Guardian, Saviors of Kamigawa

CHAPTER 20

Lady Pearl-Ear of the kitsune had been at Princess Michiko’s side since the very moment the princess was born. At first the fox-woman served because of her great love for Yoshino, Michiko’s mother, who died shortly after the birth, but as the child grew Pearl-Ear saw what a remarkable person the princess could become and swore to be the mentor and friend Lady Yoshino never had the chance to be.

Pearl-Ear did not think of herself as a second mother-she would not wish to dishonor Yoshino’s memory, and also their species were too fundamentally different. Pearl-Ear did consider herself as family, but as a caring and perhaps overly concerned aunt rather than a parent. She would teach Michiko what she could about the world, but the princess herself would have to make her way in it.

Here in a village of kitsune made refugees by the Kami War, Pearl-Ear realized her guardianship of Michiko was nearly complete. Despite the horrors of the Kami War and the knowledge that her father’s crimes had caused them, Michiko-hime was blooming in her self-imposed exile on the western edge of Jukai. Pearl-Ear had never seen the princess Michiko so confident and determined, or so focused. She attended every meeting of the kitsune council and made frequent (and sometimes heated) contributions to the discussion. Pearl-Ear took secret pride in the way Michiko presented her concerns, for it was the kitsune who taught her to reason, to argue, and to address an august assembly. As a representative of the people of Eiganjo, Michiko was a passionate and welcome voice at the table.

Pearl-Ear’s eyes crinkled in amusement. Some of the council members had openly mentioned Michiko’s only shortcoming as a diplomat: her all-too-human impatience for action. During one discussion, Elder Silk-Eyes explained that the kitsune were always more inclined to observe the situation and meditate on a solution. For all creatures, especially humans, the world revealed itself only to those who took the time to consider it.

Michiko had bowed politely, but her words had been sharp. “Venerable elder,” she said, “the kitsune live for hundreds of years. You can afford to meditate. Humans have to act more quickly, else we’d never accomplish anything.”

Silk-Eyes spoke kindly. “Well said, Michiko-hime. You have the floor. What would you have us do?”

So once more Michiko had reddened and fallen silent in frustration. There was no answer. The dire situation around them had not changed, and they were still unable to affect it. Simply surviving was a major victory.

Now Pearl-Ear watched the princess from a broad, flat cedar stump as Michiko trained. The princess had thrown herself back into her magical and martial studies, working harder than she ever had in Eiganjo. Pearl-Ear encouraged this to further Michiko’s ability to protect herself, but also to give her frustration a constructive outlet. Life was almost idyllic for Michiko in Jukai, surrounded by her closest friends and most revered elders, but Pearl-Ear knew her student was on the cusp of an explosive outburst. The isolation and guilt she bore on behalf of her father were weighing on her, and she was responding to a primal urge to simply move.

Below, Michiko galloped down a long lane the villagers had cleared on the far side of the encampment. War steeds were scarce among the refugees, but there were a few of Konda’s cavalrymen eager to contribute to his daughter’s training. She was tall and beautiful, though she looked considerably rougher and wilder in the woven linens of the kitsune than in her flowing palace robes. With smooth, practiced motions Michiko nocked and fired six times at six targets as she galloped along the lane. She scored three hits in the center, two in the inner ring, and one on the outer.

“Excellent,” said Sharp-Ear, the princess’s yabusame archery coach and Pearl-Ear’s brother. He stood on top of a huge fallen log that marked the outer edge of the horse run. He was small, lithe, and quick even for a fox, and his short-muzzled face was always on the verge of a wink or a playful shrug. Like many of the kitsune, Sharp-Ear was crafty and prone to playing tricks and games on friend and foe alike. In Pearl-Ear’s opinion, he was an irksome scamp who should have been named “Sharp-Tongue” for his cutting wit and his quick grasp of any situation … but he was a loyal friend and a valuable ally even if he was an exasperating brother.

Sharp-Ear was something of a journeyman, expert in a number of different disciplines. He could harness the magic of field and forest, he was formidable on the back of a horse, and he was devastatingly accurate with the bow. He worked the princess hard during her yabusame training and his combination of good cheer and frequent drills helped Michiko progress far more quickly than she ever had with Pearl-Ear. If Pearl-Ear was a stern but caring aunt to the princess, Pearl-Ear was her boyish, indulgent uncle.

The refugees had been abuzz lately from a series of sudden arrivals. First, Isamaru, Konda’s dog and Michiko’s companion, had inexplicably turned up. The great pale akita bounded into the village unannounced and unexpected, barking happily at anyone and everyone until Michiko came calling his name. Isamaru had been trained to hunt, but his age had begun to catch up with him. This meant he couldn’t catch the rabbits of Jukai, but he was more than happy to join the chase. Some of the refugees were soldiers from Konda’s army, and they regarded the dog as a combination lucky charm and good omen. As long as he was there, they allowed themselves to hope.

The second round of visitors was even more remarkable. The honor guard of Eiganjo cavalry and kitsune samurai that escorted Pearl-Ear and Michiko to the academy was thought to have been killed in the massacre. Days after the main party had escaped Minamo, the soldiers joined them, bringing tales of terrifying brutality and the curious, taciturn ochimusha who brought them to safety.

Pearl-Ear recognized the soldier’s description of Toshi Umezawa, and she added his heroic actions to the growing list of inexplicable things he had done. In a matter of weeks he had kidnapped the princess, battled the orochi and a major myojin to a standstill on her behalf, murdered one of Michiko’s closest peers, freed her from house arrest, and rescued her when ogre and oni came to Minamo. Now for some reason he had returned to the school, and Pearl-Ear had a strong idea what that reason was.

Except for Konda himself, Toshi was one of the only people in Kamigawa to lay hands on the Taken One, and he had left it behind when he rescued Michiko and Pearl-Ear from the school. He must have returned there to take it back, or to exploit its mysterious power for his own use.

Pearl-Ear could not bring herself to trust or respect the man, but Toshi had done them great service as well as great harm. He was a mercenary and an opportunist and he always seemed to be one step away from catastrophe … the kind that claimed him and everyone around him. Pearl-Ear looked for the best in everyone she encountered, but she feared Toshi’s ambition and fecklessness would destroy him long before he matured enough to rise above them.

Sharp-Ear clapped his hands. “Again,” he said. “One more pass and we’ll call it a day.” Michiko nodded and spurred her horse back up the lane as Riko and a young kitsune replaced the wooden targets.

Michiko reached the starting point, wheeled her horse into place, and waited for Sharp-Ear’s signal. It never came.

Instead, a long-haired figure dressed in black emerged from the edge of the woods bordering the horse run. He had bright green eyes and one arm raised, waving to catch the princess’ attention. His other arm was extended back into the cedar shadows behind him, but the kitsune’s eyes were sharp enough to see what lay beyond. The man’s hand was resting atop a large stone disk he had propped against a tree.

Pearl-Ear shot to her feet, but cries of alarm were already echoing through the trees. The soldiers who guarded Michiko closed ranks around her an instant after the visitor appeared. Sharp-Ear sprang from atop the fallen log and nocked an arrow into his bow as he somersaulted to the ground. He trained the bolt on the intruder as his feet dug into the turf.

“Wait,” Pearl-Ear called, for she had recognized both the man and his burden. Her brother and the other warriors did not lower their weapons as they advanced, and Pearl-Ear wondered if that was because they didn’t recognize Toshi and the Taken One or if it was because they did.

The ochimusha held both empty hands up to show he was unarmed. Pearl-Ear noted that he still had his jitte strapped to his hip but both swords were gone. She would have felt more confident if he’d had the blades and lost the tool he used to inscribe kanji-Toshi’s symbol-magic was as dangerous and unpredictable as the fellow himself.

“Stand easy.” Toshi quickly scanned the approaching warriors. Pearl-Ear saw a flicker of recognition when the kanji mage saw Sharp-Ear, but Toshi’s face visibly brightened when he saw her atop her stump.

“Lady,” he called, waving to Pearl-Ear, “I need your help.”

Toshi lowered one arm and gestured at the Taken One, its edge barely peeking past the trunk of the tree. “And if you don’t want to help me, help yourselves. Look. See what has become of Konda’s prize.”

Pearl-Ear focused her keen eyes on the stone disk. She watched it for a moment, then gasped when she saw part of the etched serpent move along the disk’s edge.

release me

Toshi stayed in his awkward position, grandly presenting the Taken One with one hand and surrendering with the other. “See?” he said.

“Do as he says. Stand down.” Michiko’s voice rang out from the center of the phalanx of human soldiers and kitsune samurai.

The warriors parted, and Michiko cantered forward on her horse. “That man,” she pointed to Toshi, “works for me. I sent for him. And that item,” she nodded at the stone disk, “is my responsibility. Sensei.” She turned toward Pearl-Ear. “May we present ourselves to the elders for an audience?”

Pearl-Ear nodded. “As you wish, Princess. Wait here and I will convene the council.” Before she turned, Pearl-Ear made sure to make eye contact with her brother. Kitsune were subtle creatures and could read a person’s body language as easily as a schoolboy’s primer. She and Sharp-Ear had also been siblings for almost one hundred years and so could speak volumes with the slightest nod or facial tic.

Don’t let Toshi out of your sight and don’t let the warriors drop their guard, Pearl-Ear’s knowing look said.

Sharp-Ear’s scornful expression clearly and succinctly replied, I need you to tell me that.

Lady Pearl-Ear left Toshi surrounded by a half-dozen swords and at least as many arrows as she hurried to gather the elders.

Toshi somehow expected more from the wise council of kitsune shamans. Three wizened and scrawny old foxes just didn’t justify the reverential treatment they received. Toshi knew next to nothing about the kitsune and he hated the woods, but even he knew that proper fox-elders had more than one tail. Maybe all the really important elders were engaged elsewhere.

The soldiers kept him under close watch but they left his hands free. The littlest kitsune male, Sharp-Ear, had made sure to relieve Toshi of his jitte.

Since offending Night’s Reach, Toshi found he could no longer become immaterial or travel by shadows. The kanji that bestowed these powers were still visible on his arms but they no longer functioned. The kitsune still monitored him as if he could come and go at will, and he was determined to keep them misinformed for as long as possible. If they were guarding him as if he were a phantom, they might leave some other avenue of escape open to a more normal prisoner.

So Toshi sat on the stump-platform at the edge of Michiko-hime’s riding lane, the Taken One nestled safely against a tree nearby. They had at least taken his advice and not tried to move it. The three elders, Pearl-Ear, and Michiko had all climbed atop the fallen log that bordered the training lane to listen. Pearl-Ear made introductions, Toshi bowed to the venerable foxes, and he told them (with several minor omissions) about his experiences over the past few days.

When he was done they simply stood and gave each other meaningful stares. Michiko looked grim and determined as she watched her teacher. Pearl-Ear in turn waited for the elders’ reaction, and so Toshi stood watching his hosts watching each other.

“I don’t think you understand the urgency here,” Toshi said to Sharp-Ear. The little fox was always nearby. He seemed to have taken a personal interest in minding the prisoner. “A day, two at the most, and we’re all in the same trouble I left in the east.”

Sharp-Ear continued to stare at Toshi intently, but he answered quietly. “I daresay you’re right. But they didn’t get to be elders by being fools. Give them a chance to consider the options.”

“What options?” Toshi hissed. “It keeps saying, ‘release me.’ Where’s the mystery? It wants out, I say let it out.”

“It’s not that simple. There’s your credibility to consider.”

“It is that simple. That thing’s alive; everyone can see it. If you were frozen solid, you’d want someone to crack you loose, right?”

“Sadly, I speak from bitter experience. Yes. I did want that when I was frozen and I would want it again.”

“Sure you would. What else could they possibly be considering?” Toshi peered up at the silent elders. “Are they considering? It looks like they’ve forgotten why they’re here.”

“Be quiet,” Sharp-Ear snapped. “Or show more respect. You came to us for help, remember?”

“That’s because I thought you would know what to do. You don’t know any better than I do.”

“So what? Even if that’s true, what do you propose? Shall we give it back to you and send you on your way?”

“That’s a start. If you foxes want to sit and contemplate its true nature, be my guest. Just don’t make me wait around to watch.” He looked up into the sky.

“We have decided.” The elder in the center of the trio spoke. Toshi remembered her name as Silk-Eyes.

“This,” she pointed at the Taken One, “is a living thing. Everything else is mere speculation.”

Toshi called out, “That living thing ‘speculated’ three orochi into piles of salt.”

Silk-Eyes smiled patiently. “You left snakes and came back to salt. That does not mean the entity is responsible.”

“Of course it does. I also think that because it keeps asking to be released that means it wants to be released.” He turned angrily to Sharp-Ear. “I thought you said they weren’t fools.”

“Calm down, my friend.” Silk-Eyes offered her hands to the other elders, and they formed a chain. “We will attempt to communicate with the entity. Her voice is already known to us. We only need to make ours heard.”

“‘Her’?” Toshi said. “If you say so. Look, what you’re proposing is not a bad idea, but it’s not the right idea. In the east the Taken One called out for ‘her’ father. She sent up a signal, and O-Kagachi answered. He appeared and moved much faster than he has before. And I know because I’ve seen him in action twice. How many times have you seen the great spirit beast manifest?”

Sober silence was the only reply.

Toshi nodded. His voice was calm and rational. “She wants to get out. Help me figure out a way to let her out before she calls O-Kagachi here. Do you understand? He’s coming here anyway, but if the entity gets anxious, she will bring him here in a heartbeat. If we give her freedom, she can decide when, where, and if he finds her. She can go to him if she wants.”

“With respect, Toshi Umezawa, we would rather understand the consequences of our deeds before we perform them. Lately a great deal of misery has arisen from ill-considered action.”

“You’re talking about the daimyo,” Toshi said loudly. He had finally caught Michiko glancing away from Pearl-Ear and he held her eyes as he spoke. “Konda wronged this being and the entire spirit world when he stole her. When he trapped her like this. That blasphemy is the main reason the spirits became hostile and the direct cause of the Kami War. If we don’t redeem that terrible act … if we don’t right that wrong, we are no better than he who committed it.”

Michiko nodded almost imperceptibly before turning back to her sensei.

Sharp-Ear suddenly spoke up beside Toshi, startling him. “The ochimusha has a point,” the fox said. The crowd that had gathered muttered in surprise, and Sharp-Ear added, “About the danger, I mean. O-Kagachi followed the entity to Eiganjo and broke the fortress walls. He followed it to Minamo, then to Jukai. We have every reason to expect him to follow it here.”

Silk-Eyes dropped the other elders’ hands and folded hers into her sleeves. “Are you suggesting we simply bestow some degree of animation upon her and leave her to her fate?”

“No, elder.” Sharp-Ear shifted uncomfortably. “But I do think we should explore both courses. While you and the other elders reach out to the entity, others can devise a way to free her from that stone shell.”

“A capital idea. Will you agree to lead the inquiry into releasing the entity?”

“I shall, elder.”

“Splendid. And we shall proceed as I’ve outlined. We hope that our efforts will make yours less complicated. There is much the entity could tell us, if we knew how to ask.” Silk-Eyes turned to Pearl-Ear and muttered something Toshi couldn’t hear. Then the three old foxes bounded easily to the ground and took up kneeling positions around the Taken One, their hands clasped together.

“This audience is complete,” Pearl-Ear said loudly. “The elders wish to be alone with the entity, so everyone apart from the guards should withdraw.”

Toshi turned to Sharp-Ear. “Am I free to go?”

The little kitsune made a great show of thinking it over. “I suppose so,” he said. He carefully took the arrow off his bowstring and tucked it into his quiver. “I also suppose someone should thank you for bringing the entity to the elders. They’re probably the only people in the world who wouldn’t try to profit from it, you and I included.” He bobbed a quick bow to Toshi. “Thank you, ochimusha.”

Toshi shook his head. He pointed at Michiko-hime atop the log. “I didn’t bring it to the elders. I brought it to her.”

Sharp-Ear instantly became more alert, his eyes clear and his muscles tensed. “Really? What for?”

“You know what for. They’re bound; they’ve been bound since birth. They both came into this world at the same time and as a result of Konda’s actions. I figured all she’d have to do was touch it and something important would happen. We’d know what to do from there.”

“That sounds like your usual plan,” Sharp-Ear said. “Rush in, kick things over, and see what breaks.”

“What a penetrating wit you have.” Toshi sneered. “I suppose I’m not allowed to go near the disk while the elders are staring at it?”

“Of course not.”

“Can I talk to the princess?”

“If she’ll have you. Even then I’m going to stay within earshot.”

Toshi cocked his head. “Afraid I’ll make off with her again? Not a chance. There’s no one worth ransoming her to anymore. Konda doesn’t care, and you lot have no money.”

“I changed my mind,” Sharp-Ear said. “You can’t talk to her.”

The crowd milled past the platform stump, chattering excitedly. After Pearl-Ear gave instructions to the guards watching Toshi, they lowered their weapons and joined the rest of the soldiers forming a protective cordon around the elders and the Taken One.

Toshi watched until the last soldier was as far from the stump as he was going to get. Then he said to Sharp-Ear, “I can go?”

“You can go.”

“And I can talk to the princess? She did say she’s still my boss.”

“If she’ll talk to you and you both stay in plain sight, yes. But don’t try anything.”

Toshi leveled his bright green eyes at Sharp-Ear and made his most serious and reliable face.

“Trust me,” he said.