[ Watashi ] [ Tomodachi ] [ Saint Seiya ] [ Clamp ] [ Fanfiction ]


Erin's Gift - Part 5.

A Tokyo Babylon fanfiction by Ariane Kovacevic, AKA Fuu-chan.





I looked with curiosity at the servant as she knelt beside the edge of the sliding panel which served as the room's door and opened it without raising the slightest sound. Why such a show of displaying one's inferiority? It was one of the things I had been unable to understand in the few weeks since we first set foot in the port town of Saga. When people were confronted to others of a superior social status, it seemed they always needed to abase themselves in front of their "betters". Not that servants weren't expected to act with respect around their lords within the English castles, but here it really felt exaggerated. Shrugging inwardly I discarded the question and entered the room.

It was quite spacious, and on the other side panels had been opened to let the sunlight in, as well as a much welcome breeze. The place was oddly empty in comparison to what its equivalent in Dublin would have been. There was almost no furniture except for a low table, cushions which were used in place of chairs, a finely wrought folding screen in a corner and two of those beautiful works of art I had come to associate to paintings. Behind me, the other panel was silently slid close, and I bowed shortly to the man who had summoned me here.

Smiling, Lord Fitzgerald nodded in my direction. "Welcome, Aislinn. It's a relief to see someone who doesn't prostrate herself in front of me. I trust your charges are well?"

I nodded, wondering why the man had requested my presence. In the days since our arrival at Edo castle I had never set foot on the last level of the place, and I had only gotten fleeting glimpses of the other members of the delegation while taking naps on the roof of the mansion which served as stables. The English nobleman turned away from me and walked towards the other side of the room then stopped, resting his right hand against the edge of the opened panel, as if losing himself in the contemplation of Edo castle's inner gardens and the city beyond the walls, basking in the waning light of the end of the afternoon. Puzzled, I stared at his back in silence, waiting.

"I have received word that the shogun will be returning to his capital soon. He should be back by the end of this week, according to my information. Once he is here, things will go quickly. From what I heard he's not a man who likes wasting his time in endless squabbles. I expect the talks to last a month at most. After that, it's likely we'll leave, either to visit daimyos the shogun will have allowed us to negotiate trade agreements with or to return to England and report to king James." He turned towards me. "Either way, it's time you reached a decision. Lord Mountjoy told me you'd want to stay with your horses, but you can choose to come back with us." He shook his head. "This is a strange land, with strange customs, and I doubt foreigners like us can ever understand it or its people correctly. I doubt foreigners like us can ever live here safely. I wouldn't condemn you to remain in this place alone."

He stared at me steadily. "Think well before you tell me what your choice is. I can try to help convincing the shogun your presence is indispensable for the care of the horses, and it's likely you'd be allowed to stay, the more so since you have allies of your own here if I've heard the rumors correctly."

Allies...what did he mean? Did he think Sakurazuka Sekai or Sumeragi Kirikaze would move on my behalf, would support a request to stay? I had never envisioned the matter that way, I had never viewed my friendship with Sakurazuka Sekai as a weapon. It would have been foolish to do so, that one would never let himself be used unless he left like it. And Sumeragi Kirikaze...I didn't know where he stood in this equation. We had met only once since the evening when he'd brought me back to Edo castle. He had covered up for me, concealing my presence and pretending I was his servant. I didn't know why. I didn't understand his reason for helping me, except for a certain fascination I seemed to have roused inside him. There was an odd mixture of kindness, gentleness and hardness in him.... I was far from sure how to name what kind of tie there was between this strange young man and me.

Tentative friendship, perhaps.

Tentative, because something deep within me was holding back, because after I had completely let go in his arms, something like fear had crept up in the back of my mind, irrational.

Anyway, he certainly couldn't be called an ally of mine. Besides this whole talk of having people within Edo castle supporting me was ridiculous: I was no noble, I held no influence, wielded no power and as such was of no interest to anyone. How rumours of a servant like me having allies in this place could simply exist was something I couldn't understand.

"Remember that ignorance of a land's ways and inability to truly understand them will imprison you more safely than iron bars would. It's hard to live on foreign soil, where people will never consider you to be part of their group, will never truly accept you."

I felt painful laughter rising up my throat when I heard that, and stifled it with difficulty. I knew the truth of his words, indeed I knew it far more intimately than he ever would. There was no choice for me to make, the horses were my anchor, the only stable point of my universe. Existing would simply have lost all meaning without them. So to spare Lord Fitzgerald the trouble of trying to warn me of the consequences of my decision, I interrupted him and said in a soft whisper, "Where my horses go, I go, my lord. They are to remain here, and here I will remain."

Silence followed my words, then the English nobleman sighed. "Mountjoy told me you were stubborn, and also that you didn't often make sense. I never truly understood his words until now. You are a mystery to me, Aislinn of Tyrconnell."

Tyrconnell.... I felt a contemptuous smile coming to my lips as I heard the name the Englishmen had forced our clan to adopt. The name wasn't mine, it never had been and would never be. It couldn't bind me.

In front of me, Lord Fitzgerald gestured helplessly. "But so be it. Stay if such is your wish." He nodded at me. "I'll make sure it's understood no other than you can care for those horses, which shouldn't be difficult."

I grinned ferally, unable to help myself. No, it wouldn't be difficult to get that idea across. Some of the other horses caretakers had tried to approach Sreim in my absence, and they had dearly regretted the mistake. The big stallion might look lazy and placid, peaceful even, but he was a war-horse, and to approach him casually meant paying the price for the presumption. Not too high a price, Sreim wasn't a brute, but a stinging bite and a salutary fear insured a person didn't try to bother him a second time.

Suddenly there was a light tap on the sliding door, and the English lord gestured silently, indicating I should hide on the other side of the folding screen. I did so, taking his cue and moving soundlessly. I knelt behind it, thinking with dry humor that Lord Fitzgerald was lucky this folding screen completely hid the person behind it, from the ground up. Some I had seen before left a small open space more or less three inches in height, which would have betrayed my presence.

But what was I doing, concealing myself like this?

Like a conspirator or a spy of some kind?

I heard the panel being slid open, and then someone stepped into the room. Snorting inwardly, I focused on the sounds, wondering whether the Englishman knew what he was doing, and doubting it very much on this moment. The slight rustling of clothes being carefully folded came to my ears as the newcomer most likely bowed, or knelt on one of the cushions.

"Fitzgerald-dono, please excuse me for disturbing you at this time."

Such politeness.... And yet it wasn't a servant. I had never heard that voice before.

"Be welcome, Anayama-san." Lord Fitzgerald's voice was distant, almost cold.

"I came to see if all was well with my lady's gift."

Gift, from a lady?

There was an almost inaudible sigh, and then Lord Fitzgerald replied softly, "The Lady Yodo's wistaria is beautiful beyond my ability to describe, it's a true enchantment. If I may, I'll ask you to thank her once again on my behalf for this priceless present."

The other man chuckled. "She will be told, lord. Have you had time to consider her other offer?"

There was a short moment of silence, as if Lord Fitzgerald was somehow reluctant to give an answer to the question, then eventually he said, "I will be most honored to visit the Lady Yodo's estates and convey to her and to her son the words of my king once everything is settled with the shogun."

"So you decline her offer, Fitzgerald-dono?" There was a dangerous edge in the voice, something too subtle to be grasped, but....

Dear spirits, what was going on here?

What if....?

"I never said that, Anayama-san. But I must follow my king's will and talk with the shogun. Once that is done--"

"You know the shogun will never allow you to set a foot within the lady's domain." The interruption had been as abrupt as it had been quiet. In a flat voice, the other man went on, "Please consider your course of action carefully, Fitzgerald-dono. The shogun is a powerful man now. It hasn't always been so.... It's a most regrettable thing, but our people aren't forgiving of mistakes, even when they're made by foreigners who understandably don't have a full grasp of our ways."

Hell.

What that man had just said.... I shivered inwardly as something cold hit the pit of my stomach. An arrow of ice, or fear. Because--

There was another rustling of clothes as the man stood or bowed again. "So, I will be leaving you now. I'm sorry for disturbing you over such petty concerns. Perhaps we will meet again. If you have need of me, I'll gladly come."

The panel slid open, likely to allow him out, and at this moment Lord Fitzgerald said in a deceptively gentle voice, "I heard you, Anayama-san. Trust me that I heard you perfectly, and rest assured that we will do our utmost to avoid making those mistakes you mentioned. You'll find that we learn very quickly."

The panel slid shut, but I waited for a few minutes more before stepping into view. The English nobleman had walked back towards the opening on the inner garden and was looking down at it, as if captivated. On impulse, I joined his side and tried to get rid of the tension I could feel in my body. But what I had just heard.... Lord Fitzgerald reached out with his right hand, and his fingers brushed the beautiful purple flowers of a wistaria.

"The Lady Yodo's gift is truly magnificent, don't you think, Aislinn?" I looked at the plant and opened myself to it, to the life pulsing inside it, and nodded silently. "Tell me, what is your opinion about this little friendly exchange?"

I didn't reply, wondering what kind of game this was. I wasn't one of his advisors, I wasn't a courtier. It wasn't my place to speak of these things. Besides, what did an Irish peasant know?

"I know your name, Aislinn. I know what your clan was. I may be an arrogant Englishman, but I acknowledge the ability of the Irish clans when it came to games of power between them. You have a mind to think, and I'm sure you were taught to use it. So what do you think?"

I met Lord Fitzgerald's steady gaze without giving him an answer for a while, and eventually told him with a cold smile, "It had nothing to do with opposing clans vying for the Shogun's favour, and nothing to do with the usual struggles for influence under the Shogun's authority. What I heard was someone proposing to overthrow that authority and grasp it for herself. I don't know who this Lady Yodo is, but she clearly intends to use the English delegation in her scheme to gain power. You must not honor her request, no matter what, because if you did...."

We might be the element which would tip the balance and plunge this country into the chaos of civil war, but what was certain was that none of us would live to see the issue of what such a folly would start.

"No, I must not, as you say." The English lord smiled at me when I blushed, realizing I had just ordered him around. He sighed wearily. "But the lady Yodo is a skilled and ruthless player of the political game. She rules the Toyotomi house in the shadows, and she has ambitions for her son. She won't be denied...." He waved his words away, and then stared at me steadily. "Your mind is sharp enough, you understand the games being played in this castle. This was just one of them, but there are dozens of others being played out at this very moment, intertwining themselves, triggering events whose consequences give rise to other things. It's a web of a complexity such as I have never seen. I made you witness this meeting because I wanted a fresh opinion on the situation, and also because I wanted to give you a chance to hear this and feel it for yourself before you make a decision."

I chuckled softly, interrupting him. "I'm grateful for your kindness, my lord, but you took an unnecessary risk. My decision cannot change. Where my horses go, I go. That is the only thing I know."

He shook his head, half in anger and half in regret. "Curse the stubbornness of the Irish. Mountjoy warned me it would be useless to try and make you see reason. Stay then, and may God look after you."

I bowed deeply, owing the man for what he had tried to do, for the risk he had run on my behalf and for the kindness in his heart. Then I turned away and went out in silence.




I focused on the echoes of my steps rising in the corridor as I walked away from Lord Fitzgerald's chambers. It had been an unsettling experience, I had to admit it. Because I spent most of my time on the penultimate level of Edo castle, caring for my horses, I hadn't been confronted directly to the life of the Nihon nobles, I knew almost nothing of their ways. That this place was a nest of intrigues was something I had expected in the back of my mind.

All courts were like that.

But that this Shogun's power might still be fragile enough that he could be overthrown...no, I hadn't envisioned that. The situation wasn't one of stability contrary to what I had imagined. It might become so, but for now.... It didn't change anything though. I couldn't abandon my horses here, I could do so even less now that I knew how fragile the balance of this place was.

"Aislinn-san!"

I stopped and turned back, feeling a smile on my lips as I recognized the voice.

Sure enough, it was Sakurazuka Sekai, right at the other edge of the long corridor. I waited patiently while he accelerated his walk to join me, and I bowed slightly when he reached my side. Grinning, he said, "A good day to you. It's a funny coincidence that we meet here, I had never seen you in these walls."

I nodded, replying, "Lord Fitzgerald needed to talk to me, otherwise I'd have stayed in the stables or the garden. I don't belong here."

He sobered up instantly, somehow aware that behind the light tone of my voice there was something much more serious. His eyes set on me appraisingly for a few seconds, then he shrugged. "No, likely you don't. The wind should never be imprisoned within walls, or stuck in the center of a spider's web." He reached out to me, and gently pushed aside an unruly lock of hair which had been invading my face. He released me, his gaze suddenly distant as if something was troubling him, then eventually he smiled. "But now that you're here, that'll save me the trouble of having to seek you out."

Going along with his abrupt change of mood, I cocked my head to the side, looking at him with a comical questioning expression.

"Sumeragi may have covered up for your escapade out of the goodness of his kind and generous heart, but you know he didn't fool me. I told you there was a price to be paid for my silence, and you did agree to pay it, right?" He was grinning like a kid. With a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I nodded slowly. Clapping his hands, he laughed. "Splendid! So let's go, now is the perfect time to honour your debt."

I stepped back, shaking my head and trying hard not to start chuckling.

"Aislinn-san? You promised me to wear a kimono, to let your hair be done in the way women do, and to dine with me!"

I raised a hand to my face to hide the smile on my lips, and told him, "Yes, I remember perfectly, but...not now." Eyes alight with pleasure, I added, "Unless you catch me, I'll never allow myself to be clad in such awful garments!"

That said, I dashed forward, Sakurazuka Sekai on my heels.

I took a sharp turn, almost losing my balance, and focused on the rhythm of my breathing. Damn him, but Sekai was good at running, I couldn't seem to outdistance him even though we'd been running for a few minutes. I had hoped to lose him in the maze of corridors, but I was the one who was lost. I was choosing directions randomly, praying not to encounter anyone for fear of triggering some incident or other.

Whisper.

Wind, ethereal.

Spark.

Presence.

Power.

I froze as the perceptions brushed past me. It had felt like waves going through me, like.... I turned towards my pursuer who came to an abrupt halt right beside me, eyes wide, likely aware of what had made me stop. I reached out to Sakurazuka Sekai, and nodded to myself. Yes, it had felt like waves, like....

Ripples.

My fingertips touched the unreal shield cloaking the man at my side, and I drew my hand back. It was the same, and then opposite. Different, but kin somehow. I closed my eyes and listened to the ethereal wind. There. I stepped towards a sliding panel, and in the same time Sakurazuka Sekai's hand closed around my left arm, holding me back. I turned towards him, and saw a strange light in his eyes, mixture of worry, eagerness, reluctance, curiosity and impulse to...challenge.

I smiled at him, locking my eyes to his, and closed my right hand upon his, squeezing gently before letting go and slowly freeing myself from his hold. He released me, his face an unreadable mask, and I went to the sliding panel. I opened it, careful of not making the slightest sound, and stepped into the room beyond.

The last lights of day were entering the room through the opened panel on the other side. The sun had set, and night was falling rapidly. The room was absolutely empty, except for a man in pure white robes kneeling in the middle of it, his back to us. There were four candles set on the ground and shaping a wide square around him. A shield. The silence in the room was absolute, filled with a tension I didn't understand. Power rose in the man in front of me, like beautiful wings of light slowly unfolding around him, and he lifted his head, looking up, as if searching for something or someone. Then I suddenly realized something was wrong.

I couldn't feel Sakurazuka Sekai's presence at my side anymore.

Just as I focused on that, I grew aware of him, and briefly turned towards him. The shield of ripples surrounding him was almost translucent. I held out a hand towards him, and distinctly felt a resistance when my fingers went through the strange cloak. He stared at me in surprise and then had a small smile, as if belatedly remembering what I had told him before. No mortal's spell could bind me unless I chose to be bound. I rested my hand on his right forearm and felt a terrible tension inside him. He was fighting the desire to release it, and in the same time he was hiding himself completely from the man who was present in the room. I pressed his forearm gently, smiling at him and nodding.

I know. Don't worry, only one with Faerie blood could ever feel what you are. Your secret is safe.

Something flashed in his eyes, unreadable, then an answering smile came to his lips and some of the tension left him. As if he'd been able to hear me.... Perhaps a tiny fraction of it had reached him, but the shadow within me doubted even that was possible, even though Sakurazuka Sekai was talented. Nobody could hear me, nobody but my horses.

Gust of wind.

Violent.

I faced the strange room again, and felt wind slapping my face, coming from nowhere. The candles' flames flickered, as if about to go out and then shone brightly again. Power was still radiating from the man in front of me, strong and serene like an ocean in Spring. Then I saw it.

In the candle flames' weak light, a ghostly shape appeared, right before the kneeling man.

A woman.

Her long hair flowing down, almost reaching her heels.

Flying wildly, as if taken in a storm.

Her eyes were empty.

She was crying.

Her mouth opened as if to cry, but no sound resounded in the room.

No sound, but a feeling.

Loneliness.

Pain.

Grief.

Loss.

Choking the air around us.

Hurting.

Hurting....

Instinctively, I stepped forward, reaching out to the lost spirit, and in the same time the kneeling man stood up and held out his hand to her. His fingers brushed her ethereal cheeks with infinite gentleness, wiping her ghostly tears away, and he whispered softly, "I know how terrible your sorrow is. It has trapped you here long enough. It's over now. Go, Shimako-san, go and rest."

The man's power spread around him, the translucent wings of light unfolding even further and then closing around the grieving spirit, enveloping her.

Shielding her.

Freeing her.

Opening for her the way which had been closed for so long.

Around us, the wind died and the candles went out. At this very moment, I felt the spirit's passing, and my heart wrenched in sympathy and happiness as I perceived the mixture of grief and joy it left behind. Tears came to my eyes and I didn't fight them back. Before me, the man turned towards us, slowly, as if tired. All feeling of power had vanished from the room.

Sumeragi Kirikaze's eyes flashed with surprise when he saw us, and then a weary smile came to his lips. "Good evening to you, Aislinn-san. "He bowed to me, then turned towards Sekai. "Sakurazuka-san." He bowed slightly, and for a fraction of a second I wondered if there had been tension in his stance, but the moment passed.

"So that's why you came here for, Sumeragi-san. I thought your cousin had wanted to get rid of a rival, but it looks like such wasn't the case."

A dangerous light shone in Sumeragi Kirikaze's eyes as he heard the barely veiled mockery in Sakurazuka Sekai's words, and he said, "My cousin is the head of our House, he has no rival; and if he thought he had, he would be stupid. My coming here had nothing to do with intrigue, I have nothing but contempt for those games."

My heart skipped a beat when I felt the unspoken hostility between both men, and I wondered whether Sumeragi Kirikaze was truly unaware of Sakurazuka Sekai. He hadn't felt our presences during this ritual, but that didn't mean he didn't know who was in front of him. For the second time, I felt the hardness in this man, and thought he wasn't the easy opponent Sakurazuka Sekai seemed to consider him to be...on the surface, for the tension I had felt in my friend when we had felt Sumeragi Kirikaze's power....

Enough with this.

Enough.

I didn't care in the slightest about whatever rivalry there might be or not be between the Sumeragi House and Sakurazuka Sekai. I knew but two things. I knew what Sumeragi Kirikaze had done for me, and I knew what he had done for the lost spirit in this room.

Following an impulse which had come from the bottom of my heart, I stepped over to the young man and embraced him, whispering in his ear, "Thank you, Sumeragi-san. Thank you for what you just did, for caring enough to send her away like this. I know what it cost you. Thank you."

I held him tight, trying in the same time to master an eerie emotion rising inside me, and then released him, stepping back, head bowed to hide the tears which I knew were shining in my eyes.

"There's no need to thank me, Aislinn-san." There was a hint of surprise in the gentle whisper. Of surprise and something else, like happiness, perhaps. I looked up to see him right in front of me, smiling. He reached out to me, wiping a tear away. "Such strange eyes you have, so beautiful and deep, like the ocean when storm clouds gather over it. Why is it I can't see my reflection in them?"

I sniffed, shrugging and sending the overwhelming emotion back. Forcing a smile to come to my lips, I answered, "Perhaps because I'm a thief who steals the images of her friends to keep them close to her heart."

Friend.

There, I had said it.

For good or for ill, I had committed myself. Turning so I could see both Sakurazuka Sekai and him, I added, "It's sheer luck we stumbled upon you, Sumeragi-san. Perhaps you can help me escape from Sakurazuka-san. He wants to force me to wear a kimono and--"

Sumeragi Kirikaze looked sharply at Sakurazuka Sekai, who shrugged, and something unreadable passed between the two men. Then Sakurazuka Sekai grinned, nodding. "Why, yes. After all I ask nothing more than you keep your promise, Aislinn-san."

I bowed my head, coughing to cover my embarrassment, and Sumeragi Kirikaze chuckled at that. "Well, if such is the case I'm afraid I can't be of any assistance, and besides," he smiled at me, his eyes glinting with mischief, "I must admit I'd also like to see you wearing a kimono."

Oh dear....

Shaking my head, I thought I should have kept my mouth shut.

"Why don't you join us tomorrow evening for supper? It'll be rather informal. Everybody is preparing for the Shogun's return so only some members of friendly Houses will be present." Sumeragi Kirikaze grinned at me. "I'm sure you'll find the experience extremely interesting."

If I could have fainted on the spot, I think I'd have. Spirits help me, but he was worse than Sakurazuka Sekai! Eventually I yielded to the inevitable and nodded. "All right, you win, but you are warned that I have no sense of proper manners. If I make some incredibly stupid mistake or if I behave impolitely, it's on your shoulders."

Sumeragi Kirikaze laughed gently. "It'll be okay, don't worry." The fingers of his right hand squeezed my left shoulder in a reassuring gesture, and I once more felt the warmth and kindness radiating from him. I blinked, chasing away the strange emotion which was rising again in my heart, and walked away from him, shrugging and pretending I was sulking.

When I reached Sakurazuka Sekai's side, he smiled at me, a knowing smile which for some reason sent fire to my cheeks. Mumbling incoherently, I said, "It's all your fault." I stepped out in the corridor, accompanied by the echoes of Sakurazuka Sekai's laughter.




Nia pricked up her ears in surprise, and even Sreim looked up from the straw he was busy grazing.

So, I look that stupid in it, huh?

The black stallion snorted, shaking his head in disbelief at human beings' incomprehensible concerns. To him I was me, and I stayed me no matter what silly disguise I chose to wear. I patted his cheek amiably, wishing people were as simple and true as horses. As sincere. Aodhan whinnied on my right, jealous of the attention I was giving Sreim, and I walked over to the chestnut, poking his soft velvety nose with the tip of my right forefinger.

Yes, yes, rascal. I know you're there, and I love you. Stop being a pest, will you? The infernal horse started shaking his head wildly and I shrugged, knowing it was hopeless anyway. Turning away from his stall, I walked over to Laigen and Liath, who both thought they had better things to do than gawking at me, like finishing the last bits of hay they hadn't had time to gulp down yet. I chuckled despite myself as I watched them, and suddenly Liath looked up towards me, and swished his tail quietly, indicating I shouldn't worry so.

Perhaps you're right, Liath. I wish I could discard all that.... I reached out to the big dapple grey and stroked his forehead. He blew softly in my neck, as if to reassure me, and I patted his neck with a sigh, wishing I could feel his confidence, and most of all wishing we were a few hours older. Why, why in the name of all the gods, named or unnamed, had I let myself be dragged into this?

Because of Sakurazuka Sekai, that was why.

And because I had wanted to dissipate the atmosphere of tension and hostility I had felt between him and Sumeragi Kirikaze. I had drawn both their attentions to me, and I was merely paying the price for that. I was lucky, it was a small price enough to pay, but still the simple thought of the coming dinner was enough to turn my knees to jelly.

Surprise.

Recognition.

Happiness.

I turned around to see Sreim whinnying softly in welcome, and Sumeragi Kirikaze entered the stables. As I watched him coming towards me, my mind focused back on Sreim's reaction, repeating it over and over. The black stallion had behaved as if it had been a friend visiting, even though he had seen Sumeragi Kirikaze but once. The young man reached out to Sreim and gently stroked his nose, then turned towards me and froze.

I looked back at him numbly, distantly wondering how awful I had to be looking for him to react like that, and eventually the young man bowed.

"Aislinn-san, you're very beautiful." He smiled. "I'm glad I didn't help you escape from keeping your promise to Sakurazuka-san."

Throwing him a doubtful glance, I replied, "You say that just to reassure me."

Chuckling, he shook his head. "No, I swear to you. When I saw you before, I thought you were a strange and fascinating figure, but what I see before me now is a truly beautiful young woman. I'm honored you accepted to dine with us."

Ugh, banter now. Sighing inwardly, I thought to myself that I supposed it was part of the game of social occasions like that kind of dinner. I'd have to bear with it, there was no other way. But hell if I'd ever enjoy that.

"Where is Sakurazuka-san?"

I shrugged. "He sent servants with these awful garments and a message that he'd be joining us a bit later."

Sumeragi Kirikaze nodded. "Well, if that's so, then I think we'd better get going. Will you accompany me, my lady?"

Rolling my eyes heavenward I joined the young man, and prayed this would be over quickly.




"Ah, I see you're faced with a fascinating problem."

I froze, belatedly realizing I was fixing the dish in front of me with a perplexed stare, my chopsticks immobile, some five inches above the plate. I turned towards Sakurazuka Sekai who was obviously enjoying himself quite a bit, and shrugged good-humoredly. The giant fried prawn still waiting to be eaten in my plate looked absolutely delicious, but it was true I had absolutely no idea how I was going to manage to bring it to my mouth and swallow it correctly.

"Let me give you a piece of advice: don't think about it, you'll never find an elegant solution. Just go for it, and don't hesitate." The fool was grinning at me, very much satisfied with himself. Throwing a quick glance at the other guests and checking that they were otherwise occupied, busy talking between themselves, I seized the prawn between my chopsticks and bent down, attempting to eat it in one mouthful.

I failed.

Swearing silently, I cut the infernal thing with my front teeth, and managed to get the two halves inside my mouth. Once I was sure I wouldn't choke on it, I looked around and saw with relief that nobody had noticed, but for Sakurazuka Sekai who was very busy trying to look serious, and Sumeragi Kirikaze who was chuckling softly. I blushed, furious against the both of them, and against myself for having allowed this to happen.

"Sumeragi-sama, I wanted to thank you one more time for all that you did, my family will always be in your debt."

I stared curiously at the man who was bowing at Sumeragi Kirikaze, who bowed back saying it was nothing, and that he'd been glad to be able to help. Beside me, Sakurazuka Sekai whispered, "The Sumeragi House may be the guardian of this land's spiritual balance, but they also act as exorcists, ridding people of curses or helping wandering souls to find their way again. It would seem Sumeragi Kirikaze came all the way from Kyoto to here at the request of Fukushima Shingen. Interesting...."

Exorcists.... People using their Sight and their talent for wielding power to help others. They were a bit like the ancient druids, how strange. Yes, how strange the kinship between this land and Erin was....

Stupefaction.

I blinked, shaking my head.

Enemy.

I tensed as the perception struck me with such a violence that I almost lost my balance. I started getting up, but Sakurazuka Sekai's hand closed around the edge of my sleeve and he whispered urgently, "Aislinn-san, what's wrong?"

I shook my head again, unable to give a name to what had just happened. Discarding his hold on me, I stood.

"Don't!"

Enemy!

I didn't even hear Sekai's warning. The only thing I was conscious of was the cry resounding in my mind, over and over, amplifying with each second. Unaware of the other guests' surprise, I turned my back on them and ran on bare feet in the empty corridors.

Enemy!

Tearing the wretched kimono which impaired my movements, I ran.

Pain.

I ran, a mad fear engulfing my whole being.




There wasn't a single sound as I entered the stables. The silence was deep and heavy with threat. With.... Gritting my teeth, I stepped towards the stalls, and froze when I suddenly felt something wet and almost warm under my feet. As if I had stepped into a water puddle. I looked down in a slow motion, and felt emptiness invading my mind.

I didn't need a torch to see, the moon was full tonight, and its light was quite strong enough for me to be able to identify what it was I had just stepped into.

Blood.

My eyes followed the trail, and I saw a great shape lying down on straw which had lost its fair golden colour. A great, grey shape, with darker spots all along his coat. I felt myself walking towards him, unaware I had ordered my legs to move. Like an automaton I knelt down in the tainted straw, and reached out to the prone shape.

Liath?

The stallion's eyes flickered open, and a part of me noticed how difficult his breathing was. He was choking on his own blood. The damage came from two great cuts in his left flank and his neck. Whoever had done it either hadn't wanted to finish his work or hadn't managed to. The fingers of my right hand softly stroked the dapple grey's forehead, as if of their own volition.

Liath was dying, and there was nothing I could do.

Nothing.

I had heard him.

I had heard.

I had felt.

But I had come too late.

I had....

The stallion's ears lowered flat on his skull, and on my left a low, threatening whinny cut through the silence.

Yes, Nia.

She and the others had witnessed the slaughter, they had watched, unable to do anything, prisoners of the iron bars of their stalls, knowing better than to try and break them. Waiting for their turn to come. Waiting for death, knowing they wouldn't be given the possibility to fight.

I know, Nia.

The shadow within rose, cold and calm, and I let it. I welcomed the feeling of it, of its icy hatred which washed over distress and fury.

While behind me death was about to strike a second time, I reached inside the kimono and unsheathed the silver dagger. Uncaring of the danger, I whirled around, pushing myself upright in the same time, and struck. There was a muffled cry of pain, and at that moment I felt something piercing through my left arm. Grinning ferally, I denied the pain easily and struck a second time, pushing back the attacker and following him instantly.

Sudden fear lighted the eyes in front of me as I avoided another attack, and I smiled. Yes, fear was the right reaction. Even if I hadn't lived all my life among horses, and as a consequence built up my strength and the speed of my reflexes for years, the shadow inside me would have been enough. It laughed at mortals who dared try to harm it, who dared presume they could ever surprise it, be faster than it. They were clay, and it was wind.

I was wind.

The man in front of me staggered back against the stables' wall, bleeding from three severe wounds in his sides. The silence around us was still absolute, frightening. Behind me Nia, Sreim, Laigen and Aodhan were watching, as quiet as stones.

Waiting.

Bear witness, my friends.

I stepped towards the stranger, who stared back at me with desperate fear in his eyes. As I stopped one step short of reaching him, I heard a faint whisper in the air.

"A...akuma...."

Demon.... I restrained the mocking, contemptuous laughter the word gave rise to, and studied the assassin. He was wholly clad in black, and there was a mask hiding his face, like for those who had killed the servants on our way to Edo. Ninja, Sakurazuka Sekai had called them. It didn't matter to me. Only one thing mattered.

One.

I used words, since the wretched being couldn't understand anything else, and told him, "You are dead." I smiled at him, a frightening, inhuman smile. "What is your name?"

For a few seconds there was no answer, but as I thought I would have to wrestle that from him, he said defiantly, "Miyoshi Juzo."

I nodded to myself, tasting the sound of it and finding it to be true. With the same smile, I looked down at him and said quietly, "Miyoshi Juzo, by the blood which flows in my veins, and in the name of the Huntress whose steed you killed, I curse your name for all eternity. May your soul wander until the end of time, unable to find rest or peace. Pray that Flidais forgive you one day, for I never will."

That said, I walked the last step separating me from him and in a swift, unhesitating gesture drove the dagger through his heart.

I smiled grimly as I felt the life going out of him, and turned around, discarding the corpse. I walked a few steps towards Liath's stall, but there was nothing to be done. Nothing.

Liath was dead.

As suddenly as it had risen, the shadow within retreated to the back of my soul, and I slowly fell on my knees. I didn't hear the ringing sound as my blade hit the ground. I didn't see Sreim and Nia holding out their heads towards me. I didn't feel their anxiety and their sorrow whirling in the air.

Liath was dead.

The price for that had been exacted, but nothing would ever bring the great stallion back. Nothing. I slowly looked up towards the ceiling, to the night sky and the stars beyond it, and felt tears running down my cheeks. Pain rose inside my chest, unbearable and I opened my mouth to cry out, but no sound could pass through my lips. Nothing human could ever have been enough, nothing human could ever be adequate to express the ravaging storm of grief engulfing me. I hugged myself reflexively, trying in vain to stop myself from trembling, unable to even feel the pain in my left arm, while a keening howl of mourning echoed in my mind, endless.

LIAAAAAAATH!

End of Part 5.




Notes

The Lady Yodo: she's the mother of Toyotomi Hideyori, the heir of Toyotomi Hideyoshi whom Tokugawa Ieyasu betrayed after promising him he'd support his son and heir. (cf. notes of the prologue)
Sumeragi Kirikaze: I meant to explain his firstname in previous chapters, but forgot ^^;
Kirikaze is the name of a character of Fuma no Kojiro (a work of Masami Kurumada). There are two main reasons for my using this name. First the character of Kurumada is a twin of Shun (physically, as to the behaviour there are some common points, you'd be surprised for others *grin*), and second I like the way the name is built: from the two words "kiri" for mist, and "kaze" for wind. I think it's a very beautiful name. ^^

To anyone who writes or works or studies with a musical background, I absolutely recommend the 1st soundtrack of the B't X OVAs. It has a fantastic hypnotic quality. ^^


On to Next Part

Back to Previous Part

Back to my Fanfic page.