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Act II
Fingers of the Rosy Dawn
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Chapter Four: Capture of the Gentle Geishas
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Mission: Rescue the Beautiful Amana
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Tomoyo ran into her room and shut the door, praying that she was not needed at the moment. She quickly knelt in front of her mirror and scrutinized her reflection. Her makeup was unchanged since this morning, but her hair ornaments were all out of alignment. Tomoyo cursed. She had been running through the garden again, an action that had been prohibited to her many times. Hiking up her kimono and running freely always seemed like such a good idea at the time, but whenever Tomoyo returned to the Geisha house she remembered why she must stop with this habit.
The lilting notes of a shamisen drifted throughout the house. Tomoyo hummed along with the tune as she gently fixed the ornaments in her hair. They would not be perfect, but perhaps she could fix them well enough to escape the notice of the others. The shamisen sang in perfect harmony.
Amana must be playing, Tomoyo thought errantly to herself.
Tomoyo gently removed a delicate ornament from her hair and flipped it in her hands so that it faced the right way. She was about to put it back into its place when the shamisen music abruptly halted. Tomoyo's humming halted as well, and frowning, she raised the ornament to her head.
A scream pierced throughout the house.
Tomoyo dropped the ornament, shattering it to pieces.
Tomoyo hiked up her kimono and ran for all her worth towards the screaming. She slide open doors so quickly she was sure she broke several of them. Many geishas ran past her, going the opposite way of the chaos. Tomoyo, knowing for sure that those screams belonged to her dear friend Amana, threw herself forward.
When she finally entered Amana's room she gasped. The beautiful girl was passed out on the floor. Several tall figures were standing before her, all donned in black. Tomoyo saw one of them raise something to his lips. Suddenly she felt a sharp sting at her neck and then there was nothing but darkness.
***
In a discrete building at the very center of the estate was a small nursery. All the clan children lay there, so peaceful in their afternoon slumber. There were a dozen or so newborn babes and a few toddlers who inhabited the peaceful sanctuary. Hinageshi and her three prize students; Shoko, Bikki, and Chiharu, made their daily rounds at the nursery to check that all was well. The healer women who worked there permanently greeted them warmly. One in particular was a pleasant woman who was plump with a moon shaped face. Her name was Agasuta, and she was the mother of Juriette. She watched fondly as Kiku sat in a corner of the nursery, happily playing with her son Shiro.
Shiro was now three years of age, the oldest child in the nursery. Soon Kiku would have to remove him from the nursery and begin his tutoring. The thought upset her, for she did not want her dearest child to grow up.
Beside her sat Sayako, who had a great fondness for Shiro. Shiro gazed at Sayako from time to time, giving her a brief smile. The boy, though only three years old, already acted and held himself as though he were a grown man.
"I want to hold him!" Rimiko hissed.
"You had your turn now its mine!" Atsutane shoot back.
Beside Kiku and Sayako were Atsutane and Rimiko, both of whom were fussing over Ginjirou, Atsutane's little brother who was nearing the age of one. Hinageshi came over to the two and gently removed Ginjirou from Atsutane's arms and inspected him closely.
"You little brother is very healthy, Atsutane." Hinageshi said after a moment.
Atsutane beamed with pride. "Of course he is! He takes after me!" Rimiko gave him a playful smack.
Hinageshi pursed her lips. "Little Ginjirou, you certainly were a surprise, weren't you? No one expected Bano and Fumiya to have another child after so many years. Let us hope that you do not truly take after your brother." And with that she gently gave Ginjirou to Rimiko, who happily stuck her tong out at Atsutane.
"I think that Ginjirou likes me best! Look at how happy he is!" Rimiko exclaimed as the babe laughed and held his chubby hands up to her. Rimiko showered him with kisses while Atsutane glowered.
The door to the nursery slid open and both Ayame and Taro entered, both looking weary. The pair came over to them and sank down to the floor.
"Papa!" Shiro exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Taro's muscled frame.
Taro did not speak. Instead, he wrapped both arms tightly around Shiro and held him silently.
"Has something happened?" Kiku asked.
"One of our own Geisha houses not far from here has been attacked. The guards Lord Godha had posted all lay dead. None of the Geishas have been killed, but a few were badly injured." Ayame said gravely.
"Oh my!" Bikki exclaimed, her sister Chiharu and her cousin Shoko all looking equally terrified.
"It is all right, girls." Ayame said calmly to the trio. "None of the captured women shall be harmed."
"Captured!" Bikki cried.
"How many were captured, Ayame?" Hinageshi questioned.
"I believe there were nine. Seven of them were older and experienced Geishas who have all had long and outstanding reputations for their talents. The remaining two were Maiko."
"Maiko?" Rimiko questioned. She was terribly unfamiliar with anything in the Geisha world.
"A Maiko is sort of like a Geisha in training. When a Maiko has her "debut", she is then considered a Geisha. A girl by the name of Amana was one of these Maiko."
"Amana!" Atsutane exclaimed, then whistled.
"Whose Amana?." Rimiko asked.
"Amana is only one of the most poised Maiko in all Japan! I heard that the Geisha house she resides in was going to go all out for her debut. It was supposed to be at the end of this month and for weeks now everyone has been anticipating it."
"Which is why it is such a blow to our reputation now that she has been captured. The other seven Geishas were all very highly ranked, and capturing Amana right before her debut is big shot at our pride." Taro said angrily.
"What about the other one?" Sayako suddenly questioned.
"What other one?" Ayame asked.
"The other Maiko. You said there were two Maiko."
"Oh, yes, Tomoyo. That is the one troubling thing. Tomoyo wasn't highly thought of. In fact, she wasn't a very talented Maiko at all. From the few reports we have gotten, though, it seems that Tomoyo ran in to get Amana and was then captured along with her." Ayame said.
"So now Lord Godha is trying in vain to think of a way to rescue them. We have no idea as to where they have been taken." Taro said.
The group sat in silence for a moment before Hinageshi suddenly slammed her fist into her palm.
"I think...yes, it could work! In fact, it will work! Hinageshi, you're brilliant!" Hinageshi cheered.
"What is it?" Ayame asked curiously.
"Atsutane, look at me!" Hinageshi demanded.
She leaned across and cupped Atsutane's face in her hands. Roughly she moved his head from side to side and examined him thoroughly.
"Geez! Quit manhandling me!" Atsutane whined.
"Hinageshi!" Bikki cried.
"Tell us!" Shoko begged.
Hinageshi sat back with a satisfied grin. "I have plan. A brilliant plan, you see, which involves these three."
And with that she looked at Atsutane, Rimiko, and Sayako. Bikki, Shoko, and Chiharu looked at Hinageshi for a moment and then suddenly and jumped up.
"Oh! I get it! I see!" Chiharu laughed.
"You're so smart, Hinageshi!" Shoko cried.
All four then rounded on the huddled trio. Atsutane audibly gulped as the women advanced upon them.
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A/N: Does anyone remember who Bano is? Ten points if you do! Bano is the older ninja guy who spoke to Rikimaru and Ayame all the way back in "The White of Snow", chapter seven. Now why did I bring him back and give him the role of being my favorite little jokester's father? I really like the name Bano! Watch out for him. I believe he'll come into play in future chapters.
PS- A shamisen is a stringed instrument Geisha play. I learned that from "Memoirs of a Geisha", a book that everyone in the world must read. Also, I believe that a Geisha house is called an Okiya, but I wouldn't swear to it and it was much easier to write Geisha house, anyway.