We kept walking towards Edo but now, Koan was keeping his fox form. Even if Haruhi was better now, he kept carrying her on his back and she was sleeping there, allowing us to walk faster and longer. Maybe we should have done that from the start. I was mad at Mika and ignoring her most of the time but she didn't seem affected by it. She was still kind, still leading the way and still bringing back her hunt to us for our meals. For her, what happened at the inn didn't matter, the situation between the two of us wasn't awkward and the guilt was totally absent. I wished I could feel the same. I had fully understood that the trick she played on me was only natural to her and that it didn't mean that she was evil, no. She just had a morality different from mine. That wasn't excusing her behaviour to me but it was helping me comprehend. To her, it was comparable to the desire to hunt or run or... catch the snowflakes with her tongue. She wanted to do it so she did it. Life was too short, as she told me...
I think I was even more mad at myself than I was at her. I didn't even notice when she bewitched me. I was outside with her, tea in hand, and the second later, she was riding me. I couldn't remember any events between these two moments. How did she do it ? I had no idea and that was driving me crazy. Apart from her word, which had no value since it was a fox's promise, I had no insurance she wouldn't try again and I had no way to prevent her from it. I always had a sharp mind and I could notice when people were lying to me or if their intentions were wicked. And I got bewitched that easily... It was driving me crazy...
Next to me, the giant fox was walking without making any sounds, Haruhi sleeping under a blanket on his back, her tiny hands holding to the fur and her mouth agape. Mika was absent, she went ahead to get a full understanding of the tracks.
« You're sure she's not a bother, Yasha-san ? » I asked Koan.
« She's better here. » he replied without looking at me « it's warm, she can rest... and I'm feeling better in my actual body anyway for traveling. Mika would be better with it too. I don't know why she keeps scouting with her human form... »
I don't really care what would be best for Mika. She's a damn witch.
Speaking of the devil, Mika came near us, stepping out of the forest.
« I have good news and bad news. » she said.
You're bad news.
I waited for her to explain, silent. I haven't been talking to her since our last talk at the campfire and I wasn't eager to start again.
« Good news : Kazama isn't in Edo. He stopped before and is closer to us. We should reach him very soon. »
That's relieving. Chizuru is near...
« Bad news : He's in Hakone. »
Fuck.
Hakone. That meant we had no other choice than to get back on the Tokaido road and to pass the Hakone Sekicho, the checkpoint. With all the imperialists we avoided lately, I had no doubt that the checkpoint was already in their hands. If the SatCho was there, that could explain Kazama's presence. Him and Amagiri had been fighting alongside the Satsuma clan in Kyoto.
« Can we go through the checkpoint unnoticed, Yasha-san ? » I asked her, throat dry at the idea of speaking to her.
« I think, in regard to the circumstances, you can call me Mika now. » she said with a smile.
« I'd rather not. » I replied coldly.
« So resentful... » she sighed as if I was the one disrespectful.
I waited silently, not willing to repeat myself.
« You know what Hakone looks like right ? » she asked eventually and I nodded, well aware « it's mountainous with a single walking trail practicable and the Sekicho is right in the middle of it. We have no way to avoid it.
« Can you hide us, Yasha-san ? » I asked Koan.
« I can hide the both of you but I can't hide us. Foxes aren't affected by illusions. There are limits to my power. » he said.
« No way Koan gets near this checkpoint. » said Mika firmly « I will not put him in such danger. »
I took a moment to think. There probably was a way for me to get through... But I couldn't leave Haruhi here and I needed Mika to help me find Kazama. We all needed to go... There surely was another way...
« How far is the Sekicho ? » I asked Mika.
« About half an hour if we walk fast. » she answered « but we're not going. »
« I am. » I replied. « I'll scout and come back. Maybe I can find a flaw. »
Haruhi, who had woken up by the conversation, was looking at me with frightened eyes.
« Don't leave me... » she pleaded.
« You stay with Koan. » I ordered « the Sekicho will be too dangerous for you. You do not have any training as a spy and you'll be easily spotted, putting the both of us in danger. »
She nodded grudgingly and I started walking, Mika on my tracks.
« That is also valid for you, Yasha-san. » I objected.
« Maybe you'll need help. You never know. Don't worry, I'll be discreet. » she said with a smile.
I don't want your help.
I stared at her but she just stared back and I started walking with her following me. I didn't care. If she was to put herself in danger, I wouldn't move a finger to come to her aid. Now that I knew Kazama was in Hakone, I didn't need her as much.
« Are you gonna pout long ? » she asked me abruptly.
I'm not pouting. I just hate you.
« Usually, when I take a man, I don't keep him around that long but seeing you looking at me with contempt all the time isn't really pleasant. » she added with a sigh and a sulky pout, crossing her arms.
Well, being tricked and realizing you had sex with a filthy animal isn't really pleasant either.
« And to think I tried to be nice... » she continued and I lost control.
« Nice ?! » I hissed, grabbing her collar and shaking her « you took control of me and forced me into something I had no desire in ! I don't know why my sword isn't already in you neck, witch ! »
And now maybe I'm gonna get a fox of a son !
She pouted like a little girl and she really looked sorry. I guess it was the first time a man rebelled against her behaviour.
« But... I made you wake up and I took your wife's appearance so you could enjoy a moment with her... I thought it was a nice gesture since you're loving her... » she grumbled.
How can she not understand that it is irrelevant ? She's not Chizuru, no matter what face she uses. And it's the opposite of a nice gesture. It makes things so difficult...
I tightened my hand on her collar and gritted my teeths. I never hurt a woman before but that wasn't really a woman, was it ? Maybe I could feel better if I threw my fist in her face. Mika wasn't detaching her silver gaze from mine, waiting. She seemed so innocent that it was unsettling. No matter what I could do or say, she couldn't understand and that was hard for me. It was making me feel like my anger wasn't legitimate. I let go of her and kept walking, trying to calm myself down. She followed without another word, respecting my wish not to talk.
We got to the Sekicho faster than planned and hid, looking at the flow of travelers. As expected, the gates were in the hands of the Satsuma with their kamon flag dancing in the mountain wind. The flow of people going through the gates was impressive but we couldn't hide in it. The soldiers were checking every traveler individually, even the women and children, opening every bag and confiscating every sword if their bearer didn't have a pass. The gate's prison was full with people and they were building another one, near, to continue their arrests. I never saw the gate so defended before. Mika was right, there was no way we could go through it unnoticed.
« Are you sure Chizuru's here ? » I asked her grudgingly.
« I don't know. » she whispered, « I never met her, I don't know her smell. But I'm positive that Kazama's in Hakone village, behind these gates. »
« She smells of spices. » I tried but Mika just chuckled.
« I'm afraid this can't help me. When you smell spices, I smell a lot more than that. It's not enough for me to identify a person. »
We kept watching the gates and I tried to decipher the rounds of the guards, the moment they changed, their duties, their number of guns and their talent in swordfighting. I didn't notice that someone had sneaked up on us before I got a violent pain in the head and lost consciousness.