The Way of the Fox (10 page)

“The next day, foxes arrived, fed us, and led our families north – far north to the Kitsune realm. They gave us lands, they gave us friendship and a home. For generations now, we have been family.”

Chiri listened respectfully.

“Did the man ever reappear, Tonbo san?”

“No, Chiri san. He wanders his own ways, moved by his own moods. But his children are not fickle, nor should they ever be taken lightly.”

The rat suddenly understood.

“The great fox spirit. The thief of heaven!”

“So we believe. It is a tale we tell.” Tonbo
gave a gruff nod. “The foxes will tell you that stories have strong shoulders. They carry far more than mere truth ever can.”

“Kitsune Sura is a strange companion to have chosen. You have the patience of a bodhisattva, Tonbo san. You have my deepest respect.”

Tonbo did not answer at first. Instead, he laid out bowls and chopsticks beside the fire.

“I was seven years old, fourth son of the clan chief. I had gone up to the shrine to sacrifice rice balls to Hachiman – the Great Kami Of Warriors! I was full of myself and very fierce. I wanted to be a mighty samurai! But some bullies had another plan…”

“Kitsune Sura happened.” Tonbo gave a dark chuckle. “I was preparing to face down six
older boys. Mighty would have been the pummelling I would have received! When suddenly – a hornet’s nest came sailing from the trees. It struck my opponents fair and square. They fled at great speed, chased by extremely angry insects.

“And there, sitting in the trees and hooting with laughter – was Sura. Seven years old, all fur, eyes and tail. The terror of the mountain.”

Chiri smiled.

“And so you sacrificed to Hachiman after all?”

“In a sense. We sat down and ate the rice balls together.” Tonbo nodded. “But the God understood. He had brought a gift to me.”

Over in her tangled bed,
Sura was sniffing at the delicious scents of breakfast. The smell lifted her up out of bed. The fox opened her eyes, and gave an enormous yawn. Her fangs were very very white.

“Oooh! We have fish?”

Tonbo threw her robes. “Up!”

“I’m up! I’m wild, I’m trained, I’m ready for action.” The fox nuzzled and wiggled inside her
clothing. She changed to human form, emerging out through her peach-printed robes to tied them closed, then wind her belt into place. Her long hair tufted out around her like a great weird theatre wig. “See? Ready!”

Tonbo tossed her a hairbrush.

Sura brushed out her long copper-red hair, then combed it – finally tying it back into its white-tipped pony tail – decidedly the hairdo of a hoyden. Leaving her bed in total disarray, she descended on the campfire like a ghoul, taking breakfast into her hands with mad, carnivorous glee. She ate with a rapacity that made Kuno keep his fingers well clear. He lifted his meal away from the fox.

“It is a great improvement over kitsune cooking.”

Sura waved her chopsticks about, perfectly happy.

“It’s fish! I can’t do fish. No legs!”

Enjoying herself thoroughly, the fox paused mid meal to look upon the cook with immense gratitude and benevolence.

“This is
so
good! Did you catch these?”

Chiri ate with a ladylike grace, using two ebony chopsticks.

“Yes, Sura san. The water spirits do not mind, so long as one is not too greedy.”

“Well its good! Really good!” The fox finished the second half of her meal at a gulp. “Are those sesame seeds?”

“Sesame seeds, grated
kiyuzu
rind,
sansho
pepper, ground ginger and hemp seed.” Chiri waved lovingly at the world all around her. “The world provides with generosity for those who love her.”

“A dragon flows effortlessly with the yin and yang.
I shall laze upon its back, as safe as though I were in my mother’s arms!” Sura put aside her empty bowl. She leaned over to investigate Chiri’s very grumpy little rock. “So hey! Who are our little friends here? We should be introduced.”

The
nezumi girl arrayed her little air and rock elementals side by side before her. Both creatures bowed by way of introduction. Chiri spoke of them with love shining in her voice.

“I have been remiss. Please allow me to introduce you.” The beautiful blue, transparent insect creature glittered like pure dew. “Bifuuko chan has been my companion since I was a small girl.
Daitanishi chan…” The truculent little rock sat and somehow seemed to communicate a grumpy good will. “Has been with me just as long.” Chiri bowed. “They are most honoured to make your acquaintance.”

The air elemental seemed somewhat shy, if friendly. The rock, on the other hand, seemed to be keeping a careful eye upon one and all – an odd gift for a being with no discernable features.
Daitanishi levitated up into the air, took another considering look at its new companions, then settled itself upon Chiri’s shoulder, where it perched like a watchful hawk. The air elemental shimmered up into the air and came nose-to-nose with Sura, who was absolutely delighted with the little creature.

“We have shugenja at
Kitsune Mountain!” Sura peered at the shy insect creature; every tiny surface of it shimmered and roiled like a mirage on a hot day. “You can summon other elementals?”

“Oh indeed, Sura san. If they sense that I am in true need. And others come forth to simply say hello.” The gentle rat
gathered up her cooking tools. “When you are friends with the spirits, you are never truly alone.”

Sura went off to wrap up her gear – incidentally wiping her hands
clean upon Kuno’s bed roll as she passed.

Kuno took up his armour and equipment, shooting a dark glare at the fox.

“Lady Sura, you are uncouth.”

“
And yet, oddly fascinating!” Sura pointed the way to the main road. “Yoiks and away!”

With her spear slanting carelessly across her shoulder, Sura led the way off along the open road. Their path joined a larger road, and then a larger one again. Soon there were carts, barrows, horses and oxen all sharing the way. Wandering peddlers and entertainers were hastening towards the castle town for the up and coming festival.

The tower of the castle became visible just past a stand of trees. As the travellers walked out into the fields, the entire town lay there before them on the plains. Iris flowers were just coming into bloom, speckling the lands with purple. Peasants dressed in festival clothing were streaming out of their houses and heading for the town. Children ran cheering past the incoming travellers waving sprigs of blossom, or with twigs that were intended to be swords. In honour of the day, the girls wore purple ribbons in their hair.

A band of mounted samurai thundered past
beside the road, utterly splendid in their bright-laced armours. Sura waved and called out to them. One of the samurai called back, saluting with a riding crop. The fox revelled in the sunshine, in the movement and the clouds. She wandered well ahead of the others, delighting in the day. Her raucous voice carried far out over the fields as she sang.

“When I carry jugs of sakē, I have so many friends!

And I’ll always have some sak
ē – on that you can depend!

When a girl-fox carries sak
ē, she gets such big hugs!

For don’t you know that all the world loves a fox’s jugs!”

The fox set a merry pace.
Chiri watched Sura in admiration and concern.

“
Tonbo san. Should we not stay closer to Sura san?
You do not think that she will get into any trouble?”

Clomping tirelessly along in his armour, with his great heavy iron staff over his shou
lder, Tonbo looked at Sura, and simply shrugged.

“
She is Kitsune Sura.
Trouble is a certainty.”

Sura was swapping banter with a travelling puppeteer, and her spear almost knocked the hat clean off a nearby merchant. Tonbo hastened to the rescue and prevented a disaster before it could happen. Sura eagerly showed Tonbo the rack of puppets, sharing a joke with him and bringing a smile to his face. Chiri watched them together, feeling strangely glad inside her soul.

Kuno walked along beside her. Chiri ambled along in the beautiful morning sunshine, and the world seemed suddenly bereft of troubles.

Ayamejo
– Iris castle – was a well constructed hill fortress sitting in the middle of a fertile river valley. The hill slopes themselves had been sculpted into sheer, steep slopes – slopes then faced with stone and topped with plastered palisades. Sturdy towers looked out over the river and town – but the castle grounds were clearly filled with beautiful green trees. It was a castle housing one of the three great imperial magistrates – the keepers of the emperor’s justice. The warriors guarding the castle were from the new corps of imperial samurai – men given fiefs directly from the emperor himself, without owing service to any other lord.

At the base of the castle hill, a considerable town – the actual
town
of Ayamejo – had blossomed and grown. It was a busy place that served the needs of a bustling garrison and administration. There were tea houses, inns and sakē shops, armourers, bowyers, sword makers and silk merchants. Hundreds of households of merchants and artisans. The surrounding valleys were filled with ji-samurai – part time farmer soldiers who served the castle. It was a bustling town, a most beautiful town, and a place renowned for its cheerfulness. Several roads led into the town, and each of these thronged with pedestrians heading to the festival.

The streets had been dec
orated with strings of lanterns running above the roads. Flowers and purple iris banners decorated every shop and every home. Booths had been set up in the market spaces, where foods were being fried, puppet shows displayed and exotic wares offered for sale. A little monkey comically dressed in noble robes strutted about across a stage while its handler bawled out scenes from the great epics. Sura stopped and watched in absolute delight, but Kuno moved doggedly onwards. He had to report to the castle before noon. With Chiri beside him, and with Tonbo and Sura ranging before and behind, he plunged on through the busy streets, heading towards the castle hill.

The scent of carnival foods were absolutely mouthy-watering. Sura somehow acquired long bamboo skewers threaded with sizzling meat, and she happily pressed one into Kuno’s hands as he stood
admiring the work of a woodcarver. They walked on through the cheerful streets, heading steadily towards the castle gates. Sura changed into her ‘fur form’, delighting in the attention as she strolled merrily through the crowds.

Kuno ate, looking about himself in delight at all
the shops. The thought suddenly occurred to him that the fox had claimed to be without funds – begging the question as to how she had managed to purchase the food. Kuno looked at his now-empty skewer, and made haste to toss it away.

The fox was really quite intolerable!

Sura was already the centre of a disaster. She walked along down the street with her cross-bladed spear carried upright across her shoulder. She had yet again forgotten to sheath the blade, and the stunningly sharp blade was slicing through the lines of lanterns strung across the street. The fox was inevitably talking away to a random stranger as she walked, and had failed to notice the cascade of lanterns behind her. Chiri and Tonbo both ran to the scene to try and stem the tide. Kuno could only shake his head and walk on, hoping that no one on the magistrate’s staff would connect him with the fox.

The young, arrogant students of the “
Seven Winds” sword school were putting on a demonstration for the crowds. Balls were being thrown and cut out of the air. Hamada Bunji cut through standing rolls of tatami matting, slashing through and through the mats while they were toppling in mid air. He drew and sheathed his sword with great dramatic flourishes, basking in the admiration of the crowds.

Only one man remained aloof – the same
bony, scowling man who had tried to hold back Bunji at the inn. The man had all of the rigid decorum that his companions lacked. He watched Kuno, noting him as he went by. Half hidden in his hand, the tall, cadaverous man held an amulet made from a dark, blood-red stone.

Kuno passed
their display without stopping, well aware that he was being watched by hostile eyes.

Sura ducked about a corner and fetched her
formal clothing out of storage. She changed swiftly into her magnificent suikan, eboshi cap and fan. She handed her backpack to Tonbo and pressed her spear into Chiri’s hands, bussing the girl’s robes until she was satisfied. She straightened the air elemental in Chiri’s hair, but refrained from buffing the floating rock. With a lofty look upon her face, Sura took the lead as they approached the castle gates. The rock elemental was detailed to hoist up the elegant train of her suikan and keep if off the ground.