Yatagarasu Series
Volume 6:
The Raven's Flourishing
Author: Abe Chisato
Part 3: Stability
When the injured man was brought to Shion Temple covered in burns, Masuho no Susuki didn’t recognize him. His whole body was raw with wounds. Even his hair had burned away.
Masuho no Susuki had been helping at the temple hospital since the last terrible earthquake. Many people had been brought in and died before her eyes—they were beyond saving.
She was already convinced that this new patient couldn’t be saved.
Masuho no Susuki was sick of burying the dead. There were so many who were brought in dead or dying horribly: a woman crushed by rubble mid-transformation, unlucky in her attempt at escape; an old man who’d died with his hands over his split belly, trying to shove his intestines back in; a little boy whose legs had been sheared off by stone who’d died saying that his feet were cold.
None of these people lived long. Masuho no Susuki was starting to think that was a blessing.
The man’s burned body was unlike anything she’d ever seen. His flesh smoked at all hours of the day. Ointments and bandages had no effect. It seemed like he was being eaten alive by a fire within him. It was astonishing that he still lived.
“This is His Imperial Highness’ personal guard,” a weary doctor told her. “He was cursed by the mountain god and will not heal.”
“Cursed?” Masuho no Susuki asked. “What does that mean?”
“We don’t know, either. We cannot cure him. That’s all we know.”
The Crown Prince had suffered the same curse, but that wasn’t common knowledge. The Yamauchishu who’d brought Sumio and several military doctors to Shion Temple were remaining tight-lipped about the whole mess. They didn’t linger, either; the Yamauchishu departed almost at once, and the doctors retired to their residences shortly after.
Masuho no Susuki wasn’t able to learn what had happened in detail. There was a terrible thunderstorm raging outside that made it difficult for her to focus. Small earthquakes startled her throughout the night. She believed that Yamauchi was on the verge of ruin—and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
Sumio’s most severe burns were on the left side of his body. Masuho no Susuki knew that he habitually guarded the Crown Prince by standing behind him and slightly to the left. He was in such terrible condition because he’d moved to protect the Crown Prince from the worst effects of the mountain god’s curse. He struggled to breathe; the doctors brought over a bamboo tube and implanted it in his throat to keep his airway clear. Masuho no Susuki brought in hot water and bandages, but they didn’t help.
“His arm and his leg on his left side won’t recover,” one doctor said, shaking his head sadly. “We should amputate. It might ease some of the pain.”
Masuho no Susuki gasped. “Don’t you dare.”
Hamayū put her hand on Masuho no Susuki’s shoulder and squeezed. “Listen to the doctors,” she said.
“No,” Masuho no Susuki said. “No, he’s a warrior; he can’t lose his limbs. I won’t let any doctor cut them off.” Sumio had been born a commoner. He’d become the Crown Prince’s personal guard through hard work and dedication. She wasn’t about to let the doctors cut his life’s work away from him. “No. There has to be something else we can do.” Her hands were shaking; she fought to hold them still.
“The tips of his fingers are turning to ash,” Hamayū said. “It’s only a matter of time before his hand falls off. We don’t know if cutting off his limbs will end the curse, but if we simply leave him as he is, his condition will only worsen. Leave this to the doctors, Masuho no Susuki. There is nothing we can do for him.”
Hamayū led Masuho no Susuki outside with one arm around her shoulders. Masuho no Susuki heard a terrible scream behind her that made her flinch.
That scream haunted her for years to come.
***
Natsuka and Akeru stood before the Grand Gate in an empty city. They’d received word that Nazukihiko had departed from the Sun Palace. The human girl who’d been sacrificed to the mountain god had escaped to the human world. She’d sought shelter at the home of Junten, the King of the Tengu, by chance.
The girl’s very existence infuriated Natsuka. Why did she get to go home unscathed after causing the deaths of at least six Yatagarasu?
The Crown Prince had gone to meet with the girl. He’d told her about his decision to assassinate the mountain god.
Nazukihiko was a true Golden Raven, not an ordinary Yatagarasu like Natsuka. It was widely assumed that if he killed the mountain god, then he would become the new mountain god. If that happened, most of Yamauchi’s problems would be solved.
Natsuka doubted that things would be that simple. Yamauchi was fighting for its very survival. If Nazukihiko failed to kill the mountain god, it was likely that Yamauchi would be destroyed in the aftermath.
Yatagarasu derived their greatest power—transformation—from the sun. That was why Nazukihiko had decided to attempt the assassination at dawn. He took as many precautions as he could think of. He didn’t want to die, but he didn’t seem very hopeful, either.
Natsuka had planned to wait for his brother at the Forbidden Gate, but Nazukihiko had commanded him not to remain there. If the assassination failed, the Forbidden Gate would likely suffer another terrible earthquake. Nazukihiko didn’t want Natsuka to be harmed by his actions.
Several Yamauchishu stood behind Natsuka, waiting impatiently for something to change. Rokon and priests from Clear Mirror Temple were present as well. Akeru stood by Natsuka, clasping both hands in prayer and looking up at the sky.
After what felt like an eternity, the sun rose.
“Hey, look at that!” A Yamauchishu pointed.
The clouds that had hung perpetually over Yamauchi for months were dispersing, revealing the sun as it crested over the horizon. Clouds scattered into the sky like pillows tossed by children during play and vanished like they’d never been.
There was no trace of the previous night’s thunderstorm, either. The ground was dry and the wind was calm.
How long had it been since the Yatagarasu had seen the sky? Half a year? More? The crops had withered in the fields; even very wealthy Yatagarasu went hungry.
“Did it work?” Akeru whispered at the clear blue sky.
“I don’t know,” Natsuka said.
Something had certainly changed for the better. He hoped that his brother would return soon and tell them all what he’d done.
“The Crown Prince has returned!” a Yamauchishu crowed triumphantly. Other people took up the cry, which became a cheer.
A Yatagarasu appeared in his raven form; he swept his wings outward and landed before the Grand Gate, where he transformed into his human shape. He looked up at Natsuka and smiled slightly.
It was Haruma, the messenger that Nazukihiko had taken with him to the mountain god’s realm.
“The Crown Prince is safe,” Haruma said. “None of the Yamauchishu who accompanied us sustained any injuries. But the mountain god is alive, and the assassination has been called off.”
“What?” Natsuka asked.
Akeru and the other guards present hung on Haruma’s every word.
“There were unforeseeable circumstances,” Haruma said. “The girl who escaped has returned to the mountain god’s realm of her own free will.”
“What?” Natsuka repeated. His jaw was on the ground. “Why?”
“No one seems to know why except for the girl herself,” Haruma said. “It doesn’t make sense to me, either. All I know is that she escaped from the Tengu’s house and returned to the mountain god’s realm on her own.” Haruma looked confused at the words coming out of his own mouth. “The mountain god is still angry with the Yatagarasu, but he’s done punishing us for the moment. The mountain god and the Kuisaru are just as shocked as we are. That’s the situation we’re in. The Crown Prince doesn’t know what to do yet, so he’s coming back.”
“Stupid,” Rokon spat. “If he comes back, his arm won’t heal and we’ll be in the same predicament as before.”
“The curse is no longer progressing,” Haruma said. “It stopped getting worse after the girl returned to the mountain god’s realm. The Crown Prince is speaking with the girl at the moment, trying to figure out how she was able to halt the curse. Your orders are to remain in place and await further orders.”
Akeru and Natsuka exchanged glances.
“What do we do now, Prince Natsuka?” Akeru asked.
“What can we do?” Natsuka shot back. “We wait.” He sent his own messengers to his brother, but they all returned with the same reply: await further orders.
Nazukihiko did not return to Yamauchi until late afternoon. Yukiya and other guards accompanied him.
“Nazukihiko!” Natsuka called out. He pushed to the front of the crowd mobbing his brother.
The Crown Prince smiled at him. “Sorry I made you worry,” he said.
“How’s your arm?” Natsuka asked.
“No worse, for now,” Nazukihiko said. “We won’t be killing the mountain god. Not today, and not anytime soon.”
The crowd started whispering. Everyone thought that Nazukihiko had gone to assassinate the mountain god—what had changed?
“What happened in the mountain god’s realm?” one of the Yamauchishu asked.
“The situation has changed,” Nazukihiko said. “The girl who came to be the mountain god’s attendant has imposed new rules. She asked me not to kill the mountain god.”
“The girl?” Natsuka asked.
“Her name is Shiho. And yes,” Nazukihiko said.
“And you listened?” one of the Yamauchishu asked. He sounded aggrieved and disbelieving. “You could have killed her and the monster, right?”
Several other Yamauchishu murmured assent.
“Your Imperial Highness, have you lost your nerve?”
“She fled from the mountain god’s realm, resulting in the deaths of our comrades! You owe her nothing!”
Yukiya scowled and then stepped in front of the Crown Prince. He lifted his sword and struck the ground with the hilt three times.
The grumbling Yamauchishu went silent.
“His Imperial Highness is still speaking.” Yukiya’s expression smoothed. “Be quiet and listen.”
The Crown Prince sighed wearily. “You’re right: the girl fled from the mountain god’s realm. But she also returned to it of her own volition. And look at the sky.”
A few lingering clouds remained above them, but the sky was mostly clear. The sun shone on Yamauchi for the first time in half a year.
“After she returned, something changed. My wound no longer hurt, and sunlight returned to Yamauchi.” The Crown Prince spoke dispassionately, but he was looking at the sky. “I don’t know why the girl wants to protect that monster. But we need more information. We assume that the mountain god we once served was slaughtered by the monster that now calls itself the mountain god, but we don’t know for certain that’s the case. If our assumption is wrong, then killing the mountain god might not achieve anything. Or it might make things worse.”
Natsuka cleared his throat uncomfortably. “What do you mean?” he asked.
“I mean that the monster might be the mountain god we once served.”
There was a tense silence. Several Yamauchishu looked down.
“Something happened a century ago that I do not remember,” Nazukihiko said. “The mountain god became a monster then, for reasons we do not yet know. It is also possible that sealing the Forbidden Gate shut caused the mountain god’s descent into madness and barbarism.”
Natsuka rubbed his chin. He wanted to speak, but he didn’t know what to say.
“We must learn the truth of these matters before we act,” Nazukihiko said. “We know that Shiho, the girl who serves the mountain god, has given us a change for the better. We served the mountain god for half a year, and things only got worse. If we cooperate with the girl, it is possible that Yamauchi will survive.”
“We can’t just leave everything to this girl,” Natsuka said. “She’s an unknown element. You can’t trust her.”
“That’s right!” a Yamauchishu shouted. “Our comrades are dead because of her! Where is justice for Hiroe, for Koroku, for—”
“—That’s enough, Teppei,” Yukiya said. “We all understand your frustration, but the Crown Prince has made his decision. Don’t let your emotions cloud your judgment.”
“But—”
“Don’t make our fallen comrades ashamed of you for your anger and disobedience,” Yukiya said flatly.
Teppei fell silent.
“The fate of Yamauchi is in the true Golden Raven’s hands,” Yukiya said. “If he believes that walking this path will lead to our survival, then you should believe in him.”
The other Yamauchishu stood up straighter but didn’t speak.
“I hate that monster,” Yukiya said. “I hate him as much or more than all of you do. I want to kill him. But I won’t unless His Imperial Highness commands it.”
Nazukihiko winced a little, lowering his head. “We cannot let hatred blind us into making a mistake that could doom us all. Please understand that.”
No one said a word. Natsuka looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t.
Nazukihiko glanced at Akeru. “Where is Sumio now?” he asked.
“Shion Temple’s hospital,” Akeru said.
***
Masuho no Susuki helped nurse Sumio with the physicians who’d been assigned to his care. One of the temple maids had been his nurse first, but that maid had come to Masuho no Susuki in tears, claiming that the task was too terrible for her to manage.
Masuho no Susuki swept her aside imperiously and said, “Fine, then I’ll do it myself.”
The maid was scandalized. “No, you mustn’t!”
“I will,” Masuho no Susuki said. And then she went to see Sumio. She understood why the maid had wept; Sumio’s injuries were truly terrifying. Maggots burrowed in his split skin, eating away burned flesh. His amputated arm and leg caused him a strange kind of pain that made him seize; he shook all over and foamed at the mouth.
“For maggots to swarm this quickly—this is not an ordinary burn,” a physician said quietly to her.
Masuho no Susuki had heard that Sumio’s wounds were worsening, but she hadn’t imagined anything like this.
“There are too many maggots for us to use tweezers; it would be too slow,” the physician said.
“Then what do we use?” Masuho no Susuki asked as she surveyed the physician’s instruments. She tied her hair back and donned her hood so that her hair wouldn’t get in the way.
The crying maid caught up to Masuho no Susuki. She was staring at her, dumbstruck. “What do you intend to do, my lady?” she asked.
Masuho no Susuki bowed to the physician. “Command me. I will help as well as I am able.”
“Then please pick up those bamboo chopsticks.”
Masuho no Susuki helped the physician remove the maggots from Sumio’s flesh. Touching Sumio’s skin directly sent a mild static electric charge through her fingers, which she found odd but not particularly painful.
While Masuho no Susuki removed the maggots, the physician prepared medicine. Sumio groaned in pain when medicine was fed to him, but he didn’t wake. Masuho no Susuki asked if there was some other way to ease his suffering.
“The medicine keeps him from waking,” the physician said. “If he wakes, I fear the pain would kill him.”
Sumio’s life had been reduced to nothing but agony. Lacking limbs, he wouldn’t be able to be a warrior anymore even if he recovered. It might be kinder to let him die.
But he was alive, and as long as he was alive, Masuho no Susuki was determined not to give up.
She wasn’t sure if Sumio could hear her, but she whispered in his ear, “You’re all right, Sumio. We’re here with you. Come back to us when you can.”
Sumio coughed, but he said nothing.
Dawn came, and he seemed to be breathing a bit easier. Masuho no Susuki no longer got static shocks from touching him. There were also fewer maggots than usual.
Masuho no Susuki was fetching more water when she heard noise in the temple courtyard. Was the Crown Prince back? Had something happened in the mountain god’s realm?
Nazukihiko entered the temple and asked to see Sumio. He sat at Sumio’s bedside and said, “Thanks to you, I am safe, and so are all the other Yatagarasu. I’m so sorry, Sumio.”
Sumio had a coughing fit, but he didn’t speak. If Masuho no Susuki didn’t know better, she might think that Sumio was trying to laugh. She lingered out of sight, unwilling to interrupt Nazukihiko’s visit.
“Get some rest,” Nazukihiko said. He bowed low to Sumio, resting his forehead on the floor.
Masuho no Susuki looked away.
Nazukihiko left shortly after that; he must be very busy.
Masuho no Susuki waved to him from the temple’s entrance. She hadn’t said a word to him since his arrival. She didn’t know if she wanted to thank him for visiting or if she wanted to demand that he apologize for killing Sumio in such a slow and torturous way.
Sumio had devoted his life to becoming a Yamauchishu. The others who’d died had been the same.
Masuho no Susuki knew that the actions of soldiers and guards weren’t hers to control, but she couldn’t bring herself to accept their deaths easily. Their deaths were a pointless tragedy. The least she could do was try to give them meaning.
***
Sumio’s symptoms had improved on the day that Nazukihiko visited, but after that, nothing changed. Sumio didn’t heal further. His life was still in danger.
One positive change was that there were no more maggots. Masuho no Susuki and the physicians could also touch him without suffering static shocks. His fever had reduced considerably, though he was still usually feverish. His burns remained unhealed, and his limbs were gone. It seemed that the burns were permanent.
Masuho no Susuki complained to Hamayū, who often came to check on Sumio. “I wish there were something else I could do, but… the physicians say he isn’t getting better. He’s getting worse.”
Sumio didn’t groan when he took his medicine anymore. He’d become completely unresponsive.
“We must consider the worst-case scenario. Has his family still not come?” Hamayū asked.
Kikuno shook her head. “He has no relatives. He was raised by a single mother, and I heard that she died of an illness before he entered the Keisōin. The governor of Ariake Province became his guardian, I think.”
“So that’s how it is,” Masuho no Susuki murmured.
Sumio was famous in guard circles for never taking leave or vacation time. What would he do with it? He had no family, and all of his friends were also guards. His home was the Sun Palace; his family was the Crown Prince.
Masuho no Susuki wondered about Sumio’s mother. What had she been like? Would she be worried to know that her son was dying? Masuho no Susuki realized that she knew next to nothing about Sumio or his life.
“How is His Imperial Highness’ arm?” Masuho no Susuki asked.
“Improving, but slowly,” Hamayū said. “The physicians don’t believe that the wound will kill him, even if it doesn’t heal the rest of the way.”
Masuho no Susuki frowned a little. “Why is he recovering while Sumio remains in this same awful state?”
“Perhaps because Nazukihiko is a true Golden Raven,” Hamayū said.
“But they were both cursed during the same event,” Masuho no Susuki said. “What if there’s some other reason, some other factor…” She shook her head. “Can you ask him?”
“I can. And so can you,” Hamayū said. “I think it’s worth asking. If we can figure out how he’s healing, maybe we can help Sumio, too.”
The Crown Prince had spent most of the past few weeks in the mountain god’s realm. When he wasn’t there, he was in the Sun Palace. The work of governing Yamauchi was entrusted to Natsuka and Hamayū. When Natsuka and Hamayū couldn’t agree on something, they sent a messenger to the Crown Prince.
Many Yamauchishu who’d served with Sumio came to visit when they learned that he was still alive. He’d been well-liked by most of his junior cadets at the Keisōin, and all his coworkers admired his work ethic. Sumio had a pile of get-well gifts by his bed that he might never get to open.
Sumio’s friends asked Masuho no Susuki and the physicians to save him. Masuho no Susuki wished she knew how.
The bodies of the dead Yamauchishu had been returned to their families. Funerals had been held for them all. Yukiya and Akeru handled those arrangements.
Akeru looked dead on his feet these days. The Crown Prince ran him ragged out of necessity; all of his attendants and guards were perpetually tired. Yukiya looked the same as always, but Masuho no Susuki knew that he was taking Shigemaru’s death hard. They’d been best friends.
Will he be all right? Masuho no Susuki thought. No. He won’t. Not for a long time.
***
“It’s my fault,” Akeru said. “I put together the schedule. Shigemaru died because he did what I said. He was where I told him to go.” He buried his face in his hands.
Chihaya remained silent. Nothing he said would make Akeru feel better.
Watching Akeru weep into his hands made Chihaya feel extremely uncomfortable. He cleared his throat. He knew his words would be worthless the moment they left his mouth, but he couldn’t stand this terrible silence.
“The Crown Prince commanded you to make the schedule, and he told you to call in reinforcements,” Chihaya said. “From that perspective, it’s all his fault.”
Akeru shook his head. “No. No. If I hadn’t made the schedule, or if I’d made it differently, Shigemaru might still be alive.” He lifted his head from his hands. His lips trembled.
Chihaya frowned. Any one of them could have died. It could have been Akeru; it could have been Chihaya himself. Fate had chosen Shigemaru. Chihaya didn’t blame anyone for Shigemaru’s death aside from the mountain god, who’d murdered him and five others.
“Why wasn’t it me?” Akeru asked his hands. He brought his knees up and rested his forehead on them. “It should have been me.”
Chihaya understood how Akeru felt. If Shigemaru were here, he’d probably know just what to say to cheer Akeru up. Shigemaru was good at things like that. Everyone had loved him. His grades at the Keisōin weren’t always the best, but he had a keen understanding of people and their emotions. He’d never manipulated others for his own benefit. His insights had been used to lift people up, never to tear them down.
Shigemaru should not be dead. The other Yamauchishu should still be alive, too.
Yukiya appeared in the doorway, his shadow moving over Akeru’s face. “Pathetic,” he said. “Here you are, shirking your duties. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself, Akeru?”
“Yukiya.” Akeru looked up. “Leave me alone.”
“What would you have done if I weren’t here to pick up the slack?” Yukiya asked coldly. “Falling apart helps no one. Not the Crown Prince, and not yourself.”
“I’m sorry,” Akeru said in a voice barely heard. “I should have said sorry to his father and siblings, too, but I couldn’t.”
Yukiya raised an eyebrow. “Why should you apologize to them? You aren’t at fault,” Yukiya said. “Well, aside from shirking. The mountain god is responsible for the mess we’re in, not you.” Hands on hips, Yukiya looked Akeru up and down with a critical expression. “Stop crying and get to work. You’re the Crown Prince’s personal attendant, so act like it.”
Chihaya remembered Yukiya’s screaming breakdown in front of Shigemaru’s corpse, but he said nothing.
“You’re as focused as ever,” Akeru said to his knees.
Yukiya snorted. “What do you expect me to do? I can’t snap my fingers and return the dead to life, and neither can you.”
Yukiya sounded heartless, but Chihaya saw traces of agitation in his expression. Like the others, he hadn’t been sleeping well. Chihaya thought that only Yukiya’s rigid discipline was keeping him going.
Shigemaru and Yukiya had been fast friends at the Keisōin, and best friends for the past few years. Yukiya did not cultivate attachments like that lightly or frequently. Shigemaru had softened his personality somewhat—the viper transformed into a clever puppy in his presence.
And now he was gone, and the viper remained.
Ichiryū had kept his composure in the moment, but Chihaya had seen him crying heavily into his sleeve after he’d carried the bodies out of the mountain god’s realm.
Yukiya had never cried for Shigemaru. He hadn’t cried for any of the dead. He’d lost himself for less than a minute before Ichiryū’s slap brought him back to himself. Chihaya and Ichiryū were the only witnesses to that breakdown.
“Anyway, it’s time for a guard shift change,” Yukiya said. “If you can’t do it, then switch with someone else.”
Akeru glared at him.
“There’s a lot of work to be done and not a lot of time to do it,” Yukiya said. “This is no time to rest.” He forced a humorless smile and then spun on his heel.
As Yukiya left, Chihaya thought that Yukiya busied himself with work so that he wouldn’t grieve Shigemaru. He didn’t give himself time to rest—or feel.
***
Masuho no Susuki slept at Sumio’s bedside, her head leaning against the wall. She’d worked in shifts with another nurse for most of the day and had fallen asleep early.
Then Sumio groaned, and Masuho no Susuki was instantly awake. She sprang to her feet and immediately started examining his bandages.
It was dark, but not pitch dark; a sliver of blue light entered through the window. Masuho no Susuki saw Sumio’s eyes shining in the gloom.
Sumio’s eyes were open. He was awake.
“Sumio?” Masuho no Susuki asked. “Sumio, it’s me. Masuho no Susuki. Do you remember me? Can I do anything for you?” she asked all in a rush.
“Your hand.”
“What?”
“Give me your hand.” His voice was rough and hoarse, but he was able to make himself understood.
Masuho no Susuki extended her hand to Sumio without pausing to think about it. Sumio’s eyes were on her face. She met his gaze as he blinked slowly.
Sumio’s eyelashes were gone: burned away. His black eyes were full of an emotion that Masuho no Susuki couldn’t identify. Regret, perhaps, or anger at himself. He managed to smile at her, though it looked like it pained him.
“You’re here,” Sumio said. He closed his eyes again, exhausted. A few moments later, he was asleep.
Masuho no Susuki couldn’t bring herself to hold his hand. She didn’t want to cause him pain and wake him up. She’d touched his hand countless times during treatment, but she feared to do so now. After she made sure he was sleeping without pain, she fled from the sickroom.
I never noticed, she thought, her cheeks flushing. How could I not notice this before? And since when have I…
Masuho no Susuki saw her own actions in a different light, one that wasn’t entirely flattering to her. Sumio was a fool, and so was she.
Maybe she was misunderstanding the situation. Sumio had been unconscious for a long time; maybe he would have reached for anyone who was there.
But she probably wasn’t misunderstanding things. Sumio had protected the Crown Prince at the possible cost of his life, but he was a Yamauchishu. That meant he was sworn to protect the Crown Prince’s family as well—and Masuho no Susuki and Nazukihiko were cousins.
“Are you all right?” Hamayū asked.
Masuho no Susuki jumped. She’d stopped walking in a hallway that led to Hamayū’s chamber. Hamayū’s door was open, casting faint light into the hallway.
“Hamayū, it is impossible,” Masuho no Susuki insisted. “You won’t believe what that man did…”
She couldn’t force herself to say more.
Fortunately, Hamayū seemed to understand what was going on. She invited Masuho no Susuki into her room.
“So you finally noticed?” Hamayū asked. “I’ve been there. I’m used to seeing the despair of unrequited love in the mirror.”
Masuho no Susuki looked at her feet. “What am I supposed to do?” Masuho no Susuki asked. “Sumio’s wounds won’t heal… there’s no life for him but medicine, sleep, and pain.”
“Sumio is a hero who did his duty. You ought to praise him for it.”
Hamayū thought similarly to Nazukihiko about Sumio, which was no surprise.
“You want me to praise him for almost dying?” Masuho no Susuki asked. “You can do that, if you want. I won’t.”
“You must,” Hamayū said. “That is what it means to be the Crown Prince’s wife. Accepting hardships such as this is part of the role.”
Masuho no Susuki looked up. “What? Why say that now?”
“Because I thought it must be said now. Recent events have made me reevaluate my own position. We have no time, Masuho no Susuki. Do you realize how close we came to losing Nazukihiko to the mountain god’s attack?” Her voice was almost a whisper. “He survived—this time. He might not next time. I cannot bear a child, so you must do it.”
“I can’t.”
“Why? Because of Sumio?”
Hamayū’s beauty was not like Masuho no Susuki’s. Masuho no Susuki’s features were rounded and feminine and soft: she was colorful and sweet where Hamayū was cold and dignified. Her smile softened her, but she rarely smiled. Her glares were terrifying.
“Why are you in such a rush to get an heir for the Crown Prince?”
“Because there is no time,” Hamayū insisted. “If he dies without an heir, what do you think will happen to everyone else?!”
Masuho no Susuki winced. Hamayū rarely raised her voice.
“If I had not been selected as his first wife, he would have a child by now,” Hamayū said more calmly. “This situation is my fault, and I am going to fix it.”
“Hamayū.”
“Spare me your arguments and excuses, Masuho no Susuki. You must do this.” She clasped Masuho no Susuki’s hand in both of hers.
She was desperate—but so was Masuho no Susuki.
Masuho no Susuki thought of her father, her brothers, Sumio, the Crown Prince, and, irritatingly, Yukiya. All these men had controlled her fate since her birth, whether they wanted to or not. Hamayū had discussed her becoming the Crown Prince’s concubine before, and she hadn’t outright opposed the idea.
But she couldn’t do it. If she did, she would lose a fundamental part of who she was. She didn’t care if Hamayū and the Crown Prince despised her for her refusal. Her face twisted as she turned away from Hamayū, who hadn’t let go of her hand.
“I’m sorry.” Masuho no Susuki forced herself to turn back and look Hamayū in the eye. “Really, I am. But I cannot bear a child for you. Forgive me.”
Hamayū’s face went white. “I gave you a command,” she said in a shaking voice.
“I chose to serve you,” Masuho no Susuki said, “but you do not command me absolutely. I will not set aside who I am and what I want in life to please you.”
Hamayū dropped Masuho no Susuki’s hand. “Then get out.”
“Hamayū.”
“I said, get out.”
Masuho no Susuki left. Tears coursed down her face, though she wouldn’t have been able to say why.
“I never believed you were so selfish,” Hamayū said to her retreating back. “You are no longer my attendant. Never show your face to me again.” The last word was almost a scream.
Masuho no Susuki closed her eyes.
***
When the Crown Prince came to Shion Temple at midday for a visit, Masuho no Susuki went out to welcome him.
“Is the Princess of Sakura Palace well?” the Crown Prince asked.
“She’s resting. She went to bed late last night, so there’s no need for you to worry.”
The Crown Prince nodded. “I’ll visit Sumio, then.”
“Very well.”
Masuho no Susuki led the Crown Prince to Sumio’s sickchamber.
“How is Sumio doing?” the Crown Prince asked.
“He awoke near dawn, but not for long.”
“Did he say anything?”
After a slight hesitation, Masuho no Susuki said, “No.”
The Crown Prince received the physician’s report of Sumio’s condition and winced as if he were the one suffering.
“I heard that your burned arm is healing,” Masuho no Susuki said.
“It is,” the Crown Prince said tersely. He unwrapped the bandages on his right arm and showed his wound to her. The burned flesh was raised, but no longer blackened; the healing tissue was a peach color. His wound was clearly different from Sumio’s, which remained black and infected.
“Why is it healing?” Masuho no Susuki asked. “Is it because you are a true Golden Raven?”
The Crown Prince appeared troubled. “That may be the case, but I doubt that’s the reason. I suspect that I am healing because I spend a lot of time in the mountain god’s realm. The wound is less painful when I am there. It is possible that the mountain god is the only one who can heal the wounds that he inflicts.”
“Could we take Sumio to the mountain god’s realm, then?” Masuho no Susuki asked. “Perhaps he would heal then.”
The Crown Prince frowned. “I don’t know. He was wounded much more severely than me. A passive healing effect won’t do him much good. I’ve asked Shiho to intercede on his behalf. He’s agreed to try healing Sumio himself tomorrow.”
“Really?” Masuho no Susuki asked. She couldn’t believe it. Not too long ago, the Crown Prince had been plotting the mountain god’s assassination.
The Crown Prince nodded. “I haven’t forgiven him for what he did. Honestly, I hate him for it. I’d like to make him pay for all the harm he’s caused.”
Nazukihiko wasn’t, by nature, a vengeful person. Masuho no Susuki looked at him curiously. He could be provocative, especially when he was searching for the truth. She’d never seen him express genuine anger toward someone, like any other Yatagarasu would.
The mountain god had killed Yatagarasu in cold blood. That was what had sparked this reaction; Masuho no Susuki was certain of that.
“I don’t want anyone else to die,” the Crown Prince said. “If I let my anger rule me, more people will die, and I won’t let that happen. We have to save Sumio, even if it means requesting help from an enemy.”
The Crown Prince and Masuho no Susuki were alike in that they abhorred violence. One of the responsibilities of leadership was sending people into harm’s way to protect others. Masuho no Susuki didn’t envy Nazukihiko his position.
“I didn’t kill them, but they were with me. They are dead because of that. I share the blame in their death and suffering.” He looked at Masuho no Susuki. “I swear I’ll do whatever I can to save Sumio. I won’t let your efforts be in vain.”
“Thank you,” Masuho no Susuki said. “I am grateful for your consideration.”
The Crown Prince smiled. “No need to be so formal. The Yamauchishu will be moving Sumio to the Sun Palace today in preparation for bringing him to the mountain god’s realm. I assume that you’ll want to stay with him. I shall accompany you as well.”
“That will help.”
The Yamauchishu arrived a short while later. They lifted Sumio onto a folded rice mat and then loaded him into a carriage. Masuho no Susuki got in beside him. Kikuno and the other temple maids saw them off somberly.
Hamayū didn’t come out of her room at all that day.
***
After arriving in the Sun Palace, Masuho no Susuki rubbed ointment into Sumio’s burns and changed his bandages. When she stepped outside the carriage to fetch water, the Crown Prince called out to her.
“You’re used to doing this,” Nazukihiko said. “Treating burns, I mean.”
“I’ve treated many injured people for the past year.”
Nazukihiko nodded thoughtfully.
Masuho no Susuki wore only her black feather robe with the sleeves rolled up past the elbows. When she’d first come to Sakura Palace, she’d never worn a feather robe a day in her life. She’d considered the garment uncouth and fit only for commoners. She’d changed a lot since then. Her nails were no longer painted or manicured, but roughened from the work of healing.
Sometimes, Masuho no Susuki caught Kikuno sneaking pained glances at her. Kikuno seemed ashamed that Masuho no Susuki had chosen this life for herself. The beautiful Duchess of Saike, reduced to a temple maid whose hair was undone and who never wore a single hair ornament or piece of jewelry.
She knew that no one wished for her to be like this. She had disappointed many people to become who she was now, but she didn’t regret that at all. She preferred her current self to the spoiled, selfish duchess who’d left home so many years ago. She was proud of herself for choosing her own path in life.
The Crown Prince came with Masuho no Susuki to fetch water. “You’ve done a lot to help Sumio,” he said. “Is there anything you wouldn’t do?”
Masuho no Susuki blinked. She hadn’t expected that question from him. “I would do anything to save him. There is nothing I wouldn’t do.”
The Crown Prince nodded. “Good. Then you’re coming with us to the mountain god’s realm.”
“All right,” Masuho no Susuki said. “But why? Do you think there’s something I can do there that you can’t?”
“Yeah. We have to make the mountain god willing to help us, or he won’t. Shiho asked him on our behalf, and he agreed, but he’s not enthusiastic about it. We have to make sure he doesn’t back out or give up without trying.”
Masuho no Susuki raised an eyebrow. “What kind of relationship do Shiho and the mountain god have?”
“I don’t really understand it, myself.” He looked toward the mountain peak, where the Forbidden Gate was. “She treats the mountain god as her child, and strangely enough, he allows that. He was a monster when we met him, but now he looks and behaves very much like a child most of the time.”
“Huh.” Masuho no Susuki was even more confused than before, but she understood that the monster was not only a monster. The mountain god could be spoken to and reasoned with. He wasn’t a mindless beast.
“In any case, what matters is the mountain god’s will. We must ask in such a way that the mountain god will truly feel that he must help us. I believe that you are more suited to plead for his aid than I am.”
Masuho no Susuki nodded slowly. “Then I will go.”
“Good. I don’t believe you’ll come to any harm with Shiho there, but still—be careful.”
“I don’t fear any danger. I would go even if the risk to me were much greater. If anything happens to me, it will be because I chose to take those risks. I will accompany you, Sumio, and the other Yamauchishu, and I will be prepared for anything that might befall.”
The Crown Prince gave her a rare, radiant smile. “Of course you will. I trust you to do what is best. For us all, and especially for Sumio.”
Masuho no Susuki smiled back. The Crown Prince had proposed to her once, albeit in the least romantic way possible. Standing here outside the carriage, speaking of important matters that affected all of Yamauchi, she thought that becoming his wife might not have been a terrible fate. She remembered what Hamayū had asked of her and shook her head. She trusted her younger self’s instincts, and she wouldn’t trade who she was now for anything.
The Crown Prince didn’t mention taking a concubine, so Masuho no Susuki didn’t mention it, either. She wondered if he felt like she did—like they might be able to get along as a married couple, but that the time for them to marry was long past.
Masuho no Susuki knew that the Crown Prince loved Hamayū in his own way. Masuho no Susuki loved her, too. Remembering Hamayū’s shut door that morning made her heart ache.
***
The next morning, Masuho no Susuki and the Crown Prince accompanied the Yamauchishu carrying Sumio on a folded rice mat to the Forbidden Gate on foot. Akeru wanted to come along, but the Crown Prince commanded him to remain in Yamauchi.
“Take care, sister,” Akeru said.
“I will be careful,” Masuho no Susuki promised.
Akeru walked with them to the gate of the Sun Palace.
“Chihaya, is everyone ready to depart?” the Crown Prince asked.
Chihaya raised a hand lightly in response.
Several Yamauchishu lifted Sumio up and carried him through the Forbidden Gate. Masuho no Susuki followed with measured steps. She’d never been to the Forbidden Gate before today. The stern stone structure made her feel like she was being watched.
The air on the other side of the Forbidden Gate was markedly different from the air in Yamauchi. It was cold and dense and hard to breathe. A girl in her mid-teens wearing a white kimono sat in a circular stone hall with a boy hiding behind her, peeking over her shoulder.
If Masuho no Susuki wasn’t mistaken, the boy was responsible for the cursed wounds of Nazukihiko and Sumio. He was responsible for killing six other Yamauchishu. She’d expected the mountain god to appear far more monstrous, but right now, he looked like a nervous little boy. His plump cheeks were a rosy pink. His hair was as silver as captured moonlight and shoulder-length. He was a lovely child, not at all feminine in form and feature; looking at him now, Masuho no Susuki thought she could easily predict what he would look like when he grew into a man.
The boy appeared frightened of Sumio. He clung desperately to the teenage girl in front of him, seeking reassurance. Fear radiated from him like mist.
As for the girl, she appeared perfectly ordinary. She could have been any girl standing on a street corner in her own world or in Yamauchi, but the atmosphere surrounding her was anything but mundane. Masuho no Susuki noticed that there were tears in her eyes. She regarded Sumio as someone her child had wronged, and as his mother, she felt responsible for his actions. Despite her youth, her gaze bore the depth of maternal wisdom.
She likely meant to offer an apology. Nazukihiko spoke to her as the girl bowed her head. “This is my cousin, Masuho no Susuki. She has been caring for him all this time.”
“Will the treatment work this time?” Masuho no Susuki asked Nazukihiko. “Are you certain?”
Shiho trembled and bowed her head. “I hope so.”
Masuho no Susuki extended her hand. “Do not bow to me.” She dropped to her knees and prostrated herself on the floor.
Shiho gasped. “Please! You don’t have to bow to me—please get up!”
Masuho no Susuki didn’t move an inch.
Panicked, Shiho looked to Nazukihiko. “What is she doing?”
“She wants you to save him,” Nazukihiko said.
Masuho no Susuki bit back tears. “Yes. If you save his life, I will not wish for anything else in the entire world.”
The Crown Prince translated Masuho no Susuki’s words to Shiho. Then he bowed. “That is my wish, as well.”
Shiho was briefly overwhelmed and said nothing.
The mountain god looked at Sumio on the folded rice mat and frowned. His face was pale.
“Are you all right?” Shiho asked. “Do you think you can heal him?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never tried. I suppose I must try now,” the mountain god said hoarsely.
Chihaya and the other Yamauchishu carrying the rice mat set it down before the mountain god and retreated.
The mountain god approached Sumio shyly, as if he were afraid to be bitten. Masuho no Susuki found it difficult to believe that this small boy had killed so many Yatagarasu.
Sumio showed no sign that he knew the mountain god was there.
The mountain god stared at Sumio’s chest, which rose and fell with shaky breaths. Then he pushed aside bandages and pressed his fingers to a patch of burned skin. “Heal.”
The room swam around her as the cold air thickened further; Masuho no Susuki gasped, but she kept her eyes fixed on Sumio.
Nothing happened.
“Heal!” the mountain god repeated. His voice dropped, cavernously deep. It reverberated through the rocky cavern.
Masuho no Susuki clasped her hands together and bowed her head in prayer. She had no words of reproach for the mountain god. She was praying to him for deliverance.
Please save him.
Nazukihiko’s eyes were fixed on Sumio. He reached down and clasped Masuho no Susuki’s shoulder briefly.
Masuho no Susuki felt like she couldn’t breathe. Every inhalation was agonizing. Her ears were ringing and her head hurt. She didn’t know how long she spent like that before the mountain god looked up, but it felt like an eternity.
The mountain god staggered away from Sumio.
Masuho no Susuki approached Sumio cautiously and removed some of his bandages. The burns beneath were unchanged.
Something within her broke. She’d spent so much time hoping and waiting for Sumio’s injuries to get better. The idea that they never would—that all her effort had been meaningless—overwhelmed her. She saw herself from the outside and judged herself to be arrogant and self-absorbed. She did not have the power to heal Sumio. She never had, and never would.
That meant Sumio would die. There was nothing she could do to prevent it.
He’d asked her to hold his hand. That might have been his dying wish. He was too honest, too brave, too pitiable.
Sumio awoke and screamed at the pain that the cold air of the mountain god’s realm caused him.
Masuho no Susuki re-wrapped the bandages hastily, brought his single remaining hand to her chest, and wept. Sumio was in no condition to speak to her or anyone else. They would never get a chance to talk, not ever.
“I can’t do it,” the mountain god said to Masuho no Susuki. “I tried.” He fled from the room.
“Tsubaki!” Shiho called after him.
After that, Masuho no Susuki lost track of time. She heard the Crown Prince calling out to her and tore her gaze away from Sumio with great reluctance.
“It didn’t work,” Masuho no Susuki said. “He hasn’t healed.” She barely recognized her own voice.
The Crown Prince opened his mouth to say something and then closed it. Footsteps echoed down the stone tunnel that led to this hall.
“Your Imperial Highness!” Chihaya appeared in the tunnel entrance and bowed. The other Yamauchishu were behind him. “Masuho no Susuki. We’ve got trouble.”
The Crown Prince moved to shield Masuho no Susuki and Sumio from view.
A shadow moved within a thicket of dead wisteria vines that obscured a tunnel opening. The huge creature was so tall that he needed to bend slightly so he wouldn’t hit his head on the tunnel roof. His face was hideously wrinkled and his eyes were a carious yellow. White fur grew in tufts from leathery skin.
He was a Kuisaru—the largest that any Yatagarasu had ever seen. A man-eating monster.
The Kuisaru grinned broadly when he saw Nazukihiko.
A shiver went up Masuho no Susuki’s spine. She understood immediately that the mountain god’s monstrous behavior stemmed from this terrifying creature.
The Kuisaru folded his arms. “How pointless,” he said in a sing-song cadence.
His voice was so unpleasant that it made Masuho no Susuki nauseous.
Nazukihiko said nothing. He stared at the Kuisaru, glaring sharply.
“How terrible a look!” the Kuisaru said. “You must be in a defiant mood today, raven.” He chuckled.
Masuho no Susuki had prepared herself to face danger, but she didn’t know what to do when facing this evil ape. It was unnatural and eerie. She felt like he had committed unspeakable crimes that had fundamentally altered who he was.
“It’s too late to help that one,” the Kuisaru said. “The mountain god has consumed human flesh. There is nothing he can do to heal your friend.” He appeared supremely pleased with himself.
“If that’s all you have to say, then leave,” Nazukihiko said in a measured tone. “I know you’ve incited the mountain god to violence before, but you won’t find it so easy to do that in the future.”
“Oh? Are you sure about that?” The Kuisaru’s liquid yellow eyes flicked to the opposite tunnel entrance. Shiho and the mountain god stood there; they’d just returned. A white puppy sat on Shiho’s foot.
The Kuisaru scowled at the harmless-looking puppy. He bowed respectfully to the mountain god and then excused himself.
The Crown Prince exchanged glances with Shiho. His expression brightened. “It seems they’re going to make another attempt,” he said to Masuho no Susuki.
Masuho no Susuki didn’t dare hope for a miracle. She moved away from Sumio, closer to the wall behind her.
Shiho patted the mountain god on the back encouragingly.
The mountain god rolled up his sleeves and took a deep breath. His expression was grave as he extended both hands toward Sumio. “Heal,” he said again.
The air became thick and oppressive once more. Sweat beaded on the mountain god’s forehead. Shiho approached Sumio as the mountain god’s visage crumbled in despair.
The oppressive heaviness of air dissipated as the mountain god wavered in determination.
Masuho no Susuki wanted to plead for him to not give up, but she remained silent. Sumio’s fate was out of her hands.
Shiho knelt before Sumio and reached out to take his hand.
That was when everything changed. It was like a glass sphere containing pure air had shattered at the heart of the hall. The sensation was similar to that of standing before a deep, immense pool of clear water. The reek of blood and pus was lifted away. Pale blue light danced along Sumio’s wounds, as delicate as soap bubbles, and soaked into his skin where Shiho had touched him. The particles of light looked like fireflies dancing above still water as they converged upon Sumio’s wounds.
The dark chamber was briefly lit in white and blue like an underwater world. Masuho no Susuki heard a loud pop like a bubble bursting.
Sumio no longer seemed to be in pain.
Masuho no Susuki removed the bandages from Sumio’s arm with great care, revealing healed skin. She gasped.
The wounds were not entirely healed, but they were healing rapidly. Pale pink skin closed over burns that were no longer infected. Sumio’s breathing had calmed; he was asleep.
Masuho no Susuki grabbed Sumio’s shoulders and fell over him, crying in joy.
The mountain god was smiling.
Shiho appeared stunned.
Breathing felt easier now. Masuho no Susuki raised herself up and drew the clean air into her lungs.
Sumio was healing. He would survive. The mountain god had not healed him—but Shiho had. Shiho was not as ordinary as she appeared.
Nazukihiko knelt near Sumio, relieved.
Masuho no Susuki bowed to Shiho and thanked her repeatedly until Chihaya came to her and told her it was time to leave.
The mountain god was jumping up and down excitedly around Shiho when Masuho no Susuki took her leave.
Before she had left the hall, the mountain god called out to Masuho no Susuki. “Hey! You’re grateful to Shiho for healing him, right?”
Masuho no Susuki blinked, startled. “Um, of course I am.”
“How will you repay your debt of gratitude to her? Words are hardly enough.”
The Crown Prince and the Yamauchishu visibly tensed.
Masuho no Susuki nodded firmly. “You’re right.” She wasn’t frightened of the mountain god; not anymore. The monstrous Kuisaru was far more terrifying.
The mountain god nodded rapidly and smiled. “Good, good. Starting tomorrow, you will come to my realm and care for Shiho.”
***
“No. Absolutely not. I will not permit it!” Akeru shouted in rage.
Sumio and his escort had returned to Shion Temple that evening. Everyone was overjoyed to see how much Sumio’s wounds had healed.
But then Akeru learned what that healing had cost his sister. She would have to go to the mountain god’s realm with Nazukihiko from now on.
Masuho no Susuki packed her belongings and then walked with them to the carriage yard in front of the temple. Akeru was there ahead of her.
“I didn’t want you to go with the Crown Prince the first time, and you’re determined to return?” Akeru asked, aghast. “What is wrong with you? Are you trying to murder me with worry? The mountain god was a monster until just recently. Have you forgotten that he killed those Yamauchishu? If you make one wrong move, he could kill you!”
Kikuno, who was helping Masuho no Susuki carry her things, nodded. “Please reconsider. If Shiho needs an attendant, I will go in your place.”
Akeru nodded in approval. “Good. You see, sister, there’s no need for you to go.”
Masuho no Susuki frowned. “No one can substitute for me. The mountain god commanded my presence; I will go.”
Akeru and Kikuno exchanged glances. They knew that nothing they could say or do would dissuade her.
Kikuno sighed heavily. “It’s all very well and good to say such things, but you are risking your life. Do you understand that?”
“I do,” Masuho no Susuki said. “His Imperial Highness supports my decision. I won’t be in any more danger than he is.”
Nazukihiko had come to the carriage yard while Kikuno and Akeru were arguing with Masuho no Susuki. “There is danger, but less than before,” he said. “The situation has changed. Our current objective is not to kill the mountain god, but to earn enough of his favor to stabilize his sacred realm and Yamauchi. Masuho no Susuki is better suited to being an ambassador to the mountain god than I am.”
Akeru’s face fell. He glanced at Yukiya, who stood behind the Crown Prince. “What do you think?” he asked.
“The true Golden Raven has given his commands,” Yukiya said. “I have no objections.”
No one was willing to take Akeru’s side.
Akeru was about to protest further when he noticed a procession of guards moving toward the carriage yard. Sumio was among them, leaning heavily on a temple maid. His left arm was gone from the elbow down and his left leg had been amputated below the knee, but he was alive and conscious.
Masuho no Susuki was openly relieved. “Sumio!” she called out.
“Are you all right?” the Crown Prince asked, alarmed.
Sumio gave the Crown Prince a vaguely disapproving look. “Who’s going to the mountain god’s realm now?” he asked. His voice was hoarse, but steady.
Masuho no Susuki pursed her lips. “The mountain god has commanded me to go.”
“You?” Sumio asked. “No; there’s no need for that. There must be some kind of misunderstanding.”
“The mountain god asked me to care for Shiho,” Masuho no Susuki said. “Apparently, she needs an attendant. It is not wise for the Yatagarasu to defy the mountain god at the moment.”
“You can’t even take raven form,” Sumio said. “It’s too dangerous for you to go.” He looked at her like he was watching the world end.
Masuho no Susuki blanched. Since when had he cared about her so much? “I can take raven form now. I’ve been practicing since I cut my hair, and I’ve gotten much better at it. I’ve practiced flying quite a bit as well. If there is danger, I should be able to flee.”
“But—”
“No,” Masuho no Susuki said firmly. “You went because it was your duty to go. This is my responsibility, and I will go just as you did.”
“You could die.”
“I know.”
“You would make my sacrifices worthless,” Sumio said; he was almost shouting.
Akeru took an involuntary step back from Sumio.
Masuho no Susuki faced Sumio calmly. “You went to protect us all. It is my turn, that’s all.”
Sumio’s face twisted in a frown. “Do you expect me to be grateful to you for agreeing to sacrifice yourself to that monster?”
Masuho no Susuki didn’t flinch. “You went, and sacrificed much. There is no reason why I shouldn’t go.”
Sumio swallowed heavily and shook his head.
Seeing him speechless pleased Masuho no Susuki in a way she couldn’t quite explain.
“Fine. You’re as stubborn as ever; I shall allow you to go,” Hamayū said imperiously.
Masuho no Susuki’s heart leaped to her throat. She hadn’t expected to see Hamayū again. It felt like it had been a long time since they’d last spoken. When had she gotten here? Masuho no Susuki must not have seen her approaching because of all the other people coming to the carriage yard.
Hamayū wore her hair loose this morning. She approached Masuho no Susuki in her sleeping garments; an ultramarine haori was carelessly layered over her nightgown.Her eyes were a little red.
Kikuno gasped. “Princess of Sakura Palace, how can you say such a thing?”
“Masuho no Susuki is no longer in my service,” Hamayū said. “She can go where she pleases. It is no longer my concern if she lives or dies.”
Masuho no Susuki bit her lip. Her dismissal was her own fault, but Hamayū’s casual disregard hurt.
“I no longer have a right to command her as her mistress,” Hamayū said. “But I do have the right to speak as her friend. Go, Masuho no Susuki. Make your fate with your own hands. And do your best to come back to us all safely.”
“Hamayū!” Masuho no Susuki ran to her and threw herself into her arms.
“I’m sorry,” Hamayū said. “I was selfish.”
“So was I,” Masuho no Susuki said. “Forgive me for being stubborn. I pray for your happiness every day.” She wiped away tears with one sleeve. “If you were a man, I would have wished for you as my husband.”
“I’m honored.” Hamayū grinned.
“I hope that you would have wished to have me as friend, even if…” She looked down.
Hamayū was stunned. Only she, Kikuno, and Nazukihiko knew what Masuho no Susuki was implying.
Masuho no Susuki leaned in close and whispered in Hamayū’s ear, “Having children is not the only purpose in a woman’s life.” She had found purpose and meaning in forging her own path. She hoped that Hamayū would find some way to do the same.
She might never see Hamayū again, so she said everything she needed to say.
Hamayū gave her a soft smile. “Thank you, Masuho no Susuki.” She pulled away from the hug, taking a step back.
Kikuno appeared grief-stricken, but she said no more. She covered her face with her sleeves.
Masuho no Susuki approached the horses in the carriage yard with the Crown Prince by her side.
Akeru panicked. “Sister, please don’t go!”
“You mustn’t go!” Sumio shouted at almost the same time.
“Stand back,” Masuho no Susuki said. “We’re leaving now. Let’s go, Your Imperial Highness.”
***
The Golden Raven is the progenitor of all Yatagarasu, both their mother and their father.
At all times and in all ways, the Golden Raven must stand before their children with compassion and love.
No matter what difficulties arise, the Golden Raven must protect the Yatagarasu, teach them and guide them.
The Golden Raven leads all Yatagarasu, and they follow.
-From The Fundamental Principles of the Mountainous Regions, Volume II, “The Golden Raven”
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