Guardian of the Spirit

by Nahoko Uehashi

  Placing her spear and bundle of belongings against his bottom, she started walking. She felt his rigid body gradually relax until his full weight sagged against her and his cheek nestled against the nape of her neck. He had fallen asleep.

  Damn, Balsa thought with a groan. I’ve really gotten mixed up in it this time. As she followed the path down the river in the steadily growing light, she planned their next moves. The first thing she needed to do was get to Ogi no Shimo — the lower part of the city, where the common folk lived — before anyone saw them. She quickened her pace. A few farmers had already begun working in their fields.

  Ogi no Shimo, or “edge of the fan,” was a maze of winding, dusty streets. Unlike the stately Ogi no Kami or Ogi no Naka, which were built according to a well-executed plan, this noisy, coarse, and thriving community had grown up haphazardly as the population expanded, creating a tangled crisscross of roads and canals. Balsa entered along the route behind Hyakken Street, which was lined with shops. A stonewalled canal used to ferry goods ran behind the shops, so cargo could be unloaded from boats and carried inside. On a small strip of land beneath a bridge that spanned the canal stood some shabby huts, home to the poorest of the poor. Thin straw mats, hung from the bridge rafters, served as walls, and the bridge itself became a roof. Swarms of mosquitoes plagued the occupants in summer, and in winter it was piercingly cold.

  Balsa checked that no one was watching her before she stepped up to one of the huts. “Toya, are you there?” she called softly, directing her voice behind the soiled straw mat that served as a door covering. After some rustling noises from within, a sleepy-looking youth of fifteen or sixteen raised the mat. His thin, hollow-cheeked face was dominated by two large eyes and topped with a mop of disheveled brown hair, and his mouth fell open in surprise when he saw her.

  “Balsa! What brings you here so early in the morning?”

  “Let me in, will you? I don’t want to be seen.”

  “Sure.” The boy called Toya quickly withdrew from the doorway and let them inside. The hut was astonishingly dirty. Shafts of early morning light sifted through chinks in the makeshift walls. Two thin mats served as a floor, and the stench of stale sweat was so overpowering it was hard to breathe. A head suddenly poked out of a pile of straw heaped up in one corner. It belonged to a young girl with a surprisingly pretty face, although her hair was full of straw.

  “Saya,” Balsa whispered, “I’m sorry to wake you up. Could you move over a bit?”

  The girl smiled and nodded. Chagum stirred as Balsa lowered him gently onto the ground. His evident confusion slowly became repulsion as he stared around the hut. “Where are we?”

  Toya looked at Chagum and then at Balsa in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you’ve kidnapped the son of a nobleman!”

  Balsa scratched her head. “Well, not exactly, but I can’t tell you what I am doing either. You’ll be a lot safer if you don’t know. I can tell you that it means big trouble and I need your help. I’ll pay you well for it too.”

  “Oh, come on, Balsa. You know I’d do anything you asked for nothing.”

  Balsa had to suppress a laugh. “Thanks, Toya. You were right — this boy is from a noble family. Someone’s trying to kill him, and I was hired as his bodyguard.”

  “Ah. I see.”

  The smile faded from Balsa’s face as she gazed earnestly at Toya. “Now listen carefully. Don’t tell anyone that you saw us, not even after we leave. If you do, not only the boy and I but both of you will die.” Toya blinked, all trace of sleepiness vanishing instantly. “I wish I didn’t have to involve you,” Balsa continued, “but our lives are at stake. I’ll give you two gold coins for hiding us till evening.”

  Toya’s large eyes opened so wide they looked like they would pop out of his face. Just one gold coin would be enough to live comfortably for two years; two coins was an impossible sum. Balsa had received plenty of money from the queen, and she still had a large amount left over from her last job as a bodyguard. She could easily have given him more, but too much money would cause him more trouble than it was worth.

  “You can’t use the coins until midsummer next year,” Balsa continued. “In the meantime, I’ll give you a hundred copper coins. Do you understand? You’ve got to promise me this, and keep it, because if you don’t, you’ll be more than sorry.”

  She pressed a bag stuffed with coppers and two gold coins into Toya’s hands. He stood staring at them in disbelief. “Am I dreaming?” he muttered. He gazed at Balsa as if on the verge of tears, and then at Saya where she sat looking equally stunned. Balsa placed four more coppers in his hands.

  “I have one more request. I want you to do some shopping for me. Listen carefully and remember what I tell you.” Toya gulped and nodded. “First, I want you to buy men’s clothing in my size — light traveling clothes. I also want you to buy clothes for the boy, but be sure you don’t buy them at the same store. I don’t want anyone catching on to where we are. I also need two sheets of oiled paper, a bearskin, and enough dried meat and rice to last about ten days.”

  Toya listened intently to her list and then nodded once. As an errand runner, he was expert at remembering such orders, and no one would be suspicious if he did someone else’s shopping. This was one reason Balsa had come to him.

  “Leave it to me,” he said. “I’ll make sure no one catches on. Saya, give me a hand, okay?” The quiet Saya smiled and nodded happily as he gave her a copper coin. “Balsa, you must be hungry, and that kid looks like he’s starving. I’ll stop by Nogi’s first and get you some breakfast. Don’t worry — I’ll tell him one of the ferrymen asked me to buy it for him.” He raced outside and was back in no time with four steaming hot boxes; Nogi’s stall opened early in the morning to serve itinerant workers. Chagum refused to sit on the dirty floor until Balsa spread out a small towel for him. Toya and Saya looked at each other and smiled wryly but with no anger.

  “Let’s eat!” The boxes were made of thin strips of plain wood. When they pulled off the lids, they discovered hot rice and barley; a fillet of white fish known in the area as gosha; something grilled in a sweet, salty sauce with a slightly spicy seasoning; and pickles. Chagum poked at the food suspiciously with his chopsticks and then took a mouthful of fish and rice. His eyes went round with surprise.

  “Good, isn’t it?” Toya said. “Nogi’s is the best in the neighborhood.”

  Chagum glanced at him and gave a slight nod. It really was delicious. All four of them bent silently over their boxes, shoveling food into their mouths with chopsticks.

  When they had finished, Toya and Saya set off cheerfully to do the shopping. Balsa plumped up the straw and crawled inside. Chagum looked dubious at first, but finally he picked up the towel Balsa had laid out for him on the floor and brought it over to where she lay. Spreading it out as a pillow, he lay down beside her. Balsa smiled at him. “There’s no need to worry about bugs. It’s autumn now and getting cooler. But if you don’t get under the straw, you’ll catch a cold.” The ceiling rained dirt down on them as someone crossed the bridge above their heads. She sat up suddenly, took two cloths out of her bag, and handed one to Chagum. “Put this over your face and sleep with your head turned to one side so you can breathe.”

  She watched to make sure he did as he was told and then snuggled under the straw. It must have been time for everyone else to go to work: The sounds of people passing overhead increased, and their little shelter vibrated with the thumps of footsteps, the clatter of horse and ox hooves, and the rumble of cart wheels. Yet once Balsa closed her eyes, the bustling noises receded into the distance, hovering just at the edge of her awareness as exhaustion beckoned her into sleep.

  When she woke, Toya and Saya had not yet returned. Judging by the light, it was a little before noon. Chagum was still fast asleep.

  Pretty soon they’ll realize that the prince’s body isn’t hidden in the ashes at the palace, she thought. And once that happens, it won’t be long before his assassins guess the truth and send
someone after us. We’ll have to cross the Aoyumi River tonight and make for the mountains.

  Suddenly Chagum groaned, interrupting her thoughts. He rolled onto his back and opened his mouth wide to suck in a huge, whistling breath.

  Balsa’s hair stood on end. A phosphorescent blue glow had spread from his chest to his throat and then to his head. Although it was very faint, she could see the light within it pulsing slowly. Chagum’s lips opened and closed like a fish underwater. He stood up with his eyes still closed and began walking toward the door. Jolted to her senses, Balsa leapt to her feet and grabbed him around the waist, barely stopping him before he went out the door. As she held him, she noticed that his body exuded a strange yet familiar odor that she could not quite place.

  “Cha-Chagum! Chagum!” She shook him desperately. His eyes blinked open and he looked up at Balsa questioningly. “Chagum, are — are you all right?”

  He nodded, looking around him in a daze. Then suddenly he was wide awake. “Ah,” he whispered.

  Balsa was covered in a cold sweat, and her heart beat in her throat as if it would leap out of her body. The hubbub of the world around them returned with a rush, and she realized for the first time that she had heard no sound in the time she had held Chagum. This can’t be happening! she thought. She wiped the sweat from her brow. Although the queen’s story had seemed rather strange, it had not frightened her. But listening to someone else talk about it was totally different from watching it happen.

  Balsa had faced death more than once, had even been slashed open from shoulder to belly. But never had she encountered anything like this. She discarded the plans she had made. Her intuition, not her reason, told her that they could never hope to escape by just running away. Something lived within the boy, and this suddenly seemed much more important than the fact that his life was threatened by the Mikado. If it were just a matter of fighting, she could manage; but what could she hope to accomplish against an unknown demon?

  We need help, she thought. There’s no way I can handle this on my own.

  “Chagum,” she said. “Tell me what you were dreaming about just now.”

  He narrowed his eyes and thought a moment. “I don’t remember exactly, but I think it was the same dream I always have … Because I want to go home.”

  “You mean, to your mother?”

  “No.” He fell silent for a moment and then looked up at her. “When I’m awake, I want to go home to my mother. But in my dream, I want to go somewhere else, somewhere blue and cold.”

  Balsa suddenly recalled the odor she had scented when she grabbed Chagum. That’s what it was — water! she thought. But not just any water. Where was it? I know I’ve smelled it before. The thought nagged at her, but she could not remember.

  Footsteps sounded outside. Balsa swept up her spear but then lowered it again.

  “We’re back,” Toya announced cheerfully as he raised the door covering and entered. “Sorry to take so long. We got everything. And we got some lunch too!” Saya followed him. They plopped their bags down on the floor and proudly presented each item.

  “Well, that’s it. Check and make sure it’s all there,” Toya said. He glanced up at Balsa and then gave her a strange look. “What happened? You’re as white as a ghost.”

  “What? Oh, sorry. It’s nothing. I just thought you might be our pursuers.”

  “Ah, that reminds me. The town’s in an uproar. Everyone’s saying that Ninomiya Palace burned down last night.”

  “Were there any soldiers poking around?”

  “No, no sign of that. I had Saya go up on the dike to make sure no one was following me or keeping watch on this place, but no one was there. Right, Saya?”

  Saya nodded solemnly.

  “Did you? You’re very clever. Thanks. You’ve been a big help.” Toya looked very pleased. “By the way, you know Master Torogai, don’t you?”

  “Of course,” he answered.

  “Do you know where the master is? Even a rumor would help.”

  Toya looked at Saya, but she shook her head. “I did hear not long ago that Torogai was somewhere in Ogi no Shimo, but since then I haven’t heard a thing.”

  “All right,” Balsa said. “It can’t be helped. Forget I asked.” Torogai had always been as capricious as the wind, and Balsa had no hope of finding someone so skilled at magic weaving. I guess I have no choice, she thought. I’ll have to rely on Tanda. She pictured his face in her mind and sighed. She would rather not get him mixed up in this, but what else could she do?

  “So,” she said, “I guess it’s about time we ate lunch.”

  Toya had brought back rice steamed with chicken. The chicken had been marinated in a spicy powdered seed called jai and the meat of a sweet fruit called narai, roasted a crisp brown, and then cut into chunks and mixed with the rice. It was delicious. There was also fruit, and hot tea in bamboo flasks, still steaming.

  “Shopping is my trade,” Toya bragged. “I know where to get the best quality for the best price, so you can be sure you’ve paid less than you would have if someone else had done it for you. And, see, I bought good food with the money left over. I know the very best and I get it for my friends.”

  Chagum stared intently at Toya as he chattered proudly. Noticing this, Toya asked, “Do I have something on my face?”

  Chagum shook his head and asked in wonder, “Why do you speak so quickly?”

  Toya looked at Saya, then at Balsa. “Do I talk fast?” he asked.

  “No, not really,” Balsa spluttered. “Chagum, everyone in this part of town speaks this fast. There are lots of different ways of speaking, depending on where a person lives. Merchants speak very smooth and quick, farmers mumble and speak without much feeling, and sailors who live by the sea practically yell when they talk.”

  Chagum listened with a surprised look on his face.

  “Balsa’s been everywhere,” Toya told him. “There aren’t many who know as much as she does. And she’s very strong. She saved our lives once. Did you know?” His eyes shone as he looked at Chagum.

  “Toya, that’s enough,” Balsa interrupted. “And don’t say my name so loud.”

  “Sorry! In a quiet voice then,” he said. “You know, Chagum, my parents left me in this part of town when I was so little I don’t even remember their faces. The merchants around here are fairly rich, so I lived off the leftovers they gave me or stole things in order to survive. Saya was the same. She’s like a little sister to me, so we’ve always lived together.” Chagum listened with astonishment. “But, as you can see, Saya’s got a pretty face. Two years ago last summer, some troublemakers tried to get their hands on her. It was at West Crossing, you know. Of course, I tried to stop them, but there were five of them. They beat me till I couldn’t stand and then kicked me where I lay on the ground. Lots of people watched, but no one tried to help. After all, we’re just poor errand runners. And they were henchmen for Gai, the boss who controls the whole West Side…. It was pretty terrifying. Maybe it feels good to kick someone when they’re down, I don’t know, but they were so wired up they just kept kicking me. But then suddenly the feet stopped, I opened my eyes, and there was Balsa. I couldn’t believe it — it was five against one, right? And she just looks like an ordinary woman, while those big thugs were used to fighting. But that spear! Like lightning! And like that, all five of them were on the ground, and not one of them was even groaning. They were knocked out. It was incredible!

  “And you know what was the nicest thing about it? Balsa helped us. Us! And she wouldn’t even accept anything in repayment.”

  “Toya, don’t exaggerate.” Balsa smiled awkwardly. “I told you. I had just started work in this town and I wanted to establish my reputation. It’s not like I’m some sort of hero or anything.”

  “Yeah, but then you gave us that expensive medicine … I grew up here, remember. I know what the world is like. Nobody does anything unless there’s something in it for themselves. But there are some people who do more than they have to
for what they get in return, and those people are kind right to the heart.”

  “He’s right,” Saya whispered. Chagum looked at her in surprise; she had been so quiet he thought that she could not speak. Saya smiled at him. “Balsa looks fierce, but she’s kind. You’ll be safe with her.”

  “Thanks a lot,” Balsa groaned. “I just hope you’re right.”

  Mon always felt a thrill of excitement when he became the Mikado’s shadow.

  He was the leader of the Hunters, an elite band of warriors who answered solely to the Mikado and Master Star Reader. Every Hunter was a descendant of one of the eight warriors who had fought with Torugaru against the water demon. The last-born son of each Hunter was trained to follow in his father’s footsteps, and each was called by a number: Mon meant “one,” Jin “two,” Zen “three,” Yun “four,” all the way to Sune, “eight.” Only the Mikado, the Master Star Reader, the Hunters’ fathers, and the other Hunters knew these names or who they really were.

  Outwardly, the Hunters served as members of the palace guard, carrying out everyday duties as the Mikado’s bodyguard and shields. But when the Mikado needed a spy, an envoy, an agent, or an assassin, they became his shadows, enacting his orders with silence and speed. As all the palace guards occasionally performed confidential missions, the true nature of the Hunters’ work was concealed even from their fellow guards. So it had been for the last two hundred years.

  From the time Mon was a little boy, his father had taught him secretly, usually at night, drilling the necessary skills into his mind and body: how to kill a man with one blow, how to track someone, how to disguise himself. He had mastered every type of martial art, from fighting with his bare hands to using a blowgun or wielding a longsword with flashing speed. There had been times when he was so exhausted from this training that he resented his father and wondered why he was the only one subjected to such punishment; he might be forced to run all night up and down a rugged mountain path, yet he still had to wake at the same time as his brothers in the morning. If his mother scolded him for being sleepy, he could not even tell her why.