The Jade Lioness

by Christina Courtenay

  ‘I’ll take you to your family, but I’m afraid you will have to accompany me on my mission first. I have lost a lot of time now and I really can’t afford to return to Nagasaki until I have accomplished what I set out to do.’

  ‘Can you tell me about your mission or is it secret?’

  ‘I will tell you later, when we have stopped for the night. It’s a long story. For now we have to concentrate on putting as much distance between ourselves and Tanaka as possible. He’s a wily old fox and won’t miss the fact that we disappeared together. No doubt that will infuriate him even further as it means I have stolen one of his possessions. He’ll never rest until he recovers his property.’

  Being referred to as Tanaka’s ‘property’ made Temperance shudder and she increased her speed.

  She wouldn’t be going back if she could help it.

  They reached the foothills of the mountains and began to climb, slowly but surely making their way upwards until they could look out over the valley and lake below. Towards the evening the drowsy mist returned, hiding most of the view from sight, but higher up it was mercifully dry and the evening was balmy.

  ‘We will sleep on the ground,’ Kazuo said. ‘If you can manage it, I think we should take turns to keep watch, at least for tonight.’ He knew they were far from safe yet and if he’d been travelling on his own, he would have kept going. For Temi’s sake they had to rest though. She’d been amazingly uncomplaining but he was sure she must be exhausted by now.

  ‘Yes, of course. Shall I stay awake first?’ she offered. Kazuo hid a smile. He doubted she’d be able to keep her eyes open for more than a few moments, but she was stubborn enough not to want to acknowledge it.

  ‘No, you go to sleep, I’ll wake you later,’ he said. ‘First we must eat something to keep our strength up. I’m afraid I only have dry food, but perhaps tomorrow we can catch some fish in one of the streams and risk a fire.’

  ‘Dry food is fine. I’m so hungry I’ll eat anything.’

  Indeed, she didn’t seem to pay any attention to what it was she was putting in her mouth and finished quickly.

  ‘Mm, it’s wonderful to have a full stomach and to be allowed to rest,’ she commented with a contented smile. It made Kazuo glad that he’d been able to provide her with something, even if it wasn’t much.

  ‘Here, put your head on my lap and go to sleep,’ he told her. He was seated cross-legged on the ground next to her and began to arrange some spare clothing on his lap to act as a pillow for her. She didn’t need a second bidding but put her head down and went to sleep in no time. Kazuo watched her incredibly long, dark eyelashes settle on her cheeks like a tiny bird’s wings and marvelled at her white skin. The ladies at Imada’s establishment had covered her with rice powder, but in truth she had no need of it – her skin was perfect in its natural state.

  Without thinking he reached out to stroke it. Tenderness towards this woman swept through him. She was courageous, resilient and strong, but also so very vulnerable. It was up to him to keep her safe now. He’d do his very best, even though it might mean jeopardising his mission.

  ‘Please hurry, son,’ had been his father’s final words to him.

  The old man had been ill, a terrible cough rattling through his lungs at short intervals, and Kazuo wasn’t even sure if his father would survive long enough to enjoy the triumph should his son be successful in restoring their honour. There was no time to lose and certainly none that could be spared in order to return Temi to Dejima first.

  Somehow he had to combine the two tasks, may all the gods and kami help him.

  They took turns to keep guard during the night, waking each other as soon as they grew too sleepy to stay properly alert. By the time morning arrived, Temperance felt anything but well rested, but at least she’d had some sleep and it would have to be enough. Kazuo let her have the last rest before morning and as she came to, she realised that her head wasn’t in his lap any longer. He was gone.

  Instant panic flooded her and her eyes opened wide as she sat up abruptly and began to look for him. Before she’d had a chance to scan the area around her, however, her eyes caught a movement on her left hand side. She swivelled round, letting out a horrified gasp as she came face to face with a snake. Various shades of brown and white, with distinctive markings along its back and head, it looked a bit like a viper she had once seen and was almost as long as her arm. It hissed, the tiny tongue slithering in and out of its mouth, and Temperance froze with fear.

  ‘Don’t move or the hebi will be frightened.’

  She heard the whispered command from behind her and relief flooded her at the thought that Kazuo had returned. At the same time she wanted to break into hysterical laughter. The snake will be frightened? I’m the one who’s terrified here! She wanted to scream, but clenched her teeth to stop herself from crying out. Hearing Kazuo’s voice had reassured her somewhat, but she couldn’t take her gaze off the snake, who appeared to be preparing to launch into attack if she so much as breathed.

  Dear God, help me, she prayed silently, the words reverberating round the inside of her skull. After everything that had happened, she didn’t want to die this way.

  Without warning Kazuo suddenly hurled a large stone at the snake, striking it with unerring accuracy, before pulling Temperance to one side. Shaking with fright, she stood up and watched as he threw another stone to make sure the creature was really dead.

  ‘It was a mamushi,’ Kazuo said matter-of-factly. ‘They are poisonous.’

  ‘How comforting,’ she murmured sarcastically through chattering teeth.

  ‘What?’ He frowned at her, as if realising for the first time how scared she’d been. He came over and put his arms round her. ‘You’ve never seen a snake before?’

  ‘Yes, but not that close up.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I wouldn’t have let it harm you.’

  ‘Well, you weren’t here when I woke up, so how could you have prevented it if you hadn’t returned in time?’ She couldn’t help the slight note of accusation that crept into her voice. It frightened her that she was so dependent on him. If he left she would be lost.

  ‘I was only answering a call of nature.’ He stroked her hair which had escaped from the confines of the scarf and was tumbling down her back. ‘I would never leave you for long, surely you know that?’ He looked at her with a solemn expression and Temperance felt vaguely guilty for doubting him.

  ‘I … I don’t really know you, do I? How can I be sure you’re not just using me for your own ends?’

  He stroked her cheek with two fingers. ‘I suppose you don’t, but if I give you my word that I will protect you to the best of my ability, will you believe me?’

  ‘Your word as an honourable outlaw?’ She smiled at the feeble joke, but her eyes were riveted to his and she knew that deep down she did trust him, outlaw or not.

  He smiled back. ‘Yes, of course.’

  ‘Very well, I believe you.’

  ‘Good. Then let us eat something and be on our way. We have far to go today and then, hopefully, tonight we’ll be at a safe distance from Tanaka and his henchmen.’

  They travelled for several days, heading in a northerly direction through the prefecture of Gifu, a rugged, mountainous area full of lush, dense forests and gushing rivers.

  ‘I’m familiar with this region as I spent time with relatives here some years ago,’ Kazuo told Temperance, and it seemed to her he led the way without hesitation.

  Occasionally they walked through valleys, dotted with small villages and with fields covering almost every square inch. Temperance kept her head down and her face hidden, following in Kazuo’s footsteps without paying too much attention to her surroundings. On the third day they entered an even more densely forested region, with high mountains rising on all sides. Here Temperance felt able to look around her at last and she found it achingly beautiful.

  Following hidden tracks through the vegetation that only Kazuo seemed able to see, they came across n
umerous rivers and streams that rushed by at great speed. To her relief, he proved adept at catching fish for their meals. He had ventured into one of the villages they passed, while Temperance waited anxiously nearby, and bought some rice and a vessel to boil it in, and they now dared to light a fire in the evening to cook their food.

  Kazuo also said he no longer thought it necessary to keep watch all night. Instead they slept back to back under a particularly bushy tree with branches that almost touched the ground, and although Temperance revelled in the feeling of security this gave her, she had to admit to a slight disappointment that he didn’t so much as attempt to hold her again. It was disconcerting to think that the one man whose touch she might actually welcome, didn’t want her. Life was strange.

  ‘Why are we going up into the mountains?’ she asked him the following day.

  ‘I have remembered a distant cousin living there who might give us shelter for a while. If we stay with him for a few days, Tanaka might become tired of looking for us and call off the search, then it will be safer for us to continue to Edo.’

  ‘We’re going to Edo? Isn’t that dangerous? What if someone were to see me?’

  ‘I know it’s a huge risk, but it’s one we must take and I think we can carry it off. Your disguise is very good and as long as we don’t draw attention to ourselves and you keep your eyes downcast and don’t look at anyone, we will blend in with the crowds and all should be well. I’m sorry, but we have to go to Edo. There is someone I must see there.’

  Temperance thought her disguise far from ideal, but she didn’t say anything more even though the thought of going to Edo, the largest city in Japan, was terrifying. Like all such places it would no doubt be teeming with people – samurai and their servants and guards, shopkeepers, artisans and common people going about their business – none of whom would hesitate to denounce a gai-jin the moment they spotted her. She shuddered and thought longingly of Dejima and her fellow countrymen. Would she ever see them again or was Kazuo leading her to certain death?

  No, she had to believe that Kazuo knew best, and if Edo was where he needed to go, she had no choice but to go with him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  On the afternoon of the fifth day they reached a tiny village clustered around a small valley and surrounded by mountains. The houses clung to the hillsides as if hanging on for dear life, and terraced paddy fields of varying sizes were doing the same all around the buildings. There was an air of tired shabbiness, as if the owners didn’t have the time or the wherewithal for regular upkeep, but the houses looked sturdy enough. A bed under any kind of dry roof would be most welcome after sleeping on the hard ground for so many nights, Temperance thought.

  ‘This is where my cousin Hanano-san lives,’ Kazuo whispered as they made their way towards the largest of the houses. ‘He is the headman of the village. Please walk behind me with your head down until we know whether he will receive us or not. Men’s allegiances change. I need to make sure before I trust him with our lives.’

  They need not have worried. When apprised of their arrival, Hanano gave them a very courteous welcome, and even when he had been told that they were on the run from Tanaka, he only smiled benignly.

  ‘That man needs to be taught a lesson,’ he said. ‘Even this far from his domain we hear stories of his ruthlessness and greed.’ He fixed Kazuo with a shrewd gaze. ‘Wasn’t he one of the men who signed the warrant for your father’s arrest?’

  ‘Indeed, and I had hoped to find some evidence during my stay with him to prove that my father was wrongly accused.’

  ‘Such as?’

  ‘I don’t know. Letters, documents or even a loose-mouthed servant, but I’m afraid I wasn’t there long enough and never had an opportunity to search properly.’

  Temperance had by now been told the story of Kazuo’s father’s arrest and banishment, so she knew what the men were talking about. She felt guilty for diverting Kazuo from his true mission, and wished that she could help him clear his father’s name, but she didn’t see how it could be done. If only she could get back to Dejima on her own she would eliminate at least one problem for him, but it was impossible.

  A solution suddenly occurred to her, but as Kazuo had asked her to keep her head down, she didn’t dare interrupt the men now, so she kept her thoughts to herself. She wondered if perhaps later she could speak to Hanano and ask him if there was anyone from his village who could take her back to Nagasaki. That way Kazuo would be free and there wouldn’t be a need for her to face the unknown terrors of Edo.

  As a mere woman, however, and a stranger at that, she had no idea how to approach Hanano on her own, and in the end it seemed easier to simply ask Kazuo instead. When she was walking with him towards the tiny guest house where they were to sleep, she tentatively broached the subject.

  He looked at her with a frown. ‘I doubt Hanano-san can spare anyone. Why do you ask?’

  ‘I feel that I’m hindering your plans. You have already risked so much for my sake, I’d like to let you go on your way now. You have more important things to do than play nursemaid to me.’

  Kazuo stopped and looked her in the eye. ‘I don’t regret helping you for a moment,’ he said. ‘My mission could wait a few days, your life couldn’t. Fate brought us together and I couldn’t ignore what the gods had decreed. I’m sure there is some meaning with this and we will find out in due course. Until then, we stay together.’

  ‘If you’re sure …?’

  ‘I’m sure. Now, let us go to the onsen before supper. It is the most wonderful thing in the world and we can’t appear before our host without being clean.’

  ‘There is a hot spring here?’

  ‘Indeed, bubbling up straight from the ground. Change into a robe and I’ll show you.’

  The little guest house had two small sleeping chambers and Hanano’s wife was waiting there to see to their needs. She handed Temperance a loose cotton robe and asked her politely to change out of her dirty and travel-stained clothing.

  ‘If you give them to me, I will see that they are washed.’

  ‘You are very kind, thank you.’ It would be heaven to be clean again. She felt as if her travel clothes had been welded to her skin for days and it wasn’t a nice sensation. Temperance smiled at the woman and handed over the garments, forgetting to keep her eyes lowered. She heard the lady gasp, but before she had time to explain, the woman had fled. ‘Damn,’ Temperance muttered.

  ‘Are you ready?’ Kazuo popped his head round the door frame and held out his hand peremptorily. ‘Hayaku, hurry. Let’s go.’

  She followed him outside and onto a steep path that led to a grove of trees further up the valley. Soon a small rock pool came into view, surrounded by trees on three sides and with a frothy waterfall pouring down a steady torrent of water nearby, fed by a stream further up the mountain. At the edge of the pool stood a dilapidated wooden building whose roof stretched partway over the water as if to protect it from the elements. In addition there were huge rocks and boulders strewn about the edges of the hot spring.

  Hanano’s wife had given Temperance a little towel to wash herself with before sliding into the onsen. ‘Where do we wash, inside the house?’ she asked, but Kazuo shook his head and pulled her over towards the waterfall.

  ‘It’s a bit cold, but it’s bearable for a quick scrub,’ he told her. ‘Anyway, you’ll soon be warm once you enter the bath.’ He pulled off his robe and went to stand under the waterfall, rubbing vigorously at his body. Temperance turned away. She wondered how long it would take before she became used to the sight of his nakedness. He seemed to think it natural to shed his clothing in front of her, but although this was now the third time she had seen him thus, she couldn’t accustom herself to such uninhibited behaviour. She could still hear her father’s strictures on morals ringing in her ears and felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

  ‘Come on, your turn,’ Kazuo called. ‘It’s not that cold, really.’

  Temperance took a
deep breath and untied the belt of her robe. She waited a moment until Kazuo had his head under water and his eyes closed, then she let the robe fall off her shoulders and made a dash for the waterfall. She gasped at the chill of it, but at least standing under its heavy spray she was partially covered from view. With her back to Kazuo she began to scrub every inch of herself clean with the little towel.

  ‘Would you like some assistance with your back?’ The noise from the waterfall was almost deafening at such close quarters and Kazuo had to shout.

  ‘What? No, thank you. I can manage.’ Temperance closed her eyes under the stream of water and let it cool her cheeks, trying to ignore Kazuo’s nearness.

  ‘Well, I can’t. Could you do mine please?’

  She opened her eyes and half turned around to find him standing very close, holding out his towel towards her.

  ‘Oh, very well.’ Temperance felt it would be churlish not to help him. After all, not everyone was flexible enough to be able to reach round their own back. He presented the broad expanse of it to her and slowly she rubbed at it with the towel. She soon discovered that she enjoyed this task. He had the most incredible skin, tanned by the sun and as smooth as polished marble, and she watched the play of hard muscles underneath taut skin in fascination. In fact, she became quite lost in contemplation of this until he turned round with a grin, asking whether she had finished.

  ‘Uhm, yes, yes I think so,’ she stuttered, turning away in confusion.

  ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to do yours? It will be faster and then we can get out of this cold water. Here, let me.’ He snatched the towel out of her hand and she found herself unable to resist as he spun her round and pushed the heavy mass of her hair to one side before gently massaging her back with the cloth. She almost squirmed with pleasure, but caught herself at the last moment.

  ‘There, that should do. Now come, this is the best part.’