by Paul Kidd
Sitting in the shadows with rain dripping from the eaves beside him, Kuno joined Sano Moko in gazing at the woods.
“And now they have struck at you again…” Kuno furrowed his brows in thought. “So then. The heir has vanished. What steps have you taken Sano san?”
“I, too, am shamed.”
The cloth padding beneath Sano Moko’s mail sleeves was soaking wet. Her shin guards were muddy. The woman bowed her head and stared down at the flood boards.
“When the ladies-in-waiting brought the news, I was on an inspection of the border towers. I immediately led eight men straight to the clearing where my adopted brother had disappeared. We fanned out to make a search…” Sano Moko turned and looked at Sura, blank and lost.
“I led eight of my men into the forest, Sura san. Only four returned.”
Sano Moko sat staring at a scene now scored horribly into her memory. She shook her head slowly – still scarcely able to believe.
“We fanned out, but kept in sight of one another. Moving through the trees, I took the centre, following the path left by the previous men. We found their trail and then we moved onwards. Weapons drawn – absolutely alert…” Sano Moko slowly blinked. “And then we noticed – the two men on one flank had just… disappeared. We were moving forward through the trees, and they were simply gone! I ran forward to check, six other men beside me…” The samurai let her words trail away. She kept her blank gaze upon the floorboards.
“Their armour was empty. Just… empty. The clothes were inside, as if the bodies had somehow vanished. Weapons lay there in the moss. And then we looked back. Looked back for the men who had come running behind us.”
Sano Moko looked to Sura, utterly chilled.
“Two more men had vanished. They had been there with us – running behind the rest of us. But by the time we looked – by the time we took stock – they were gone.”
The samurai was completely at a loss.
“Something took them. It just… took them! No sound. No outcry. They were just gone. Only their clothing and equipment remained…” Sano Moko looked away.
“The forest laughed at us, and we ran…”
Usually so gruff – so acerbic and controlled, Sano Moko suddenly wept. She wiped at her eye with one armoured hand, angrily smearing tears away.
“He is only a little boy. He is muddle-headed, and he comes into my room when he has nightmares and wants me to make the bad dreams go away…” Moko turned and faced away, hiding the tears in her eyes.
“He is my brother. He is the heir – and I have failed him. I have failed my father. I am ashamed to say that this is beyond my competence. But through our association, I have learned that a wise samurai must recognise when to ask for help. A wise samurai brings the best tools to bear.”
Sano Moko swivelled to face the Spirit Hunters. She made a deep, stiff bow.
“I presume too much – but I humbly beg you to help in the rescue of my brother Sano Yukiwakumaru.”
Sura moved and quietly came to sit beside Sano Moko. They sat together, side by side, rain dripping from the eaves before them. Sura reached quietly over and gripped Moko’s armoured hand.
“Shhh. Peace. We’ll find him. Never fear – we’ll find him.”
Sano Moko swallowed.
“Could he even still be alive?”
“Of course! Carnivorous monsters don’t bother to neatly unwrap their meals.” The fox sat back, looking at the forest. “We’ll find him.”
“We will reward you – I promise!”
The fox gave a carefree wave.
“If you want to reward us, then kiss your brother when we find him.”
Sura turned back to her partners. Chiri furrowed her brows and quietly considered the problem before them, quietly curling her tail.
“Whatever lurks in the forest, it is clearly dangerous. We should seek out clues to its origins and possible weaknesses.”
Tonbo gave a nod.
“Agreed.” He turned towards Sano Moko. “Moko san! What is the peasant village closest to the Forest of Traitors?”
Moko straightened her back.
“There is a village by the forest stream. Ōsuka village. It is quite small.”
“Good. That’s a start.”
Sura sat with Daitanishi on her knee, quietly polishing the little fellow, who seemed to enjoy the attention. The fox was concentrating. She nodded to Moko.
“You have kept this affair quiet. I think it might be a good idea to continue. Do not bring in hordes of samurai. If this kidnapper is elusive, you will only scare it into hiding. Anyway, you don’t want to let your clan’s enemies know that your heir is missing.”
Sano Moko gave a nod. Clear thought came to her only slowly.
“That – that is a wise suggestion, Sura san.”
Sura set Daitanishi floating in mid-air beside her. She leaned over, grabbed hold of her spear, then rose to her feet. Kuno saw the others rising and gathering equipment, and turned to Sano Moko.
“We shall begin our quest. Moko san – will you accompany us?”
Sano Moko began to rise, then froze. She sank back down, feeling a weight of duty crushing down upon her.
“With my brother gone, I am the sole heir to the Moko clan.” She bowed her head. “It tears at me, Kuno san – but I cannot risk accompanying you.”
Kuno looked at Moko in deep respect.
“We understand the difficulty of your decision. I believe you have chosen in the best interests of duty.” He bowed solemnly and formally to the samurai. “We shall return.”
Sano Moko bowed to the Spirit Hunters.
“The forest hides much evil. Please use great care.”
The Spirit Hunters retrieved their backpacks and wet sandals. Straw raincoats were unrolled and tied about shoulders. Sura jumped down onto the roadway, checked the sky for imminent rain, then led the way out of the little town.
Evening would be arriving soon. They had perhaps an hour of light – enough to travel a little way back along their tracks. Sano Moko’s heart would rest easier knowing that they were already on their way.
Sura looked down the road. The route ahead threaded past homes and farms, heading back towards the east – towards the forest. The skies were dark, and crickets had come out in force, chirping from somewhere underneath the trees. Here and there, lanterns were already being lit. Back at the house, a discrete group of Sano retainers were on guard – drawn faces the only hint that disaster had struck the clan.
Sura looked back at the house, then walked her companions across the road to stand beneath a crooked pine tree. She fluffed out her raincoat and wrinkled her nose in thought.
“Well – what did you guys think of that?”
Chiri looked gently back towards the house. “I think Sano san has greatly matured.”
“I mean about the mission!” Sura rubbed her hands together in unseemly glee. “Sounds like we have a proper monster again at last! Something I can banish!”
Tonbo patiently eyed the fox.
“We will go into the forest only when we’re ready.”
Sura gave a careless wave. “You guys are just miffed that it’s not ninja or something mortal again!”
Kuno settled his swords in his belt.
“Our first duty is to see to the safety of Lord Sano’s heir.”
The fox leaned on her spear and grumbled.
“That’s another thing – why is there always a kid involved these days? Why can’t we have entirely adult problems for a while?”
Chiri pointedly cleared her throat. “Like the whole Lodge of Doves episode?”
Sura turned decidedly prim. “I thought we had an agreement never to mention that again…”
Rain began to spatter down slowly – cold and persistent. Kuno looked down the road – but light was swiftly failing. Soon it would be pitch black night, with no stars.
“We can do little more tonight.”
A reluctant grunt showed that Tonbo agreed. “We will be no
use to the boy in the dark.”
There had been a few scattered farms out along the road. Signs of life were thin and sparse. Kuno gave a frown.
“What is the best course? Travel cross-country and camp in the field, or take the road, stay at a farm house and risk comment?” Kuno gestured at Tonbo’s pack. “Do we have any rations left?”
Sura brightened, patting at her own bag. “I have rice balls!”
Her friends froze. With one accord, they turned and headed straight towards the road. Sura snatched up her spear and hurried along after them, holding onto her straw hat.
“So does that mean we’re finding a farm house?” A farm was certainly better than sleeping in the wet. “Shall we keep the rice balls for breakfast? The bugs will still be pretty fresh!” The fox called out through the rain.
“Guys?”
Chapter 3
They spent the night in a curious little farm house, camped together in half of the common room. Their hostess, a heavily-wrinkled old woman, never spoke a word. She merely bobbed in weird little bows at any interaction – presenting her guests with a simple meal of pancakes, wordlessly accepting a handful of copper coins in return – and the Spirit Hunters left the next morning none the wiser as to her name.
They set forth before dawn, walking along wet, silent roads in the dark. The fields were still. Black clouds hung in the sky, masking off the stars. There was no sound except their footsteps – no light except the glimmer made by Bifuuko. They moved as swiftly as they dared, finally finding a small path that led off towards the trees.
As grey pre-dawn light slowly silvered the horizon, the outskirts of the ancient, brooding forest finally stood out against the dark. From a hill top, the Spirit Hunters paused and looked out over the view.
The wet treetops of the ancient forest glistened like a vast, still ocean. The depths below were still and black as night. There was no sound of birdsong – no murmuring crickets. The place was weirdly stark and still. Sura stood and pondered the great, black mass of trees for a long moment. Finally she tucked her spear beneath her arm, faced off along the road and marched onward – listening to the rattle of Tonbo’s armour and the whirring of Bifuuko’s little wings.
The land about them slowly warmed with morning light. In small fields autumn crops were growing row by row – daikon radishes, cabbages, leeks and onions. The second season’s wheat stood tall, growing lush from the cool and rain. Farmhouses began to appear in ones and twos. Local farmers were stirring, and cooking fires spread smoke into the air. Here and there, a sleepy oxen lowed.
A village stood beside a deep, clear spring. Neat, well-kept houses were shaded with peach trees. A family of Sano samurai had a fortified mansion on the nearby hill, and fields held a dozen grazing horses. Farmers were beginning to emerge out into the village street, yawning and scratching. Women were feeding their children, or throwing open sliding doors ready to air the houses and sweep them clean. The villagers took immediate note of their visitors as the Spirit Hunters came down the road. Peasants bowed, and children came out to gape in wonder at the floating elementals, the elegant white rat and the fox with her great shimmering orange tail.
Sura pushed back her straw hat and walked over to the nearest peasant – a chubby little man with eyebrows like badgers. She planted her spear and gave a tired but cheerful bow.
“Hey there! Do you guys have a head man, or a local priest or…”
The peasant took off at high speed, bobbing bows back towards the Spirit Hunters once he had run back a dozen paces. The man darted off between two houses and disappeared.
Kuno removed his cap and shook it free of dew drops. He cast a sidewise glance at the fox.
“You can have that effect upon the unwary.”
Sura flicked at the man with her fingers. “Overwhelmed by my smile! Just one of the burdens I have to bear.”
“That, or he was overcome by the scent of rain-washed fox fur…”
“That is a classic scent! Guys love that scent! Tonbo – back me up on this!”
All eyes turned to Tonbo. The big samurai had been examining the houses and the spring. He looked about, saw Kuno and Chiri’s attention, and gave an easy shrug.
“I like it.”
Tonbo went back to keeping watch. Sura meanwhile stuck out her tongue at Kuno, then made her way over beneath a little bower of ume trees.
The odd little peasant with the shaggy eyebrows reappeared, hustling and scuttling. He bowed, pointed two men over towards the waiting Spirit Hunters, and then hastened off towards the waiting fields.
The two men hastened over. The elder man had grey-shot hair and carried an old sword through his belt. The second bustled along, hastily tying on his best robe. Both came forward and warmly bowed. The elder spoke with warm, sincere regard.
“Greetings, priestess. Greetings, shugenja. Greetings, samurai. I am Head Man Hoshina Yorimaro.” The head man was clearly a ji-samurai: rustic but well mannered. He motioned to the other man beside him. “This is my assistant, Tetsuya. Please, please be seated!”
A house beside the ume trees had a dry porch and broad eaves. The Spirit Hunters were ushered over and settled upon grass mats, while a very welcome cup of tea was prepared. An old peasant woman brought the tea, and was profusely thanked by one and all.
Kuno hoisted his cup in formal thanks, and bowed to his hosts.
“Head Man Hoshina - I am Imperial Deputy Asodo Kuno. This is Tsunetomo Tonbo, Nezumi Chiri, and the priestess Kitsune Sura.”
The headman sat back in absolute relief.
“Welcome! Welcome! Yes – you are the Spirit Hunters! We have heard that you have been of great assistance to the Sano clan in the past.” The man slapped his hands against his thighs. “Well then, honoured guests. It seems that finally our tragedies are being taken seriously. High time a group of experts was sent out. Yes! I thank you for your efforts.”
Kitsune Sura nodded over her teacup. “Well – we’ll see what can be done. But we need to know what exactly might be happening in there. So tell me – this curse on the forest. What happens exactly?”
The assistant head man placed a hand against his heart. The little man spoke in a voice full of woe.
“Ah, bold visitors. It is a dark and mysterious evil. Ten years ago, it first took one of our children. That was Little Willow. Such a loss!”
Kuno leaned forward.
“Little Willow?”
“Yes, samurai san. A most beautiful, talented child of eight. She would have been a shugenja, had she lived! A true magician! But alas – she was taken from us.” The little man heaved a sigh, then drew his sitting mat a little closer to the Spirit Hunters.
“Since the end of the traitors’ rebellion, we had avoided the forest depths. But then, after many years, the memories lost their sting. Little Willow ventured alone into the deep forest to seek for herbs. She disappeared. We never even found her remains to bless them.” The head man shook his head sadly. “After that, several others disappeared. Always from the forest. No one ever saw them taken. Travellers on the forest roads lost many children. Finally the roads were closed, and our trade withered away.”
Kuno stroked at his moustache in thought.
“But you have had no trouble for a few years now?”
Hoshina nodded.
“That is because I have made the forest forbidden territory, honoured samurai. None now come closer to the forest than an arrow shot. It is the best way to be safe. What we lose in firewood and forest herbs, we gain in safety for our precious ones.”
Sura leaned forward, clapping her hands together. She wore her most businesslike expression.
“Right. Details! So what’s actually taking the children? Do you know what’s in the woods?”
Hoshina sorrowfully shook his head.
“Ah – it is a great and terrible evil, Reibai san. A terrible, terrible evil.”
Sura tried to be patient.
“So you’re saying you know there’s an evil in there. I
t’s definitely a terrible evil – but you just don’t know exactly what sort of evil?”
“Correct, Reibai san! It is a truly terrible evil. None of us even speak of it.”
The fox irritably thrashed her tail. “Well have any of you even glimpsed it? Seen it? Heard it at night? Does it seem to concentrate in one area more than another…?”
The head man and his assistant exchanged a blank look. They both seemed quite bewildered. The assistant could only shrug and blink.
“We don’t go near the forest, Reibai san! Therefore, we do not know. The only ones with actual knowledge are in the belly of the monster.”
Sura felt a headache coming on. “Alright – thank you, Elder san. You’ve been very helpful.”
Hoshina and his assistant bowed and departed. Sura sat for a moment and wearily rubbed at her temples.
“Ten years? They wait ten years?” The fox gave a great sigh of frustration. “I try to tell people – regular check-ups with your exorcist. But do they ever listen…?”
There was just no way to account for human stupidity.
The group rose and walked back into the street. Tonbo and Kuno frowned, pondering the forest grimly.
With a timid cough, Chiri ventured an opinion.
“I am not sure our information is definite enough. Is there somewhere else we should try?”
“Hmph.” Tonbo cocked an eye at Sura. “Thoughts?”
The fox heaved a sigh.
“All I was asking for was one decent evil spirit. Just something I could banish…” She flicked her tail from side to side as she looked over at the forest. “But now I’m wondering if we might have a mortal kidnapper.”
Kuno folded his arms, still frowning at the forest. “Quite possible. But whether it is mortal or monster – why is it stripping its victims of all their clothes?”