Laughter is the Worst Medicine, Part 5
Reizo woke up in the night when the wind rattled the open screen. He opened his eyes enough to see no hostile kami, then tried to turn over. A weight on his chest stopped him. He realized Suki still lay with him and squeezed her shoulder. Even though it was hot, he didn’t want to turn over and break their closeness. He smiled and quickly drifted off to sleep again.
In the pre-dawn light, Suki quietly dressed to return to her room. Things said and done at night fade with the dawn, her mother had warned her about marriage. Who knows if I’ll have grumpy Reizo or nice Reizo? Better to leave memories in tact.
Suki stepped around Reizo and on to the veranda. A board creaked under her feet, and Reizo stirred. She froze, unsure of what to do next. Reizo opened his eyes and said, "Hi there."
Suki stood straighter, aware that she looked like a frightened mouse on her own veranda. "Good morning," she said.
"Put those outer robes down and come on back to bed," Reizo patted the still warm mattress where she'd slept all night.
"Today we are going to Crossroads." That dream I had about Suki knowing Big Fork was a Kitsune village was an omen, reminding me to warn her that Ichiro and Gin are coming with us ahead of time…or so I’d tell anyone who asked about such a thing.
Suki laid her head on Reizo's chest and pulled her under robe around her. Her dread about the trip amplified her self-consciousness. Her outer robes beside her comforted her. Reizo put his arm around her. "I know. I’m ready,” she replied.
“We have two survivors from Big Fork coming with us," Reizo began.
"They'll be Kitsune then." Suki wasn't sure if she should enjoy cuddling with her husband, or if he’d go back to being sullen shortly.
“How did you know that?” Reizo couldn’t hide his surprise.
“None of them farmed, there were chickens all over the place, and Hot Spring was the frequent target of their pranks. ‘It snowed in summer, the Kitsune are having fun,’ they’d always say.” She was quiet for a bit before saying, “I spent many winter days at Hot Spring and in the hot spring, and now all those people are gone.” That was why Suki wanted to go, even though it was dangerous. Whatever it was killed the Kitsune and Hot Springs, but my family is responsible for them, so I must go.
“Did everyone know Kitsune lived in Big Fork?”
Suki nodded against his chest. Reizo stared at the ceiling and thought about the day ahead. He worried about his wife’s safety. He didn’t want the calm morning to end. Suki was warm against him, and all the stress and danger of the day ahead would be closer as soon as he rose.
“What are they like? I was never brave enough to visit Big Fork, but heard all the stories.” Suki looked at Reizo.
"They’re kids, a brother and a sister. Their accents sounds like yours,” Reizo said fondly. “They lost everything and walked to The Capital last winter. They’ve been staying in one of our granaries. The older boy didn't even have a clean kimono to his name." When did her accent stop annoying me?
"Oh dear, those poor children, they have had a rough time. Wait, how did you meet them?"
Reizo summarized how he met them in jail, savoring postponing today’s danger. Suki nodded slowly. "Well, they will need clothing and shoes for this journey. I'll take care of it." After a pause she continued, "and where is the best place to plant a pine tree? Where it will bring the most luck? You said you’d tell me, and you never have.”
Reizo sighed. “It doesn’t matter. There’s no angry kami here to placate. None of the kami around the house care about such things.” It’s the same questions I’m asked all day, every day.
Suki rose. “Suki, plant it where we can both watch it grow. We can see the birds perch on it and admire how snow hangs in the needles,” Reizo added gently.
Suki nodded and left his room.
Reizo pinched his nose, grabbed his under robe, and finally stood. He took a few steps then sat heavily at his desk. He couldn’t procrastinate any longer. Did those Kitsune turn tail and run, or will they be at the granary? I need Ichiro’s illusions because if I talk to other kami, the ones trapped in the Ofuda will escape and destroy whatever is around them. I don’t have the control yet to concentrate on all the kami if there’s a fight. One more thing I never have time to practice…
He held his saturated pen over the paper Taru Papermaster had given him and thought very carefully about the Ofuda he'd need for the journey.
The sun rose on The Capital.
Picture by Daphne Zaras - http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/headlines/dszpics.htmlOriginally uploaded at en.wikipedia; description page is/was here., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2130165