Chapter 10: Violet Hued, Emerald Memories
Twenty Second day of Jugatsu, Aki 1623. Nineteenth year under Lionhearts shogunate.
October Twenty Second, Fall, 1623. Nakasendo Highway, Western Kozuke. Edo era Japan.
"We could run?" Nick offered the solution.
"No, we lost a couple hours yesterday, it's about six more hours on foot from here and it's getting cold fast." Judy said, warning. The two huddled under the lacking protection offered by the large off center tree, its core and branches keeping a sparse amount of the heavy downpour off them.
"We could keep looking for better shelter for the night." Nick offered his second solution but already frowned knowingly. Between his blindness and Judys lack of nightvision their best bet of moving in the dark was their lantern that failed against the strong gusts.
"Sorry slick no such luck."
Judy continued to prod a stick into the small fire in front of them. It lined up with the tree just like themselves to keep as much water from it. The rain had hit hard and fast leaving them little time to react as night rolled in. Both were nearly worthless in that condition and they knew they couldn't make it the last bit of the distance in the dark with the sharp cold the wind brought. Settling in what shelter they could find, a few dry pieces of wood but most was still a little wet. Large rocks surrounding their fire to help protect it from the wind but in the same effect little of its warmth made it to them. They sat shoulder to shoulder Nicks overly sized straw hat providing the largest part of protection from the rain that made its way past the large tree overhead.
Even in the pitch black of that night Judy could tell she was in Kozuke now. The large open planes around them with gentle hills told her that she was in western Kozuke. This turned out to be as much a curse as it was a blessing. Where northern Shinano had difficult to traverse mountainous regions it also had shelter from the wind. The province of Kozuke offered no such reprieve from the cold battering rain and wind.
"Nick you said you see with your hands before. What did you mean by that? I mean I know how like blind people can't see so you just kinda figure shapes from what you feel. But how do you 'see' exactly?" She wondered quoting him from a few hours prior. He appeared to look her over with a nod pursing his lips in thought.
"Well, like I told you before I used to see just fine so I know what a rabbit looks like. Even in Himeji we have a few, not to mention Jack." He shrugged. "So after I lost my eyes, different mammals uhhh." He waved his paw forward searching for the word. "I kinda see them with the appearances of the previous mammals I have met before. But if I can touch them I get a more accurate example in my head. It sounds awkward ya know? Just that I have a great sense of hearing and smell but neither help me know what a mammal looks like. So most mammals think it's weird when I ask to 'touch' them." He shrugged dismissively.
They passed a moment again the sound of heavy and cold rain pattering around them even occasional droplets sizzling against the fire that made it past the large overhanging tree. Nicks hat again was the best protection from the rain. The oversized straw hat offered a decent canopy as long as she nestled up against him. She smiled contently as she did and he didn't appear the least bit put out by her closeness.
"Not that weird to me." She finally managed mulling it over offering the same dismissive shrug he had.
"Hm?" Nick stated looking over stopping the moment he realized the gestures of his head changed the protections his hat brought with it.
"Touching, ya know. Rabbits are very familial, community driven species. Large family usually forfeits personal space. Helped raise a few of them myself." She proudly announced.
"What about servants? Your fathers a pretty wealthy lord, just didn't want to shell out the koku for servants?" Nick mocked.
"No, just that our family stuck together." She said lowering her tone realizing the light implication on her own companions history. "And even when I was younger wasn't uncommon to be part of a fluffle of bodies when sleeping. Cozy even." She emphasised by nestling into the foxes side further hoping the act would help cut the tension she had caused. "Move your arm so I can steal more of your body warmth mwahaha!" she offered her evil dramatic laugh again. Nick however did follow the request moving his arm back slightly letting her cozy up closer to his side.
"Knew it, just using me for my fur. Am I just a pelt to you?" Nick turned his snout up the patter of rain immediately reminding him to return to the same posture. "I can't even dramatically turn my snout up at you because of the weather, but the gesture is implied hmph." This time he more carefully raised his lower lip pursing it.
"Its called a hustle and don't you forget it." She laughed heartily at that.
"I've been swindled." He put an arm over his forehead cautioning his posture against the rain this time. "This must be righted if only-" He gasped loudly. "Honorable samurai Hopps, I could use your help with a matter. I met this evil creature named Fluff-sensei, she steals my precious body heat. What should I do?" He asked.
"Hmm." Judy put a hand to her chin rubbing at it dramatically, deep in thought. She long since gave up wondering why she went into such vivid gesticulations with the blind fox in mind. He always seemed to react to them as she would have expected with a mammal that still saw.
"Well, very strong charges, very. But we have to establish a few things. Is this mammal smaller than you?" She asked as if reading off a list.
"She is." he affirmed with a nod.
"Well, it's hard to argue for your body heat with smaller mammals, they sure can use it. What species are they?" She continued the tone causing him to laugh at the odd masculine accent she emulated.
"She's a rabbit, evil little things huh."
"I won't speculate sir. Sounds like you're out of luck with a rabbit, just gonna have to share." She nodded with a victories expression.
"Sharing." He snorted a short laugh prompting Judy to look at him quizzically, he only shrugged in response before the same usual smirk. "Nothing. You ever been to Harima?" He changed the subject.
"No, don't think I've ever been further west than-hmm." She thought about it the region's she had traveled through when she was younger. "Never further than the border between Shinano and Mino. A few siblings and I were sent to protect a trade caravan." She nodded, the province itself decidedly central as far as the divide between the two noted demographics were. East two or three days from Harima. It was a largely mixed location but its lord was a Boar named Hogger. Like Shinano the region had seen better years since the decline in the value of wood. Though unlike Shinano, Mino had benefited a little more from the economical growth of the western regions.
"Well, don't know if you would like it. Very industrious, mammals are a lot different from the burrows in Kozuke or Zootopia in Musashi." Nick nodded.
"You been to the Burrows before?" Judy wondered, she recalled he had traveled a lot but to what extent. The wind howled around them though their combined front against the cold fought it back well, their limbs strongly pulled up against them.
"A couple times as a kid." Nick said softly. "The first time when I was young, family visited on our way to zootopia." He made that same face Judy recognized. She equated it to what she witnessed when a sibling had accidentally eaten something that had soured or that they didn't like in the slightest. Lips curled back and nose scrunched. It lasted only a moment but the number of sharp white teeth that showed each time he made that expression of distaste was a telling reminder of his past he didn't like.
Lords of all provinces, nobility and vassals often made the trip to Musashi to meet with emperor Lionheart at the capital. It was expected on several occasions and was part of why the emperor built the highways. The idea was to centralize commerce and communication within his nation. This meant that an odd form of commerce was the large number of mammals that the burrows hosted to and from the capital during the summer season. They would pass through and stay either there for the quiet or in Zootopia itself. During said time their lords and important nobility would spend days or weeks discussing several points of interest. Laws, trade, foreign relations and even disputes between conflicting or warring regions could be handled during these events. Regardless though attendance was mandatory.
She recalled one of the years when she was younger during this usual cycle every couple of years something had happened.
Many years ago, just after the fall of the prior shogunate
Seventeenth day of Gogatsu, Natsu 1606. Third year under Lionhearts shogunate.
May Seventeenth, Summer, 1606. Burrows, Kozuke. Edo era Japan.
The day had grown loud and exciting as large groups of mammals from the west marched through the city. Proud and dressed to impress, several lords and powerful nobles passing through on their way to meet with the emperor in the capital. Some walked Judy noticed like the wolf lords who refused to be carried out of pride for their pack, unique in how their hierarchy functioned unlike others. Some lords were wheeled by personal carts emblazoned with their provinces ruling colors like the weasels and most large cat species lords. Others like the powerful warlord Big was known to be carried by his loyal polar bear warrior.
"Oh which ones that?" Judy jumped up and down excitedly in the same spot, young and adorned in a brightly colored Kimono she pointed towards the marching lords.
"Hm? Who?" The small does mother asked beside her, taller but still regal her own family's colors of dark blues and browns in her Kimono. Judy continued to point excitedly.
"That one, the fox? Why don't they ride in a cart?" Judy tilted her head quizzical.
"Oh thats lord Wilde, Daimyo of Harima, lives in Himeji. Their a crafty province and their family boasts the finest swordsmiths you'll ever find. They have one of the oldest alliances with the wolf clans. He doesn't ride a caravan as a show of honor and equality with the wolf clans. It was about two hundred years ago their crafters helped win back Japan from the raiders across the ocean." The rabbit matriarch of the Hopps clan said to her daughter recounting the histories of back then. Harima and Settsu the two noted provinces strong neighbors. As if to demonstrate the fox lord could be seen laughing amicably beside the warlord Wolfard. The wolf himself visibly fighting to constrain his laughter at whatever the fox had told him. "Now run along, go play. Your father is meeting with a few of the nobles who are staying in the Burrows instead of the capital during negotiations." The mother rabbit patted her daughter encouragingly. Judy smiled warmly darting into the crowds without hesitation.
Cresting the hill that straddled the main road passing through the burrows Judy could already hear loud laughter. The Leaps family farm, a respected and friendly bunch of rabbits that she played with often. Once she could make out the boisterous sound she noticed the usual bunch of rabbits but also offset by two foxes and a wolf child, still larger than the surrounding rabbits but smiling and playing alongside them no differently.
"Can't catch me!" one of the small rabbits in the field darting around, one of the foxes appeared to be 'savage' from the looks of it as he darted around trying to catch them. The game was an old but simple one, whoever was selected to be the 'savage' would run around chasing the 'prey' till they caught them. Looking over the scene she could see it was only the one fox appeared to be playing, where the other fox a girl, arctic with white fur and yellow eyes and wolf a boy, black fur with brown eyes sat on the side lines appearing incredibly apprehensive. Making her way down the hill the audible giggling and squealing coming from her friends. Broad smile on her face she almost didn't notice it as the fox tiredly panting,came to a stop seeing her. Before she knew it she was running around just like the rest of them laughing frantically as the fox chased her.
It wasn't much longer till her luck ran out, she was plucked mid run by the fox over twice her size.
"Caught ya!" He loudly and proudly proclaimed holding her out in front of him towards the other rabbits and the two other predator kids who smiled and laughed. All of the other rabbits finally relaxed breathing heavily not unlike the fox himself. "What now?"
"You eat em." One of the heaving Leaps rabbits said. The fox turned Judy around to look at her with a furrowed brow.
"Why would I do that?" He whined in a low complaining tone. Judy for the most part was out of breath just like the rest but laughed.
"You're not supposed to actually eat me, it's just a game. You just pretend." She emphasised by tilting her head down grabbing at his wrist. "Nom, nom, nom!" she made the loud noise while pretending to gnaw on the foxes wrist. He immediately dropped judy from her captured state.
"Agh! The predator strikes!" The fox giggled, his tongue lolling as he laughed. It was contagious in that soon the whole group was, Judy included. "Alright, you be the 'savage' this time. Michael, Suzy, join in!" The fox spoke to the two other mammals whose apprehension seemed to have grown. He waved them on goading till both looked at each other before joining in the fun.
The large group of children played like that for an hour or two growing increasingly tired as they did. Once it was visible they couldn't maintain that level of energy someone had recommended hide and hunt instead. The oldest sibling of the Leaps family decided to be the hunter. The game was simple in that everyone had to hide wherever they could find on the large farm plot. As the hunter found a person they 'fed their pack' as it was called, in practice whoever you found helped you search until everyone was found.
"One!" The rabbit spoke loudly as the group which had grown to nearly all of the youngest of the leaps family household making the event massive. The announcing voice sent them scattering in all directions everyone searching for a hiding spot.
"Ten!" The voice was much quieter at her growing distance. She avoided a few of the odder shorter crops instead electing for the taller lines of corn. The further she covered the fewer surrounding steps she heard of other hiding rabbits. A small patch of untended fields made way for a large old tree. The large rooted ancient tree had an opening at its base that Judy quickly dove into. Dark and hidden she heaved, her speed having given her a head start from the seeking animals. She couldn't even see her own hand which she figured helped at the goal of hiding, the light streaming in from the lowering sun the only vision she had.
"They'll never find me in here." Judy whispered to herself smirking confidently.
"Us, they'll never find us." The second voice in the darkness instantly caused her eyes to widen, she looked back into the blinding blackness the trees consuming shade caused. "Whys your nose twitching like that?" The voice asked, then she saw it. Piercing gold speckled green eyes seeming to glow with visible dilated cores.
"You scared me half to death!" She nearly yelled in her whisper at the disembodied eyes.
"What? How? can't you-" The eyes rolled. "Sorry, forgot, bunnies can't see in the dark. Nocturnal thing." He laughed quietly at her. Judy began relaxing recognizing that it was just the fox she had played with earlier.
"Alright, now shhh." Judy gesturing placing a finger over her lips as she shushed the fox who appeared to nod if any indicator from the squinted eyes. Once her heart beat had calmed with her breathing she realized she could actually hear the quieted breaths and small movements he made. Every now and again she felt something brush up against he.
"Sorry." The hushed fox whispered each of his movements bringing it a small noise. "Cramped in here now." He emphasised Judy realizing that meant her. Inspecting it, it had already been a small enough place for her to hide, how he had got there so quickly and managed to find space was already surprising causing her to giggle at the darkness. "Don't laugh at me, was lots of space in here before you wanted to share my hiding place." He laughed in response.
"Says the fox that fits in a rabbit size hiding spot." Judy laughed.
"Hey!" The fox murmured something about numbers. "I'm only eleven. I'll be plenty bigger when I'm full grown." he challenged back. Judy thinking that over for a bit.
"Wow, your gonna be big for a fox. You gonna be a samurai?" She asked curiously.
"What? Why?" The fox tilted his head quizzically.
"Well I'm gonna be a rabbit one?" She said the eyes furrowing at her.
"You're gonna be a samurai? Never heard of a rabbit being one." He said doubt in his tone.
"I'll be the first. To prove that I can." She said adamantly, pride beaming in her voice. Still the eyes looked back her as if gauging her in doubt.
"Haha, rabbits can't be samurai." Here comes that line again.
She half expected the usual line or some variant of it.
"Huh, that'll be pretty cool." The green eyes said. "That would be soooo cool. I don't like fighting though. I like books, maybe I'll be a writer. Father says I'm wise and I could be a philosopher." He spoke enthusiastically Judy nodding at the admirable goal.
A good amount of time had passed with the two unfound in their hiding place. Two times they counted a rabbit had looked into their hiding place but couldn't see them, the chances shrinked as the day got darker.
"Games over!" A voice gave off then echoed by others as each of the 'hunters' proclaimed it in a way that suggested the remaining 'hidders' to come out. As the two exited their hiding place the fox stood again his height more than doubling hers, she noted the sleep frame he had likely helping him in the small hiding place. The two were among a small amount of winners in the end given how large the searching party had grown to. Another couple of winners had some how managed to get on the roof.
"Hey did you see where my friends went?" The fox asked mildly worried to one of the seekers. The seeker smiled up at him. "Oh yea, the wolf and other fox. They left earlier after being found. Said to tell you to go back when you lost. Guess they didn't expect you to hide that well. Good job." The rabbit awarding victoriously.
"Alright, guess that means I should go. Bye rabbits!" He said waving and smiling before running off towards the town.
"Bye fox!" The two yelled back.
"Oh hey Judy." The taller boy from the leaps family said. "Moms making some carrot pie, you wanna come over and have some?" He asked excitedly, she nodded.
"I love carrot pie!" She announced loudly. It was long dark by the time she returned home. The streets were abuzz with gossip over the day's events but had grown ominous after dusk.
"There you are Jude the dude!" Her father greeted her at the entrance porch of their main building when she got home, she yawned. "You head right up to bed alright. Busy day tomorrow." He said, a slight amount of worry in his tone. "Scared us being out that late."
"Sorry." She smiled up before he hugged her directing her out and into the family burrow for the night. She had decided on how much she enjoyed her day, a smile plastered across her face remembering the same set of green eyes she couldn't imagine forgetting.
Later she found out through rappidly spreading rumors that something bad had happened the previous day. Something had happened that wounded her family's relations with western province traders. Something about a noble being attacked was all she heard as the stories were apparently kept quiet and at arm's length. She heard rumors the trader was outraged and demanded unjust reparations.