Novel # 2

[Lady Macbeth]

She knew how to do the first, though the thought made her stomach turn. But there was no other way. Sanami repeated the meditation chant once more, until the disgust subsided. When the spirit circled her again, she lashed out and caught it by the hair. It howled in surprised and jerked backward, but Sanami tangled her fingers firmly in the dry, brittle mane. Kirari returned to her shoulder as if she’d divined Sanami’s plan. Sanami reeled the thrashing thing in, hand over hand, until finally it was near enough that she could have hugged it to her chest. The spirit hissed and bared its fangs, but she held it tightly by the hair so it couldn’t bite her. Sanami began the incantation to open a gate to the Unseen World. At the first few syllables the spirit fought harder. Sanami clenched her fists around its hair until her fingers ached. At the last moment she wondered if Lord Kazumasa would be angry with her for entering the Unseen World without his permission. But then the severed head bucked, the gate opened, and everything changed.
   
They were still in Aoi’s bedchamber, but the walls were indistinct, Aoi’s sleeping family mere shadows of their Apparent selves. Blue mist swirled in a grayish light. A silver flame hovered over Sanami’s shoulder. The spirit-head was a black cloud, shot through with red lightning, hanging between Sanami’s hands. Startled, she let it go, and the cloud darted away.
   
“Stop!� Sanami lunged after it, through the transparent wall and into the street. “Stop! Who were you?�
   
The red-laced mist floated just out of reach of her grasping hands. Sanami stumbled after it, frantic. She’d gotten it here; now what? It was strong enough to breach the border between worlds; if she let it go, it would return to the Apparent World and attack more children.
   
Far off, past the hazy outlines of buildings, something huge rose and stretched.
   
The nakayama.
   
The spirit who hunted and devoured other spirits.
   
Sanami gasped. The black mist was moving away, but slowly, as if dazed. It was going toward the city, away from the Enclave and the captive nakayama.
   
“Kirari!� She cried, her voice echoping strangely in the mist. Her spirit messenger flared high, as if she’d been awaiting Sanami’s command. “Help me drive it to the Enclave!�
   
The silver flame rose from her shoulder streaked through the air. It caught up wot the mist and circled around it, blocking its path. Sanami pulled another slip of yellow paper from her sash, tracing a ward on it as she ran. When the dark spirit tried to veer around Kirari, Sanami dodged in front of it, brandishing the ward. The spirit backed away. It tried to escape in the opposite direction, but Kirari was suddenly there, burning bright. Sanami stepped forward. She flushed with triumph as the mist retreated from her.
   
In this manner they drive the spirit toward the nakayama, step by step. It was a torturously slow process, and Sanami had to concentrate every moment, lest it slip past her. In the back of her mind a voice repeated Master Ashura’s chant again and again, an anchor to keep her hands steady and her focus narrow. But her eyes were locked on the spirit, burning because she could not afford to blink; her muscles tensed until they felt hard as stone.
   
Slowly they herded it to the Enclave. When it tried to escape by darting over Sanami’s head, Kirari rose to bully it down; if it tried to duck under the spirit messenger, Sanami swung the ward at it.
   
They were halfway to the gate when a wave of exhaustion swept over Sanami. Every muscle in her body ached with tension. Her vision was blurring, her head heavy with the effort of corralling the spirit. She vaguely sensed the other residents of the Unseen World- some pausing to watch the battle, most ignoring it- as they passed. None tried to interfere. She and Kirari were alone. Sanami gritted her teeth and tightened her grip on the ward.
   
The dark cloud still retreated before them, but their progress had grown slower as Sanami tired. Kirari darted about as quickly as ever, but her mistress staggered as if she were walking against a tidal wave. Her limbs were heavy with exhaustion. She feared the spirit sensed her weakness, for its escape attempts were getting bolder; so far she and Kirari had foiled them all, but Sanami wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold out. Fear became a cold stone settled in the bottom of her stomach.
   
Suddenly she realized they were at the edgs of the Emperor’s cherry blossom forest. The ghostly black branches stretched out before them; the trees’ snakelike inhabitants hid behind the trunks as they passed. In the distance the nakayama arched its back. It lowered its head in their direction, nostrils flaring, tail lashing.
   
“Not long now.� Sanami muttered to herself.
   
But only a dozen steps into the forest, her left knee buckled when she put her weight on it. With a yelp she lost her balance and went down on her other knee.  Kirari flared in alarm. The black mist grew darker. Red lightning arced through it. Instead of fleeing, it lunged at Sanami.
   
Kirari flung herself in front of Sanami, who tried to get to her feet, but her knees refused to cooperate. A low moan tore loose from her throat as the black-red mist crashed into Kirari’s silver flame. The ward had disappeared into the mud when she fell. The two spirits struggled briefly, twisting in the air. Sanami finally regained her feet. “Kirari!�
   
The spirit messenger hesitated an instant, but it was enogh. The black cloud attacked. A bolt of red lightning shot forward, disappearing into a fold of Kirari’s flame, and the messenger dimmed. At the same time a stab of pain in her chest snatched away Sanami’s breath. She coughed, trying not to retch, as Kirari sank to the ground. She raised her head just in time to see the black mist speeding toward her.
   
“What are you?� She managed to gasp before the cloud enveloped her head, blinding her and sending a shock of pain between her eyes.
   
And she saw. Played out before her blinded eyes, like a dream. A woman her mother’s age, plain and stocky. She knelt in the garden of a shrine, before a statue of a fat-faced baby with a red cloth cap and bib. A jigozu, a statue that represented stillborn children. As Sanami watched, the statue multipled twice, then again, until the kneeling woman was surrounded by eight of them.
   
But then she was holding a baby, a living, wailing baby. Tears rushed from her eyes and into her smile.
   
And then the baby was a child, lying on the floor, pounding with his fists and screaming. Then a boy a little younger than Sanami, shouting at the woman, striking her across the face. And then he was an adult, stomping out of the house while the woman, old now, sobbed in the doorway.
   
Human? This monster had once been human? Yes! She’d seen it before, months ago…Lord Kazumasa had seen it, named it…abh, a human spirit given over to malice and hatred.
   
A scream, not her own, echoed in Sanami’s ears. The searing pain pulled free from her head, leaving a dull ache. She opened her eyes.
   
Kirari hovered before her, just above eye level. Her silvery sheen was dulled, but she seemed all right. The black mist had moved off. It was struggling with another spirit, one Sanami had never seen before. It was human-sized, but not human-shaped. It was long and sinuous, snakelike, with a crested head and long snout, four stumpy feet and claws. Two triangular wings jutted from its back. Its scales glittered greenly, despite the Unseen World’s lack of sun, so bright Sanami squinted to see it. She recognized the thing, or something like it. It looked like dragons she’d seen in pictures.
   
The abh cowered away and shrieked as the dragon-spirit snapped at it with teeth as long as Sanami’s finger. The dark spirit’s screams had gone from wrathful to terrified. The dragon drive it relentlessly forward. The nakayama rose to its hind legs. Sanami saw its sides bellow in and out as it panted for its prey.
   
“Don’t!� Her voice rasped in her throat. Shouting made her head hurt, but she pushed on. “It’s human! Leave it alone!�
   
The dragon didn’t turn its head, but it cast its gaze at her for an instant. Sanami shivered. Its eyes were the same unearthly gold color that Kirari’s were when she was in owl form.
   
She struggled to her feet. “Stop it! Don’t let him eat it! It’s human!�
   
Not anymore.
   
The voice was rich and deep, sexless. It might have come from the dragon, but Sanami wasn’t sure- it may have descended from the sky. Defeated, she stood still, hanging her head so she didn’t have to see. Kirari settled onto Sanami’s shoulder. She felt heavier than usual.
   
A few minutes later she heard a final squeal of fear, the snap of huge jaws, the satisfied gurgle of the nakayama. Sanami looked up, her vision blurred with tears. The dragon spirit rose up out of the trees, wings spread wide. Kirari lifted a few inches from her shoulder. Sanami felt some communication crackle through the air between them. Then the dragon spirit vanished, leaving the sky blank. The nakayama had settled back into its watchful pose atop the gate. A forked pink tongue scoured its lips.
   
Sanami dropped to her knees and threw up the rice ball she’d eaten. For a while she knelt on the chilled ground, tears streaming down her neck and into her collar. “It…she was human, Kirari. And I killed her.�
   
The flame responded by shocking her ear, hard. The sharp pain dried the tears in Sanami’s eyes. Had Kirari just bitten her? The spirit messenger only nipped her when she wanted Sanami to get up.
   
Lord Kazumasa’s warning came to her with sudden urgency. How long had she been in the Unseen World? How much time had passed in the Apparent World? She remembered the story of Urashima, and sudden panic made her tremble. Sanami climbed to her feet, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. She was too exhausted to move quickly, but she made slow, steady progress back to her body in Aoi’s house.
   
The shimmering patch on the floor lay between the cradle and the translucent figures of Aoi and her husband. Wearily Sanami stepped into the patch. The shock of re-entry was like a blow to the back of her necl. She blinked into Kirari’s flat, white face, then fell forward. Her head struck the floor, and she slept.

[Amethyst]

Ohh that was so good... I wonder who the dragon spirit was... I am so glad she saved the baby and the family!!  I'm glad that Kirari was ok too..  I wonder if she'll change her mind about leaving now...

[snarg2001]

Did we have mention of who had the dragon spirit?
My bet is on her father.

[Lady Macbeth]

** sorry to be so slow, I am doing some data entry at home for my Dad's office, which won't take much time once I'm on leave but right now since I'm working full-time as well it's draining my free time **

Kirari was biting her again. Sanami swatted at the owl, her fingers brushing soft feathers. The bird moved to her chest and nipped at Sanami’s nose. Sanami growled and opened her eyes. She was staring directly into Kirari’s flat yellow gaze, black pupils shrunk to tiny dots in the daylight. The hard curve of her beak pressed into Sanami’s nose. “Stop it, Kirari. I have a headache.�
   
The owl snorted and hopped to the mat, bunching up the blankets in her talons. One of her wings was bound tightly to her body. And Sanami remembered. Running away. Aoi’s house. The abh. The nakayama. And the dragon spirit. She began to tremble.
   
Placing her palms flat on the floor, she pushed herself into a sitting position. The movement spiked pain behind her eyes. Sanami covered them with her hands until the pain faded into the headache that was already there.
   
Her mother was missing.
   
Sanami dug the heels of her hands into her eyes and began to sob. Not only had she failed to escape, she’d killed a human spirit. She was useless as an onmyouji and as a daughter.
   
She heard a door slide open, and footsteps. An anxious voice said, “Are you in pain?�
   
“G…Ginji…� She blinked through a haze of tears. “I’m a…I’m a total failure…�
   
He looked startled, then laughed, but quickly swallowed his mirth. “A failure, cousin? No one would say that, especially not now!�
   
“But-“
   
“Lord Kazumasa and the Council are trying to piece together what happened, but they’ll want to talk to you as soon as…Sanami, are you certain you’re all right?�
   
She’d managed to control her tears, but not her shivering. “I’m cold.�
   
“Of course you are.� Ginji plucked a blanket from a pile folded against the wall. Sanami realized the room was full of braziers, their flames flickering orange light on the walls. Ginji’s forehead shone with sweat. Soma blinked sleepily at her as his master draped a blanket over Sanami’s shoulders. She clutched it gratefully. “It always happens to victims of a spiritual attack. Shoku felt cold, remember? You were icy to the touch when we brought you back to the Enclave.�
   
“When was that?�
   
“Four days ago. You’ve been sleeping since then.�
   
“And…Hideshi?�
   
“He’s perfectly well. Aoi is wild to see you when you’re well enough.�
   
She sniffed. “I killed a human spirit. I fed her to the nakayama.�
   
“The abh? It wasn’t human anymore, cousin. Besides, how many more babies would it have hurt or even killed? It was going to attack your nephew!�
   
“Yes, you’re right.� Sanami rubbed her temple. “Can I have some tea?�
   
When Ginji was gone she lay down. Kirari settled near her head, glaring protectively at the door.

   

Two more days passed before Sanami’s headache abated and she finally felt warm again. In that time she refused to see anyone but Ginji and the onmyouji healer, a middle-aged man who felt her forehead and hands, examined her eyes, and said little. Ginji said Aoi waited outside the infirmary for hours every day, but Sanami was too tired to see her. When Ginji and the healer were gone, she slept. She ate a little of the bland food the healer brought, but it wasn’t until the morning of the third day she woke up hungry. While she devoured the tasteless rice gruel, the healer unwrapped the linen bandage from Kirari’s wing. She climbed to Sanami’s shoulder and stretched it wide, cooing. The healer smiled to himself. Sanami smiled too, for the first time since she’d woken.
   
They were interrupted by a rap at the door. Sanami put down her bowl. Ginji was early today.
   
But the door opened to reveal a tall man with steel-gray hair and matching eyes. Shiban perched on his shoulder. Sanami’s stomach turned. She couldn’t deny entry to Lord Kazumasa. She’d known he would come eventually, and draw out the whole awful story.
   
The healer bowed to the clan head. Lord Kazumasa motioned him closer. They spoke quietly for a few minutes. When the healer left Sanami breathed deeply and squared her shoulders, pretending a courage she didn’t feel.
   
Lord Kazumasa knelt across from her. To her surprise, he smiled. “Are you feeling better? Not so cold anymore?�
   
“N…no.�
   
“Your wound, and Kirari’s, was bd, but not as critical as it could have been. Usually it takes at least two lower-level onmyouji to handle an abh. You did very well.�
   
“How did you know it was an abh?�
   
“Your sister told me about the vinegar on the floor. During the day, an abh hides in a barrel of vinegar, to disguise the smell of its rotting flesh. The head itself vanished from the Apparent World when you killed it.�
   
He was watching her, his eyes sharp. She bowed her head. “Yes. I…I killed it.�
   
His gentle tone did not change. “Tell me what happened.�
   
She’d been dreading it, and yet, as she bean to speak, the words flowed quickly and easily. She started with finding the spirit hovering over Hideshi’s cradle. She told of dragging it into the Unseen World, of her idea about the nakayama, of seeing the abh’s memories. His eyebrows twitched when she described the dragon-spirit, but he said nothing. She concluded miserably. “So I’m a murderer.�
   
Lord Kazumasa was silent a moment, his lips curved into a deep frown. But he abruptly reached out and caught Sanami’s quivering chin in his hand, forcing her to look at him.
   
“No.� His gray gaze pierced her watery eyes. “It was no longer human, Sanami, and hadn’t been, probably for centuries. Only an abh that old could be strong enough to penetrate the barrier. There are other ways to repress such a malicioua spirit, but you had no way to know them. Your idea about the nakayama was sound. You saved your nephew, and probably many other children as well.�
   
He released her. Sanami bit her lower lip until the tears fled her eyes and she could speak calmly. “But she…it showed me its memories!�
   
“It showed you nothing. It was attackingyou. The power to touch its memories is yours, Sanami. That’s a rare thing.� His face collapsed again into a frown. “Our family records document only one other with that ability.�
   
Sanami didn’t ask who the other was. She could guess well enough. “What about the dragon? I never saw anything like it.�
   
He shook his head, his brow wrnkled in puzzlement. “I recall no such spirit ever being mentioned in our records. I will have the archivists comb through for similar references.�
   
Lord Kazumasa rose. “In another day or two, when you’re fully recovered, we’ll resume your lessons. You’ll still study with Masters Hotaru and Ashura, but I suppose it’s time I taught you a little about spirit combat, in case this happens again.�
   
“Are you going to tell His Majesty?� Sanami tugged at a hangnail. One of her masters was praising her. But what would the other say?
   
“Of course. I have kept him apprised of your situation since you arrived. He has a great interest in you.�
   
She wrinkled her nose. He couldn’t be interested in her, after all those weeks with no contact. Lord Kazumasa was just being kind. “My lord, do you…do you want to know why I was at Aoi’s house?�
   
He paused, his hand on the door. “I assume you were simply visiting your sister.�
   
“Yes.� She murmured. He closed the door carefully behind him.
   

[Amethyst]

Well so much for her sneaking out and going home... lol.. she can't go home, she's too important to leave... she'll realize that eventually...

Sob... that made me cry... I'm glad she and her owl are ok... wonder who the dragon spirit was... maybe the emperor... or I suppose it could be her father... guess we'll have to wait and see... or maybe never find out.. laugh..

Thank you for this installment Lady M.. take care of yourself, you're gonna be a mom here real soon!! 

[Lady Macbeth]

Ginji let Erika in that afternoon. The slave girl handed Sanami a blue vase jammed full of little yellow-and-white flowers.
   
“Spring came while you were sleeping, my lady.� She announced, and burst into tears.
   
“I’m sorry.� Sanami took Erika’s hands in hers and was shocked by their roughness. Surely her own hands had been that rough once? “I shouldn’t have left you without a word.�
   
Erika shook her head. “No, Lady Sanami. You don’t owe someone like me any explanations. I don’t care about any of it, now you’re back safe.�
   
Sanami’s lower lip quivered. She pulled Erika into a tight embrace, burying her face in the other girl’s shoulder to hide her tears. Erika stiffened at first then quickly, fiercely hugged her back.
   
She asked Sanami to tell her the whole story about the abh. Samani didn’t want to tell it again, but she thought she owed Erika that much. The slave girls stayed for two hours. As she left, she told Sanami, “There is a rumor that Lord Kazumasa was closeted with His Majesty for a long time this morning. I expect he’ll send for you tonight or tomorrow. Don’t forget to ask him about more money for Mistress Mizuko!�
   
In the evening Ginji came and had dinner with her. Over bowls of mushroom soup, she asked him, “Ginji, will the Emperor be angry with me?�
   
"Why would he be angry, Cousin?�
   
“Because….because I ran away. That’s why I was at Aoi’s house.�
   
He must have guessed already, for he didn’t look surprised. “You know him better than I do.�
   
“I don’t know him at all.� Sanami put down her spoon. Her appetite had vanished.
   
That night she paced the room, Kirari’s head swiveling back and forth to follow her, before lying down on her mat to stare at the ceiling. No summons came that night, but she’d barely drunk her tea in the morning before the onmyouji healer arrived at the door.
   
“Mistress,� He said gently. “Your slave has come to escort you to the Reborn Emperor.�
   
“Right now?� Sanami fought to hide her dismay. “I see…thank you.�
   
There were no mirrors in the room the healer had given her, so Sanami braided her hair tightly and straightened her robe, the same one she’d worn when she came to Phoenix City. She put on Misa’s coat and held out her arm for Kirari.
   
Erika stood very straight and bowed deeply, but a smile tugged at her lips. “My lady, His Majesty wants to see you right away.�
   
Sanami hadn’t left the healer’s room in days, so the sunlight made her eyes water. All the snow that had clung to the corners and under bushes was gone. It really was spring.
   
“Do you feel all right, Lady Sanami?� Erika was watching her worriedly.
   
“I’m fine.� But her nervousness made her voice shake.
   
A few of the exotic birds had ventured into the sunshine. Sanami wished she could linger in the courtyard and watch them. But Erika didn’t slow down, and Sanami didn’t ask her to, knowing the slave girl would never consent. The ruler of the Empire was not to be kept waiting. And what would he say, when she arrived? Would he praise her, as Lord Kazumasa had? Or be disappointed, or show her the flash of temper she’d seen before? How much had the clan head told him?
   
She recognized the door Erika took her to, and her heart sank. It wasn’t the balcony or the library, but the conference room, where Kirari had made her first appearance. The cold, formal hall where the black-robed advisors met.
   
Calm down, she told herself. He’s seeing you between meetings, that’s all. You’re not really important.
   
An anonymous slave opened the door to Erika’s knock. He bowed to Sanami, stepped outside and knelt in the corridor, his back to the wall. So she was to be alone with the Emperor. Sanami breathed deeply. Her heart pounded as if it wanted to escape her body. She stepped into the hall and slid the door closed behind her.
   
The Reborn Emperor stood at the far end of the long table, his back to her. He was reading a scroll that curled over his arm and brushed the floor. A pile of similar scrolls was stacked in a pyramid on the table. Sanami waited a moment, but he didn’t turn. She moved closer; her sandals slapped gently against the polished floor. Still he did not turn. She moved closer. He had to have heard her. He was ignoring her. Uncertain, Samai stopped. The Emperor was dressed formally, in layers of bulky silk, his hair caged in golden wire. Slowly, Sanami sank to her knees. She placed her palms on the floor and pressed her forehead to her hands. Kirari grumbled as she shifted positions.
   
After a moment he spoke, his voice echoing slightly in the huge room. “Are you feeling better, Mistress Mori?�
   
Not ‘young mistress’ or ‘Sanami’. She spoke to the floor. “Yes, thank you, Your Majesty.�
   
“And the baby-killing creature is destroyed?�
   
“Yes, Your Majesty.�
   
“Why were you at your sister’s house?�
   
She swallowed. There was no point in lying; certainly he already knew. “I was…I was running away, Your Majesty. I was going home.�
   
His robes swept the floor as he finally turned around. Sanami tilted her head just a little, enough to see him carefully roll up the scroll and place it on the pile. “So you lied, when you promised to stay here a year.�
   
She bit her lip. She sat up cautiously, but kept her head bowed. “I intended to keep my word, Your Majesty, but then I received a letter from Goro-“
   
He didn’t strike the table, didn’t throw anything against the wall. His voice rose, still stiffly controlled. But she felt his surge of displeasure, so strong she winced. “And you missed your betrothed so much you decided to run away?�
   
“No!� Finally she raised her head. His profile was smooth, unmarred but for a wrinkling of his brow. “I miss Goro, and I miss my home, but I was going back because-“
   
“I don’t care why you ran off!� He turned on her, his eyes narrowed. “You betrayed me. You broke your word to the ruler of an empire! I don’t like liars, Mistress Mori!�
   
“My mother is missing! She might be dead! I couldn’t wait for you to decide to see me so I could ask permission to go find her! And now…� Sanami dragged her sleeve across her eyes, cursing the way she cried when she was angry. “Now it’s too late. But why should you care? Me and her, we’re just two of your subjects, out of thousands. Why do you even care that I ran away? For weeks you ignored me!�
   
“I am running an empire, girl! I don’t have time to be your nurse as well!�


** sorry to end in the middle, I'll get more typed soon...I just wanted to assure everyone I am still working on the novel, despite all the side projects**

[Amethyst]

Oh this promises to be an all out knock down drag out fight!!  Sanami has a point... she couldn't wait around for him to let her go... and if she hadn't been leaving, she never would have saved the baby and killed the evil spirit!!  The emperor better be taking that into account!!  lol..

[marka]

That was all so good. Some great descriptions, and cool way of impeding Sana from running off. Looking forward to the next installment. (I always love the scenes with the emperor.) 

[Lady Macbeth]

“I don’t want a nurse! I never even wanted to be here! I want to go home! I want Goro! But you never cared how I feel! You’re too important to worry about other people!�
   
“You could have walked away when I first suggested it! I never intended to keep you prisoner, but I thought you could at least keep your word!�
   
“My father’s family hates me! You ignore me! I…I want my mother! She was never much of a mother, but she’s…she’s all I have!� Sanami’s tears overtook her. Furious that he should see her cry, she buried her face in her sleeve. Her anger only made her cry harder.
   
The Emperor was silent for a long time. When she’d finally controlled her sobbing she lifted her head cautiously. He was staring at her, his lips slightly parted, his eyes narrowed. Suddenly, he sank to his knees before her. Sanami tried to lean back, but he reached out and caught her hands in his. They were cool and smooth, but his grip was strong. Sanami stared at her own small hands enclosed by his long fingers, her face going hot.
   
“I didn’t know about your mother. I’m sorry.�
   
“Why…why should His Majesty apologize to me? I’m no one.�
   
He smiled wryly. “I am the Tensho Emperor. I will apologize to whomever I please.�
   
That coaxed a tiny smile to her lips. It seemed to please him, for he smiled back, but quickly grew serious. “I have not been ignoring you, Sanami. Lord Kazumasa reports to me on your progress nearly every day. But I have been busy, especially with the death my dear old friend General Anno. I simply haven’t had time to see you.�
   
She hung her head. “I…I’m sorry, I hadn’t thought of that. I’m a selfish person, Your Majesty.�
   
“You’re young. Young people are often selfish.�
   
“I was sorry to hear of General Anno’s death. I thought to attend the funeral, but-“
   
He gazed at their entwined fingers, but his eyes were far away. “Everyone dies, young mistress. Perhaps even me, someday.�
   
Before she could protest, the Emperor looked sharply at her. “Tell me, would you have me send soldiers out to look for your mother? It’s well within my power.�
   
Sanami bit her lip. “I…no, please. If she’s…alive, and hears soldiers are looking for her, she’ll be frightened. I’ll look for her myself, when I…go home.�
   
“You’re a good daughter, Sanami.�
   
They lapsed into silence. Sanami became sharply aware of his hands holding hers, the way they knelt together like children sharing secrets. Like she and Goro, when they were younger. In a sudden rush of panic she withdrew her hands, and he let them go without resistance. Her skin was warm and slightly damp where he’d touched it. The silence had become heavy. To dispel it, she blurted the first thing that came to her tongue. “What was your mother like?�
   
Once again she immediately regretted her words, but before she could retract them the Emperor answered her. “My mother? She died long ago, when I was a little younger than you. She was killed in a skirmish between armies. That’s really why I decided to unite the Warring Countries, so no one else’s mother would be killed.� Remembering, he looked very young and very old at the same time. “I don’t recall what she looked like, or her hands, or the other things people usually seem to remember about their mothers. All I remember is her voice calling me, probably scolding me. ‘Yoshitaka, Yoshitaka.’�
   
Sanami gazed at him, at this man whose only memory of his mother was a scrap of voice.
   
“My…my mother called me Lotus Blossom, when she was in a good mood.� She offered.
   
The Emperor smiled at her, not mocking but sad. “I am told you had an adventure during your escape attempt. Tell me what happened.�
   
She did, but without pride. Would he hate her for killing a human spirit? Haltingly she explained about the abh, the nakayama, the painful past the spirit had shown her, the luminous dragon-spirit. He listened without interrupting. When she’d finished, he rested his chin on his folded hands, frowning. “You don’t seem pleased with yourself.�
   
“I…I killed a human, Your Majesty.�
   
“Yet you’re speaking to someone whose killed many humans, with his own hands. Did you think I would judge you? You killed a monster that was once human.� He was still frowning. “What was the dragon-spirit?�
   
She shook her head. “Lord Kazumasa couldn’t identify it.�
   
“I’m sure I’ve heard something like that before, something Suzuka said once…� The Emperor sighed in frustration. A lock of black hair escaped the golden cage and fell loose on his forehead. He tucked it away again with a growl of irritation. Sanami looked away to hide her smile. “Well, when I recall it I’ll tell Lord Onmyouji. One forgets things after a certain age.�
   
Sanami wilted a little. When would he remember? It was her dragon, she didn’t want to wait. But she couldn’t force him to recall it. “Yes, Your Majesty.�
   
His next words soothed her disappointment only a little. “Step outside and tell your slave to bring us some tea. Then you can tell me about what you’ve learned, all right?�
   
It wasn’t a question, but an order. Sanami rose, straightened her robe, and went to find Erika.

[marka]

That's a sweet scene. It's genuinely touching (not sentimental), and has a nice sense of intimacy to it. I liked Sana's response to the Emperor's memory of his mother's voice ... mentioning that her mother used to call her Lotus Blossom when in a good mood.  

[Amethyst]

Ohhh nice... we have a serious mystery about the dragon spirit it seems...

[snarg2001]

Nice installment!

[Lady Macbeth]

***Tiny little update...***


The slave’s eyes were fastened to the ground. “Does my lady prefer a palanquin, or a horse?�
   
Sanami looked from one choice to the other, her mouth twisting in dismay. The thought of being carried by four slaves made her cringe. But she’d never been so near a horse in her life; no one in her village had one, and she’d only seen them at a distance on the road. Now one stood close enough to touch. It seemed very, very big.
   
“Sanami.� Lord Kazumasa’s voice sounded strained. His horse was a big chestnut, its reins and saddle blanket painted with black wards and spells. Ginji’s was the same, only dappled gray. The one being presented to Sanami was a rich reddish-brown, with black mane and tail. It was smaller than the men’s horses, but liveried the same. Yet another slave held a fourth horse by the doors of the stable.
   
She looked at the sturdy slaves ranged before the palanquin. Their heads were bowed. Sanami pointed reluctantly to the bay. “The…the horse.�
   
“Good. Quicker that way.� Lord Kazumasa frowned at the sun. “We have a journey of several hours today.�
   
Sanami but her lip pensively. Lord Kazumasa had taken her to exorcisms several times in the past weeks, but always inside Pheonix City. They’d been minor spirits, annoying rather than dangerous. But this time h had told her nothing. Sanami felt the danger of it, a cold hard stone in her stomach.
   
“My lady?� The slave, a man old enough to be her uncle, stood by the horse’s side, half-bent, his hands cupped together. Several moments passed before Sanami realized he meant to lift her into the saddle. She swallowed hard. You defeated an abh, girl. A horse is nothing.
   
She approached the beast warily, giving its head a wide berth. The horse’s pupil-less brown eyes followed her lazily. Its lips worked at the bar of metal in its mouth. Sanami had nearly reached the slave when the horse turned its head to her, nostrils flaring with interest. Sanami clenched her teeth, swallowing a whimper of fear. She froze. But the horse only regarded her a moment, then turned away.
   
The slave was staring at her. Sanami forced her feet to move again. He ducked his head. “Has my lady handled a horse before?�
   
She shook her head. He smiled, not mockingly. “Moon is a good old mare. She’ll take care of you. If my Lady Onmyouji will place her foot in my hands, I’ll show her how to sit.�
   
It seemed strange to repay his kindness by putting her dusty sandal in his hands, but Sanami obeyed. A swift jolt, and suddenly she was on the horse’s back, her legs draped over one side. The slave placed the reins in her hands. “Just lean back a little, to keep your balance, and you’ll do well, my lady.�
   
Sanami cautiously patted the horse’s neck. A smell of dust and fur, acrid and warm, filled her nostrils. One of Moon’s ears flicked backward, then forward again.

[snarg2001]

So nice to have Sanami back! Thanks Lady M!

[Amethyst]

Oh yeah, I already love the horses!!  This might be fun!!