day.
Kozaki trotted back into the dining room with a bowl of rice noodles, hopping onto the bench next to the Champion with a happy look on his face. "I have noodlies!" he sang. I touched his shoulder and asked him to be quiet for a bit. I'm not sure he even noticed the request, but he was soon too busy stuffing his face to be noisy. I eyed the Champion.
"Champion-san, I was told that Isawa-san was injured in the battle. Actually, Bayushi-sama told me that he and the monk were the only ones left standing. Who else was involved and injured?"
Satsume's face clouded for a moment. "All of your companions were involved, Otaku-san. All were able to be healed, save Shoju's son, your erstwhile Captain." I gasped. Captain-san was dead? I bowed my head, and the only sound in the room was Kozaki's rude chewing.
"I'm sure it was an honorable, warrior's death," I said finally, raising my face. Satsume nodded and stood up briskly.
"I'm regretful for the loss of your man," he told me, "His cousin has taken his position, and I'm sure he will fill the position well." I nodded quietly as he wandered out without a good-bye. Shun uncomfortably stood soon after.
"I'll... I'll just see to some things that I need to have done, if you'll excuse me, Otaku-san."
I looked up at him suddenly. "Your brother was a brave, intelligent, wonderful man," I told him. "He will be missed." Shun looked confused at the change of subject, but nodded graciously as he left. Sighing, I poked fondly at Kozaki. "Are you not angry at the Champion anymore, Kozaki? He's not trying to take your knife... I mean, your sword, any longer." Kozaki grinned at me around a mouthful of rice noodles.
"Mah sird," he said indistinctly. I giggled a little and stole another bite. The ten year old giggled with me and swatted at my hand.
**
Later that evening, I made my way out to the palace gardens to run a kata. I was frustrated with my day, having utterly failed to find any of my companions to speak to. As I walked through the bushes, however, I spied Kozaki, clumsily mimicking our two Crane guards in an intricate kata. Despite his many errors, the boy's natural talent gleamed through his inexperience. I spoke briefly to Morisata, but he'd not seen Atsuko, nor Fukushuu Kaze, nor anyone else, either.
Sighing, I picked a clear spot of ground where I could see my Cranlet practicing, and began a slightly stiff kata.
Before long, however, a rhythmic sound caught my attention. Perking my ears, I tried to figure out what it was. A smile grew over my face and I headed towards the noise.
Unh. swisssssssh... Unh. swissssssssh... Unh.. Kumo was off in a remote section of the garden, swinging his no-dachi in what was surely supposed to be a kata.
He'd already accidentally cut down two beautiful saplings. Restraining a grin, I mentally apologized to the gardeners who would surely be outraged the next morning.
"Hida-san?" I stepped out to where he could see me. The Crab started, and looked frantically about. When he saw me, however, he chuffed a hank of dirty hair out of his eyes.
"Oh. It's you." He lifted his no-dachi again, and swung it through the air experimentally. I coughed to hide my smile, and bowed to him.
"I wanted to thank you, Hida-san, for leaving me the jade that you did. Had it not been for that small gift, both the child and I would have died fighting the oni that attacked us. I owe my life to you, and should you ever need something from me, please do not hesitate to ask."
He grunted. "Oh. Glad it helped." Stopping suddenly, he peered closely at me. "What KIND of oni was it?"
Blinking, I thought for a moment. "It was very fast, and had tentacles. I think it was a spawn of the one that was masquerading as Hametsu?" Kumo appeared to be processing that, but apparently came to the conclusion that I wasn't going to be very useful in identifying the genus and family of the oni I'd killed, because he grunted again and killed another tree. After discovering that he, too, didn't know the whereabouts of Atsuko, I bowed my leave and returned to my kata.
I felt a little better after finishing a long and intricate run, and wandered back to my room. As I approached the hall, a tiny figure with long hair was entering the room next to mine. I lengthened my stride to catch her.
"Isawa-sannnnn!" I called out. She turned to see me practically running up and smiled.
"Otaku-san! You've recovered... somewhat! We were all worried about you, especially Kozaki... he's been by your bed, refusing to eat." Atsuko smiled up at me again, and I bowed to her.
"I'm feeling much better. I was told that you were wounded; I hope that you've recovered as well?" When she nodded her assent, I continued. "I've also been told that we're leaving tomorrow for the Dragon lands. And... and I've met our new partner." Her smile faded.
"Oh dear," she fretted gently. "I had been hoping that I could ease the shock of seeing him. I hope that it wasn't too much for you, in your weakened state. It must have felt like the dead had arisen!"
I touched her lightly on the shoulder. "I seem to have survived, Isawa-san. We can only hope that he will be a fraction of the man that his brother was." She nodded gracefully. "I shouldn't keep you awake, Isawa-san... I just wanted to make sure that you were in good health. I assume we leave early in the morning?"
"Yes, Otaku-san. We shall consist of we three Magistrates, Fukushuu-san and the three guards, Hida-san, who has been added to our guard, by the way, Otaku-san, and the actor." Her face showed faint delicate distaste.
"And Kozaki, I assume?" Not that I would have allowed the child to be left behind even they hadn't planned to have him along. She nodded her assent, and smiled warmly.
"The boy is an apt pupil for me, Otaku-san. I'm not sure how much he remembers, but he makes up for that with pure enthusiasm." Atsuko yawned, and I bowed to her ruefully.
"I said that I didn't want to keep you awake, and here I am breaking my word. Good night, Isawa-san."
"Good night, Otaku-san. I trust you'll sleep well." The small woman nodded softly and padded into her room. When I stepped into mine, Kozaki was curled up on a mat next to my bed.
**
The next day was a whirlwind of activity in the morning, as our entire party gathered belongings and set out to travel to Dragon territory. The excitement paled, however, as several hours of traveling passed numbingly. I eventually resorted to teaching basic horsemanship to Atsuko and Kozaki just to pass the time. It'd never cease to amaze me, I decided, how most people managed to learn how to ride and yet completely miss how to properly use stirrups.
We reached a mountain town late that night. Between Kozaki's sleepy mumbles of I'm Tired and Fukushuu Kaze's rumbling stomach, the inn there seemed a good choice to make a stop. Immediately after eating, both Kozaki and Atsuko fell asleep in the room the three of us were sharing. Sleep came a little slower to me, which is why I was awake to hear the noise.
The rhythmic scraping sound produced by the tree outside our window rattling against the building would have come from the blowing of the wind, had there been any. I looked out, but could see nothing in the darkness. The noise continued for several minutes, and although I tried to ignore it, eventually I couldn't and woke Atsuko quietly.
"Isawa-san," I whispered. "Do you hear that?" After a moment, she nodded, but was similarly unable to identify what was shaking the tree in the dark. Ashamed to have worried her, I went downstairs to alert Fukushuu Kaze, as I probably should have done in the first place. No one down there, however, had seen him in some time. A suspicion grew in my head. Returning to our room, I took a lantern and used it to dispel some of the gloom outside.
A white gi lay on the ground next to the tree trunk. Sighing in annoyance, I told Atsuko to return to sleep and not to worry. After I was sure she'd drifted off again, I returned downstairs, and circled outside to the tree. The scraping noise was louder out there. Picking up the gi, I sighted up into the dim branches above me.
"Fukushuu-san," I called, "you dropped something." A moment later, a head appeared upside-down out of the tree. Fukushuu Kaze looked wide-eyed at his gi.
"Oh. Um. Hmm. Whoops," an arm came snaking out to retrieve the clothing I offered up to him. He looked about ready to disappear back into the tree when I cocked my head at him.
"Fukushuu-san," I sighed at him, "if I were to ask you what you were doing, would I regret it?"
He blinked owlishly at me. "Erm... practicing. I need it.... you shouldn't have heard me. I apologize, Otaku-san." I covered my face for a moment with my hand and flapped the other at him.
"Whatever. I don't want to know. Just... 'practice' a bit quieter please; I'd like to avoid Isawa-san being woken." Nodding solemnly at me, an action which was rather comical considering his upside-down state, Fukushuu Kaze withdrew. I walked away, reminding myself how fond Atsuko was of him. I was cranky, and I fell asleep wishing I'd killed the infuriating man when I could have gotten away with it without a hassle.
Some time later in the night, he must have gotten clumsy again, for I thought I heard Atsuko call out the window for him to take his practice elsewhere. That may have been a dream, however, for I didn't think that I'd told her who was the origin of the noise.
**
Two days of riding brought us to civilization again, something that I honestly could have postponed. I'd always more at home out riding than inside a house. The civilization that we came too wasn't much, either. A weakly fortified castle, home to an aging Daidoji daimyo and a paltry sum of soldiers.
The evening may have been as boring as the rest of our travels, had it not been for the duelers.
As we wandered about after the evening meal, a group of students in the courtyard caught my eye. Being in Crane lands as we were, it didn't surprise me that they were iaijutsu students. Several of us made our way over to watch them. What did surprise me was that Fukushuu Kaze and Kozaki had somehow made their way into the group by the time that the rest of us gathered around to watch.
Both of our companions were reeling off kata after kata with the other students, the only noticeable difference between the two, besides experience, being their facial expressions. While Kozaki had a grin of pure delight stretched across his small features, Fukushuu Kaze had a distracted, almost distressed look on his face. I looked at him puzzledly, trying to decide why he might look so upset as he pulled off flawless after flawless move. I was distracted, however, by a lumbering figure to the side.
Kumo growled and pointed rudely at Kozaki in the midst of the Crane students. "You, boy. You want to duel?" he sneered. "Come duel me! I show you how we duel in Crab lands."
Kozaki beamed blithely and trotted over. "Okay okay! I'll win, Hida-san!" He bounced on his toes, watching the Crab argue with the iaijutsu sensei over the use of his no-dachi. Kumo finally glared the sensei down and the old man backed away, the bokken he'd tried to press into the Crab's hands dangling sadly. I stepped forward, intending to take the no-dachi away so that Kumo wouldn't kill the child, when I noticed the Crab surreptitiously snag a handful of dirt under the guise of adjusting one of the armor pieces on his leg. Divining what Kumo was about to do, I settled back uneasily to watch.
Kozaki dramatically settled into an iaijutsu stance, while the Crab stood and watched, a storm gathering in his eyes. When the boy looked just about to draw on him, Kumo flung the dirt in his face and stepped back. Kozaki stumbled mid-draw and clawed at his face, shrieking furiously.
"That wasn't FAIR!" he screamed at Kumo, dirty tears marking runnels down his small cheeks. The Crab stood immobile and glared down at the boy.
"Fighting isn't fair, boy. Care to try again?"
Kozaki charged the Crab, flailing desperately in anger. Kumo alternated between stepping back and taking small attacks that would be counted cheating in a true duel. Tears streamed down Kozaki's face as he yelled how much he hated the Crab, but Kumo ignored them and continued. Or at least, continued until he made a misstep, right as Kozaki finally got a little under control and made a focused strike at the Crab's midsection.
All of us could see that the blow had had a power far, far beyond the ten-year-old's natural strength, but Kumo just grunted and flinched ever so slightly.
"I HATE you!" Kozaki cried. "You don't duel fair! We were DUELING and you didn't do it RIGHT! You're MEAN!" A malicious smile grew across the Crab's features, and he picked up the flailing boy by the collar.
"You and I, boy, are going to go have a little talk about the nature of a fight." Kumo stalked off, Kozaki a shrieking and kicking accessory at the end of his arm. The rest of us stared at the two of them until they passed around a corner and were out of sight.
"He won't hurt the little one," I reassured the sensei. "Kozaki is my charge, and Kumo knows this. Just consider it a lesson for the child in Crab tactics." The sensei uneasily nodded at me, and I smiled at him gently. "If you wouldn't mind, Sensei, could I pair up with one of your students? It's been some time since I had the chance to practice my iaijutsu."
He agreed and called over a stocky young man who looked to be approximately my age. Surprisingly, Shun also requested to be allowed to duel with one of the Crane students, and all of us settled in loose stances facing our partners.
My duel was over quickly. We drew at nearly the same time, and landed mighty blows on each other with our bokken. Both of us staggered back and were driven to our knees, but a third party judged that his blow had landed marginally before mine. He helped me to my feet and I bowed to him, smiling. He returned the respectful move and both limping, we moved back to watch the others continue.
Shun exhibited a blinding speed in his duel, beating his Crane opponent on the draw and winning handily. The spectators closed around the Dragon and his downed partner congratulatingly, and I took the moment to ruefully slink back to Atsuko's quarters. The Crane had cracked two of my ribs. Atsuko tsked as she healed me, and I was meekly grateful for her effort. I left her quarters soon, however, as the hour was growing late.
The last thing I saw that night before I disappeared into my room was the sight of Kozaki and Kumo, the boy waving happily to the Crab as he raced towards his own room. I smiled as I closed my door, glad that the young were so quick to forgive the old their little cruelties.
**
Morning broke with Kozaki in an uncommonly good mood. As we left Crossroads Palace, the boy fairly danced in his saddle, his smile seeming to lift the gloom of the cloudy day in his vicinity. Kumo and I traded glances and asked him what was making him so joyful, but the only information we could get out of him was that the Daidoji daimyo and the iaijutsu sensei had told him something the night before that he was extremely pleased about. Ferreting for more information took us in a ten-year-old logic loop, and we soon gave up, deciding that our sanity would be better kept intact if we let the matter drop.
I spent a little time instructing Atsuko in horsemanship again, but she seemed more interested in the fact that Fukushuu Kaze's funk was still upon him, and she distracted easily. I was worried about our Captain as well, my irritation of a few nights past having fled along with my exhaustion of that night. I hated to see such a useful, competent man so obviously distressed. When Atsuko told me that she'd seen him and the Daidoji daimyo and iaijutsu sensei speaking the night before, my brow furrowed and I told her about what seemed to have prompted Kozaki's good humor. Curious, she attempted to ask Fukushuu Kaze what was the matter, but he brushed it off with a suggestion of slight ill health, and quickly headed to scout a several miles ahead of us.
Before afternoon had stretched long, however, he came racing back to us with news of a large, expensive estate not an hour's ride away. Shun and I agreed that if we could prevail upon the hospitality of the occupants, the Crane estate would make a good stopping point, even if it was rather early. When I showed our papers to the guards at the estate an hour later, however, their attitude was unpromising.
"Are any of your group Crane?" one inquired suspiciously.
"As a matter of fact, yes," I told him, somewhat surprised at the question. "The two guards at the rear of our group are Kakita from Ryoko Owari, and this child," I indicated the still-smiling Kozaki slightly behind me, "is an orphan of unknown Kakita lineage, under my care." The guard squinted at the happy boy and mumbled something about needing to get clearance as he headed inside the gates that opened just barely enough for him to slip through. Puzzledly, I shrugged at Atsuko and Shun, and waited for them to either let us in, or turn us away.
A loud creaking interrupted a discussion about nothing, a good half hour after the guard had disappeared. The huge gates opened slowly, and a group of Crane stableboys came to take our horses. No sooner had Kozaki dismounted than he barreled into the compound at full tilt. I was hard pressed to catch up to him, but I managed and swung the child up into my arms.
"Ne, Kozaki, you mustn't just invade someone else's home," I chastened him as I walked back to the rest of the group. Kozaki just smiled and fidgeted, bouncing around in my arms happily until I was forced to set him down and settle for taking a secure hold on one of his hands. Kumo looked up just as we returned, and narrowed his eyes.
"What is that, boy?" he questioned, pointing at a scroll that Kozaki had stuffed into his kimono. The boy whipped it out and waved it around like a sword, grinning like the village idiot. Trying to track the seal, I only managed to identify it as Crane before one of the guards noticed it and nudged the others.
"Pardon me, Magistrate-san," the suspicious one told me. "We've been instructed to conduct the three Crane in your party to see the Sensei," the respect in his voice was overwhelming, "as soon as possible."
"Of... course," I told him, watching quizzically as the Crane guards came forward, puzzled looks on their faces. "Watch him for me, Morisata-san," I told one of the twins as they passed me and Kozaki trotted ahead of them. He nodded at me respectfully, then followed his brother and the child as the guards led them through a door at the far side of the courtyard.
At a loss as to what to do, all of our hosts having temporarily disappeared, the lot of us stood around uncomfortably until Kumo, who'd wandered over to a low wall across the way, called for us to come and see what he could. Looking over the wall, a sunken courtyard appeared to our view. I restrained the urge to let my jaw drop, reaching for the self-control that I'd at least occasionally had before this baffling trip.
Lines of Crane students stretched across the courtyard. There were easily a hundred of them, perhaps more. We watched as perfectly synchronized, fluid kata were rippled down the lines, in a pattern that anyone familiar with iaijutsu would recognize as the trademark of the famed Kakita duelers.
"We're at the Kakita Dueling Academy," I whispered reverently. Fukushuu Kaze seemed about to say something, the distressed expression on his face painfully clear, when the twins came out the door they'd been led through half an hour before.
"Erm..." Morisata began.
"They want to see you, sir," Usenagi continued, bowing to his Captain.
Fukushuu Kaze's face grew more distressed, if that was possible, and headed to the door without a word. As he walked off, he drew a scroll identical to the one Kozaki had been brandishing so happily out of his gi. He looked distinctly less pleased to be holding his than the child had.
Atsuko and I turned to the Crane twins.
"What's going ON?" I asked them. "I take it that we aren't to be wandering around," I motioned to the several guards that had materialized at all the doors out of our courtyard but one. "I suppose our quarters are that way and that we're expected to go to them and stay quietly until they say otherwise?" I sighed as the twins morosely nodded in unison.
"We're just as confused as you, Magistrate-san, as to what's going on," Usenagi told me apologetically. "We aren't to speak to you of what is going on in there with the Sensei.... but suffice to say that very, very strange business is afoot." He looked down embarrassedly, while his twin seemed to be more confused than anything else.
Atsuko sighed. I knew how much she hated to not know what was going on, and for a moment I rather irrationally felt like barging into this Sensei's place and demanding to know what was going on with our Captain and my Kozaki. But Shun pointed silently at the three guards that were heading towards us in a businesslike manner, and we decided to save them the hassle of having to hustle us along.
**
After only an hour of sitting in my room, however, I couldn't stand it. So I decided to go visit Kumo and make a request that I'd been meaning to make for some time. When I knocked at the entrance to his room, a rustling noise brought a smile to my face. He opened the door gruffly.
"Yes? Oh. You. What do you want?" he asked bluntly.
"Hida-san," I began, "I was wondering if you might have the time and patience to perhaps teach me how to do that." I pointed behind him at the origami figures that had created the rustling noise when he'd tried to hide them from sight. "As long as we're going to be sitting around, the time might as well be spent productively."
He blinked at me, astonishment on his face. "You want to know how to do THAT?" he asked incredulously, swinging his head between the small paper sculptures and me. "My mother made me learn that," he said as he let me come in. "I use them to plan out battles," he continued, somewhat embarrassedly. I settled down gracefully to my knees and looked at the half-swept away battlefield on the small table in front of me, Kumo hovering shamefacedly behind me.
"Hida-san, would it not be strategically better to have this brave Crab soldier," I carefully picked up a blue folded crab and placed it in a slightly different position with respect to a green bird of some sort, "here instead?"
Apparently he'd thought that I was going to criticize his pastime, for he looked surprisedly at me, then flopped down on his knees.
"Um. Yes." He resettled the figures that had been swept away and twitched his fingers uncomfortably. "Anyway. Hmm. Here," he thrust a square of a prettily tinted red paper at me. "I'll show you how to do a... a box." Not looking at me, his thick fingers nimbly began folding a matching piece. "Use this," he abruptly rolled an ivory, tapered stick at me. "Use it to help crease. The paper, I mean. I mean, use the stick to crease the paper." He scowled at me. "I'm not very good at this. You sure you want to learn?"
I swallowed my smile at his embarrassment and nodded. "I've been meaning to ask you for some time how to do origami, Hida-san. It's a useful way to quietly pass time." He nodded solemnly in response.
"Yes. It helps focus the mind," he returned to folding the paper in front of him, "You fold this way, so. And then this way, so. And then back this way."
It took several rather misshapen boxes and a good hour before I turned out something the Crab considered acceptable, but when I held up the shimmery yellow box, he smiled slightly in approval.
"Good. That's enough." he looked at me suddenly under his eyebrows. "Want some tea? I'm going to go have some with the monk." He stood and moved to the door without really waiting for my response. "Tea also focuses the mind. Let's go," he threw over his shoulder, as I carefully set down my box and strode quickly after him.
"Monk?" I questioned as we marched down the hall (marching is really the only word to describe walking alongside a Crab). "You ARE aware, Hida-san, that Damatsu isn't actually a monk? That he's a Scorpion actor, pretending to be a monk?"
The Crab looked at me puzzledly. "He's a very talented monk. I'm sure that acting is one of his many talents, yes."
"No, I mean.... never mind." I felt like continuing, but remembering all the times I'd seen the two together, I gave up. If Kumo was convinced that Damatsu was a monk, there was absolutely nothing I could say that was going to change his mind. Kumo cocked an eyebrow at me but I merely shook my head, and then we were at the monk's quarters. The Crab knocked roughly at the entrance.
"Um, just a moment!" Damatsu's obsequious falsetto sang out. My lip curled slightly in distaste as we waited for the little man to call us in. After some minutes had passed, he gave us permission. When we entered, Damatsu was kneeling in the center of of his room, for all appearances having just completed a monkly meditation. I seriously doubted that was what he'd been doing.
"I want tea. Would you make it?" Kumo asked. Damatsu smiled, an irritating cross between a sneer and the look that you'd give your respected great-great grandmother.
"Of course, Hida-sama." He looked pointedly at me. "Will the esteemed Magistrate-sama be joining us?" I nodded and he smiled that sugary smile. "Ah, so. I shall have to go get my tea set," he started, but before he could finish, Kumo headed out the door.
"It's in the cart. I'll get it." Damatsu started to his feet frantically.
"Hida-sama! It's under several things, I'll help you get it...!" He trailed off in his efforts to catch up with the Crab when I took hold of the collar of his kimono as he tried to bustle past me. I gestured toward the rapidly retreating Crab.
"Does he actually think you're a monk, Damatsu?" If he noticed my insulting lack of -san to his name, he at least hid it well as he straightened his kimono with overmuch care.
"The Crab chooses to think as he wants. Now, if you'll excuse me, I really do need to help him find that tea set," he told me. I waved him off, rolling my eyes as he scurried down after Kumo.
When they returned, Shun was with them, apparently having been acquired at some point between where I was and the location of the cart. Despite my personal distaste for the man, I did have to admit that he could pull off a perfect tea ceremony, and the four of us spent a pleasant evening discussing the more enlightened aspects of oni slaying.
**
Feeling guilty as I went to bed, I went in search of Atsuko. I presented myself shamefacedly at her door, wishing very hard that I'd thought to invite her to tea. When she allowed me in, however, she was apparently too anxious to speak to me about something to feel left out.
"Otaku-san, I was concerned about Fukushuu-san, so I cast a spell to help divine what on earth is going on." I blinked.
"And what did you see?"
Atsuko frowned unhappily. "Otaku-san, I saw a vision of him passing through a door, carrying a kimono tailored in the Crane style, with a Kakita mon. Do you think that it's possible that perhaps the Crane would offer him a position in their clan? He's certainly skilled at iaijutsu, and as graceful as any Crane."
I considered. "It's a possibility, I suppose. But wasn't I told that he'd been offered his place back in the Scorpion and turned it down? Perhaps even if the Crane did ask him to join, he'd refuse. He is in our employ, after all."
"Perhaps this is why he's been so distressed since speaking to the Crane at Crossroads Palace," Atsuko mused. I nodded agreement and sighed.
"Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do about it," I reminded her. "Not until someone here decides to tell us something." Her tiny face looked woeful as I stood to apologize for abandoning her all evening. "It's getting quite late, Isawa-san. Perhaps if we sleep now, morning will come all the faster and knowledge hopefully along with it." She nodded, and bid me good night as I wandered, mind occupied, back to my own room.
**
Stretching, I paced the courtyard in the early morning light. I was waiting for the morning iaijutsu class to start, anticipating with pleasure the prospect of getting to watch the Kakita train. When the sunken courtyard below began to fill, however, my eyes widened.
"Isawa-san," I knocked at her door, using all the control I could muster not to yell her name and rattle at the frame of the sliding door. "Isawa-san, you must see this!" Soon she was following sleepily along, taking three steps to my one, as I hurried her to look at the class. She gasped.
"Otaku-san, KOZAKI is training with them!!!"
"That's not all," I said, pointing grimly. "Look at that." She looked and paled.
"Fukushuu-san..." she whispered, her eyes wide. Fukushuu Kaze wasn't training with the class. He was leading the class, wearing the robes of a Kakita.
We watched wordlessly as the class progressed and the rest of our companions slowly trickled out to join us. All of us silently took in Fukushuu Kaze's flawless execution of some of the most protected maneuvers of the Kakita school. When the class ended, Fukushuu Kaze began speaking with a Crane sensei, so Kozaki was our first target.
Finding our way down into the courtyard, Kumo and I were the first to reach the child.
"Kozaki!" I exclaimed. "Are you to study with the Kakita?" He smiled happily and bobbed his head.
"Otaku-san they say I'm Kakita just like you said and that means I'm a Crane because of the mark on my foot and so I get to learn from them how to DUEL and then I'll be a warrior like Fukushuu Kaze-san and win lots of battles because I'm Crane like him!" It took me a moment to extract the important information from the flow of words.
"Mark? On your foot?" I questioned.
He fairly jumped in the air and landed on his bottom on the ground. Tugging off his sandal and sock, he pointed proudly to a black tattoo on his heel. I leaned down with a solemn smile to look at it. The tattoo was small, but recognizable as the mon of the Kakita family. I tapped his foot sternly.
"You never showed this to us, Kozaki." He blinked up at me.
"You never asked and I sometimes forget it's there but they say it means I'm Kakita!" He beamed. I allowed myself a small giggle that only Kumo and Kozaki were close enough to hear as I helped the child stand up. Kozaki brushed himself off unceremoniously and bounced on his toes. I sank to one knee to face him as Shun and Atsuko caught up with us.
"So, Kozaki, does this mean that you're going to be staying here if you're going to be taught how to fight by the Kakita here?"
Kozaki's smile fell. "I wanna go with you." I squeezed his hand reassuringly.
"Then we'll see how to work that out, alright?" His smile grew again and he threw his arms around my neck.
"Great, Otaku-san!" Without any sort of good-bye, he dashed off to disappear into the crowd of students. I stood and chuffed a lock of hair out of my eyes. Turning to face my partners and Kumo, I shrugged.
"I'll speak to the Sensei," I murmured. Atsuko was already heading towards Fukushuu Kaze, a thundercloud darkening her delicate features. Half-alarmed, I hurried after her, the rest of our companions following.
"So," she stopped directly in front of the Captain, fists on her hips. "Kozaki wants to be "Crane like him," does he. What else about your past have you not told us, Fukushuu-san?" she questioned coldly. The abashed man sank to one knee.
"Isawa-san, it's not like you think. I haven't been keeping anything from you, nothing at all! I thought I was Scorpion, I really did!" He stumbled over his words in his effort to placate the tiny woman in front of him. "At least, that's... that's what I was told. My father, I mean, Bayushi Korechika, I mean... well anyway, he found me wandering when I was 19. He told me I was his son who'd been lost! I had no reason not to believe him, I swear!" Fukushuu Kaze flapped a hand at the Crane around him. "But now they all tell me I'm Kakita... a survivor of a battle in which I lost my memory." His face fell, an anguished look in his eyes. "I don't know WHO I am! Isawa-san, please, I didn't mean to deceive you...." I took one look between the two of them and abruptly grabbed Shun in one hand and Kumo in the other. Propelling them away, I whispered that it was definitely time to leave the Captain and Magistrate alone.
***
Kumo scowled at me. "So what do we do now?" Fukushuu Kaze and Atsuko were engaged in a heated discussion some distance behind us, and I sighed, watching them.
"I'm not sure. I'm not sure there's much we CAN do now, other than speak to this mysterious Sensei about Kozaki."
"I hate talking to people," the Crab grumbled. I smiled sadly, still speaking over his shoulder towards the distant pair.
"I'm sure Mirumoto-san and I can cope, if you'd like to skip speaking with him, Hida-san." When he rumbled his assent, I sighed again and cocked my head at Shun. "Shall we go, Mirumoto-san?" He nodded silently and we made our way to the door that we assumed led to the audience hall of the Academy. A guard at the door asked us our business, but we had to wait only a manner of minutes before he ushered us in.
A stately, elderly Crane was kneeling on a dais at the end of the hall, solemnly watching us come forward. I was halfway into bowing respectfully when a loud, rolling laugh spread through the hall. The elderly Crane slapped a hand delightedly on the ground next to him.
"SHUN-KUN," he exclaimed. Shun-KUN? "How are you, my boy? I haven't seen you in ages!"
Shun smiled widely. "Kakita-san, it's been several years." He bowed, then turned to me. "Kakita-san is a relative, Otaku-san, by marriage of cousins." I nodded gracefully, as if I'd known already.
"Well, whaddya want, Shun-kun?" the disconcertingly formal-looking Crane asked, very informally. Shun gestured to me and I cleared my throat.
"Kakita-sama," I began, finishing that bow that I'd arrested in surprise earlier, "I wished to speak to you about the boy in my care, Kozaki." The joking air disappeared from the Sensei and he nodded gravely. "The boy tells me, Kakita-sama, that he is to study here with the Kakita. Not that I would say that him staying here would be a bad thing, but had we not stopped here, the child would be continuing on under my protection. I've taken care of Kozaki for some time now, and when I just spoke to him, he expressed a desire to continue on in my care." I paused uncomfortably and the Sensei broke in.
"Of course he's going to stay here. Your group is tracking an oni, a very dangerous mission, and he has perfect teachers here. Why-" perhaps the Sensei would have finished that thought, but an abrupt voice interrupted him.
"Why should he stay here? That's stupid," Fukushuu Kaze said, striding in behind Shun and me. "We," he pointed to himself and me, "are the boy's family. I can teach the boy iaijutsu and kenjutsu as well as any sensei here. He learns to read and write from Isawa-san. Otaku-san teaches him horsemanship and manners. He learns about duty and Crab strategy from Hida-san. You told me yourself that you prepare for war here. Is Kozaki any safer in the middle of a battle than with us, who care for him?" Fukushuu Kaze's eyes blazed. "The boy is not to be taken out of our care when all his learning can be handled by us."
I looked at Fukushuu Kaze with new respect. I'd thought that his only care was for Atsuko and that he merely looked out for Kozaki as a distracted uncle might. He and I were Kozaki's family, eh? I turned to Sensei and bowed my head.
"Fukushuu Kaze-san is more eloquent than I could ever hope to be, Kakita-sama. He is absolutely correct in all that he says. I respectfully request that you do not oppose the child continuing on with us." Sensei looked over at Fukushuu Kaze quietly for a moment.
"So, you go with them, unknown Kakita," he said. Fukushuu Kaze nodded, setting down a strange katana and Kakita robes between us and the dais. He straightened proudly.
"I am the Captain of the Emerald Guard," he said simply. "I have a duty."
Sensei nodded wearily. "Go," he dismissed all of us. "Take the child and leave this place," he told me, not unkindly. Shun and I bowed to him, Fukushuu Kaze a frozen statue at our backs. We turned to leave and were almost out the door when Sensei's voice rang out once more.
"Fukushuu Kaze!" All of us turned to see Sensei on his feet, standing coldly in front of the pile of belongings my Captain had left. He kicked the fine Crane katana spinning end over end to Fukushuu Kaze. "You might need that," he growled.
Fukushuu Kaze bent solemnly to pick up the sword, bowing to Sensei in the process. Sensei nodded, and disappeared behind us as we passed through the large double doors.
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