Authors: David Kudler
Tags: #Young Adult, Middle Grade, historical adventure, Japanese Civil War, historical fiction, coming of age, kunoichi, teen fiction
I pleaded, “I don't want to be a killer.”
“No,” he sighed again. “Neither do I. And yet I am a Takeda warrior. It is my duty. We live in dangerous times. If I were not to fight to protect our provinces and our people, how many more would die?” His sad smile reminded me of the one that Mieko gave me so often. “You are a samurai maiden, Kano Murasakiâthe daughter of a warrior. You too have a duty.”
Now he had me crying. “I'm no s-samurai. My f-family was stripped of its honor.”
OtÅ-
san, walking toward the Inagawa castle. Walking toward his death. “Do no harm.”
“And yet your duty remains. If I know anything about your fatherâor his daughterâI do not believe that any power on this earth would take that away.” He squeezed my shoulder again and swept the tears from my cheeks with a gauntleted finger. “In the meantime, Murasaki, why don't you forget about knives and samurai and duty for a bit. Climb.”
I nodded and gave him a smile, though it was the last thing I wanted to do. “Thank you, Masugu
-san
. Come back soon.”
“As soon as I can, Murasaki
-san
. Take care.”
As the lieutenant led Inazuma toward the front gate, I scrambled up into the lower branches of the enormous hemlock that grew on the eastern side of the great hall.
It wasn't until I threw my leg over the biggest of the branches, waving at Masugu as he mounted and rode out onto the ridge beyond the gate that Fuyudori's ghost came to visit.
Not her actual ghost. Angry though the white-haired girl's spirit must have been, we had performed all of the proper rites for her. Her body had been burned and the ashes buried in the icy ground behind the compound. We had left out a bowl of rice and a cup of sake at our meals. (They had been small ones, thoughâno one felt she deserved more.) No one had spoken her name. It had been longer than the forty-nine days it would have taken for her spirit to reach the next world.
But sitting there on the branch, feeling the wind stirring my hair, it was hard not to remember sitting on that same limb, watching her climbing after me, furious. Murderous.
I took a deep breath and did my best not to think of her.
Already, Masugu
-san
was only half visible, disappearing over the edge of the ridge down the path that led to the valley and the road west, toward the imperial city.
I waved again, though I knew he would not see.
It was nice to be up in the tree again. Nice to feel the wind. Across the valley, the mountain peaks were still covered in snow, but lower down all was green â a deep, living green, broken by flashes of silver where streams poured the melting snow down into the valley.
The ridge top too was green. Fresh shoots pushed up through dead, grey grass. White wildflowers inked the field.
I stayed there for the rest of the lesson. A small moment of bliss.
“You staying up there all day, Mouse-
chan
, or are you getting your mousy behind into the kitchen to help make dinner?” Toumi glowered up at me from the corner of the great hall.
“Can you see anything interesting?” asked Emi. She too was frowningâbut then, she always frowned.
“I was waving goodbye to the lieutenant.”
“Oh. He's gone?” Emi's frown deepened into a pout.
Toumi made a retching sound. “Come on. We had to bleed the stupid pig. You get to butcher it.”
When I blanched, Emi said, “Killing it was very easy. And put the animal out of its misery.”
“I know,” I whispered.
“Then why didn't you just kill the stupid thing,
baka!”
growled Toumi.
“I couldn't help...”
“What?” Both girls walked below my branch.
I closed my eyes. “I couldn't help thinking... of whose spirit might inhabit the pig.”
“You...
What?”
Toumi gaped up at me.
“I couldn't help but think... that it might be... I don't know. Fuyudori. My father.”
“Oh,” said Emi.
Toumi gave a harsh laugh. “Unbelievable! Seen you kill enough chickens and bunnies. Do you go around worrying about crushing your father when you step on
ants?”
Again I felt the blood leave my face. “I... I will
now!”
“Baka-
yarÅ
!”
Laughing once more, Toumi shook her head. “Come on down here, Mouse. You've got your dad to cut up.”
“Toumi!”
whispered Emi.
I took another breath, trying to steady myself, trying to find that quiet bliss again, and looked back out at the green and white landscape.
Over the edge of the ridge, where Masugu
-san
had disappeared, there seemed to be a hazy wave rising. A wave of vertical lines tipped in steel. Spears. Dozens, Many bearing blue flags showing the wild-ginger leaf
mon
of the Matsudaira.
“Uh... guys?” They both looked up at me. Now, instead of feeling bloodless, I could hear the blood pounding through me. “I think we're being invaded.”
To be Continued in
Bright
-
Eyes
Seasons of the Sword
#2
Â
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-chan
âChild
-koâ
Ending meaning that the word is a girl's name or nickname
-samaâ
My lady or lord (honorific)
-sanâ
Sir or ma'am (honorific)
-senpaiâ
Senior student (honorific)
baka-yarÅâ
Complete idiot (offensive)
daikonâ
A large, white, mild radish
goâ
A Chinese game of strategy
hai
âYes
hanyakâ
(Korean) Herbal medicine
hiraganaâ
phonetic script used for foreign terms and for emphasis (equivalent to italics)
ichiâ
The number one
JizÅ-bosatsuâ
The Buddhist saint (
boddhisatva
) of lost children; he is often portrayed with a blank face and large sleeves in which he protects the children
katakanaâ
phonetic script used for most words
katanaâ
A samurai's long, curved sword
kanji
âChinese ideograms; over three thousand of these non-phonetic characters are widely used in Japanese writing
kimcheeâ
(Korean) Pickled cabbage, often spicy
kitsuneâ
A mischievous, nine-tailed fox spirit
ku
or
kyuâ
The number nine
kumihoâ
(Korean) Mischievous fox spirit (similar to a
kitsune
)
kunoichiâ
“Nine in one”;
a special kind of woman
Kwan-um
â(Korean) The Buddhist saint (
boddhisatva
) of mercy and beauty; called Kwan-yin in China and Kannon in Japan
miko
âShrine maidens; young women who assist at ShintÅ festivals and ceremonies
mizutakiâ
A hot-pot dish made with fish, chicken, or some other meat
Mochizuki
â “full moon”; the clan of Lady Chiyome's late husband
mogusa
âMugwort; formed into pellets, burned (with the lit end away from the flesh) as a stimulant and as a way to celebrate childrens' aging during the New Year festival
monâ
The emblem of a noble house (like the European coat of arms)
Mukashi, mukashiâ
“Long, long ago” (traditional beginning to Japanese folktales, similar to “Once upon a time”)
no
âOf or from
OtÅ-
sanâ
Father
OkÄ-
san
âMother
Risukoâ
Squirrel (a girl's name or nickname)
samisen
âA long-necked, five-stringed instrument, similar to a guitar or banjo
sensei
or
-senseiâ
Teacher (honorific)
ShintÅâ
The native religion of Japan; ShintÅ believes that there are many gods or spirits (
kami)
inhabiting different parts of the natural world, and is frequently practiced side by side with Buddhism
shakuhachi
âA long flute carved from bamboo
shÅgunâ
The emperor's warlord
shoyuâ
Soy sauce
tatami
âA straw mat that is traditionally used to cover floors in Japan
torī
âA large arch or gateway usually found at ShintÅ shrines or temples
wakazashiâ
A samurai's short sword; traditionally used for defense and for committing ritual suicide (
hara-kiri)
Wihayeo
â(Korean) Cheers!
yang
â(Chinese) The male force
yinâ
(Chinese) The female force
Note:
In Japan, as through most of East Asia, tradition places the family name before the given name. For example, in
Kano Murasaki,
Risuko's proper name,
Kano
is her family's name and
Murasaki
her given nameâwhat English speakers would call her first name.
Residents of the Full Moon:
RisukoâProper name: Kano Murasaki. Called “Squirrel” and “Bright-eyes.” Novice.
Lady Mochizuki ChiyomeâMistress of the Full Moon.
MiekoâLady Chiyome's maid.
Kunoichi
-teacher,
miko
-dance master.
KunikoâLady Chiyome's maid.
Tarugu ToumiâCalled “Falcon.” Novice.
Hanichi EmiâCalled “Smiley.” Novice.
AimaruâServant.
Little BrothersâServants.
Lieutenant MusuguâTakeda warrior.
SachiâCalled “Flower.”
Kunoichi-
teacher,
miko-
music teacher.
FuyudoriâCalled “Ghostie.” Head initiate.
MaiâOne of the “Horseradish Sisters.” Junior initiate.
Shinoâ One of the “Horseradish Sisters.” Junior initiate.
Kee SunâCook. Korean.
People in Risuko's hometown:
OkÄ-san
âRisuko's mother
.
Proper name: Kano Chojo.
UsakoâRisuko's sister. Proper name: Kano Daini.
OtÅ-
san
âRisuko's late father. Former samurai, turned scribe. Proper name: Kano Kazuo.
NaruâPig-keeper.
KarokuâWoodgatherer.
KenjiâBoy. Played with Risuko and Usako.
IrochiâEgg-man
Major Historical Characters:
Takeda ShingenâLord of the Takeda clan of Worth (
Kai
) Province. Called “The Mountain” and “The Tiger of Kai.” Allied with the Oda and the Matsudaira
Oda NabunagaâMost powerful lord (
daimyo
) of Japan, controlling the capital in KyÅto and the military government headed by the warlord (
shÅgun
). Head of the
Oda
clan of Rising Tail (
Owari
) Province. Allied with the Takeda and the Matsudaira.
Matsudaira MotoyasuâLord of the Matsudaira clan of Three Rivers (
Mikawa
) Province.
Imagawa UjizaneâLord of the Imagawa clan of Serenity (
Totomi
) Province
Ashikaga YoshiakaâHereditary warlord (
shÅgun
) of Japan. For all intents and purposes Oda Nabunaga's puppet since Oda-
sama
took contol of the capital.
I have translated most of the place names in the book; after all, the names aren't exotic to a speaker of Japanese! The translations are my own, and sometimes aim more at a poetic than a literal translation of the name.
There is in fact a town called
Mochizuki
in Nagano (what used to be Shinano or Dark Letter Province). It is not very far from Midriver Island (
Kawanakajima
), the site of several of the greatest battles of Japan's Civil War era. I couldn't help but set the estate of the Mochizuki family there. The estate itself, however, is entirely of my own imagining.
Serenity ProvinceâTotomi
PineshoreâHamamatsu-shi, Totomi Province
Three Rivers ProvinceâMikawa
Quick River ProvinceâSuruga
Worth ProvinceâKai
Dark Letter ProvinceâShinano
Full MoonâMochizuki, Shinano Province
Midriver IslandâKawanakajima, Shinano Province
Great Eastern Sea RoadâTokkaido
Rising Tail ProvinceâOwari