The Heart of a Fox

by T. Isilwath

  ‘Good. We’re not too late,’ he thought with some measure of relief.

  “It’s safe. The caves are empty,” he announced as he returned to the daylight.

  “That is welcome news,” Kaemon said with a pleased smile.

  “Excellent. Let us begin,” Suzuka added.

  He nodded and picked up one of the bags of salt, leading the way into the front cavern. Sowing the salt inside the cavern itself would also help to prevent it from blowing off or being washed away. Using his claws while his human companions used their garden tools, he dug deep furrows into the soil near the cave entrance and poured the salt into them. Then he sprinkled the surrounding area with a liberal dusting of salt. Kaemon and Suzuka concentrated their efforts on salting the front cavern itself, making sure that the heaviest deposits of salt were where they were most likely to be walked upon.

  With the three of them working, the task was completed in a relatively short amount of time and soon all four bags of salt were empty. When they were finished, he took his hand and ran it across the entrance to the caves. His fingers came back with a light coating of white granules, and he showed this to Kaemon and Suzuka who nodded with approval.

  “Any creature that is sensitive to salt will walk across this soil and absorb the salt through its feet,” Kaemon commented.

  “With luck it will burn them and they will look elsewhere for a place to nest,” he said.

  Kaemon nodded. “Only time will tell if our plan works, but we will keep praying for its success.”

  “If it does work, we should probably re-salt the caves every year,” Suzuka noted, taking the now empty bags and folding them up neatly. “So many lives have been lost to the oni-gumo when they nested here. If this method is effective, we should make sure the surrounding villages know so they can salt their sensitive areas. Such a simple solution could prevent so much death and grief.” He nodded, knowing that Suzuka and her family were the ones to treat the victims of oni-gumo bites. Not all of them survived even with the anti-venom medicine. If the victim was old, young, or sickly to begin with, they usually died, but only after many days of slow, lingering death. He had no words to describe how much he hated the horrible, eight-legged monsters.

  “Yes. I think that is a good idea,” Kaemon agreed.

  Smiling at each other, they returned to the sunlight, and he was happy to see Suzuka so pleased. Maybe this act of goodwill would help her look at him as a friend again. Maybe it would make the villagers treat him better…

  He snorted softly to himself. Probably not. But it didn’t matter now did it?

  He had Joanna and she was all that mattered to him. To that end, he turned his attention to the young priest and perked his ears up.

  ‘The caves are salted. Now we can discuss Joanna’s medicine,’ he thought eagerly, fighting to quell his impatience. With Suzuka there, he knew Kaemon would not talk to him so he tried to hurry things along. If he had to go to Zenko-ji, he had a great deal of distance to travel and he wanted to be going.

  ‘Does he even have a letter with him?’ he wondered, hoping that they wouldn’t have to go all the way back to the village before he could begin his journey.

  ‘Would he have left it back at the shrine?’ He sniffed carefully and was heartened to smell the telltale scent of ink and paper coming from the young priest. ‘A scroll! But how to get him alone so he can give it to me?’

  He was still trying to come up with an answer when he saw Kaemon gesture for him to come over, and he obediently moved to sit quietly on his haunches at Kaemon’s feet. Suzuka looked down at him and raised an eyebrow in question.

  “Hanyou, what are you doing?” she asked.

  He did not answer, but merely looked up at her brother and waited. This was Kaemon’s idea, and he trusted the young man to steer the turn of events in a direction that fostered his goal.

  “Hanyou and I must continue our conversation from yesterday,” Kaemon answered calmly.

  He swallowed the giggle that rose in his throat and made his cheeks blush as he lowered his eyes in feigned embarrassment. It was easy to play along, and needling the young miko pandered to his kitsune playfulness.

  “You are welcome to stay and offer your insights on the problem, Sister,” Kaemon invited.

  ‘What?’ he thought, feeling a momentary rush of panic.

  “It is likely that you will learn something of the male nature,” her brother explained reasonably. Too reasonably.

  Suzuka’s normally stoic face flushed with color and she stiffened. Casting a quick glance at the man, he saw a glint of mischief in Kaemon’s eye.

  ‘He’s teasing her because he knows it will embarrass her!’

  “Thank you for the suggestion, Brother, however I must decline. I have duties at the shrine to attend to,” she replied.

  “As you wish. I will be along to assist you once Hanyou and I are finished.”

  She gave her brother a curt nod and turned on her heel, her arms tense at her sides. Neither of them spoke as they watched her walk away, but as soon as she was out of sight, he snickered and turned his head to look up at Kaemon.

  “Are you sure you aren’t part fox? You were taunting her,” he jibed.

  Kaemon folded his hands into the arms of his sleeves and smiled. “It is the duty of an elder brother to tease his sister. Besides, she prides herself too much in her control of her emotions. She needs to be rattled a bit every now and then.”

  He grinned. “And it’s fun,” he pointed out.

  “That too,” the young priest admitted.

  Excitement surged through him when he saw Kaemon slip his hand into the front of his robes, and he stood, his hands reflexively clenching into fists so he would not grab the scroll out of the young man’s hand the moment he saw it.

  “I was able to find the information you need,” Kaemon told him, offering the scroll.

  He nodded, fighting the tears of relief that threatened.

  “That is wonderful news, Kaemon-sama.” If Kaemon had found what they needed, then he would not have to go to Zenko-ji, and he could concentrate his efforts on gathering the ingredients for the medicine.

  “There are many remedies and tonics used to treat tounyoubyou. The herb I spoke of is known as a sugar destroyer and it is called gymnema. It is a climbing vine that grows in the forest,” Kaemon explained, pulling a parchment-wrapped parcel from inside his clothes. “We have some at the shrine. Here is a sample of the plant. It is dried, but it should give you an idea of what you are looking for.”

  He eagerly accepted the parchment and opened it, revealing a thin vine with narrow leaves. It looked much like many other climbing vines, but he sniffed it to memorize its scent.

  “I found a recipe for a tea using this herb, as well as a number of other ingredients that are relatively easy to gather. The ingredients for the infusion and their measurements are written on the scroll. You will find that gymnema, cinnamon, ginko and ginseng are the main herbs in the medicine. We have the ginko and ginseng growing at the shrine, but you will need to find the gymnema and harvest the cinnamon from cinnamon trees.

  “Once you have all of the ingredients, brew the herbs in green tea,” Kaemon continued, pulling two scrolls from his robes. “Here is the recipe and the notes from Oshou Seigo. Seigo Oshou-sama was my mentor while I was studying at the shrine, and he is the one who treated the child with tounyoubyou.” He took both scrolls from the young man and opened the one, his eyes greedily scanning the neat writing and committing the list to memory.

  “Our small collection of texts and healing scrolls mentioned this illness only once,” Kaemon said. “Seigo Oshou-sama’s notes were the most extensive description that I have. If your friend does not respond to the medicine, you may have to go to Zenko-ji and see Seigo Oshou-sama yourself.”

  “I understand, Kaemon-sama, but for now I will gather the ingredients and see if the medicine helps her.”

  “I pray that it will. I read through Seigo Oshou-sama’s notes. In ad
dition to the herbs, foods such as bitter melon, onion and garlic are also very beneficial.

  Onion and garlic are best if fresh, but can be used dried if necessary. Unfortunately, he has found that too much rice can cause serious reactions in those who have tounyoubyou, so it is best if she strictly controls her rice consumption and eats whole barley and millet for her grains.”

  ‘Joanna said rice was bad for her blood sickness…’ he recalled, listening carefully to the priest’s every word. “I understand, Kaemon-sama.” Kaemon continued in a cautionary voice, “Please remember that none of these medicines will cure her of her sickness. They will only help her to be more comfortable and avoid the more severe symptoms. Maintaining a strict diet and avoiding unhealthy habits are essential if she is to survive, but I must warn you that some people with tounyoubyou do not respond at all to treatment and these people can die fairly quickly. If the medicine she has is effective, you should concentrate your efforts into obtaining more if it is at all possible.” He drooped his ears and nodded sadly. “I know, but it is not possible. We must do the best we can with what is available here.” Kaemon nodded and thankfully did not press him for further explanation.

  “There is one more thing that Seigo Oshou-sama’s notes mentioned that can help her, but it will not reach full potency until after Harvest. That is maitake, and it is very powerful in the treatment of many illnesses.” He blinked and sat up straight. “Maitake? The Dancing Mushroom?” The priest nodded. “Yes.”

  He gulped. Maitake mushrooms were some of the rarest and most prized delicacies in all of Japan. Called The Dancing Mushroom, it was named such because those who found them danced with joy. The mushroom, which could grow very large, was so prized that it was worth its weight in silver. A single large maitake at full potency could earn a man enough money for an entire year of work. But the maitake only grew in the higher elevations of Northeastern Japan, and mushroom gatherers guarded their “secret” hunting grounds with ruthless protectiveness. Harvest time for them was the same as for the shitake-mid-autumn a few weeks after the rice harvest and the first cold nights.

  “If you can find maitake, have her eat as much as she can while it is fresh, but dry most of it to prevent spoilage. It is very beneficial when consumed in tea. You can also combine the maitake with shitake although shitake is not as effective,” Kaemon added.

  ‘If I can find it? If I can find it? I’ll scour every mountain hollow and tree stump in Northeastern Japan to hunt them down. I’d sneak into the castle of the Emperor himself or break into the Shogun’s stronghold and take it from their storehouses if I have to. Nothing will prevent me from finding maitake for my vixen,’ he vowed silently, happy to hear the growling, eager agreement of his fox blood.

  “I will find it, Kaemon-sama. You can be certain of that.” The man gave him a knowing smile. “I have no doubts that you will.” He flushed slightly under the priest’s quietly amused gaze and tucked the pouch of medicine into his kosode.

  “Is there anything else I must know, Kaemon-sama?” he asked politely.

  “Wounds heal more slowly and are more likely to become infected in a person with tounyoubyou,” the young priest said. “They are also more likely to suffer from dry coughs and winter sicknesses. Some suffer from terrible thirst.

  Others gain weight. If she is of normal weight, she should do her best to keep herself fit. She should avoid things that are sweet. Sweet fruits can make a person with tounyoubyou worse. If the person is very sick, you will smell the odor of overripe or fermented fruit on his breath. If you smell this odor, it does not bode well for the patient’s survival. More than likely they will become weaker and weaker until they lose consciousness and die.” He nodded. Most of what Kaemon was telling him were things Joanna had already mentioned in one way or another. She actively avoided fruit and sweets, and did her best to eat mostly meat and vegetables. She had told him about the overripe fruit smell. While she had insulin, if he smelled that odor, he was to make her medicine pouch give ten measures of insulin if she wasn’t able to give it to herself, and she had showed him how.

  “A person with tounyoubyou does not react well to upset, and too much emotional stress can make them very sick. People with tounyoubyou should stay calm and practice exercise and meditation on a daily basis.” Kaemon paused and looked at him with sympathetic eyes. “But I must tell you, Hanyou, that no matter how well the illness is controlled and treated… those who have tounyoubyou rarely live long.”

  He lowered his ears again and nodded sadly. “I know. She’s told me this.”

  “Perhaps she wished to prepare you for the inevitable. This illness is difficult. Many patients suffer from complications and sometimes death is a release.”

  He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and soothed the screaming of his fox blood. ‘We’ll bind her to us before we let her go! If she is already dying what difference will it make to try?’ the fox swore vehemently.

  “I made a promise to do all that I could to save her,” was all that he replied, clenching his fists so hard that he felt his claws dig into the flesh of his palms.

  “I am sure that you did, and I know that you will keep it.” He nodded solemnly. “Yes.”

  “You must tell me how well the herb works in helping your friend with her illness, and, of course, please let me know if there is anything more I can do.” He swallowed hard, humbled by the amount of aid the young priest was willing to offer. “I promise that I will. Thank you for all of your help. It was much more than I ever expected.”

  “You asked nothing from me that I was not willing to freely give. Perhaps someday I shall meet this special person who means so much to you.” He cringed inwardly, knowing how Joanna felt about meeting other humans from his time. “Perhaps. I am not sure…”

  Kaemon chuckled. “If you wish to keep her to yourself for the time being, I do not blame you.”

  He blinked and shook his head. “It’s not that, Kaemon-sama. She is…” What could he say that would not reveal too much? “… shy of other people.”

  “Hence why she prefers the company of non-humans.”

  ‘Non-humans like me,’ he thought darkly, suppressing the urge to flinch. “I am sure that is part of it. I must go, Kaemon-sama, if you do not need me.”

  “Of course, Hanyou. Go on. You have much to do if you want to gather the ingredients today.”

  He bowed deeply and took a step back. “Yes. Thank you, Kaemon-sama. I think I know where there are some cinnamon trees, but they are north of here, and I must find the gymnema as well. Even though I do not have to go to Zenko-ji, I still have a long way to travel today.”

  “Safe journey, Hanyou, I will see you again soon. I will also ask my father to request sentries to watch these caves. Hopefully any oni-gumo that try to settle into them will find the salt intolerable.”

  “Yes,” he agreed.

  Since there was nothing more to say, he bowed again and took his leave.

  Kaemon nodded to him then headed off in the direction of the village. His path took him in the opposite direction as he turned north towards the forest where he knew he could find cinnamon trees. It was a long way, and he toyed with the idea of returning to the grove before setting out, but he decided against it. Joanna needed him to be strong and get the medicine to treat her illness so he could not give in to his phantom worries. She still had plenty of insulin to last her through Harvest so there was no reason for him to believe that she was in danger of running out while he was gone.

  ‘I’ll be back soon, Joanna-sama,’ he vowed and set off into the forest.

  It was still early so there was plenty of light. When he really traveled at his full capacity, he could run twice as fast as the average horse, but he could not sustain it for long periods of time. Instead he adopted a ground-eating lope that he was sure would have him very close to the cinnamon trees before too long, and he would search for the gymnema along the way.

  In a way it was very good he was taking care of Joanna�
��s medicine now because Hiroshi expected him to participate in the rice harvest, just as he had helped to plant the rice that spring. It was a job reserved for women since the icy muck of the paddies was deemed too cold for men, but he was practically immune to cold and heat so he was expected to be out with the women when the planting time came. Oftentimes he would find himself spending the entire afternoon waist deep in cold water as he worked his way through the paddies, and he was out again in the heat of the early autumn when the rice was ready to be cut.

  Since the village had been using his strength and willingness to help, they had been able to grow more rice than the surrounding villages, and as such the villagers were better off than their neighbors because rice translated into currency. Akihiro knew he was responsible for the village’s prosperity, but he also knew that his part in that wealth went unpraised and unacknowledged.

  When Genkichirou was alive, the old priest would always save a small portion of the shrine’s share to give to him as payment for his help, but Ichiro had discontinued the tradition after his father’s death. He didn’t really need or want the rice, but it had been nice to be honored if only in a small way. Genkichirou knew full well that it would take the villagers two days to bring in the amount of rice their half-demon helper could harvest in a single afternoon.

  Akihiro could toil in the hot sun for hours on end and never tire, and he could carry eight sacks to the average man’s two. The meager bundle of rice the old man gave him was a pittance compared to the amount of work he did, but it had been the thought that had counted. No one had ever paid him for his work or acknowledged that his help had been appreciated.

  It was possible that the new head priest did not know his father gave Akihiro rice every Harvest, and he had never asked. He’d been shocked enough when Ichiro had stated he would honor the agreement his father had made. Still, it only proved what Akihiro had suspected all along: that Ichiro upheld the agreement only because it was his dying father’s last wish.