Free Thousand Shrine Warrior by Jessica Amanda Salmonson Page A

best you run away with Otane and me! After Otane has made enough prayers for the sake of her grandfather’s spirit, we intend to sneak across the river gorge. I have a pass to do so, since my family farms across the bridge and we must always bring a certain percentage of our crops to the castle. Otane has secretly taken her grandfather’s pass, since he will not require it. I altered it a bit so that she can use it to cross over the rope bridge with me.”
    Their plan was a terrible thing. They could be crucified just for running away in the first place. Altering a fief pass was also a punishable crime.
    â€œAs a mendicant,” said Shinji, “you can come and go as you please, more or less. The three of us could meet at the rope bridge and not have any trouble. If the single guard stationed there suspects something, we can give him some money. Most of the samurai serving Lord Sato these days are corrupt and easy to bribe.”
    â€œMany illicit lovers try what you suggest,” said the bikuni. “Most of them are captured by and by. Do you know you could be crucified? I don’t think you’ve exhausted other avenues as yet. A special petition could be set before Lord Sato, who might make an exception for your case.”
    â€œYou haven’t been here long enough to know how things are!” exclaimed Shinji. “In other places, such special dispensation can sometimes be acquired. Otane’s father is very low-ranking for a samurai. In fact, before he was placed under house arrest, his main duty was caring for Lord Sato’s plum trees. Practically a farmer himself! Otane and I would have a good case with any other lord, but Sato has no concern for people’s happiness. We know exactly what he would say. ‘Recite the Lotus Sutra until you have gotten over your desire for one another.’ If we argued, he might have us killed, our corpses buried in Priest Kuro’s horrible cemetery at the Temple of the Gorge, where already several of Kuro’s victims now repose. Nobody petitions Lord Sato for anything anymore, nor complains about the way he governs things—or fails to govern. If there are no complaints, things aren’t too bad. Otherwise, Priest Kuro whispers in Lord Sato’s ear, and the advice is no fun for anybody.”
    The bikuni was beginning to have very strong doubts about the dark priest’s motivations. She said, “A priest should not be so drunk with power. I would like to know more about this Kuro.”
    â€œBetter not to deal with him at all!” said Shinji. “Accompany us away from Kanno province, neh? It’s selfish to want you to help us, but it’s for your sake too.”
    â€œA bikuni travels alone,” she said. “I will go my way after I have carved a stone lantern for the men I was forced to kill.”
    â€œSomeone will have to carve one for you!” said the farmboy. When she did not comment, his face became clouded with anger. He said, “Are you too proud to keep us company? An ex-samurai like you can’t be concerned with lovers intent on breaking the law!”
    She studied his expression a long moment before speaking. “You dislike samurai a lot,” she said. “But you want to marry one.”
    Otane knelt at Shinji’s side and pulled on his sleeve, keeping him from saying something angrier than he already said. She whispered, “I told you she was too severe. She won’t help us. We must run away without her.”
    â€œTah-neh!” exclaimed Iyo, having run out of noisy walnuts.
    â€œShut up!” the farmboy scolded, making Iyo stop grinning, making him upset. Otane went nurturantly to the big fellow and soothed his hurt feelings. The bikuni didn’t like to see a samurai daughter jerked back and forth like that, meeting the needs of others and never really stating her own feelings. Perhaps it was true, though, that all she required was the presence of the