{"id":152,"date":"2013-06-04T14:04:37","date_gmt":"2013-06-04T05:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/?p=152"},"modified":"2016-08-06T14:40:36","modified_gmt":"2016-08-06T05:40:36","slug":"part015_edit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/part015_edit\/","title":{"rendered":"\u5341\u4e94 Part 15 (Ferry)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"laugh\"
\n<\/a>Their journey continued for two more days. With every meal that Chiyo found herself limited to vegetables, she grew more petulant and less bearable. After some time, he grew weary of explaining that roots were \u201creal food\u201d and repeatedly refusing to hunt.<\/p>\n

\u201cCould we at least build a fire to cook these with?\u201d Chiyo asked, glancing down with disdain at the yams he had offered. Despite the cold, dark night, Shichi had neglected to start a campfire.<\/p>\n

\u201cFlames would attract the hunter,\u201d he replied simply, breaking off a piece of the root to eat.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you said he\u2019s very skilled. He would find us, fire or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can\u2019t hurt to take precautions,\u201d Shichi said, not budging in his decision. Chiyo\u2019s tails flicked as she settled down on the cold earth, placing the yam between her paws to gnaw at.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I was better off with the poisoned food,\u201d she said. \u201cAt least it had flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I was better off without a whiny fox using me as a rickshaw all day.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t flatter yourself,\u201d she said. \u201cRickshaws don\u2019t trip over rocks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re perfectly welcome to walk on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiyo didn\u2019t reply, going back to biting awkwardly at the large root. Despite her difficult personality, Shichi found himself glad to have her company. It was refreshing to have someone to talk to, even if their conversations generally lacked substance. He recalled the farmer and his wife. Though their lives were difficult, it seemed they could always count on one another. It was clear that they loved each other\u2014it was no wonder that Junya had been so desperate to save her.<\/p>\n

Shichi thought back to the time he had thought Kana was ill. He had been so quick to forget his choices and responsibilities. All he could think of was helping her.<\/p>\n

As his mind wandered, he stopped eating. His eyes dropped to the dead grass, unfocused as he thought of her. He wondered how she would react to this lifestyle\u2014to running around in the forest with barely any food or rest. She had always been strong-willed and, unlike the kitsune, rarely complained. Though it was better for her to be in a warm house with her family, he couldn\u2019t help but wish that she was sitting next to him. He missed their conversations\u2014he missed everything about her.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you expect me to eat this junk when you won\u2019t even do it?\u201d Chiyo said, her voice cutting into his thoughts.<\/p>\n

\u201cHm?\u201d he said, slowly looking over at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou stopped eating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, I\u2019m sorry. I was just thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAbout what?\u201d she said, chewing as she spoke. He resisted the urge to lecture her on manners, knowing that he would be ignored.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone I left behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, really?\u201d she asked, perking her ears. \u201cPlease\u2014tell me about your tragic past.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi shot her a look, to which she smiled in response. A fox\u2019s smile was anything but pleasant, instead coming forth as a sinister, sharp-toothed attempt at emotion.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s personal,\u201d he mumbled, breaking off another piece of the root.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re going to be tragic and<\/em> mysterious?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you even capable of respecting another person? Enough to love them?\u201d Shichi asked, growing uncharacteristically bitter.<\/p>\n

Chiyo didn\u2019t reply, only dropping her smile. She laid her head down on top of the half-eaten yam, keeping her eyes away from the tengu.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said, immediately feeling guilty. \u201cI . . .\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi sighed. He would have to get used to Chiyo\u2019s personality. No matter how someone spoke to him, it was no excuse to be cruel.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer name was Kana,\u201d he said. \u201cShe was a human.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI loved a human once, too,\u201d Chiyo said, finally turning her attention back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Her reply had caught him off guard.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. Her name was Tama,\u201d she said, her eyes sleepy with nostalgia.<\/p>\n

\u201cTell me about her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was the most beautiful thing I\u2019d ever seen. When we were together, I forgot all of my troubles,\u201d Chiyo said. \u201cBut, you know, humans don\u2019t live very long. She died a long time ago.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry. It sounds like you were very happy together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid your human die, too?\u201d Chiyo asked, tilting her head with curiosity.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo,\u201d Shichi said, eyeing his hands. \u201cAs far as I know, she\u2019s alive.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen what are you doing here? Why aren\u2019t you with her?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s married\u2014to another human. She has a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut doesn\u2019t she still love you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI . . . don\u2019t know.\u201d His words trailed uncomfortably.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you ask her?\u201d Chiyo said, sitting upright.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d she demanded. She appeared to be growing impatient with his apparent lack of common sense.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was complicated,\u201d Shichi said. \u201cI didn\u2019t want to intrude on her new life. And, maybe, part of me didn\u2019t want to hear the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut you don\u2019t even know what the truth is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re a coward,\u201d Chiyo said, blunt as stone.<\/p>\n

Slowly, Shichi looked up, then over to the kitsune. His beak opened, but he had nothing to say. He knew, as her words ran through his head, that she was right. He was afraid\u2014so afraid to be rejected that he broke his promise. Closing his eyes, he lowered his head once more.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat would you say to her now?\u201d Chiyo asked. \u201cIf she were right here?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi considered this for a moment, rubbing one hand with the other. He had just been longing for the very same thing\u2014to be with her, to tell her what he never had the chance to say before.<\/p>\n

\u201cI . . . I would tell her that I still love her, and she\u2019ll always be special to me. I would thank her for hiking up the mountain every week, in the heat and the cold, just to be with me\u2014for teaching me so much about the world,\u201d Shichi said. \u201cAnd that I hope she and her family are happy and healthy. That . . . I\u2019m sorry, if I hurt her, and for all of the trouble I caused.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s a bit depressing,\u201d Chiyo said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd your story wasn\u2019t?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMine was touching!\u201d Chiyo looked rather proud of herself. \u201cAnd magical.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t remember any magic in your story.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe love<\/em> was magic. You\u2019re pretty thick, aren\u2019t you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI suppose so,\u201d he said, holding in a laugh. \u201cSince you\u2019re such an expert on everything, can you tell me how far we are from the coast?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very close. There\u2019s a town near here where we can take a ferry. Why do you want to go to Awaji, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to go through the island to reach the mainland.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo Osaka? But there are so many . . . humans<\/em> there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI take it back,\u201d Chiyo said. \u201cYou\u2019re not a coward. You\u2019re just a fool.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re probably right,\u201d Shichi said, leaning against the tree at his back. \u201cLet\u2019s get some rest. We should leave at dawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiyo muttered something about a \u201cmonk\u2019s schedule\u201d to herself before settling down. She wrapped her tails around her nose, looking much like a round, white rice cake. Though neither of them felt as cold as a human would have, Shichi couldn\u2019t help but think that a fire would have been nice, after all.<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

The morning wasn\u2019t any warmer. A faint, purple dawn cast over the surrounding trees, gently waking the tengu with its light. He looked up, still able to see the crescent moon in the western sky.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you ready to\u2014\u201d he began, but froze when he glanced down. The spot where the fox had been sleeping was empty.<\/p>\n

\u201cChiyo?\u201d he said, getting to his feet to search the clearing. She was nowhere in sight. His first thought was that she had grown tired of him and had simply left. The kitsune didn\u2019t strike him as sentimental and might not have felt it necessary to say good-bye. Then he remembered what she had admitted to him\u2014that she didn\u2019t like to be alone. Though she was detached and lacked tact, he felt there had to be more to her. She must have been nearby.<\/p>\n

He followed the river in search of the fox. Though the farmer was no longer a threat, it was still possible that something had happened to her. Even so, she was probably more capable of defending herself than he was.<\/p>\n

As he walked, a sound caught his attention from the other side of a tree line. It was a terrible ruckus\u2014a chorus of painful crashing and squawking. He hurried toward the source, finding the edge of a farmhouse on a hill. A white shape darted forth, fleeing the scene in a wake of brown feathers. It nearly crashed into him, stopping just short of his feet with a skid of dust.<\/p>\n

\u201cChiyo,\u201d Shichi said, glaring down at the panting kitsune. Her fur was ruffled with adrenaline and her jaws were clamped firmly on the throat of a fat hen.<\/p>\n

\u201cGood morning,\u201d she replied, her voice muffled by the struggling chicken. Shichi folded his arms, his eyes narrow with disappointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you steal that chicken?\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiyo shook her head in spite of the cacophony of distressed poultry from the farmer\u2019s yard.<\/p>\n

\u201cPut it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

He received a pained look in return but didn\u2019t give in. His fingers tapped his arm, waiting for her to comply. After a moment, her expression changed to an irritated pout. With a snort, she turned to trudge back to the pen.<\/p>\n

Soon, she returned, spitting out a mouthful of down feathers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was supposed to be my breakfast,\u201d Chiyo muttered, still scowling as they walked.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo that was your \u2018hurt leg,\u2019 was it?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

She looked up at him with a shameless grin. \u201cWalking is hard.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so is being honest, apparently.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHonest, in this day and age?\u201d Chiyo said with a laugh. \u201cYou\u2019re lucky I\u2019m coming to Osaka with you. You wouldn\u2019t last a day on your own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not?\u201d he asked with concern, then paused. \u201cWait, you\u2019re coming with me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, somebody has to look after you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, really. You\u2019re too trusting,\u201d Chiyo said as they made their way back to the river. \u201cSomeone\u2019s going to take advantage of you. You\u2019ve got to stop being so nice and accommodating to everyone you meet.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps I should start with you.\u201d Shichi picked a stray chicken feather off of his sleeve.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery funny. Now let me back up, all that running made me tired.\u201d<\/p>\n

#<\/p>\n

By midday, they reached the edge of the town. It ran along the curve of the coast, boasting rows of finely tiled buildings and the bustle of man-drawn carts. A wide road led to the main entrance, busy with both locals and travelers. Chiyo, now in her human form, continued to walk forward, yet Shichi stopped in his tracks. His feet were still at the edge of the road\u2014the human road, as he stared on from the cover of trees.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Chiyo asked, glancing back at him over her shoulder.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve never been in a human town before,\u201d Shichi said, fiddling his hands together. \u201cIn the daytime, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo?\u201d she said, squinting at him. \u201cJust walk in.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it must be easier for you. You look like a human.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSort of,\u201d she said, lifting a few strands of white hair. \u201cI still look a little strange.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt least you don\u2019t have a beak,\u201d He gestured toward his own. \u201cAre you sure it\u2019s safe?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLook,\u201d Chiyo said, her attention returning to the road. Behind an ornate palanquin was a turtle-like kappa, strolling as if he owned the road. He made no attempts to hide his appearance\u2014both his scaled, green skin and wide beak were prominent in the afternoon sun. Shichi stared as the kappa walked in through the town\u2019s gates, and attempted to swallow his anxiety at the sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bigger the town, the more yokai you\u2019ll see. Now are you ready, or do you want me to hold your hand?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi took a breath, then moved forward. They stepped onto the road together, making their way through the entrance. Shichi didn\u2019t speak, trying to ignore the intense pounding of his heart. He looked left and right from the corner of his eye, unable to believe that nobody was stopping them. His tension was apparently visual, as Chiyo was making a poor attempt at holding in her laughter. She snickered behind a closed fist, earning her an elbow jab in the side.<\/p>\n

They continued through rows of market stalls, with merchants selling baked pottery and fish. The air smelled of salt and seaweed and was filled with the sounds of gulls. As they passed a stall selling calligraphy brushes, Shichi paused. He remembered the ink set he had given to Kana, realizing that it was probably still sitting in the storehouse, weather-beaten and abandoned. His memory, however, was shaken by another sight. Through a crowd of fishermen, he spotted the back of a dog\u2014Bou.<\/p>\n

The feathers on the back of his neck stood on end. Without a word, he took Chiyo by the wrist and pulled her into a narrow alley behind the brush vendor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d she said, quite unhappy at being dragged.<\/p>\n

\u201cTh-the hunter. He\u2019s here. He\u2019s right down the road,\u201d Shichi whispered, clutching the side of his head in worry.<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Chiyo leaned toward the street to take a look.<\/p>\n

\u201cChiyo!\u201d He rushed to pull her back into the shadows between the buildings. \u201cDon\u2019t let him see you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not going to murder us in the middle of the busy street.\u201d She paused to think. \u201cThough, it has happened before.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou said it was safe!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never said it was safe, I just said there are more yokai.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I weren\u2019t a monk I would kill you.\u201d He groaned, covering his eyes with his hand. \u201cWhat are we going to do?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the ferry isn\u2019t far,\u201d Chiyo said. \u201cWe can just go down another street. He can\u2019t catch us once we\u2019re on a boat.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi nodded, following her down the alley toward a smaller road. They hurried toward the harbor, catching a few eyes as they rushed past.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere.\u201d Chiyo pointed toward the dock. \u201cThere\u2019s a boat. Maybe it\u2019s leaving soon.\u201d<\/p>\n

There was indeed a ship waiting at the water\u2019s edge. A wooden sign hung from a rope on a post, reading \u201cAwaji.\u201d From across the strait, Shichi could see the low hills of the island it was destined for. Several passengers were already onboard, and the ferryman was smoking a pipe on the wooden dock.<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me, do you have room for two more?\u201d Shichi asked, attempting to catch his breath as he spoke.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s ten mon each,\u201d the man said, adjusting the pipe in his mouth.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Chiyo bristled. \u201cFor a boat ride? You can\u2019t be serious.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe whirlpools make it dangerous. Feel free to try swimming.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Chiyo and the human bickered, Shichi felt a new panic rising in his chest. He didn\u2019t have any money. He\u2019d never<\/em> had any money. He had forgotten that the outside world didn\u2019t work the way his temple did. Food, clothing, even transportation\u2014they all required payment.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have any\u2014\u201d he began to say, but was interrupted by Chiyo. She placed a hand on his beak, silencing him as she fished a coin from her robe. It was a golden oval, embossed with a few written characters. The ferryman stared at it for a moment, finally finding his words.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have change for that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, make<\/em> change. We\u2019re in a hurry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI . . .\u201d Shichi tried to think of what he had in his bag. \u201cI have some vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe price is in mon, not carrots.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou should have taken the money!\u201d Chiyo glared at the tengu, whose bleeding heart had lost them their potential boat fare. As Shichi thought of a retort, his eye caught the silhouettes of a man and his dog on the other side of the docks. He stared, urging Chiyo to hurry with a panicked nudge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, how much change do you have?\u201d she asked the ferryman, her arms folded impatiently.<\/p>\n

The man held up several strings of copper coins.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s hardly\u2014\u201d she said, but was stopped by her companion\u2019s imploring eyes.<\/p>\n

\u201cChiyo<\/em>,\u201d Shichi said, glancing back to see that Zaisei had moved closer. The hunter was browsing a fish stall and would notice them any moment now.<\/p>\n

\u201cFine. But we have to leave now<\/em>,\u201d she said with a huff, slapping the golden coin into the human\u2019s palm. His flat expression shifted to a grin as he eyed the ryo, absently depositing the lesser coins into her hands.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll aboard,\u201d he said, gesturing toward the plank that led to the ship.<\/p>\n

The two hurried on, settling down on a low bench as they boarded. A human merchant eyed them for a moment, then turned his attention back to the sea. The seconds seemed to drag as the ferryman pulled the plank up into the ship, preparing the boat for departure. Shichi silently willed the man to go faster, and dared a glance back to the docks.<\/p>\n

Zaisei was now close enough to make out the details of his headband. The hunter was crouched on the wooden platform, picking up a fallen black feather to examine. Shichi\u2019s heart leapt into his throat as he ducked below the edge of the boat, pushing Chiyo\u2019s head down to match his own. This drew a few more stares.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid he see us?\u201d Chiyo whispered as she slid down against the low wall of the ship.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Shichi said, not willing to look back up over the edge. He could only manage to breathe properly when he felt the ferry move, pushing off through the water and away from the town. The tengu sighed, weakening against the ledge in relief.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat coin you had,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was worth a lot, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d she replied bitterly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow did you earn it?\u201d He gave her a skeptical glance.<\/p>\n

\u201cLook, whirlpools!\u201d Chiyo said, turning to watch the churning water. She hung over the ledge of the ferry, though it was unclear if her excitement was genuine or a simple distraction.<\/p>\n

Back on the dock, Zaisei chewed a strip of dried squid as he watched the boat shrink in the distance. His eyes fell on the wooden sign that indicated its destination.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder, Bou,\u201d he said, offering a piece to the dog at his side, \u201cwhen the next ferry for Awaji leaves.\u201d<\/p>\n

He kneeled, scratching behind the dog\u2019s pointed ears.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t mind waiting, would you?\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Their journey continued for two more days. With every meal that Chiyo found herself limited to vegetables, she grew more petulant and less bearable. After some time, he grew weary of explaining that roots were \u201creal food\u201d and repeatedly refusing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-one"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1088,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152\/revisions\/1088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}