The men also had good luck fishing, hauling in a huge catch, but now, with both the men and the women working, there were far more people available to prepare the fish. It was a tedious job, removing the heads and the tails, but the evening took on an air of celebration with much laughter and singing. From the size of the day’s haul, many joked that Yoshi’s arrival must indeed be fortunate. The kami and the village ancestors were clearly blessing the union of the two young people; it was plain for all to see in the bounty.
Chisuzu took the teasing well, and glowed over the attention she was getting, especially when it came from Katashi. Kiyomi watched the young pair covertly throughout the rest of the early evening, finally coming to the conclusion that the daughter of the daimyo must also be taken with her son. It was the only explanation for her coy behavior.
‘Katashi must be warned!’ She thought, knowing nothing good could come of misplaced love.
Kiyomi’s concern only grew as the night went on. When darkness fell, torches were planted into the surrounding sand and their playful banter and flirting only increased in the soft glow of the firelight.
The two invented lovers sat close, but touched each other only with their eyes and smiles; even so those moments of disconnected intimacy were just as powerful as any kiss or caress. Despite her worry, Kiyomi felt a momentary thrill as she reminisced about her own courtship with Hayato. It had been a heady time, full of overpowering emotions; the only difference was that their love had been sanctioned and proper. Katashi would in all likelihood lose his head if he took it any further. She would have to warn him to remain detached, even though the chances were good he would resent her for killing an impossible dream.
♀
Katashi was wrestling with similar thoughts, at least when Chisuzu was not looking at him. Her gaze, innocent as it was, went right through him. Her smile lightened his soul, and when she laughed, it soared. Even so, he knew such thoughts and emotions were impossible and that what he was feeling was an illusion and could never be. But no matter how he lectured his heart, it beat all the faster when her eyes fell on him.
The evening flew by for both of them regardless of the repetitious nature of the work. Chisuzu was genuinely surprised when all the fish were packed away and the torches started to come down. It had been a magical evening for her, and she hated for it to end. Her heart was beating out a song of joy in her chest, completely overriding the pain her hands were giving her.
“I can’t wait to get into the hot springs,” Sakura commented and wiped her sweaty brow. “I smell like fish.”
Chisuzu’s heart skipped a beat at the thought. She glanced over at Katashi and found him gazing back with a fierce intensity. When her eyes found him however, he jumped and turned away, which made her smile.
“Are the onsen as nice as everyone says?” Chisuzu asked.
“Better,” Chika replied from behind them. “Especially when you’re with a lover,” she added and nodded toward Katashi, while flashing a lewd smile that Chisuzu didn’t entirely care for. “You’ll love it Yoshi-chan,” she added with a laugh and bowed enviously to the young woman.
“Come on!” Kaiya implored and pulled excitedly on Chisuzu’s arm, and though she went willingly enough, the pace was not nearly fast enough to suit the young girl.
They reached the house quickly and everyone gathered up their yukata robes for bathing. Sakura handed Chisuzu her newest set, taking an older robe for her own use. It was a little threadbare and small, but she couldn’t in good conscious let Chisuzu be seen in it.
Chisuzu stood silently in the main room of the house, suddenly feeling uncomfortable and a little nervous about the upcoming ritual, even though public bathing was an engrained part of everyday life. Still, it would be the first time Katashi would see her so exposed…and it would be the first time she would see him. She repressed a shiver and felt her cheeks flush. She tried to act naturally, but she was sure Katashi could read her every thought.
“Let’s go!” Kaiya announced happily and took a hold of Chisuzu’s hand. The older girl winced and yanked her hand from Kaiya’s grip.
“What?” Kaiya asked as Kiyomi moved forward. Chisuzu turned her hands over and for the first time noticed the torn skin and dark red abrasions that covered the soft palms of her hands.
“Ooooh!” Kaiya exclaimed, but Kiyomi only nodded.
“They’ll blister before morning,” she told Chisuzu and pulled her by the wrist over close to the central hearth. She inspected the girl’s hands closely for a moment and then nodded to Sakura, who without a word rushed off to fetch her mother’s special ointment.
While they waited Katashi and Hayato drifted closer to study Chisuzu’s wounds, though she tried to hide them.
“Nothing to be ashamed of,” Hayato told her. “Rough hands from rough work,” he added and then nodded to his son to follow him outside to wait.
By the time the womenfolk finally emerged from the house they were later than usual, but there were still other villagers in the streets, everyone moving under the light of the stars toward the onsen springs, which were located up on the hillside, west of town.
Kaiya was struggling to stay calm. The night at the baths was the highlight of village life, especially for the young ones, and it was all she could do not to run ahead. Instead she pulled eagerly on Chisuzu’s arm, very careful not to touch her wounded hands. Despite Kaiya’s attempt at restraint, it wasn’t long before she and her new friend were several shaku ahead of the others. Katashi hung back as long as he could, but then without looking at his mother or father he took a deep breath and sped up until his was even with his little sister and Chisuzu.
Kiyomi frowned as she watched her son pull away, and shot her husband a worried look.
Hayato ignored her however, and just stared straight ahead. It was obvious that there was a power connecting the two and he would not be the one to try to stand between them.
“How are your hands?” Katashi asked as he joined them.
Chisuzu smiled wryly and held her hands up for inspection. Kiyomi had wrapped them lightly with sheer linen bandages.
“I’ll be a fisherman’s wife in no time,” she replied and they blushed together at the thought.
Kaiya smiled broadly. “I’ll like having you for a sister,” the young girl admitted honestly and then it was Chisuzu’s turn to frown. She pulled Kaiya to a stop and knelt down close.
“You know it is just pretend,” Chisuzu said and fought the impulse to look up into Katashi’s eyes. “I can never marry Katashi…my father would not allow it.”
“Because you’re samurai,” Kaiya stated flatly, feeling the sting along with Katashi.
Chisuzu nodded. “Because I’m samurai,” she replied and then stood as the others caught up with them. They entered the bathhouse together, as a family, but then the men and women split apart and went into separate changing huts.
Katashi and his father emerged first and made their way out into the gardens. The public hot springs were actually made up of six individual springs, a large one surrounded by five smaller springs. The area was heavily manicured and was the pride of Atami. Hayato and Katashi returned the many greetings they received as they made their way around to one of the smaller springs near the rear of the grounds. They removed and hung their yukatas on pegs driven into the bamboo wall that surrounded the gardens.
“Konbanwa!” Naoki greeted happily.
“Konbanwa,” Kyoto, his wife, added immediately after and Hayato glanced down in surprise. The village leader and his wife did not often come to the lower baths and this was the first time he’d ever joined Hayato and his family at their favorite spring.
“Konbanwa,” Hayato and Katashi replied together and then greeted the other regular members of the bath. Relaxing in the hot water was Souta and his wife Yuzuki, plus Kuro, his wife Mami, and their two sons Goro and Daiki.
As Katashi eased his way into the hot water he wondered what Naoki’s presence could mean, but he hardly had time t
o ponder before Kaiya suddenly appeared at the water’s edge with her mother, followed closely by Sakura and Chisuzu; they were all completely naked. Katashi glanced up and caught sight of Chisuzu shyly waiting her turn to enter the spring. He quickly averted his eyes, for it was extremely impolite to stare, but as the girl slowly lowered herself into the water his eyes darted back to her bare form, unable to obey his will.
Her legs were long and smooth, her belly flat and her breasts small, but well formed. Ignoring everyone, Chisuzu slid down into the safety of the water until she was up to her neck, and then carefully circled around until she was floating directly in front of Katashi. At first he just stared into her dark enigmatic eyes, but then quickly slid over on the ledge to make room for her to sit.
She took her place by his side; intensely aware of the stares she was getting from the village leader and his wife.
“I hear it was a fine catch today,” Naoki commented, trying to act nonchalant by closing his eyes and leaning his head back.
“One of the best,” Kuro replied proudly.
“Yes, Yoshi’s arrival must indeed be good fortune,” Mami added and smiled at the new girl.
“Yes, the ancestors seem to be smiling down on her,” Naoki agreed. He just hoped they continued to smile in the coming days.
Chisuzu was uncomfortable with the attention she was getting, but luckily Kaiya grabbed one of the young boys and the encounter exploded into flurry of squeals and splashing. It took several moments before the adults could settle the young ones down and by that time Chisuzu’s presence was mostly forgotten.
She leaned her head on the landscaped edge of the spring and closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying the feel of the hot water as it seeped into the tired, aching muscles of her arms. She was dimly aware of Katashi reclining next to her but she didn’t open her eyes until his hand lightly brushed hers. The touch was fleeting but sent a small electric shock through her system. He moved his hand away almost immediately, but some sense told her that it was still close…very close. Her eyes popped open and for a long moment she stared up through the steam and into the sky, marveling at the multitude of stars twinkling overhead. Without thinking, without even knowing it was her intention, she shifted her hand slightly and her little finger lightly touched Katashi’s hand once more. Both young people froze for a long moment, remaining perfectly still, not wanting to reveal to anyone present the dance that was occurring below the surface of the water.
After a few seconds she shifted her hand once more and contact was lost, but before either could mourn the loss, Katashi steeled his nerve and took her hand lightly in his. He held his breath for several anxious moments, waiting for the rejection he knew was coming, but instead of removing her hand, Chisuzu gave a gentle squeeze. Katashi repressed a smile, closed his eyes and returned the squeeze softly. For the next hour the two relaxed, lounging silently next to one another, holding hands and occasionally touching feet, each satisfied with the simplest touch for now. As they soaked, their thoughts mirrored one another, each wishing that such pleasures could last forever, but three days later the first of Taira no Kiyomori’s samurai arrived.
Chapter Eleven
Katashi and Chisuzu
September 23rd 1180 A.D.
Ōba Kagechika commanded nine hundred men in total, but only had three hundred and fifty samurai with him when he moved into Atami, his new base of operations. The rest of his men were spread out across the Izu peninsula, two hundred at Numazu and Ito, while another one hundred and fifty were stationed down at Shimoda to guard against an assault from the sea. Yoritomo was famous for his surprise coastal attacks.
The day of his arrival was cloudy and very blustery up on the hillside. Ōba stared out to sea, braced against the wind; thankfully however, it was not raining.
Naoki, the village leader and his wife lay prostrate on the ground before him, silently waiting their fate. Ōba would avoid killing them if he could. He needed the villagers’ cooperation…but he also needed information if he was to hold onto the peninsula for Lord Taira.
“Rise,” he commanded imperiously, still looking out to sea.
Naoki and Kyoto struggled to their feet, the muscles in their legs weak from fear. Neither stood fully upright, both bowing slightly and they were exceedingly careful to keep their eyes downcast. Ōba made them wait as he scanned the seas for any potential threat; finally he turned his attention to Naoki.
“Are any of Tokimasa’s men in the area?” He asked softly and curled his fingers around the hilt of his sword.
“No Kagechika-sama,” Naoki replied at once. “The only samurai we’ve seen in the last week were Taira’s.”
Ōba grunted. Yes, he knew about the search. There was a rumor that Tokimasa’s youngest child was missing; left behind when the coward fled with Minamoto to Awa, but Ōba had his doubts. True, a royal sedan had been ambushed on the road not far from Atami, but after an extensive search no one was found. He could hardly believe that Tokimasa would abandon his daughter in the middle of a war. If she was truly lost, he felt that it was far more likely that the old warlord would flood the area with his samurai in the hopes of saving her. It was only because the countryside remained so empty of enemy troops that Ōba discounted the rumors…still he would look into it.
He turned his back on the pair of peasants, and Naoki and his wife tensed up slightly, knowing danger was coming.
“There’s word that Chisuzu-san, Tokimasa’s youngest, is missing,” Ōba began in a conversational, almost friendly tone. “It’s said she’s hiding here in Atami. Is that true?”
“No Kagechika-sama,” Naoki answered at once. There was no delay in the old man’s answer, and no deception that Ōba could detect.
“I will take your wife’s head if you lie,” Ōba commented evenly.
Naoki said nothing and Kyoto remained perfectly still, terrified.
“Well?” Ōba asked again turning and pulling a quarter of his sword from its scabbard.
“Lord Tokimasa’s daughter is not hiding among us,” Naoki pleaded, eyes on Ōba’s feet.
“Tokimasa is no longer a Lord,” Ōba replied venomously, but slammed his sword back home nevertheless. Fortune would indeed be smiling on him if Chisuzu were caught. Taira would certainly reward him and the chances of maintaining control of the province would be greatly increased.
“Leave us,” he ordered softly, and as the two peasants scurried away Ōba signaled to Shimamura Nagano, his top lieutenant.
Shimamura rushed forward and bowed low.
“Send out word to the other captains. Let’s keep an eye out for Chisuzu just in case our ancestors our smiling on us,” Ōba added hopefully. They would need a little luck if they were going to keep Tokimasa and his allies at bay.
♀
For several weeks, schools of fish filled the seas around Atami, creating historic catches, but just as quickly as they appeared, they were gone. Disappointing though it was, the village was still ecstatic by their good fortune and had more than enough fish to keep everyone busy for several weeks to come.
So after nearly three weeks of gutting and deboning fish, Chisuzu and Sakura jumped at the chance to go oyster diving when Hayato suggested it to Katashi. Both girls enthusiastically volunteered and the men were happy to have them along.
Hayato smiled at the eager young people, but in truth he was tired of working with fish as well.
“Get ready,” Hayato told Sakura, “we’ll be taking Jirō’s wasen out to Hatsushima Island this afternoon,” he added and they all celebrated. The three were ready long before it was time to leave, but waited happily at the water’s edge until Jirō and his wife Chika strolled down to the beach toward their boat.
“Is your father coming?” Jirō asked, as Chika patted her growing belly and greeted Chisuzu and Sakura warmly.
“Hai,” Katashi replied just as Hayato and Kuro’s family emerged from the trees.
“You will dive?” Chisuzu asked Chika with a glance at her enormous midsect
ion.
Chika laughed. “No, no…I’’m just here to see my husband off.”
“Winds picking up,” Jirō commented and then made the attempt to encircle his wife’s belly with his arms.
“Let’s be off then,” Kuro suggested and everyone agreed happily and with only a little difficulty they slid the large boat off the beach and into the shallows. Without prompting Katashi helped Chisuzu and Sakura into the boat but stayed in the water to help the men push the craft out beyond the breakwater.
Goro, though only twelve, was quite large for his age and stubbornly remained in the water, determined to help the men as well. He’d developed a strong attachment to Sakura and was desperate to impress her. Once in deeper water, however, the boy lacked the upper body strength to pull himself up into the boat. Goro was mortified but would not let the girls on board help him. Katashi finally took pity on him and discreetly gave him a leg to stand on. Goro grimaced, but took the help in any case and was proud of the fact that he climbed into the boat under control despite the constant rolling of the deck. Once safely beyond the breaking waves the rest of the men climbed aboard one at a time.
Hayato and Souta quickly set to paddling, while Jirō raised the small sail. It caught the wind immediately and the boat jumped in the water, almost as eager as the young people to get moving. As they started sailing down the shoreline, everyone aboard waved to Chika and Mami, who strolled quickly down the beach after them, waving goodbye.
The two women remained on the beach and watched as the boat slowly sailed out of sight around the bend.
One Life Well and Truly Promised Page 25