Shadow of the Fox

by Julie Kagawa

  Tatsumi, I noticed, did not lie down on the futon but chose to sit in the corner, facing the door, with his sword propped on one leg. And when I awoke early the next morning, he was still there.

  12

  The Demon Bear of Suimin Mori

  The next morning, the fabricated magic of Chochin Machi had faded with the night.

  Yumeko and I left at dawn, departing the ryokan before the sun rose over the distant hills. In the gray pre-morning light, the streets were nearly deserted, the floating red lanterns dark and lifeless. The shops, too, were closed and dark; I had slipped out of the inn the night before to buy supplies for the journey, refilling my rice pouch and purchasing enough nonperishable food to last several days. My supply of coin was dwindling, however, especially with the unexpected stop at the inn. If I’d been alone, I wouldn’t have bothered with the ryokan. Yumeko was proving to be an unexpected drain on both my time and my supplies.

  Then kill her.

  Instinctively, I cut off my emotions and shut my mind to the sword, giving it nothing to latch on to. The bloodlust faded and the faint hostility toward Yumeko disappeared, leaving me frozen inside.

  Yumeko yawned, covering her mouth as she trailed beside me, barely favoring her leg. The healing salve, a secret mix of numbing agents created by the best poison-makers in Iwagoto, was doing its work. “The town certainly looks different now,” she remarked, gazing around the empty street. “I guess it only comes to life after dark. Shame we have to leave so soon—I would’ve liked to see more of it. Without being harassed by marauding sickle weasels, of course.” She glanced at me with a smile. “What do sickle weasels like, Tatsumi-san?”

  “What?”

  “Well, if we run into any more sickle weasels, I was thinking we could give them something to make them not attack us.” She cocked her head at me. “You know a lot about demons and yokai. What do they like? Do they like fried tofu? I’m very fond of fried tofu.”

  “I don’t know what they like.”

  She sighed. “Maybe I’ll try tossing them a rice ball.”

  No one has ever showed you any kindness before, have they?

  I shook myself as her words from last night echoed in my head, haunting me. Kindness? Kindness was a vulnerability, a luxury given those who did not hunt demons. To be kind, you had to drop your guard, something I could not afford, especially with Hakaimono poised to take advantage of the smallest distraction. My various sensei—the men and women who trained me—knew that. I was a weapon to the clan, nothing more. Kindness had no place in my life.

  As we left Chochin Machi and continued our journey toward the capital, I spotted a single crow perched on a lantern string over the street. I wondered if my mysterious observer and the attack on Yumeko were related, and if they were, I wondered when and where the person behind them would try again.

  I’d be ready if they did.

  By the time the sun had fully risen, we had left Chochin Machi far behind and were following the Hotaru River as it wound north toward the capital. After several miles, the flat fields and grassy farmland became hillier, and the path diverged from the riverbanks, heading into the mountains.

  As we approached the forest, Yumeko suddenly stopped, her attention drawn to an old wooden signpost staked into the ground.

  “Entering Kiba-sama’s forest,” she read slowly, as the sign was cracked and faded, the words nearly worn away. “Tread softly. Beware of Kiba-sama.” Blinking, she looked at me. “Oh, he sounds very dangerous. Who is Kiba-sama? Do you know, Tatsumi?”

  I did. My training required me to know the stories and legends of all demons, yokai and spirits that existed throughout the land. “Kiba-sama,” I explained, “is the name the locals gave to an onikuma, a great demon bear that makes his home in this forest. The stories say Kiba-sama stands taller than two men, and that he is so large, he can pick up horses with one paw and carry them back to his lair to devour.”

  Her eyes widened, and she glanced at the edge of the trees. “How exciting. But he doesn’t seem very pleasant. What if we run into him?”

  “It’s unlikely that we will. No one has seen Kiba-sama in a long time, close to twenty years. But we should walk softly.” I gazed at the sign again. “The tales claim that, deep in these woods, there is a cave where animals never venture and birds never sing in the surrounding trees. Kiba-sama sleeps there still, and has been slumbering for the past two decades. So when you walk through his forest, tread softly, lest you wake the great demon bear of Suimin Mori, who will be ravenous after twenty years of hibernation.”

  “Ah.” Yumeko looked at the forest again and nodded. “Tread softly. I can do that. The leaves won’t even know they’re being stepped on.”

  The trees closed around us as we entered the woods, large pines and redwoods whose branches shut out the sky, making the forest floor dim and cool. We followed the trail over moss-covered rocks and fallen trees, between the trunks of ancient giants, and through patches of forest where the sunlight never touched the ground. The woods were unnaturally still; as the legend promised, no birds sang in the trees, no insects droned, no deer or small animals moved through the undergrowth. An ominous taint hung in the air, a subtle aura of fear that was enough to silence the whole forest.

  We came to a ravine, a gap in the earth that dropped sharply away to a nearly dry riverbed, far below. A bridge made of rope and wooden planks spanned the gulf, swaying gently in the open air. A tiny roadside shrine to Doroshin, the Kami of roads and travel, sat next to one of the bridge posts, the base littered with offerings of coin and withered flowers. As Yumeko walked to the edge of the cliff and peered down, I placed a copper kaeru at the base of the shrine, then closed my eyes and put my hands together, offering a quick prayer to Doroshin for safe travels. I wasn’t certain that the gods would hear the prayer of a lowly assassin, especially one whose hands were stained with blood and filth, but it was always better to be cautious. Better that the Kami ignored you than risk their wrath and bad fortune.

  Opening my eyes, I was surprised to see Yumeko standing beside me, hands pressed together and eyes closed. Lowering her arms, she stepped back and turned to me with a smile.

  “I used to pray to Doroshin every night,” she explained, with a quick glance at the shrine. “I always dreamed of traveling, of leaving the temple and seeing what’s out there, even though it was frightening. I would ask Doroshin to show me a way.” She sighed, her gaze traveling to the bridge and what lay beyond.

  Her eyes darkened, a shadow falling over her face, but she blinked and shook herself, and returned to normal. “This is not how I wanted it to happen,” she murmured, “but I’m here, on the open road, like I asked. I figured I would at least thank him, just in case.” Looking at me again, she tilted her head, regarding me curiously. “I didn’t think you would be the type to pray, Tatsumi-san.”

  “The Kami see everyone,” I replied simply. “I’m not exempt from their notice, and I carry a sword named Godslayer. Whenever possible, I try not to offend them.”

  We started across the bridge. The weathered planks creaked under our weight, rocking back and forth as we walked over empty space. Below us, a steady wind howled through the ravine, making the bridge sway in the breeze, but the ropes were thick and strong, and in no danger of snapping.

  However, when we were halfway across the chasm, a sudden gust of wind caused the planks to buck wildly. I dropped my weight, bending my knees to keep my balance, as Yumeko yelped and grabbed the railings tightly. As the wind died down and the bridge stopped moving, high-pitched laughter echoed over the ravine, and I jerked my gaze to the cliff.

  A woman stood on the other side of the bridge, blocking our path. She was tall and slender, with long black hair, and she wore wooden geta clogs and a blue-and-white kimono that did little to hide her body. Ice-blue eyes glittered coldly as she watched us from the edge of the ravine.

  I san
k into a crouch, my hand dropping to the hilt of my sword, as Kamigoroshi flared with excitement. The woman smiled.

  “The fearsome Kage demonslayer,” she called, still smiling. “Bearer of the infamous Kamigoroshi. Your reputations precede you both. Allow me to introduce myself.” She gave a shallow, mocking bow. “My name is Mistress Kazekira, wind witch of the Howling Mountains, and I have been waiting for you.”

  A wind witch. So, the kamaitachi were probably her familiars. That meant the attack on Yumeko wasn’t a random occurrence, but a threat or a warning aimed at me.

  I took a step toward the witch, tightening my fingers around the hilt of my blade. “If you know who I am, you know what will happen if you fight me here,” I warned. “Leave this place, before I cut a path right through you.”

  The witch laughed. “Well, that’s not very polite, Kage-san,” she said, her voice echoing over the chasm. “Threatening a person you just met, and a woman at that. How unforgivably rude. Didn’t your people teach you any manners?”

  Wind began swirling around the witch, causing her sleeves to flap and her hair to stream behind her. Yumeko gasped, grabbing the ropes for balance, as the bridge swayed dangerously from side to side. I kept my feet, adjusting my weight to balance on the rocking planks, as the bridge shuddered and bounced like a ship at sea.

  The wind witch rose into the air, robes flapping wildly in the gale, and grinned down at us. “No, I would be a fool to pick a fight with the Kage demonslayer. I can’t stand the sight of blood. But I’m afraid I can’t let you go any farther.” Raising an arm, she snapped her fingers, and the wind around her surged even faster. “Kamaitachi, heed my words! Cut the ropes, and let us see if they can fly.”

  “Yumeko,” I snapped, turning to the girl, “run! Get off the bridge.”

  With a shriek of wind, the ropes holding up our side of the bridge snapped. The wooden planks bucked in the gale, making Yumeko scream, before we plummeted downward.

  I had just enough time to spin around and lunge for the girl, grabbing her around the waist as the bridge started to fall. I snatched one of the ropes with the other hand and tightened my grip as we swung back toward the cliff with the rest of the bridge. Yumeko gasped, clinging to my jacket, as I looked up to see the gully wall coming right at us.

  “Hang on,” I growled, and twisted my body around so the girl would be protected. We struck the ravine wall, thankfully in a patch of bushes instead of rocks, the bridge bouncing and clattering beside us. The jolt drove the air from my lungs and nearly ripped my arm from the socket, and I fought to keep my grip on both the girl and the rope.

  Clenching my jaw, I looked up toward the edge of the ravine, about thirty feet overhead, and shifted my weight so I could plant a foot between the bridge planks. The tension on my arm eased, and I glanced down at the girl.

  “Yumeko,” I gritted out, and she looked at me with huge black eyes. One hand clung to my haori, the other clutched the furoshiki across her chest. “We’re going to have to climb to the top. Can you grab the rope?”

  She nodded, a determined look crossing her face. Reaching over my head, she grabbed the line, but before she could start pulling herself up, a high-pitched chuckle rang overhead and a gust of wind shook the planks.

  The wind witch floated to the edge of the ravine, peering down at us. “Well, isn’t this a terrible predicament,” she mocked. “Kage-san, if you let go of the girl, you could probably get yourself out of this little dilemma. Of course, she’d fall straight to her death, but that wouldn’t bother you, would it? Not the infamous demonslayer.” She chuckled again, as a large brown weasel materialized on her shoulder, watching us with beady red eyes. “In fact, I’ll make you a deal, Kage-san. Give me the scroll, and I’ll take my kamaitachi and leave.”

  Pressed against me, Yumeko went rigid, and my own heartbeat picked up, making me frown. The witch was after the scroll. Perhaps she was the one who had sent the demons to the temple. “I don’t have it,” I told her.

  “Oh, well, you’re no fun at all, Kage-san,” the wind witch said, crossing her arms. “How disappointing. I suppose we’ll have to do this the hard way, then. Say hello to Kiba-sama for me.”

  The last of the ropes parted. Yumeko gave a yelp and buried her face in my jacket as the bridge plummeted down the gully wall, taking us with it. I rolled, tucking my chin and hunching my shoulders, trying to absorb most of the impact with my body. For a few seconds, the world spun dizzyingly around me, then it finally stopped.

  I pushed myself upright and looked around. We had come to a halt at the bottom of the ravine, the shattered remains of the bridge curled around us in the brush. I ached, both from slamming into the cliff and from the slide down the gully wall, but nothing was broken, and the bruises would heal. The girl, lying beside me with her eyes closed, was far more troubling. If she was dead, I would have to find the way to the Steel Feather temple on my own.

  “Yumeko.” I pushed dark strands of hair from her face and saw a thin line of blood running down her temple. A cold knot twisted my stomach, and I shook her arm. “Hey. Get up.”

  She groaned and cracked open an eye. “Are we dead?”

  An odd sense of relief filled me, dissolving the chill in my gut. “No,” I muttered, struggling to my feet. “But the wind witch is close. We need to...”

  I trailed off, suddenly realizing what lay on the other side of the gorge.

  “Tatsumi?” Yumeko climbed to her feet behind me. “Do you see her? Where—”

  I reached back and gripped her arm while pressing a finger to my lips. She fell silent, staring at me and then following my gaze until she saw what I was looking at.

  On the other side of the riverbed, about forty yards away, the gaping mouth of a cave opened up into darkness. Bones were scattered about the entrance, white and gleaming, and a strange dark miasma coiled and writhed from the entrance.

  Yumeko gasped, then clapped a hand over her mouth, as if remembering. Tread softly. Beware of Kiba-sama.

  A ringing laugh and a blast of wind announced the arrival of the wind witch. She hovered overhead, hair and clothes whipping around her, “Oh, no no no, Kage-san,” she called in a shrill voice. “Where do you think you’re going? I didn’t come all this way to watch you sneak off like a frightened rodent.” She gazed at the cave, smiled and took a deep breath. “Oh, Kiiiiiiiiiiiiba-sama!” she bellowed, making me wince. Her voice echoed through the gully, bouncing off the walls, and the miasma in front of the cave started to churn. “You’ve been asleep far too long! Wake up, wake up! I’ve brought some friends for you to play with!”

  A deep, rumbling growl echoed from the cave, making Yumeko wince. “That’s right, Kiba-sama!” called the witch. “Come on out! You must be famished after such a long sleep! Look who I’ve brought to visit!”

  There was a coughing roar, and heavy footsteps made the ground tremble. I turned in resignation, even as Hakaimono gave a snarl of excited glee, and a gigantic furry shape filled the mouth of the cave and let out a bellow that shook the ravine walls.

  “Kiba-sama,” Yumeko breathed, as the monstrous creature turned to eye us with ravenous hunger. The demon bear of Suimin Mori was twice as large as its ordinary brethren, with massive shoulders and clawed forepaws that crushed stone beneath them. Arrows and spear hafts jutted from its hide, snapped and broken, and its eyes blazed with red fire as it reared onto its hind legs, towering over us.

  “Yumeko,” I said, not taking my eyes from my huge opponent. “Stay back. Find a place to hide and don’t move until its safe.”

  “You’re not going to fight that giant thing, are you?”

  “I’ll be fine.” I dropped my hand to the hilt of my sword, feeling excitement and bloodlust pulse through me. “This is what I do.”

  I drew Kamigoroshi and felt the demon’s power surge up, howling as the sword was bared to the light. As Yumeko scrambled back, Kiba-sama charged w
ith a roar, covering the space between us in two giant strides. It lunged, and I dove out of the way, feeling the massive forepaw smash into the stones and crush the earth beneath it. Kiba-sama whirled, surprisingly quick for its bulk, and swatted at me again. I dodged the lethal claws and lashed out with my sword. The blade cut deep into the monster’s shaggy hide, but barely left a scratch as I leaped away. Hakaimono snarled in frustration.

  Dammit, its fur is too thick. I’ll have to get closer to land a killing blow.

  With a bellow, Kiba-sama reared onto his hind legs, towering over me. I dove aside as the monster came crashing down, trying to crush me under a few tons of muscle, bone and flesh. Rolling to my feet, I palmed the single kunai I was able to keep on my person and hurled it at the demon bear. The throwing knife flew straight at Kiba-sama’s forehead but bounced off its thick skull, doing little but annoying it.

  The bear charged again with a roar, and I tensed to spring away. But as it drew close, a blast of wind howled through the ravine, and something hit me from behind, slashing a line of fire across my back. I staggered and barely dodged aside as Kiba-sama plowed into the gully wall, crushing stone and vegetation and leaving a massive hole.

  The wind witch’s laughter rang out overhead. “That was almost it for you, Kage-san,” she mocked, as I spared her a split-second glance. Several yards away, Kiba-sama backed slowly out of the wall, shaking his head and shedding rocks and dust. The wind witch laughed again. “Ignore my kamaitachi, and they’ll slice you to pieces. Ignore Kiba-sama, and he’ll devour you in a heartbeat. I wonder how you’re going to—ite!”

  A fist-sized rock flew through the air and struck the side of her head. Clapping a hand to her temple, the wind witch glared at the other side of the ravine, where Yumeko stood with a stone in one slender hand.