The Forbidden Library (29 page)

“I hope they run into the cave and face all those angry knobs and what’s left of Satsupan,” Zaiporo said. “That would be justice.”

As they rode up the blind, a frustrated, shrieking howl pierced the fog and echoed through the canyon. Turesobei knew the voice behind it. 

“Sounds like we’ve thwarted them for now, master,” Lu Bei said.

Kurine pulled alongside Turesobei and stared at him. “So that … that was …”

“My other betrothed,” he replied dully.

As they rode Turesobei stared blindly into the distance and thought of the time he’d run into Awasa with his shirt stuck over his head. That was the day Lu Bei had come to him. Or the tea they’d had with their mothers before the note from Iniru had changed their lives. He thought of the dance he’d offered to take her to. A dance he would’ve attended without that note. Without that note she would still be the same old Awasa. Not the good person she had started to become and not the nightmare she was now. But even without that note, the Deadly Twelve would have come after him and Awasa would probably be dead. Although that would be a better fate than being turned into what she was now. 

When they reached Motekeru an hour later, he was meditating near the destruction he’d wrought. He nodded tersely and climbed into the saddle of his mount. But they didn’t go on immediately. They gave the mounts a few minutes to rest since they’d be riding them nonstop for the rest of the day and part of the night.

“You okay?” Iniru asked.

Turesobei shrugged. “This is my fault.” 

“It is, but what’s done is done. I’m sorry it happened.”

“The trip was making her a better person. She was trying so hard. She’d turned the corner.”

“She really had,” Shoma said. “She was becoming almost tolerable. She worked so hard to earn Sobei’s respect and now …”

“The magic has brought out all the worst of her. If not for all those yomon, I’d do anything I could to help her, though I’m not sure what I could do.”

“I haven’t seen many things like this before,” Lu Bei said, solemnly, “obviously, but my experience and instincts tell me there’s probably no way to cure her of this.”

Chapter 36

For the next several days they pushed on as hard as they dared over increasingly rough terrain with jagged rocks, sudden gullies, and sloping hills. But with no sign of Awasa and the yomon, they eventually slowed to a more reasonable pace that wouldn’t kill the sonoke. The only good thing about this region was how sparsely populated it was, so they didn’t have to worry about the yomon tearing through any villages. This also meant game was plentiful. Unfortunately most of it was able to fight back. Periodically, Turesobei would cast the
spell of the baby’s breath
to blow snow and debris over their tracks. It was the first wind spell an apprentice learned and was normally sufficient only for blowing out a candle across a room. Here its effect was considerable.

Turesobei was settling down for the night in the snowhouse with the others when Iniru appeared at the entrance. 

“I’m coming in.” By the time Narbenu could start to complain about the impropriety of it, she was already inside. “Turesobei is needed in our snowhouse.”

“He can’t go,” Narbenu said, “and you can’t stay here any longer.”

“His sister needs him,” Iniru said in her screw-you voice.

Narbenu frowned. “I don’t think —”

“Motekeru is there, so is his sister. We’re not going to do anything improper.”

“I’m going to check on my sister,” Turesobei told Narbenu authoritatively. “I’ll be back.”

“Sobei,” Zaiporo said. “Tell Shoma … tell her … tell her I said … hi.”

“Um … okay,” Turesobei said, and he stepped outside, following Iniru.

“What’s wrong with Shoma?” Turesobei asked.

“She’s cracking under all the pressure. She’s exhausted and seeing Awasa, I think it really shook her up. I tried to comfort her but she’s mad at me.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I flirted a bit with Zaiporo a few times. Several maybe. I think.”

“You flirt with a lot of people. Doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yeah, but he flirted back and … it’s just … you know how it is.” She cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well,
you
probably don’t.”

“I feel like I don’t know what’s going on between us all anymore.”

“Well, if we could share the same snowhouse, we’d all communicate better and you’d get to see Shoma more. That would help. If Narbenu wasn’t such a prude. I’m really not fond of him.”

“Narbenu’s a good man, Niru. He saved my life and took me in. Risked his neck to help rescue you, too. He’s just trying to do what he thinks is right. He feels responsible for us.”

“Maybe so,” Iniru said, “but I don’t think he’s that simple. He has a slave. Good men don’t keep slaves.”

“And you’re an assassin. Good people don’t kill other people.”

Iniru spun on him. “Oh yeah?”

Turesobei shrugged. “I’m not holding it against you. Just saying the world isn’t that simple. And things are different here. Just like they’re different for k’chasan qengai and k’chasan families. Kemsu’s paying a blood debt, and if he’s okay with that, then so am I.”

“Well, I can see Kurine is good for one thing.”

“Wait … what? What does she have to do with anything?”

“You were a lot easier to manage when you had less backbone,” Iniru said with a sigh. “Still, it has to be a good thing in the end.”

“What makes you think Kurine has anything to do with me having more backbone? I’ve always had backbone!”

“Before her you never thought of me as anything but wonderful. I was magical … perfect. It was a good feeling. Now, I’m an assassin … though an excusable one at least.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and stroked her hand down his neck. “Reality had to set in eventually I suppose.”

With that she ducked inside the girl’s snowhouse, leaving him to stand in the cold, utterly bewildered. Kurine had given him backbone? He thought of all the times he’d stood up to people, dared the unknown, faced dangers deemed insurmountable, did things his way … He’d faced down the Storm Dragon and was still himself. How by the love Kaiwen Earth-Mother could he not have backbone already? It just didn’t make any sense.

He shook his head. No sense in pondering it. If Shoma, Kurine, and Awasa didn’t make sense to him there was no way he’d ever understand Iniru. He entered their snowhouse. Motekeru sat in the corner with Enashoma cradled in his bronze-jointed, wooden arms. Enashoma was sobbing, her head against his chest. Turesobei paused, overwhelmed by the absurdity of that image. 

Kurine popped up from the side and gave him a smile and a quick peck on the cheek. She gave Iniru a seething glance then said, “Enashoma’s been crying for an hour now. I did what I could … but she doesn’t really know me and …”

“It’s okay,” he responded. “Thank you for trying.” He turned to Iniru. “Thank you both.”

He knelt beside Enashoma. She spun into his arms. Motekeru nodded to him and Turesobei nodded back.

“Shoma, Shoma, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I’m … I’m fine,” she sobbed.

“You don’t sound fine.”

“I don’t want to trouble you, Sobei. You’ve been through so much. And seeing Awasa … you must be —”

“I’m fine,” he said.

“You’re lying.”

“I’m trying not to think about it.” That was a lie. He thought about Awasa all the time while riding, even more now that he’d seen her. That was the problem with riding in the cold all day long as fast as you could, bundled in thick furs with your face covered, there wasn’t much chance for conversation. He and Zaiporo had long ago run out of things to talk about and talking between mounts was difficult. Even Kurine had largely given up now that the terrain was rough. 

“Awasa … is that what’s bothering you?” he asked.

“Yes … no. It’s everything. This isn’t what I set out for. Freedom, a little adventure, that’s what I wanted. I miss our world. I miss warmth. I miss home. I miss Grandfather … hot meals … tea … even Mother. Life was easy at home … Home was okay, I just wanted to be myself … to marry who I wanted … see a little of the world.”

“I know. I failed you. I’m sorry. I wish I’d made you stay.”

“I don’t want to end up like Awasa. I’m okay with dying, but not that. Never that. If something like that happens to me, kill me, okay? Don’t hesitate. Don’t wait because you’re going to try to save me. Just end it.”

“Shoma—”

“Promise me.”

“I’ll do better than that. I promise I won’t ever let it happen.” He held her for a while, letting her cry. Then he kissed her tenderly on the nose. “I love you, Little Blossom. Be strong. I’ll get you home yet.” He sat back and smiled at her. “Now, I have just the thing to cheer you up. Lu Bei!”

A few moments later the fetch flew into the snowhouse, circled the room three times, sticking his tongue out at Iniru and Kurine with each pass, and landed before Enashoma. He swept one hand out and bowed before her.

“My lady,” Lu Bei said. “Most wondrous Blossom. Fairest of all. I have come to bring happiness. Which, of course, means that I have come to serve you tea.” In his other hand he held a tin bowl.

“We don’t have any tea,” she muttered through sobs. “And no fire.”

“Tut. Tut.” Lu Bei shook a finger at her. “Such negative thinking.” He held the bowl out. “Water please.”

Kurine grabbed a canteen and poured clean water into the bowl. The water was nearly frozen. The only way they could keep it liquid was by storing it with the star-stones. Lu Bei flicked his hand out and suddenly, between his fingers, he held a satchel filled with herbs. He dropped the satchel into the tin bowl. Jasmine, Turesobei picked out the scent immediately, along with …

“Tea buds!” he said. “You have white tea buds. You were holding out.”

Enashoma clapped and laughed.

“Desperate times call for special teas,” Lu Bei said. “I’ve
always
got something good stashed away for just the right moment.”

“Where do you stash anything away?” Kurine said. “You’re naked.”

“Madam!” Lu Bei said, folding his wings around to cover himself. His amber cheeks darkened. “We do not point out such things. We also do not question the magic of tea storage. Are we clear?”

“Um … okay … sure,” she responded.

“Good.” He stuck his tongue out at her. “Now, master, if you would so kindly warm the tea. Friend Motekeru, I think master could benefit from a bit of assistance.”

“For Enashoma,” Motekeru said. “Of course.”

Turesobei cast a fire-wielding spell and held a hand out toward Motekeru who spat a small flame into it. He then held his hand under the tin bowl until steam began to rise from it.

“You can hold fire!” Kurine said.

“It’s a simple trick. Just a minor talent and a bit of focus. I couldn’t walk through a fire, just to be clear. That would require serious magic.”

Lu Bei dipped a finger into the bowl. “Ahhh … perfection.” He passed the bowl to Enashoma, but she handed it to Turesobei, wiped away her tears, and took Lu Bei into a hug, squeezing him tightly.

“Oh my, I cannot breath, my lady. Cannot breathe. I shall perish!”

Laughing, she let him go and took the bowl. She drank from it and sighed with pleasure. “Oh, it’s like a bit of home. It’s perfect.” After a while she handed it to Turesobei. “Have a sip. But just one. A
small
one. The tea is
mine
.”

He took a sip and it was like tasting home. Enashoma let Iniru take a sip next and she too sighed with pleasure. Enashoma took the bowl to Kurine. “Try some.”

“Are you sure?” Kurine said, almost blushing. “It’s your tea.”

“You are my friend now. Almost sisters, I guess. I want you to try it.”

Nervously, Kurine tasted the tea. “It’s … it’s sort of bitter and tangy. The herb is nice. Sorry, I didn’t mean to — It is tasty. We don’t have anything like that.”

“I know,” Enashoma moaned.

“I am reminded,” said Lu Bei, “of the
Ballad of the Man Who Could Not Taste Tea
. Have you heard that one?”

None of them had heard it, of course. Lu Bei recited the tale, delighting everyone, especially Shoma. Turesobei suspected the fetch was making up the tale as he went. But that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that Enashoma was a little bit better.

Chapter 37

As they continued on, the land ceased to be barren, and they were forced to bypass a region of hot springs that hosted dozens of villages. After that the terrain leveled out again, and they picked up speed, soon returning to wild, unpopulated areas. They encountered few problems and the yomon remained out of sight, as did their reitsu pursuer if indeed he still followed them. Turesobei hadn’t detected him since the blizzard. Lu Bei and Narbenu were both certain the yomon needed little if any sleep, and their stride was long which would allow them to cover much distance. So if the yomon picked up the trail, they would close in fast.