Struggling with nausea and trying to keep the food inside hos stomach, Inoue immediately turns away.
"This bear might have been more than just a beast - do not forget what happened with the temple. I feel this is not just an ordinary forest. Do you wish to examine the cave further, or to look for something else outside, Hikonaga-san?"
"It couldn't hurt to look. We don't have anything more pressing."
As the two of you contemplate what the corpses mean and how a man would react to such things if it were his family, the air in the cave changes. The smell is forced out and the feeling of illness is replaced by a strange calm. Cherry blossoms drift upon the sudden gentle wind and you hear the clop of hooves upon stone floor. A large white stag walks brazenly into the cave, its antlers entwined with green vines and pink blossoms, and it looks annoyed.
"Do you wish us to do something, o spirit?" asked Inoue, bowing to the stag.
The towering stag stares down at you with sadness in his eyes and snorts a foggy mist at you, seconds later the water droplets form into a still pool in the air. Shadowy Images of crops withering and animals starving fill the pool, as the water swirls and shifts you watch as the seasons change again and again, in perpetuity till the land is so sodden only fish still live upon it.
Inoue keeps silent for a moment, puzzled by the grim vision.
"Is the reason for this year's bad harvest unnatural? Or it is natural, but we can appease Kami?"
"The land is going to drown? What could cause such an imbalance in the order? Is there anything we can do to help keep order? Our duty is to protect the people, yes?"
The water in the pool swirls once more, becoming a wheel turning. The wheel cracks and breaks in two before the pool clouds over. Suddenly, the silhouette of a man walks out of the cloud, dressed in fancy kimono. He steps out on to stone balanced upon many others, he carries the sun and the moon upon his shoulders. As the stones begin to lean and collapse thousands of people throw themselves at the stones, propping up the pile.
As you watch the shadows build up without number the scene sharpens upon the top stone, it begins to tilt and a striking young woman begins to run out on to it before the image fades to black. You had the merest of seconds to see the woman's white hair and scarlet robe, the color's shocking against the muted backdrop.
Two weeks after the kami in the cave.
The atmosphere of the little tea house was less than the normal joyful contentment you normally find in such a place. It was well known that it would be a hard year, and the constant rain did not help much. But, it still provides some respite from the normal malaise of day to day life.
Hojo sipped the weak tea as he tried to dry off a bit by the fire. Realizing that he benefited far more from the steam and the warmth of the cup than from the taste of tea, he held the cup close to his body as he looked out the window at the downpour. "I don't want to delay our journey any further" he said to Nakadai "But I hate to travel in this rain. Do you think it'll clear up soon?
Nakadai is, as usual, drinking tea as if it were acid because even he doesn't drink sake from his 'waterskin' in someone else's home and looking stoically miserable. "You flatter me, thinking I'm some sort of confidant of the kami. Who else controls when it rains or stops?"
Hojo shrugged. There is a difference between prediction and control, I suppose. I can’t stand this rain. Moist strings are slippery. Still, we have a job to do, and there’s no sense in delay if there’s no sign of stopping. We should consult our map while we have shelter. Do you know how much longer we have to journey?
Inoue frowns.
"Are we to prevent the balance of life from disrupting, o spirit? But where can we even begin to fulfill such a task?"
The young man shakes his head. "I don't understand. It looks like the spirit is talking about the end of the celestial order? That can't be remotely right. This doesn't make any sense to me."
In the cave:
The kami looks at you impassively, snorting once more and fading out with a last breeze of cherry blossom and damp grass. As the pool begins to drip down out of the air, a small tea house flashes and breaks apart. You recognize it as one that you had visited recently in the crane lands.
Tea house:
A young woman of moderate beauty sits at a yamatogoto and begins to pluck out a lilting tune. As the music picks up, a peel of thunder seems to join in as punctuation for the crescendo. Those few who are sitting and sipping tea begin to mutter and cast glares out to the weather outside.
Hojo let out a long, low sigh. It's getting worse...and this music is so pleasant. Perhaps our journey can wait until tomorrow?
"We are honored that you chose us for this task. We will not fail you." Inoue bows to the spirit.
The shugenja turns he head at Hikonaga. "I guess we have to return there. It seems we will be entangled in the Clans' intrigues after all."
"As you say. I do not understand the kami's intent, and must trust to the shugenja for guidance. Let's head back, then." 'Naga looks at his cousin and shrugs as they go to follow their own trail backwards.
"Are you asking if I prefer waiting inside to walking through the rain? Yes of course I do." Nakadai shakes his head and sits back down near to their hostess., closing his eyes ad nodding along with the music.
That settles it, then. Hojo was glad that their mission was self-directed. Had he given his word that they'd accomplish this task, he'd walk through the ocean to accomplish it.
Stepping into the tea house, the young man holds the door until his companions are inside before trying to shake the worst of the water off and placing his weapons in the cabinet. "Something warm would be marvelous right now, don't you think?"
"Yes, the rain is awful. Reminds me the night at that temple." Inoue takes off his hat and looks for a spot to sit. "Hot tea would be nice."
Hojo shivered and sipped his tea, a deep pain in his belly. He and his companion were trying to outrun the famine, trading their labor to anyone with even a slight surplus. Their plan was only marginally successful and they had tapped the resources of this little village. As tempting as it was to stay and shelter from the rain, it’d mean going to sleep with an empty belly and losing a whole day of travel to the next stop.
If they tarried too much longer, they might not have the strength to make it much further.
He continued to fill his belly with the warm water. It did little to cut the hunger, but it was better than nothing.
As the other ronin entered the tea house, Hojo regarded them suspiciously. Not all were as stalwart and honorable as he was. Still, they might have food, and traveling in a group was much safer.
The large man keeps nodding his head quietly, but takes obvious notice of the newcomers, and pats his pocket where he keeps his coin purse.
Lots of ronin in here. Doubt there'll be a fight, nobody wants to get thrown out into the rain, but three or four extra men might think they can just take what they want.
Due to the small size of the tea house, and the only other table being taken up by small group of Daidoji drinking sake, the newcomers only open space is seated at the table currently occupied by Nakadai and Hojo.
"Can't prove there was a temple at this point. This has been a very confusing time."
"Guess you two aren't enjoying this weather any more than we were.Don't suppose one of you is one of the shugenja ladies and can turn off the rain?"
The young man in dark blue laughs. "Were it that easy, do you suppose they would walk around in the rain?"
"I'm sure they'd have a reason. Some nancy nonsense about balance and humility, no doubt."
The samurai-ko that accompanies the two men (Seno, Naga's companion) remarks in a truly impressive deadpan. "He hasn't asked the Kami to stop yet. Though if someone doesn't soon we will all wish we had been born fish."
Inoue chuckles.
"I'm sure they have their reasons. Besides, I'm not nearly powerful enough to control weather. But I do hope that this will end soon."
Hojo scoots is to allow the newcomers more space. When I was younger, I believed famine and drought went hand in hand. My hopes for this rain have been sadly unfulfilled. Whatever it is that’s slowing the growth of the fields, it’s not thirst. He regards the assembly as warmly as he can muster through his shivers.
Which way did you come from? We were hoping to leave tonight and travel east, but I’d hate to retrace your steps. We’re trading service for food, you see, and we’ve received all this village can spare. If you’re moving west doing the same, we can attest that there’s nothing for you behind us. We might both be better off traveling south.
As the samurai start to get to know each other and get a banter going, the Dadoji at the other table begin to get a bit belligerent with the house proprietor. It would seem they have gotten too far into their cups. The pretty girl stops playing music and politely offers you a private room upstairs to continue your tea, a momentary glance to the Dadoji is the only indication she gives that anything is amiss.
Hojo thanked the musician graciously, but offered a suggestion. Your offer of a private room is kind, and the comfort would be appreciated...but perhaps our honored guests he indicated the Dadoji [b[Are more deserving of these amenities?[/b]
He hoped that moving the Dadoji would defuse the situation and shield the staff from their boorish behavior. With hopes, they may even sleep off their booze.
Nakadai had been passive mostly because he was listening to the music, but when it stops his face flashes annoyance for the briefest of moments.
He's not immediately looking to fight them as much as he'd like to, and is willing to follow Kosaku's lead on this.
"In their own minds they are anyway."
Hearing the refusal of the attempt to remove the ronin from the room, Hikonaga closes his eyes for a moment, looking down at the table. The young man listens for evidence of the Daidoji response . . ..
The young lady bows, not wishing to offend her patrons. As she starts to back away, the raucous laughter and unruly behavior at the other table begins to breach rules of etiquette.
Inoue sighs and it seems like he want to say something to the Daidoki samurais, but changes his mind. "I think maybe it might be time for us to leave. It won't be long before those drunks begin boasting their status. And what better target than some ronins? You know how it usually ends."
Hojo nods to Inoue. Back to the rain, then?