This fan-fiction story is the continuation of a previous work by the same author: "Rediscovering the Future".
This fic can be read as a stand-alone story from "Rediscovering the Future", but it will make full sense only if you have read the earlier work. I strongly suggest you to read "Rediscovering the Future" before continue reading this.
Taki Tachibana and Mitsuha Miyamizu already joined at a Tokyo staircase on April 8, 2022; they've recovered their memories and they are starting to build their relationship. Their dreamed future is ahead of them. But events from the distant past, that they are not aware of, will create ripples in their destiny in ways they have never foresee before. Are they really destined to be together? Taki and Mitsuha will have to discover and circumvent ghosts from a distant past that will threaten not only their own relationship, but also the very survival of the Miyamizu family.
Trigger Warnings: in this work, violence and the death of several characters will be portrayed. Also, adult consensual intimate relationship will be described, but in a natural, non-sexualized way.
The crescent moon was peeking over the mountains, appearing and disappearing at times through dark clouds, at times breaking the darkness of the night. The icy November autumn wind blew through the trees, causing small ripples on the surface of Lake Itomori, which shone silver as the moon peeked through the clouds again.
Walking slowly, a cloaked figure cautiously approached the Tori arch that welcomed the steps of the Miyamizu Shrine. He was looking in all directions, showing a clear nervousness of being discovered. The light of a couple of torches that illuminated the entrance was the only sign of life, so the hooded man, after waiting a minute at the trees near the stairs, decided that no guard was nearby, and began the ascent towards the sanctuary.
He was already a few dozen steps away from reaching the main esplanade, when the moon hid behind the clouds again. The sudden darkness helped the hooded man's presence to go unnoticed as he moved stealthily towards the trees on the side of the stairs, because he realized that one of the sanctuary's servants approached the beginning of the stairs carrying a lamp in his hand.
The servant, an old man in his 60s, stood for a while looking down the stairs and toward the lake, feeling an unease he couldn't explain. He tried to sharpen his worn senses, but he couldn't hear or see anything unusual. The cry of a woman calling to him behind his back broke the silence of the night and took him out of his concentration.
"Koba-san! Dinner will be served soon."
"I'll go right away, start without me," replied the old man, placing one of his hands like a horn to his mouth.
With a sigh, the old warder decided to finish his rounds and returned to his house, which was at the back of the temple. A gust of icy wind flickered the flame of the lamp. The old man tried to close the kimono around his neck, and retraced his steps, walking slowly through the center of the esplanade, dimly lit by oil lamps hung on the corners of the main buildings. The familiar voices of people preparing for dinner escaped into the night as from one of the pavilions a woman opened the door to fetch something from the common kitchen.
After a few minutes the hooded figure, who had been quiet and hidden in the trees, moved again. Poking his head above ground level, he peered to make sure neither the old man nor anyone else was watching his progress. Then he made a quick, silent run off the stairs into the trees to his left, behind a large building. He continued through the trees, until he was hidden behind the thick trunk of a katsura tree, a few meters away from the pavilion.
For several minutes, the figure remained in the shade of the trees, moving from time to time to avoid going numb, but always watching for movement in the building in front of him. When a side door burst open, he hurriedly ducked back as he watched one of the temple's Miko priestesses hurried out carrying trays full of dishes and headed down the side corridor toward the back of the temple, where the kitchen was located. The middle-aged woman walked a stone's throw distance from the hooded figure, unaware of his presence. A few minutes later, the priestess returned walking much more slowly, this time carrying a tray with a steaming pot, disappearing through the same door from which she had left minutes before.
The cold breeze brought the scent of freshly prepared food to the hooded man, who squirmed in sudden hunger. But he kept lurking, waiting.
After about half an hour, the voices began to get louder, until a group of people, men and women dressed in temple attire, came out the side door. Two older men, dressed in the shozuku garb of Shinto priests, led the group, conversing animatedly. Behind them they were followed by a woman in her 40s who was leading a girl of about 10 by the hand. The woman walked with some difficulty due to her swollen belly, which showed an advanced pregnancy. After taking a few steps outside, the woman stopped, looked back, and went back to the door, speaking to the inside.
"Hanako! Hanako? What are you waiting for? Let's go back to the house soon, it's getting really cold out here."
"I'm coming mom, I have to ask Narumi-san something," answered the voice of a young girl from inside the pavilion.
"Okay, but don't get late."
"Mom, can I wait for Hanako?" asked the girl to the woman, pulling her hand to convince her.
"No, you come with me now, Kaori-chan. It's too cold for you to stay outside."
"But mom..."
"Come on, come on, I'll let you use the tub longer. And you can bathe with me."
"Oh really? Let's go!" answered the girl, her eyes shining and beginning to walk pulling her mother's arm.
The woman gave her youngest daughter a beautiful smile, and they continued in the same direction the previous party had taken, until they disappeared from sight at the corner of the pavilion.
The scene had been observed with caution by the hooded figure, who tensed when he heard the young woman's voice from the house. When all was quiet again, he moved closer until he hid behind a group of boxes stacked near the exit of the room, which kept him hidden from view even when he was almost on his feet.
A couple of minutes passed when the door slid open again, letting out a girl. She was tall and slender, and barely in her late teens, but her feminine figure was clearly visible even in her loose Miko priestess outfit.
The girl closed the door and stared around her, down the hall, then out into the woods. She felt the cold temperature and drew the shawl she wore on her back tighter around her neck and chest. She took a few steps forward, always looking in all directions. She stopped indecisively, and then retraced her steps, walking cautiously always looking in all directions, looking for something.
The hooded figure stood in maximum tension. He looked at his feet and saw a small branch about ten inches long. He picked it up, and flung it into the trees about ten feet from Priestess, making a noise of snapping branches as it hit the bushes.
"Who's there?" said the girl in a concealed voice, shrinking in on herself for a few seconds.
Receiving no answer, she looked down the corridor in all directions again, undecided.
At the end of a long seconds, the girl decided to approach the place where she heard the noise, on alert. She took the path of footprints that passed three feet away from the group of boxes, passing by their side without seeing the hooded man, who had stuck his back to the boxes so as not to be seen.
"Who's there?" asked the girl again, looking towards the trees, straining her eyes to try to distinguish something between the branches and trunks.
Then, the hooded man moved more stealthily than ever. He took four steps until he was behind the girl, and took her from behind, putting his hand on her mouth to stifle the scream that the girl tried to give when she felt that she was hugged in a surprising way, struggling to remove his arm and hand from her face.
"Shhh, stay still and quiet, or they'll discover us!" said the hooded man in the girl's ear, who, hearing his voice, relaxed and opened her eyes with surprise and joy.
"Goro?" exclaimed the girl with relief in a whispered cry. "Why did you do that? You almost scared me to death!"
The hooded man released the girl, taking off his hood and showing the face of a boy in his 20s, with dark hair, smiling at the girl.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help it. You look too charming when you're scared. You look like a lost kitten."
"If you do that again, I assure you I'll scratch you like a furious cat," Hanako replied, placing her arms on her hips, as if she were scolding a small child.
"Come, let's get out of sight or they'll find us."
Goro took the girl's hand, and they walked together into the forest, until they were about 30 meters away, being hidden from the sight of anyone in the sanctuary. They walked over to a thick fallen log and sat down on it.
"I thought you weren't coming," said the girl, looking up at the moon that had just peeked through the clouds, shining through the tree branches.
"I could never break a promise to you, Hanako. You know that, don't you?"
The girl looked at the boy, and her eyes sparkled with joy for a few seconds. Then her face darkened, and she looked down at her feet.
"I know. And that's why it hurts me to have to see each other like this. This morning I tried to talk to Dad again, but he wouldn't listen to me."
"Did you tell him about us?"
"I tried. I told him I wanted to talk about the engagement, but every time I try, he won't let me talk. He always ends up telling me that it cannot be changed, that the honor and destiny of the Miyamizu family is at stake, and that there is nothing to be done."
"What if I talk to him?"
The girl looked into his eyes, with a hint of sadness. «If only my father could see you as I see you», she thought. She dropped her gaze again.
"I don't think he'll listen to you, and it will most likely make things worse. I hate having to be the heir to the Miyamizu clan! When I see Kaori, I feel like she has so few responsibilities, and so little burden, that I envy her. I would like to be a young girl again, without the pressure of having to carry the load of the family."
"But if you were a young girl again, we couldn't be together," Goro brought his hand to the girl's cheek, caressing it with his thumb and palm.
Hanako closed her eyes, and rubbed her face in his hand, feeling how warm it was. Despite being a young hand, she felt a slight roughness, product of manual work. «This is the hand of a real man», she thought. She wanted to feel more than just a touch, and after a heartbeat she became aware of her own feelings. She sat up suddenly, moving away from the boy's hand.
"Hey, you really behave like a real kitty, ha, ha," said Goro, smiling, amused to see how the girl blushed at the comparison.
"Do not laugh at me!" protested the girl, looking down at her feet with a devious air.
"Sorry, sorry, I really just wanted to see you more, I can't stop smiling when I'm with you."
"I…"
The girl's eyes widened in surprise when she felt the boy's hand on her face again, and when she turned to him, she saw how he brought his face closer to hers. She closed her eyes to receive a kiss, when a distant scream sent the couple into a panic.
"HANAKO! Where are you?" a woman cried at the distance, shouting from the sanctuary.
"It's Narumi-san! She realized I'm not there!"
"Damn, you have to go back now…"
"I'm going to sneak around the back of the sanctuary. I'll say I went to get some water from the creek."
"You will be fine?"
"Yes, calm down, wait a minute and then leave without being discovered."
The couple gave each other a hasty but tight hug. Closing their eyes, they both wished that time would freeze, but a new scream from the chaperone brought them back to reality.
"I'll look for you at the market's well at noon" said Goro, gently pulling her away from him. "Don't let them catch you coming out of the woods, go. I love you!"
"I love you too."
Hanako began to walk away through the trees, carefully, trying not to make any noise and not trip, since the moon had hidden behind the clouds again, making it more difficult to walk through the trees in the dark.
Goro walked a few steps towards the shrine and crouched down. Through the trees he saw the light of at least a couple of torches or lamps moving near the buildings. «Shit, they're on alert, I have to get out of here right now», he lamented, starting to walk in the opposite direction Hanako took, heading towards where the stairs should be.
§
"Why is that little girl always getting into trouble?" protested Hiroshi Miyamizu. "She's been very rebellious lately, and now this!"
"Don't worry, she must have gone for a walk, she has to show up, darling" said Kyomi, lying on a divan between cushions.
Kyomi's breathing was somewhat labored; her pregnancy was not compatible with the nervous state of the situation, although she tried to remain calm.
"Mommy, can I go to look for her too? I'm a grown up now and I can help!" said Kaori, her eyes a little teary, and worried.
"No, for no reason, the last thing we need is for you to get lost now," replied Hiroshi with a harsh tone.
"Honey, breathe! Kaori has no fault in this."
"I know, I know... but..."
Footsteps were heard down the hallway corridor. The three of them turned in unison toward the door, which swung open, revealing a very apologetic older woman. She took a couple of steps into the room and got on her knees, giving a reverent salute until she touched the ground with her head.
"Hiroshi-sama, I already told my husband and my sons. They are all looking for Hanako-sama. Your brother also joined the search party around the shrine."
"Thank you, Narumi-san. Don't feel bad, if you hadn't come to talk to us recently, we would have thought that Hanako was still with you and we wouldn't have been able to react. And is there any news?"
"No, nothing yet, I was calling her too, but I couldn't find her."
"I understand, I'll also go help then. She can't be far away"
Hanako's father stood up.
"Kyomi, I'm going to go change my suit into something warmer and more suitable for walking into the trees, and I'll be out right away. Kaori, please take care of your mother. And, Narumi-san, please continue searching for her."
The woman bowed deeply, and quickly rose to her feet, leaving the room. Not even ten seconds passed when they heard her shout from the corridor a loud.
"Hanako-sama! Are you all right?".
Hiroshi ran out into the corridor to find Mrs. Narumi hugging a surprised Hanako who was coming from outside.
"Hanako! Are you well? Where were you?" asked Hiroshi, walking towards his daughter.
"D-dad, yes, I'm fine, what's wrong?" softly answered Hanako.
She was very nervous, but tried to hide it. She had managed to avoid one of Mrs. Narumi's sons who was looking for her, and she managed to sneak into the house, trying to enter as if nothing was happening, but the reaction of Mrs. Narumi and her father puzzled her.
"What happened to you? Narumi-san came home and told us you kept taking to her for a while, but later you disappeared and we couldn't find you."
"Oh, that… well, I left the pavilion and I was a little thirsty and… I felt like walking, so I went to the creek behind the shrine."
"At this time and at night? Hanako, by all the gods, don't do that kind of crazy thing again! Come, enter the room. Narumi-san, please notify everyone that she appeared, I apologize for causing everyone to be unnecessarily alarmed"
Hanako's father bowed slightly.
"High priest, don't worry, it's our obligation to take care of everything here. I'll go notify them..."
But Mrs. Narumi's sentence was cut short when, in the distance, a scream was heard, followed by several more. Everyone was silent, trying to listen and understand the cause of such screams. A few seconds later, another series of screams and racing noises were heard a little closer:
"Catch him...!"
"He's going there!"
"Don't let him escape!"
Hanako gave a cry of fear that she couldn't contain as she thought about the identity of who was being chased. Her mother just peeked out the door with Kaori.
"Honey? Hanako? Are you fine? What are those screams?"
"I don't know, but I'll go find out. Narumi-san, take Hanako to the room and, you four, stay here until I come back," ordered Hiroshi, running outside.
§
Hanako was for long minutes locked up with her mother and sister in the room. Mrs. Narumi tried to attend to them, and prepared some tea for everyone. As they drank it, they heard the men's screams again a couple of times; from the sound it seemed that they were trying to coordinate among themselves, still chasing someone in the dark.
Suddenly, after a long silence, cheers were heard. Had he been captured? Hanako though, and she couldn't hold back anymore.
"Mom, I have to go out!"
"Don't do it, your father asked us to stay…"
"You... you don't understand!"
The girl took off at a run, although neither her little sister nor the two older women could have done anything to stop her. Without saying a word, they only managed to follow her footsteps from afar, worried that she would get lost again.
Hanako ran following the men's voices. As she got closer, she began to understand the cause of the laughter and animated chatter of the men who described their adventures catching the intruder, as if it had been a sporting event.
Turning down one of the corridors, she found herself face to face with the central esplanade of the sanctuary. She saw her father and her uncle, both still dressed in their priestly robes, talking, accompanied by two of Mr. Koba's sons. One carried an oil lamp and the other a spear-tipped pole, which she recognized as the sanctuary's weapons used to defend against bandits. Her heart began to race and she couldn't stop a loud exclamation of fear from coming out of her mouth.
The group of men turned to the girl, surprised by her presence. Her father took a couple of steps toward her angrily.
"Hanako, what are you doing here? I ordered you to stay in the house."
"Dad, what happened?"
"We caught a criminal who was prowling around the sanctuary. Everything is safe now."
Hanako's heart suddenly stopped. She looked around in all directions, seeing no one else. Fear began to fill her. Had Goro been caught? What had they done to him?
"B-but what happened?... Where is he...?"
The father took a step closer to her, looking at her strangely. Suddenly a worrying thought crossed his mind. He felt he had to find out what was going on.
"We caught a criminal who was prowling our sanctuary. He tried to run away, but we caught him near the creek. Koba-san and his sons were able to capture him, they should bring him here soon…"
Hiroshi narrowed his eyes for a second, considering his words. When he looked again, he saw his wife and youngest daughter slowly coming up behind Hanako.
"What's is about to happen now is not going to be a pretty show for women, so you better back off."
"No!" the girl shouted without thinking her words.
"No what?"
At that moment, voices could be heard from the bottom of the sanctuary. Everyone in the courtyard turned to look, seeing three men approaching, one carrying a torch, the other two dragging some kind of bundle between them. When they got closer, it was possible to distinguish that the bundle was a person who had fainted, taken by the arms between the men, handcuffed hands and feet, dragging his feet on the ground.
Arriving a few meters from the high priest's group, they left the body on the stone slabs, motionless. Hanako could see his bloody face and clothes. It was Goro.
A cry of anguish came from Hanako's throat, who in a first impulse wanted to run towards him, but she couldn't take it anymore because of her nerves, and she fell on her knees, with her hands in her mouth, unable to stop looking at him, but without being able to move either.
Her father had been watching her. His suspicions seemed confirmed, but he needed to be sure.
"This thug put up quite a fight, but he couldn't beat my boys, ha, ha," said Mr. Koba, feeling rejuvenated by the adventure.
"What do we do with him now, Hiroshi-sama, Keitaro-sama?"
The second mentioned, the other man dressed as a priest, approached the body on the ground, and gently pushed it with his foot, without seeing any reaction in it.
"Is he still alive?"
"Yes, he's just stunned, because he was resisting being caught," answered the boy who carried the torch.
Hanako felt a wave of relief at those words. She couldn't let herself betray her feelings in front of her father, but she had to think how to save Goro. In the end, he had come because she had asked him the previous afternoon, and the guilt was gnawing at her.
"Brother, what do you want us to do now?"
"Well, we should bring this criminal to the Shogun's men for trial, though…"
Hiroshi turned his back to Hanako completely, and began to speak loudly.
"This criminal dared to desecrate our temple, and he must have wanted to steal our relics. According to our ancient laws, that is punishable by death. Take him away so he can be executed immediately!"
Keitaro's face could not avoid the surprise of such an order.
"What…?"
Hiroshi looked at him sternly, and made a sign with his fingers: «go with the flow».
"Well, he must be executed right now. I order that!" seconded Keitaro.
Hiroshi approached one of Koba's son who was carrying the spear, and extended his hand to ask for it. The boy hesitated for a second, confused, but handed it over. He took the spear, and pointed it at the body of the boy, who was still unconscious on the ground.
"Nooo!" cried Hanako out loud.
She could no longer contain her fear and desperation. Everyone in the courtyard turned to see her. The girl jumped up and ran the meters that separated her from the fainted man, until she fell on him, covering him with her body, protecting him with her back from the spear that her father was pointing at him.
"Don't touch him, don't kill him, please don't!" desperately cried the girl. "Goro, please wake up, Goro!"
Hiroshi sighed, and stared at his brother, who was gaping at what was going on. He dropped the spear, which made a loud sound as the metal part hit the cobblestones of the courtyard. The sound startled Hanako, who only managed to snuggle closer to the fallen boy, sobbing even more intensely.
"Hanako, who is that boy?"
The girl didn't want to move or answer. She just caressed Goro's bloody hair, unable to stop crying.
"Hanako?"
Getting no response, he gestured to Keitaro.
"Come help me separate her from him."
The two men approached the girl. Her father reached down and took her by slipping his arms under her arms and grasping her shoulders, separating her from the young man, and lifted her up.
Hanako was taken by surprise, and she couldn't hold on to the boy, so she started kicking and bawling trying to get away from her father. Her uncle tried with difficulty to grab her feet to try to control her.
"No! Let me go! Don't do anything to Goro! It's not his fault! Don't kill him! Don't kill him!"
"Hanako! Calm down, we won't do anything to him, as long as you tell us everything I want to know," told Hiroshi her firmly. "Hanako!"
Hanako's screams subsided, and she came back to her senses a little bit, although she couldn't stop crying and panting, realizing that everyone was looking at her upset. Her uncle let go of her feet and her father loosened the pressure on her shoulders a little, but without releasing her.
"Hanako, who is that boy?"
"It's... he's... Goro, he's my friend, he's..."
Suddenly a moan came from the man on the ground, who regained consciousness a little and began to move trying to put his hands to his head, but without success because of the ties on his wrists. He opened his eyes slightly, and saw Hanako crying in front of him, surrounded by people.
"Ha-… Hana-ko, I… forgive- me, forgive -me…" he managed to say in a weak voice.
"No! Goro, Goro! Let me go! Help him! Please, mother, please help him!"
"Enough!" said Hiroshi, gesturing for his brother to take charge of his daughter. "Keitaro, please take Hanako and the women to the house."
"No! what are you going to do to him? What will you do to him!" yelled Hanako again desperately.
"It depends on your next words, Hanako. Who is this Goro, and where do you know him from?"
"He's Goro, he is Goro Mayugorô! He's my friend, don't do anything to him, please dad, don't do anything to him!"
"Mayugorô?"
The name came out of Hiroshi's mouth like a bad feeling. He heard a gasp of surprise from Kyomi, who was staring to the boy, but he couldn't understand why she reacted like that.
Hiroshi beckoned to the servant closest to him with the lamp in his hand, asking for it. The servant handed it to him, then brought it closer to the boy's face to get a better look. Goro reacted weakly trying to cover his eyes from the strong light.
"Koba-san, do you recognize him?" asked Hiroshi.
Mr. Koba walked over and crouched close to the boy, looking at him intently.
"Oh yes, I see… he must be one of the younger sons of Yamazaki Mayugorô. I think I've seen this guy in the market a couple of times. His father is the craftsman who makes sandals and shoes."
"And what the hell is this boy doing here? Why…?"
The idea that crossed Hiroshi's mind left him cold. He moved the lamp away from the boy's face and faced his daughter.
"You disappeared a while ago and no one could find you. Were you secretly seeing this boy? He… did he do something to you? Answer Hanako!"
The girl felt short of breath. Her entire plan to keep her relationship with Goro as a secret had failed in the most catastrophic way. She had to try to calm her father down, and prevent his initial threats towards Goro from coming to pass.
"He hasn't done anything to me! Dad, I swear! He came to see me because I called him, forgive me, please forgive me, but he hasn't done anything wrong to me..."
"You're about to be engaged, Hanako! How can you be flirting with a… with the son of a craftsman?"
"He is not a bad man, Dad, he is much more honorable than many others I have seen, and he…"
"Enough, Hanako! Keitaro, take Hanako and the women into the house, and please make sure she doesn't come out of her room. I'm going to see what I can do with this son of a craftsman."
"Dad, please release him, let him free!" continued Hanako, shouting as she was dragged back to her house by her uncle, followed by her mother and sister, who tried to calm her down without much success.
Once the group of women had moved far enough away, the mood in the courtyard fell into a tense silence.
"Hiroshi-sama, what do we do then?" asked Mr. Koba after a while. "Luckily, we didn't kill the boy when we captured him, but we'll still have to answer to his father."
"This boy shouldn't be here, and he shouldn't be putting my daughter's honor at risk! I should kill him myself... but..."
Hiroshi closed his eyes, and took several deep breaths until he calmed down.
"… but we cannot take his life in our hands. We are priests, not samurai or assassins. And as far as it seems this fool wasn't stealing anything... Koba-san, please send two of your sons to report to Yamazaki Mayugorô that we have his son imprisoned because he snuck into the shrine like a criminal. Tell him that we caught him, but that we will take him back to his house tomorrow, and that I will personally go and speak with him. And tell him he's alive."
"Immediately, Hiroshi-sama."
The old man looking around until he found one of his eldest sons.
"Jiro, you heard the high priest."
"Yes father, we will go immediately," answered Jiro.
"Masaru, you too. Please go with your brother.".
Hiroshi steps into the messengers' group. "Make sure you give the message only to this boy's father, Yamazaki Mayugorô, and explain to him that his son is safe for now. We don't want there to be a dispute or more problems between the families. Is that clear to you?"
"Yes, Hiroshi-sama," replied the elder man. "Masaru, let's go."
"All the rest of you, help me get this man off the ground, and let's treat his head wound. Let's take him inside," Hiroshi ordered to other people around him, pointing to one of the temple buildings used as a warehouse.
"Koba-san, ask your wife to boil water and bring clean cloth and help us heal him," continued Hiroshi. "But don't let him go. Let him be watched by someone all the time. I don't want him to escape or cause us any more headaches. And I also want to question him before I return him to his family."
"As you order, Hiroshi-sama."
"And everyone else that is watching here, go back to your homes or homework, now!" ordered out loud the high priest to about twenty people, including servants, priestesses and shrine maidens who had gathered around the courtyard as a result of all the commotion that had formed.
Mr. Koba approached the other men in the yard, some of the women, and divided the tasks for them, while two men took Goro Mayugorô's shoulders and feet and they carried him inside the building. Then the old man walked back to the high priest, who was still standing thoughtfully in the middle of the courtyard.
"Hiroshi-sama, I know it's none of my business, but... it seems that your daughter is really in love with that craftsman's son. What do you want us to do with that boy?"
"The honor of the Miyamizu family is at stake here, Koba-san. Hanako is the heir to the Miyamizu clan, and the marriage we are arranging with the feudal lord's permission is necessary for the good of our house. I need you to talk to all the people in the sanctuary, and that everything you heard my daughter say, or the reasons why this cretin came to get into the sanctuary, must be kept completely secret. None of this must leave the sanctuary."
"I understand, Hiroshi-sama. I will educate everyone about it. With your permission, I'm going to see my wife to ask for her help with the cures for the boy."
The old man gave a short bow and walked slowly away. The weariness and pressure of the night's events crashed down on the old man.
Hiroshi followed him with his eyes until he was the only one left on the shrine forecourt. He looked at the moon reappearing through the clouds.
"Oh, Shitori-no-Kami, why do you allow these things to happen? You know that the Miyamizu clan has had a pact with you for so many generations. What are we going to do if our lineage is lost?"