"How did you find your way here?" "We didn't. The kitsune found us, perhaps half a day's walk from here. Choryu guessed you'd come this way, and here you are."
"Choryu," Michiko called. "You're awfully quiet. Don't despair, my friend. We are safe here."
"I am not despairing," Choryu said. "I am humbled by the generosity of our hosts." He fixed his penetrating eyes on Michiko's. "And I am eager to complete our journey safely."
This last remark went by without comment as the girls went over to the table, still chattering away. Pearl-Ear took a closer look at the white-haired wizard. He was sporting a deep purple bruise over one eye and his left arm hung stiffly by his side.
"Where is the leader of these warriors?" Pearl-Ear asked.
A large gray samurai officer stepped forward, accompanied by a single ranger. "Here," he said. "I am Silver-Foot."
Silver-Foot was taller and broader than the rest, with two white stripes running along the fur on top of his head. He bobbed a perfunctory bow to Lady Pearl-Ear, and the ranger followed his lead.
"I hope you weren't put to too much trouble by my charges."
The lower-ranking samurai grinned. "The boy resisted, but we reasoned with him."
Pearl-Ear traced a soft-furred finger under her eye, outlining an area as big as Choryu's bruise. She raised an eyebrow.
"He attempted to cast a spell on us." The samurai shrugged, opening his hands to the sky. "But no harm was done. Besides, he was easy to carry."
"Indeed. Please accept my thanks on behalf-"
"You are Lady Pearl-Ear from the Daimyo's land." Silver-Foot's handsome exterior disguised a brusque personality
"I am." "We have reports of an armed and mounted party making its way up the western border of the forest. They came from the tower in Eiganjo."
"That is the path my student and her friends took. They are most likely the Daimyo's retainers, searching for Princess Michiko."
Silver-Foot's face wrinkled. "So they aren't coming here."
"I suppose they could find their way here if my charges left tracks. But no, there is no reason to expect them. What is it, Silver-Foot-san? Why are there so many warriors here, and why are you so dour?"
Silver-Foot bobbed again. "No offense intended, Lady Pearl-Ear. But your students being here is a bad thing, one that you should have prevented. They are lucky we found them when we did."
"What do you mean?"
"Two days ago, far to the south," Silver-Foot said, "we found the remains of a scouting party. One scout had had his skull cracked by a hard, blunt instrument. Another had been stabbed repeatedly with small, dirty blades. We found the third hung up in the branches of a tree with arrows through his legs and chest."
Pearl-Ear tilted her head. "Bandits? This far north?"
Silver-Foot shook his head. "Worse."
Pearl-Ear's voice dropped to a whisper. "Hostile kami?"
The officer sneered again. "Spirits don't use crude clubs and dirty knives, milady. But to continue: yesterday, before we found your wandering wizards, we came across a single felled tree. It hadn't been cut down with saw or axe, but instead had been chiseled down, bit by bit, with something small and hard. Whoever did that also carved a trench in the trunk and lit a large fire there."
Over at the table, the wizards and Michiko were done re-acquainting themselves and had begun to listen to Pearl-Ear's conversation with Silver-Foot. Pearl-Ear stepped forward and bowed her head. Silver-Foot lowered his own until their foreheads touched.
"I don't understand," Pearl-Ear whispered. "What felled the tree? What does this all mean?"
Before the officer could answer, a cry came from the main gate.
"All hail Elder Lady Silk-Eyes!"
Pearl-Ear and Silver-Foot straightened up. Through the open doorway, she could see the wizened elder approaching, escorted by the same two kitsune samurai.
"I will answer you," Silver-Foot whispered, "as soon as the elder makes her wishes plain."
Lady Silk-Eyes swept into the room, and all the kitsune present fell to one knee. Michiko and Riko rose from the table and likewise genuflected in honor of the elder, but Choryu remained seated at the table. The proud youth was probably unaccustomed to being treated so roughly. Perhaps, Pearl-Ear thought, he would learn from this experience and not invite such rough treatment in the future.
Lady Silk-Eyes steadied herself on her gnarled walking stick. "Reunions complete, then? Everyone all caught up?"
Lady Pearl-Ear rose. "Yes, elder. Thanks again for the village's assistance and your own kindness."
The old fox smiled, her eyes twinkling. As the rest of the kitsune returned to their feet, she said, "And you, captain? You have made the arrangements we discussed earlier?"
At the word "captain," Silver-Foot's ears flattened. Hierarchical ranks were rarely used in kitsune society and even more rarely observed. Except for age and experience, all members of the community were roughly equal in terms of status. Silver-Foot did not seem comfortable hearing his military title on the lips of the village's spiritual leader.
"Yes, elder. I sent my fastest riders west to meet the Daimyo's men and fetch them here."
"Excellent. When will they arrive?"
Choryu looked up from his bowl. Riko seemed nauseated by this news as she nervously bunched her robe in her fist.
"That's not necessary, elder." Pearl-Ear tilted her face down and folded her hands over her stomach. "A small escort will be more than enough to take us-"
"They can be here in less than two days," Silver-Foot cut in. "Assuming they listen to my riders and respond quickly."
Lady Silk-Eyes nodded. "That gives us time to prepare. Very good." She turned to Pearl-Ear and said, "Gather your children and follow me. Leave matters of war to warriors."
"But elder," Lady Pearl-Ear said, the panic in her voice rising. "We are not at war with the Daimyo. They are only looking for the princess, and if we-"
"Less than two days," Lady Silk-Eyes mused, ignoring Pearl-Ear. She looked up at Silver-Foot. "And how far south did you find the tree and the scouting party?"
"A day's march for kitsune," the officer said.
The elder nodded. "I see. Too close to call, then.
Well, this will be exciting, won't it?" She took Pearl-Ear by the hand and said, "Come, Lady Pearl-Ear, and bring the children. We have much to do and a whole village to rouse. We have two sets of visitors coming, and I want to have a proper reception ready." Lady Silk-Eyes turned back, still clutching Pearl-Ear's hand. "Tell me, Silver-Foot, which do you think will arrive first? The goblins or the Daimyo's troops?"
Pearl-Ear might have stumbled if not for the elder's firm grip. Across the room, Choryu's head sank almost into his bowl. Riko stood in open-mouthed astonishment, and she turned to Michiko just as the princess mouthed, "Goblins?"
"Come," Lady Silk-Eyes said again, tugging on Pearl-Ear's hand. "You came here for answers, and we have less than two days to find them."
CHAPTER 13
The entire village was assembled quickly, mostly due to the love and respect they held for Lady Silk-Eyes. The rest were mobilized by fear of the approaching goblin horde.
Lady Pearl-Ear watched her people filing into the village's central courtyard, enjoying a sense of belonging even as the danger approached. There were over seventy villagers that she recognized, with another score that were new to her. They came in all shapes, sizes, and ages, and each bowed before the elder before assembling in carefully arranged groups on the dry soil. Even in these tense circumstances, the kitsune-bito were bright-eyed and chatty, muttering to each other before they sat. Once in place, however, their conversations faded, replaced by the low, thrumming sound of a group chant.
There were kitsune warriors, too, more than she had ever seen in one place. They numbered as many as the villagers, if not more, each samurai armed with the traditional long and short swords, each ranger with a dagger and a long wooden staff. Some seemed to be from other villages, and while many stopped by
the square to bow before Lady Silk-Eyes, none stayed. The elder sent them all to Silver-Foot to become part of the officer's impromptu army.
Shocked at first, Michiko now seemed consumed by curiosity. Whether she was being influenced by the convivial kitsune villagers around her or she was blossoming outside the confines of her father's tower, Michiko seemed much more alert and alive.
"The akki have never raided this far north, have they?" "Not in living memory," Pearl-Ear said. "And we are a long-lived people."
"What will they do if they find us?"
"That depends on what they want. I've heard that a goblin army cannot move quietly, yet they have come this far without being noticed. They are either unusually disciplined or they have been enchanted. Either way, this is far beyond what anyone expects from them."
"Both of those options point to an outside influence," Riko said.
"Very good." Whereas the girls usually clung to one another, Riko was clearly following Michiko now. Despite her own fear and fatigue, Riko had adopted Michiko's student-like interest in the situation. "Determining what that influence is may well be a part of the elder's ritual."
"I have never seen a kitsune rite in person," Riko mused. "Will I be allowed to observe?"
"More than that," Lady Silk-Eyes cut in. "You're going to participate."
None of them had heard the elder approach, not even Pearl-Ear. Lady Silk-Eyes nodded to the fox-woman.
"Go ahead," she said. "Explain."
"The spirits of our village, our land," she said, "are not the same as the ones in Eiganjo Castle." She turned to Riko. "Or the patrons of the Minamo Academy. The white myojin, for example, is extremely rigid about who can invoke his power, and when."
"But the kitsune also pray to the white myojin and the Sun," Michiko said.
"We do. But we also call upon the cedar and other natural spirits. The kami here are less grand, but more accommodating. It's less a question of quality-how precise an invocation is-and more of quantity. The more voices we raise, the stronger the spirit magic will be."
Pearl-Ear paused to look around the courtyard. "And with that in mind, where is Choryu? We may need his voice, as well."
"He was quite miserable after the kitsune found us. He lashed out, and was subdued… gently," Riko added, with a bow to Lady Silk-Eyes. "I think he feels responsible for getting Michiko into this mess."
"Please go and find him," Lady Pearl-Ear said. "This is no time to sulk."
Michiko sighed. "I must make sure he understands. This is not his fault."
"Even if it were, he should be here with us."
Riko shook her head sadly. "He can be difficult when his mood is sour. Will one voice make such a difference?"
"Perhaps not," Michiko cut in. "But with goblins about and the kitsune warriors on alert, he'll only cause trouble if he's not here with us."
Riko and Pearl-Ear smiled together. Michiko cocked her head quizzically and said, "What?" "Sometimes, princess," Riko said, "you are wiser than your years. I will go find Choryu."
Lady Silk-Eyes slid in close to Pearl-Ear. "When we find the wizard boy, keep him close to me," she said. "He has the look of a skeptic about him, and it will take careful guidance to keep him from spoiling the ritual."
"Your pardon, elder." Michiko had watched Riko go, but now she turned to face the kitsune women. "What were you saying about the ritual?"
"I said nothing about the ritual yet, child. I was talking about your headstrong friend."
"Oh."
"You see?" The elder patted Pearl-Ear's shoulder. "The princess is a capable young woman of remarkable faculties. It is not necessary to keep secrets from her."
Pearl-Ear's ears flattened and she stared at the back of Michiko's head. If the princess heard, she was not yet interested in responding.
"With respect, elder," Pearl-Ear hissed. "It sounds like you've been talking to my brother. Who should not have been talking."
Lady Silk-Eyes laughed. "I have not been in contact with your Sharp-Ear, my dear. Your student came here to find something. You came here to avoid something. I think that they are perhaps the same thing and that you should share your respective burdens rather than concealing them."
Pearl-Ear continued to stare at Michiko. "Perhaps, elder."
"And you should do so soon. After the ritual, it may be too late."
Before Pearl-Ear could reply, the elder patted her on the shoulder and glided back to the center of the square.
Lady Pearl-Ear stepped forward and stood next to Michiko.
"Have you been keeping secrets, sensei?" "A kitsune always keeps secrets. It's our nature."
"True." Michiko continued to stare straight ahead, and Pearl-Ear did the same.
"It's odd that we have not seen your brother. He was the one who guided me here, after all."
"Not so odd, Princess. He knows that when I find him, I will cut off his tail and nail it to his forehead."
"He was an excellent yabusame instructor. I put his teachings to good use in the forest."
"I never said he was a bad teacher. Merely a careless guardian."
"I learned a great deal. But he said one thing that stuck out. He said that the art of yabusame had grown more important since I was born."
Pearl-Ear's heart grew cold. "That sounds like standard archery instructor talk to me. Comparing the good old days gone by to the more dangerous ones at hand." "So he was merely referring to the Kami War."
"Almost certainly."
"But I have noticed it before, sensei. No one has ever said so, but the my birth coincides directly with the start of the war."
Pearl-Ear sighed. "A less self-interested student would dismiss that as mere coincidence."
"I have found, sensei, that there is very little coincidence when kami and kitsune are involved."
Lady Pearl-Ear felt tears forming in her throat. "I loved your mother very much. For her sake, let me defer my answer until a more appropriate time."
Michiko's eyes were dry and bright. "It is in her name that I ask, Lady Pearl-Ear."
Pearl-Ear faced the princess. "Your arrival changed many things in Eiganjo Castle. It provided the Daimyo with a potential helpmate and heir. It provided me a vocation. And it filled your mother with pride she could barely contain.
"You deserve to know the truth, Michiko. And I swear that I will see that you find it. But until I know the truth, I can and will say nothing. Now," she said as she took her student's hand, "let us take our places for the ritual."
They sat at the front of the growing throng. Lady Pearl-Ear began chanting along with the other kitsune, but the princess was silent for a few moments until she picked up the cadence of the chant. Then she, too joined in.
Pearl-Ear felt someone sit next to her, and she cracked an eye. Riko mouthed, "Choryu" and shrugged. Then the student archer closed her eyes and joined the chant.
They were speaking an old kitsune dialect, but Riko and Michiko both were familiar enough with the modern foxfolk tongue that they could contribute. As the throng repeated the same phrase, Pearl-Ear let time and space and all the worries she had been carrying slip away. It could have been moments or it could have been days, but Pearl-Ear had no idea and less interest in telling one from the other.
When Pearl-Ear heard was nothing but the chant in her ears and felt nothing but the vibration in her own throat, Lady Silk-Eyes spoke.
"Hear us, spirits of the plains. Spirits of the trees. Spirits of our ancestors. Your children here in the utsushiyo need your guidance. We face enemies from your realm as well as from ours. If there is a kami among you who still cares for the kitsune, answer us now."
In response, the chant grew louder and higher in pitch. On either side of her, Pearl-Ear heard Riko and Michiko matching the changes, following the elder like an orchestra follows a conductor. Pearl-Ear could feel the power coalescing above the crowd as her own voice also swelled and the group chant grew louder and more powerful. It was working.
The noise reached
a crescendo. The elder's stick tapped crisply three times against a wooden bucket, and the makeshift drumbeats brought the chant to a sudden stop.
Pearl-Ear opened her eyes. She looked at Michiko, at Riko, and then up at Lady Silk-Eyes.
The kitsune elder stood in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by a hundred or more silent kitsune. She held her walking stick aloft with both hands and her face was pitched back, muzzle to the sky and her throat exposed. Lady Silk-Eyes coughed, then let out a soft, mournful howl.
Pearl-Ear and the rest echoed the howl, combining their voices with the elder's. Lady Silk-Eyes began to sway, rolling her shoulders and hips with her feet planted. Then she stepped off her mark, winding her way around the center of the square in a sinuous, hypnotic dance, softly howling all the while.
The air above them was dominated by a bank of luminescent green mist. It glowed softly, like a lantern through gauze. The cloud was as wide and as long as the square itself, and though she could not see through it, Pearl-Ear knew that it rose higher into the evening sky than the tallest cedar.
Lady Silk-Eyes twirled her staff and herself around five times, then brought the gnarled stick's end down on the wooden bucket. The dull wooden boom sounded again and the howling stopped.
A spark flashed deep within the dull green cloud. A rolling wave of light surged across the surface of the fog bank, crackling as it went. Below, the throng waited silently, eagerly, their eyes wide open in awe and anticipation.
Slowly, an image began to take shape in the fog. Currents of mist thicker than the main body, flowed together and intertwined, climbing high into the sky. The image clarified, becoming a kitsune watchtower.
This tower continued to expand, swelling outward and upward. Pearl-Ear recognized the Daimyo's tower even before it was complete. Above the tower, brighter fog pooled, giving the impression of a full moon over the capitol of Towabara.
A white spark leaped out of the fog-tower's highest point and sailed away from the enormous structure. It moved more slowly the farther it got from its starting point, though it strained and heaved like a fish on a line. Eventually, the tower moved toward the light, towed along by the spark's progress.
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