The Way of the Fox (44 page)

“Surely these cannot be natural?” Chiri
looked at the crabs, quite aghast. “Will there be more of them?”

Kuno carefully wiped his sword upon the grass. He kept a sharp eye upon the mud flats.

“They could infest this entire marsh. We must find a way around the mud.”

“Well – maybe we can keep to the reeds.” Sura winced and tried to shake the wors
t of the filth from her fur. “They can’t be everywhere.”

Tonbo nodded. He hefted his weapon and moved forward onto a flattened isle of reeds, looked off towards the east, then beckoned the others forward. Squelching across to the higher grou
nd, the Spirit Hunters found a great mass of waving reeds, and began to push their way forwards single file.

Sura
took the lead once more, fending reeds aside with her spear. She glanced back at Tonbo, as he clanked along in her tracks.

“Well y
ou seem strangely undisturbed by all this.”

The big man merely shrugged.

“I like crab.”

Slowly, carefully, they moved forward. The reed isle was separated from the next by
wide expanse of mud. Sura lay carefully down and planted one tall fox ear against the mud, listening, but could hear no sounds of clicking or stirring. She spied out the shortest route between the reeds and pointed it out carefully to her friends. They nodded, then followed as she made her way quietly onward.

She led them across another
soggy mire. They moved into a maze of rustling rushes, where seed heads had burst and set the air drifting with countless thousands of tiny points of fluff.

Sura followed her spear point forwards, with Daitanishi to her left and Bifuuko to the right.
But the exquisite little air elemental suddenly came whirring back, sparkling in agitation. Sura instantly sank down to a halt, staring watchfully at the reeds just ahead.

Tonbo nodded to her
. They moved forward cautiously, side by side, until they reached a clearing. Both halted, stared, then slowly rose to their feet. Kuno and Chiri moved carefully up beside them.

A broad mud flat opened up before them. Standing in the middle of the mud, leaning upon a stick, was a tall old woman. She had heard the reeds rustling, and turned her face towards
them. Her eyes were clouded and clearly quite blind. The woman held up one hand, bidding the Spirit Hunters stay in place. Her whisper carried to them, commanding and clear.

“
Be still, my children! Danger!”

Something quiver
ed under the mud near the old woman. Staying very still, she whispered more softly.

“
The monsters are underneath the mud, my children. They react to the slightest vibration!”

Tonbo dealt with the matter in classic style: he slammed his tetsubo against the ground. A giant crab instantly erupted from the mud nearby and ploughed straight towards him. Tonbo spun his massive staff and
crashed it down precisely between the monster’s eyes, smashing the whole forepart of the creature to pieces. He had apparently perfected his crab smashing technique.

“Big one.”

Sura winced away from the carnage. She shook shards of shattered crab shell from her robes.

“
Damnit! Would you just for once pretend that other people’s advice is actually good?”

She stamped her foot in annoyance. A second crab immediately burst up out of the mud. Sura leapt backwards in alarm, only to have Tonbo splinter the
monster into ruin right at her feet. He peered at the wreckage in thought.

“Mmmph
. Smaller.”

Sura looked at the mud flats in annoyance.

“Is that it for the crabs?”

Tonbo slammed his tetsubo against the mud again. The
Spirit Hunters watched, but nothing moved. Tonbo swung his weapon up over his shoulder.

“
Should be.”

Sura scooted an annoyed glance towards Tonbo.
Moving forwards, she tested the footing, then edged out into the mud. She made her way carefully over to the old woman and took her by the hand.

“Rokuko san.
We are the Spirit Hunters. We have been sent to find you.”

“
You are most kind.” The old woman was almost at the end of her endurance. “I thank you, Spirit Hunter.”

“This way. Hold tight.”

The old woman gripped Sura’s furry hand and allowed herself to be led out of the mud. Clearly exhausted, she still turned her face towards Sura, sniffing.

“
Warm fur – magic. Sun on grass. Great power…” She nodded quietly. “A kitsune! And a pretty one.”

The others all crossed the mud to the next island, catching up with Sura and Rokuko to help her reach the reeds. Sura found
a mossy log, and sat the old blind woman down. She took her canteen and carefully put it into Rokuko’s hands.

“Here,
grandmother. Drink.” She rooted about in her belt pouch with muddy fingers. “I have a rice ball. Are you hungry?”

“Thank you,
Lady Kitsune. Thank you.” The woman drank – she was utterly parched. “I tried to summon water, but I could not.”

The old woman had kept a tight hold of a covered basket through all of her ordeals. Kuno came forward and bowed to the blind woman in respect.

“Rokuko san. I am Asodo Kuno. This is Kitsune Sura, Tsunetomo Tonbo and Nezumi Chiri.”

“
I am indebted to you all. Samurai?” She sensed that it was so, and gave a weary bow. “I had stood there for a long, long time. My two companions were not as fortunate as I.”

Chiri knelt nearby, her two little elementals hovering beside her. The beautiful whi
te rat gazed upon the old woman with eyes full of compassion.

“We are sorry for their loss, Rokuko san. But you are
very clever to have outwitted the monsters. That was well done.”

The old woman turned her face away. Her voice was filled with a world-weary bitterness.

“We use what we have left.” The old woman drew in a tired breath. “The blind recognise the blind, my child. Down there in the mud, they have only their ears.”

Rokuko reached a hand out towards
Sura.

“
Now come. Come let me look at you.”

The blind woman gently reached out her hands to explore the faces of her rescuers, one by one. First Sura – touching her long clever muzzle, her long hair, and her eyes – sly and made for smiling. Then Kuno – tracing the smooth, handsome planes of his face. Tonbo’s stubbled jaw and massive size – a face of patience and strength. Finally her hands reached up to caress Chiri’s cheeks, feeling at her delicate features, her long whiskers and her great, fine ears.

Her hands pulled back – sensing an aura tingling in the air.

“A nezumi… Yes… I can feel the magic in you.” She turned her blind face unerringly towards Daitanishi and Bifuuko. “Magic indeed…”

The old woman sat
and recovered her strength. Moving carefully, still watching the marsh, Tonbo scanned the edges of the isle of reeds. He knelt down and brushed at a rock, then quietly beckoned Sura to his side.

“Here
.”

Tonbo
stood at a jutting of weeds at one edge of the mud. As Sura quietly joined him, he pointed to tracks and marks.

“Two men knelt here… two more just there. Watching the centre of the mud.”

Sura checked the field of view. “Watching Rokuko san?”

“Seems like it.” Tonbo pointed back the way that they had come. “Came – watched – the
n left.”

“
Left her to die….” The fox kept carefully in cover, always watching the marsh. “Lovely.”

Chiri and Kuno remained at the old woman’
s side. Chiri saw to it that she drank and ate, tending to her with great care.

“
Please excuse me, Rokuko san. But what were you doing here in the marsh?”

The old woman leaned upon her cane and gave a sigh.

“I came to sacrifice to the kami of the sea straights. He protected and provided for this village for many centuries. But we have not been able to sacrifice to him since the whalers came.”

The rat girl gave a
quiet bow.

“
Forgive me, Rokuko san – but the elders said that the village was being punished for its greed. They said that the village had turned their back upon the kami.”

“
Do not think badly of the villagers, Chiri san. Like all mortals, they can be led astray.”

The old woman looked away, long hair hiding her face.

“In life, we sometimes put our trust in weaker souls…”

Sura pulled back from the weeds. She came and squatted beside Rokuko
, her long orange tail waving.

“Honoured elder
– tell me more about these whalers.”

The old woman lifted up her head

“They came here five years ago.” The woman’s face was stiff. “They are vile men, even if they do have a long association with the court. They were supposed to be here only during the summer months – but soon they settled here all through the year, bringing other low-lives with them.”

Chiri frowned. “
All year? But the whales are migratory, are they not? Do they not follow the whales?”

By way of reply, Rokuko reached into her sleeve and drew forth a tiny packet wrapped carefully in cloth. She unwrapped it carefully, revealing the image
of a Buddha carved from exotic jade.

Kuno took the image into his hand and turned it carefully in the light.

“Foreign. From the Middle Kingdom… Very fine.”

The old woman nodded. “
This was given to me in payment for my healing arts five days ago, honoured samurai. Two of their men had arrow wounds.”

Kuno carefully wrapped the jade and gave it back.

“Wakō.
They are pirates. Whalers when it suits them, and pirates whenever they get the chance.”

“
Yes, samurai. Pirates and murderers.” Rokuko shook her head. “The villagers did not know of this until it was too late. And now their fates are heavy with this evil.”

Chiri gave a frown. “
Please excuse me – but why would pirates want to join an old fishing village?”

Looking back towards the village, Kuno quietly smoothe
d his moustache. “It is a secure anchorage with a high-ranking patron from the court. Secure from both the magistrates and the samurai lords…”

“Yes indeed.” Sura scratched at her fur. “
Still, it doesn’t explain the presence of the crab monsters. Where in the name of Mozu’s outhouse did they come from…?”

The old blind woman leaned heavily upon her stick and struggled to her feet. She turned to the east – away f
rom the heat of the setting sun, and hefted up her basket of offerings.

“
It feels as if it will be dark soon. We must be getting on!”

“Yes.” Kuno tried to take the old woman by the sleeve and
guide her towards the lagoon. “Come – we shall lead you to our boat.”

“No!
No, young man! We must go on to the shrine! I must sacrifice to the sea kami! The kami’s power must be summoned” Rokuko began moving towards the east. “I came here to do a job. It must be completed.”

Kuno blinked. “Honoured grandmother! The marsh is unsafe!”

“I have samurai to guard me now! Spirit Hunters!” Rokuko was not to be stopped. She forged on through the reeds. “With you to handle the mud beasts, all will be well. This way! Come come!”

Chiri hastened to take the old woman’s arm and assist her. Kuno held back with Sura and Tonbo, quite aghast.

“Surely we are not taking her through the marsh. And up a rocky cliff face?”

“
Weeeeeell, she seems pretty set on the idea.” Sura followed hastily after Chiri. “I want to check out this whole kami thing anyway. Chiri! Let me lead!”

“Yes yes – excellent.” Rokuko
waved her cane. “The path is hidden. I will find something that I recognise soon, I am sure. “She called imperiously back to Kuno. “Young man! Do come along! Don’t dawdle! We have a considerable distance to go.”

Tonbo shrugged and followed after the others. Kuno had no choice b
ut to join him, hastening on into the lengthening shadows.

The
tall crest of the rocky promontory still lay far ahead. With the sun sinking ever lower, the mud flats had become a place of long shadows mingled with brilliant light reflecting from stagnant waters. Sura felt her way forward, with Tonbo moving steadily in her footsteps. Chiri came behind, helping to guide old Rokuko past the briny pools. Kuno brought up the rear, keeping watch in case crabs should be creeping up behind them. He kept his gleaming sword bare in his hand.

The handsome samurai caught up with Sura as she stood prodding at the footing with her spear butt. The fox flicked an eye at the setting sun, and gave a scowl.