Disclaimer: Saying that I don't own Samurai Deeper Kyo over and over again gets really annoying (and depressing).
Intermezzo
Chapter 4: Molto andantino
We ended up avoiding the main roads all together, striking out almost in a straight line cross-country from the east to the west side of the Kii peninsula. Migeira was determined not to involve any more innocent bystanders should the enemy attack again; Hisui and I were in heartfelt agreement, while Kyo pretended not to care either way. There was also a good chance that our enemies would have a harder time tracking us through the rough terrain. Migeira proved to have an almost uncanny familiarity with the ins and outs of the back country in Yamato and Kii; add that to the forced–march pace he set, I don't think the vanguard of the Tokugawa army would have made better time to Kudoyama!
"So," I observed, surveying the rising mountain trail before us, "all we have to do is hike up this monstrously steep slope for six hours, during the hottest part of the day I might add, and we'll most likely find Yukimura-san by sundown?"
Migeira shot me an irritated glare. "Yukimura-san does not hand out maps to his location, Shiina Yuya-san; what knowledge I have is gleaned from my clan's intelligence gathering. By choosing this route, we not only avoid any chance encounters with any other inhabitants of the mountain, but we will avoid whatever preparations that have been made to prevent unwanted visitors."
"Oooh, traps, lovely," I said sarcastically, "and just how certain are you that this way," I stabbed my finger at the steep rocky ghost of a trail Migeira had set his sights on, "isn't trip-wired and booby-trapped to Jigoku and back!"
If Migeira was a cat, his fur would have been standing on end in exasperation. "Yuya-san, this is the way we must go if we are to reach Yukimura-san in a timely manner. Standing here debating about it simply wastes valuable time and energy!"
"Let's make sure we don't waste time and energy wandering about Kudoyama for eternity!" I shot back hotly. Maybe because I was simply tired, or because my feet were killing me, or maybe because that time of the month was long overdue, but Migeira's assertions that the only way to find Yukimura was to scrabble up a cliff and hope it was the right way annoyed the hell out of me. It didn't help that I had woken up that morning (and for several preceding mornings) feeling sick to my stomach and was only now getting over the initial queasiness.
I saw out of the corner of my eye that the other two members of our party had abstained from the proceedings. Kyo was sitting on a log, smoking his pipe and watching Migeira and me square off with a suspiciously bland expression on his face, while Hisui was sitting on the ground nearby, completely absorbed in the book I had let him borrow the night before.
"What solution do you suggest, then, if I might inquire?" Migeira said with deliberate calm.
"..." The problem was, I didn't really have a better plan.
"Even if Yuya hadn't been shouting at the top of her lungs like that," Kyo interjected unexpectedly, "Yukimura already knows we're here. Nobody can get this close to Kudoyama without his knowledge."
Migeira and I turned sharply to look at him.
"If Yukimura wants to talk to us, he'll find us, not the other way around," he continued, "It doesn't really matter what way we take, but since we've already wasted time getting to this kami-forsaken spot, we might as well start here."
I blinked. Was it just my imagination, or had Kyo just defused a fight instead of starting one or making it worse? 'Something isn't right in the universe,'I thought bemusedly before turning back to Migeira. "You heard him, let's go," I said, as though it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.
Migeira clearly wasn't amused, but since I had more or less assented to his view, he really couldn't complain, now could he? "Hisui, we're leaving now," he called to his nephew.
"Huh?" Hisui looked up from the book (a Western medical text translated by my sensei), blinking dazedly as if he had been called back from his own private world. I saw Kyo roll his eyes in disgust as he got to his feet, knocking the ashes from his pipe.
"Come on, Hisui-kun," I said, "You can finish that tonight after we find Yukimura-san."
"All right." Hisui sounded genuinely regretful as he closed the book and slipped it into his bag before getting to his feet and brushing the dirt from his hakama.
Migeira took the lead, Hisui and me right behind him with Kyo bringing up the rear in case of an enemy attack. Which was practically guaranteed now that we were so close to reaching our goal.
Not that I was being a pessimist, mind you...
-
The initial ascent was the most difficult, but after the first hour or so, the trail mercifully leveled off somewhat to where we could actually walk upright instead of practically crawling up the mountainside.
'My feet are never going to forgive me for this...' I thought wearily, pushing back my sweat-soaked bangs as I grimly surveyed the way ahead. It all monotonously the same: trees, rocks, more trees. The day had steadily grown hotter, as I had expected – even Hisui couldn't muster the energy for conversation. 'What I wouldn't give right now for a decent cup of tea and a shady place for...'
"Welcome to Ichigo no Ocha-ya!"
The voice that sounded in my ear came out of nowhere. I'm embarrassed to admit that I shrieked and jumped sideways, right into Hisui.
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry about that!" trilled the tea-house waitress, beaming at me as I struggled to regain control of my heart-rate and pull poor Hisui back up onto his feet. Since when do roadside teahouses and their staff appear out of thin air like that! So much for Migeira's avoiding the other inhabitants of the mountain.
Kyo paused long enough to give me a look that clearly read, "Told you you were getting klutzy" before taking a seat on the nearest bench.
I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him.
"Er, my fault, I didn't see you..." I started to say, turning my attention back to the waitress. I trailed off. I blinked. I stared. The waitress looked awfully familiar... "Yukimura...san?"
I hoped for a wild instant that I was mistaken, that maybe Kousuke was moonlighting...
"Long time not see, ne Yuya-san?" Yukimura replied cheerfully.
"Sanada Yukimura-dono?" Hisui queried, staring at Yukimura's upswept hair and tasteful pastel yellow-with-pink-sakura patterned kimono under his white apron. "Ano..."
It is rather difficult to reconcile a mental image of one of the most feared enemies of the Tokugawa with meeting Yukimura in playful mood, I suppose.
"Yukimura-san, there is something very important that we must discuss with you," Migeira announced, laying a heavy hand on Hisui's shoulder to keep him from saying anything embarrassing.
"Of course there is, Migeira-san," Yukimura said, switching from frivolous to deadly serious in an instant, "Why else would you and Kyo-san be on my doorstep? I imagine it has something to do with the troubling news I've been receiving of late."
Migeira inclined his head. "You have been expecting us?"
"I must admit that when I heard Kyo-san had deigned to join forces with you, I was rather surprised," Yukimura said, "But that is beside the point. Right now, there is a more important question I must ask you."
Migeira narrowed his eyes.
"Will you be wanting just tea, or shall I tell Saizo to prepare an order of dango to go with it?" Yukimura inquired pleasantly.
Migeira's face went blank, as did Hisui's; I held my face in my hand and sighed.
"Got any sake?" Kyo asked, about the only one besides Yukimura unfazed by the whole thing.
"Coming right up, Kyo-san!" Yukimura fairly chirped, bowing slightly and going back into the otherwise deserted teahouse.
A gust of wind stirred the trail dust into small puffs and rustled amid the tree branches.
"Ano, Migeira-oji-san?" Hisui asked hesitantly, "That was Sanada Yukimura-dono... am I correct?"
"...Yes," Migeira answered in a somewhat strained voice.
"Don't worry, he doesn't always dress like that," I told Hisui, gently leading him to Kyo's bench, helping him sit down before taking my own seat, "He's got a bit of a weird sense of humor, that's all."
"I suppose..." Hisui allowed, still sounding a bit out of sorts.
When Yukimura came back out with the tea and sake, he was dressed in his more familiar attire. Saizo followed in attendance, bearing a plate of dango.
"Was the way up very exhausting?" Yukimura asked amiably after the drinks had been passed around and we had had a chance to catch our breath, "I must say that Migeira-san's route of choice was a particularly arduous one. You all would have done much better to take the pilgrims' trail."
"Ano, yes, it was rather a difficult hike," Hisui admitted, swallowing a mouthful of dango, "but we would have reached your home all the same, would we have not?"
"True," Yukimura conceded, gently rolling his teacup between his hands, "Mind you, I would have enjoyed inviting such good friends into my home, but as things stand now, that's rather impossible."
I cocked my head to one side at his odd comment. "Why do you say that, Yukimura-san?" Then something else occurred to me. "Have you been attacked by...?"
"Oh no, hardly that, Yuya-san!" Yukimura interrupted with a laugh, holding up a hand, "I'm merely being bothered by unwanted company!"
"'Company'?" Hisui echoed, "What sort of company would inconvenience you so, Sanada-dono?"
"The worst kind," replied Yukimura with a mysterious smirk. He glanced up at the trees, shielding his eyes from the sunlight. "Kousuke has been kind enough to deal with them today so that I could come here to greet you. I do hope she isn't having to put up with too much trouble for my sake."
"The Sanada Juyuushi are prepared to take on any task to serve you, Yukimura-sama; you should not concern yourself unless it is for the matter at hand," Saizo spoke up unexpectedly.
"Excellent advice, Saizo," Yukimura said (almost patronizingly, but I don't think Saizo picked up on it). He smiled at Hisui. "I believe you are the one in particular who wished to talk to me."
"Yes, I am," Hisui replied, setting down his teacup and getting to his feet. He bowed politely and said, "I respectfully request from Sanada Yukimura-dono the company of his vassal, Sarutobi Sasuke-dono, to prevent a disastrous future." He paused before adding, "Japan's fate hangs in the balance and the lives of many thousands depend on your answer."
I give Yukimura full credit for not laughing his head off or responding with his katana. He merely said, "Go on," and listened to Hisui, not passing judgment until the kid had said all he had told us before: that another demon gate would open, that the world of Nobunaga's vision was only a fraction of the horror to come, the order by which the land would fall to darkness. Yet again, Hisui seemed to become years older in a moment, no hint of awkwardness or uncertainty in his presence.
Through it all, I watched Yukimura, trying to gauge his thoughts, but I actually had better luck reading Kyo that night in Tokubo. Yukimura might as well have been playing mah-jongg with the winning tile set for all that he let show.
"You are in earnest," Yukimura said blandly when Hisui finished his oration.
"Yes, I am, Sanada-dono," replied Hisui, bowing again.
Yukimura sat back, his bangs hiding his eyes.
"Yukimura-sama?" Saizo ventured cautiously, after a full minute had passed and Yukimura had made no sound or movement.
"Saizo...do you believe what this boy is telling us?" Yukimura asked.
Saizo blinked, his eyes flicking toward Hisui for a moment before he answered. "I do find myself wondering if he is suffering from a delusion, Yukimura-sama," he said in a low voice.
Hisui bit his bottom lip and clenched his hands into fists, while Migeira narrowed his eyes at Saizo. Kyo didn't seem to be paying attention to anything but his sake.
"Hm, that would be quite a reasonable assumption," Yukimura said after a beat, "but I think I can safely say that Hisui-kun is quite sane and is telling the truth. Why else would Kyo-san agree to help him?"
Saizo's mouth opened slightly in surprise, but he wasn't alone; I think the only one who had expected it was Kyo. Yukimura smiled slightly. "My only question is, Hisui-kun," he continued, his voice deliberately conversational while his expression was anything but, "now that I know what is to come, what will prevent me from using the situation to my advantage? Why should I risk one of my friends on a venture to preserve the status quo, where the Tokugawa will continue to gain more control and usurp the rightful rule of the Toyotomi? Or even, the claim of the Sanada?"
'I should have seen this coming,' I thought grimly, gritting my teeth against blurting out something that would only make the situation worse, 'I keep forgetting that Yukimura has his own agenda to pursue, and he's smart enough to seize an opportunity when he sees one.'
"Sanada Yukimura..." Migeira began, and by his posture, I would have bet anything he was about to make a threat. Saizo noticed too, and reached for something inside his gi...
"Perhaps your clan stands to gain from an era of chaos," Hisui said softly, making both men pause and look at him, "But I have seen a dark future for you, Sanada Yukimura-dono, even with your present foreknowledge of what is to come."
"Oh?" Yukimura asked, raising an eyebrow.
"In the time that is to come... the chaotic tide of war will favor no man for long; even if one general can ride the crest of the wave to heights above all others, it is inevitable that he will be dashed on the rocks below when the wave recedes." The kid didn't even seem to be talking to Yukimura anymore; his eyes were distant, his words flat as though he was speaking from a dream. "There will come a day of reckoning for all the warlords of Japan, and yours will be more disastrous than most. You will lose every single one of your comrades, not only on the battlefield, but also to sickness and the assassin's knife. You alone will be spared, shielded by their devotion until the last falls. And when this happens, driven by the madness of despair and loneliness, you will take your own life."
The silence following his pronouncement was absolute. I found myself gaping at Hisui. Whether it was from the import of what he had just said or from his audacity, I can't be certain, but I do know one thing: it left a cold, hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could sense the truth in his prediction. 'If he has seen something like that in Yukimura's fate, could it be that he has seen the personal fate of others?'
Yukimura set his teacup on the bench beside him as he got to his feet. "If we are lucky, my other guests will have been sent on their way. I would be most gratified if you all accompanied me to my home," he said cheerfully as he began walking away.
We had no choice but to abandon our own tea cups and hurry after him. It was then that I began to understand why Saizo appeared to be a nervous wreck all the time. Trying to keep up with Yukimura's mood swings would drive anyone to distraction.
-
With Yukimura and Saizo as our guides, we made much better time, along a much more forgiving trail that Migeira later admitted he'd had no clue about. As we walked, Yukimura kept up a steady stream of light, inconsequential banter, discussing nearly every aspect of the natural beauty of Kudoyama, whether it be a particular tree or rock formation or what have you. Migeira replied with all due politeness, though he was probably impatient to get Yukimura's answer to Hisui's request.
As for myself, I kept my eyes on Hisui, who remained uncharacteristically silent as we walked. His words of warning to Yukimura continued to echo in my head; Migeira had said Hisui was incapable of lying and my own assessment of the boy agreed with him. 'Can that truly be the fate that awaits Yukimura and the Jyuyuushi if we aren't able to prevent Hisui's vision from coming to pass?'
"Here we are!" Yukimura announced, abruptly wrapping up a rather long-winded discourse on the falls that could be found on the northern shoulder of the mountain.
We were standing in the midst of a rather sprawling bamboo grove, and I could see nothing but swaying green stalks and slender leaves in all directions. But then a stronger breeze made the stalks bend and I caught a glimpse of what could only be the front of a house, not twenty paces from where we stood. A narrow path cut straight through the bamboo, right up to the covered porch. The wind shifted and the path and the house seemed to vanish in an instant.
"That's pretty clever," I couldn't help but say.
Yukimura grinned. "Of course, I can't claim credit for the idea," he said, clapping Saizo on the shoulder, "My dear Saizo is the one who has "master gardener" among his many talents."
I swear Saizo blushed at the praise.
"Ah, we're in luck," Yukimura observed as he preceded us up the path to the house, "It seems that my other guests have taken their leave."
"How do you...?" I started to ask, when the front door of the house slid open and Kousuke stepped out onto the porch.
"Okaerinasai, Yukimura-sama, Saizo," she greeted with a smile. She was dressed in an outfit identical to Yukimura's in every way (even going so far as to have bound her breasts, I noticed).
"Tadaima, Kousuke," Yukimura replied cheerfully.
Kousuke looked over his shoulder at us. "Ah, so they have arrived," she said, coming down the steps, "Welcome, all of you, to my master's home."
"Thank you for your kind regards, milady," spoke up Hisui with a bow.
Kousuke's smile broadened as she returned the favor. "Such politeness from someone so young," she murmured, "It's a shame that not everyone has the benefit of good breeding."
I raised my eyebrow at that one, but managed to catch the glance that Kousuke sent to Saizo and Yukimura. Obviously, she wasn't making the remark for Hisui's benefit. Given her duties as Yukimura's kagemusha and Yukimura's earlier reference to unwanted company, I guessed someone had been giving her a hard time of late.
"It is a shame," Yukimura agreed ingenuously, "I trust our visitors have been sent on their way as planned."
"Not entirely, Yukimura-sama," Kousuke said, with the slightest stress coming to her smile.
Yukimura's demeanor did not waver for an instant. "I see." He turned to us and shrugged. "I apologize, but I must take my leave of you all for now. In the meantime, please rest, for you've had a rather hard journey. Saizo, if you would be so kind as to show our friends to the guest house..."
"Yes, Yukimura-sama," Saizo said with a bow.
The guest house which Saizo led us to was an outbuilding to the rear of the main house complex, almost out of sight of it thanks to yet another strategic grove of bamboo. In fact, one could have stumbled across it and assumed it was house unto itself. Shoji divided the house into three rooms, each about eight tatami. Migeira and Hisui were given the eastern room, while Kyo and I took the western one; the center room with its fire-pit hearth would serve whatever purpose we cared to make of it.
"Did any of that strike you as odd?" I asked Kyo after we had a chance to settle down, "I wonder just who it is that's making Yukimura-san act like this. He's behaving even more enigmatic than he usually does."
"None of our business, really," Kyo answered, going out onto the back porch to sit down. I followed his example, since the room was rather stuffy from not having been aired for some time.
"Maybe so, but still..." I looked out over the back yard, which was a sizeable clearing that ended abruptly at the forest edge about a hundred paces from where Kyo and I sat. Nearer to the house was a well and beside that was a small bathhouse.
'All the comforts of home, ne?' I thought, my attention drifting toward the forest beyond. Off to my right, the sun was beginning to set, a wavering orange-red ball above the western horizon. Rising above the trees and silhouetted by the mountain's peak before us, I caught sight the three-tiered facade of a pagoda that could not have been anymore than a half a li away, gilded by the dying light of day. "Is there a temple nearby?" I asked aloud in surprise, suddenly recalling Yukimura's mention of a pilgrims' trail.
"Aa. The monks of the temple don't hold any affection for the Tokugawa, so they were more than happy to give sanctuary to his enemy," Kyo said replied off-handedly.
'Yukimura taking shelter in a monastery? Now I know there's something wrong with the universe!' Then again, Yukimura's house had probably been built exclusively for use by upper-class pilgrims who came to visit the temple, not for the monks themselves. But I still found myself trying to imagine Yukimura as a bald-headed monk, piously meditating and chanting sutras...
"If you're going to be ill, go back into the room and lie down," Kyo told me, as though I were a child.
"I'm fine," I mumbled, shaking my head to clear away the traumatizing mental image. I knelt down beside him and breathed a sigh of relief; it felt good to just relax, even if I knew it would only be for a little while!
Heat shimmered up from the ground and the creaking song of crickets was making me drowsy. I hadn't eaten since breakfast and I needed a bath, but sleep seemed ever so much more appealing just then. I leaned against Kyo and let my eyes drift closed...
"Yuya-dono! Yuya-dono!"
"Gah!" I yelped, jerked out of my doze by someone yelling my name at the top of their lungs. 'Who! What! Where!' my poor, sleep-fogged brain rattled dazedly.
"Yuya-dono!"
'Hisui...' I realized, knowing only one person used that honorific. I turned my head just in time to see Hisui barrel down the length of the back porch from direction of his and Migeira's room. His face was flushed and his eyes were wide with what might have been excitement... or fear.
"Are you all right, Hisui-kun?" I asked anxiously, hurriedly getting to my feet as he approached.
"Yuya-dono, I...!" Just then, the poor kid tripped on... something, maybe the hem of his hakama or a knothole in one of the boards. In either case, down he went, flat on his face with a resounding thud! and a painful exclamation of surprise.
"Hisui-kun!" I cried, going over to him, "Are you all right!"
Behind me, Kyo "tch!"-ed disdainfully. I would have spared a moment to glare at him if I wasn't occupied with Hisui.
"Itai... I am all right, Yuya-dono," Hisui groaned softly, getting painfully onto his hands and knees, politely waving away my efforts to help. Very carefully, he pulled himself into a sitting position, his face bright red, mostly from embarrassment, though his chin had a nice abrasion from the grain of the wood. "I suppose I let my excitement run ahead of my feet."
"Oh good," I said, breathing a sigh of relief and smiling at him, "For a moment, I thought you had gotten hurt somehow or been attacked!"
"Sumimasen," he mumbled, ducking his head and coloring an even darker shade of scarlet.
"Just be more careful, okay?" I replied, delicately cupping my hand under his chin, "Now let me see that scrape."
"But..."
"Hisui-kun," I said sternly. Hisui obediently raised his face, biting his lower lip as I inspected his chin. It oozed miniature beads of blood, but was clear of any splinters or debris; it would heal quickly with only one application of the ointment I had in my chest for just such wounds. "Sit here while I go get something to put on it."
"As you say, Yuya-dono."
"What happened?" I looked up and saw Migeira striding toward us, his eyes fixed with mild concern on Hisui.
"The brat tripped and now Yuya has to coddle him," Kyo answered acerbically.
"He's got a bit of a scrape on his chin, otherwise he's all right," I explained to Migeira as I rose, giving Kyo a disapproving Look for his juvenile behavior. Kyo frowned at me, and would probably have said something in retort if I hadn't gone back into the room to get the ointment.
"... befits a priest of your rank to conduct himself in a more composed manner," Migeira was lecturing Hisui as I came back out with the small jar of ointment and a patch of gauze to cover the scrape, "You cannot afford to be so careless or incautious, Hisui. Consider where you are."
"Yes, Migeira-oji-san," said Hisui in a small voice.
"All he did was trip, Migeira-san," I pointed out, "You don't need to be so hard on him!" Migeira stiffened, the expression on his face clearly indicating that he didn't appreciate me undermining his authority in regards to his nephew. He had every right to be displeased with me, but as far as I was concerned, he was overreacting.
"So, if you weren't in danger and you hadn't hurt yourself...yet, anyway, what were you shouting about earlier?" I asked Hisui after I finished applying the ointment and covering it with the gauze.
"Oh!" Hisui, who had been sitting meekly quiet as I administered to him, suddenly became extremely animated. "Yuya-dono, I found something that I must show you!" He grabbed my hand and practically dragged me behind him as he ran back toward the far end of the guesthouse.
"Whoa, slow down there, Hisui-kun!" I called as he jumped off the end of the porch in a headlong rush. I flinched, anticipating another painful spill.
Thankfully, my dire prediction did not come to pass. "Look, Yuya-dono!" he exclaimed, turning around and flinging one hand behind him.
I looked past Hisui and gasped. Spreading out before me was a garden, extraordinary not for its beauty, but for the profusion and variety of medicinal plants it contained. "Amazing," I breathed as I stepped down from the porch and approached the garden.
"I thought I recognized several plants," Hisui said, crouching down at the garden's edge, his hand splayed out softly over the bending green tops, "This is ginseng is it not, Yuya-dono?"
I crouched beside him to look more closely at the plant in question. "Yes, it is," I answered with a measure of surprise, for ginseng is a rarely found growing in the wild or in gardens in Japan – most of it comes from Korea or China. The only time I had seen it grown in a setting such as this was on Taka-sensei's mountain. Right next to the ginseng, separated by a line of smooth, rounded stones was a growth of angelica. "This is called angelica, or danggui in Chinese," I told Hisui, drawing his attention to it, "Do you know what it is used for?"
"Ano... it is used to replenish and invigorate blood and reduce pain from diseases of the blood?" Hisui said carefully after a moment's thought.
"Right," I replied with a smile, "but it can also be used for external injuries, to help with the mending of wounds. I use it in that ointment I put on your scrape."
"Is that so?" Hisui asked, his hand going unconsciously to his chin. His quick eyes fastened on another herb. "This one is hemlock!" he cried, shifting over to it.
"Hemlock?" I echoed, certain he had to be mistaken. But no, the plant in question was in every way like the specimen Taka-sensei had shown to me in one of her many lessons.
"I've only read of one reference to it," Hisui mentioned, scrutinizing the segmented dark leaves and sprays of white flowerets, "The apothecary book of Avicenna-sensei's Canon lists it among herbs used in poultices for scrofulous disorders and tinctures to treat violent fits."
"Well, yes," I murmured, still not quite over my surprise at having seen hemlock, a deadly poisonous Western plant my sensei had only rarely used in her medicines. That was why it took me several seconds to process what exactly Hisui had said. "You know of Avicenna!" I blurted, rounding on Hisui so sharply he fell over sideways.
"Ano... yes, I do," he said with a gulp, "My great-aunt brought back a copy of the Canon from her western journeys. After I learned enough Latin, my tutor would have me translate extracts from it."
He could have sucker-punched me and gotten the same reaction. 'I must be hearing things!' I thought, gaping at him. "Your... great-aunt?"
Hisui nodded. "Himiko-oba-sama is the sister of my mother's mother."
'Himiko? Ah, then it couldn't be Taka-sensei. What was I thinking, anyway? The coincidence would be just too coincidental!' Of course, that there would be two women who traveled to the Western lands and brought back two copies of Avicenna's Canon of Medicine was also rather too much of a coincidence...
"...so fascinated by the book you lent me." Hisui had kept on chattering, seemingly oblivious to the fact he had temporarily lost his audience. "Avicenna-sensei's thoughts on humours and temperaments were somewhat beyond my skill to read directly from Latin, and I am glad she was finally able to settle on a satisfactory translation into Japanese, though I think Himiko-oba-sama integrated some Chinese philosophy to make it... Yuya-dono, are you feeling faint?"
"Hisui-kun..."
"Yes?"
I had to say everything very slowly and very carefully, so that I would not make a mistake. "The book I lent you... it was an extract from Avicenna's Canon of Medicine..."
"Yes." Hisui was giving me a look that clearly indicated he had no idea what I was getting at.
"And that book was translated by the person who taught me medicine... Taka-sensei."
"Yes," he responded readily, once again.
"Okay. Good. Now that we've established that... you're saying that the person who wrote that book, being my sensei, is also your great-aunt?"
"Of course," Hisui said, tilting his head to one side and looking at me curiously, "I recognized her distinct calligraphy style right off. Did I not mention that when you lent it to me?"
"No," I said, forcing myself to keep my face and voice neutral, "I think you neglected that little tidbit of information."
"Oh." Hisui bit his lip and flushed slightly. "My apologies, Yuya-dono, but I must have been so eager to read the book that I forgot..."
"It's okay," I said, holding up a hand to cut him off. I was still a bit off-kilter from the revelation, but that wasn't really the kid's fault. "I was just surprised... well, shocked, to tell you the truth. Taka-sensei never mentioned that she had a family."
"Ah, I am not surprised," Hisui said ruefully, sitting back and crossing his legs comfortably (up till that point, he had remained crouched, ready to run, should I give signs of flying off the handle). "Himiko-oba-sama was always a free spirit. That is why you knew her by the name "Taka" - she liked being free as the hawks that ride the wind. It is said that she thought "Himiko" was far too grand and stuffy a name for someone who never wanted to do only what was expected of her. That was one of the main reasons she left the clan for good before I was born; she refused to become a clan elder and sit at home while she could be helping people."
"That...certainly sounds like her," I admitted, remembering how Taka-sensei made regular rounds of the villages at the foot of her mountain with me in tow.
Hisui smiled. "Himiko-oba-sama is another person I wish I could be like, besides Migeira-oji-san," he continued, obviously pleased to talk about someone he admired, "If I had been born a hundred years ago, I could have been old enough to accompany her on her expedition to the West. Himiko-oba-sama was thirteen when she petitioned the clan elders and received permission to explore the lands beyond Japan – the same age I am now. Of course, it took her more than thirty years to get back to Japan, but everything she brought back with her, books and plant specimens and stories, were worth more than any jade or gold she might have procured, do you not agree, Yuya-dono?"
"Yes," I said, smiling at his enthusiasm. Amazing how he could be so grown-up and beyond his years in some situations, and then so childlike in most others.
"Of course, I never met her, but I have heard the stories of her travels and read some of the books she left behind when she left the clan. My mother used to..." Hisui's face clouded suddenly, his words faltering. "I mean, the stories about her were always my favorites, because she was so brave and wise," he said in a rush, playing with a blade of grass near his left foot.
'Hm?' It didn't take a genius to pick up on the strain in his voice. 'Did something happen to his mother?' I wondered, but there was no tactful way to ask, considering his agitation. Instead, I tried diverting his attention with another topic, but before I could come up with one, his next words stopped me cold:
"How was Himiko-oba-sama when you parted ways with her, if I might inquire?"
Staring down into my lap, I clenched my hands in my kimono. I could sense him looking at me, hoping for good tidings of his revered aunt. How could I tell him that Taka-sensei was dead, that she had died and I could do nothing to save her? "Hisui-kun, I'm sorry, but..."
"She has died."
I started and turned to look at him. Hisui's grey-and-green eyes were fixed blankly on the blade of grass he had been toying with.
"I'm sorry," I said again, not quite knowing what else to say, "I... two months ago, she got very sick suddenly, and I didn't know how to cure her. I did everything I could, but it didn't help, she just... I couldn't...!" Grief and guilt, as fresh as on that horrible day, constricted my throat. I bowed my head, willing myself not to cry. "I'm sorry, Hisui-kun, I'm so sorry."
We sat there, wordlessly, for some time. The sun, which had been so warm on my back, set behind the house, plunging us into cool twilight.
"She... she is very proud of you, Yuya-dono," Hisui said all of a sudden. His hand rested on mine, squeezing it gently. "That night in Tokubo, you helped so many people, using what she taught you. I have never had the opportunity to witness such compassion and dedication. There is no teacher who would be ashamed of a student like you, who has carried on her legacy."
'That's the second person who's told me to stop feeling sorry for myself,' I thought, the strangest urge to laugh out loud stealing over me, 'Maybe it's time to stop being so stubborn...'
"Yuya-dono...?" Hisui asked worriedly, obviously taking my silence as something disquieting.
"You know, Kyo said pretty much the same thing," I told Hisui, brushing my free hand across my eyes to wipe away any trace moisture before I smiled at him, "I guess I really ought to take good advice when it's given, ne?"
"Kyo-dono said...?" Hisui echoed, probably surprised that Kyo could actually show some sort of empathy.
"Yes," I said, "And you're both right; Taka-sensei was an extraordinary woman and teacher and I'm proud to have learned from her."
Hisui smiled in return. "And one day, you'll be just as good as her!" he pronounced with certainty, clasping my hand between both of his, "Yuya-dono, I...!"
"Hisui-kun, what is it?" I asked as Hisui lowered his face, his words fumbling away into incomprehensible mumbles.
"Yuya-dono, I... ano... you are..."
I leaned in close, trying to make sense of his babbling.
"You are probably quite exhausted from today's journey, would you like me to draw the bath for you?" he blurted suddenly, dropping my hand and leaping to his feet.
"Um... okay," I agreed, blinking at the sudden change in conversation as well as his actions, "Do you want some help?"
"Oh, no, I can ask Migeira-oji-san if I have need of assistance!" he called over his shoulder as he literally sprinted for the house.
'I guess Yukimura's not the only one who's acting oddly today,' I mused as I hefted myself to my feet.
I must have stood up too quickly, because I was suddenly enveloped in a wave of dizziness, my vision going dark for a moment. Wavering on unsteady feet, I would have fallen if someone hadn't been right there to catch me.
"I knew there was a reason I didn't like that brat," Kyo's voice sounded in my ear, "I can't believe that old witch had human relatives."
Glad as I was that he had kept me from falling, I felt strangely outraged (and mortified) that Kyo had been eavesdropping on something that had become quite personal, not only for me, but Hisui as well. "Don't you know it's not polite to spy on people?" I hissed, pulling away from him.
Kyo caught me again just in time. "I told you to lie down if you weren't feeling well," he said sharply, "Why do you have to be so damned stubborn, letting yourself be dragged around by that brat?" I yelped as he suddenly swung me up into his arms, lifting me completely off the ground.
"He didn't drag me around, and I'm not being stubborn!" I retorted, struggling, "As for Hisui, stop calling him a brat; if anyone's being a brat around here, it's you. Now put me down!"
"Stop it or I'll put you over my shoulder," he said, glaring at me.
"You wouldn't dare," I snarled at him.
He certainly dared. "Kyo! Damn you, you perverted asshole, put me down!" I shouted, pounding his back with my fists and kicking with all my might.
"Didn't your beloved Taka-baba say something about healer's healing themselves?" he asked pointedly, ignoring my futile thrashing as he walked back to the house, "Take her advice if you're not going to listen to mine."
"Well, I'm surprised," I remarked sarcastically, giving up on punches and kicks (they weren't doing any good, and besides, I was getting woozy from the blood rushing to my head), "I'd think that after someone thwacks Onime no Kyo across the shins with a walking stick and then advises me to do the same, he wouldn't give one mon for their opinion!"
Bringing up our first, memorable meeting with the woman who would become my sensei probably wasn't the wisest thing to do, considering my position; it certainly wasn't Kyo's favorite memory. I felt Kyo's shoulders tense beneath me, but instead of dumping me on the ground like I seriously thought he would, he ignored me completely and stepped up onto the deck.
"Brat, how long is it going to take you to fill that damned bath?"
"Ano... it will not be long, Kyo-dono," was Hisui's reply. I couldn't see his face (for obvious reasons) but I could tell he was probably staring at Kyo in shock and most likely blushing at the undignified view he had of me. "Migeira-oji-san had the foresight to start filling it some time ago..."
"Fine," Kyo said abruptly, "Go get a change of clothes for Yuya from our room."
"What!" I demanded shrilly, making a serious effort to lever myself up off his shoulder, "I can get my own damn stuff Kyo, so don't you even think...!"
"Ano..." a feminine (and oddly familiar) voice broke in behind me, "Sanada Yukimura-dono asked that I escort you to his house for dinner, but..."
After a strenuous effort that made my clothes and hair more awry than they already were, I managed to push myself up enough to look over my shoulder at the newcomer. "Mahiro-san," I gasped, "what are you doing here?"
-
Narrator here. Blarh – yet again, another difficult chapter to write. This time it was mainly because I was trying to keep Yukimura in character; he's such a complex guy that it is almost too easy to emphasize one aspect of his character to the detriment of all the others.
Yukimura: You flatter me, Narrator-san. (wide grin)
Narrator: (incomprehensible, and most likely vile, muttering)
Yukimura: (wider grin)
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Music for this chapter:
Boccherini's La Musica Notturna delle Strade di Madrid No. 6, Opus 30
Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3, K 216
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Dictionary:
"Okaerinasai" - "Welcome home."
"Tadaima" - "I'm home."
kagemusha – lit. "shadow warrior," but more accurately translated as something like "body-double." As we all know from the anime and the manga, Kousuke masqueraded as her lord, Yukimura, to keep up the illusion that he was still holed up on Kudoyama when he was traveling with Kyo (or doing whatever Yukimura does when he plays hooky.)
Ichigo no Ocha-ya – lit. "Strawberry Teahouse." What can I say, I was having a Tokyo Mew Mew moment... (has brief vision of Yukimura dressed like Ichigo in battle mode) Argh!
Tatami – traditional straw mats used as a floor covering. The dimensions of a room are measured by how many tatami it takes to cover the floor (1 tatmi – 1.8m x .9m, so 8 tatami … I'll let you do the math!)
Avicenna and The Canon of Medicine - Abu 'Ali al-Husayn ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Sina, or Avicenna (as he was known by European Christians) was an 11th century "renaissance" man and physician from Iran, who compiled a landmark five-part encyclopedia (Kitab al-qanun fi al-tibb if you want to use the original title) of the medical knowledge of the time, the Golden Age of the Arab Empire. The first book of the Canon, the al-kulliyat, dealt with general medical principles and was often regarded as a separate text in Europe. The second book is an apothecary, covering simple drugs and the materials necessary to make all sorts of medicine, in alphabetical order. The third is on therapy, arranged in order of the site of the ailment from head to toe, in 22 chapters (funun). The fourth book is on those diseases not restricted to a single part of the body, such as fevers. The final book presents recipes for compound remedies. The knowledge in the Canon was considered so complete that Latin-translated texts of it, especially the first book, were part of the standard reading materials for European medical universities well into the sixteenth century. There are no modern language translations of the complete Canon in existence today.
Angelica, hemlock, ginseng – these herbs all have, or were considered to have, medicinal purposes as they are described.
Additional Sources: A Treatise on the Canon of Medicine of Avicenna O. Cameron Gruner
A Modern Herbal, Vol. 1. M. Grieve
Fordham University Website
To My Reviewers: Thanks once again for all your positive feedback! Unfortunately, as I am graduating this semester, I'm going to have less time to devote to Intermezzo. The updates are going to farther apart and more irregular from here until about June or July. Sorry, but that's how life is… (sniffle!)
Triste1: Glad you liked Hisui – I basically made him out to be Kyo's antithesis, with the anticipation of a tense relationship between them. As him being kinda pitiful... well, remember this is the first time he's ever been in „the real world," so of course he's going to mess up... a lot!
Renara: Okay-be! Glad I got that vote of confidence, 'cuz I am most definitely a Rationalist, so romance is hard to write.
Placid Snowflake: (edges toward silverware drawer) I'm not giving up, so don't worry, but please don't hurt me for not updated as much as I have! (cowers)
Ginny-cry: Salute to a fellow Battousai fan-girl! Heck yeah, Battousai's hot, and Kyo too I suppose, when they... erm, yes, I suppose you get the idea.
animegrl1047: Not counting reviewer replies, about 11 pages, single spaced, Verdana 9 pt. Font, .2 in upper/lower border, .7 left/right borders. It's my standard template, since I print most of what I write, and that's the most cost-saving way of doing it. I have no idea why Akimino-sensei did not have Migeira in the manga, and you're right, he should've been! He actually did have a couple of drawings of Migeira included in the SDK manga artbook though, so I guess he contributed to the character design of the manga? (shrugs)
luna-magic-2005: While I'm not completely innocent of writing off-the-cuff, throw-away SDK fics myself (as you probably know), I'm glad you enjoy my attempt at a serious endeavor. And don't worry about being insulting or blabbery – not like reviews on are supposed to be on the level of book reviews for the NY Times!
Calvin no hoshi: Yeah, I have fun writing that last bit of Largo. (grin) I wanted to show that Kyo has a sense of humor, even if it's twisted and often at the expense of others. As for writing from Yuya's point-of-view, it's actually easier than writing from the third person omniscient, which is how I was going to write this fic. Yuya is a lot like me, so I figure my reaction to a situtation would be much like hers. And according to a lot of the reviews, it seems to be working. Sweet! (capers) P.S. - If you really want to make Narrator happy, leave a review on Statistically Speaking! I'm such a glutton for positive reinforcement (I also have no shame)
Kitsune55: Er, please don't hurt me for saying that I'm not going to be updating as often. And yes, Kyo has more than „heartless bastard" mode. If you're in to character development, expect a lot for him in the near future!
The-Lone-Lemon: Again, no hurties because I won't be updating so often!
Nekozuki1776: You know, you're absolutely right – a team that's going to save the world needs a name. Bugger hell, now I'm going to have to do more research! „How about Yongokusei? Shiraisen?" If you could tell me what those names mean, I'd be more than happy to use them! Of course, now I'm imagining the scenario in which the characters discuss their name… (snickers evilly) Oh, yes, I'll definitely have to write that! The tabi thing was something that popped into my head as I was typing, so I just used it – I'm glad you found it funny. As for Hisui – yep, he's going to be lot's of fun in coming chapters! P.S. – I've done a fanart inspired by your fic, I Would Never Hurt You. You can find it on Mini Tokyo in my gallery, under the member name sylvacoer. (I'd give you the link, but for some reason, isn't letting me copy webpage links onto my submissions)
Starian Princess: To be entirely truthful, I don't have much of a social life, so apart from studying, I can write whole blocks of stories in my head. It's great for writing research papers, but Lord, sometimes when I'm writing my humor fics during a boring lecture, I start giggling to myself and thus earn weird stares from my classmates (those who are still awake at least). Glad you likie!
LadyWater2010: Yeah, but why do growing pains have to be so hard, gundammit! (sniffle) Thank you for all your encouraging words.
Arin Ross/Arain Rowan: (slurps her sweet hot chai) Ah, yes! The world would be a sadder place without tea. The thing about cattail pollen is from research I've done on traditional Chinese medicine. I really don't know for certain, as I've never tried it myself, but then I'm not an herbalist. P.S. – Good luck on your story!
Bedeviled Temptress: Thank you for your resounding endorsement! I'll try to keep it up, but research for my other classes might interfere with the depth into which I write about 17th century Japanese history…
Vegita-dias: As Yuya observed in Andante Espressivo, any declarations of love on Kyo's part or outpourings of intemperate praise would probably be regarded as symptoms of some horrific disease; as for Yuya herself, she still has some issues as to guarding her heart from those who could hurt it (even Kyo, whom she trusts completely). I'm going to have to play with that dimension of their relationship further now; thanks for bringing it up!
Salute!
