Fox Under Maple
Chapter Five
The sun was sinking low in the sky, casting an orange glow upon the sea as a port town began to emerge over the horizon. A cry went up amongst the sailors and they sprang into action to prepare for docking.
Kazumo sat up upon the bench where he had been reclining and stretched his arms with a small groan. Kenji bounced up from where he had been sitting and ran over to Tatsuya, who was sitting on the edge of the boat. He peered over his sibling's shoulder at the city and Kazumo stood up to join them in looking out at their destination, Slow Tide Harbor.
The port was a shadowy and mundane place. Wooden buildings and bridges created a web above the waters. The buildings were mostly short, and the populace had placed lanterns out to prepare for the evening. Only a few other boats rested at the harbor. Compared to Higshikawa, the harbor was much less cramped and busy. Kazumo perked up his ears as he heard some heavy footsteps approaching. He turned to find his two sisters walking up to them.
"The first step in our quest has been written." Kenji said quietly. "Don't forget your hats everyone." Kenji whispered as he put on his own. The other siblings did the same, save for Azumi, who gave a slight shake of her head in disapproval.
Kazumo took a brief look around him and quickly surmised that there was no chance they would be unnoticed. Kazumo was the only one whose short hair was completely covered by the wide brimmed hat. Kenji pulled up his hair so that the white stripe in his hair was the only obvious color, but strands of red strands could be seen if looked at closely. Kyou hadn't bothered to pull up her long hair at all, and it swayed behind her head in the breeze. Although Azumi's hair wasn't visible, her dark blue robes, tall stature, and pallid mask made her visible from across the ocean. Most obvious of all, Tatsuya's hair was only barely contained by the hat, and splayed out in all directions underneath. Not to mention, his scraggly beard was just as crimson. Kazumo prayed to the Kami of the winds to allow them to remain unnoticed as long as possible, although he suspected that the capricious spirits would find more amusement in the alternative.
The boat rocked back and forth as it approached the dock. The sailors dropped anchor, and the boat slowed to a stop. Before stepping off the ship however, the sailors bowed their heads down and clasped their hands together. In response, Azumi stepped in the center of the sailors and dropped her head, her voice then rang out, deep and reverent.
"Great Kami of the ocean, we give thanks to thee for safe passage. May these sailors never fail to respect your power, and may this ship sail for generations to come."
At the end of the prayer, every sailor gave a small sign of respect to the Kami, and then resumed their preparations. Before long, the sailors dropped a crude wooden bridge to allow everyone to exit.
Shugenja must be good luck when sailing.
Kenji called for his horse to pull his cart across. One by one, the siblings slipped out of the boat and started making their way towards town. Once his horse and cart were following behind them, Kenji caught up with Azumi and asked.
"Where is your uncle's house? We should get there in all haste!"
"I disagree." Azumi replied sardonically.
As if rebelling against Kenji's hurry, Azumi moved at a slow lumbering pace. The rest of the group was forced to match the speed of the silent giant as they entered the harbor. It was apparent to Kazumo that Kenji was not the only one vexed by her seemingly deliberately slow progress, with the other siblings glancing at their sister with a mixture of perplexity and irritation.
It's not a bad idea to move slowly, but you could at least let the others in as to why.
Kazumo understood that Azumi was deliberately moving slowly to try and avoid attention. If they went too quickly, people would want to know why samurai were in a hurry, and rumors would spread. If they calmly walked to their destination, most people would be inclined to not make it their business. However, the other three siblings couldn't fathom Azumi's strategy, and Kazumo was hesitant to speak for the opinion of a samurai.
Tatsuya started swerving around to move at a faster pace. He tried walking in front of Azumi to subtly imply that she should walk faster, but Azumi ignored him. In bouts of frustration, Tatsuya would several times wander off from the group on his own to explore the city. He would always return later, usually with some snacks in hand.
Kenji decided that this unhurried pace must be some important part of local tradition, so he began emulating Azumi's slow stride. At the same time however, he felt a great urge to move quickly. He decided to channel this energy by coming up with new and even more poorly worded poetry, and would dictate every verse.
At first Kyou seemed to be resigned to the slow procession through the harbor and made no fuss of it. As time passed however, she seemed to grow more annoyed and tried subtly manipulating her sister. First she mentioned off-handedly that it would be dark soon; Azumi made no sign that she understood her sister's hint and so the Kyou then wondered aloud how prevalent crime was in the harbor. However, once again she was ignored. She grew frustrated and soon was addressing Azumi directly, becoming more adversarial and dropping all signs of subtlety but still she was paid no heed. Soon she was practically trembling, doing her best not to allow her anger to show.
Which is to say, very poorly.
Thus making themselves the most interesting thing in town, the siblings trekked along, while every onlooker stared and whispered. Kazumo was certain that every single person in Slow Tide Harbor was talking about the new colorful group of samurai. After what felt like hours, Azumi finally stopped in front of a large manor, resting on top of a hill. Kazumo turned to look at the dilapidated manor with shadows snaking across it.
Wait
Kazumo rubbed his eyes, and took a second look at the manor. What he had first perceived as holes and breaks, were carefully painted shadows designed to trick the eye. Once Kazumo saw past the illusions, it was clear that the building was well maintained, but designed in every way to avoid attention. It was clear then, that this was the home of a wealthy man, who did not desire the attention such wealth usually brought. He could see now what he had initially taken as beggars, swilling from sake bottles and skulking nearby had glints of steel hidden within their rags
Guards!
The Crab mon hung solemnly in the front, the only conspicuous element of the whole building.
With only a sigh to signify that they had reached their destination, Azumi turned and started walking up the steps to the entrance. Kyou followed close behind, as she furiously started fixing her hair and clothes. Kenji tied his horse to a nearby post and fished his cakes out of the cart, before eagerly bouncing up the stairs. Tatsuya rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh, metaphorically screaming "Finally".
"I'd hoped your family at least came from money." Kyou commented.
"Sometimes there is elegance in poverty." Kenji responded. At that, Azumi turned around to face her siblings.
"Let me do the talking." Azumi stated dourly, before walking up the stairs.
The siblings walked single file up the stairs after their sister, each one preparing to meet a local lord.
As they approached the top of the steps, a man in ragged robes and a hood pulled over his head, sake bottle in hand, drunkenly stumbled towards them. As he approached, he swayed and then bowed low, almost losing his balance. His performance was good, but Kazumo kept his focus on the concealed blade in his robes.
"Could this poor man ask for some spare change?" The drunk slurred out.
"Disgusting" Kyou muttered under her breath. "Don't you have somewhere else to be useless?" Kyou asked sarcastically.
"I don't think…" Kazumo began to explain what he observed, but was interrupted by Kenji.
"Kyou-san!" Kenji gasped. "This man has clearly been through some hard times." Kenji then began scrounging around in his pockets. "I might have some spare change to give."
"I think this man…" Kazumo tried to interject again.
"Daidoji-san, he's a drunk peasant, lounging around a lord's estate. Don't encourage this behavior." Kyou reprimanded.
Kenji was about to reply when they were both interrupted by an angry groan from Azumi. "MH-HMM!" She glared at the two for a moment, as she tapped one finger on her mask where her mouth would be, indicating silence. She turned to the beggar.
"Hida Tadao-san." Azumi greeted the man.
The man took a second look at Azumi, then realization spread across his face.
"Azumi-san!" Tadao said with pleasant surprise. All at once, his whole stance changed. He straightened up and dusted himself off. He pulled a hood off his head to reveal his black hair tidy and groomed, and in one motion moved a katana from the inside of his robes onto his belt. He went from looking like a beggar to a samurai in a matter of seconds. Kazumo watched as Kenji and Kyou looked briefly shocked, and he had to cover his face to avoid smiling.
"Here for your uncle?" Tadao asked.
"Mh-hmm." Azumi replied with as little energy as she could manage.
"On what business?" Tadao continued.
"None of yours." Azumi answered darkly.
"It's good to see you're the same as ever." Tadao responded. "Welcome to lord Yasuki Susumo's estate." he offered as he slid the entrance open. Peering inside, Tadao called to a servant within the main hall and commanded him to get audience with the lord. Azumi walked into the room without another word, as Kenji walked up to Tadao and bowed.
"My sincerest apologies Hida-san, for failing to recognize your clan." Kenji said with remorse. The man was taken back a bit by this sudden display.
"Think nothing of it!" He blurted out, clearly not used to people responding to his disguise like this. "I take no offense from either of you." Tadeo explained as he regained his composure.
Satisfied that no harm was done, Kenji walked into the main hall as well. Kyou followed behind with her nose upturned, not making eye contact with Tadao. Tatsuya and Kazumo followed closely behind, with Kazumo closing the door behind them. As he slid the door close, he watched Tadao switch back to his disguise as a beggar, once again swinging his sake bottle. With a light smile, Kazumo shut the door. Kazumo turned around to examine his surroundings. The main hall was a simple affair. There were rugs and drapes decorating the room, with a large wooden table stretched along the center. Along the table were sets of pillows on both sides to sit. At the end of the hall were a couple steps to an elevated section of the room with a large pillow indicating where a lord would sit. A servant woman wearing a plain robe walked into the room, and bowed to everyone.
"Lord Yasuki-sama will be joining you shortly my lords. The lord would ask that you all take a seat." The woman politely requested while gesturing to the table in the center. The siblings all took off their hats and promptly took a seat at the table, except for Kazumo who sat off to the side. Kenji looked to his brother for a moment and tried to convince him to sit with the rest of them, but Kazumo declined.
The servant left the room briefly and returned with a tea set. The servant took great care to hand out each cup and pour tea for their new guests. Each samurai refused two times before accepting, although Azumi was the only one who actually didn't want the tea. As the siblings sipped their tea, Kazumo heard the incoming footsteps. From their cadence, he could count five individuals walking towards them. Kazumo did what he could to draw as little attention to himself as possible. A paper door was carefully slid open, as the lord of the estate walked into the room. The lord was a short portly man, balding at the top of his head, with a topknot at the end of his hairline. He dressed in fine navy blue robes with the golden symbol of a Yasuki Carp, but wore no jewelry. Despite his mild appearance, he carried himself with a regal manner, and carefully examined his new guests.
Behind him were two samurai and two more servants. The samurai to his right was a grizzled and scarred man with a long Nodachi hanging from his hip. His dark blue robes were torn at the sleeves to expose his bulging muscles, and his expression did everything he could to imply malice as politely as possible. The samurai to his left was a slim woman with messy long dark hair draped across her face. She moved with an eerie stillness to the rest of her body. In contrast to his more intimidating guards, the lord looked cheery. As he approached his seat, the siblings did a low bow, except for Azumi, who sat in place. As the lord sat down, the samurai to his left introduced the lord in a chilling tone.
"Lord Yasuki Susumo of Slow Tide Harbor."
Each of the siblings finished bowing and raised their heads to listen to the lord.
"I had thought something sinister would visit me today, and lo and behold, Azumi-chan." Susumo opened.
"To think of the Kuni as sinister is to show ignorance to what we fight, but the Yasuki need to be coddled from such things I suppose." Azumi retorted.
"Hundreds of miles away and all you can think of is the Shadowlands? You know there is a whole world behind the Kaiu Walls."
"Can't say it has much use to me."
Susumo gave a soft chuckle, and a genuine smile spread across his face.
"It's good to see you again, my niece."
The rest of the siblings looked at each other trying to hide their astonishment at the exchange. Kazumo examined the lord and his two samurai carefully, but could notice no concern. Everything in their faces implied this was a normal exchange between the two.
"What brings you and your…" Susumo paused as he examined the rest of the siblings. Kazumo noticed his attention shifted immediately to their red hair. To Kazumo's surprise, Susumo even took time to examine him as well. "...companions here?"
Kenji, taking this as an opportunity, spoke up cheerfully.
"Lord Yasuki-sama, we have come here as part of our quest to request a stay with your graciousness. As thanks for allowing us to speak with you, I have a gift prepared. " He walked up to the steps and began unwrapping his tray of mochi cakes. Azumi tried and failed to get his attention to stop him, but gave up with a groan. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and kneeled down onto the ground. "May I offer you some red bean cakes, baked by my own hand."
Kazumo gave a light smile towards his brother, but found that the people of the manor had a less than positive reaction. Kazumo noticed the servants cover a gasp as a worried look spread across their faces. The two samurai behind the lord scowled, as their hands moved to rest on the handles of their blades. Azumi stared at her brother with alarm in her eyes. Kazumo scanned the room in confusion, wondering what had happened. Then the realization hit him.
The gift has offended the lord!
Kenji himself, with his head bowed, was oblivious to the growing tension in the room, as Kazumo tried to figure out what had gone wrong.
The cakes were Azumi's idea, why would that cause offense. Unless?
Kazumo thought about how the two had spent their introduction insulting each other.
She had suggested it ironically, not thinking Kenji would bake the cake.
Kazumo felt a chill run down his spine, and, with great reluctance, moved his attention to the lord's expression. To Kazumo's relief, the lord had a pensive look about him, deciding how offended he actually wanted to be by this gesture. Kazumo watched Susumo examine Kenji carefully, searching for some sign of ill intentions; and then watched his expression turn almost baffled as he seemed to find nothing but completely genuine good-will.
Kazumo gave a quick, fervent thanks to the Kami that there was no individual more sincere than Kenji, otherwise disaster may have already occurred. Kazumo looked to the rest of his siblings, and saw that Kyou and Tatsuya had begun to notice the change in energy in the room. Kazumo knew they had to act fast to avoid an incident. As quietly as he could, Kazumo dashed to Azumi's side.
"Where did he get cakes?" Azumi whispered in a harsh tone to Kazumo.
"He baked them on the way here." Kazumo explained.
"In the middle of the ocean?" Azumi stared at Kazumo with disbelief in her eyes.
Kyou leaned forward to join the conversation, and whispered to the two.
"What do the cakes mean?"
"It means Kenji just called Susumo-sama fat!" Azumi rasped. Kyou's face became a mix of horror and shock. "Why did you recommend cakes?" Kyou accused.
"I didn't think Kenji-san would bake them on a boat."
"We need to come up with something fast if we don't want Kenji dead then." Tatsuya interjected, while subtly pointing towards the lord. The lord was still distracted as Kenji had gone into a detailed explanation on how the mochi were baked. This conflicted the lord, as he still couldn't decide if this was some elaborate insult or not.
"Ok, ummm…" Kyou brushed her hair into place and closed her eyes in concentration. "It's simple, Azumi-san, you need to explain how the real gift isn't the cakes, but the joy of sharing food with close family. Tell your uncle how you requested the cakes to be shared between everyone here."
"No!" Azumi retched.
"Well then, I suppose Lord Susumo will have to settle for taking Kenji's head." Kyou remarked casually as she crossed her arms. Azumi groaned and looked back to her uncle, before returning her gaze to her siblings. Kazumo could see the reluctance in her eyes, and even embarrassment.
"Imagine how heartbroken Kenji-sama would be if someone was displeased with his work." Kazumo suggested. Azumi turned her head, as if trying to reject the idea of stupid, but Kazumo saw it affected her. Azumi hung her head in shame for a moment, before sitting up straight and turning to Susumo.
"Uncle-sama, there's more to the gift. I'd thought that…" Azumi had to take a deep breath before saying the next part. "You'd enjoy sharing these cakes with me." Azumi seethed. Susumo's intense gaze shifted over to Azumi for a second before melting into a mischievous smirk. Kenji's head popped up like a prairie dog.
"You like mochi as well, Azumi-san? I'd be happy to make more for you later." Kenji spoke with the excitement of a little child, as he raised his head up. Susumo clasped his hands together.
"Of course Azumi-chan. I know how much you love sweets, and what better joy is there than in sharing them with family." Susumo teased. Kazumo could hear Azumi gag softly.
"I made enough for everyone if you'd like to share, my lord." Kenji suggested, practically bouncing with giddiness.
"A most wonderful idea, Daidoji-san." Susumo agreed.
Tension began to slowly dissipate out of the room, the hands of the two samurai accompanying Susumo fell away from their blades and the servants visibly relaxed.
"I'll serve them out then." Kenji began to stand up, but Susumo gave him a puzzled look.
"Why not have your servant pass them out," Susumo asked, while gesturing to Kazumo.
"Kazumo-sa-ku-sa-kuuuuuu?" Kenji practically froze in place trying to explain. Before Kenji could say any more, Kazumo swept up next to him and grabbed the mochi and plates from him.
"Of course my lords." Kazumo said in his best humble peasant voice. Kenji replied with a thankful nod. Before Kazumo served out the cakes, Susumo grabbed his attention.
"I must admit, I am a doting uncle to my dearest niece." Susumo said in a mischievous voice. "I would ask that everyone be served one piece and the rest be given to Azumi-chan."
Kazumo bowed low and placed a plate with a single mochi upon it in front of the lord. He offered the mochi to the two samurai at Susumo's side. They looked to Susumo for approval, to which he gave. The two grabbed one mochi each, and examined them thoroughly. The woman to the left of the lord began to nibble at the cake, while the man at his right took a large bite out of it. Both of their faces lit up as they were shocked by the quality of the cakes. The man gestured to the cake in surprise to the woman, who nodded in agreement. For a brief moment, Kazumo watched the two stare deeply into each other's eyes with something akin to a spark, but it faded as quickly as the two tore their gaze from each other. Kazumo then noticed that the lord hadn't picked up his cake yet, but decided it was none of his business.
Kazumo softly shuffled away from the lord to serve his siblings. When he saw Azumi, he was taken aback by the smoldering fury in her eyes. Kazumo couldn't fathom Azumi's apparent hatred for mochi, but gave his best apologetic look to her. One by one, Kazumo handed out the mochi to Kenji, Kyou, and Tatsuya. Finally, he was left with six mochi cakes left for Azumi. Kazumo placed down the plate with a softest tremble. One by one, Kazumo placed the cakes on her plate, with Kazumo fearing each cake would unleash Azumi's wrath upon him. At the sixth and final cake, Azumi's head simply hung down in shame.
Feeling sympathy for his sister, despite not knowing why it bothered her so much, Kazumo placed the final cake on top of the others, and swiped one of them from the pile. Kazumo could hear the faintest sigh of relief as he did so, but, as he stepped away from the table, he noticed the lord was examining him. Realizing the lord spotted his sleight of hand, Kazumo turned his face away and did what he could to lose attention to himself. To Kazumo's thanks, the lord decided not to make an issue of his theft of the cake.
Kyou gave a quick prayer to the Kami, ending it with a soft bow. Despite her earlier disgust of red bean mochi, Kyou showed nothing but polite appreciation while eating it. Tatsuya snatched the cake and bit into it like an apple. Kenji entered an almost trance-like state, as if requesting the permission of the Kami before eating. Azumi only stared at hers forlornly, as if hoping they would disappear by sheer force of will.
While the samurai at the table were distracted, Kazumo watched the lord toss his cake to the samurai on his right, who deftly caught it with his mouth. Before anyone else could notice, the burly samurai chewed through the cake and swallowed it down. The lord gave an inquisitive look to the samurai, confirming the quality of the cake. The samurai nodded his head as if he had just the best cake in Rokugan. Susumo rubbed his chin as he took another look at Kenji, and allowed himself a soft smile.
Looks like the lord isn't much of a fan of sweets either. At least he doesn't think Kenji was trying to insult him anymore.
Azumi tilted her head to her right, and made a double take as she noticed Susumo's cake was gone. Susumo gave her a mischievous grin, and gave an innocent gesture to his now empty plate. Azumi hunched her back in anger, and took another look at the plate beneath her. As if forcing her hand to go through with it, Azumi grabbed one of the cakes and lifted beneath her mask. She breathed deeply through her nose for a moment before jamming the whole cake into her mouth. She started chewing it with the same intensity as a warrior on the battlefield, as if drawing upon all of her willpower.
Susumo then spoke to the siblings. "A most wonderful gift. It's so rare that I can spend time with my family. Although my joy is doubled it seems. For it appears there is more than just my own family here. How can I help the children of Chiharu?"
Kazumo, Kyou, and Tatsuya just nodded in response, and figured it must have been obvious at this point. Kenji looked positively shocked. Azumi was still suffering through her gift, trying to finish it as quickly as possible. She gave one more hard swallow before speaking.
"We are…" Azumi had to stop and cover her mouth to stop herself from puking. "Looking for her." She said quickly before reaching for the tea.
"Could you speak up my dear? I understand the cakes are quite good, but I didn't hear you." Susumo teased. Azumi only groaned in pain as a response, as she downed the tea cup. Kyou, now catching on to what was happening, spoke up.
"Yes my lord, as you have brilliantly surmised, we are each other's half siblings, and children of Chiharu. We were led here by a mysterious note from our mother." Kyou paused slightly to reveal her letter. "We are on a quest to reunite with her." Susumo nodded slightly, and Kazumo noticed that a bit of worry spread across his face.
"We have come here upon a clue left behind. In order to find her, we must find an iron ring in slow tide harbor." Kyou finished with a bit of flourish in her voice, as if announcing a chapter of a book. Susumo adjusted his posture to sit more upright, and Kazumo could tell in an instant that he knew more. He hid it well, but Susumo had an air of caution about him. It's as if he was made suddenly aware of some danger we were in.
"We were hoping to find this iron ring, and that it would lead us to our mother." Kyou probed, careful to imply the question then state it out right. "None of us have met our dear mother before, and it would mean a great deal to all of us to know if she was here." Kyou ended with another bow. Susumo stared more intently at Kyou as she finished. Kazumo knew he was focusing on a single person to avoid glancing side to side. He was preventing himself from accidently side glancing at something, or someone. Azumi was the only logical choice there.
"I can assure you she's not in Slow Tide Harbor. I'm sure you all are very anxious to see her again, but I haven't seen her in twenty years."
Wrapping the lie in a truth. Clever, but you're hiding that you know more.
"You all are welcome to stay in my manor for the night, but you all will find no resolution here. I would urge all of you to return home come morning." Susumo spoke, disguising a warning in a friendly request.
What would give a lord pause to help us? Maybe a grudge against Chiharu? No, that doesn't explain his behavior.
Kyou turned around to ponder.
"Why would he hide something from us?" Kyou whispered to us as she grabbed her chin.
"I mean, he probably doesn't want us getting stabbed by some opium gang." Tatsuya explained, as if it was obvious.
With a sudden idea flashing in her mind, Kyou turned back around to speak to Susumo.
"We graciously accept your offer to let us stay. Come marrow we shall leave for home at your request. It's good to know that there are no leads in Slow Tide. We were worried that they may be some unscrupulous gang after us and our mother. Just yesterday we were attacked by some thugs led by an opium junkie of a ronin. We easily dispatched them, but worried they may come after us again. Thankfully, we can now rest easy that such a gang would never come after us again." Kyou went on, giving every impression that she suddenly felt relieved. She acted as the naive samurai. Susumo examined Kyou carefully, determining how real her relief was. Kyou was careful not to lock eyes with the lord, and gave a deep bow.
"Thank you lord Yasuki-sama." Kyou finished, mustering up all the gentle kindness she could. Susumo's concern for them grew, but was tempered by his suspicion of Kyou attempting to manipulate him.
"So, there's no danger to us or mother? That's wonderful to hear!" Kenji sighed with relief. Susumo's face went from a mild concern to deep worry. He examined Kenji just as closely, but, unlike Kyou, he could find no shred of misdirection, no hidden intent behind the words, nor secrets kept. Kazumo could spot any either. Kenji genuinely believed the problem was gone.
With the fervor of a man warning someone blindly walking off a cliff, Susumo spoke up.
"One should always be worried of danger on their travels. Not every man has good intentions in their heart."
"Your advice is invaluable, lord, but even a criminal would be a fool to attack a group of armed samurai like us. We shall be safe within your house, and, without some reason to come after us," Kyou paused for emphasis before continuing. "They'd never risk it." Kyou explained in confidence with nothing but a polite smile. Azumi wanted to argue with such naivete, but she had made the mistake of trying to force down another cake while everyone was distracted. All that she could muster was a disgruntled groan.
"I would not rest easy just yet." Susumo sighed in defeat, realizing he couldn't keep it hidden from them.
"Although your mother has not been here, there are individuals who seek her out, and they'd be happy to capture her children." Susumo said gravely. Kyou feigned surprise at this revelation, while Kenij was actually surprised.
"A man by the name Arima Yoshiyuki seeks her, although I cannot say why. I do know he runs an opium trade in the docks, though he's clever enough to at least hide it from view."
"How did you learn of this, if you would not mind me asking lord?" Kyou pressed.
"The man sent one of the ronin in his employ to me to gather information. He had somehow learned of my relation to Azumi-chan, and tried to press for more." Susumo mused. "Do not fret though, I shared nothing of importance. Though, I was surprised to learn of your arrival in the port soon after. Which is why I ask this, are you sure those letters you received were from Chiharu?"
Kyou was flustered for a moment, but caught herself. She carefully approached the lord with her letter in hand, and extended out to him.
"My father swore that it had to have come from her." Kyou said quietly. Susumo took the letter and poured over it, reading and re-reading every bit of content around it.
"It's certainly good, but how can we be sure they did not copy her handwriting or style? Not to mention, where does it mention an iron ring?" Susumo questioned.
"There is a Kanji in the top right of all our letters that, when combined, reads flower of the slow tide's iron ring." Kyou gave a little flourish to the secret message.
"Chiharu put a secret message that could have only been found if all you shared the letters?" Susumo explained as if chewing every detail. "That's ridiculous! What if one of the letters had been lost, or one of you decided not to show up. It sounds…"
Susumo let out a heavy sigh and placed his hand across his face. "Exactly like Chiharu." His tone was exasperated as he pulled his hand from his face. "And she'd act like there was never any problem or doubt in her plan. All part of destiny." Susumo muttered under his breath. The siblings all could hear him, but pretended not to out of respect for privacy. All the same, Kenji couldn't help but whisper "Destiny!" in agreement.
"So where…ack… where is Chiharu?" Azumi coughed out.
"I've not seen her in over twenty years my dear niece."
"Could this Iron ring help us find her?" Kyou asked with a bit of desperation in her eyes.
"I wouldn't know. I'm not aware of any iron ring that is special, and as far as I'm aware, Chiharu never wore much jewelry."
"Then we should stride forth and deal with these smugglers and take the answers from them." Kenji said excitingly, standing up and raising a fist into the air.
"No!" Susumo's voice rang out, followed by a heavy silence. "I will happily offer accommodations, but I will not willingly allow family of mine, even ones as far removed as the rest of you, to be put in danger."
"Perhaps we can assist? It sounds like this gang has…" Kyou tried to offer, but was cut off by Susumo's glare. Kyou quickly shrank away. "Apologies my lord."
"Slow Tide's problems should be handled by its people. I trust that all of you are perfectly skilled, but you are not used to this harbor." Susumo took a deep breath, and seemed to let his anger flow out of him.
"This gang moved in recently, but trust that I have plans to deal with it. It will take time, but if I find anything on this iron ring, I wouldn't mind passing it along to you all. However, until this gang is dealt with, I must still demand that you all return home where it is safe come morning." Susumo said in a stern voice. Azumi rose and stood opposite her uncle.
"I've dealt with much worse than common thugs. Tell us where they are and I'll deal with them." Azumi countered with a solemn tone. Susumo leaned forward and stared down Azumi, before a light smirk popped onto his face.
"You still haven't finished your cakes." Susumo whispered back, gesturing to the remaining two cakes. Azumi and Susumo stared each other down. The two samurai to Susumo's flanks shifted nervously.
"I'm not leaving until I have answers," Azumi threatened.
"My niece is welcome to stay in the manor all she wants, but I'm not letting you endanger yourself here." Susumo retorted.
"So risking my life on the wall against demons is fine, but a few addicts with knives is too dangerous?" Azumi said mockingly.
"At least at home you're fighting for something important. What are you risking your life for here? Chiharu? The woman who abandoned you?" Susumo asked, his temper flaring.
Azumi's whole body tensed up for a second before she stormed out of the room. Susumo took a second to center himself before speaking to the rest of the siblings.
"Please ignore such bouts, as they are common amongst the Crab. It's getting late" Susumo gestured to his servants. "They will show you to your rooms. I wish all of you a good night's rest."
The servants all bowed and waited on the siblings to get up and follow. Each sibling stopped to bow and give their thanks to the lord, before following the servants down the hallway. The siblings were led to a large common room to share. As Kyou, Kenji, and Tatsuya entered the room, the servants beckoned Kazumo to follow them to the servants quarters.
"No, Kazumo-san should stay with us." Kenji said without thinking. As the servants gave a surprised look back, he changed his stance.
"I mean, Kazumo-kun is a peasant, yes, but he's also our brother, so he should have better lodgings. Not that your lodgings are bad. I'm sure lord Yasuki-sama takes great care of you." Kenij stumbled over himself. The servants' faces were a mix of confusion and concern. Kazumo decided to step in and try to remedy the situation.
"Perhaps my lords wish their servant to stay nearby in case they need anything." Kazumo suggested.
"Yes!" Kenji agreed. The servants simply nodded, and explained where to find them if Kazumo needed to reach them.
"Where's Azumi-san then?" Kenji asked.
"She has her own room, where she will be staying." One of the servants replied.
"Then maybe she would want some company, so I can go up and talk with her."
"We have found in the past that lady Kuni-sama prefers not to be distrubed during her nightly prayers to the Kami." The servant with an overly polite smile.
"Ah, yes, shugenja, right." Kenji nodded. The servants took that as a cue to leave.
The siblings each laid out a sleeping mat in the room, with Kyou grabbing a paper screen to section herself off from the rest of the room. The night sky was pitch black save for a half moon. Candlelight illuminated the room, as the siblings prepared to sleep. Each of them was tired, and ready to go to bed… except Kenji.
"Did Chiharu really abandon us?" Kenji asked out of the blue. The others were at a loss for words by the question.
"I mean, she probably had something important to do, right? She wouldn't just abandon her children" Kenji asked, more to himself than to anyone else.
"I mean, she kind of did." Tatsuya broke the silence. "Did she even stay around long enough for any of us to remember her?"
There was a pregnant pause as the others tried to come up with something to say.
"The only stories I have were from my father." Kazumo replied after finally finding the courage to speak.
"What did he say about her?" Kenji piped up with sudden curiosity. Kazumo took a deep breath, and examined his siblings. Kenji looked at him with a desperate curiosity. Tatsuya pretended to not care, but was looking onwards despite himself. Even Kyou had peeked her head around the screen to listen in better.
"My father always talked about her as if she was some fable he remembered fondly. He said she was an adventurous woman, who had little care for ceremony. She always found the most mundane things interesting."
"What kind of things did she find so interesting?" Kyou asked hesitantly.
"Well apparently she really liked food. She would drag father around the market grabbing anything that caught her interest. She was greatly excited by anything involving meat and bread."
"Do you think she'd like my cooking?" Kenji pushed himself up and asked.
"If your red bean mochi is anything to go off of, she'd probably love it." Kyou responded with an effort to try and raise her brother's spirit. Kenji laid back down and smiled with glee, obviously planning out the dishes he would prepare. Kyou pulled herself out behind the screen to better join the conversation.
"That lines up with what my father said. He had to stop giving her jewelry, because she would trade it away for flowers and snacks. A woman with an appreciation for the simple aesthetics he'd always say. They would spend long nights together; my father sharing his poetry while the moon hung high in the sky. She always did sound like a fairytale. Some beautiful mysterious woman who walked into my father's life, and dragged him into a love story." Kyou reminisced.
"I bet she'd like my poetry too!" Kenji exclaimed. The others sucked in a breath, recoiling at the suggestion.
"If your previous poetry is anything to go off of, stick to cooking." Tatsuya suggested. Fortunately the insult had gone above Kenji's head as he nodded.
"What about you Tatsuya-san?" Kenji asked.
"Eh? Oh yeah. Dad said she was a wild soul who didn't want anything to hold her down. She came into his life, they had their fun, and she left when the politics around us became messy. Can't say I blame her." Tatsuya explained with a lackadaisical tone, and a soft chuckle at the end.
"You?" Tatsuya asked Kenji.
"My father wouldn't really talk about her. It probably made my step mom uncomfortable to mention it, and a proper samurai shouldn't make the dinner table awkward." Kenji spoke like a mantra.
"Your father got married afterwards?" Kyou asked curiously.
"Well yeah, didn't everyone else's father?" Kenji asked, a little confused.
"No?" the other three replied.
"Oh!" Kenji replied a bit sheepishly. "My father remarried to another Crane, and I've got two sisters because of it. Well, besides you and Azumi that is."
"And here I thought that we were all only children, and equally unprepared for this." Kyou joked. "Anyone else have siblings from their father?"
"I have two other brothers." Kazumo admitted, then regretted mentioning it.
I did not need to tell them that. Now they're going to want to know more.
"Really? I thought your father didn't marry again?" Kenji asked.
"He didn't. My father has the opposite scenario from Kenji-san."
"Sama." Kyou chided Kazumo.
"It's fine! He's our brother, and we should care and respect him." Kenji responded.
"He's still a peasant. It's ok for you to care about him, but we are still above him in status, and respect for the Celestial Order takes precedent." Kyou explained to Kenji as if he was a child.
"Oh…I guess you're right." Kenji said with a touch of sadness to his voice. He laid his head back down and contemplated that. Kazumo could tell by watching that he wanted to disagree, but couldn't find the words.
"Anyway, you might as well continue the story, Kazumo-kun. Your father was married before meeting Chiharu then?" Kyou asked Kazumo out of guilt for making Kenji feel bad.
"Yes, he had my two older brothers with his wife. She died before I was born, so I didn't know her either. Apparently Chiharu comforted him after his wife's death, and, well, out came me."
"She really is a fairy tale. A mysterious woman coming to comfort a heartbroken man. Making love bloom out of a well of sadness." Kyou waxed poetically.
"Or she was taking advantage of him." Tatsuya suggested.
"She wouldn't do that!" Kenji outcried.
"Why not?" Tatsuya responded.
"Well for starters he's poor. It's not like she's going to get much out of him." Kyou retorted with a haughty air to her. Tatsuya raised a little to argue back, before deciding it wasn't worth the effort. Instead, he rolled his eyes and responded.
"As you like."
Kyou shook her head in frustration and scoffed.
"Well I'm going to sleep then. As any proper lady will let you know, sleep is important to maintain good health and beauty." Kyou admonished. Tatsuya could agree on rest being important, so rolled onto his side to sleep. Kenji nodded in agreement, and laid down, as Kazumo did the same. As they prepped to sleep, Kazumo heard heavy footsteps approaching them. The screen door slid open and Azumi loomed over them in the entrance, closing the screen door behind her.
"Get up, we're moving." Azumi ordered.
Kazumo had to hide his grin from the statement made by the less than proper lady. Tatsuya and Kyou groaned.
"Excuse me, what?" Kyou asked incredulously
"Really?" Tatsuya asked reluctantly.
"We need to move quickly if we want to find it." Azumi stated flatly.
"Find what dear sister?" Kenji asked while rubbing his eyes. Azumi walked over to a window before peering out of it.
"The iron ring." Azumi answered.
"Yes!" Kenji jumped up in excitement. Kyou, already getting frustrated that her sleep was being interrupted, rose up to respond.
"Forgive me if I'm incorrect, but I believe your uncle, you know, the lord of the manor we are staying at, stated we are not allowed to go out after them." Kyou reprimanded. Kenji's excitement was quickly replaced by disappointment.
"It would be rude to disobey the lord after he's been so nice to us." Kenji admitted.
"Technically he just said he doesn't want us endangering ourselves, or help get rid of the gang. That and we got to leave in the morning." Tatsuya argued, still laying on his side.
"So we just have to get it before sunrise!" Kenji exclaimed.
"Mmh-hmm." Azumi agreed. Kyou raised her finger to try and argue more, but changed her mind.
"Fine! Let's just get this over with. It'll be dishonor on all of us if we get caught, you know."
"That does raise a good question. How are we going to sneak out of here?"
"We go out the window." Azumi explained.
"And the guards outside?" Tatsuya asked.
"We'll need someone to scout ahead and give a signal." Azumi murmured.
"Who would..oh" Kenji changed his voice to a whisper. "Who would be able to sneak?"
Azumi turned her gaze to Kazumo, who was still sitting on his sleeping mat. The rest of the siblings followed Azumi's gaze onto Kazumo, until everyone in the room was staring at him. Kazumo felt like the weight of the world was just dropped on his shoulders.
At that moment, Kazumo knew he wasn't going to get any sleep that night.