Kayo was thankful for the change of scenery. Cities had been littered with terrible acts of human tyranny, but the stretches of forest were a peaceful contrast. She was beginning to understand why the medicine seller acted so indifferent towards people. Hearing all the atrocities that people could commit was hard, and Kayo was still having trouble separating herself from it. Perhaps he had become jaded after listening to their stories.
Yet he wasn't completely emotionless. He had been worried about her, asking if she wanted to continue on. Kayo had considered for a moment, what if she hadn't continued on with him. The idea flew through her mind as she'd stared at the fan in her hand. What would she do? She never really found her place in the world, but she felt like she was actually getting better at this medicine peddling business. Learning some wards and yokai certainly helped in the secondary job.
She stared at his back as they scaled the mountain in the forest path. It didn't take long for her to reason her place was here, helping relieve mononoke of their suffering and trying to make a good sale to eat more bean sprouts and ramen once in awhile.
The cooler mountain air gave way to an intriguing scent of salt and warmth. "Is that…"
"An onsen," the medicine seller indicated the building ahead of them nestled in the forest. "This mountain is known for its secluded hot springs. We are here for business."
Kayo groaned. "I really wanted to soak my legs." She wasn't quite used to hiking up mountains. The summer heat wasn't exactly helping either.
A slight smirk tugged at the edges of his lips. There was business to attend first and foremost. Onsen were often in the business of expensive teas, creams, and salves. They could potentially earn a large amount of money with this visit. A dip into the hot springs after the sale wasn't entirely out of the question.
But something else had enticed him. There was a supernatural scent in the air. The mountain did have rumors of yokai roaming about. Perhaps there was something non-human that wished to bathe in the onsen as well.
The medicine seller offered a deep, polite bow at the side door of the onsen.
"A medicine seller! How delightful," the lady at the door beckoned him and Kayo in. "We've been a little low on supplies. I'm sure Lady Ama will be happy to see you both."
The pair followed the lady into the back passage ways of the onsen in the house shoes offered to them. Kayo longed to simply go dip in the springs, but the mention that the springs were low on supplies had enticed her for the moment. A large purchase would do both of them good for their current and future travels. The mahjong parlor had paid them hush money to never speak of the trafficking ring, but those funds were now stretching thin.
"Lady Ama, I've brought a pair of medicine sellers," the lady introduced them.
Within the back room was a woman in a decorative blue kimono with her sleeves pulled back as she wrote documents detailing purchases of each visitor. She peered up, inviting the medicine seller and Kayo in. "What perfect timing. Come. What salves do you have?"
The pair offered a polite bow. The medicine seller placed the chest on the floor next to the table as he curled his legs underneath him. "Many." Hooking a finger around the handle of the middle drawer, he pulled out a few containers to set them on the table. He was familiar with what an onsen typically liked. "These are popular among onsens."
"We like to pride ourselves as a unique experience," Ama informed him.
"I see." He'd barely removed the lid of the first one, setting it back on the table. "Perhaps something custom made."
"You can do that?" Ama questioned, strangely surprised.
The medicine seller grinned just slightly. "Perhaps you simply have not encountered a good medicine seller. Miss Kayo, would you pull an herb or flower you would consider a unique scent?"
Kayo hadn't expected him to request her opinion. She didn't know much about what an onsen really liked, but Ama did say unique. She'd spent a great deal of time as a servant of an upper class house then some time as an inn maiden for that candle inn. She knew what sort of things fancy ladies liked.
She pulled out one of the drawers, handing him a wrap of dried flowers. "Peony, the sweet scent of summer."
Taking the cloth, he unfolded it and presented the contents for Ama to sniff.
Ama breathed deeply. "Peonies have such a lovely scent. I never once thought of using them in salves! Definitely would like some peony salve. Perhaps another scent or two."
Kayo had to think for a moment as she stared at the drawer. Peony was an easy choice. It was so fragrant and pleasant. She thought of a few others like cherry blossoms or wisteria. Even orange seemed like a good scent. But perhaps she could use some of the knowledge she learned on their travels to really drive in the sale.
Reaching into the drawer, she pulled out another fragrant wrap. "Ginger," she offered it to the medicine seller. "It can help reduce swelling and it has a good scent."
Ama sniffed the ginger root, considering Kayo's words. "Practical and a pleasant scent. This could certainly make us unique. Please make a large batch of both! We'll need to discuss teas as well."
…
He'd slid the paper door facing the forest open as he worked, the cicadas and crickets singing in their nightly choral war. The moon was nearly full, hanging low between the trees and partially obscured with the steam of the nearby hot springs. The lady of the springs had been rather generous with the room, offering it to both of them for their work overnight. He couldn't complain. The lady had requested a rather large order that would take time but also yield a high payment.
He refused the offer to bathe in the hot springs, preferring to tend to his work and leaving Kayo to relieve her tired legs within the warm waters. He could hear a bird yokai, a yosuzume, calling out in the night as it warned travelers that its partner wolf yokai may be roaming about. As he was inside and not traveling, the warning meant little. The yokai's song just sounded like another bird in the nightly chorus.
Kayo slid the door open, rubbing a towel over her long hair as she entered in white onsen yukata. "Are you sure you don't want to take a bath? I can handle the salves."
"I'm fine," he refused the offer.
"You know, I really can make the salves now!" Kayo puffed up.
He simply pulled the second bowl from the drawer and set it beside him. It was hardly that he didn't trust her to create the salves. He knew well she was capable of mixing after the lessons he'd taught her.
She puffed her lips out, staring at the bowl. Well that answered that. He just didn't want to take a dip in the hot springs for some reason. Probably had something to do with that mysteriousness about him. Perhaps he hid something underneath the kimono that would mark him as not being completely human, whatever he was. She really had no idea.
She twisted her hair back, wrapping it into a bun and securing it with a hair stick. "I heard some strange rumors in the springs," she mentioned as she settled down to work with the second bowl.
Well that caught his attention. "Oh~?"
If nothing else, she knew he loved to gossip as much as she did. "Apparently some of the guests turned gluttonous earlier today."
"Onsen can make guests relax a bit too much," the medicine seller mused.
"Oh no, more than that," Kayo clarified. "Apparently they started eating everything in sight, even straight tea leaves and salves!"
"That is rather silly," he commented.
"It is!" Kayo agreed. "The girls who ate the salves didn't remember doing it. The weirdest craving I've ever heard of. I hope it's not something in the water."
He turned towards the door, hearing a sudden commotion brewing over the nightly chorus. "What a curious noise." Setting the bowl down on the tatami, he stood up, padding over to the door and sliding it open. In the hallway were two guests, a man and a woman, quarreling.
"This is my rice ball! You can't have it!" the man hissed.
"You're so mean, Toshi!" the woman screeched back at him. "Share the rice ball with me!"
The medicine seller hardly concerned himself with the affairs of others, but the so-called rice ball at the center of the quarrel wasn't a rice ball at all. As the man reeled back in anger, the medicine seller grasped his arm. He leaned over a bit, speaking quietly into the man's ear. "The rice ball is a rock."
The pair snapped to attention suddenly with bewildered expressions plastered on their faces.
"What… what are we doing out here?" the man asked. "We didn't bother you, did we?"
The medicine seller shook his head, taking the rock from the man's hand.
"It's late," the woman shrugged. "We should get to bed. Sorry about this!"
Kayo stared as the pair scampered off. "Weird."
"Indeed," the medicine seller agreed, staring at the rock for a moment. He turned sharply, finding Ama standing behind him with a man at her side.
"What in the world?" Ama questioned.
"I believe you may have," the medicine seller replied, glancing over his shoulder at the pair scampering off to their room, "a mononoke."
...
Author's musings
And here Kayo thought that a hot springs would just be a nice change of pace. But is it ever just a simple sale, is it? Definitely not when you're in a sacred yokai forest hot spring. I wonder what kind of mononoke causes people to eat rocks. Must be a strange one indeed.
