The Hunter
Chapter Fifteen
She could hear Edo long before they reached the towering gates leading into the city. The streets were bustling with activity; every road was crowded with weary pilgrims, frantic merchants, and elegantly dressed ladies. There were market stalls on each corner and the air was filled with the smell of charcoal and roasted meat. Kyoto had seemed immense, but it was nothing compared to this merchant city.
The streets were too crowded to ride through, so Kohaku helped her down from the horse and led her along the main thoroughfare. Every izakaya and noodle shop they passed featured a small group of young men outside expressing various degrees of intoxication. She'd been content to let Kohaku go on ahead, but a few too many lingering glances had her picking up her pace.
Like it or not, she'd come to depend on him - his sense of honour, his strength… What would she do without him? If this journey had taught her anything it was how difficult the road home would be. She had no money and no way to protect herself. The knife hidden inside her obi would only do so much if she were approached by another gang of bandits or a group of drunken soldiers. Catching the eye of a rough looking man standing outside a noodle shop, she was vividly reminded of what it felt like to be at their mercy. It was not an experience she had any intention of repeating.
Kohaku glanced back at her over his shoulder and his feet came to an abrupt halt. Something in her expression must have given her away because he stepped forward and took hold of her arm.
"What is it?" he demanded as his eyes scanned the street behind them, "Did someone try to…"
"I'm just a little overwhelmed," she lied. "This city is so much bigger than I imagined it would be."
Kohaku's eyes lingered uncertainly on her face. It was only after another survey of the street behind them that he relinquished his hold on her arm and took a step back.
"I hear music," she said softly, turning her head towards the sound. Seeing how eager she was to explore, Kohaku smiled indulgently.
"We've got time," he assured her and they headed together in the direction of the music. The rhythmic beat of the drums, accompanied by crashing symbols and the clacking of hollow wooden blocks grew louder as they neared.
Surrounding the performers was a large crowd of onlookers, primarily made up of soldiers. Kohaku had seen an osuwa-daiko performance like it before in his travels. They were used to rouse the army and prepare them for battle, to instil them with the spirit of brotherhood and cooperation. He surveyed the crowd around the, noting that there were far more soldiers than there should have been. Every man young enough to wield a sword had one at his side. Such a display did not bode well for either of them – if a battle was indeed coming, they would need to be careful or risk being caught in the middle of it.
As the music finished, the crowd erupted with a hearty cheer and applauded the performers before dispersing. Rin turned 'round and greeted him with a bright smile that nearly stretched from ear to ear. He'd never seen her look so youthful or so happy.
"Did you enjoy it?" he asked, feeling his mood lighten at the sight of her.
"I've never seen anything like it!" she gushed as he led her away. "I could feel the music moving through my body. What an incredible experience!"
Eager to get her away from the soldiers casting curious looks her way, he suggested they head back to the main road and continue exploring other parts of the city.
"What do they call that performance?" she wondered, suddenly talkative again.
"I believe it's called Osuwa-Daiko."
"O-suwa Dai-ko…," she repeated, testing the name on her tongue. "Why do they do it?"
Kohaku shrugged off the question, "Can't say for sure."
Her mouth pouted faintly in disappointment but it didn't last long. Ahead of them, a group of young women dressed in vibrant kimonos had gathered outside a large set of red torii gates.
"Do you think it's a festival?" she wondered, eagerly picking up her pace.
The closer they drew to the crowd the more obvious it became that it was, in fact, a festival. Amid the pungent scent of incense, men and women sipped amazake and bowed in prayer before various stone statues.
Children dressed in vibrant kimonos and haori with hakama chased each other round the gates. One small boy crashed headlong into Rin's knees. She laughed and helped him to his feet before sending him on his way. Kohaku stood in awe, thankful to have heard the sound of her laughter at least once before they were forced to part ways. It was a truly beautiful sound. He wished that he'd been able to make her laugh, even just once, but it wasn't so.
She returned to his side with her cheeks bright and a smile still lighting her lips.
"It's Shichi-go-san," she explained as her eyes drifted back to the vibrant display. "Did they do such celebrations in your village?"
He shook his head. Such festivals were the sport of wealthier city merchants, not poor village folk. They continued down the road in search of another spot to explore. As they walked, they happened to pass raised garden, walled in by stone. He noticed Rin eyeing the persimmons drooping low on their branches and in a moment of spontaneity climbed the wall to fetch one.
"What are you doing?" she hissed, glancing nervously down the road in search of guards.
He cut a fruit from one of the overhanging branches and dropped back down beside her. He offered the persimmon to her and she took it with a shy smile.
"You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to," he replied easily.
She caressed the fruit between her fingers and took her time smelling it.
"I've never had one," she confessed sheepishly. "Are they good?"
He nodded and she took a small bite to sample it. Her expression transformed into one of delight and she quickly took another. They walked side by side down the narrow street, admiring the architecture of the grand merchant homes that rose up on either side. Once they reached the crossroad at the end, her feet drew to a stop. Rin looked at the ground and then down the next road, everywhere but at him.
"I've been thinking…," she said softly, still avoiding his gaze. "If someone wanted to hire you as a guard of sorts, how much would you charge them?"
"Likely more than you can afford," he answered, wary of where this line of questioning was headed.
"And what if I offered myself?"
He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly. She'd backed him into a corner. How was it whenever he spoke to women they were able to run circles around him with their words. No matter how he answered, she would be left unsatisfied.
"I could never accept those terms," he said finally.
"I see." Her tone was soft, if a little sad, but the straightening of her spine told him that the walls had returned. His brief glimpse of the girl she'd been before the world did its best to destroy her was gone.
As they passed a large temple, a group of women emerged dressed in fine silk kimonos. They looked perfectly elegant and positively ladylike. The way Rin's eyes followed them down the street didn't escape his notice. Taking her by the hand, he led her down the next narrow street in the direction of the garment district.
"Where are we going?" she asked warily.
His answering smile was full of mischief.
"You'll see."
xXx
Kohaku's idea, as it turned out, was beyond anything she could have imagined.
He led her purposefully down several more streets until they were in the heart of the garment district. Vibrant bolts of coloured silk and beautifully fashioned kimonos adorned the shop windows along either side of the street. Well dressed women passed them by, their pale faces shielded from the sun by delicate umbrellas. Many of them were breathtakingly beautiful, beyond anything she'd ever seen up close.
When they arrived at their destination, Kohaku pulled her down a narrow alley and through the door of a kimono maker's shop. He left her standing by the door while he spoke in hushed tones with the owner.
"I think you've earned some nicer clothes," he explained once he returned to her side. "This woman's going to take your measurements and make a new kimono for you. You can choose any colour or pattern you like.
Rin opened her mouth to insist that her yukata was more than adequate but he lifted his hand to silence her.
"At the very least," he said, "you'll have a few hours to yourself without me around to bother you. I'm going to find somewhere for us to stay for the night."
A reluctant smile touched her lips.
"Are you ready, Miss?"
Rin turned to the waiting tailor and then glanced uncertainly back at Kohaku. He bid her goodbye with a short bow and escaped out the door.
The tailor approached her with a kind smile. She was an older woman, perhaps a few years older than her own mother had been the last time they'd seen each other. Warm hands that were worn from years of sewing took hers up and she was led to stand before a large window.
"That's a very nice man you have there," she commented with a knowing look.
Rin nodded and her eyes followed Kohaku down the street until he disappeared from sight.
"He is, isn't he..."
xXx
Behind the dressing screen, Rin studied her reflection in a small polished mirror while the tailor's assistant straightened the bow of her obi. The material she'd chosen for the kimono featured bright yellow sunflowers laid over a background of orange silk. The flowers reminded her of the ones that used to grow in a field near her home. She could remember them towering over her when she was a child. Each time she'd wandered into that field it'd felt like stepping into another world. She turned to the side to examine the bow of her obi in the mirror. It was made of a blood red silk, like the colour of an autumn sunset.
She no longer looked like the girl who'd walked out of the brothel in Kyoto. She looked respectable, almost like a lady. She stood taller in the mirror and adjusted the decorative comb they'd used to pin up her hair.
"Come, we mustn't keep your man waiting," the assistant whispered and gave her hands an encouraging squeeze.
Her heart fluttered in her chest as the assistant folded the screen back and led her into the main viewing room. Kohaku was standing by the door, talking easily with the tailor. The moment she came into view their conversation halted and he stared at her with his mouth agape.
"Is it acceptable?" she asked, suddenly feeling shy beneath his gaze. He looked her over and exhaled slowly.
"More than acceptable," he promised with a grin.
Rin thanked the tailor profusely for her hard work, but the woman waved her off with a kind look and then ushered them both out the door. The moment they hit the street, Kohaku took his time looking her over again. Whatever he saw pleased him greatly; there was light behind his eyes and the corners of his mouth twitched as if he were suppressing another grin.
"Ready for dinner?" he asked, extending his arm for her to take.
Her stomach made a nervous flip as she wrapped her hands around his arm. Lifting her eyes to his she felt her heart stutter inside her chest and braved a smile. Oh, but they were in dangerous territory now.
*Osuwa Daiko – A group drum performance with its roots in samurai war drumming, which inspired the soul of the samurai and raised morale before battle. The primary purpose of Osuwa Daiko is to promote a spirit of cooperation, friendship and harmony.
*Haori & Hakama – Dress jacket & trousers for boys; male version of kimono. At Shichi-go-san, five year-old boys wear hakama for the first time.
*Amazake – a traditional, sweet form of sake that usually has little to no alcohol in it. During the colder months it is heated and served warm with a pinch of fresh ginger on top.
*Shichi-Go-San – Translation: "Seven-Five-Three"; an annual festival that takes place in November. Children that are seven, five or three years in age are brought to Shinto shrines to pray for healthy growth. Commoners did not begin following this practice until later in the Edo Period. One of the most popular places in Tokyo for this festival is Hie Shrine, which is where Rin & Kohaku are visiting in this chapter.