Mononoke-hime Continuation
By Mikazuki Yuriko (Danny N.)
Chapter Twenty
The willow-thin young man before Asano shrunk nervously, clutching a piece of rolled up parchment in his waxy, pale hands. He didn't look much older than a child, evidenced by the thin mustache above his lip. Decked out in Asano's colors, he tried to stand straight and present himself bravely, though Asano could tell he was more than reluctant to deliver whatever message it was he had for him. Asano glanced down at the glass of sake balanced between his fingers—it was poor stuff, but there wouldn't be anything better until the supply train returned from Azo. It was taking an awfully long time. He'd ordered it sent days ago, but there was still no sign of its return on the road. Asano wondered what was keeping it. The Kawashimo party was late as well.
"…..watchmen still haven't discovered Lady Eboshi's whereabouts," the young man babbled. "There is still an around-the-clock order for her arrest."
That was another matter eating away at Asano's attention. The hawk's escape had been too subtle, too quick. She slipped past all of his guards like water through a sieve, disappearing like smoke. It was difficult to tell whether or not her followers had freed her, or if she had acted alone. It was quite the puzzle. Ever since her absence, however, the people of Iron Town were acting up. Word of street brawls was becoming ordinary to his ears now, and the jail was nearly full to capacity. Idly, Asano pondered whether or not he should just punish insubordination with beheading. That might keep those peasants quiet.
As if that wasn't bothersome enough, production was at its lowest. Despite the rich reserves of iron hidden under the mountains surrounding the lake, the forge was barely making quota. Eboshi had been far too easy on the riffraff of this town—they were all a bunch of lazy, worthless shifters living off his hard-won resources. If he didn't need workers for the mines and lumber mills so badly, he'd just as soon expel all of them from Iron Town.
"My lord," the young man continued, "we've also received word….." The boy was definitely nervous. A sure indication of unpleasant information to come. As if he needed any more. He took a sip of his drink and scowled at the messenger boy, causing him to wring the paper in his hands fit to tear it.
"The supply train bound for Kawashimo has returned, but…..has encountered some losses."
"Losses?" Asano replied gravely. "What do you mean?"
"The…..the supply train encountered some brigands while returning to Iron Town. The party leader was killed, as well as six of the ten men accompanying. One of the survivors reported they were ambushed by—"
"Let me guess," Asano interrupted, rubbing the bridge of his nose wearily, "a wolf demon with a red mask and wild animals under her command?" Such was the story becoming commonplace among his ranks of mercenaries and the citizens of Iron Town. Truthfully, Asano was becoming quite bored with it.
"No, my lord," the young man answered. "A band of men, all dressed in black from head to toe, wearing white masks."
"Common thieves, then," Asano speculated.
"My lord, they used rifles against us. With iron bullets."
Asano put down his sake glass and sat back in his cushioned chair to take this into account. Iron Town was the only mine in the whole province, and Eboshi had dealt with weapons in her trading. But this whole thing reeked with suspicion. There was something more going on here. He could feel it in his skin.
"Anything else?" he demanded of his young charge. The boy was turning a near shade of white. He looked like he might be sick.
"We lost nearly everything from the train," he said. "The brigands completely raided it."
Asano's eyes wandered to the bottle of cheap sake on the table next to him. If the supply train to Azo suffered similarly, then it would become even more difficult to support the ten thousand troops he had stationed in and around Iron Town. They were already on rations.
"Then take what we've lost out of the people of Iron Town. Give the order to my general. Anyone who resists will be thrown in jail. And have the foremen at the mine increase the output of production. These lazy slugs will just have to work harder to make up for our…..losses."
The messenger swallowed hard. No doubt he, like Asano, was imagining the reaction of the mining town's residents. Asano would not be mocked, though. These people would learn their place, and they would learn who was in charge. One way, or another.
"Yes, my lord," the boy with the thin mustache said slowly. "As you wish." He turned to go, but Asano stopped him with his words.
"What news of this Ashitaka? It has been days since he escaped. Has he been found yet?"
"No, my lord," his informant replied. "None of the men hired to kill him have returned. There's been no word at all about him."
"Well, he's probably dead in the wilderness," Asano said. "I doubt he poses very much of a problem." He chewed on his lip for a moment then barked, "Go find Azuma. Tell him I want to see him. Now!"
The messenger was only too happy to comply and practically ran from Asano's chamber. Asano grabbed the whole bottle of sake and poured the colorless liquor down his throat. News of the supply train situation was disheartening indeed. Added to the small matter of Eboshi's and Ashitaka's disappearance, the slack in iron production, and the attacks on the mills and mine…..it was enough to drive any man to drown himself in drink.
Within a few minutes there was a knock on the carved, wooden doors. Asano called in his guest, and a tall, barrel-chested man with a jet-black topknot and face that seemed set in stone sauntered in.
"Azuma," Asano greeted him. His appointed general and master of the art of fighting, Azuma had been picked up on a military maneuver in the north against the Ainu. That had been nearly twenty years ago. He still served Asano to this day. He was a very capable strategist and had trained men in Asano's army for years. He wasn't much of a conversationalist, though, and if Asano hadn't known the man had a wife and child long, long ago, he would have thought him to be completely indifferent when it came to women. The man really was made of stone.
Azuma bowed before him, and Asano invited him to take a seat on a floor cushion.
"What is becoming of the mills?" Asano inquired.
Azuma shook his head grimly. "I've increased the guard around the river and East Fork stations, but those wild beasts have totally wrecked the main mill. It will take weeks to repair. The minor stations are still in operation, but the townspeople are afraid to penetrate into the forest. 'Princess Mononoke' is constantly on their lips."
Without warning, Asano threw the sake bottle as hard as he could. It shattered against the carved doors with a loud crash, leaving a dent behind in the wood grain.
"They are only a little girl and a bunch of rats and weasels!" he shouted. Azuma did not so much as twitch a cheek muscle, but he did reply after a thoughtful moment,
"For one little girl and a bunch of weasels, they have caused quite a lot of damage. Enough to almost completely halt lumber production on the northern slopes. I do not believe she will be content to merely burn a mill and harass a few loggers and then quit. The people refer to her as the princess of beasts and ancient gods, guardian of the forest. I do not believe she will be content until ever mill is destroyed and every man who lays an axe to a tree is killed."
Asano gripped the armrests of his chair until his knuckles were white, and he spat lividly,
"I want her taken care of, Azuma. She's nothing more than a feral brat, so set a trap for her. I want her found and eliminated, even if you have to scour the entire forest. Kill every beast and creature that moves if you have to!"
"Yes, my lord," Azuma responded in a calm tone. He paused before rising and asked, "Anything else?"
Asano growled and sprang off the chair. Striding over the fine woven rugs to the shards of glass by his door, he snapped furiously before storming out of the room,
"Have this mess cleaned up, and another bottle of wine brought up!"
Ashitaka was trapped, locked in a nightmare he couldn't escape. Part of him knew he was sleeping, but the visions of horror before his eyes seemed all too real. A man in armor, mounted on a horse, dropping his sword and begging for mercy. Begging Ashitaka to spare him. Ashitaka desperately tried to claw his way out of the dream, but he felt rooted to the spot, seeing over and over again the vision of himself charging at a gang of bandits, ruthlessly cutting them down. He as bathed in their blood. Their dying screams echoed loudly in his memory's ears.
'San, help me!' he cried, then found himself in an altogether different place. A little village, one he knew and loved dearly. The light from the sky was pale gray and eerie. The air was still. Too still. Ashitaka felt like he was floating among huts and lodges, and beneath him were corpses. Men and women and children he'd grown up with. People with names he knew. They littered the ground like fallen wheat. The silence was disturbed by the harsh cries of ravens. He looked up to see a swarm of them soaring and wheeling overhead, covering the sky until all was darkness.
'No,' Ashitaka pleaded. 'I don't want to see this anymore!'
As if the dream was cruelly mocking him, Kaya's lifeless, blood-covered form came into view ahead of him, on the stairs of the village's shrine. His little sister, dead. All of them, dead. Just as abruptly, Ashitaka felt himself yanked from that dream and plunged into another.
This one was more familiar, but the feel of the dream changed. It was somehow different from all the other ones. Standing on the edge of the great forge's roof in Iron Town, Ashitaka saw the mountainsides ablaze around the lake. People were fighting down in the street, dying left and right. The scent of smoke was heavy on the air. He suddenly realized something was grasping both his arms. He looked to his left to see Eboshi, stern, cool features looking determined, like they were carved from marble. On his right was San jerking his forearm. Her blue eyes were blazing angrily, and she looked as unrelenting as Eboshi on his other side. With her other hand she pushed against his chest, palm pressing the bluish-purple crystal dagger that was tied around his neck to his flesh. Ashitaka felt drawn into her face. He missed it so much. He could feet his heart beating against the cool crystal.
A tickling in the back of Ashitaka's mind snatched his attention. He looked ahead to see Asano, armored and wearing a samurai's curved sword at his belt, approaching menacingly. His expression was alight with triumph, and his gait was leisurely slow. Between Eboshi and San, neither of whom seemed to even see the danger approaching, Ashitaka was stuck. Neither woman wanted to let go of him.
In boots a dull shade of red like the rest of his armor, Asano drew near them until he was right before Ashitaka. Helpless, Ashitaka followed his movements with his eyes, saw him unsheathe the curved sword. In one flowing motion he swung it over his shoulder. The air hissed as he brought it down with all the force of his arm. Ashitaka watched in speechless shock as the blade fell upon Eboshi. She hardly made any noise as she fell in a lifeless heap. Her pale fingers slipped off of Ashitaka's sleeve like rain off a leaf. Asano was raising his sword again, this time his eyes latched on San.
'No!' Ashitaka yelled, finally finding his voice. With his free hand he reached for his short sword, whipping it out barely in time to counter Asano's blade. Their swords rattled against each other as their bearers tried their strengths.
'San, you have to let go!' he insisted to the woman who didn't seem to realize the peril they were in. Her gaze still bore into his, and her palm drove the crystal dagger forcefully into his chest. Her fingers were clamped tightly onto his forearm.
Asano's strength won out, and Ashitaka was thrown down, and San with him. Before Ashitaka could even think, Asano's heavy boot came down on his blade, pinning it flat against the roof shingles. Ashitaka kicked at his armor, but to no avail. In one swift thrust Asano's sword pierced San through her midsection, skewering her like a worm on a fishhook. Her blue eyes bulged, and her mouth opened and closed silently for a few moments, and then she went limp.
'SAAAAAN!" Ashitaka screamed, uncalled tears pouring from his eyes. Her clear blue eyes were frozen opened, slowly filling with the hazy mist of death.
Asano laughed at the deed, but the sound was carried up in the roar of flames and battle below. He pulled the tip of his bloodied blade out of San and positioned it over Ashitaka's chest, ready to strike again. Rage and hatred flared in Ashitaka's heart, hotter than the flames consuming the town below. Asano was killing everyone he loved, destroying everything they'd worked and fought for! Why was he so blinded by his unhampered greed, to the extent of causing everyone so much misery? To taking the lives of the one he loved! He would not allow it! Ashitaka ripped his right hand free of San's lifeless arms, grabbing the blade even as it sought to impale him.
The sharp edge of the blade bit his palm, and blood ran in rivulets down his arm, but he could not feel any pain except for the agony in his heart over losing San. Was he even dreaming any longer? He couldn't be sure. The demon power coursed through his veins, fanned by his hate and anger, making him stronger and stronger. So much that he snapped Asano's samurai blade in two, and Asano flew backwards as if blown away by an unseen wind, skidding across the flat-roofed forge and rolling head over heels till he came to a graceless stop. Ashitaka stood, flexing his fingers around the hilt of his short sword. His eyes fell on San, where she lay dead near Eboshi. He crouched down at her side, stroking her cheek with the back of his bloody hand, but her skin was already cold, like she'd been dead for hours. His heart felt like molten iron in his chest, and the pain spread, till it reached his fingertips, and his head, and his waist. He was pain. He was fury. And Asano was his!
Suddenly the roof of the forge gave way under his feet, and the air seemed alive with flames and smoke and debris. He was falling, falling alone amidst the wreckage, to the battle below. And his only thought was that he would not have his revenge on Asano. He spiraled down as the dream began to evaporate, and felt ground beneath him.
With a start Ashitaka opened his eyes and sat up. He clutched the shoulder that the bandit's arrow had pierced. It was throbbing excruciatingly, a steady, even pulse. It must be infected. Maybe that was the cause of these horrid visions. He felt as if the barb was striking him all over again. And again and again. Ashitaka glanced at Takiko, huddled up under his matted cape. She must be cold. There wasn't much wood on the plains for a fire, and what they found was too soaked from the storms to use. The air was brisk and chilly, with a light vapor of mist in it. Ashitaka shivered on the damp, rumpled grass, but not from the cold. The wound in his shoulder felt like flame. The sky was light enough now to see by, if totally blanketed by clouds. Ashitaka doubted he would have been able to fall asleep after all those nightmares, anyway. The images of Iron Town burning and San dying were still fresh behind his eyes.
Climbing laboriously to his feet, he tried not to wince as movement painfully seared his chest. Yakkuru was standing nearby, still saddled in case Ashitaka and Takiko needed to flee quickly. He was already awake and nibbling at the tender green shoots of grass at his feet. He swiveled his great horned head toward Ashitaka and pricked up his ears, whickering softly when his master rubbed his forehead. Ashitaka patted the elk, who idly went back to his breakfast, and unlashed the water jug from the saddle. Cool, fresh rainwater sloshed around delightfully within as Ashitaka unstopped it, gingerly removing the bandage around his shoulder and rinsing out the old, crusted blood and dirt. He pressed the dripping cloth to the wound, dabbing it gently, sighing with relief as it took off some of the heat.
He tended his shoulder for a few minutes, wiping the unbroken skin as best he could. He wrinkled his nose in puzzlement at some of the stain that would not come off. He touched it with his fingers, tracing the blotches that marred his skin. The dark, angry patches of purplish red looked like infection, but they seemed…..odd.
"Ashitaka?" Takiko's sleepy voice distracted him. He looked up and saw her standing in front of him, shivering under the heavy, sodden cape. "I'm hungry," she announced.
Ashitaka handed her the bag of provisions. All they had left now was deer jerky, and not much of it. Only a few small strips left. Of course, when Ashitaka left, he hadn't planned on taking an extra mouth along with him. Takiko stared inside the bag dubiously. The pouting frown on her face in addition to the dirt smudges and her rumpled clothing made her look miserable.
"I've already eaten," Ashitaka lied. "You can have the rest."
Takiko planted herself down on the cold ground with him, alternating between trying to keep the cloak around her shoulders and feeding herself. Her long, black hair clung to her face and neck, and her skin was nearly white. She looked a wreck, but at least she was not complaining as much as at the start of their journey. Her futile wishing for a bath was reduced to now just once or twice a day.
"We should reach Kyoto before sunset today," Ashitaka informed her, and she perked up a little, even smiling slightly. The rest of their conversation was silence until Takiko inquired,
"How does your shoulder feel?"
"Alright," Ashitaka answered, though it was far from the truth.
She leaned forward and looked at it closely. "It doesn't look good. Well, we'll be in town soon, and a doctor can take care of it then. I'll just bandage it up for now."
Ashitaka allowed her to bind up the wound with taut nerves, but he was not so concerned now over her touching him as he was the wound itself. He highly doubted any doctor would possess the knowledge to mend this. The bruised-looking mark spreading throughout his shoulder was more than just infection. It was a curse.
'How can this be happening again?' he wondered anxiously. It was an injury much like this that had prompted his journey westward to Iron Town in search for a cure over a year ago. Why was it occurring again? He couldn't be sure, but one thing he could be certain about--the arrow wound he received from the brigands was no ordinary wound. He didn't think he could hurry any more quickly to Kyoto and back, but now he had even more reason for speed. With the curse this close to his heart, he'd surely die soon. He prayed it would not be before he could return with help for Iron Town, before he could see San again. Ashitaka noiselessly ground his teeth as the pain in his shoulder flared anew. He thought he could almost feel the purplish swath spreading.
Takiko dragged her feet as Ashitaka called her over to Yakkuru. Only the hope of seeing civilization by the end of the day motivated her to keep going. That and Ashitaka's strong, safe, wonderful presence. Her mortification and disbelief at seeing his power in action had gradually faded into an even deeper admiration and appreciation for him. She still held a seed of hope inside that she might persuade him yet to stay with her. They could begin a new life together in Kyoto and live worthily of their stations. And Ashitaka could be hers. Hers alone.
By rote she climbed up onto Yakkuru's back behind him and wrapped her arms around Ashitaka's middle as he booted the animal into a decent run. Her stomach still grumbled, but looking at the scenery flowing past them, she didn't see anything promising that could be food. She'd asked Ashitaka before to pause and hunt for a rabbit or some quail for them to eat, but Ashitaka refused, not wanting to waste any time on the way. It looked like she'd be hungry until Kyoto. She hoped Ashitaka hadn't been exaggerating their time of arrival.
It was hard to track the passage of the day. The cloud cover never broke up once. The whole landscape was illuminated with an odd gray light, and a steady, cool wind was flowing from the north. Every now and then they would sight a tree or a bush, and Ashitaka would let Takiko off when she had to relieve herself. Once in a while Ashitaka reined in Yakkuru to let him rest, but other than that he kept the animal at a brisk pace without slowing.
Takiko's hope grew when the seemingly endless valley plain began turning uphill and trees became a more and more common sight. Stones littering the ground grew in size until some were as large as carts. By chance their party came across the road—a wide scar on the face of the land crisscrossed and marred by human and animal prints and the grooves of wagons. Ashitaka had been somewhat reluctant at first to take the road—Takiko thought he was still leery of robbers and other attackers, but when Takiko reminded him that the easier way would also be the fastest, he was a lot more willing to comply. Still, if people appeared on the road ahead of them or behind in any numbers, they would take the long way around to avoid them. After their last encounter, Ashitaka seemed less willing to fight his way through. With that arrow wound in him, it would have been more difficult anyway.
Hours later, Takiko saw the first of many brown, ugly looking humps in the distance and nearly cried for joy. The only huts and hovels they'd come by on this journey so far had been empty—abandoned or pillaged. Seeing little children playing alongside the road or tending gardens with their mothers or dogs chasing each other across their path was a relief after the days of dangerous, lonely journeying.
"Can't we just stop now and get something to eat?" Takiko whined to Ashitaka when they passed through the fourth village; they were appearing closer and closer together now, a sure sign of a city being nearby.
"Not until we reach Kyoto," Ashitaka said firmly. "But if you want me to let you off here, I will."
Takiko decided to tolerate her empty belly a little longer.
Despite not being able to follow the sun, it was considerably darker by the time the city came into view. The road sloped up a hill and then offered a view from the top of the bustling spread below. Houses with roofs made of tile and wood, not thatch, were plainly visible, in all sorts of colors, like a dull rainbow. Streets made a grid slicing through the city. Directly below them, merchants squeezed through the narrow gates, coming and going. Samurai in their baggy hakama with swords strapped ostentatiously to their waists prowled around like cats in an alley. Till now Ashitaka and Takiko had only seen villages. This was Takiko's first sight of a real city. Was it Ashitaka's first time, too?
The sheer size of Kyoto was enough to take her breath away. She'd always thought Iron Town to be large, but ten Iron Towns could easily fit inside the walls of this place. The most prominent feature of the city was the castle on the hill—the residence of the emperor. Across the river, its many tiered pagoda-like towers reached towards the sky, dominating everything else in sight. And some ways behind it, a smaller palace with a gold roof and a large pond—practically a lake, could be seen. There was another smaller estate on the edge of the city, but just as ornate from afar. And beyond it, Mt. Hiei rose, only a small lump on the horizon.
Ashitaka hardly slowed Yakkuru for even a second before urging him down the hill. He didn't have time to appreciate the view, Takiko supposed. A few minutes later saw them crossing the threshold of the city. A pair of surly samurai glowered at them warningly as they entered, but their gaze lingered only for a second before turning to glower at the next group of visitors. Takiko hoped the bag of gold coins strapped under her calves wasn't too visible. She rearranged her garment a bit to conceal them better.
People teemed all over the city. Takiko scarcely knew where to look. People seemed packed in the streets, moving animals or hawking their wares, or slipping through the crowd on their errands. It didn't take long to find the taverns and their patrons; Takiko's nose recoiled at the smell of strong drink and the sound of loud, raucous laughter coming from the source. Samurai strode up and down the ways, too, and wherever they went, they were given ample space. Ashitaka was content to ignore them and continue onward.
He kept Yakkuru on a straight course towards the high bastion that was the castle, despite the deepening shadows and the lamps being lit along storefronts.
"Ashitaka," Takiko said to him after passing the fifth inn, nearly yelling to be heard over the crowd, "I think we ought to stop somewhere for the night. I'm tired."
Ashitaka didn't act like he'd heard her. When she repeated her request, he responded loudly,
"We can't stop. We have to get back to Iron Town as soon as possible." There was a frantic edge to his tone. They rounded a corner and met an even tighter throng of people dodging from one market stand to the next, trying to get their shopping done before closing. Yakkuru pawed the ground restlessly, barely able to penetrate, but Ashitaka heeled him on anyway.
Takiko rolled her eyes. As amazing as Ashitaka was, she was reminded now and again he was still a man. And if her upbringing by the women in Iron Town had taught her anything, it was that men were naturally very foolish at times.
"Ashitaka, we have to stop somewhere and rest," she protested. "It's late, and we're both tired and hungry. Plus you're hurt. Besides, what kind of impression do you think you'd make on the emperor, going to see him looking like a scruffy vagabond? You'd be fortunate if he only tossed you back out into the streets on your sorry behind!"
Ashitaka didn't answer her for a moment, but Takiko knew she was victorious when he let out a long, exasperated sigh.
"You're just going to keep arguing with me if we don't, aren't you?"
"If you thought I was bad on the way here….."
"Alright," he cut in quickly, "but just for one night." In a mutter he added, "I suppose this means we'll have to spend some of the gold Eboshi gave us. We need to be even more careful now with it. We were a lot safer with all that money out in the country than we are in this city."
Ashitaka steered Yakkuru towards the nearest inn—well, the nearest inn that looked a little more shabby and cramped than the rest; Takiko couldn't believe Ashitaka could have such a tight fist on money, but at least there was promise of a bed and a roof overhead. It was a two-story building constructed out of wood that looked like it had weathered all the elements. There was no plaque professing its name anywhere to be seen. Takiko had her doubts about what the inn would be like, but anything was far better than another day of traveling through rain and mud and cold. At least she might finally get a proper meal here.
Ashitaka guided Yakkuru around the corner of the inn to a covered stable that was joined to the side of the blockish building. A young boy—no older than eight or nine, Takiko thought—was idly playing with a piece of string and looked up at them with wide eyes when they reached the entrance. He gaped at Yakkuru, probably surprised at seeing a red elk with riders, and stood there with his mouth open until Ashitaka dismounted—a bit ungainly because of his injury. Takiko, eager for the chance to be out of the saddle, slid off, too. Ashitaka untied the saddlebags and swung them over his healthy shoulder, frowning when the coins inside them tinkled musically; the boy cocked his head slightly, his soft brown eyes grew wider at the sound.
"Please feed him," Ashitaka told him, passing the reins into his chubby hands. He paused, then loosened the cords on the money bag enough to draw out a shiny gold coin—probably more than the boy made in months in one little piece—and placed it in the boy's palm. "Don't tell anyone," he said. Takiko wasn't sure tipping the boy, especially with so much, was particularly wise. She hoped he would at least keep his mouth shut. Thieves and other criminals sneaking into their room at night to slit their throats and steal the gold was the last thing they needed. She began to share Ashitaka's desire for a speed a bit more.
The smiling boy promptly led Yakkuru to a stall next to those of some noisy horses, and Ashitaka and Takiko proceeded to the inside of the inn to put themselves up for the night. Takiko caught sight of a seamstress' shop across the street. The silk and cotton kimono in all shades and patterns looked tempting. Maybe Ashitaka would allow her some pocket money. The Emperor wouldn't know any different…..
They trooped into the inn together—tired, dirty, and more or less worse for wear. She was relieved to find it better looking on the inside than their first view of it suggested. It was clean and quiet, at least, if not very decorated or big. A slim woman kneeling at a floor table greeted them as they entered and put down the ink-laden brush she was writing with, looking at them with cheery, expectant eyes that told of slow business lately.
Within minutes, Ashitaka and Takiko were ascending dust-colored, wooden stairs to a small room three doors down the narrow hallway. Ashitaka slid the partition aside to reveal a tiny, windowless room with a closet, a washstand with a cracked, ceramic pitcher, and an arrangement of dried, yellow flowers atop a table in the middle of the room over the space where heated coals were placed during winter to keep the room warm. It was hardly luxurious, but for their purposes, it was enough.
Ashitaka hadn't been willing to pay for two rooms, and since they were only staying the night, there was no need. He went to the closet and unpacked a pillow, futon, and blankets.
"I'll go ask the owner for another futon," he said, but Takiko barred his path as he made his way for the door.
"You stay right there, Ashitaka," Takiko said impulsively. Ashitaka looked at her expressionlessly, but she was adamantly concerned about his welfare. "You need to rest. I'll take care of everything." Without waiting for an argument, she took the bedding out of his arms and began laying it out on the floor by the table. When she was finished, she stood before him with fists on her hips until Ashitaka bowed his head and lay down obediently. "Alright," she continued, "I'll go find us some food, and a doctor to take a look at that shoulder of yours. Can I have some money?"
Ashitaka reluctantly nodded his head, and Takiko pounced on the sack of gold, scooping up a handful—a small handful—with alacrity then hid the bag under the floorboards where the heated coals would usually be, in a colder season. Padding towards the doorway, she halted when Ashitaka's soft, soothing voice floated to her.
"Thank you."
Takiko peered over her shoulder at him. His eyes were closed. He looked exhausted. Without response she stepped out of the room and pulled the door softly shut behind her. Ashitaka needed a doctor. That wound looked bad, and seemed to be spreading. And they needed food. Takiko's stomach rumbled painfully at the mere thought. Ashitaka was probably famished, too. Maybe food should come first.
Downstairs, she found the innkeeper, who called herself Momo, still at her table writing records with an elegant stroke.
"Can we get something to eat?" she inquired.
"Certainly," Momo replied graciously. "I'll have someone bring up some rice and fish in a while, and some sake, too, if you like."
Takiko, although dismayed that they'd have to wait at all, nodded her consent and took her leave, heading back out into the bustling world of the city.
The first thing she saw when she left the inn was the kimono shop across the street. The grungy, stiff, unwashed feel of her clothes made her think more keenly of how nice silk on her skin would feel. She felt the coins hidden in her sleeve. Surely there'd be enough left over, once she was through with her other errands. Carefully ducking and dodging to avoid being trampled by men and beasts, Takiko worked through the flow of traffic back towards the open-air markets.
"Excuse me," she said, touching the arm of a tall woman passing by, "could you tell me where I might find a doctor?" The woman turned long enough to meet her eyes, then her nose wrinkled in disgust and she pulled away, continuing on in a hurry. Takiko stared at her retreating back for a moment before it became lost in the crowd. How rude! She selected another individual coming from the direction of the market and solicited him. He, too, brushed her off and left her with scarcely more than a glance. Takiko could hardly believe it. Did city people have no manners? This was a startling contrast to the smaller, friendlier atmosphere of Iron Town. She cast her eyes on a more friendly-seeming woman and tried to ask her, but she didn't even finish the question before the woman barked,
"Leave me alone, you ugly girl! For goodness' sake, go take a bath!"
Then the woman wheeled around in a huff and marched off. Takiko's jaw dropped at such insensitivity. It seemed she'd have to find the doctor herself. But in this big city, where the streets and shops ran as far as the eye could see, that could very well be impossible.
She asked around until someone, an older man who looked about as abused as she was, kindly told her that he wasn't sure where the doctor lived—he hardly ever left his house and was only venturing out because his only son had left him to fend for himself. He hobbled off on a crooked, wooden walking stick. Takiko was struck with an idea, and before he could get too far away, she pressed one of the gold coins in his hands and thanked him, hurrying off again.
She made her way back towards the inn without much success. How was she ever to find someone to look after Ashitaka's injury? She passed by the tent of a man selling mirrors. Several framed in wood, iron, or bronze were arrayed on his table. Takiko glanced at them as she walked by, and received an awful fright. The long scar on her face made a freakish curve from her hairline all the way to her chin. Her face was also filthy, and her hair a mess. No wonder hardly anyone was speaking to her! Had she encountered herself in a crowd, she would have brushed her aside, embarrassed.
Feeling quite unhappy, she looked back towards the inn and remembered the kimono shop. Well, she couldn't find a doctor, but at the very least, she could get them a change of clothes. If the shopkeeper would even do business with her.
Meek and wretched, she passed under the curtain of the kimono shop door. A pretty young lady with long, decorated hair called out to her cheerfully.
"Welcome! May I serve you, please?"
Relieved to find the shopkeeper so friendly despite her appearance, Takiko smiled and withdrew some gold coins from her ragged sleeve.
"Yes. I need some new clothes, please. For myself and a man."
The woman introduced herself as Mariko and kindly showed Takiko her collection. The kimono and yukata hanging up around the shop came in all different colors and fabrics, many of them with beautiful patterns of stripes, firebirds, dragons, umbrellas, flowers, cranes, or bamboo grass. The obi she had in stock were even more widely varied. Mariko helped her select a lilac kimono in a pattern of darker purple flowers with a cream-colored obi, and they guessed together on what size might fit Ashitaka according to Takiko's description (which she tried hard not to exaggerate too much), and found a crimson haori and white hakama that would suit him well. Zoori to replace his worn-out deerskin shoes were not too much to add to the tab. Takiko still had a decent amount of money left over by the end of her purchases, which would please Ashitaka, she hoped.
While the woman wrapped the garments, she made idle conversation.
"Are you new in town? You seem to be a bit travel-worn."
"Yes," Takiko admitted. "It's probably obvious."
"A bit."
"Say, do you know where I might find a doctor?"
"Are you sick?"
"No, no," Takiko assured her. "But the man I'm with…..he's hurt."
"Ah, I see. Well, I know there's a doctor six blocks from the castle, on the corner of the twenty-third street and the twenty-ninth, just before the Takano-gawa bridge."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
"Not a problem. I hope your man gets better. Is he your husband?"
Takiko paused. "No, he's not. I kind of wish, though, you know? We were just on our way to the Imperial Palace to plead for some help for our hometown. We're from Iron Town, to the west."
"Oh, you poor thing. Well, I hope you have a safe and successful journey. If you decide to come back to Kyoto, though, I hope you'll come visit me again. If you're looking for a job, I always need more seamstresses. Business has been very good these days, what with so many people coming to Kyoto.
"Thanks for the offer. I'm really not sure yet about my own future, but I'll keep it in mind."
Takiko gathered the paper-wrapped packages in her arms and bowed to the nice kimono lady before rushing out into the street. She could hear wild whoops and yelling from somewhere up the street. She stood on her toes to see over the crowd of people filling the streets and saw a Shinto shrine covered with a rainbow of lanterns all alight bobbing up and down on the shoulders of celebrators. Cymbals were crashing and bells were ringing. Takiko remembered some of the festivals she went to in Iron Town in her childhood. It seemed like just a dream, now. Despite wanting to stay and watch the procession and listen to the music, she returned to the inn.
The entry room was empty, the innkeeper perhaps off enjoying the celebration. Takiko headed straight to hers and Ashitaka's room, barging right in without knocking.
To her dismay, Ashitaka was no longer lying down, but sitting with his legs crossed at the low table. There were plates and boxes of food laid out—mounds of rice and bowls of dark brown sauce, cuts of raw fish lined up in an organized row, and small cups of miso still steaming. Takiko's stomach wanted to leap out of her throat at the sight of it, perhaps thinking it could beat her to the meal.
"I thought I should wait for you," he said upon her arrival, picking up a pair of chopsticks.
Takiko could hardly stand her watering mouth anymore and dropped down on the other side of the table, grabbing for the chopsticks, and they had a quick prayer of thanks and dove in. Takiko was somewhat heartened to see that Ashitaka was just about as unrestrained as she was. Her parents would be appalled to see her table manners now. Ashitaka didn't seem to mind, though. His were just about as bad.
As shabby as the inn's accommodations were, at least the food was good. Takiko was mildly disappointed when there were only a few grains of rice left sticking to the bowls and dregs in the miso cups. Ashitaka tipped a glass of sake past his lip and set it down with a satisfied sigh.
"I found out where the doctor is, but there's a festival going on, and it's getting kind of late," she told him. "But maybe I can bind up your wound again, and we can see him tomorrow morning."
Ashitaka glanced off to the side.
"There's not much a doctor will be able to do," he informed her. "This wound is unnatural."
Takiko looked at him with puzzled black eyes.
"What do you mean?"
"The mark spreading from the arrow wound is the same as the one I got after battling a demon boar god back in the Emishi lands. Hate and fear make it grow, and if I don't find a way to get rid of it soon, it will kill me. I'm not sure how it was cured the last time, but with it so close to my heart, I don't think I don't have much time left."
"I don't understand," Takiko said, "did those men have cursed arrows?"
"No," he replied. "I don't think so." He balled his hand into a fist and stared at it. "The mark went away, but the demon's power remained. I think it's a reminder. My hate and my anger and my fear fuel it. If I let it overcome me, I will die."
The room grew suddenly quiet for several moments. Takiko shifted on the floor, stunned.
"I'm going to go look for a bath," she announced quietly, getting to her feet. "You seem strong enough to sit up at least. I suggest you do the same." She offered him one of the parcels. "I brought us some clothes. We'll have to look our best for the Emperor tomorrow."
"That we will," he agreed.
Clutching the newly bought kimono, still in its paper wrappings, Takiko turned from him and hurriedly strode from the room.
Author's Notes: Again, sorry I'm taking so long to update. I've been swamped with work and with wedding plans. I'm getting married August 13th, and there's a ton more to do in preparation than I thought. Plus there's life in general to take care of as well. Sorry the chapter's a bit long. Actually, it's supposed to be about three times longer, the way I outlined it, but I think I should leave it off here for now. Hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for all the support and kind reviews, mina-san! Mata ne!