Kurasa no Moribito

Guardian of the Darkness

Chapter 11

No need to say "Goodbye"

Even though Alika was still a bit sick, her fever had gone down. She wanted to help Yuka with the "food drive"; this action was to give non-perishable food to the poorest families in Kanbal. They would pass over Yonsa territory; at least, a third of it. Yuka had given permission to Alika to be able to direct the big draft horse that carried the food donations. She also showed her how to control it with the bridles.

The weather was mild and the wind has dropped. It was a nice day. Around noon, Balsa finished going to the last house and got back in the wagon.

"It makes me happy to see them so… eh…" Alika seemed to look for her words.

"Cheerful?" Balsa tried.

"Yes! And happy."

"It's true."

"Where are we going to spend the Holidays?"

"Yuka reserved a large room, and invited many families from Yonsa territory. Amaya's family is among them."

"Oh, cool!"

The Holiday season finally arrived. Alika was very happy to be able to go to the party and mingle with the guests. Yuka had organized many activities, and divided people into teams. The children were together, apart from the grownups.

Alika teamed up with Amaya, Akiro and...

"Not Shozen-the-jealous!" She was half horrified.

"Hey!" He frowned. "You don't even want to see me! I haven't seen you since you fell in the river and you're saying you don't want to see me!"

"Hmm… Then, maybe we could fight again?"

"N-no!" he replied quickly, his cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

The competitions would begin after a good and a big festive meal. All the families had contributed to, bringing their own cooked food, suppers and desserts included in. There was goat cheese, meat, lossos, stew and vegetables. Alika greatly preferred soup and meat, although she liked to taste everything.

"Since the Giving Ceremony took place this year, Kanbal is now prospering," one of the adults said. "That's why we have such a festive holiday season!"

Shozen continued to brag about his exploits. He said very often to Alika, "You should have seen...", or "If you would've been there..." and looked at her with pride. Amaya grew more and more annoyed by him and took Alika by the arm. She glued herself against her, wanting to take her away to escape Shozen.

"We need to have to stick together!" Shozen declared, full of enthusiasm.

"I'm sick, I'm not in top shape," Alika said, finding an excuse.

"Alika, we'll do without your harsh comments!"

"We could do without your hyperactivity, too," Akiro retorted in defense of his friend. "And Alika have a point here."

Shozen grumbled and continued to eat.

The activities took place in a good mood. Balsa laughed and won most of the time at gambling. She was surprised to find the game of susutto in Kanbal, a native Rota's game. Susutto had always been one of her favorite games. It was very easy to manipulate the dice to her advantage using not much more than a flick of her fingers. It was among the very first games she had ever played as a young woman; she knew its rules – and ways to exploit them – perfectly.

An old woman, wearing the pseudonym if "Lahura", alias Azuno, had taught her how to manipulate the dice without it being noticed. She had split half her profits with the woman during the time she'd been taught. As for Alika, she was trying to stick together with Shozen, but both of them were non-stop yelling at each other. They were thinking they were encouraging each other, to either slow down or speed up. Akiro and Amaya watched those scenes, without daring to utter a word, helpless.

"You're going to make it fall!" Shozen yelled.

"Hey! I know what I'm doing!" Alika growled, coughing in his face as revenge.

"Heeekk!"

The activities ended. Amaya was dozing. Alika decided to give her shoulder as a headrest. Shozen continued to play with the prizes and the gifts they had won during the activities with Akiro.

Alika looked around and saw the spirits and spirituals guardians that had showed up at the party. It was a bit confusing for her to know who the spirits were, and who the livings were. On the other hand, she noticed Jiguro, who was sitting on a couch opposite to theirs. Motoko, Balsa's spiritual guardian, went to sit beside him. She placed a small pack wrapped in a woollen blanket into his arms. Alika realized it was Kasem's soul. Her spiritual guardian approached her and ruffled her hair before going to Yuka's side, listening to the conversation Balsa was immersed in.

She was talking with Toto, the eldest of the Herders.

"You knew, didn't you? You knew who waited for me under the earth," she said.

Toto nodded. "When the hyohlu put down the luisha for Gina to find, I immediately suspected that they were summoned someone. Then I met you and, as I listened to your tale of Jiguro, I realized that you were the only person who could hope to lay the hyohlu to rest. The Spear Dance can only be danced when your soul is completely exposed. The hyohlu throws all his emotions at his partner. Their souls become so close that it's impossible to tell whose feelings are whose," Toto said.

"Hmmm…"

He smiled suddenly.

"But even so, usually the Spear Dance isn't that difficult as it claims to be. The Dancer doesn't need to be an outstanding person. As long as he can connect with hyohlu's soul and let him unburden himself, luishas has always been given. This year, however, we were very worried. Not only Jiguro, but so many other hyohlu had been betrayed and murdered. We have never seen hyohlu having so much difficulty to lay to rest as these. And that's why I strongly think they were waiting for you. Waiting for you to visit Kanbal… for who else could possibly have danced the Spear Dance and brought them to peace?"

Balsa shrugged.

"Are you saying that because they were waiting for me, the ceremony was delayed for more than ten years? You're wrong. Because if that were true, if I hadn't decided on a whim to return to Kanbal, the ceremony would never have taken place."

Toto grinned. "You would've come. Because it was your destiny."

Balsa shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I disagree. Destiny is just a convenient interpretation to help us accept the past. To say that everything Jiguro had to endure because of Rogsam is just destiny is very offensive. They weren't waiting for me."

"Then who do you think they were waiting for?"

"King Randalle."

Toto raised his eyebrows at her reply.

"Why do you think that?"

"I think that they were waiting for the new king to become old enough after Rogsam's reign ended." She sighed lightly. "Because the hyohlu certainly would never have given luishas to a king like Rogsam. In the end, thirty-five years passed before the next ceremony could take place… but…"

He waited silently for her to continue.

She hesitated for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "I think that Jiguro was waiting for me. Because he came all the way out to meet me when I came back. So you're probably right in that respect – that my return was the reason they decided to start the ceremony."

Toto nodded.

Then, he said cheerfully, "We Herders call luisha the 'heart stone'. The hyohlu takes all the hopes and sorrows from their past lives, turn them into blue light, and return them to the earth. So the hyohlu can finally die a true death and rest. The blue light of luisha is really all the thoughts and wishes of men. You laid Jiguro to rest in peace and his feelings turned into luisha, which one day will become the bread of life that will feed the people of Kanbal."

"It was so different from what I imagined when as a child when I heard the stories of the Mountain King's palace made of luisha, and the Last Door." Balsa sighed again and smiled.

Toto smiled back. "By what name could we possibly call the great Mountain King, who carves the rocks beneath the Yusa mountains with his own body? He makes the road for the water to pass, and thus bring life to all of Yusa. Would we call him as a god? A spirit?" He shook his head. "Like a brilliantly shining cocoon that protects the life inside it, we use simple words to turn many tales in order to guard our King."

The rest of the evening was spent in festivities, and in the calm for the youngest. Alika had received mittens, a cute hat with wolf ears and a pink wool coat with candied fruits, and a pure white wolf tail.

Balsa had also received clothes and souvenirs that could certainly adorn the furniture at Tanda's hut, and money, of course.

The New Year began. On a sweet morning, Balsa woke up and noticed that she could not find, or touch her daughter's body in the bed. She took a moment to wake up, got up and walked out of the bedroom.

"I think you're right," Yuka's voice echoed in the living room. "I no longer feel any trace of cold; your tongue seems in perfect health, your eyes have become bright again and you've regained colors."

Balsa entered into the living room in her pajamas and saw Alika sitting on her aunt's lap.

"Look who is it!" Yuka smiled. "Good morning!"

"Mommy!" Alika exclaimed.

"Good morning," greeted the newcomer, stretching.

"Mommy, I'm healed!"

"What wonderful news!"

"Can I go play outside?"

"Right now?"

"I want to go play with Shozen-the-jealous, Amaya-Chan and Akki-Kun! Please? Pretty please?"

"Only if you dressing well, avoid rivers and come in when you start to feel cold, then, yes."

"All right!"

Alika jumped off Yuka's thighs and dressed warmly with Balsa's help. The little girl ran out to join her friends who were waiting for her. Shozen had a sled in his hand, and so did Akiro.

"Shall we have a race?!" Shozen asked. "A snow sled race!"

"What is it?" Alika asked.

"What?! You don't know what a snow sled race is?!"

"We don't have that much snow like here in New Yogo…"

"We pull the sled on the top of a mountain and we go down it by sliding on the sled. Simple as that!"

"Are we in team?"

"Yes! Boys with boys; and girls with girls."

"Pfff… Don't underestimate us, Shozen-the-jealous." Amaya grimaced.

"Hey!"

Amaya pulled the sled with Alika at the top. As soon as the four of them reached the top of the mound of snow, they placed themselves onto their respective sleds before giving the signal. There was a predefined paths set. They ran down the slope, screaming with joy. Alika had regained her competitive personality and was commanding her friend what to do: lean to pick up speed, put more weight on the right, and pull on the ropes.

Taking a lot of speed, the two sleds had sunk into the underground ice caves. They kept moving forward and picking up speed. Amaya was screaming and laughing at the same time, clinging to Alika. They all four left the cave at the same time, returning to Yonsa territory, near to Yuka's house. The blinding sunlight hurt their eyes for a moment. They took a natural springboard – a large mound of snow piled up by the peasants – flying through the air, and past front the living room window. Balsa saw their shadow and opened her eyes wide. The women of the healing house came out, intrigued. Alika pulled the rope at the left and turned as Shozen continued to charge straight ahead. Akiro grabbed Amaya's scarf as he passed - she nearly choked - and the two sleds followed each other. Shozen and Akiro jumped from their sled to find themselves on the one of their friends.

"What are you doing here?!" Amaya growled. "This is our sled!"

"Hello!" Shozen greeted, trying to steal the bridles from Alika. "Ours is gone."

"No true! It's following us!"

"Give me that, Alika!"

"I'm the one who driving here," Alika replied hoarsely. "Move on!"

Balsa watched the way of their sled, amused.

"Your daughter barely got back on her feet…" Yuka said, uncertain.

"I know; the calm before the storm," she said simply.

They slipped on a curve, and ran straight into three Yonsa guards.

"What do we do?!" Akiro panicked.

"We try to avoid them!" Alika ordered.

"How?!"

"Like that!"

She pulled the bridles with all the strength she could use, and their sled spun around. The guards narrowly avoided them and watched them slide away, still bewildered.

"I'm sorry!" Amaya shouted in the distance in a haze of snow.

"It reminds me of our childhood," a guard said, nostalgic.

"You're right," said the second one.

"What do we do?"

"Let them have fun."

Yuka didn't take her eyes off the sled, seeing it was heading straight into their direction. The women backed away quickly, and Balsa, with a single hand, touched her daughter and pushed her to drift into a huge snowbank. The second sled, empty, did not stop. Balsa replaced herself and stopped the wooden sled with her hands. A long sigh escaped the spectators.

Alika let go of the bridles, causing her friends to panic and together they sank into the soft snow, ending the race. At the time, the four children did not move. But soon, they jump out of the snow, laughing with joy.

They apologized for having frightened the women of the house of healing. Yuka gave them good hot goat milk flavored with hazelnut.

"So, like that, Shozen and Alika have become 'friendly' rivals?" Balsa said, trying to understand.

"I think so," Amaya replied with a mustache of whipped cream at the tops of her upper lips.

"No way!" Shozen and Alika replied in unison.

"You have whipped cream there, Amaya," Akiro said.

"Oh!" Amaya said.

Balsa smiled.

"We are so happy to find our friend again!" Akiro said happily.

"It's been a long time," Shozen said with some reserve.

"Oh? Admit it you missed me!" Alika laughed.

"Eh… admit it yourself in that case, too."

"I admit it and I'm not afraid of."

"Me too... hmpf!"

They spent the late afternoon playing cards and board games to celebrate their friend's full recovery. Balsa had to admit to herself that she envied her daughter for having such good friends; something she had probably missed during her childhood outside Tanda.

Finally, everything I couldn't have, I gave it to her, she thought.

The season of deep snow passed, and the warm rays of the sun softened the thick and hard crust of ice and snow. Alika had turned eight, a few days before Balsa's birthday. It seemed to Balsa that her daughter had still grown up. Even her face looked less childish. Their room was filled with a familiar fragrance – simmering herbs. Yuka was making medicine. As soon as she smelled it, the spear-wielder felt a strong longing to see Tanda again.

It must be the height of spring now in the Misty Blue Mountains, she thought.

He would be out picking herbs, humming carelessly to himself.

It's time to go home and tell him about our travel...

She opened the window wide and felt the moist spring breeze on her face. There was still snow in Kanbal; spring always came later here.

"Mommy, I'm cold," Alika whispered, coming out of her sleep.

"Does this fragrance remind you of anything?"

She sniffed the air.

"Finally! I can breathe through my nose like before!... Hmm... that reminds me of Daddy."

"It's time to go home."

"Now? Like… now, right now?"

"No. Not right away, but in the next days."

Alika pouted.

"I made friends here…"

"I know, sweetie."

"I don't want to lose them."

"I'm sure you'll be able to see each other, one day."

A breeze caressed Balsa's loose hair. Alika watched her locks of hair moving with the wind. Balsa replaced a lock and kept her hand behind her ear as she continued to watch the landscape. Furtively, her daughter's eyes saw something appearing on her back. Gradually, a small translucent child figure, dressed in a white toga, appeared, clinging to Balsa's back like a baby Koala. He was a boy. He had small white wings folded over his back, brown hair and pale-skinned. His head was resting in the crook of Balsa's shoulder.

Kasem, thought Alika. But her mother couldn't see nor felt him.

"Mommy?"

"Hmm?"

"You're very pretty in the morning." She complimented her.

"Oh!... Thanks." She blushed.

Yuka received the news that Alika and Balsa had to go back to see their family and friends at the New Yogo Empire. The patients of the healing house greeted them and gave them a roll-up parchment on which everyone had written a short farewell note. Amaya had come with her mother along with Akiro and Shozen. Amaya had turned nine, the same for Shozen and Akiro.

"I need to talk alone with Amaya for a while," Alika said seriously.

"Do, dear," Yuka said.

Alika pulled her friend by the hand and locked herself in her bedroom.

"We're going to meet again someday, aren't we?" Amaya asked hopefully.

"Yes. A promise is a promise!... Hold on."

Alika rummaging into her pockets. She pulled out two bracelets in her hands, woven in macramé in flowers shape. One was white with pink flower patterns, and the other had the same colors, but reversed.

"I made these two bracelets," she announced proudly before tying the white one to Amaya's wrist. "I know you like white, and I like pink. It's the promise that we'll meet again one day. They're adjustable."

"Thank you so much, Alichoue! How pretty they are!" She marveled. "I'll think of you every time. I'll help you put yours on."

There was a pause.

"Alika?"

"Yes?"

"I'm really going to miss you. You were almost like a sister to me. The one I never have."

"You too. Maybe you'll come see me in New Yogo!"

"Only if my parents are willing to."

Suddenly, Alika kissed Amaya on the cheek. But the latter turned her head and put a furtive kiss on her lips.

"I want us to make another promise," said Amaya.

"Which one?"

"... When we'll be grownup, you'll become my wife. I'll be your wife!"

Balsa's daughter had never thought of that option, but she smiled.

"It's okay. I agree to be your wife." Alika smiled.

"Really?"

"Yes."

Amaya took her hand and they left the room. Shozen said goodbye to her, hoping not to have to cross paths with other girls as competitive and stubborn as Alika. But he had to admit that he really liked having a friendly rival during her stay in Kanbal. As for Akiro, he promised to take good care of Amaya while Alika was away, and to find a messenger eagle to send messages.

As Alika disappeared from her sight, Amaya began to cry. Her mother, Meiko, had decided to stay to have some tea with Yuka. As Amaya was inconsolable, in the grip of deep sadness, Yuka lured her to her room.

"You miss Alika already, don't you, sweetie?" she asked.

"Yes... I liked her very much."

"She liked you very much, too. Come with me. I have something to give you."

Amaya followed Yuka further to her room. She wiped her eyes and looked at the wall: there were drawings hanging in wooden frames. Toruna had drawn the portraits of Yuka's family members for free, when both of them had just entered their twenties. Yuka could then remember their faces clearly; that of Karuna and his wife, Laika, Balsa at the age of five, her own portrait of herself and Jiguro.

Yuka opened a satchel and discovered a first sheet; Balsa and Alika were posing on it. It was just before they left for New Yogo Empire. She had asked Toruna if she could draw her niece and daughter together as a keepsake. Under the sheet, there was a new portrait.

"This one is for you." She smiled.

Amaya, surprised, took the drawing delicately, her cheeks still wet with tears, and looked at it. It was the portrait of Alika and her playing together in the living room; Amaya was hugging Alika from behind, laughing. Amaya had no idea how Toruna could draw them as quickly as they were moving during that day.

"It's… me and Alika," she whispered.

"I knew right away that there was something between you and Alika. So, I invited my friend, Toruna, when you came to play here. Pretending to be a patient, she discreetly drew you in the living room."

"Is this drawing for me?"

"Yes."

"Thank you, Aunt Yuka. I'll take very good care of it and cherish it every day."

"We can still put it in a frame to protect it. I must have some extra somewhere."

Yuka received a hug from Amaya and they went back to the kitchen to chat with Meiko.

Kassa, Gina, Yoyo and Toto – the two Herders – went with Balsa and Alika to the entrance of the cave in Musa territory to see them off. This time, they would return to Yogo by walk, without a horse; the horse having only been a safety measure when Balsa was pregnant. Now that her physical condition was back to normal, she wanted to walk for the return.

Toto gave Balsa a bag containing togal and yukkal leaves, and plenty of good laga – just as he did when she and Kassa set off for the Mountain Deep. Gina gave them a bag of jokom, a nut-filled cake baked to last for long journeys. Hesitantly, Kassa held out a copper ring to fit on her shaft, just under the point.

"Uh, this is my spear ring. I'd, um, like you to have it," he said to Balsa.

He had put all his heart and soul into polishing it, for it shone like gold. Balsa smiled and took it. Then she removed her own spear, blackened with long use and the blood of others. She gripped it in her hand and looked at Kassa.

"It's dirty, but I took this ring from Jiguro's spear shaft. It protected both our lives." She placed it on the palm of her hand and held it out. "Will you accept it?"

Kassa took the ring and slipped it into the empty place of his own spear. He looked up at her and smiled shyly.

"Both you and Jiguro were chosen as the Dancer. I wonder if I really have what it takes to use it."

Balsa placed a hand on his shoulder. "I can't read the future, but I can tell you this: If your skills with the spear continue to develop, you'll be good enough to become the Dancer. Be a good spearman, Kassa."

His smile slowly transformed into a bright grin.

"Alika, the spear suits you well," he complimented her.

"Thanks! I'll be like Mommy!"

"I don't even doubt it."

"Take care of yourself," Gina said.

Balsa raised her hand in farewell. Alika took it and they turned abruptly to sink into the mouth of the cave. Balsa put a few drops of togal on her daughter's eyelids and on hers. As soon as Alika opened her eyes, she jumped, pressing herself against her.

"Wow! What's that?!"

"Togal; a poison."

"Heeekk!"

"No worries. In small amount on the eyelids, it allows you to see in the dark."

"Fabulous!"

"But if you have too much of it in your blood... you can die or suffer horribly."

"I'll remember that."

They continued on through the darkness, following the path carved into the shaft of Balsa's spear. She thought about copying the same pattern on her daughter's spear, years later.

Alika hadn't spoken for a while. Balsa heard her sniffling and crying silently.

"Are you okay, Alika?"

"I already miss Aunt Yuka and Amaya! It felt like we went back to when Chagum-Niisan left us..."

"Oh, sweetie... it's okay."

Balsa hugged Alika against her as she continued to walk.

"It will be fine. We'll come back to Kanbal, I promise you."