Good news, everyone! Shingles are finally fading away, though my hand is all messed up from the band-aids I had to wear for weeks (changed them daily, but still). Palm is dry and crack, as is one of my fingers. But still better than before!
Lots of stuff going on lately. MrsTheGoose has started selling her handmade polymer clay kawaii magnets (that was a mouthful) and already has two sales. My birthday and my streamer anniversary are both near the end of this month (gonna be a special stream to celebrate). And this story officially hit 200k words without ANs! What a time to be alive.
Adam stayed hidden in the cart until Katai had long ago vanished from view, the imposing, wooden walls being swallowed up by the forest as the caravan trundled down the trail in the early morning hours. Even then, he only dared poke his head out once they'd officially hit the smoothly paved highway. But with no horse of his own and no one telling him to walk, Adam sat on the back of the wagon and watched as the horrors of Katai drifted further and further away.
His wagon must've been the last in the caravan, as no one followed behind them except a lone rider who scanned the trees periodically but otherwise rode with a glazed over face. The rifle on his back spoke of his guard duties, though Adam doubted it would do much against a Grimm. Then again, Jean looked big enough to handle just about anything. This extra guard probably served more as an early warning than an actual deterrent, though he'd still be useful against a raid. Strong or not, a well-aimed shot could drop a bandit regardless of who pulled the trigger.
No matter how hard he tried, Adam couldn't stop his gaze from drifting back to the trail behind them, half-expecting Alyssa or someone to come rushing after them to drag him back to a cell. Or worse, to her room. Adam shivered as he shook his head to dispel the thought. He was free of Katai - of Alyssa. Madam de Thom, who would've marched him to the gallows herself had she been given the chance, would be reveling in her victory, thinking him on his way to whatever horrors Kesseki held. The mayor would be doing whatever the mayor did. And Alyssa…well, she'd probably be plotting her next victim. Hopefully, with everything that had happened, she'd lay off for a bit. He dreaded to imagine Erik taking his place.
He could never replace you, Adam. He isn't nearly as…desirable. Adam's eyes scrunched shut at how the voice caressed the final word. He could almost feel her hands on him, despite the distance. Adam shook his arms free of the spectral whore and looked for something to distract him. Anything. Trees. The trail. The slow plodding of the horse following behind. None of it held his interest for long.
Giving up on what lay behind, Adam slipped back into the wagon and began curiously inspecting the small assortment of crates and sacks. Potatoes took up a full corner by themselves, with boxes labeled with different vegetable names making him realize he was in a produce wagon. Near the front, he spied a few crates that looked different from the rest. The wood was a darker color. Emblazoned on the side was the name Yama in bold, blocky letters with a few symbols underneath that Adam didn't recognize. His fingers traced across the raised surface.
"Ichi-go ichi-e." Adam fell backwards at the unexpected voice. His eyes shot to the front of the wagon, where the driver watched him with a whimsical smirk.
"What?"
"Ichi-go ichi-e," the man repeated, tapping his hand against the top of the nearest crate. "The words you were looking at. That's what they say."
"Words?" The symbols looked nothing like words. He couldn't even make out letters. Just a strange assortment of lines and shapes. The first assortment reminded him of a stack of boxes on a raised platform. Or maybe a really weird ladder. And beside that was a completely different ladder or something. He honestly had no idea. The second symbol reminded him more of some sort of house. Either way, he couldn't make heads or tails of them.
His new friend laughed. "It's in ancient Mistralian. Rather than letters, we wrote in ideograms - pictures that meant words, just like these."
Words made of pictures? That sounded…well, it sounded complicated to Adam, especially with his limited artistic ability. He couldn't imagine communicating with his stick figures. "And you can read them?"
"Not really," the man shrugged. "I know a little, but no one's really used that language since long before the Great War. It's a lot easier to interact with other kingdoms when you all share the same language. I'd wager there's only a handful of people left in all of Mistral who can still write in the old ways."
"Then how do you know what that says?" If he couldn't read it, how could he translate it?
"It's our family motto," he explained. "It was passed down to me by my father, and someday, I hope to pass it on to children of my own. Ah, but where are my manners? I am Soji. Yama Soji."
"Yama? Like on the crate?" Did that mean his driver was some sort of business owner? But what sort of businessman rode with his product? If he was some sort of big shot, then surely he'd be in an office somewhere, not sitting in the last wagon of some caravan in the middle of nowhere.
"The same."
"So you own all of this?" Adam asked.
"No, that would be my brother, Yama Rikyu." Soji pointed ahead, but all Adam could see was the next wagon. "We aren't a big operation, but we get by."
With nothing else to distract him, Adam jumped on the easy topic and kept the man talking. "So what exactly do you do?"
The question proved the right one, as Soji's eyes lit up and he began sharing the whole history of their little enterprise. They started out transporting tea from some of the outlying villages to the larger cities and quickly made a name for themselves. But relying entirely on one product wasn't enough, and they soon began expanding, much as any caravan would. If they could fit it, they'd haul it. Food. Medicine. Weapons. Dust. Not so much of the latter, since the SDC normally shipped it all by bullhead, but there had been the odd job here and there. Through it all, though, they always made sure to have at least some tea with them, as they had loyal customers in several cities who had come to expect their steady supply.
It also served as their tribute to their father, who had been a tea master - an expert in the cultivation and service of tea, as Adam learned. "I didn't know there were different types."
"There are hundreds. Maybe thousands," Soji answered, leaving Adam shocked by the number. "But there's really only a few different types. Depending on who you ask, they all fall into one of the four to eight types. And each one has a unique taste profile and ideal growing conditions. A tea master has to know all of that and be able to perform the proper ceremonies without error."
That sounded like a lot of work. Adam only knew about the basic tea Father Bernard drank. He had no idea there were others, let alone special procedures for serving. He'd always just heat the water, mix in some sugar, and leave the tea bag in until the water cooled a little. "And you and your brother are tea masters?"
Soji burst out laughing. "No. Definitely not. Our father taught us a good deal, but neither of us can call ourselves masters. We merely transport it nowadays."
"If you don't drink it all yourself."
Jean LeGume steered his horse closer, pulling alongside Adam and Soji as he slowed his horse down. Up close and with the bright rays of sunlight sneaking through the canopy, Adam could better appreciate the sheer size of the man. His horse was monstrous, which it probably had to be to carry the man. He had to be a solid six feet tall, but more than that, he was a solid mass of muscle. Adam could imagine the man going toe to toe with an Ursa and winning that wrestling match. Even his deep, baritone voice rang with strength and confidence.
"Never seen you turn down a cup," Soji fired back before leaning over to Adam. "Jean's been with us since the early days. Can you believe he didn't even like tea when we met him? We certainly fixed that, didn't we?"
"It's not my fault I only had the cheap crap before working for you."
"With us," Soji tried to correct, but Jean was having none of it.
"You pay me, so I'm an employee." Soji's eye roll hinted at this not being the first time. "And the moment a better offer comes along, I might just take it."
Soji chuckled, despite the ominous warning from his protection. "You've been saying that for years now, Jean. I doubt no one has beaten my brother's contract in all that time. Unless you're saying you enjoy our company more than our lien?"
"I enjoy both," Jean answered easily. "And I intend to protect both as well."
"And we are forever grateful for it."
Their banter finished, Jean turned his focus to Adam, keeping pace with the wagon as he spoke. "So, old Taylor told me a little about you. Something about being sentenced to thirty in Kesseki." Adam paled at the reminder. Even more so when he saw the surprise on Soji's face. Sheriff Taylor had never told anyone the details? "Care to enlighten us on the charges?"
"I'd rather not," Adam attempted. He'd been enjoying his chat with Soji and how it distracted him from what lay behind. Going into the details of his incarceration wouldn't exactly help him.
Jean smacked his attempt away with contemptuous ease. "And I'd rather know what I'm dealing don't get thirty years for stealing. I didn't take on some crazed murderer that's gonna shiv me in my sleep, did I?" Adam shook his head but kept his mouth shut. "If you're not gonna talk, then the deal's off. Guess we'll just have to take you back to Katai."
"No!" Adam shouted, even as he felt Soji slow the wagon.
"Either talk or head back."
Adam clenched his jaw, taking a deep breath as he realized it wasn't much of a choice. He could either tell them what happened and hope they believed him, or they'd drag him back to Katai and he'd spend the next thirty years in a cell.
"I…they tried to say I raped a girl."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"I didn't do it!" Adam assured them. "She was lying. She even hurt herself to make me look guilty. You've got to believe me!"
Adam fidgeted nervously as he watched Jean, praying the man would understand. Why would he believe him, though? He hadn't just been accused. He'd been convicted. Thirty years for a teenager wasn't something thrown around on a whim. Anywhere else, he would've received a fair trial, or at least a lighter sentence. Especially with the sheriff on his side. Instead, Alyssa's stepfather had thrown him to the Beowolves as Madam de Thom cackled with glee.
No one will believe you, Adam, Alyssa's voice laughed in his ear. You thought you could escape so easily? Once they realize what you did, they'll send you back. But he hadn't done anything. You defied me, Adam. All you had to do was listen - to obey. But you chose to fight back. You went against me, and now you have to pay.
She was right. Not about him being guilty, but about no one believing him. Why would they? Innocent men didn't get locked up. Innocent men didn't sneak out of town under the cover of darkness. And innocent men didn't hide what they'd done or look so guilty afterwards. No sane person would side with a convicted teenager over a mayor's ruling.
Which made Jean's response all the more shocking. "I believe him. What about you, Soji?"
"Sounds good to me."
"What?" They believed him?
"You said you didn't do it," Jean explained, as if his words actually meant anything. Adam assumed most guilty men claimed innocence. "And Taylor vouched for you. The old man may be getting a little slow, but his word's still good in my book. He already told me everything before we took you on."
Wait a second. If Sheriff Taylor already told him… "You already knew?"
"Of course I knew!" Jean loudly exclaimed. "I'm in charge of security here. You think I'd just let some random kid travel with us without checking into his background a little?"
"Then why ask?"
Jean shrugged. "Because I wanted to hear it from you. Because a man ought to speak for himself and stand on his own legs." The simple adages sounded reasonable to Adam. "Speaking of which, old Taylor promised you were a hard worker."
"He did?" Adam barely knew the man. What else had he said?
"Part of the reason I agreed to let you ride along," Jean said, waving his hand ahead to the rest of the caravan. "We don't carry dead weight here. Every man has a purpose. So what's yours?"
"I…" Adam didn't really know. Sure, he was no stranger to working hard. He spent more time doing chores than anything else. But he sort of doubted they'd need him to vacuum the trail or dust the trees. Even his work at the mill would be next to useless. "I don't know."
"Well, you have until tonight to figure it out. Yah!" And with that, Jean cracked the reins of his horse and sped back to the front of the caravan.
"Don't mind Jean," Soji assured him. "He just wants to make sure everyone chips in. Worst case, he'll have you gather sticks for the fire tonight. Perhaps in time, we'll find your place among our group. As we all have."
"What kind of jobs are there?" Adam wasn't sure what he could do, but it made sense that he should chip in. They'd rescued him from Katai, so the least he could do was some chores. Plus, he might go insane with nothing to do. "Jean guards the caravan. You and your brother are in charge. What else is there?"
"A great many things, though my brother and I do not simply lead the caravan." Soji smiled to make it clear he wasn't offended. "How can we expect others to work if we do not." Soji nodded to all the crates and sacks behind them. "Rikyu is good with business, but I'm good with people. He handles the numbers while I entertain clients and seek out new ventures in each town. We also help set up camp and make the evening tea for everyone.
"Jean does more than just watch for threats, too," Soji continued. "That may be his main job, but attacks are rare and there is much to be done in between. He also hunts for the caravan and helps cook, though his skill may be limited to roasting meat over a fire. Others handle the vegetables, while more tend the fire, gather water, or a great many other tasks. Each man is judged not by the type of work he does, but by his willingness to do his utmost."
"I want to help." Ideas swirled through Adam's mind as he tried to imagine ways to assist. "I can build the fire. Or maybe help cook. I used to work in the kitchen back-"
"Patience, young one," Soji advised, chuckling at Adam's enthusiasm. "You do not drink the tea the moment it is poured. Nor should you rush into life so hastily. Do as Jean asks tonight and watch those around you. See where help is needed, not just where you think you fit. No job is more or less important than another."
"Not even Jean's?"
"Not even Jean's," Soji agreed. "Should we be attacked, our very lives may be in his hands, but what of the rest of the journey? Thirst and hunger can kill as easily as a bandit's knife. A bit of improperly cooked meat could bring us low, too. Even the fire is vital, warming us and warding away predators at night."
"And if you don't make good deals, there wouldn't be enough lien to pay everyone," Adam added, unashamed at his obvious brown nosing.
Soji just nodded along. "Or to purchase more goods for the next trip. Every man according to his ability."
According to his ability? What was Adam's ability? He wasn't business savvy like Soji. He couldn't fight like Jean. So what could he do? After all, he was just a teenager.
Soji didn't seem as worried. "But those are concerns for later. For now, rest. We have a long road ahead of us and you look like a man who has not seen the backside of his eyelids in many days."
Adam tried to protest, but a traitorous yawn ruined his attempt, as if Soji's words had cast a spell of weariness upon him. With a quick "thank you" to his new host, Adam slipped back into the wagon and nestled himself against one of the crates as best he could. He made sure to angle himself toward the front of the cart, keen to avoid looking back at the way they'd come and all the miseries that lurked there.
/- - - - - - - - - -/
Adam awoke to find everything pretty much the same as before. The wagons still trundled along, only stopping for a short rest at a familiar clearing. The moment they did, their small group of travelers scattered about, tending to the horses, checking their supplies, and refilling their water supply nearby. It was an amazing display of organized chaos that had them back on the trail in no time at all.
Adam hadn't done much traveling before, but he could still remember the trips to Katai before Father Bernard passed. Much like then, the day seemed to drag on, with only the monotony of the trail and passing trees to watch. Instead, Adam spent most of the time chatting with Soji.
Like the merchants he'd met before, Soji seemed eager to chat about anything and everything. He shared stories of journeys from long ago, waxed eloquent on the quality of his favorite teas, and even recounted some humorous tales from his childhood. It didn't matter the subject. Much like Adam, Soji seemed thrilled to have something to focus on beyond the wide, flat path before them. You could only stare at the back of the next cart for so long before your eyes glazed over.
They stopped much earlier than Adam had expected, pulling the wagons into a clearing that Adam recognized far too easily. The benches near the fire pit, along with a familiar boulder he had once used as a backrest. The simple rail that Eve had once been tied to, though it looked much newer now - likely replaced after the Beowolf demolished it. He could almost hear the howls of those vicious monsters echoing somewhere in the distance.
"You okay?"
Adam jumped at Soji's question, shocking himself back into reality. No red eyes glared out from the treeline. No frightened children clung desperately to the nearby tree, though Adam could see the broken limbs and deep furrows cut into the trunk. Adam shuddered at the memory even as it faded.
"I-it's nothing," Adam lied.
Soji didn't fall for it. "That's quite a lot of nothing, then. Did you see something?"
"No."
"Still tired from our journey?"
"No."
"Then what troubles you, Adam?"
Adam hesitated, unsure if he should share. What would they think of him for running away from his problems - of having to be rescued from his own stupidity? He didn't want them to treat him like some foolish kid. Even if he barely knew them, Adam wanted their respect.
"I've…been here before."
"Really?" Soji looked surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered. "Ah. You must've passed through here on the way to Katai. I forget how many of the children there are from other villages."
"N-no. I came from the west. Shizukana." Adam wasn't surprised to see the recognition on Soji's face. Shizukana wasn't a large settlement, but practically anyone who traveled through Katai would know Shizukana, if only as a resting place on their journey.
Soji thought for a moment, staring off into the distance. "Wait, does that mean…" Soji studied Adam's face, his eyes widening suddenly at some realization. "How did I not see it before? You're Father Bernard's boy!"
This time, it was Adam's turn to look confused. "You…know me?"
Rather than answer, Soji excitedly waved Jean over. The tall man reluctantly obeyed, tossing his water flask to the side before lumbering their way. "Jean! You'll never guess who this is." Jean joined in Adam's confusion. "It's little Adam." Still, nothing. "Bernard's boy!"
Jean's recognition of the name was much less obvious than Soji's, but it was obvious the name meant something to him. "The preacher at Shizukana?" Soji nodded excitedly. "He was a good man. A little preachy at times, but I guess that was his job. Definitely prefer him to that new windbag they got."
They knew his home? Adam hadn't thought much about Shizukana since leaving, but someone had replaced Father Bernard. Some new pastor would be leading the church and living in his…his old home. Even though he felt he shouldn't care, Adam couldn't help the curiosity that welled up inside him. Was Able okay? Did the new pastor have any kids? Was Dorian still a pompous jerk? Oh, who was he kidding? Of course he was. Adam wasn't sure if Dorian and Pika would've been best friends or killed each other with how similar they were.
He could pick their brains later. Soji was too caught up in the moment to answer questions, if Adam could've even gotten a word in through the excited rambling of the man. "Your father was such a generous man. I still remember sharing tea with him to celebrate your arrival. I'd never seen him so happy."
"Or so nervous," Jean added.
"He had reason to be, did he not?" Adam stumbled as Soji dragged him across the camp, eagerly announcing his newfound secret to everyone. Other than a younger man - likely only a few years separated from his teens - who smiled but otherwise looked confused, each and every person knew the name Father Bernard. Some quickly mentioned fond memories of the man, while others gave him condolences, but they all knew and praised Father Bernard.
Adam knew that the merchants who passed through Shizukana always stayed at their stable, but he'd only met a few over the years. None of them really stood out in his mind - a bunch of smiling faces trying to hide the weariness of travel. Most of the time, Father Bernard dealt with the merchants himself or they just went to the stable and handled things without him. It was such a routine that they really didn't need anything, and Father Bernard never pushed for more.
"Rikyu!" Adam stumbled to the side as Soji continued their hasty zigzag through the camp until they stopped before a man who Adam easily recognized as Soji's brother, despite never meeting him before. Rikyu, the leader of their caravan, looked far too similar to Soji to not be related. With an extra inch of height - and several extra in his waist - Rikyu looked like a larger version of Soji. "Our new passenger…it's Father Bernard's boy!"
"Is that so?" Where Soji had practically exploded in excitement at the revelation, Rikyu merely smiled and nodded respectfully, his voice calm and measured as he spoke. "In that case, we are blessed by your presence Adam, son of Father Bernard. He was a good man. I was sorry to hear of his passing."
"We were delivering goods out west at the time," Soji quickly explained. "We didn't find out until several weeks later, on our way back through. A passing caravan let us know a few days out."
"We stayed an extra day in your hometown to honor the great man," Rikyu continued, barely missing a beat when Soji cut off. "We shared a final bowl at his gravesite. I personally broke the bowl afterwards and buried the pieces outside the town."
If the looks of the pair hadn't made it obvious, the way Rikyu and Soji took turns in the conversation spoke of more than just a familiarization. "A family tradition. We pour out the last of the tea over the grave in honor of the dead and break the bowl to signify that there will be no more meetings in this life."
It all sounded weird to Adam, but also strangely intimate. The way the two brothers spoke of the practice made it seem like something reserved only for those of great importance - a solemn ceremony to show respect only for family and close friends. The simple actions sounded like a great honor.
"We should speak more later," Rikyu said, placing a hand on Adam's shoulder. "I would love to learn more of the man…and of the son he always spoke so highly of."
Adam practically beamed with pride as Rikyu stepped away, rummaging through one of the wagons as Soji led them away. No one at Katai had ever cared much about his father. Even the residents of Shizukana were indifferent most of the time. But here, Father Bernard was held as a saint.
"We'd best leave Rikyu to his duties," Soji instructed as the pair returned to their wagon. Jean waited nearby, hurrying over once he spotted them. "Ah, Jean! Is everything all right?"
Jean looked unbothered, though his eyes periodically scanned the trees, even as he spoke to them. "Area looks clear enough. Plenty of game nearby, too. Should be a good hunt this evening."
A good hunt. In other words, fresh meat. Adam licked his lips at the thought. Most of the meat they got at the orphanage was pre-packaged and frozen. It lacked the flavor and freshness of a freshly butchered kill like he'd gotten used to at Shizukana. There was only so much you could do with the heavily processed stuff that sat in freezers for weeks or even months at a time.
"So what can we help you with?" Soji asked.
"I think it's time to see what the boy can do." Jean waved for him to follow, and with Soji nodding and heading the other way, Adam had little choice but to follow. Jean continued talking as they walked, never pausing for Adam to catch up. "There's always work to be done, but we don't always have time for you to learn everything, so let's start with what you do know for now."
When Jean finally came to a stop, Adam realized he was waiting for him to fill in the blank. "I…I can build a fire."
"Prove it." Jean pointed to the nearby fire pit and stepped back to watch. Adam hurried over to the nearby wood pile and began stacking it the way Father Bernard had shown him so many years ago. In a matter of minutes, the stack was formed and Adam had his kindling ready.
"Do we have any firestarters?"
"We do," Jean answered, but made no move to get him one. Adam sighed as he recognized the situation.
Without another word, Adam worked to get a flame going the old fashioned way. Several tries later, he was rewarded with a thin trail of smoke as he carefully fed the tiny, hungry glow before him. Little by little, he grew it into a healthy flame until the logs were engulfed in a roaring fire.
"Not bad," Jean commented as he came up beside Adam. "Your stack's a little sloppy, but it's serviceable." Jean grabbed a spare log and tapped a few spots within the fire, shifting the stack with a critical eye. "We usually use fire dust, but it's better if you know the old ways since-"
"You won't always have the quick method available," Adam finished for him, recalling his father's words from so long ago. "My dad taught me that." And then nearly blew him up, he neglected to add.
"A good lesson. Plus, if you have the time, it's better to save your materials for when you need them." Jean pointed at the sun, which still shone brightly as it slowly sank toward the horizon.
"Why are we so early?" Adam finally asked. The rest areas were spaced at reasonable distances, allowing a caravan to reach them within a day while also maximizing distance. Shorter distances meant more days of travel. They should've gotten at least a couple hours further on an average day.
"We left early," Jean answered, reminding Adam how they'd snuck out before the sun was even up. "And with how Taylor was acting, we figured it would be better to put some distance behind us a little faster."
Because it wasn't just a normal travel day. They weren't just carrying cargo - they were smuggling a fugitive. Him. They'd had to change their schedule and speed because of him. He'd spent the day resting in a wagon while they rode and kept an eye out for trouble, and all he'd done in return was start a fire.
"What else can I do?"
Gathering wood. Refilling water flasks. Feeding the horses. He hastily completed each job, always asking for more as one ended. Jean left to take care of the hunting, snatching a large bow from the lead wagon before securing a quiver of arrows over his shoulder, ditching his axe alongside a sizable blunderbuss he hadn't seen before. Adam wondered why he didn't just use the gun, but when Jean came back with a large buck across his shoulders, Adam didn't bother to question his methods. As long as there was meat for dinner, Adam would leave the specifics to Jean.
As the sun finally began to slip below the horizon and night fought to claim them from the brightly burning fire, everyone gathered around and claimed seats along the benches. Jean leaned against the nearby boulder, axe and gun propped up next to him as he awaited dinner with the rest of them. Adam could smell the bubbling stew coming from the large pot over the fire, but that went ignored as Rikyu instead stood before them all.
"Friends," Rikyu began in a commanding voice. He wasn't yelling, yet he echoed through the nearby trees as they all waited for him to continue. "We give thanks for both a successful day's travel and for the arrival of our new guest, Adam Taurus."
Adam shrank a little in embarrassment as all eyes turned to him.
"Years ago, I shared my final bowl with Father Bernard, but today, we are blessed to have our first with his son." So saying, Rikyu produced a ceramic bowl, carefully setting it on the nearby bench beside a large, metal kettle, a jar of some green powder, and a small whisk. He unsealed the jar and deposited several scoops of the strange powder into the bowl before slowly tipping the kettle forward to release a thin stream of steaming water. Rikyu finished by meticulously kneading the mixture with his whisk, all while the group watched in solemn silence. ""To Father Bernard. May he smile down on his son this day and know that he is in the company of friends."
Rather than take a sip, Rikyu stepped around the fire to hand the bowl to Adam while everyone watched. Unsure what to do, Adam took it from him, inspecting the odd mixture he'd been handed. The bowl was an unusual mixture of brown and red, with a slight ripple running along one side and ending in a warped lip that faced him. Instinctively, Adam rotated the bowl to a smoother portion, which seemed to please Rikyu as he bowed to Adam. Adam took a long sip, surprised both by the taste and thickness.
It was like drinking a grassy soup at first. The taste was almost overpowering, and it was so thick he wondered if he'd been given stew by mistake. Unlike the tea that Father Bernard had shared with him, the greenish broth before him was less bitter, having a sweet aftertaste that left him wanting more. He'd never tasted something so…complex. It was awful. It was wonderful. He wanted to try more, but the expectant look from Soji beside him made him realize everyone was watching.
"That was…good?" Adam tried, hoping he hadn't somehow messed up. The smile on Rikyu's face as Soji took a sip and passed it to the next man in line with a bow made him think he was in the clear. It wasn't until the bowl had moved further around the circle that Soji leaned over and quietly explained things.
"First time having real tea?"
"I thought tea was brown," Adam said, having never seen anything so green before. He knew tea was made with leaves, but that was ridiculous.
"Some teas are. We prefer green tea." Adam had to wonder what other kinds of tea were out there. White? Yellow? Purple?! The thought made him laugh as he imagined a rainbow of tea colors and what each might taste like. Father Bernard always added a ton of sugar to his tea, but they'd just mixed water and powder together and somehow gotten something far better.
Adam watched as the bowl passed to Jean, who took a deep sip, raised the bowl in a salute, and bowed before wiping the rim and handing it back to Rikyu with a compliment on the taste. It all seemed so specific. "Did I do something wrong?"
"It was close enough," Soji said, confirming he'd stumbled somewhere. "Rikyu is big on tradition. He insisted on doing his version of a chaji. Just be thankful he didn't make us do the full ceremony or we'd be here for hours."
"Chaji?" Adam had never heard of such a thing.
"There's a lot to it," Soji said, "but the gist of it is a shared bowl of thick tea like you just had. There's guidelines on how to accept the bowl, how to pass it, what things to say. It's even worse in a formal ceremony. Normally, we just do cups of thinner tea with our meal." It sounded way too intimidating for what essentially boiled down to sharing a drink with friends. "But you did well enough. Rikyu knows this is your first time, so no one expected you to do everything perfectly. Sharing in our tea is a sign of accepting our hospitality and how we honor both you and your father's memory."
Drinking from a bowl was a tribute to his dad? Adam didn't get it, but hearing how important everything was made it seem like a big deal to be included, which made even less sense. Sure, they knew his father, but they'd only just met him. Worse, the first they'd heard of him were his crimes and sentencing with only one man's word to vouch for him.
"Seems like a lot for dinner on the trail," Adam commented. "It's not like this is a big deal. I'm just a kid you took on as a passenger. Hardly cause for celebration."
Soji smiled. "Ichi-go ichi-e," he shrugged before explaining. "One time, one meeting. Every moment in life is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You see a bunch of merchants having supper after a long day's travel. I see a celebration of a new arrival. A chance to repay a man for years of kindness through his son. We could come back to this exact spot one year from now, have the same ceremony, and share the same meal, but it wouldn't be the same. We wouldn't be the same. We wouldn't have the same joy from learning who your father was. You wouldn't have the same relief from escaping an unjust punishment. This moment that we are in - it's the only one like it. In all of history, and in all the years to come, no one will ever have the same opportunities we have at this very moment. If that's not cause for celebration, then I don't know what is."
As Rikyu began to serve bowls of stew - the first one being given to Adam as the night's honored guest - Adam watched the group with curiosity. They joked around. They swapped stories and bowls quicker than Adam could track. It was like a weird family, or what he imagined one would be like. Rikyu watched them fondly and engaged in chats with a few while Jean quietly ate off to the side, an eye on the woods the entire time.
And in the midst of it all, a young faunus slowly polished off a bowl of food, only for a ladle to refill it without him even asking. Soji made some comment about his appetite, laughing at his joke before refilling his own bowl. Adam felt out of his depth, but at the same time, no one acted differently with him around. They'd accepted him without comment, even celebrating him with their tea ceremony.
It felt nice. It felt right. It felt…like it would all come crashing down any second.
"Lien for your thoughts?" Soji asked, sliding closer once more.
"Hm?"
"Something's eating you, and I doubt it's the stew." Soji elbowed him lightly. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Soji raised an eyebrow, still not falling for his lies. "Alright, everything. It's just…I don't know. I guess I'm just waiting for something bad to happen."
"Awfully paranoid for someone your age."
"Yeah, well, I've been through a lot for someone my age," Adam countered. The loss of his parents - both his birth parents and his real ones. Not one, but two, Grimm attacks. Bullies. A vile abuser. Even being arrested and sentenced to prison. "It seems like every time something starts going right, everything goes wrong."
"Those that live in shadow learn to fear the sun," Soji quipped, proving he had a saying for just about everything. "I can't pretend to know what you've gone through, nor can you know what struggles I may have faced, but the failures of our past do not prevent the successes of our future. Instead of worrying what may happen tomorrow, learn to enjoy what you have today."
That was easier said than done. Even now, he wondered if some bandit army might appear and abduct him to become a gladiator in some sick child fight club or something. Or maybe fate would stick to the classics and send some more Beowolves. Whatever it had planned, Adam found himself tensing at every sound, waiting for the inevitable destruction of his brief relief.
"Say, did I ever tell you about your father's first tea ceremony?" They both knew he hadn't, just as Adam recognized the obvious distraction for what it was. Still, he could admit to being curious, and it sure beat fantasizing about what tragedy lurked in the shadows. "He tried to drink it all in one go and nearly burned himself, then spilled the rest on me with his clumsy bow. The man was an absolute mess!"
Adam laughed along with the story as Soji described a series of blunders, followed quickly by another story from Rikyu. The two took turns regaling him of past encounters with Father Bernard. Each sounded more ridiculous than the last. As the two carried on and everyone turned to listen and join in with their own stories, Adam forgot all about his made-up bandits and spectral Grimm.
Maybe things weren't so bad after all. Maybe fate had finally decided to give him a break. Traveling with the caravan would be hard work, but he was no stranger to that. "Ichi-go ichi-e," Adam whispered to himself as his eyes drifted shut. If this moment couldn't ever be repeated, then neither could the ones behind him, right? And whatever lay ahead would be something completely unique, too. The thought both terrified and excited him in equal measure, leaving him to dream not of what had been, but of what could be.
Definitely fate that's putting Adam through crap. Not some evil writer with a penchant for character suffering. Nah. Gotta be fate.
Nothing like a nice, relaxing chapter to unwind from the orphanage arc, which I am happy to be done with. I actually spent most of my time this week doing research rather than writing. Decided to play it kinda loose with the color names for these characters. Figure not everyone would bother following the new idea (less than 100 years old in canon), especially in the outskirts where the big memorial of the Great War and such wouldn't mean much compared to the struggle to survive. Throw in that Mistral was sort of the catalyst for the war and lost, and I think more than a few Mistralians would go against the new tradition out of spite or just not caring. Either way, I can make a stretch to go with the color rule, but that feels like cheating.
Yamanoue Sōji was a famous Japanese tea master and a disciple of Sen no Rikyū, who had a huge impact on the ideas of chanoyu, or the Way of Tea. Their tea ceremonies followed some of the guidelines in the ceremony here, though I watered it down a lot (see what I did there?). The phrase "ichi-go ichi-e" was a famous saying of Rikyu's that was then championed by Soji (I actually really like the concept), so it only felt right to use it here. Chaji is the longer, more formal ceremony that includes a very thick tea like what Adam drinks here, as opposed to the more informal chakai that focuses on thin tea and snacks. All of this because I went down a rabbit hole looking for suitable merchant names. Like I've said before, I either make one up randomly or put way too much thought into a name. There is no middle ground.
Well, Adam is free of Katai and off on the next chapter of his life (chapter 35, for our purposes). There's many things still to come before he even reaches the White Fang, so stay tuned and feel free to drop a comment on what you think so far!
Next chapter: Adam finds his place among the merchants.