And then a sound echoed across the lake, causing Rin to turn instinctively toward them. She bit her lower lip when she realized that that sound had come from Oyakata-sama's palm hitting Sesshoumaru-sama's face. Her heart raced, and before she could see what would happen next, one of the camp soldiers put his hand on her shoulder and pulled her gently into the camp. This all prevented Rin from finishing watching whatever was going on in that argument between father and son... in which she was the subject.
She turned her attention to the youkai with long black hair.
He had a friendly smile on his lips and his eyes had a dark brown tint with small green flecks in his irises. She couldn't remember seeing him at the camp.
Besides he was the only youkai who had touched her since she arrived there, except for Touga-sama.
"Certain things are not to be seen, Rin-chan," he advised her wisely as he led her to the main tent. All the soldiers were hurrying around them, storing leftover weapons and cloth in large wooden boxes, along with food and furniture and decorative objects. The Shogun's tent was now the only one standing there, but the fire inside was still burning. She felt her cheeks blush at what that youkai was saying. He knew that she was spying on them. "A family argument never has an easy solution, various resentments and problems come to the surface at such times. Best to leave them alone."
His voice was so soft that it sounded like that expensive fabric that geishas wore in the height of winter.
She couldn't remember its name, however.
"Oyakata-sama told me to gather my belongings," she began looking around after entering the tent, with that youkai walking behind her almost silently. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I know you...I'm not sure I've seen you around here."
She noticed that the youkai's clothing was different than the armor the soldiers in the camp wore. There was a symbol of a leafy tree in a gold brooch on his heavy haori in earthy tones.
"Different youkai clans?" she reflected, confused. Even the style of the stitching on the fabrics of his robes appeared different from the men who belonged to the Shogun's clan.
"Katsura Yasuo is my name," he answered quickly, crossing his arms and watching the girl collect the basket with her belongings in the corner of the tent. "I am one of the Shogun's advisors in Edo and a youkai leader of some northern clans. In view of some rather predictable circumstances, Touga-sama thought it best to leave you under my care in Edo rather than in the imperial castle."
Rin blinked a few times, widening her eyes as she understood what this meant. Before she could think of anything else, she bowed deeply as a sign of respect.
It was that youkai who would be responsible for her.
"I promise to be as helpful as I can to Katsura-sama," she murmured. "If Katsura-sama needs someone to do anything, anything at all, I will make an effort."
An amused smile took over the youkai's lips, and he laughed immediately afterwards, making her blush. There was something about the way he smiled that was charming, making the girl feel slightly shy. He smiled with his eyes, if that made sense.
"Then we have to think of a function that Rin-chan knows how to do very well," he proposed with remnants of the smile still on his face. "What do you like to do most?"
She grimaced thoughtfully, resting her bony index finger on her lips. For a brief moment she realized that the gleam in Katsura-sama's eyes had changed dramatically, although she could not explain how. Just as it had appeared, it disappeared.
"I don't know...," she replied in surprise at her own conclusion, widening her eyes in profound strangeness of what she had witnessed a few seconds ago. What was it that she had seen in Katsura-sama? Was it intuition or youkais reflexes that she didn't understand? "...but I like to feel the grass on my feet when I get the chance, I guess."
Katsura-sama nodded, looking thoughtful.
Rin was still immersed in the weird shape that the youkai's eyes had taken for milliseconds. Youkais, as far as she could tell, possessed different characteristics when compared to humans, so it was quite difficult to discern what was common and unusual when one knew so little about them.
"It could be that the gardener on my property is in need of helpers," he commented good-humoredly, smiling immediately afterwards. "If you have sewing skills, or are interested, you could be of great help to my wife. The Shogun has asked me for this favor and I will do it. Since my family and I live outside the castle in Edo, some humans are part of our routine and this is the environment a human should live in. Remember, Rin-chan, humans should live with humans. In time we may even find a husband for you, but until then you will have to adapt to Edo. You must learn everything a good city girl can do, like reading, writing, sewing, and managing numbers."
Her heart beat fast at the prospect of being able to have a life like that. She always watched the wives of the men of the city when she spent a full night in the dark alleys where the comfort women used to stay. When the first rays of sunlight reached the horizon, they would leave their homes with their children, taking them to classes or doing household chores like gardening or sewing.
It was a dream to think that one could have a life like that.
"Katsura-sama and Oyakata-sama have my eternal gratitude," she whispered with tears pooling in her eyes, emotional. It was hard to avoid this kind of feeling when each day was a greater challenge than the last, not knowing if she would feed herself or even return home alive.
Katsura-sama nodded slightly, but her countenance became more and more serious as the seconds passed.
"Before we go to Edo, I'm going to give you some advice... or rather, two pieces of advice," he announced reflexively, seriously. "When we arrive in Edo, you will pretend to be unaware of Touga-sama and Sesshoumaru-sama. For all intents and purposes, my wife has chosen you to help with the house, and it will be on my property that you will spend much of your time. The less involved in the palace intrigues, the longer your life will be."
Rin nodded in agreement.
"Edo must be a nightmare," she reflected, swallowing dryly.
"The second advice, on the other hand...," Katsura-sama paused, as if pausing to listen to something. Rin looked around, having no idea what the youkai in front of her could pick up with her keen youkai senses. "...Stay away from Sesshoumaru-sama."
That didn't make the slightest sense to her...unless...
"But, Katsura-sama...," she began quickly, not understanding. "...What did Sesshoumaru-sama do that angered Oyakata-sama? Is this why Katsura-sama says for me to stay away?"
The youkai in front of him shrugged.
"Sesshoumaru-sama and the Shogun do not have a peaceful coexistence, as you must have realized, so you don't have to blame yourself for the misunderstanding they had," he replied simply, and before turning his back for the girl to finish getting ready for the trip, he cast her a look as if he knew much more than he wanted to talk "It may not seem like it, but a large majority of youkais consider human life insignificant. Sesshoumaru-sama is the voice that represents them in Edo."
(...)
Contrary to what she had previously thought, Oyakata-sama did not accompany her on her journey through the mountains to Edo. At evening the Shogun entered the main tent of the camp to bid her a quick farewell, handing her a small package when it was just the two of them in the tent. She was awestruck when his skinny fingers opened the layers of fabric, revealing flowers carved from colorful jewels she didn't even know the name of. The light coming from the flames inside the tent reflected on those precious stones, shining between her fingers.
They were the same jewels that Izayoi-sama decorated his kanzashi.
Tears came into her eyes, making Touga-sama smile with a certain calmness that conveyed what Rin wanted to know. Hime-sama was alive. She knew it. The weight of grief could no longer be seen on the Shogun's shoulders. The wrinkles that were once there, pronounced and deepened by grief, could barely be seen.
"She asked me to give this to you," he informed her as if talking to a lost child, and as much as that was how she felt, it still sounded strange to her ears. No one had ever cared about her before, not in this way. "Don't hesitate to sell if you run into trouble. The address and name of who can buy is written down on the cloth."
Biting her lower lip to hold back the tears, she nodded as tears ran down her cheeks freely. So Sesshoumaru-sama was telling the truth. The relief that flooded her heart was indescribable, both because she had survived and because of the burden of feeling guilty. Hime-sama had only come out onto the balcony and exposed herself like that to talk to her.
"As soon as she recovers, I will take you for a visit," whispered Touga-sama so softly that it was hard even for her, who was standing nearby, to discern what those words meant. As the girl understood the content, she could no longer hold back the sobs in her throat. Hime-sama was alive, just as Sesshoumaru-sama had said earlier.
Inari-sama knew what she was doing.
"But... how...?" she asked, incredulous. She had seen the kunai hit her full in the chest. "How is it possible...?"
Touga-sama could not help a smile from his lips and his golden eyes filled with relief.
"That is a secret that, who knows, one day she will reveal to you personally," he replied with a wink. "Katsura-san will take good care of you, Rin-chan. Stay out of trouble."
And so, with a serene air around him, as if satisfied that his plans were proceeding successfully, Touga-sama disappeared into the darkness of that cold autumn night. It wasn't long before soldiers bearing the insignia of Katsura-sama's clan appeared in front of the camp led by their leader, leading her to an ordinary wagon made of wood, the kind you would easily find in town. There was a layer of cloth on the back, which she later found out was to protect her during the trip. When two soldiers put her inside, and one of them took the reins of the horses, Rin understood that she would not go to Edo accompanying Oyakata-sama and his trusted men.
She shook her head, feeling foolish. Of course they would do their best to make sure that no one would suspect their presence, and especially their company. As they climbed the mountains, the night grew chilly, and before she could look in the wagon for a blanket, one of the soldiers handed her a basket. Rin bowed slightly, realizing that there were several blankets piled up to keep her from getting any colder than she should have been. A grateful smile played on her lips, making her heart warm even in the freezing autumn breeze.
"Next winter is going to be tricky," she heard one of Katsura-sama's soldiers remarks to the other who was manning the reins of the horses. Rin opened all the blankets, many of them with fabrics so thick they looked like carpets from those exclusive stores in town, and threw herself under them, pretending not to hear the conversation of the other two. "These villages in this region have no food reserves after the rains this summer, from what I have heard in the city. The human Daimyo of these lands will have a hard time maintaining power without Touga-sama's help."
Rin lay down in the back of the wagon under several layers of blankets, hugging something fluffy that looked like a pillow. She never thought she could acquire one of these in her entire life, and even though she was still in a wagon, that was a million times more comfortable than her crooked little house on the outskirts of the village.
"Fushizu Takeru is his name," the second soldier began, correcting him. "He may be human, but he has some youkai allies. I heard that the Hirano, that youkai clan from the mountains, are offering their youngest daughter for a possible mix between youkai and human. A hanyou."
Hanyou.
That was a new word for her.
The other soldier let out a noise of surprise, then laughed.
"If Sesshoumaru-sama gets wind of this, there will be neither mountain clan nor human Daimyo," he commented amusedly, without hiding his contempt. Rin was left wondering what in fact a hanyou was to deserve gratuitous hatred from people who had been good to her.
"If they keep the hanyou hidden, it's okay even for Sesshoumaru-sama," objected the other soldier, who was handling the reins of the horses. "The problem with hanyous is when they want to take our youkai places, being that they are not part of our society or the humans. As long as they are living in their caves and wherever else, it's their problem. As much as they are weak, they are still stronger than humans and that creates a problem."
The conversation was interesting. Rin had little idea what hanyous were, although she needed to confirm with someone.
"Do you think it is very difficult to breed a hanyou?" one of them asked, chatting as if Rin even existed in the back of that wagon, genuinely distracted.
"Who knows?" replied the soldier, shrugging. "If it were easy, we'd already have an army of hanyous marching around Edo, I guess. A lot of youkais like to keep a human around."
And then the conversation moved on to other topics, from memories of the time they were recruits in the south, apparently a few hundred years ago, to gossips about unknown youkais in Edo. A youkai would marry the youkai heiress from somewhere, but one day she caught the groom with his best friend in a compromising position. A human, a maid of a great Hime-sama of Edo, was convicted of theft, although everyone knew that the Hime-sama was hurt by not having her feelings reciprocated by the maid.
Until her eyelids grew heavier as the soldiers talked and laughed about various topics, giving a certain air of normality to all the tales, many of them absurd, that entered her ears. Before going to sleep, she recalled Sesshoumaru-sama's words when she first met him.
"He said that Edo was no place for humans," she reflected nervously. She was afraid to say that, after listening to all that talk, he was right.
(...)
After a few days and nights of travel, now used to the chatter of the two youkais who looked after her during the journey, the landscape began to change as they descended the mountains towards the sea. From the top of the last mountain Rin managed to catch a glimpse of the blue horizon shining under the sun's rays on that icy morning. It was much more impressive than she had previously thought or imagined. The waves were crashing against the rocks violently, echoing all along the shore, while several fishing boats were returning to the beach. What had once been a forest now gave way to the outskirts of a city without walls, as if the surrounding villages had developed to the point where they blended together.
Most of them were human, from what she could spy through the fabric covering the back of the wagon. Several little wooden houses, slightly different from the ones she used to see in the walled city of Fushizu-dono, were piled up along the streets the wagon traveled. Every now and then he heard Katsura-sama's soldiers greeting someone quickly outside. Looking around slightly uneasy, the girl understood that they were arriving at their destination. Her heart began to beat faster at the prospect of starting a new life.
She had promised herself that she would not be a dead weight for Katsura-sama's family. She would help them with everything in her power in gratitude.
In the distance it was possible to see a large palace surrounded by the highest walls she had ever seen in her life. It was too far away to have details, although an entire city surrounded that impressive building. As the wagon got closer, the easier it became for Rin to discern the symbols and insignia hanging and carved throughout the streets. It was the same waning moon she had seen in Oyakata-sama's camp, being the symbol of his imperial family, the Taishou. She swallowed hard, feeling her legs trembling for a few moments.
It was intimidating to see the extent of their influence, and yet they were the ones who had the empathy to give her a second chance.
"We're arriving," warned one of Katsura-sama's soldiers as he looked back, locating her with his watchful eyes. "Organize your belongings, girl. We will arrive at Katsura-sama's estate soon."
Rin nodded readily, folding all the blankets and placing them in one of the straw baskets she had been given. When she turned her attention to the outside, she noticed that several walls divided the city, frowning trying to understand that concept of a city. Usually the walls were around it, not in the middle of it.
One of the soldiers seemed to have understood what she was observing.
"Edo is divided by hierarchies," he explained patiently, even though it wasn't his obligation, but in all those days they had traveled together, it was inevitable that they would hold conversations about who they were, where they came from, and where they were going. Besides being a way to pass the time, they turned out to be friendlier than the vast majority of the humans she had met in her life. "There are human villages around that are not part of the city, but Edo really begins when you enter the first walls of the city. There are three different zones. The first is dedicated to the humans who live and work there, the second is a mixed area between humans and youkais, like me and my friend here. The third zone is exclusive to youkais and aristocracy, like the Shogun and Sesshoumaru-sama."
"Never walk unaccompanied in the second and third zone, girl," advised the other soldier. "It's dangerous for a female human."
Rin nodded obediently. She hadn't asked for an explanation, but since they wanted to give it, all the better.
"So...," she began thoughtfully. "...Katsura-sama and family live in the second zone, right?"
"Right," one of them confirmed. "If you are wearing the Katsura clan insignia, nothing will happen to you, but be smart. Don't walk alone after dark."
Rin nodded again, then looked around. All the people passing by seemed involved in their own affairs, some of them clearly youkais with their powerful attire and jewelry. Then a doubt arose in her thoughts.
"We are in the first zone still, right?" he made sure with them, who immediately nodded. "I see youkais circulating around here. Does that mean they can come and go, but humans have limited access to the second and third zone?"
"Exactly," one of them replied. "Youkais can go to the first zone if they have interest, however if something happens to any humans, they will have to face the consequences."
"But what if something happens to a human in the second or third zone?" asked Rin, puzzled.
The two soldiers looked at each other.
"That is why it is advisable that you do not walk alone after dark," one of them replied simply as they crossed the large gates of the walls that divided the first zone from the second, revealing much more luxurious and dazzling structures than the previous circle. "I'm sure Katsura-sama will make arrangements for your servants to have protection, but warning is never too much. Be mindful, don't talk to strangers, honor our clan and our leader."
A smile filled his lips.
"Yes, sir!" she exclaimed excitedly, making the two soldiers laugh.
The wagon stopped in front of a large estate surrounded by ancient trees on a long avenue surrounded by cherry trees. It was perhaps the widest avenue she had ever seen in her entire life, and the most beautiful. Even though it was not cherry blossom season, you could still see the impact of those old trees, which were probably there before that city. Beautiful, leafy trees. One of the soldiers got down from the wagon, greeted other youkais for a few moments, and turned his attention to the girl, offering her a hand to help her down.
When Rin placed her geta on the stone floor, she noticed that five youkais with insignias of Katsura-sama's clan were surrounding her, studying her with a certain confusion in their gaze. Not knowing how to act, she bowed before them.
"This is our Hime-sama's new human maid," explained the soldier who had been driving the wagon for all those days, although Rin didn't know their names.
By the time the girl realized it, she was being guided by these youkais inside the estate, passing through an elaborate flower garden that made her eyes sparkle in admiration. There were so many plants that she had never even laid eyes on in her life, making her curiosity piqued. Three of the five youkais who welcomed her outside accompanied her, until a female voice reached her ears. Her steps were hurried and delicate, and when Rin raised her eyes to observe who it was that was coming toward her, a youkai in an opulent hikizuri and a kanzashi decorated with ribbons and jewelry appeared in her field of vision.
"You must be Rin-chan," she spoke smiling, good-naturedly. Rin felt her cheeks flush with the happiness that radiated from that woman, then noticed that her obi was intentionally loose. That was why she had been called to help Katsura-sama, his wife was pregnant. Her light brown hair and greenish eyes were similar to those of her husband, who was right behind her, indicating that they probably belonged to the same youkai clan. She had learned a lot by listening to the conversation of the soldiers in the last few days. "Katsura-san, she took her time but she's here."
Katsura-sama opened a welcoming smile, standing next to his wife in front of the main house of the luxurious mansion.
"Welcome, Rin-chan," he spoke amiably as Rin bowed her usual bow in a show of respect. "We were concerned about the delay, but we youkais are used to faster travel. Human methods of travel are too slow."
"How was the trip?" asked Katsura-sama's wife, the Hime-sama of that clan. She seemed nice, but a little tired. Rin knew that pregnant women had trouble sleeping because of their bellies, but never thought that youkais might feel the same way. "I hope our soldiers have been kind to you."
"They were very kind, Hime-sama," the girl replied politely, just as the two soldiers who had accompanied her on that trip had instructed her earlier. They had said that Katsura-sama's wife was gentle and good-natured, but that she liked to have hierarchies respected. "Thank you for caring."
"You can call me Yui-sama," she spoke, cracking a smile and quickly turning to her husband. "I liked her, anata. She needs to eat a little more, but that will be easy to fix."
"Good," Katsura-sama spoke at last. "My wife's maids will show you the quarters in which you sleep, Rin-chan. Rest for today, unpack your things, tomorrow you will be called in the morning to help with the garden."
Rin nodded once more, bowing deeply before following one of the maids into the mansion, until she discovered that this maid was in fact the housekeeper of the whole place. Before entering the place, she turned her attention to the couple behind her, who were still talking to the three remaining youkais who had stayed there.
It was a very different life from what she was used to.
It seemed like a life that people could be... happy. It was strange to think that such a possibility existed.