Free Thousand Shrine Warrior by Jessica Amanda Salmonson Page B

handsome, if somewhat rude, Shinji.
    â€œIf your plan is to succeed,” said the bikuni, “you must be calmer in your hearts. Fear makes people angry. Anger makes people careless.”
    Shinji folded his arms and turned his back on the bikuni and the firepit. Otane’s large, hurt eyes watched the bikuni’s profile. She said, “I’ve caused him a lot of responsibility.” Her tone was apologetic. When she said this, Shinji turned back to face his lover, and his anger had dissipated. He looked miserable and forlorn. He virtually leapt in Otane’s direction, to fall beside her and cling to her sleeve, weeping like a child. Bowing his head, he wailed, “It’s I who have caused you the trouble!”
    They were pitiful to see. The bikuni began to tie her hat upon her head, indicating her intention to leave, but also to hide her face lest they notice her reluctant concern. She stood, saying, “Is Lord Sato as heartless as you say? Villagers seem to dislike him, but I saw no particular evidence of cruelty. If his men catch runaways, however, he is justified in applying the law, though laws are often cruel.”
    â€œReally it isn’t Lord Sato so much as that dark priest,” said Otane, extricating herself from the clinging Shinji and hurrying to the doorway to place the bikuni’s sandals where she could step into them. “Since Kuro came, there have been numerous bad omens, poor crops, illness, deaths, and Lord Sato’s retainers have become unruly. In past years when things were bad, taxes were reduced, but this year they were raised a little bit. It’s not that things have become untenable, but happiness has been erased from the land. It’s much worse in the castle than in the village. But a shadow cannot fall upon the lord of a country without the country feeling it as well.”
    The bikuni placed her longsword through her obi and stepped out into the back garden. Otane hurried on ahead to get the rear gate. The bikuni stood beneath the gate’s roof while the young woman held the gate open. The nun asked, “I did not want to pester you with my own problem while your family could overhear. But as you were a lady-in-waiting for Lord Sato’s daughter, perhaps you can help me with something I need to know, even though I have been no help to you.”
    Otane’s eyes conveyed her willingness to help.
    â€œI came here looking for a man of Omi in the service of Lord Sato, but was informed that no such man is in the castle. I can well believe the one I seek would not work for Lord Sato if it could be helped, since things are as they are. But I think there is more to it, or the men I talked to would not have been so upset about my query.”
    Otane, too, appeared upset by the query, but she took a deep breath to calm her feelings, and spoke confidentially. “Ordinarily a lady-in-waiting knows little about what men of the castle do. But the man you speak of was Lady Echiko’s betrothed, destined to become Lord Sato’s son-in-law!”
    The nun replied, “I’m surprised,” though there was no hint of shock in her tone.
    â€œHe was Lord Sato’s favorite retainer and achieved a high rank among castle men. Though his clan had declined in his native province, still he had a good family tree and might well have been a minor Lord himself, had he been a more ruthless fellow. Lord Sato was glad that his daughter noticed this man above others. We ladies-in-waiting conspired to help Lady Echiko have secret meetings with him from time to time. All of this was when it was still nice to live in the castle, before Priest Kuro possessed our Lord’s heart.
    â€œI don’t know exactly what happened, but some while later, Lord Sato announced that Heinosuke, my Lady’s betrothed, was to be exiled for some petty reason. Everyone knew it was on the advice of his Lordship’s new cleric, who certainly did seem to dislike