"She must have caught a cold," Shinta said
"I am not sure," Megumi replied.
She wiped sweat off her mistress' brow with a wet cloth. They'd laid lady Kaoru on an old futon. The lady's reddened face was set into a contorted grimace and felt feverish to the touch. Her arms trembled from time to time under the soaked blanket. Megumi's heart ached for her mistress.
"The rain was icy," Soujiro said. "It wouldn't be surprising to catch a cold after being exposed to it for so long."
"Too early for that," Megumi explained. "It would have taken days for the fever to manifest itself. No." She looked around. "Did la…. Did Kaoru eat or drink anything untoward?" Sweat was pouring out of lady's Kaoru's pores. Megumi sponged her lady's skin again.
"She was just having a bowl of tempura," Kenshin said.
"Tempura?" Megumi looked up in surprise.
"She prepared it herself." Kenshin rose. He walked to a plain-looking bowl and took it back. "Here," he said, handing the bowl to her.
She examined it. The lady had almost eaten the dish entirely. She could see pieces of fried fish and cabbage in it, dipping in a sauce of indistinct color. Figured. It was surprising her mistress would prepare any food at all. Bits of carrots and pumpkins. A half-eaten mushroom.
"Where did she get all the food?" Megumi asked.
"In the kitchen, I suppose," Shinta said.
"The kitchen, yes," Soujiro said. He was still smiling. Didn't he realize that the situation was serious? "There was still plenty of food left two days when I came here two days ago, I remember. It's all very healthy, I can guarantee that, as is the water. Straight from the well. If you want, there's still some delicious beef left in the kitchen and we could—"
"Brat, go fetch some fresh water," she snapped. Soujiro rose to do as she told without protest.
A spasm convulsed through the lady's frail body. Megumi caressed the lady's cheek, trying to calm her, although she doubted the lady would even be aware of her presence in her state. Megumi's heart thumped in her chest, the panic beginning to seize her. Keep calm, she told herself. She needed to keep her head level in such a situation.
"Here," Shinta said, kneeling besides her. He handed her another bowl. "She gave this one to me."
She examined its content. It was hardly touched, and had the same foods in it as the other one. Carrot, fish, mushroom…. Wait. Something about the form of the mushrooms nagged at her mind. Its form wasn't common. A red flat cap scattered with white flecks. She was sure she'd never eaten the like before.
"Sir Shinta," she asked, "did you notice anything out of the ordinary about la… Kaoru before she passed out?"
"I… I am not sure," Shinta said, without looking at her. "Maybe." Was he blushing? She observed him closely. He wouldn't meet her eyes. Curious. "She was acting as if she…."
"As if she?" Megumi pressed him.
"As if…. As if she was very drunk." He considered. "Or highly aroused."
The truth dawned on her. He was definitely blushing, she realized. It would have been laughable if not for the gravity of the moment.
"Fly agaric," she exclaimed. A strong gust of wind broke through the wooden door, and sent the hearth's fire fluttering.
"Oh, my, my," said Soujiro, coming back with a bucket filled with fresh water. "Sakano was very fond of them, I recall. I thought he had them safely tucked into his cache…."
"Who is Sakano," Shinta snarled, "and what is a fly agaric?"
"Sakano is one of the men you killed earlier," Soujiro said pleasantly. "This is where he lived. And a fly agaric is a mushroom that makes you happy."
"It's a hallucinogenic mushroom," she corrected.
"Is it very dangerous?" he asked her, his cheek somewhat red but his gaze very intense.
She looked at the bowl still in her hand. Judging by the amount of mushroom…. "It might be fatal," said.
Shinta sprang to his feet. "I will go get a doctor."
"It may be too late then," she said pressingly. He stopped, already halfway to the door. "I have some medical training," she revealed. She looked down at her mistress, wiping the lady's brow. "I need a pen and a sheet of paper," she said, turning to Soujiro.
Soujiro smiled at her. "Oh?" He walked to a drawer chest nearby, and fished out what she asked. "Here you go," he said, handing them to her without hurry.
She snatched them. She wrote down what she thought lady Kaoru needed, and more, just to be certain.
"Please, sir Shinta," she pleaded. "I need these as fast as possible. I will stay at Kaoru's side and tend to her in the meantime."
He didn't hesitate. "I will ride to Kyoto if need be," he declared firmly.
"It will be nightfall by then, samurai-san" Soujiro said, rubbing his neck. "I know a village close by where we can get what the fox lady needs."
Shinta nodded, once. "Let's go," he said. And with that he set off into the stormy afternoon once again. The wind rushed into the farmhouse when he flung the thatched door open. It extinguished the fire.
Megumi lighted the fire again, all the while keeping an attentive eye on lady's Kaoru's condition. There was very little she could do at the moment. She had never believed in gods and spirits before, but she prayed to all of them that Shinta would make it in time.
Warm breeze, mellow soil against her naked sole. Sun in the blue sky. Birds zigzagging above her head. Singing, joy. Tall mountains, faraway. Sound of water flowing.
Trees, tall, slim. Branches not straight, pale pink. Sweet smell, mysterious. Snow of petals, tickling her face. Tickling her neck. Covering her vision, then gone. Pretty.
"Pretty," she said.
"Yes, they are beautiful, aren't they?"
She turned. Woman, kimono with same petals on it. Face shaped like heart. Pretty hair, her favorite color. Black. Smelled good. Mother. Beautiful.
"Pretty," she said. She pointed a finger at mother. "Mother beautiful. Mother beautfifulest."
Laughter, like birds singing. Mother kneeling in front of her. Mother's soft hand on her head. Messing her hairs. She felt happy.
"You are beautiful too, Kaoru," mother said. Voice better than music. "The most beautiful girl on earth."
"True?" she asked.
Mother's kiss on her cheek. Soft. She liked mother's kiss. She hugged mother.
"You are the most beautiful girl on earth," mother said again. "And you will grow into a beautiful woman."
"Beautiful like mother?"
Mother laughed. "More beautiful than me, Kaoru."
She giggled. "Kaoru can't. Mother most beautifulest."
Mother's hand rubbing her head. "Kaoru will be more beautifulest than mother, I promise."
She didn't understand. But she nodded. Mother said so. It must be true.
Mother pointed to trees. "You see those trees, Kaoru?"
"Kaoru see trees," she said. She loved mother's hand on her head. "Pretty."
"Those are called sakura trees, Kaoru. It blossom each spring."
"Sakura," she said. Word sounded funny.
"Yes, Kaoru, sakura. Aren't they the most lovely of trees?"
She understood. She smiled. "Beautifulest of trees," she said. "Like mother most beautifulest of mothers."
Mother kissed her on her brow. "Yes, Kaoru," mother said. "Beautiful, but fragile. Beauty is but a passing dream, Kaoru." Mother's voice is sad. She didn't like mother sad. "What is the sakura, when all its petals are fallen? A tree that has lost its allure, shadowed by the slender willow tree and the proud cedar. Beauty is fleeting, just as life is fleeing. Do you understand, Kaoru?"
She didn't understand. But she liked mother happy. She nodded to make mother happy.
Mother smiled. "That's good, Kaoru." Mother pointed at the mountains. "Look at those mountains, Kaoru. Look at their rough slopes and untamed peaks. Winter or summer they will always stand, unflinching. This is true majesty."
"Mother is like mountain," she guessed. "Mother always beautiful."
Mother ruffled her head again. "No, dear child. Mother will grow old and die, one day. But remember this, Kaoru. My love for you is like the mountains. It will always stay with you no matter what may happen. It is the only thing that matters, in the end."
Something wet, passing on her brow, soothing.
"Please hang in there a little longer, lady Kaoru."
The sun was hot, the sky was blue. Always hot, those days. So she bathed in pool, or lay in grass. She couldn't look at the sun. Don't look at the sun, father said. Her skin sweating, sticky. It itched. She didn't want the yukata. Too hot. But she couldn't take it off. Mother said don't take the yukata off. She didn't.
The grass was tickling her. The insects singing above her. Funny things. Mother said they are called cicadas. She found the name funny. She tried to catch them. More than one time. She didn't catch any. Father caught one for her. But she let it go away. It wasn't funny. She cried. But mother said don't cry. Ladies didn't cry in public, she said.
She lay under trees. More shadows. It was less hot in shadow. She looked at the trees. No more pink petals on soil. No more pink petals on her hair. Sakuras are dead.
"Lady Kaoru. Lady Kaoru, where are you?"
She hid behind trees. It was Keiko. Keiko was with her since two years. That was two birthdays, mother said. Helped her with clothes, take baths, braid her hair, and other things. Keiko was young. Younger than mother. But not younger than Kaoru. People looked funny at Keiko. Father, Masaki the cook. She saw Masaki the cook grab Keiko's butt one time. Funny, no one tried to grab Kaoru's butt.
"Lady Kaoru? Lady Kaoru, I know you are here. Your parents are waiting for you, lady Kaoru. Where is the damned child."
She didn't move, didn't make sound. She was small. Keiko wouldn't find her. She was smart. Smarter than Keiko. Mother always said Kaoru is smart. She didn't like Keiko. Keiko wasn't beautiful like mother. Keiko was ugly. She didn't like Keiko's smell, and Keiko's laugh. She made troubles for Keiko.
That night, she went in garden. Mother said she can't go outside the night, but she liked doing it too much. And in the garden she heard someone, so she hid in bushes. She saw father with Keiko. She saw father kiss Keiko on the mouth. He did that with mother too, but less often than before. She wanted Keiko gone.
Someone lifting her head.
"Drink, Kaoru, drink."
Something wet on her lips. Into her mouth.
"Will she make it?"
"We can only wait now. You did all you could, Sir Shinta."
The wind was chilly. There were plenty of clouds in the sky. All gray. Keiko was gone. Mother and father had a fight. They told her to go away, but they were screaming very loud, so she heard. They used very bad words. Mother was angry. Father was angry that mother was angry. Kaoru was very scared. After that she didn't see Keiko again.
There were plenty of yellow leaves on the ground. So many of them. All yellow and brown. They were green before. She could fall on them. It didn't hurt, and it was funny. But mother said not to do that. It was not like a lady, mother said.
The rain was falling. She liked the rain, it made funny sounds, and it made her all wet. She had to change clothes after that. She didn't mind. But mother said not to do that. Ladies didn't get all wet. So she stopped doing that. She wanted mother happy, and she didn't want to hear mother scream again. A butterfly came on her head. She wanted it to stay, so she didn't move.
"Lady Kaoru, Lady Kaoru!"
That was Megumi. Megumi was older than her, but younger than Keiko. She heard Megumi was twelve years old. So Megumi was five years older than her.
"I'm here, Megumi," she said. She liked Megumi. Megumi was fun, and would play with her. They did bad things together, things ladies didn't do. But Megumi never told father or mother about that
"Lady Kaoru, your mother is looking for you." Megumi said. Megumi talked like a grown-up person. She wished she could talk like Megumi.
"I don't want to go," she said. "I don't want to meet the scary person."
"Lady Kaoru, Lord Himura is your mother's childhood friend. His younger son is with him. They say you two could get married when you grow up." Megumi said. Why was Megumi telling her that? She knew it already.
"I don't want to go," she said again. "And I don't want to get married."
"Lady Kaoru, you must absolutely go," Megumi said. "It would be a grave insult if you didn't. You don't want to embarrass your mother, don't you, my lady?" There she went again, talking like a grown-up person.
Megumi was right, and she hated it when Megumi was right and she wasn't. "I won't go," she repeated.
But Megumi dragged her inside anyway. She didn't fight too hard.
"The fever is coming down."
"That's a good thing, isn't it?"
"Yes, but it's still too to be definitely sure that…."
It was winter. She knew it was winter, because it was cold. It snowed almost every day. Last night it hailed very hard. She didn't like winter. She hated the cold, the ice. She preferred spring, when she would see sakura petals raining down again.
"Isn't Ise a lovely town, Kaoru?" her mother asked, walking beside her, leading her by the hand. Plenty of guards walked in front and behind.
She looked around. "I like our town more," she said. It was true. She heard Megumi giggle behind her.
Her mother laughed. She had lovely eyes when she laughed. "Yes, dear child. It will always be closest to your heart, I suspect. But I have fond memories of Ise, and they come to me each time I come here. We should come to Ise more often, Kaoru. Wouldn't you like that?"
She nodded. They could come to Ise each week, if it made mother happy. Mother not very happy those days.
A scream. She heard a body fall in front of them. Her mother's hand tightened on hers. It was something bad, she thought. Another body slumping. She saw blood. Plenty of blood. Blood was pretty, but it smelled bad.
The guards just in front of them fell, cut in half. Blood sprayed on her face, on her hands, on her kimono. Blood, everywhere. She felt dizzy.
She saw a man come at them. He walked slow. Red hair, a ponytail. Scary eyes, yellow. She couldn't move.
Her mother pulled on her hand. "Run, Kaoru, run!"
They ran. And ran. But all of a sudden her mother wasn't running anymore. She turned back. There was a katana blade coming out of her mother's chest. She froze. Something was horribly wrong. Her mother's hand went limp, let go of hers.
"Run, Kaoru," mother said, weakly. "Run…." There was blood coming out of mother's mouth. So much blood.
"Mother," she called. Why wasn't mother running anymore? "Mother? Did Kaoru do something bad? Mother? Don't leave me, mother."
Another hand gripped hers. "Run, my lady," Megumi was screaming. Yellow eyes bore into hers. The man opened his mouth. He had a very long tongue, like a snake. His face was transforming. It wasn't a man anymore, but a demon. His teeth grew longer and longer, sharper and sharper. His hands had plenty of claws. She couldn't move her body. A red blade fell—
She woke up screaming.
"My lady!" someone called urgently. She felt a pair of cool hands hastening to support her, soothing her. It was Megumi, she realized. Yes, she could always depend on Megumi. Then she saw him.
He was there. He was there.
Sitting against the wall, one knee bent in front of him. Red hair, ponytail, a sword resting in his arms, gazing straight at her. She stared, transfixed. She couldn't move anymore; her whole body was paralyzed with shock and fear.
"Murderer," she whispered.