"So did you," Imari said. "You're right. I know you didn't need my help. Still I…wanted to give it. Especially after Gin hurt you. Do you think she was telling the truth about the village?"
Kaede shrugged. "She could have been lying, but I'd put coin on the truth. That was my gut feeling. Why else would a bunch of bandits with no armor and old weapons attack four trained samurai, even with a forest to hide in? It's basically suicide."
"My thoughts exactly." Imari looked up toward the sky, while Kaede found herself looking at Imari’s face. Her skin looked especially pale in the dark and she seemed tired. "I've never been this far from home before," she whispered, her eyes carrying some of the stars. "Is it always a little sad?"
"A little sad," Kaede whispered. "A little happy, too. A lot exciting. You'll get used to it."
"You think?"
Kaede smiled. "I know. You beat up a bunch of bandits on your first day out. You'll be fine."
"The moon is bigger and brighter without the city lights." Imari's voice trailed off, and Kaede felt a shiver where their arms were still pressed together.
"Here," she said, reaching for the blanket on top of her pack. "It's cold. We can share." She tucked it around both their shoulders, and the two of them drifted into silence again.
"I see Lady Tsukine's face," Imari said after a while, gesturing up with her shorter arm. "See? I can make it out better here."
Kaede sighed softly. "I loved hearing about her as a child. It was one of my favorite stories, although I couldn't decide whether I wanted to be the moon goddess or the mortal man she fell in love with. It took me a few years to figure out I wanted to be both."
"Be a moon goddess and fall in love with a moon goddess?" Imari said, giving her shoulder a friendly nudge beneath the wrapping of the blanket. "You might need to set your sights a little closer to earth, Kaede."
“Hey. I’ve already changed from a boy into a woman. Who’s to say I can’t win the heart of a goddess?” At first, Imari said nothing, and Kaede’s cheeks grew warm despite the cold. She realized what she had accidentally implied, and her tongue became thick with embarrassment. “I mean—”
Before she could save herself, Imari laughed. “It’s okay, Kaede. If a beautiful goddess tried to seduce me, I’d probably be moonstruck too.”
“I didn’t say anything about seducing,” Kaede said, a little offended. “I was talking about love. Storybook love, like the Moon taking a mortal husband. She was willing to sacrifice everything for him.”
“Ah, so you’re a romantic at heart.” Imari flashed her a grin, and Kaede bent down, covering some of her face with the blanket.
“So?”
“So, it’s refreshing. Don’t change.”
The two of them drifted off into another silence, but it was a comfortable one. They sat together beneath the blanket until Kenta called them both back over to the fire, urging them to get something to eat. “Hey, Imari! Kaede! Come get some grub. I think I managed to make it pretty appetizing.”
“Let’s hope he did,” Kaede said. “Otherwise, we’re in for a really long trip.” She began to rise from her seat on the rock, and to her surprise, Imari rose with her, keeping the blanket around both their shoulders and letting their arms remain touching.
“I’d give it a fifty-fifty shot. Kenta doesn’t have to cook for himself often, but when he does, it’s always an adventure.”
***
Clouds had devoured the stars, leaving the night dark and cold. The moon cast a faint, swirling beam of silver light down from the sky, but it was barely enough to illuminate the path ahead through the thick forest canopy. Still, Hayate rode down it on the horse he had purchased in Mirai, trusting the black shadow beside him to guide the way. Kaze's eyes were far better than his, and his nose keener still.
"Hayate?"
He turned toward the sound of the wolf's voice, hand already hovering near the hilt of his blade. "Did you find the trail, Kaze?"
"Yes." Kaze’s sleek black form came to stand beside him. The horse edged away, ears flicking nervously. "Rin has tried to cover their trail, but she couldn't conceal this."
Hayate's brow rose in surprise. "Conceal what?"
"A skirmish." Kaze lowered his great head, snuffling at the dirt of the path. "People fought here. Several. Blood was spilled."
Hayate followed Kaze’s gaze, but he could see nothing. "No bodies?"
"None. The injured escaped."
Hayate breathed a sigh of relief. That meant Kaede was alive. He didn't want to consider his mother’s disappointment if he didn't bring her back as he'd promised. "And can you tell which way Kaede and her party went?"
Kaze's ears flattened. He circled as if trying to pick up a scent, tail swishing low between his hind legs. "I don't know. Wait, yes." He lifted his head again, nose to the wind. "This way. But Hayate…"
Hayate frowned. He knew what was coming before his companion spoke and snorted in annoyance. "Let me guess. You're going to suggest we turn back again."
"This journey is changing you, Hayate," Kaze said imploringly. "Kaede means no harm to you or Setsuna. She may be injured. Are you sure you still wish to drag her back home as a prisoner? Enough people have already died—"
"And without Kaede, more will die," Hayate insisted. "I am not unaware. If mother says she needs her, then I'll bring her, by any means necessary."
Kaze let out a sigh and continued on into the darkness. Hayate rode close behind as another blue cloud passed over the moon.
***
"I spy, with my little eye—"
"Please, Kenta," Takeshi groaned from atop his horse. He gripped the reins in one hand, running the other over his forehead and through his hair in exasperation. "No more of that game. It's too hot."
Kaede couldn't argue. They had been on the road for a week, but aside from a day-long detour into the forest where Gin's bandits had ambushed them, they still hadn’t made it out of the hills. She was starting to come around to Takeshi's point of view. The mornings and evenings were lovely, but after a while, the wavy scrubland did blend into monotony, especially in the afternoons.
The villages they passed were small, not the kind of places that regularly hosted visitors. Most nights, they slept out under the stars—or, more accurately, her companions did. Kaede spent as much of the night as she could manage awake, keeping watch with Rin at her side. There had been no further signs of Hayate since their departure from Mirai, but that didn't mean he wasn't following them.
"Well, do you have any other suggestions, Takeshi?" Kenta asked, distracting Kaede from her thoughts. "You vetoed singing."
"You were scaring the wildlife," Kaede teased, catching Imari's eye. They had chosen to ride abreast, pulled together by an unspoken desire to remain near each other. Today, she seemed to be in good spirits despite the baking sun. Her eyes held a cheerful glint and her lips, a smile.
"I think you mean he sounded like the wildlife, Kaede."
She and Imari shared a look, and even Takeshi snorted in mild amusement.
"Hey," Kenta protested, glaring at them from over his shoulder. "Excuse me. I have a lovely singing voice. It's not my fault you can't recognize talent."
"Maybe," Imari laughed, "but if you have so much talent, why do you waste it on the same two songs over and over again?"
Kenta huffed, deliberately turning his horse away from them as they started up the next hill. "If you wanted a different selection, you could have asked. Or give singing a try yourself."
"I'll pass," Kaede said with a wry smile. "I think you've done enough singing recently for all four of us."
"What about you, Kaede?" Kenta asked, drawing her out of her thoughts. "What traveling games do they play up north?"
"We play 'don't slip over the edge of the mountain and fall to your death.’ I'm not sure Takeshi would approve of that one."
"On the contrary," Takeshi said with a slight smile, "I think that sounds like a fun game, especially if Kenta starts singing again."
/> "You'd really murder me because you're tired of my singing?" Kenta asked, giving Takeshi a wounded look of reproach. "Some brother you are."
While they glared at each other, Kaede found herself smiling. It was nice to see that Takeshi wasn't always a stick in the mud, and his banter with Kenta reminded her a little of how she and Hayate had acted once upon a time, before her natural affinity for the yokai and Setsuna's favoritism put a wedge between them. He had been more like a brother to her than a cousin, at least until they had become rivals.
"Kaede?" She turned, glancing left to where Imari was keeping pace with her. "Are you all-right? You seem lost in thought."
"Homesick," she said, offering a small shrug. "That's all."
Another voice, one that didn't come from Imari or the Hibana brothers, picked up when hers trailed off. "Then perhaps home is where you should return."
Kaede looked up. The horse beneath her stiffened as she did, sensing her alarm, and she brought her hand down to its neck to soothe it. Her other hand, however, flew to the hilt of her blade as she searched for the speaker. The voice was a familiar growl, but it didn't belong to Rin.
At first, Kaede didn't see anything. Then a flash of black caught her eye, passing through the underbrush beside the path like a midday shadow, and an answering tingle ran down her neck. Kaze? But if he's here.
"Is Hayate with you?" she asked, bringing her horse to the middle of the path. The rest of her companions came to a halt as well, hanging a few paces back.
"Kaede, what's wrong?" Kenta asked. "Is someone out there? Who is Hayate?"
"Jealous cousin," Kaede muttered. "Let me handle this. If something happens to me, get Imari out of here."
Takeshi nodded, but Imari shook her head, adopting a stubborn glare. "If something happens, I'm staying right here with you, Kaede."
"Please, not now," Kaede pleaded, her eyes shifting between Imari's face and the bushes. She had lost sight of Kaze, but she could still feel the weight of the wolf's gaze on her, sending prickles up the back of her neck. Hopefully, Rin was hidden somewhere nearby too, prepared to leap out if she did end up in a fight.
"Come out, Kaze. You wouldn't have spoken up if you wanted to stay hidden."
The brush rustled, and a moment later, Kaze's long, sleek black body slipped out onto the path. He stood just as high as Rin, his gleaming white fangs bright against his black face. Kenta sucked in a surprised breath. Imari drew her katana from its saya. Takeshi brought his horse closer, preparing to defend her.
Kaze ignored them all. His yellow eyes remained fixed on Kaede. "Hayate isn't far behind. He intends to bring you back to Setsuna."
Kaede hesitated. Kaze had never proven himself to be a liar, but she didn't trust his motivations. He was loyal to Hayate, just as Rin was loyal to her. "And what about you? Are you going to help him bring me back to Yukimura as a prisoner?"
"I will help Hayate however I can."
The statement should’ve sounded like a “yes,” but Kaede knew better. She was familiar enough with yokai, and with Kaze in particular, to read between the lines. "You don't want him to catch me, do you?"
Kaze's bushy black tail flicked. "Not yet. I want him to catch you later, when his anger and resentment has worn itself out and he is more willing to listen to reason."
Kaede heard more, what the wolf wasn't saying. "But you're not going to lie to him either, are you? You're going to keep helping him follow us."
Kaze lowered his eyes. "It keeps him out of trouble and away from his mother. Setsuna no longer acts like herself. I never thought I would say this, but I no longer trust her, especially around Hayate."
Kaede resisted the temptation to flinch at the mention of her aunt. She had to agree with Kaze. It was better for Hayate to keep himself busy chasing her than return to Kousetsu. There, he would either be forced to command more men to their deaths in the name of Setsuna's corrupted cause, or sacrifice his own life in vain. Despite their differences, she didn't want him to suffer either fate.
Kaede gave a small bow. "He's family, Kaze. So, thank you. You understand."
"He does," another voice said, and Rin emerged from the underbrush. She stood a few yards away from her brother, facing him down with a stiff, protective posture. "At least, I hope so."
Kaze kept his place, although the fur along his back bristled and his tail rose higher above his haunches. "I protect and defend my human as you protect and defend yours, Rin. I still believe there is good in Hayate. Time away from Setsuna may help him to see the error of his ways. Until then, I will keep him safe."
"If he does catch us, I won't go easy on him," Rin warned with a low growl. "If he harms Kaede, I’ll kill him."
"Let us hope that doesn't come to pass."
The two of them continued staring at each other in silent understanding, and a shiver raced down Kaede's spine. If Hayate attacks me, Rin will step in. If Rin hurts him while protecting me, Kaze will go after her. My best friend might be forced to fight her own brother, all because of this mess I caused.
"We'll travel fast," Kaede said to Kaze. "Keep working on him. He wasn't always like this."
Kaze almost seemed to sigh, regarding her with sad, tired eyes. "I know."
Without a goodbye, he melted back into the brush, disappearing and blending in with the rest of the shadows.
Reluctantly, Kaede turned back to the rest of her companions. The Hibana brothers gazed at her with matching expressions of confusion and worry, but she noticed a distinct sparkle of curiosity in Imari's eyes.
"I promise I'll explain all of this later, but right now, we need to go. If Hayate is on our trail, we don’t have much time. Once we find a spot to make camp—"
"No," Takeshi said, in a sharp voice that made Kaede want to snap to attention. "I need an explanation now. Why did you sign on as Homura-dono's yojimbo if you knew you were being followed by someone dangerous? What about her safety? What if this cousin of yours hurts her simply to get to you?"
"I—" Kaede fumbled, unable to come up with a suitable answer. She was supposed to be protecting Imari, but instead, she had exposed her to more danger.
"I knew her cousin was following us," Imari said. Kaede aimed a hesitant look in her direction, but Imari wasn't speaking to her. She was talking to Takeshi; whose face was still a stone slate of anger. "She told me back in Mirai. I asked her to come anyway."
"But why?" Kenta asked. Unlike Takeshi’s fury, his face read concern.
Imari straightened her shoulders, and when she spoke, it was exactly as a daimyo would. "Because I need her, and because I like her," she said, in a tone that allowed no room for argument. "She wants to help me in my quest, and if I can help her by keeping her away from her cousin, all the better. Everyone wins."
"Assuming we don't get killed," Takeshi said. "Homura-dono, I have to protest—"
"Your protest is noted. For now, we continue on. Unless you want to wait around here for this man to find us?"
Takeshi obviously wasn't satisfied, but eventually, he gave a stiff bow from atop his horse. "Very well, Homura-dono. We'll continue."
They spent the rest of their ride in silence as afternoon faded to evening. For once, Kaede actually found herself missing Kenta's singing. It was better than the icy emptiness that echoed between the four of them now.
***
The sun had sunk past the pink-blue line of the horizon by the time they stopped for the night. The moon hung high in the sky, but the beams of silver light didn't comfort Kaede as much as they usually did. She sat slumped against her pack a considerable distance from the fire, trying to listen to the sounds of birds and nighttime insects instead of harsh voices.
Imari and Takeshi argued. They were obviously trying to keep it to a whisper, but judging by the snatches Kaede could overhear, both were speaking harshly.
"Reckless, stupid."
"I'm not helpless! I knew when I asked her—"
"But she put you in danger."
"All choices come with r
isks. Why do you get to decide which ones are safe enough for me to make? My father would never dictate—"
"Please, my lady, don't bring your father into this."
"Then don't bring yourself into this! And don't call me that, Takeshi. I've told you a hundred times."
Kaede sighed, resting her cheek against the pack, using it as a pillow to muffle the argument in at least one ear. She didn't want to watch the violent hand gestures, or the glimpses of anger the firelight brought from both their faces.
I ran away to avoid causing any more trouble, but it seems trouble has followed me. I spread it wherever I go. Maybe I'd be better off alone after all.
"Kaede?"
It was Kenta's voice calling to her, not Takeshi's or Imari's. She turned, flipping over to the other side. He had crouched down beside her, one hand extended, as if he wanted to grasp her shoulder in friendship but wasn't sure he should.
"You're not going to ask me to get involved, are you?" she asked, aiming a quick glance past his shoulder to the fire. Takeshi and Imari were still involved in an intense-looking conversation, although they had tried to lower their voices again. "I'll only make it worse if I do."
"This has nothing to do with you." Kenta seemed to come to a decision, sitting down beside her and propping himself against one of the other packs. "These two go at it all the time. I'd say they fight like an old married couple, but all the sexual tensions burnt to ash at this point."
Kaede grimaced. "That doesn't really make me feel better. I don't want to be the excuse two ex-lovers use to argue, either."
"I understand." Kenta placed both hands behind his head, leaning further back and gazing up at the stars. "I promise it'll get better after this. Give it some time. Takeshi will get over himself, he'll apologize to Imari, and we can concentrate on getting to Tsun'i as fast as possible."
Kaede pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Her stomach was still in knots, although Kenta's soft voice slowly untangled some of them. "But should he get over it? He's right. I did put Imari in danger by agreeing to come along. My cousin thinks I betrayed my aunt by leaving after our disagreement. It was bad. He's going to try and bring me back home, and if I don't go, he could use force. You saw how Imari could’ve gotten hurt with those bandits. She's a great fighter, but if she tries to step in for me—"
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