{"id":885,"date":"2015-01-29T06:22:58","date_gmt":"2015-01-28T21:22:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/?p=885"},"modified":"2017-01-14T02:51:48","modified_gmt":"2017-01-13T17:51:48","slug":"b2part14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/b2part14\/","title":{"rendered":"Book II \u5341\u56db Part 14 (Fish)"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/a>\"chap14\"<\/a>
\nIllustration by K. Ryan<\/a><\/p>\n

Even when Shichi had been running, there was quite a distance from the village to the nearby creek. He had made the trip to fetch water dozens of times, paying no mind to the ache in his shoulders and the swelling in his heels. Over the past week, the villagers had shown promising signs of recovery. Their bodies, however, were still weak. Chiyo had gone to a nearby town to collect food, as most of the village\u2019s provisions had been tainted. Gin\u2019s leg had not yet healed, though Shichi doubted the nekomata would be willing to help anyway.<\/p>\n

Shichi exhaled as the house came into view. With a shift of his back, he eased the wooden buckets onto the ground. He couldn\u2019t help but notice the change in Izumi\u2019s home. Somehow, with the departure of the moryo, the sky felt brighter. The windows in the house had been opened wide, allowing sunlight and fresh air through the halls. Gone was the lingering fog and odor of rot. Across the road, he could see two villagers chatting from their seats in front of a shop. Though the bustle had not yet returned, it was starting to feel like a village once again.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The shuffle of footsteps on the dirt road caught his attention, and he turned to see Chiyo approaching from the north. On her back was a carrier fashioned from wooden rods and straw, holding much more produce than a figure her size ought to be lifting. Under one arm was a large sack of rice and in the other, a gourd of sake. Though the food was for the townspeople, the rice wine was most likely for herself.<\/p>\n

\u201cChiyo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m back.\u201d The kitsune grinned as she hefted the carrier onto the ground. It landed with a dull thud, sending up a puff of dust.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou carried that all the way here?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Chiyo stretched, not-so-subtly flexing her arm in the process. \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thank you. This will be quite helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just sick of eating berries from the woods. You\u2019d better cook all this into a proper meal tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d Shichi knelt to sort through the cloth sacks of vegetables and beans. \u201cAh, did you ask for assistance, as well?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh, I tried.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi glanced up at her with a squint.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a kitsune says \u2018Come with me, I promise everything will be fine,\u2019 people tend to not listen,\u201d Chiyo said. \u201cI even used my trustworthy face.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour trustworthy face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Chiyo grinned, baring her pointed incisors. The tengu only shook his head, turning his attention back to the food.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at least my smile is better than yours.\u201d She folded her arms, leaning her weight back onto her heels.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure it is,\u201d Shichi said, lifting a string of silver-scaled trout. \u201cOh, you brought fish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can cook fish, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. \u201cYou know I can\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut these are fresh from Biwa Lake,\u201d Chiyo\u2019s voice rose in defense of her dinner. \u201cYou can\u2019t get these anywhere else!\u201d<\/p>\n

From beneath the old cypress tree, Gin watched the two bicker. The nekomata was curled up in the shade, the speckled egg nestled against his side. In spite of his protests, he had been tasked with its care. He had spent the first few days threatening to roll it down a hill \u2014 or to simply eat it. Eventually, he\u2019d given in to his responsibility. The quiet little egg was tolerable, unlike the two imbeciles he was watching.<\/p>\n

Though he couldn\u2019t catch every word of their conversation, he could hear the kitsune\u2019s laughter. She gave the tengu a light shove, jostling the bucket he had lifted with both hands. Rather than push her back, Shichi responded with a laugh of his own. Gin scoffed at the sight, turning his attention elsewhere. He couldn\u2019t understand them \u2014 the kitsune and tengu, carrying water, buying food, all for a group of humans that would never do the same in return. Even now, they had the nerve to laugh.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow are you feeling?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gin\u2019s head jerked upright, taken by the sudden voice. He hadn\u2019t noticed Shichi approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI asked how you\u2019re feeling.\u201d Shichi crouched to meet the cat\u2019s eyes. \u201cIs there any pain in your leg?\u201d<\/p>\n

Gin\u2019s ears flattened in irritation. \u201cCan\u2019t wait to get rid of me, can you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know that\u2019s not true.\u201d Shichi\u2019s voice remained pleasant. It seemed he had quickly grown used to the nekomata\u2019s sour disposition.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight. You need me to take care of your egg,\u201d he said. \u201cSome monk you are, having a child.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi blinked. \u201cI\u2019m not the father.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen why on earth are you carrying this thing around?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI found it,\u201d Shichi said. \u201cIt may not ever hatch, but we couldn\u2019t just leave it alone.\u201d<\/p>\n

The tengu decided not to mention the part where Chiyo nearly had it for breakfast.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo the mother abandoned it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe loved this egg with all her heart,\u201d Shichi said. He rested his palm on the shell, his eyes low. \u201cBut love isn\u2019t always enough to keep people together.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cat sneered, unimpressed with the monk\u2019s explanation. \u201cIf you say so.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s made it this far, perhaps it can go a little further. Let\u2019s do our best.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gin made no response, only tucking his head back against his body. His eyes closed, making it clear he\u2019d had enough of their conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thank you for your help. I\u2019ll call you for dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi stood, dusting the front of his hakama before heading back to the house. Gin cracked an eye open to watch him leave, then shifted his gaze back to the egg. The pale green shell was covered in thin scuffs and nicks, including three long scratches. Gin\u2019s glare softened. That night was still clear in his mind, how he had stolen the egg, how he had run his claws so callously over the shell. The monk was a fool. All this effort, all this concern, for an egg that might not even hatch.<\/p>\n

Gin curled himself more tightly around the shell. It was warm against his side, mirroring the burn in his chest. For some reason, it ached. He closed his eyes, keeping the egg steady against his side. As foolish a task it was, he still had a job to do.<\/p>\n

Inside the house, Shichi had returned to his own tasks. Though many of the villagers were well enough to leave, several had remained at the house for care. Izumi had done her best to tend to them, offering the food and medicine Shichi had prepared. Knowing what had caused their symptoms made choosing formulas much simpler. Though the herbs on his person was limited, he had fortunately stumbled upon a field of skullcap on his way to fetch water. As he lifted another root for skinning, a groan across the room stilled his knife.<\/p>\n

Shichi looked up, noticing an elderly woman in a futon. She was clutching her abdomen, her skin beading with sweat. The monk tensed. For the last week, he had kept his interactions with the villagers to a minimum. Though he was their doctor, he was also a tengu. The woman\u2019s vocalized agony, however, was too much to ignore.<\/p>\n

Taking his needle set, he crossed the room. His feet stepped carefully past the other patients, not wanting to wake them from their rest.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it your stomach?\u201d he said as he reached her side.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhere is Izumi?\u201d The woman squinted up at him, her nose wrinkled in discomfort.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe\u2019s at her father\u2019s grave.\u201d<\/p>\n

The burial had been completed several days prior. It had taken a great effort to remove and cleanse the body, and the well had been sealed off. A local monk had performed the rites. Somehow, Izumi had remained stable through the ritual. As the daughter of the late leader and the only able-bodied human in the village, it seemed she had no choice but to be strong.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want Izumi,\u201d the woman said. \u201cNot you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi pushed down the sting, reminding himself of his task. \u201cYou\u2019re in a great deal of pain. If you let me\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

She recoiled as he reached for her wrist. \u201cDon\u2019t touch me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlease,\u201d Shichi said. \u201cI can\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cLeave me be!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStop that<\/i>,\u201d came a voice from the entrance. Shichi cringed, catching sight of Izumi in the doorway. It was only a moment, however, before he realized her words weren\u2019t directed at him. The girl\u2019s glare was locked on his patient, unyielding as she stalked across the room.<\/p>\n

The woman gawked back at her. \u201cIzumi.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet him treat you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut this tengu\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cThis tengu saved your life \u2014 all of our lives,\u201d Izumi said. \u201cWould you rather have died?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d just prefer it if you<\/i> treated me,\u201d the old woman said, her voice considerably softer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a doctor.\u201d The girl gestured to Shichi, who was frozen in place. \u201cHe<\/i> is. You can give him the respect he deserves, or you can keep your groaning to yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

The fire waned from the woman\u2019s eyes. They drifted from Izumi to the tengu at her side, still tight with pain. Finally, she sighed.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Izumi said nothing more, only giving Shichi a nod before turning to leave. The room was silent. The girl\u2019s words hung in the air, filling Shichi with a bizarre coupling of shame and gratitude. Focusing on keeping his fingers steady, he offered his hand to the old woman.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay I take your pulse?\u201d<\/p>\n

She made no eye contact as he assessed her, nor did she look as he placed a single needle in the crease of her wrist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you feel?\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman took a moment before responding. \u201cWarmth.\u201d<\/p>\n

He remained by her side for some time, preparing a drink to ease digestion and stimulate her appetite. It wasn\u2019t until the doctor stood to leave that she finally braved a look at him.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d she said, stopping him in mid-step. Shichi stood a moment to soak in the simple phrase, then turned to give her a nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re quite welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

The majority of Shichi\u2019s evening was spent preparing the food Chiyo had brought. Fortunately, the house had a rather large kitchen, leaving plenty of room for bubbling pots and wood fire. Stalks of chrysanthemum greens were chopped and boiled, softening beside speckled cakes of devil\u2019s tongue. Chiyo was in her fox form, rifling through a sack of beans before Shichi interrupted her with a single word.<\/p>\n

\u201cChiyo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d she said, flicking a loose bean from her nose. He shook his head before returning his attention to the radish beneath his knife. Just as he began to consider asking the kitsune for help, an opportune voice came from the kitchen entrance.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you need any help?\u201d Izumi said, giving the fox a quick glance before returning her attention to Shichi.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, actually. Do you know how to prepare fish?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course.\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl took a knife, proceeding to gut the fresh trout. As the fish were placed over a low flame, Chiyo\u2019s ears perked intently. Shichi shot her a warning glance and the fox lowered her head with a scowl. She would have to wait along with everyone else.<\/p>\n

The scales browned as they were grilled, growing crisp as the fire crackled below. Though the two women were focused on the wafting, smoky scent, Shichi\u2019s mind was elsewhere. It had been a long time since a human had stood in his defense. She hadn\u2019t said much, yet her words had hovered in his chest the entire afternoon. His mouth opened, stilled, then moved again.<\/p>\n

\u201cIzumi.\u201d His hand paused over his work. \u201cWhat you said earlier, to that woman\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Her eyes rose. \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, thank you. You didn\u2019t have to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

She turned the fish over with a pair of cooking chopsticks. \u201cYes, I did.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014 well, I can understand why they\u2019re cautious,\u201d he said. \u201cI can try to return to my human form, if\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi stared as Izumi placed the trout on a wide, ceramic dish. She wiped her knife clean with a rag before giving the tengu a stern glance.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they can\u2019t look past your body,\u201d she said, \u201cthen they don\u2019t deserve your care.\u201d<\/p>\n

He found himself unable to speak, only nodding as she carried the dish out of the kitchen. Chiyo seemed to struggle with the temptation to follow the smell, finally resigning herself to remain at his side.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour human form?\u201d she asked. \u201cSo you can change back?\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi blinked, finally snapping out of his stupor. \u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you want to?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I don\u2019t,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it may be helpful someday. It made traveling easier, anyhow.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI guess you need some kind of life or death situation. Want me to push you down the well again?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s very kind, but I\u2019ll try on my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

That night\u2019s dinner was the heartiest any of the villagers had eaten in weeks. They joined from neighboring homes, all seated at rows of low tables. Steam rose from cast iron hot pots, each one filled with shallots, white mushrooms, and wheat noodles. There was more than the smell of food \u2014 chatter filled the room, ample enough to drown the sound of crickets past the open windows. Chiyo drank from the sake gourd she had brought, indulging in\u00a0 her own reward for her labors.<\/p>\n

Gin had remained sulking in a corner, unwilling to join the others at the table. The light of the hearth barely reached him, leaving his body shrouded in darkness.<\/p>\n

\u201cGin.\u201d Shichi crouched beside him, holding a plate of grilled fish. \u201cHow is your leg?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill can\u2019t walk. Are you sure you\u2019re a doctor?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFairly sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, it had better heal faster. The sooner I can move, the sooner I can leave you two behind.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi gestured to the table. \u201cWhy don\u2019t you join us?\u201d<\/p>\n

The nekomata\u2019s eyes narrowed, glowing green in the shadows. \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not the best cook, but I promise the food isn\u2019t bad.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gin made no response, only flopping his tails against the wooden floor.<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ll keep a spot for you if you change your mind.\u201d Shichi stood to join the others, leaving the cat to himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, Mr. Grumps wants to stay in his corner?\u201d Chiyo said as he sat beside her.<\/p>\n

Shichi placed the dish at the empty seat to his side. \u201cHe\u2019s not ready. It\u2019s been a long time since he\u2019s been around others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor such an old cat, he really is a big baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know what it\u2019s like to be wary of others.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m also a good judge of character. He\u2019s awful at it,\u201d Chiyo said, then gestured backwards. \u201cLook, he has no idea how great we are.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi\u2019s laugh shook his body, nearly causing him to drop the green onion in his chopsticks.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t we just leave him here?\u201d the fox said. \u201cI\u2019m sure the village could use a cat to, I don\u2019t know, catch mice.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d like you to be nicer to him, Chiyo. I know he\u2019s a little strange, but so are we.\u201d<\/p>\n

The kitsune took a long drink from her gourd, then pulled it away from her lips with a sigh. \u201cSpeak for yourself. I\u2019m perfectly normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a talking fox.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a talking bird.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shichi set his chopsticks down to give her a proper glare. \u201cI\u2019m not a bird<\/i>, I\u2019m a tengu.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYour feathers are puffing up.\u201d<\/p>\n

As expected, Chiyo made no effort to help clean once the meal was done. She continued to nurse her sake, watching the others gather dishes as she leaned against the wall. Gin was still curled up in the corner, his presence reminding her of Shichi\u2019s request. She pinched the skin between her eyes, then made an attempt.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou missed a good meal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck convincing Shichi of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

The nekomata\u2019s eyes closed, tightening as he spoke. \u201cWhy is he doing this to me?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t leave him alone \u2014 now he won\u2019t leave you alone. You brought this on yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd why do you do it? How did he get you to follow him?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI do it because I want to,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd if you want<\/i> to be sad and dirty in the woods, I don\u2019t care.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gin\u2019s eyes cracked open, wavering before he looked up.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut he does,\u201d Chiyo said. She finished the last of her drink, eyeing the inside before replacing the cork. Without anything to drink, she could think of no reason to continue speaking with the sour-tempered cat. The kitsune rose from her spot, leaving him with his thoughts.<\/p>\n

Her eyes caught the table as she passed. The surface had been cleared of food, the wood now gleaming in the low light of the room. Only a single dish remained \u2014 a plate of fish. Chiyo scoffed, then left to prepare her bed.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t long before the house went dark, its residents settled in bed with full bellies. Shichi lay at the edge of the main room, with Chiyo curled up at his side. The futon was thin, but he was grateful for the chance to rest his aching limbs.<\/p>\n

Just as sleep began to overtake him, a noise caught his attention. His eyes cracked open, glancing sideways toward the table. It was Gin.<\/p>\n

The cat was on the surface, eyeing the fish. After a few wary sniffs, he began to eat, carefully biting into the flaky trout. Once sated, Gin licked his paws and whiskers clean. Even in the dim light, his stomach was visibly fuller. The cat gave the dish one last look before positioning himself at the edge of the table. Without so much as a waver, he hopped to the floor, crossing the tatami with smooth, even steps. He returned to his corner, made a few dramatic stretches, then curled up once more around the egg.<\/p>\n

Without a sound, Shichi closed his eyes and returned to sleep.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Illustration by K. Ryan Even when Shichi had been running, there was quite a distance from the village to the nearby creek. He had made the trip to fetch water dozens of times, paying no mind to the ache in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-885","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-book-two"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885","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=885"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1134,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885\/revisions\/1134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jisukcho.com\/karasu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}