The Nightly arrangement – Epilogue
It had been another foggy morning in the land, and unusually quiet. There was something about not being able to see into the distance, something so intriguing… Ginko loved it. In all the years he'd drifted and all the years he would yet drift he never tired of the natural world. It was beautiful in so many ways, none of which conflicted with or diminished the other.
He soon came across a clearing, followed by a field and a few shacks. The fog was starting to dissipate; the town was in his memory. Taking the open roads now bustling with activity, he kept his eyes peeled for a familiar face. He didn't find it. Deciding to break his route, he headed for the northern edge of the city and looked up the mountain.
Before he had a chance to climb he found what he was looking for. Shauni was so busy splitting wood and so deep in thought that she didn't hear him approach until he was almost behind her.
"Hey…"
She recognized him at once. How many other white haired mushi-shi were there in the world?
"Ginko! Hi."
"Hi."
"Where have you been… I mean, what's happened in the three… four years since you left?"
"Plenty… plenty." He allowed a few seconds of silence to interrupt. "What's happened with you?"
Shauni dropped her axe and sat down on the tree stump she'd been using as a platform. Ginko couldn't help but notice – she'd aged. After a sigh, she said, "It didn't work. My husband is worse than ever. Even when he sleeps he wakes up drained every morning. Kahazuke has been spending much time and effort to find another one of those things… maybe the damage can be undone."
She then requested his stay; Ginko refused. "I've been called urgently to a town miles to the west and I'm already behind schedule. I don't know where I'll be after that. Besides… there's nothing I could do that Kahazuke can't. If he can't find a way, neither can I."
They exchanged a few more words before Ginko announced his departure.
"So," she said with a desperate sort of smile, "it looks like you were right."
Ginko stared back gravely before making an indifferent grunting noise that almost anyone else would have misunderstood.
"I'm sorry things didn't work out," he said. They exchanged farewells, and never saw crossed paths again.