Free Spirit's Chosen by Esther Friesner

high wind. I don’t know if he ever intended to club his own kinsmen, but no one present was stupid enough to find that out the hard way. Within the time it takes for three breaths he was the only man left standing. The rest were sitting meekly with their families while their wives and sisters scolded them or exclaimed over their bruises and scrapes,
then
scolded them.
    The men retreated, but Kaya and I remained standing while Lord Hideki ranted at our clan: “What is
wrong
with you? Are you trying to finish what the wolves started? Haven’t we lost enough men? What is worth fighting over like this?” A few people tried to mutter shamefaced excuses for their behavior, but a single glare from the old warrior’s eyes silenced them. His questions did not want answers.
    Then, like the ash-covered ember that suddenly kindles into flame again, a woman spoke up: “I’ll tell you what’s worth fighting about!” she cried, pointing at the two elderly sisters who had provided the drink that had loosened my clanfolk’s tongues and fogged their common sense. “Why did
they
have all that wine, eh? Why were they keeping itsecret from the rest of us all this time? Come to think of it, what else do you suppose they’ve been hiding? Why not rice wine
and
rice? While the rest of us starve, those old lizards have been gobbling good things all winter long! I say we go search their house and—!”
    “Take one step that way and you’ll find yourself taking the next one out of our gates!” Lord Hideki shouted, brandishing his cudgel. The woman flinched and hurriedly stepped back as he continued to berate her. “How dare you speak to your elders with such disrespect? You’re not starving! A starving tongue doesn’t have the strength to clatter like yours.” Abruptly he turned to glare at my brother Masa. “Now do you see the truth of what I tell you?” he thundered. “This is your doing!”
    Masa recoiled as if the older man’s words were blows. Most of our people exchanged bewildered glances and began whispering furiously to each other, wondering what this was all about. The only ones who looked neither surprised nor confused by Lord Hideki’s accusation against my brother were our remaining noblemen. Before the Ookami came, they had been Father’s valued counselors. Now their stern eyes were focused on Masa. He squirmed under the burden of so many hard looks. His lips parted, but he could not find a voice to raise in his defense.
    I could.
    “Lord Hideki, what do you mean by speaking against my brother like this?” I asked. “He’s done nothing wrong. I saw him trying to
stop
fights, not start them.”
    “Himiko, please …” Masa’s cheeks were blotched red with embarrassment. “You don’t know anything about this.I’ll speak with Lord Hideki about this later. It doesn’t involve you.”
    “On the contrary, it involves all the Matsu!” Lord Hideki declared. His arms spread wide, embracing our gathered clan. “See what has become of us: we can’t even mark a happy occasion without falling into more of these stupid little quarrels! It was never like this while we had a chieftain to direct us as one people, one kindred. Why have we fallen apart this way? Because the one who
should
lead us, the one whose ancestors have always guided this clan”—he glared at Masa—“says no.”
    I turned to my last remaining older brother. He looked ready to sink into the earth. “I have good reason for my choice, Lord Hideki,” he said so quietly that it was nearly impossible to hear him. “I told you so already. Why do you keep at me like this?”
    “Your father was my friend; we were close as brothers,” came the grim reply. “He loved this land. He loved our people. The Matsu always came first in his heart. You are his son. How can you be too selfish and lazy to accept the responsibility of his heritage: to be our chieftain!”
    “That’s not why I refused! Why didn’t you
listen
to me?” Masa’s despairing