Prince Ousu must be somewhere inside—he must be if the man I saw him with in Mino is here. I might catch sight of him.
Having given her sword to Sugaru, Toko had no means with which to carry out her plan, but it made her heart beat faster just to know that her adversary was so close. She had caught only a fleeting glimpse of him in Mino. If Toko saw him here, she wanted to engrave his image on her mind. Contrary to her hopes, however, she saw no one, for she and Abi’s mother were hustled straight to a hut on the outskirts and locked inside.
Toko listened to the sound of the bolt with a sinking heart, then turned to Abi’s mother, who lay exhausted on the stretcher. “How are you?” she asked.
The woman gave her a valiant smile. “I hurt all over, but considering my condition, I’m doing very well. Thank you for standing up for me.”
Her hands free now, Toko rubbed her wrists as she looked around the hut. For a dungeon, it was not as bad as it might have been. The room was small, but dry, with bundles of straw piled in one corner. She supposed that the shed had once been used to store fodder. She could smell horses, so the stables must be close by. Gathering up some straw, Toko piled it thickly and laid the ragged cloth from the stretcher over the top to make a bed for Abi’s mother.
“It’s far more luxurious than that cave,” Abi’s mother said with a chuckle as she lay down. Then she fell fast asleep. Watching the woman’s chest rise and fall evenly, Toko wondered where the others were and how Sugaru would feed the baby. Knowing the three from Izumo, they had probably shaken off their pursuers with ease and found a wet nurse in some remote village. But there was no guarantee. This time the young men might not be able to laugh their difficulties away so easily. Nor were there any guarantees for Toko and Abi’s mother. But Toko was too exhausted to pursue that endless train of thought. She slumped over where she was sitting and the weight of her body pulled her to the floor where she finally fell into oblivion.
THE NEXT MORNING, Toko woke starving and angry. After she had banged on the door and yelled three times, the door finally opened. A young woman, her clothes ragged and torn, passed between the spear-bearing guards and entered with an earthenware pot.
“Forgive me for being so late. So much has happened since last night and they would not let me come to you before this.” Toko looked at her in surprise, for she sounded very well bred.
“Ezume?” Abi’s mother called from her bed. “Ezume, is that really you?”
Dropping to her knees, the woman said in a tearful voice, “Yes, Lady Hayakitsu, it is I, Ezume. And I’m overjoyed to see that you’re alive and well.”
So she’s a Kumaso too, Toko thought. Looking closely, Toko saw that she was quite beautiful, with dark skin and thick eyelashes, and she bore herself with dignity despite the rags she wore.
Abi’s mother, or Lady Hayakitsu as Ezume had called her, said, “I never thought to see you alive again. You were living in Kawakami Hall, yet you survived. Are there any others?”
“About twenty of us are here working as servants. And there’s another sixty who have been imprisoned. The chief of Kawashimo makes us take care of the prisoners. Some killed themselves rather than be imprisoned, but I decided to live, at least until I had witnessed the rebirth of Lady Iwa. I encouraged the others to do so as well. Lady Hayakitsu, judging by your condition, dare I believe that Lady Iwa has returned?”
Lady Hayakitsu nodded. “Yes, she has safely returned to this world. As long as Her Ladyship is alive, we are not defeated. Please tell the others.”
“They’ll be overjoyed,” Ezume said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. “I’m so glad that I didn’t give up hope. Even as a slave, staying alive was worth it. Thank you.”
Tears welled in Lady Hayakitsu’s eyes. “It must have been so hard for you too. I’m glad that I survived to tell you this news.”
“And if you’re to stay alive,” Toko interjected, “you must eat.”
“Oh, yes, you’re right,” Ezume said. “Please do.” She hastily removed the lid from the pot and ladled the contents into bowls—rice porridge cooked with herbs and dried shellfish. It was delicious, although anything would have tasted fabulous to Toko at that point. She ate until the pot was empty.
Ezume eyed her curiously. “Who is this?” she asked Lady Hayakitsu.
“Lady Toko from Mino. She’s the one that Lady Iwa foretold would come from the east. Without her, I don’t know what would have happened to me, or to Abi and the baby.”
“Her? She’s the one?” Ezume seemed almost shocked, and Toko looked at her blankly. “Forgive me,” Ezume said hastily. “I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s just that … you look like a boy.”
“It’s all right. People often make that mistake,” Toko said.
Ezume sighed. “It’s no wonder the chief of Kawakami was mistaken. After all, Prince Ousu looked just like a princess.”
“But Prince Ousu is a man, not a woman,” Toko said, perplexed. “Who are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the prince. He arrived at the hall of Kawakami alone, without his sword, his long hair loose and dressed in silk robes. Even to me, he looked beautiful.”
Toko’s mouth dropped open.
Lady Hayakitsu’s expression clouded. “I haven’t heard what happened yet. The messenger who came to warn us at Yamanobe Hall didn’t know the details. Ezume, please tell us everything. Are you saying that my husband believed Prince Ousu was a beautiful woman? And that’s why he let him into the hall?”
Ezume looked as though she was sorry she had mentioned it, but then continued. “Why would he have doubted it? Lady Iwa had told us so clearly to be ready for this before she died. If she’d been here, perhaps things would have been different. But who knows, for no one could have imagined what happened next … The chief led him into the inner chambers of the hall and there he was killed. How exactly I don’t know for the hall was engulfed in white flames before we knew it. I escaped because I just happened to be in the garden at the time. It was so horrible I can’t even describe it.” Raising the hem of her robe, she revealed a burn that stretched from her calf all the way up her leg. “I was very lucky to escape with just this. Even the water in the pond boiled over. Those were no ordinary flames. It was terrifying.”
Her two listeners were left speechless. After some time, Lady Hayakitsu finally whispered, “That was his one great weakness, beautiful women. And he paid for it to the bitter end. I wonder who betrayed his weakness to the men from Mahoroba.”
Toko felt sick. She needed time to think. “Where’s Prince Ousu now?” she asked.
Ezume shook her head. “No one’s allowed near the center of the hall. I may be a woman, but even I would take the opportunity to avenge my family if they let me near him.”
SEVERAL DAYS PASSED. Toko and Lady Hayakitsu remained locked in the hut, seeing no one but Ezume. No news of Sugaru and the baby reached them. Although this could only mean that they had not been caught, Toko was still anxious. Ezume told them that the troops from Mahoroba were rumored to have gone as far as the mountain of fire, but there was no way to confirm it.
The day Ezume brought this news, it was unusually hot and humid. The air felt leaden and the weight of their captivity crushing. Sleep did not come easily that night, and Toko tossed and turned. She was finally dozing off when she heard a loud rumble like thunder. It shook the ground, and the earth continued to rock beneath her even after the noise had subsided.
“What’s going on?” she shouted, staggering to her feet.
“The god of the mountain has awoken,” Lady Hayakitsu answered quietly.
“The god of the mountain?”
“Sometimes he dances like a shining red snake on the mountaintop. We can see him even from here. When he’s very angry, he sends a hail of burning stones down upon the villages at the bottom.”
“Aren’t you afraid?”
“Of course I’m afraid,” Lady Hayakitsu said with a low laugh. “I wonder what Kitsuhiko will make of this.”<
br />
As if in answer, soldiers ordered them from the hut the next morning. They were to be taken before the chief. Hands bound, they were led through the streets under an overcast sky, yet the sight of it lifted Toko’s heart. It felt so good to be outside again. Turning into the main road in front of the chief’s hall, she could see the mountain of fire in the distance, its peak rearing above the lower-lying mountains. She had half expected to see a fiery red snake writhing from its mouth, but instead there was nothing but smoke pouring out. This was terrifying enough, and Toko felt the hairs prickle on the back of her neck. The thick column of smoke coiled sluggishly above the peak, then slowly oozed across the heavens, turning the sky dark and hazy. The chief’s hall appeared tiny and insignificant in comparison.
When they were brought before Kitsuhiko, Toko found him to be as unimpressive as his hall. Though large and stocky with a heavy beard, he was surprisingly young. Toko looked around the courtyard hoping to see Prince Ousu but saw no one there like him. Where is he? The emptiness she felt inside puzzled her.
Lady Hayakitsu stared Kitsuhiko boldly in the face. She had recovered her strength. Standing straight and dignified, she looked like a queen despite the fact that she was bound. “Behold the wrath of the god,” she said. “Coveting the rank of chief, you betrayed your own people and joined hands with the men from Mahoroba. This is the result.”
Kitsuhiko looked slightly taken aback, but he still had enough confidence to smile. “We seem to have opposing views, Lady Hayakitsu. The god’s anger is directed not at me, but at you. You entrusted the priestess and the magatama to outsiders and strangers, didn’t you? These things belong in our hands, in the hands of the people of Himuka. That’s why the god of the fire mountain is angry.”
“Our hands? The people of Himuka? To whom are you referring?” Lady Hayakitsu laughed with disdain. “You’re just a dog that sold this country to Mahoroba. You wish to have the magatama, but only so that you can present it to the emperor in tribute. And yet you have the nerve to blame me.”
“That’s not true. Now that I’ve become chief of Himuka, I realize that the stone Ki must stay here. If I vow never to give it to Mahoroba, will you work with me?”
After a long pause, Lady Hayakitsu answered. “And what are you going to do about Prince Ousu with whom you joined forces?”
“He’s gone. He received orders from the emperor and left immediately to subjugate another land. The troop he left under the command of his shadow went off toward the mountain of fire and has yet to return. They were surely punished by the god. Now we no longer need to bow down to Mahoroba.”
Toko felt her shoulders droop. So the prince was not here. She was disappointed, but at the same time strangely relieved. If he had been here despite the emptiness inside her, she might have lost all confidence.
Lady Hayakitsu shook her head in exasperation. “So you would turn traitor not once but twice? Kitsuhiko, you were ever the opportunist, even as a child, a shortcoming that always worried me. No, I will not join forces with you. You have no capacity for leadership. If you think you can run this country on your own, go ahead and try it.”
Clenching his jaw, Kitsuhiko said in a tight voice, “Well, then, sister, if you insist, there’s nothing I can do about it. As the leader, I must still the god’s wrath on my own without your help. I shall give a sacrifice. I will choose ten maidens from the prisoners.” He pointed at Toko. “She will be the first, and Ezume the second. I will allow you to watch the sacrifice. Then you may regret your refusal.”
TOKO WAS separated from Lady Hayakitsu and thrown into a dungeon that was much more prisonlike—a hole in the ground with water seeping from the walls. Soon the soldiers brought Ezume and eight other young women. Most of them were weeping in grief and despair. Though not crying, Ezume’s face was very pale. “I’m so sorry you were dragged into this,” she said.
“How are people sacrificed?” Toko asked.
“I don’t know. If the high priestess were here, she would never have allowed it. But when we give offerings to the god, we take them up to Yutsudana, a rock shelf facing the mountain of fire, and throw them down the cliff into the valley far below.”
The sound of weeping turned to wails. Toko regretted asking. In a loud, bracing voice, she said, “No matter how great this god is, I have no intention of dying like that. My body is not an offering. Besides, I still have a job to do. There’s no way I’m going to be sacrificed.”
“I don’t want to die either,” Ezume said. “I want to see my lover again. He’s now a prisoner.”
“We’ll be rescued. I’m sure of it. Sugaru and the others will come to save us,” Toko said much more confidently than she actually felt. “Rescuing beautiful women is Sugaru’s favorite pastime. He’s always looking for an opportunity to do that. And here he has the chance to save ten girls at once. He won’t pass that up for sure.”
“But …” Ezume did not look convinced. “Why would someone from another land bother to help us?”
“Don’t worry. When it comes to beautiful women, he’d risk his life no matter where they’re from,” Toko assured her.
The young women stopped crying and looked hesitantly at Toko. It was clear from their faces that they longed to cling to even the faintest hope, but they found it hard to accept her optimism. Toko kept a brave face, but she was not able to sleep that night. Lying on the damp floor of the prison, she listened to the sound of someone’s muffled sobs and stared into the darkness. I don’t want to die. I can’t. Not right now. I’m not going to die here in this place …
As she gritted her teeth, the thought that kept coming back to her was the prince’s absence. He was not here. He did not know that Toko was here. He had left to destroy some other land, without having the slightest inkling of the feelings that had driven her to Himuka. Toko felt that she might choke on her anger and despair.
Her impatience to reach Himuka had not been solely because of the magatama. She had been driven by the knowledge that Oguna was heading here. And she realized now that when she had stood by Lady Hayakitsu and allowed herself to be captured, her actions had been partly informed by the hope that it would bring her near him. Yet, Prince Ousu had left without even knowing that Toko was here at the westernmost edge of the country. No, she could not die.
4
THE YOUNG WOMEN were dragged out of the dungeon, bound together in pairs, and shoved into palanquins. Men wearing elaborate ceremonial costumes bore the palanquins on long poles and began a solemn march toward the mountain. Although the procession moved slowly, the journey inflicted a great deal of suffering on the girls, for not only were they bound back to back, their feet were also tied.
Toko was paired with Ezume, who was much taller, a combination that proved disastrous for Toko. Not a few times she was crushed against the wall and had to squirm frantically to keep from suffocating. Still, she knew she was lucky to be able to feel pain at all, for once they were thrown to the bottom of the cliff, they would feel nothing. As she was buffeted about, Toko thought about Sugaru and his friends.
Will they be able to save us? She was sure that they would come to her rescue if they knew. But how were they to find out? She had no way of knowing what had happened at the mountain of fire. Perhaps Sugaru and the others had been caught by the men from Mahoroba. Or perhaps they had escaped far away. If so, they certainly could not fly through the sky to reach her.
She closed her eyes tightly. I won’t give up. I will believe until my last breath that we will escape. It’s not my fate to die here—not when I still have to defeat Prince Ousu; not when he continues to wield the Sword of destruction somewhere in Toyoashihara …
The palanquin pitched violently and the two girls tumbled together, cracking heads and sliding into a corner. Once again Toko wound up on the bottom.
“Are you all right? I’m so sorry,” Ezume said weakly. Just then they heard shouts of alarm and a clamoring outside. The men carrying the palanquin seemed to hesitate, and their measured tr
ead was disrupted.
“What’s happening?”
“We’re under attack,” Toko answered excitedly. “It sounds like quite a battle, too.”
From the noise, she guessed that far from being a minor skirmish it was a violent clash with a large force. Suddenly they found themselves thrown to the ground, heads over heels, palanquin and all. Their bearers had fled, leaving them behind. The impact stunned them both. A moment later, however, someone wrenched one of the walls open, letting in the light of day.
Imatate peered inside, grinning broadly. “Are you all right?” he asked. Toko thought her heart would burst at the sight of his familiar face. Although she had believed her friends would come, that was not the same as actually experiencing it.
“You look very dashing,” she said, smiling back at him.
“I thought so myself.”
Freed of her bonds, Toko crawled out of her upturned palanquin and saw that all the others had been ditched along the road. The procession had been routed. While there was still some fighting going on, it was clear that the men in ceremonial dress were at a disadvantage. Their attackers were all hot-blooded young men, and there were scores of them. Toko assumed they must be Kumaso who had come out of hiding to join up with the young men from Izumo. No wonder there had been such a commotion. She saw a woman sobbing in a young man’s arms and Lady Hayakitsu being helped out of her palanquin. She also caught sight of Tasuki through the trees, a spear in hand. When his opponent fled, he walked over to Toko and Imatate.
“Hey there, Toko,” he called out. “When it comes to rescuing beautiful women, I’d have to say that the men of the west are just as enthusiastic as us.”
“That’s true.” Toko laughed. Then she looked around, puzzled. “But where’s Sugaru? I would have thought he’d be the first one to jump at a chance like this. Why isn’t he here? What’s happened?”
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