Page 64 of Shadow of the Fox

“All right.” Okame sighed, giving the staircase a resigned look. “Priest first then, gambling hall later. And maybe some red light district fun afterward. It’s going to be a busy night, I hope you two can keep up.” He specifically looked at Daisuke as he said this, as if gauging the other’s response. The noble, for his part, ignored him and raised a hand toward the steps.

“This is your mission, Yumeko-san. We follow you.”

I took a deep breath, relieved and nervous all at once. I was almost there. Just a few more steps until I completed the first part of my mission. Finding Master Jiro, who could tell me where to find the Steel Feather temple. My journey wasn’t over; we still had to get to the temple and I had no idea where it was, but I imagined we would have to cross several unfamiliar territories and search the harshest, most unforgiving terrain, all the while being pursued by blood mages and demons. I would still have to keep the scroll safe, from demonsandmy own companions. From a dangerous, single-minded demonslayer who might kill me if he realized I had tricked him, that I’d possessed the scroll all along. This wasn’t the end, far from it. This was another beginning, and for a moment, my head spun at what I still had to do.

One step at a time, little fox. I remembered Master Isao’s voice, his words whenever I faced a mountain of chores or an especially daunting task.The spider does not spin its web in a heartbeat, nor does the albatross fly across oceans with a few flaps of its wings. Many would consider what they do impossible, and yet, they still complete their tasks without fail, because they simply...start.

One step at a time.I took one step, then another, until I had crossed the road and stood before the torii gate. Beyond the arch was sacred ground, the realm of the kami. I offered a respectful bow to the spirits whose territory I was entering, and started up the steps.

It was a fairly steep, long stairway, and I was careful to keep to one side of the steps, as the center of the path was reserved for the kami. The edge of the staircase was quite worn, rough with age and time, making it important to watch where you put your feet. As I climbed the last step, I spotted a komainu statue, the maned lion-dogs that protected the shrine from evil spirits, atop its plinth flanking the staircase, mouth open in a fearsome snarl. Another stone pedestal sat on the other side of the steps, but this one was empty, as if the second guardian had decided to abandon its post.

Briefly, I wondered what had happened to it; komainu guardians always came in pairs. But the thought was quickly forgotten as I passed beneath a second torii and saw the small but elegant shrine across the tiny courtyard. The haiden, or prayer hall, sitting on a raised platform atop a flight of four stone steps, was the vermillion red of the torii gate. A sacred rope was draped across the entrance, indicating the holiness of the building. Beyond the haiden was the honden, the main building where the kami were housed, and no one but the priest and resident shrine maidens were allowed to enter.

“Looks like no one’s here,” Okame mused. There were no people near or around the haiden; the courtyard was empty, as was the purification fountain near the entrance. But in a place like this, where the only sound was the wind in the pines and the trickle of water into the fountain, the presence of the kami could be felt everywhere; even the brash, irreverent ronin seemed loath to break the stillness. “Maybe we should check the outbuildings? The priests’ quarters should be around somewhere, right?”

Daisuke gazed across the courtyard toward the haiden, a thoughtful frown on his face. “Before we do anything else, we should first pay our respects to the kami,” he stated in a solemn voice. “We are guests here, and I have no desire to invite bad fortune into my house by offending them.”

“I guess you’re right,” Okame said. “Though I can usually offend by simply existing. It’s a talent, I suppose.”

In preparation to speak to the kami, we gathered around the purification fountain, a stone trough with ladles balanced around the edges. Daisuke dipped one of the long wooden ladles in the water and poured some over his left hand, then his right, before swiping a finger over his lips and carefully replacing the ladle. I followed his example, noting that Okame did the same, though his expression was slightly sour as he dumped the extremely cold water over his hands, rinsed his mouth and spit into the bushes. Even Tatsumi followed the ritual, carefully cleansing his hands and touching water to his lips in a very calm, practical manner.

Thus cleansed, we turned and made our way to the haiden at the top of the steps. It was an elegant structure, with a green-tiled roof that curved up at the corners and bright red pillars beneath. A wooden offering box sat before a lattice screen that covered the window into the building. Fascinated, I watched as Daisuke dropped a silver tora into the box, then shook the rope dangling to the side.

A chime rang out from a large bell overhead, and immediately, I felt an awakening all around us, as if dozens of eyes suddenly turned our way. The kami of the shrine were aware of our presence now. I hoped they would not take offense to a presumptuous half kitsune invading their territory.

Seeming unaware of the sudden attention, Daisuke bowed once, and then a second time. Bringing his hands before his face, he clapped twice, slow and deliberate, then closed his eyes in silent prayer. When he was finished, Okame repeated the ritual, tossing a copper kaeru into the offering box, ringing the bell and clapping twice before closing his eyes to pray.

Trying to be patient and wait for my turn, I noticed Tatsumi, still standing at the bottom of the steps. His arms were crossed, and he was gazing at the torii gate across the yard. He looked tense, his jaw set and eyes hard, as if he wasn’t comfortable here. I walked down to stand beside him.

“Are you all right, Tatsumi-san? You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you going to make a wish to the kami? Maybe pray for our mission to go well?”

He shook his head. “The kami wouldn’t listen to someone like me.”

“Why?”

“Because calling on the gods requires purity of heart as well as body,” Tatsumi replied. His gaze shifted to his open palm, and a shadow went through his eyes. “Even if I cleansed myself a thousand times, my soul is tainted beyond forgiveness. The kami want nothing to do with me.”

“Oh.” I thought about that a moment; it sounded so sad, to be ignored by the gods. “Tell me, then,” I offered.

He blinked and looked at me, seeming confused. I met his gaze and smiled. “Your wish, Tatsumi. If you could pray for anything, right now, what would it be? I’ll ask the kami for you.”

“Yumeko...” His eyes softened. For a heartbeat, I could see past the cold and shadows and blank mirror gaze, and the vulnerability there made my stomach clench.

“Excuse me.”

We turned, and that brief expression of gentleness vanished from Tatsumi’s face like the snap of a door being shut. I looked into the courtyard and found we were no longer alone.

A young woman stood a few yards away, a broom held in both hands, watching us with a stern expression on her face. She couldn’t have been but a year or two older than me, wearing the traditional red hakama and spotless white haori of a miko—a shrine maiden. Her straight black hair, even longer than mine, was tied behind her with a simple red ribbon, and her dark eyes shone with disapproval as she stepped forward.

“I am sorry,” she announced, her gaze flicking to Daisuke and Okame, walking down the steps to join us. “But the shrine is closed for the evening. Business hours end once the sun goes down. If you wish to say a prayer or make a wish to the kami, please come back...tomorrow.”

Her voice trailed off for a moment as she stared at me. I felt a twisting in my stomach as our gazes met, and for a moment, I thought she could see me. Reallyseeme, what I was. My heart pounded, and I held my breath, wondering if the shrine maiden would shoutkitsune!and I would be exposed to them all.

“Please excuse us,” Daisuke said, coming forward. The miko tore her gaze from me to face the approaching noble, who smiled as he reached the bottom of the steps.

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