Imari's jaw stiffened as she gritted her teeth. Though she wouldn't contradict the Empress, in her mind, that wasn’t an option. She would kill Kyuubi if the fox was indeed in Asahina, or die trying.
***
"Are you sure Rin didn't want to come with us on our walk?" Imari asked as she and Kaede headed out into the forest. "I wouldn't have minded. This is her home, after all."
Kaede shrugged, picking her way over a few fallen branches. Her raised sandals crunched through the snow, leaving a fresh set of footprints. "I couldn’t find her to ask. She's been running wild today with Kaze. I think she's glad to have her brother back, and to be home." She hesitated, seeming to consider her words before continuing. "She might have also wanted to give the two of us some space. You know, since it’s our last night here and we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow."
Imari bit her lip, finding it puffier than expected. The cold and damp was seeping into her bones even though the trees sheltered her from the worst of the wind. "You don't think she's jealous, do you? I'm not trying to steal you away from her or anything."
Kaede waved her off. "No, not jealous. She knows I'm not going to stop being her best friend. We've been together too long for that." After the next snowdrift, she paused, waiting for Imari to catch up. "Actually, the place I'm taking you is kind of special. It's where I found her."
"Only you would take me trekking out in the forest the night before we're set to leave on our mission," Imari laughed, "looking for the place where you found a wild spirit wolf."
"Hey," Kaede said, sounding slightly hurt. "I just…I don't know when the two of us will be back here again."
Or if the two of us will ever be back here again. Such depressing thoughts had begun creeping into Imari’s mind with unhappy regularity during her recovery.
"Remember when you showed me the shrine behind your father's castle? Well, this is my special place. I want you to see it. "
Imari took Kaede's hand, shushing her softly. "I understand. You don't have to explain yourself anymore."
The two of them stopped speaking as they walked deeper into the woods, but the forest around them wasn't quiet. Without the distraction of conversation, Imari could hear songbirds chirping despite the snow. Rustling in the bushes told her that small animals were nearby, and in the distance, she thought she could hear the gurgling sound of a river.
"I'm surprised it isn't frozen," she said, turning her head in that direction.
"Not quite cold enough," Kaede said. "Come on. We're close."
A few minutes later, Kaede swept aside the branches of a thin, wispy pine tree to reveal a clearing beyond. Imari stepped forward, spotting the river she had heard at last—but not just the river. To her surprise, it fed into a beautiful pool, almost perfectly round. Smooth rocks dotted its outer edge, and though the surface of the river beyond eddied and flowed, the top of the pool almost looked like smooth glass.
"It’s beautiful," she murmured, stepping past Kaede for a closer look.
Kaede stepped past the branches to join her, letting them fall back in place beside the tree. "It is," she said with a small smile. "I found Rin here when I was a child visiting my aunt. She'd lost her pack, so I kept her warm until they came for her. Her mother was grateful." She gazed out over the pool, seemingly lost in memories. "Years later, I came back here again. I was only twelve, but I was already changing. I was getting taller, and my voice had started to drop. I cried until the wolves found me."
Imari remained silent, waiting for Kaede to continue. "Haruna, Rin's mother, told me to bathe in the pool when the moon came out. She said Tsukine would bless me for my kindness to the spirits. I didn't believe her.” She smiled again, tears glistening in her eyes. "But I did see some changes after that. My voice didn't drop anymore, and my beard never came in. I checked in the mirror every day, dreading when it would." She looked down at the front of her kimono, which had a slight swell. "And I got these, of course. Once, I asked Haruna why the pool didn't change everything. She just said that when the time comes, I’ll know why."
"And?" Imari whispered. "Were you satisfied with that answer?"
Kaede shrugged. "Not at first. Now, I don't know. I'm happy with myself. I'm content." She turned, and her eyes reminded Imari of the moon. "I'm glad I met you. There are lots of things in my life that haven't gone as planned but I'm lucky you're one of them."
Imari stepped closer to Kaede's side, folding an arm around her waist. "We leave for Asahina tomorrow morning," she whispered, resting her cheek against Kaede's shoulder. "Are you ready for that?"
"Are you?"
"I am," Imari said. "I need to do this." She laughed into Kaede's kimono. "Takeshi would yell at me for saying that. He would say I didn't have anything to make up for and tell me risking my life was stupid."
"Give him some credit," Kaede said, chuckling a bit. "He's gotten a lot better, hasn't he? I think he would understand."
"Maybe." Imari looked at the pool once more. The stars had come out, leaving tiny white pinpricks on its dark blue surface. "What about Rin? She won't mind you showing me this place, will she?"
"No, she won't." It wasn't Kaede that answered, but another voice a short distance away. Imari raised her head from Kaede's shoulder, whirling around in time to see a shadow approach from the underbrush. Rin stepped out into the clearing, blinding white against the dark silhouettes of the trees.
"Rin," Kaede said, smiling broadly. "I assume you heard us and decided to come sniffing around?"
Rin huffed, silver trails of steam drifting up from her black nose. "Didn't need to sniff. You two were loud enough to track with my nose plugged and my eyes shut." Then, to Imari's surprise, the wolf's blue eyes fixed on her. "I'm not upset with you, Imari. If anything, I admire you more now than I did before."
Imari looked at Rin in confusion. Though the wolf had spent a great deal of time in her room over the past few weeks, she had assumed that was only because of Kaede. Now, she wondered if Rin had been watching over her as well. "You admire me?" She shook her head, narrowing her eyes. "After killing fourteen people?"
Rin huffed. "For escaping from Kyuubi's influence and for recovering afterward. That sort of torment would have broken a weaker woman, but here you are, about to go to Asahina. You're trying to put things right even though you're still broken inside."
Imari flinched. It felt as though Rin's eyes peered straight through her. "What are you trying to say?"
"That I misjudged you." Rin trotted forward through the snow, sitting regally before her. "When I first met you, I didn't think you were good enough for Kaede. I thought you were going to use her like everyone else. But you've proven me wrong. You're brave and strong. You've given Kaede a reason to stop running and start fighting. And I'm glad you're going to Asahina with us. Even though Kaede is your yojimbo, I trust you to protect her, too. She deserves a mate who will defend her to the death."
A wide smile spread across Imari's face. "That…that might just be the kindest thing anyone's ever said to me," she said, laughing with a cold stream of breath. "Thank you, Rin. Could I—can I hug you?"
She half-expected the wolf to say no, but instead, Rin nodded. Imari wrapped her arms around Rin's neck, burying her face in the wolf's thick fur. Flakes of snow clung to the outer layer, but she was remarkably warm and soft. "We're all going to stop Kyuubi together," she said near Rin's ear. "No more running away for any of us."
Chapter Twenty-Five
IMARI WOKE THE NEXT morning and was alone. Two bags were neatly packed at the foot of the futon, but she couldn’t find Kaede. Her half of the futon was cold. Quietly, Imari crept out of bed, glancing about the room. Only a hint of misty grey sunlight was visible through the window. Kaede should have been asleep beside her, at least for a few more minutes.
She dressed as quickly as her single hand allowed, picking out her warmest, most comfortable traveling clothes. Suanni had said the journey south would take less than a day, but flying on dragonback was c
old, and the fortress that held Asahina stood on the peak of a tall mountain, just as high as the northern mountain ranges of Yukimura and Aozora. This time of year, there was bound to be snow.
Opening the screen and peering out into the hallway didn't reveal any signs of Kaede either. Imari thought for a moment, then headed right on a hunch—not toward the castle gates but deeper into the private quarters.
She reached Setsuna's door. The guards were positioned some distance away to offer privacy, but Imari could hear a familiar voice just beyond. "I need to find Aozora-dono," she told them. "It's almost time for us to leave."
The guards waved her past, and she approached the door, sliding it open without knocking. She found exactly what she expected. Kaede sat next to Setsuna's bed, holding her aunt's hand in hers and speaking to her softly. At the sound of the door opening, she looked up, jolting a little until she realized who had interrupted.
"Oh, Imari. It's you. I was just…saying goodbye."
Imari approached the bed as well, resting her hand on Kaede's shoulder and looking down at Setsuna. The shogun looked frail and thin amidst the thick covers, but for the moment, she seemed to be sleeping peacefully. "You feel guilty for letting Hayate watch over her these past two weeks, don't you?"
Kaede nodded. "I know I needed to be with you and he was doing a fine job on his own." She closed her eyes, exhaling deeply. "But she was there for me at an important time in my life. She opened her home to me when my parents made me anxious. She trained me in the ways of bushido and taught me what it meant to be a woman. About caring for other people, about being strong without losing your empathy, about the women in our family that came before me."
"Then I have her to thank for the wonderful woman you've become." Imari gave Kaede's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I'm doing better, Kaede. I'm not the same, but I'm standing here. Setsuna could recover, too."
"She had Kyuubi's pearl for years. If two days did that to you—"
"You said Setsuna was strong," Imari said, interrupting Kaede before those negative thoughts could spiral any further. "Have faith in her and focus on dealing with Kyuubi. That might be the way to save her."
That seemed to help. Kaede sat up straighter, letting go of Setsuna's hand and placing it on top of Imari's. "You're right. I'm not going to help her sitting here. I just wanted to see her before we left." She placed a kiss on Setsuna's forehead and rose from the mat. "I'll come back. Hayate won't have to take care of you alone."
Imari helped Kaede to her feet, and when she saw tears glistening in her lover's eyes, she opened her arms. Kaede stepped into them, and Imari held her for several seconds, waiting for the storm to pass. It moved on quickly, and after a few moments, Kaede left the embrace, her face hardening. "All right. Let's go find the others. We want to get an early start."
***
Kaede watched the ground whip by beneath them in a blur obscured by wisps of white clouds. Perched high on Suanni's back, she could see far into the distance, but there wasn't much to look at. The jagged mountains and the silver, snow-dusted forest faded quickly behind them, and in front of them stretched the wide plains she had crossed on her way to Mirai, an even patchwork of brown and green.
Further ahead, growing larger with each minute, was a lone mountain: not unlike Hongshan, although not so tall as to pierce the clouds. It was mostly shadow thanks to the glare of the sun to their right, but Kaede could see its silhouette. Asahina would be near the top, a heavily defended mountain fortress where the shogun met to discuss the future of Akatsuki Teikoku. She had been there only once before, but remembered it as a grim place without much sunlight or laughter.
Getting in would be a problem. They couldn't simply fly over the walls on Suanni, or Kyuubi would be alerted to their presence and use one of her magic pearls to escape. A sneak attack was imperative if they wanted to catch her—and Kaede wanted to catch her. She knew her priority should be to look after the shogun as the Empress had asked, but her heart felt differently. Kyuubi had hurt Imari, and Imari wouldn't be able to finish healing until the fox was dealt with.
Her thoughts spun in circles as the day passed on. Plains and rice paddies turned to low, rolling hills. Mirai was off a fair distance to the west, but not so far that the view was different. She thought she even caught a glimpse of the city once, a tiny smudge of smoke against the horizon. She reached behind her, grasping Imari's hand, and Imari squeezed back.
Their fingers remained linked until much later, when the mountain began to loom over them and Suanni tilted down toward the ground. The sun dipped behind the horizon, leaving only a red and orange stripe to mark its place. No moon rose on the other side of the sky—only a deepening shade of blue. Even the stars seemed faint and distant.
Suanni finally landed between two rocky hills some distance away from the mountain itself. Kaede was surprised at how far away they had chosen to touch down. "Suanni, why here? Asahina's still pretty far away."
"Because all of you need rest before you sneak inside the fortress, and we need to talk." Suanni lowered their tail, offering a way down. Since she was in front, Kaede waited for Hayate, the Hibana brothers, and the wolves to descend first. She and Imari went last, finally letting go of each other's hands.
Once they were all on the ground, Suanni began to ripple and change. A few moments later, they took their human form once again, wearing their usual dark brown hood. "I won't be able to fly you into the fortress itself," Suanni said, repeating Kaede's earlier thoughts. "Kyuubi will sense my ki and escape before we can catch her, possibly with the shogun she has enslaved. I will need to stay in my human form for as long as possible, unless the worst happens."
"Then how are we going to get in?" Kenta asked. "The fortress has to be full of guards. Sneaking past them isn't going to be easy."
"We have to try," Hayate said. "None of us came into this thinking it would be simple."
"Kaze and I could go first to get a sense of the place," Rin offered. "We might be able to pass for mountain wolves."
"Maybe," Imari said, "but what we really need is someone who's familiar with this place. Kaede, Hayate, you've been here before, haven't you?"
Kaede sighed. "I was a child. All I remember is that the walls were high and thick and there were lots of soldiers in uniform."
"I can't recall much more," Hayate added with a disappointed frown. "We might not be able to come up with a plan until we get a closer look, and that's going to involve climbing the mountain and trusting our luck."
Takeshi's brow furrowed. "I don't like going in without a plan. This might be our only chance to stop Kyuubi and save the shogun. We don't want to ruin it by rushing in unprepared."
"Then perhaps a compromise," Suanni suggested. "Sleep on it for a few hours. You're going to need your strength, as well as clear heads. Coming up with a plan of action will be easier."
Once more, Kaede got the distinct impression that Suanni wasn't telling them everything. They had a familiar twinkle in their eye. Still, Kaede had learned pushing would get her nowhere. Suanni's advice hadn't led them astray before.
"I vote for a few hours of rest," she said, cutting off the protests she knew would come from Imari. "We all want to end this as fast as possible, but Takeshi's right. We can't rush in without a plan, and so far, we've got nothing."
"If we put it to a vote, I'd lose, wouldn't I?" Imari huffed.
"Aren't you the one who said that we didn't need to vote, because you were going to do what you wanted anyway?" Takeshi asked. "I'm surprised you aren't putting up more of a fight."
A shadow passed across Imari's face. "I've learned that doing what I want right away doesn't always work out for the best."
Immediately, Takeshi seemed to regret his words. "Imari, I—"
"It's all right," Imari said, stopping him before he could bow. "Let's get something to eat and set up camp. A few hours of sleep won't do us any harm. Kyuubi isn't going to run before she even knows we're coming."
They set up camp q
uickly, doling out the rations they had brought and eating in a mutually agreed upon silence. Kaede observed everyone's faces over the fire, noting that they all looked the same. Her companions' expressions were wary but determined, resigned to what they needed to do.
After a short meal, everyone went to bed. Kaede spread out her pallet next to Imari's. Lying on her side, she was able to wrap her arm around Imari's waist. Back at Hongshan, Imari had taken the rear position more often, but since Yukimura, they had reversed. Kaede didn't mind the change. She was happy to offer any comfort she could.
The others fell asleep quickly, much to Kaede's surprise. Kenta started snoring, and Takeshi and Hayate made no movements. Imari's breathing was even and steady, and Kaede could tell that she had drifted off too. Even the wolves were dozing side by side instead of watching over the camp, and even Suanni had shut their eyes. Tucked between the hills, there was little chance of danger.
Kaede tried to join them, but too many thoughts and fears swirled around in her head. Imari and Setsuna's faces were foremost in her mind, but whenever she tried to focus on them, Kyuubi's cold laugh shattered them. Her mind was dragged to memories of blood hissing on top of the snow and dead eyes staring up at a pale grey sky.
A soft scraping sound jolted her out of the memory. She opened one eye without lifting her head, pretending to remain asleep. So far, there had been no nighttime noises aside from Kenta's snoring. But the sound didn't come again, and her heartbeat slowed down once more. Kaede began to relax until she noticed Rin's gaze lock with hers. The wolf's blue eyes were cracked open, and although she hadn't moved from her position, her ears perked.
Kaede understood the signal. The next time the sound came from somewhere behind and to her left, she rolled off the sleeping mat and into a crouch, grabbing for her wakizashi instead of her katana as she went. In close quarters, she would probably need it.
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