Fox Under Maple:
Chapter 3
The five siblings sat around the sole remaining unblemished table and drank their tea without speaking. The sounds of wooden cups clacking against their plates echoed through the room, only interrupted by the innkeeper industriously removing the unconscious one by one from the building. Kazumo watched with morbid fascination as the old woman cleared away the bodies with the same casualness as a maid would clear dust. He had offered to help, but the innkeeper politely declined. As she dragged one such thug out, he began to stir and groan out, causing the siblings to turn their attention briefly. The old woman shook her head before smacking the man with a rolling pin. With a loud crack, the man went back to sleep. The innkeeper gave a warm smile to the samurai.
"Please enjoy the tea, honored samurai." The siblings nodded their heads and returned their attention to each other. The five silently eyed each other; each one unsure of what to say. All except Kenji.
"It would bring me an indescribable joy to know the name of my new siblings. Togashi-san and Kuni-san?" Kenji asked with excitement in his eyes. "I've already committed Kyou's and Kazumo's name to memory, but would love to know the rest."
"Sure, it's Tatsuya." replied Tatsuya in a nonchalant manner, as he scratched his beard.
Kuni sat in silence, as her gaze slowly shifted from one sibling to the other. Kazumo felt a shiver run down his spine, as the gaze weighed down on him. Finally, she rested her eyes upon Kenji, while the rest of her face was hidden behind the mask; so baleful were they that Kazumo imagined that even a hardened warrior might crumble before it. However, it was as powerless as a shadow against the flame before Kenji's joy. Instead, it seemed to give the exuberant samurai an idea and Kazumo saw his eyes light up before he bowed his head to Kuni.
"New sister I ask,
Allow this samurai to
Be a good brother"
Kenji raised his head back up to smile at Kuni. Kazumo pursed his lips to avoid smiling at Kenji's corny poetry, and watched the two stare each other down. For a brief moment, Kazumo saw Kuni's eyes soften, before she dropped her head and sighed.
"Kuni Azumi." she stated solemnly before returning her attention to her tea.
Kuni Azumi of the Crab, a shugenja of earth, and clad in heavy robes of dark blue and black; Daidoji Kenji of the Crane, of the proud Iron Crane defenders, wearing a fine silken kimono of blue and white; Togoshi Tatsuya, a tattooed monk of the enigmatic Dragon, loosely wearing a robe of green and gold; Ikoma Kyou wearing the brown and gold colors of the Lion, and a berserker of the Matsu. Kazumo took note of each of his siblings, and felt quite lacking in his simple travelers clothes.
"Kazumo, Kyou, Tatsuya, and Azumi!" Kenji whispered to himself as his smile grew. "Today I have been blessed! Four new siblings, and a great fight to share with them. My thanks to the Kami for such fortune." As he sipped out of his tea cup, his face suddenly turned serious.
"But our mother has yet to join us. Dango on a stick! She is no doubt trapped in the foul opium dens of some nefarious crime lord. Never fear though, with our new found strength of family, nothing can stop us!"
"I suppose it would be anticlimactic to come all this way only to stop now, but we can't just barge in and start making demands." reprimanded Kyou, "We need a plan before we enter that city"
"Combined with the issue that apparently someone wants to capture anyone with red hair." Added Tatsuya.
"It's not too hard to hide one's hair though. A simple hat would make it difficult for most passersby to notice." Commented Kazumo.
"We could get matching straw hats." Exclaimed Kenji.
"Like some band of wandering samurai straight out of a story?" Kyou bemused with a soft smile.
"On an epic quest to save our estranged mother, bonded by family and honor to bring justice to those in need." Narrated Kenji as he excitingly imagined the scenario in his head. "What do you think, Azumi-san?" Kenji asked to bring her into the conversation.
"I think no." Grumbled Azumi.
"No?" Kenji said crestfallen.
"No!" Cried out Kyou.
"No? That's not even…" said Togashi, confused.
"No, huh?" Kazumo replied. "Don't you want to see her as well?"
"Not if it means going on some…" Azumi gestured for a second searching for the words. "Scavenger hunt! I'm not risking my life scrounging around opium dens, for someone who I don't even know. Not to mention, this could all be some trap, or someway to exploit us. How do we know she's not some wastrel passed out on drugs, waiting on her abandoned kids to come pay her debts?"
We wouldn't know. Mused Kazumo. The same concerns had crossed his mind, and he couldn't fault her for doubting this quest. His entire walk to the capital, he questioned every detail of this encounter, and found the possibilities lacking.
At least there's someone else here who thinks practically.
"I mean, do you have anything better to do?" Tatsuya surmised.
"I DO! Unlike you lot, I have a duty to my clan, a purpose to help hold back the tide of darkness that threatens my homeland. The evil that threatens us all." Azumi spat out in frustration.
"How unlike a Crab to bring up the Shadowlands." Kyou said sarcastically.
Azumi slammed her fists down onto the table, causing the tea cups to jump up. Azumi snapped her gaze to Kyou to give her a wicked glare, causing her to rear back in shock. She scanned across the table, causing the others to flinch. Her gaze ended on Kazumo, who matched her stare back. The only part of Azumi's face Kazumo could see were her eyes, but the eyes revealed much about one's character. Kazumo could read the anger, as could anyone, but there was more to it. He could see the uncertainty in her eyes; a twinge of fear and regret. Kazumo could only look back with an eye of sympathy. Azumi growled in frustration and pushed herself up to stand, before marching towards the rooms.
"Forget it! I'm going to sleep, and leave for home in the morning." Azumi shouted.
Kenji quickly walked to her side. "But, we're family, and mother needs us, and uhh..." Kenji pleaded, his arms flailing around him, but Azumi ignored him as she left the room. Kenji dropped his arms in defeat.
"But we were going to get matching hats." Kenji lamented before turning back around. Kenji paused for a moment trying to think. He scratched his head trying to form some plan to fix the situation but none came to his mind.
"Aww chicken and kimchi." Kenji swore.
Kyou walked up to console her now depressed brother. "It's alright Kenji-san, I'm still committed to finding our mother, and if it would make you feel better, we can still get matching hats."
Kenji nodded solemly "I would appreciate that."
Kyou chuckled as she turned to Tatsuya. "How about you?"
"Well" Tatsuya spoke as a grin spread across his face. "Well apparently I don't have any important duties to attend to, so my schedule is clear. Plus, without the doom and gloom crustacean, it'll be easier to move around unnoticed."
Kyou returned a small grin. "A blessing in disguise then." Joked Kyou. Finally she turned her attention to Kazumo, with a twinge of disgust on her face.
"I guess we can bring along the peasant as well." Kyou relented.
Kazumo thought long and hard about his response, before bowing his head. "Thank you Ikoma-sama, for letting me join you." Kazumo said softly, using all of his control not to let sarcasm slip into the statement.
Kyou waved off Kaumo dismissively.
"Then we agree on our cause?" Kenji said excitingly, as the others nodded.
"Then we should leave at once." Kenji announced.
"Whoooaaa, slow down Daidoji-san. Even a dragon needs to sleep." Rumbled Tatsuya in a worried tone, sleep deprived as he was.
"We should get some rest before departing." Kyou agreed.
"Hmm." Kenji nodded. "You're right. We will need our full strength for the trials ahead."
Kenji tried to cheer himself up, but crossed his arms after a moment. "I still wish all of us could go together." Said Kenji disappointed.
You care about others too easily, Kenji. People will take advantage of that. Thought Kazuma, but he could understand. Despite her brash disregard for them, Kazumo felt sympathetic to the doubtful Kuni. He could see the demand for truth burn behind her mask. She too wanted answers, and Kazumo worried that it would take all of them to find those answers.
"Honored samurai." Kazuma spoke to gather their attention. As the others turned their attention to him, Kazumo continued.
"I could try to convince Kuni-sama to join us."
There was a pause, as though the peasant had just declared he could jump over the moon.
"Uuuhhh, I won't stop you, but I have to say, that's a terrible idea." Tatsuya warned.
"Why bother, she doesn't want to join us. Besides, she's probably gone to bed." Kyou asserted, as she grew more frustrated at her sister.
"She's a shugenja of the Kuni, she has to pray and complete her wards. She wont sleep until they are done." Kazumo explained.
Kyou's eyes narrowed, "How would you know such a thing?" She demanded.
"He is exceptionally smart for a peasant! He even recognized my clan's mon from just a glance." Kenji spoke up.
"Well, he got my family wrong, so I don't buy it." Kyou argued.
Tatsuya stared forward in contemplation before taking a deep breath.
"Is not the mon upon your kimono a lion's paw, wielding a blade?" Tatsuya questioned.
"It is." Kyou said plainly.
"And which clan among the Lion uses that mon to represent themselves?" Tatsuya probed, already knowing the answer.
"...the Matsu." Seethe Kyou.
There was a pause, as everyone present waited expectantly.
"Alright!" Kyou snapped. She held her breath for a moment before sighing.
"Although I am a member of the Ikoma family, I was trained by the Matsu school, so I wear their mon in honor of my teacher."
Tatsuya merely responded by raising his eyebrows.
"Fine, so the peasant can recognize a few clans. That doesn't qualify him to try convincing a Kuni. It would be easier to move a mountain than to change a Crab's mind." Kyou argued.
"But what if he can?" Kenji pleaded to Kyou, his eyes filled with desperation. Kyou tried to give him her best reprimanding look, but Kenji would not budge.
"Fine, but it's not our fault if he gets hurt." Kyou sighed. Kenji gave an excited look to Kazumo.
"Are you sure about this?" Kenji asked.
Kazumo pondered this question as well. The logical part of him worried that this could anger the Kuni, an enemy Kazumo did not need right now. He was a peasant after all. Azumi could harm or kill him without any real consequences. A part of him knew, however, that if Azumi left now, that mystery would chew away at her. It would invade her thoughts and grind at her mind. She wouldn't know peace until she found the truth, same as himself. Kazumo weighed the risks, but found his answer in his dark sense of humor.
It would be nice to have someone else who's not a fool.
"I am," Kazumo said calmly as he bowed his head.
"Great! Is there anything you would need?" Kenji asked.
Kazumo looked around the room, before spotting that the innkeeper had returned with another tray of tea.
"A cup of tea."
‐-
Kazumo placed his steps carefully as he went up a flight of stairs carrying a wooden plate with a single cup of tea upon it. He concentrated on his breathing as a nervous energy spread throughout him. He had to pick his words carefully if he was to convince Azumi to aid them. The wrong choice could make the whole plan impossible, or worse, get him killed. Despite the risks, he felt a smile creep up on his lips. It was dangerous for sure, but that danger only heightened the challenge. As he crept up the stairs, the excitement overpowered his fear. At that moment, there was no danger, only a challenge before him.
Could a peasant move a mountain?
Kazumo stopped in front of Azumi's room and could see the silhouette of her kneeling down to pray. Although Kazumo's courage had been bolstered, he knew better than to interrupt a Shugenja while they prayed. He adjusted his stance, deliberately making a noise with his steps. Through the paper door, Kazumo could see the shadow of Azumi's head turn to notice him before returning to her prayers. Kazumo could barely make out the mutterings that made up her prayers to the Kami; pleads for their protection, and their vigilance. As Kazumo finished, she stood up to stretch, with her head turning from her bed to Kazumo.
You could just ignore me, but that Kuni curiosity and paranoia won't let you.
Eventually Azumi let out a sigh and strode over to the door to slide it open. Azumi loomed over Kazumo and glared down upon him.
"What?" Azumi demanded.
"Tea before bed?" Kazumo asked.
"No thanks." Azumi added bluntly.
"It is good for one's health. I must insist." Kazumo replied cheerfully.
"You don't need to get me tea." Azumi responded.
"It is of no trouble to me, please have it." Kazumo interjected as he bowed his head down.
"I said.." Azumi started to raise her voice, but stopped at a moment of realization.
Gotcha!
She realized that she had refused a gift two times, to do so a third time would have been a stain upon her honor.
Kazumo could practically feel the scowl slowly form behind the Kuni's mask, and he grinned from ear to ear, comfortable in the knowledge that the wooden plate upon which the tea rested was hiding his face from her view. Out of the corner of his eye, she saw her tilt her head, as though pondering her response.
"Fine." Azumi breathed as she took the tea. She waved her hand over the tea, before sniffing it.
"What do you want?" Azumi questioned as she turned around. She was careful to hide her face as she lifted her mask to drink. Kazumo took a deep breath to clear away his condescending smile, and to compose his face.
"For you to join us on our quest to find Chiharu." Kazumo said directly.
With any other clan, dancing around the point was almost expected. With a Crab however, forthrightness was worth its weight in gold.
Azumi slid her mask back into place before turning to the peasant. She gave out a soft chuckle.
"Were they really so afraid of me, that they sent a peasant in their stead?"
"I came of my own volition, Kuni-sama." Kazumo answered, trying his best to keep a tremor of nervousness from reaching his words; Azami squinted at him, as though attempting to glimpse the signs of some nefarious scheme.
"Then say your piece, so I can refuse it and go to bed." Azumi stated. Kazumo took a moment to gather his thoughts.
"I will admit that I want you to join us for selfish reasons, three in fact. The first one is quite practical. Much like the letter we received, Chiharu may have devised further riddles that would require all of us to complete. With you missing, they may very well be impossible." Kazumo explained.
"Then give up." Azumi replied bluntly.
"I am afraid that it is not in my nature to give up so easily. I came here to get the truth, and I cannot return until I have it. I understand that my life has no comparison to the value of yours, but I know we will need you to complete our quest."
"Is some opium wastrel deserving of such dedication?" Azumi taunted.
"I don't believe the situation is that simple."
"Oh?"
"It's true that the same concern crossed my own mind, however would it not be strange that an addict was able to send out handcrafted notes, with no way to trace their origins. If she was in such dire need, would she not want us to come to Slow Tide immediately?" Kazumo theorized as Azumi failed to come up with a retort.
"I don't think I, or any of the other siblings could rest until we solve that mystery of our mother."
"Are you willing to die over that mystery? You four don't need to throw your lives away over something so trivial." Azumi warned, and Kazumo could have sworn he heard something like concern in her voice.
So you do care.
"That is the second reason I wished to bring you along. Daidoji-sama is a skilled warrior and a pure hearted man, but I fear miscreants will take advantage of his kind nature." Kazumo began.
"You mean his idiocy?" Azumi interjected. Kazumo lifted his head and gave a light smile.
"I'm afraid such a statement is above my station." Kazumo murmured. Azumi snorted in a stifled laugh.
Azami dropped her eyes down to the tea cup in her hands for a moment, before lifting them back up to Kazumo, "Don't believe this innocent peasant act fools me," She warned him in a light tone, "I am not a spoiled brat who has never worked out of her halls."
Kazumo bowed his head slightly, "It is that exact scrutiny that I think they need. The three need your insight and caution to temper their energy. You are correct to think that our lives will be in danger, and they will need your wisdom to keep them safe"
"They have you don't they?" Azumi rejoined, her tone slightly mocking.
"Will three samurai heed the warnings of a single peasant?"
"They probably should, but they won't." Azumi sighed as she gave it some thought. "Who's to say they can be trusted at all? How do you know Daidoji-san's or Ikoma-san's are honest? They could be acting the idiot to hide their true intentions."
"I have a gift in perceiving people's true intentions."
The Crab Shugenja regarded him for a moment, "Why should I have any reason to believe that?" Azumi doubted.
"Perhaps then a display of my skills in insight is in order?" Kazumo inquired.
"Oh?"
"Yourself for instance, what if I could reveal something about you that you have kept hidden from the other samurai?"
Azumi's eyes turned hard, and there was a pause. Azumi shuffled over to a desk to put down her tea, before returning to Kazumo, "Fine." She finally allowed, "But if you are wrong." The woman balled her right hand into a fist and casually slammed it into her other palm, "Then I will strike you where you stand."
The peasant stopped a nervous swallow, he had seen those same hands strike a fighting man down in a single blow. He had suspected it would come to something like this, and he would be walking a dangerous line, he would have to glean something the woman hid from others… and would not upset her so much in the process that she followed through on her threat… regardless of the veracity of what he said.
He forced his fear aside and lifted his eyes to her own baleful gaze. A hand lifted to his chin as he examined her. From their conversation on the letters, he knew she was above 23 years of age. Which meant that she had served on the Kaiu wall at least to some extent. No doubt she had seen many die to the horrors of the Shadowlands; an experience that either hardened or broke those that-
That's why she wears the mask.
Although it was not uncommon for Kuni to wear white and red face paints that matched the colors of her mask, It was rare that they wore literal masks. Samurai of some clans might wear one to hide a hideous scar, but for a Crab, such a mark would be a badge of honor. One did not wear a mask to hide a mark of honor, something they were proud of, they did so to hide something they were ashamed of.
Her emotions… she can't stop them from showing on her face, by the Kami, even her eyes are a clue; they express every little thing she is thinking.
Even as elation filled him, he forced his face and voice to be carefully neutral as he spoke..
"You've lost someone important to you once," He said slowly, "And it makes you unwilling to be attached to others." He lowered his eyes away from her own, "What followed… brought shame… for yourself… and for them." He lifted his eyes back to her own, "And you never want to inflict that upon yourself, or anyone else ever again." He finished quietly, his eyes flicking down to indicate the mask she wore.
The silence that followed was deafening. Azumi gripped the side of the sliding door, and Kazumo could hear the wood creak beneath her grip. There was a flash of fury and… something else that erupted into her eyes as she stared at the peasant man in front of her. Kazumo stood there frozen in place, and felt a bead of sweat roll down the back of his neck wondering if he had gone too far. Then Azumi growled in frustration as she turned away from the door.
"Leave." Azumi ordered, her voice quiet
"But will you.." Kazumo began.
"I said leave!" Kazumi shouted.
Kazumo bit his tongue before bowing.
"Have a good night Kuni-sama." Kazumo said quietly before turning to leave. Kazumo chided himself for going too far as he heard the screen door slam shut behind him. He wondered if he threw away his only chance to convince her to join them, but another part of him hoped that she would turn around. He decided that it was too late to change what happened, and decided to get some rest like the others. They might just need to figure things out without her.
Kazumo hurried over to pick out an empty room and quickly slipped inside. He sighed deeply, and thought over what he could have done differently. He jumped into his bed, and prayed to the Kami that he had swayed her, but the doubts in his mind said otherwise. Kazumo decided that he would sleep for now. The answers would be waiting for him in the morning.
—-
Kazumo awoke as the sun's rays bled into his room. He gathered his things and went downstairs in a hurry, noting that Azumi's room had been emptied. As he reentered the main area, he found three of his siblings waiting down there. He spotted Kenji, Kyou, and Tatsuya, but no sign of Azumi. He couldn't help but feel disappointed in himself.
"Good morning Kazumo-kun!" Kenji cheered out. "You're just in time for breakfast." Kenji gestured to sit with them, and Kazumo accepted his request.
"Didn't sound like your attempt went too well." Tatsuya noted.
"What did you expect out of a peasant? I'm just surprised she didn't throw him through a wall." Kyou remarked.
"Don't be too harsh on him." Kenji rebuked, "Although, I admit I probably should have been the one to make an attempt."
Rest assured that you made the right choice. Kazumo joked to himself.
The innkeeper walked into the room with four bowls of soup and gave one to each of the present siblings. Kazumo turned over and asked the Innkeeper.
"What of Kuni-sama? Did she leave?"
"Oh, she left almost an hour ago." the Innkeeper explained politely. Kazumo's heart sank a little at that. It made sense to him, but he had still held hope it would turn out differently.
"Just as well. It's not like we needed her." Kyou remarked as she focused on her meal. Kazumo hoped that was true.
The siblings finished their meals quickly, eager to start their journey. The siblings walked outside as they discussed their plans to make it to Slow Tide harbor. As they exited the inn, a solemn voice rang out to them.
"Do you all always take this long?"
The siblings turned in shock to see Azumi leaning against Kenji's cart, her backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Azumi-san!" Kenji shouted in joy as he rushed over to his sister. Tatsuya and Kyou looked baffled and then turned confused and curious glances to Kazumo, who could only give a soft smile in reply.
"What changed your mind?" Kyou asked.
"Someone has to keep you all alive. Slow Tide would eat you all alive without me"
"What makes you confident you'll make a difference?" Kyou retorted.
"I have an uncle who lives there." Azumi explained.
"You do?" Kyou asked surprised. Azumi only nodded in reply.
"Then we have our plan! We shall make our way to Azumi-san's uncle and plan our move from there." Kenji exposited as he drove his horse into moving the cart forward. Tatsuya merely shrugged before adding.
"Glad to have you along then."
Kazumi gave a faint nod in reply and Tatsuya began walking away, followed by Kyou, who muttered a little under her breath. Kazumo moved to join them, but was stopped as Azumi stepped to his side.
"You never mentioned the third reason."
"Hmm?" Kazumo replied.
"You said you had three reasons. What was the third?"
"Ah. You're my sister. If I am to come this far to meet my family, I'd like to know all of them." Kazumo explained.
Azumi stared at him for a moment, and while the mask still covered her face, the smile that was creeping upon her lips was clearly visible in her eyes. She gave him a nod that was akin to something like a bow, and then followed after the others; and his heart fuller than it had ever been before, Kazumo joined her.
The five siblings now traveled toward Slow Tide harbor. The sun shone brightly on their travels, as the cool fall air accompanied them. Many challenges would lay ahead of them, but at least they would face them as a family.