hand upon his shoulder, and rested it there for a while. He put his hand over hers. Sura stood there for a moment, and then turned to the ladder.
“Come on, my friend. Let’s get down to solid ground.”
She began to climb back down, then paused upon the ladder. She looked about the forest, senses prickling. The wind blew softly through her robes.
Tonbo spoke softly from above.
“ What is it?”
“I don’t know…” Sura looked off towards the inn, and then to the dark shapes of the hills.
“Something is watching us.”
Something hungry.
Sura slid down the last section of the ladder, and landed poised on her feet. She untied her sleeves – far preferring them to flow free, and took back her spear from Kuno’s hands. She called happily over to the rat girl.
“Hey, Nezumi san! Do you own a knife?”
“No, honoured priestess. Only my kama.” The rat lifted up her arms. “Please – you are all most welcome to search me.”
There seemed to be no point. She clearly had no knives strapped to her forearms, shins or tucked into her robes. To mollify the villagers, however, Kuno had already unrolled the girl’s scant possessions – a sleeping mat, a blanket, a tinderbox, an earthenware pot and a bag of dried herbs. He looked to Sura, and gently shook his head.
“No, Sura san. No knives.”
The floating rock regarded Sura – somehow managing to communicate a scathing frown. The fox looked at the creature in return, and scratched at her nose.
“So – weed cutters, and a pair of elementals.” The kama were far too broad-bladed to have been responsible for slaying the village head -man. “Hey – why the kama?”
The rat blushed, and bowed her head.
“I collect herbs for sale, Kitsune san. And... and sometimes chance grain grows by the roads…”
A villager glared at the ra t girl in suspicion.
“ Or perhaps she swipes grain from the fields.”
Sura was incensed. She waved a hand towards the two little elementals. “ She attracts good spirits! You should thank her!” She waved a hand, dismissing the whole affair. “Aaaaanyway – your man wasn’t killed by any weed cutters. He was strangled by someone with a hell of a lot of muscle power. The rat spirit is in the clear.”
An old villager had arrived – a sturdy ancient with immensely hairy grey eyebrows, like a pair of silver caterpillars. He had a common sense and authority that the other villagers lacked. Sura walked over and gave the man a bow.
“ Right! I have performed prayers for your head-man’s repose. You should send some young men up there with a rope so that you can bring him safely to the ground.” Sura held aloft a finger. “I will now magnanimously allow you all to buy me a drink at your inn.”
The ancient villager gratefully inclined his head.
“Yes, honoured priestess. Please, this way.” The man then turned and bowed to the rat spirit. “Nezumi san – please accept my apologies for our behaviour. Frightened men reacted in anger. We are ashamed.”
Chiri gave the man a bow filled with immense good breeding and dignity.
“I thank you for your apology, honoured villager.”
“The Buddha said that all men should embrace compassion. We shall hold those words closer to our hearts in the future.” The old man bowed. “We thank you for pointing out our error.”
The old man indicated the way to the inn, and Sura happily walked towards the building. Kuno remained behind with Chiri. He spoke to her in gentle sincerity.
“I find that we have not yet eaten our evening meal. Have you eaten tonight, Nezumi Chiri san?”
The girl flushed very slightly as she bowed.
“I did manage to find a few wild herbs, and some burdock roots.”
“Perhaps you would consent to share our evening meal , and enliven our evening with your company?”
The r at bowed to him in gratitude, and they strolled together, following after Sura, Tonbo and the old villager.
They walked together past silent houses. Behind barred
“Come on, my friend. Let’s get down to solid ground.”
She began to climb back down, then paused upon the ladder. She looked about the forest, senses prickling. The wind blew softly through her robes.
Tonbo spoke softly from above.
“ What is it?”
“I don’t know…” Sura looked off towards the inn, and then to the dark shapes of the hills.
“Something is watching us.”
Something hungry.
Sura slid down the last section of the ladder, and landed poised on her feet. She untied her sleeves – far preferring them to flow free, and took back her spear from Kuno’s hands. She called happily over to the rat girl.
“Hey, Nezumi san! Do you own a knife?”
“No, honoured priestess. Only my kama.” The rat lifted up her arms. “Please – you are all most welcome to search me.”
There seemed to be no point. She clearly had no knives strapped to her forearms, shins or tucked into her robes. To mollify the villagers, however, Kuno had already unrolled the girl’s scant possessions – a sleeping mat, a blanket, a tinderbox, an earthenware pot and a bag of dried herbs. He looked to Sura, and gently shook his head.
“No, Sura san. No knives.”
The floating rock regarded Sura – somehow managing to communicate a scathing frown. The fox looked at the creature in return, and scratched at her nose.
“So – weed cutters, and a pair of elementals.” The kama were far too broad-bladed to have been responsible for slaying the village head -man. “Hey – why the kama?”
The rat blushed, and bowed her head.
“I collect herbs for sale, Kitsune san. And... and sometimes chance grain grows by the roads…”
A villager glared at the ra t girl in suspicion.
“ Or perhaps she swipes grain from the fields.”
Sura was incensed. She waved a hand towards the two little elementals. “ She attracts good spirits! You should thank her!” She waved a hand, dismissing the whole affair. “Aaaaanyway – your man wasn’t killed by any weed cutters. He was strangled by someone with a hell of a lot of muscle power. The rat spirit is in the clear.”
An old villager had arrived – a sturdy ancient with immensely hairy grey eyebrows, like a pair of silver caterpillars. He had a common sense and authority that the other villagers lacked. Sura walked over and gave the man a bow.
“ Right! I have performed prayers for your head-man’s repose. You should send some young men up there with a rope so that you can bring him safely to the ground.” Sura held aloft a finger. “I will now magnanimously allow you all to buy me a drink at your inn.”
The ancient villager gratefully inclined his head.
“Yes, honoured priestess. Please, this way.” The man then turned and bowed to the rat spirit. “Nezumi san – please accept my apologies for our behaviour. Frightened men reacted in anger. We are ashamed.”
Chiri gave the man a bow filled with immense good breeding and dignity.
“I thank you for your apology, honoured villager.”
“The Buddha said that all men should embrace compassion. We shall hold those words closer to our hearts in the future.” The old man bowed. “We thank you for pointing out our error.”
The old man indicated the way to the inn, and Sura happily walked towards the building. Kuno remained behind with Chiri. He spoke to her in gentle sincerity.
“I find that we have not yet eaten our evening meal. Have you eaten tonight, Nezumi Chiri san?”
The girl flushed very slightly as she bowed.
“I did manage to find a few wild herbs, and some burdock roots.”
“Perhaps you would consent to share our evening meal , and enliven our evening with your company?”
The r at bowed to him in gratitude, and they strolled together, following after Sura, Tonbo and the old villager.
They walked together past silent houses. Behind barred
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