2
Truth
WHEN SANGO WAS FIFTEEN, Kagura changed. Two important things happend. The first was that Kagura fell in love. This in itself was a revelation, and the condition seemed to rest uneasily on Kagura's gaunt frame. Love did not suit her. Her face was not made for dreamy expressions, and her long, restless body did not fit comfortably into postures of romantic languor. The object of her affections was the son of their late father's equerry. Sango failed to see the attraction. To her, Nqaraku was a plain, uninteresting man, who was always clutching at something; his hat in his hands, his jacket collar, the hem of his shirt. He blushed easily too, which made his scalp show through his rather thin black hair. By this time, Kikyo and Sango had discovered the mechanics of physical love from one of Kikyo's maids---a worldly girl---and the thought of lustful feelings gusting through either Kagura or Naraku, never mind together, seemed absurd, if not obscene. The subject provided hours of merriment, which clearly embarrassed Miroku and Inu Yasha. They would always leave the room, or wander off, if the girls started discussing the supposed minutiae of Kagura's impending sex life.
At first, Sango thought that the other change in her sister was merely a result of the former.She seemed to become more aloof, almost secretive. At times, her eyes would shine with private passion. She would gaze off into the distance and her lips would drop open, very slightly. It was only when Kagura summoned her sister, in an unusually formal way, to accompany her on a walk upon the cliffs that Sango discovered the truth.
Dune grasses rattled along the path as they walked and the ceaseless wind mussed their clothes and hair. Kagura seemed unnaturally serious, which given she was a serious person at the best of times, meant she had something extremely important to say.
"Sango," she said, the word like a shout in the wild air." There is something you must know."
She is going to be married, Sango thought in wonder. She said nothing.
Kagura stopped walking and turned her sister to face her."I have discovered our heritage."
The words hung between them, and Sango supposed they meant something."What is it?"
Kagura gazed above Sango's head, out at the ocean."We have been dispossessed!" she hissed.
An urge to laugh fought to express itself in Sango's narrow chest. Kagura looked so dramatic, all wide eyes, hawk nose and flailing hair."In what way?" she managed to say.
Kagura sighed."You are so young, and in some ways, I feel I shouldn't speak to you about this yet, but now that I know, I have to share it with my sister, whatever her age. You are a wise girl, Sango, and even if this knowledge becomes a burden to you, I think you should know."
The first seeds of unease began to sprout in Sango's mind. Kagura wasn't going to tell her she was getting married. This was more serious. She had a dread it concerned Inu Yasha."What have you found out?"
"Look at the sea,"Kagura said. They both stood in silence, Sango tense with apprehension. What was she supposed to be seeing?
"How powerful it is,"Kagura murmured."Such strength! It is around us all the time, pounding and pounding, yet we are so used to it, we do not hear it."
For the first time in many years, an image of the dog demon dream came back to Sango's mind, its flavor strong and intact."Sometimes we do," she said."It does intrude---sometimes."
Kagura glanced down at her. "That's true....Perhaps you feel it already---the truth, I mean."
"I think so." Did she? Sango had a feeling that whatever Kagura said would not surprise her.
"It concerns the emperor," Kagura said.
Sango shuddered. Surely Inu Yasha hadn't been summoned to court already? "What have you heard? Has he written? Will Inu have to leave?"
Kagura closed her eyes briefly and shook her head, her hand reaching out for her sister's shoulder. "No, no, not yet. I've heard nothing from Magrast. This news came from somewhere else."
"Where? What news?" Sango's heart was beating fast now, as if a creature with frantic wings fluttered in her breast, trying to escape.
Kagura took a deep breath, and simultaneously a fist of wind buffeted against them, muffling her words. "We have not always been favorites of the empire. At one time, Caradore was a independent state."
Sango did not think this particularly surprising. "At one time, the whole of the empire must have been independent states."
"Yes, I know. But remember that in order to be part of an empire, a country first has to be conquered."
Because of their father's friendship with the emperor and their distant relationship, Sango had alwys assumed her people had affiliated themselves willingly to Magravandias. She was chilled to think it might have happened a different way. "Was there a war?" she asked, anticipating the answer with sinking heart. She did not want the history to be bloody; it would mean the Dog demons weren't such a privilaged family after all. Why hadn't her tutors ever told her of this?
Kagura nodded briefly. "Yes. There was a war. Our great-great-grandfather's sister was a spoil of it, to cement the alliance. And other things happened too...."
"What other things?"
Kagura took her lower lip between her teeth. Why was she finding this so difficult? It happened so long ago. "Sango, something was taken from us, something very important and special."
"Money? Land?"
"No! Our heritage. The old ways, the old beliefs. All gone. Our ancestor, Valraven, was a boy when it happened. The Magravands came, led by the second emperor. They killed the Lord of Caradore, and took the boy, Valraven, as their own. It is so terrible. They made him swear an oath to Madragore that bound his dynasty to the empire for eternity. If he, or his descendants, should forsake it, then Caradore will perish in flame."
The story was terrible, Sango thought, but even if it was true, how could it affect them now? It had happened so long ago, and had no bearing on the present. Times change, things are forgotten. If anything, it was inconvenient to know these facts. What could they do about it now? The Magravands might originally have ridden into Caradore as conquerors, yet while their father was alive the emperor had looked upon it as a refuge, the abode of a beloved friend. "It is nothing to do with us,"Sango said.
Kagura glanced down at her. "You are wrong. It has everything to do with us, not least Inu. From the day of the conquest forward, every firstborn son of our house has had Inu in their name. It is to help keep something alive. They are kings, Sango, but without a kingdom. I know you don't want to hear these things, but you must."
"What else is there to know?"
"The Dog,"Kagura said, gazing out at the ocean. She lifted a hand, pointed. "The Dog demons."
Sango took a moment to consider these words. It had been no coincidense an image of her dream had come back to her. "Wht of them?"
"We were the guardians of the sea power. The dog demons danced for our ancestors, gave them knowledge of the ocean realm and its secrets. The women were their priestess, and the dog demon heir their spiritual son. The firstborn boy of every generation was a channel for the power. He was the lord of Caradore in more than one way. His presence ensured the vitality of the land, its security and fertility. The Magravands took this from us, because they wanted that power for themselves. That is why our father, and his father before him, was taken into the court of Magrast. Soon, it will be the same for Inu. The dog demon heir is a symbol, almost like a insignia of war. Whatever army he leads will win their battles."
"No wonder the emperor was so fond of Dada!" Sango exclaimed. Could this all be true?
Kagura nodded. "The dogs have sunk back into the sea. We cannot call them to us any more. The power is in the land and in our blood, but we have lost that special connection with the sea. It has been severed."
"Kagura, how do you know these things?"
Kagura pursed her lips. "Saska Leckery," she said.
Sango experienced a wave of both disappointment and relief. It was only stories, then. Kikyo's mother was like an unofficial aunt to the dogs. She had helped Kagura a lot since their mother had died, but despite many kind and noble qualities, had a busy tongue and an active imagination. It was well known in the district that gossip deriving from Saska was prone to rigorous exaggeration. "How does Saska know this if we do not?"
"Don't you see?" Kagura snapped. "This is what our mother would have told me! Saska intimated as much. Apparently, Mama spoke to Saska about it a long time ago. She said that if anything wer3e to happen to her, Saska should be the one to pass on the knowledge."
"I'm not sure about all this," Sango said, her eyes narrow. "If it's true, I think other people would have told us."
"Oh, Sango, can't you just trust your instincts? I know you feel the truth of it inside. There is more. The women of this land have secretly preserved a lot of the ancient traditions. There is a cabal of priestess, loyal to the dogs, who keep the old ways alive. It is like a tiny flame that cannot be stoked, for then it would be noticeable, but at least it keeps the death of belief at bay. And I...."She paused, frowned.
"Have become involved in it," Sango finished.
Kagura glanced down at her. "I'm not supposed to speak of it. The tradition has to be secret because it is opposes the law of Magradore."
"Is Saska in it?"
"Yes."
Sango sighed. She imagined a bunch of the local matriarchs dancing in secret to the legend of dogs. It seemed absurd. How could Kagura be so taken in? She doubted there was harmin it, but it seemed ridiculous too. When she thought of the emperor, she could not imagine his ancestors involved in dark or magical deeds. He seemed so light and golden. And yet, there was the dog dream. She remembered the feelings it had inspired within her, and suddenly the secret history seemed much more credible. "You'll have to prove all this to me," she said.
Kagura smiled carefully. "I anticipated as much. You are too young to join the sisterhood, but the evidence is there on Inu, if you care to look."
"What evidence?"
"On the back of his neck, you'll find the mark of Madragore. Our great-great-grandfather was branded there by the Magravand mages. The mark is passed on through the father and is part of what binds the dog demon heir to Madragore. I want you to look for it. Once you've seen it, will you believe me?"
Sango thought she must have seen Inu naked a thousand times since they were babies. She could not remember having seen a mark. "What is it supposed to look like?"
"The moon of the god ." Kagura took her sister's shoulders in a strong grip. "Sango, I was driven to confide in you, even though it contravenes the laws of the sisterhood. I should have waited another few years before entrusting you with this knowledge, but some instinct has forced me to speak now. You must not reveal what I've told you to anyone. Do you understand? Not even Inu."
"Why not? Surely he should be told, too."
Kagura shook her head. "No. This knowledge will only damage him. In a few years' time, he will be summoned to Magrast, and must go in innocence. The priestesses work constantly to undo the magic of the mages, and one day will succeed. On that day, the dogs will rise from the sea, and thefoundation of the empire will crack. Then, we shall create change. But until that moment, the dog demon heir must remain ignorant of his heritage. Our great-great-grandmother, Ilcretia, initiated the Sisterhood of the Dog, and she decreed what must be so. We have to trust her judgement, even now. Promise me you'll keep silent. Swear on Inu's life!"
Sango hesitated. Kagura seemed panicked now, perhaps thinking she'd acted impulsively to unburden herslef. Relenting, Sango softened. "All right. I swear on Inu's life to keep your secret."
Kagura's grip slackened on her shoulders. She bowed her head. "Good. Good. Look for the mark, Sango."
IT OCCURRED TO SANGO that love might have driven Kagura a little strange. After their walk, Sango wandered down to the beach alone. On the sand, she looked up and saw her sister strolling along the clifftop towards the castle, her gaunt body erect, but her head bent. There had been a kind of madness in Kagura's urgency.
Sango went down to her sea-cave, the place where she always hid herself to think. The tide was coming in and soon the cave would be flooded. Sango clambered over the rocks, soaking her skirts. Futher back, the floor sloped upwards and the cave narrowed to a tunnel. If she wriggled and struggled up the throat of stone, it would lead her out onto the clifftops. She had used it often when the tide had cut her off from the beach. She crouched on a high ledge, watching the water surge and coil beneath her.
Dog demons. There was an echo of a feeling within her; some ancient memory had been prodded and awoken. Inu Yasha: the dog demon heir. It made sense to her. There was a feyness about him, something tragic, which might be his stolen heritage. Was it this knowledge that had hung so heavily about their father? She had never known him before her mother had died, so she had no way of telling. Kagura, presumably, had been too young to remember. But perhaps their grandfather had not known the truth. Perhaps their great-great-grandfather had never spoken of it to his sons, and only the womenhad carried the secret forward into the future. She experienced a moment of irritation that Kagura's "sisters" would not want her to know about this yet. The knowledge belonged to the dogs, more so than anyone else. Kagura had been right to tell her. Poor Inu. So innocent, so beautiful, yet weirdly cursed. Emotion overcame her and she had to let the tears fall. Sadness welled up, threshing anf lashing like the incoming tide. There was truth in the feeling. Perhaps she had known all along.
Later, as the sun set, she clambered out of the chimney of stone. Inu wuld have missed her at dinner. What could she say to him? Now, she had to see if the mark was there.
She found him at the stables, exercising his bay gelding in the yard. He looked so at haome on the animal, his spine straight, his shoulders squared. His hair was tied in a cord at his neck, flowing like a horse's tail down his back. The moment he caught sight of her leaning against the fence, he began to perform, making the horse gambol and curve. Sango smiled. Why did she feel so much older than him? He kindled a nurturing urge within her that made her feel melancholy. His beauty made hi ephemeral, like a dragonfly.
She had an idea that she would offer to brush his hair for him, but realized that even this simple plan would take some maneuvering. She had brushed his hair a thousand times, but now, because there was a purpose to it, she thought he would sense her intent, ask questions.
Presently, he urged his horse over to the fence and there made it rear to a halt. Sango reached out to pat the sweating neck of the animal.
"Where've you been?"Inu Yasha said. "You missed dinner, and Kagura didn't say a thing. What's going on?"
"I went for a walk," she answered. "Got lost in my thoughts."
Inu Yasha pulled a comical face and slipped down from the horse'a back. "You must be hungry, then. Let's go to the kitchens."
He made to pull the cord from his hair, but Sango hurried to stay his hands. "Let me," she said. "You know what you'r e like. You'll make a tangle."
He laughed, turned his back to her and threw back his head, hands on hips. Her fingers shook as she fumbled with the knot. She hardly dared look. But then the mass of hair was free. She clutched it in one hand and lifted it, quickly pulled down the collar of his shirt.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing," she answered. "A fly." She reached out and touched his pale skin, registered his damp heat. Tiny white hairs curled beneath her hand, oily with sweat. There was a mark, and it looked like a moon. Of course, she had seen it many times before, only now she saw it with new eyes. The mark was bluish-purple, like a mis-shapen circle, and not very big.
Sango felt faint, disoriented, removed from the world. This is not the life I know, she thought, and stood on tiptoe to kiss her brother's neck, right on the place where tha skin was stained.
"You are odd tonight," he said, wriggling away. "What's got into you? Haven't fall en in love yourself, I hope!"
She managed to laugh. "No. Any man worth my love lives only in storybooks."
He turned and put an arm about her waist. "Good. I would be jealous." Together they walked into the castle.