4
“Shin Ruu! What happened?!” Lala Ruu asked, her face going pale as she grabbed hold of the boy. We had finished up our work for the day and met up with the group from the stalls in front of The Kimyuus’s Tail.
Shin Ruu had a large bruise under his right eye and the corners of his lips were all bloody, but he just flatly responded, “I met with an embarrassing defeat.”
“What does that mean?! You’re not saying someone attacked you?!”
“Stop shouting. You don’t want to upset the townsfolk, right?” Shin Ruu chided, still sounding perfectly calm.
And as Lala Ruu clung to Shin Ruu’s chest, she shot Ai Fa a glare.
“How did Shin Ruu end up like this when you were with him, Ai Fa?! You should be able to easily beat down any foe, right?!”
“Cut it out. Ai Fa carried out her duty just fine. It was my own weakness that resulted in me failing to complete my task properly, not some fault on her part.”
Ai Fa, meanwhile, was holding her tongue. In all likelihood, she had been on guard against Sanjura, which was why she was unable to leave our side. However, saying so would mean revealing that she felt like Shin Ruu would be incapable of guarding against an attack from the man. And as a result, she was left unable to say anything at all, steadfastly holding back from speaking up.
After glancing over at my clan head and seeing her determination, Shin Ruu firmly grabbed hold of Lala Ruu’s shoulders.
“These injuries are nothing. I just need to keep on training, so that next time I can carry out my task properly.”
“But...!”
“Geez, stop whining. You making a fuss isn’t going to solve anything, now is it? You know, instead of getting mad, it’s cuter if you cry when this stuff happens,” Ludo Ruu chimed in.
“Shut it, you!” Lala Ruu shouted at her brother, her eyes tearing up a bit.
“Oh, you’re crying after all? Hmm... I guess Shin Ruu’s at fault now, too. He should be saying how he’s sorry for worrying you and hugging you tight. That’d put things to rest, right?”
Shin Ruu remained silent, but the blood was clearly rushing to his cheeks.
Naturally, Lala Ruu was even redder still, and was so angry that she was gasping with rage.
Ludo Ruu just chuckled as he looked at them, but then he suddenly got a serious look in his eyes.
“Well, Asuta and Vina look just fine, so I guess it’s alright. But it must have been something for Shin Ruu to get injured like that. Could you tell me the details on the way back, Ai Fa?”
“Yes. I believe it would be best to avoid discussing it when strangers are wandering about, too.”
“Alright, then let’s hurry back to the—” Ludo Ruu started to declare, only for a cloaked group to approach us.
Naturally, it was the Silver Vase.
The man at the head of the group stood in front of me and Vina Ruu, then pulled down his hood. For a second it looked like the eldest Ruu daughter was going to turn away, but then she shot him an angry glare head on.
“Asuta, Vina Ruu, I’m sorry, I am late. I came to say, farewell.”
“Thank you, Shumiral. I’m glad we were able to meet up.”
I was filled with a mix of both relief and nervousness, but even so, I replied with a smile.
Ludo Ruu, meanwhile, just said, “Oh right, there was still that stuff with you too,” and ruffled his blond hair. “It sure has been a crazy day... Still, it seems like the guards might get called on us if we huddle together in a place like this, right?”
It might not have gone quite that far, but it was certainly true that we were attracting plenty of attention from passersby. After all, we were talking nine people of the forest’s edge, ten easterners, two totos, and one wagon all gathered together. Even though the stone highway was ten meters or so wide, we ran the risk of jamming things up with numbers like that.
“Um, should we head around to the back of the building? There’s a nice, open space right in front of the path back to the forest’s edge, after all.”
My proposal was quickly accepted, and we swiftly headed that way.
Sheera Ruu had been holding Gilulu’s reins up till now, but I took them from her as we headed south down the road. And as we were walking, Sheera Ruu fell back and got a small package out of the rear of the wagon, then approached me again.
“Asuta, I managed to hand the jerky over to that group of southerners without any issue. I put the coins from that together with what we earned from the stalls.”
“Ah, thanks. So um, what about the special jerky I had prepared...?”
“Right. They seemed quite happy about that, too,” Sheera Ruu replied with a smile. It was a real bright, clear smile for her. “And the leader of the group, that Balan man, handed me this.”
“Huh? What is it...?”
“Apparently it’s a type of fruit wine. And rather expensive stuff at that, too.”
When she unwrapped the cloth bundle, sure enough, what she pulled out looked to be bottles of fruit wine. However, it clearly wasn’t the one-red-coin stuff that folks were always drinking around the forest’s edge. No, it was the type of high quality fruit wine we had once received from Kamyua Yoshu, contained in a smooth, slick bottle. And there were two of them.
“Umm... He said to say that it’s not the custom of either Genos or Jagar to give such gifts. However, since you went and made a gift for them, you’re the one who started it.”
I could practically see Pops’s angry face ranting away.
“And he said something else too... That even at the latest, he’d be back in Genos for sure in a year. So he said you better still be alive and well when that time comes.”
“Got it... Thank you.”
Sheera Ruu nodded, then fell back to the rear to put the fruit wine away again.
In her place, Ai Fa leaned in close.
“Asuta, are you crying?”
“As if, you dummy!” I shouted without meaning to.
In response, Ai Fa pouted and said, “Why are you calling me a ‘dummy?’”
I of course replied, “Sorry,” then I glanced at Shumiral’s back as the man walked diagonally in front of me.
After today, it would be quite some time before I saw Pops, Aldas, or Shumiral again. And thanks to that, I could sense the feelings I had been holding back bubbling up inside me.
I’m not gonna cry, you dummy...
I didn’t even know who I was calling a dummy that time, but regardless, I just kept on walking.
We followed the stone street south, then took a narrow side path east between two inns, and then our field of view suddenly opened wide.
It was an empty space, with nothing but the bare dirt ground. And further past it was the forest, majestically sprawling onwards.
There were rows of buildings behind us, while the forest stretched out before our eyes. And there was just one long road winding off into the forest, connecting to the settlement at the forest’s edge.
Yes, we were currently at the border between town and the forest.
And it was the same place where a while back, those who opposed my business in town and those who welcomed it gathered together in a big, chaotic gaggle.
That was where we finally stopped and faced one another.
Since the forest spread out behind those of us who lived there while the town provided a backdrop for the easterners, it felt sort of like we were acting as representatives for those places as we stood there silently.
“Thank you, for serving us, delicious food, up until now,” Shumiral stated, bringing his fingers together in that unusual manner folks from Sym did and bowing his head.
With that, the men lined up on either side of him all pulled back their hoods together.
The only ones whose faces I had seen were Shumiral, the vice-leader Radajid who stopped by before the sun hit its peak today, and the youth who visited my stall on the first day, whose name I didn’t even know. In all likelihood, that young fellow was the one all the way on the left.
That youth was the first one to try out a giba burger sample, and in turn led his comrades from the merchant group to the stall. And he was also my second ever customer, after only Tara.
It was the following day that I met Shumiral for the first time.
While Pops was shouting about how giba meat wasn’t tasty at all, the members of the Silver Vase all arrived at once. And then Pops’s group showed up too, and it turned into a big mess.
It’s already been over a month since then, huh? Or should I say, man, it’s only been a month...?
As that thought ran through my head, Shumiral stepped forwards and stood in front of me.
Vina Ruu, meanwhile, was on the other side of Ai Fa, who was right by me.
However, Shumiral stopped in front of me first.
“Asuta, I’m sorry to, stop by, so late.”
“Ah, don’t worry about—”
“Today, I was in, the castle town, all day.”
“Huh?”
“I was gathering, information on, Lord Cyclaeus. Looking into, if the bad rumors, I had heard, were true.”
That caught me so off guard that I was left at a loss for words.
Shumiral, however, just apologetically narrowed his eyes.
“I am sorry, for involving myself, when it is not my business. But I wished, to be of help, to you, Asuta. I wanted to know, how dangerous, Cyclaeus was. Yet I had, too little time, and could not, discover the truth...”
“But... why did you...?”
“I did, meet someone who, knew the truth, however. That person, should be able, to aid you. And I believe, they should visit, The Sledgehammer, at some point.”
Someone who knew the truth behind the bad rumors surrounding Cyclaeus...
However, since we were talking about nasty stories Shumiral had heard, they probably weren’t matters directly related to the people of the forest’s edge.
Still, I didn’t care about any of that. I was just happy to hear that Shumiral was so worried about us... and I was also upset.
“Shumiral, why did you go and do something so dangerous? Weren’t you the one who warned us that Cyclaeus was someone we should keep our distance from as much as possible?”
“I understand, your anger, Asuta. But even so, I wanted, to be of help, to you,” Shumiral stated, his downhearted gaze drifting lower. “My apologies. I was unable, to restrain, my emotions.”
I didn’t exactly feel like complaining any further after seeing that sad look in his eyes.
“You’re pretty reckless, huh, Shumiral? Even though you look so calm and composed...”
“Yes. My comrades often, tell me, as much.”
Shumiral was both more of a talker and a lot more passionate than he appeared.
For some reason I felt like crying, but I smiled instead.
“Still, it makes me glad to hear you were thinking of us like that. Seriously, thank you.”
“It was, nothing... That person’s name, is Mikel of Turan. I believe, they will be, of use to you.”
Up until that point the members of the Silver Vase had just silently listened to our exchange, but now one of them slowly stepped forwards.
“The people of the forest’s edge, must meet, with that person. I read, the stars, last night.”
He was a somewhat older man from Sym, but he was just as tall and slim as the rest of the group. However, his face was deeply wrinkled, and I could see the veins on his neck and arms. He had a gentle gaze, though, and felt sort of like an older Shumiral in a way.
“If the, people of the forest’s edge, meet with, that person, they will gain, greater strength. Then a new path, will open up, for them.”
He must have been the star diviner, then. The one who had predicted that Zattsu Suun’s star of bad omen would disappear, and said that he couldn’t read my star at all.
For some reason, I felt a chill run down my spine.
After staring at me for a bit, that older man’s calm yet emotionless gaze turned towards Ai Fa.
“You... you fall under the cat star, do you not?”
“What?”
“After the fell star, disappeared, the fate of, the forest’s edge, shifted. The three lions, awakened, to guide, the future. And if the, cat star, monkey star, and hawk star shine, beside the stars, of the three lions, that future, will become, even brighter.”
“My apologies, but I have absolutely no idea what you’re saying. What is a cat?”
“There are no cats, at the forest’s edge? They exist in, the eastern kingdom. And they are, a sacred animal,” the star diviner stated, his eyes narrowing in a way that made him look just a bit amused.
Perhaps he was thinking that she really was catlike, just how the stars had stated.
With that, I looked back towards Shumiral.
“Got it... If nothing else, I trust your ability to judge someone’s character. I just need to talk to that Mikel of Turan person if they show up, right?”
“Yes. I’m certain, they’ll be, of help, to you,” Shumiral replied, looking relieved. Then, he extended his right arm out from underneath his long cloak. In his dark, smooth hand, he held a neatly wrapped cloth bundle. “Asuta, this is a gift, for you.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Wine cups.”
That took me off guard, but I went ahead and unwrapped the package.
What appeared from inside were clear, cylindrical wine cups... The same type of beautiful wine glasses that we had once seen in the Silver Vase’s stall. And it was a set of two.
“Ai Fa, look—” I started to say, turning her way without even thinking.
And sure enough, her eyes had gone wide with surprise, too.
“Asuta, I feel blessed, to have met you. I was, at a loss, as to what, to give you... But then, Radajid told me, that you two, had looked at, these wine cups, with great, enthusiasm.”
That had to be over 20 days ago at this point, right? I mean, it was when Ai Fa and I had stopped by the Silver Vase’s stall, so that I could buy the vegetable knife and the charm necklace.
Now that I thought back on it, I believe Shumiral had been absent and a rather tall easterner had been manning the shop.
“Please, use them. Consider it thanks, for the dinner, you served me, at the Fa house.”
“That seems rather expensive as payment for a single meal...” Ai Fa solemnly stated, her eyes sparkling with joy as she did so.
Shumiral, meanwhile, just gently returned her gaze.
“Price has, nothing to do, with it. I wanted to, give you something, that would make, the two of you, happy. If I thought, a stone by, the roadside, would bring you joy, then I would, gladly give you, that. Its value, is irrelevant.”
“I don’t believe I could ever win an argument against a tongue as skilled as yours,” Ai Fa replied.
Meanwhile, I could feel a lump forming in my throat.
And so, I hurriedly turned around to go pull my own gift out of the back of the wagon, only to find Sheera Ruu already standing there holding a cloth bundle.
After thanking her, I took it and then presented it to Shumiral.
“Shumiral, this is a gift from the Fa house, to everyone in the Silver Vase. It’s jerky I made in a unique way, so please make sure to eat it within the next seven days. It’s a good bit softer than normal jerky, and I think you’d be fine just biting into it as is.”
Shumiral’s eyes narrowed happily, and he said, “You have, my thanks,” as he accepted the bundle.
That shine in his eyes and those words alone were already more than enough to satisfy me.
Then, the nine men from Sym standing behind him all bowed their heads.
With that, Shumiral handed the bundle to one of his comrades, then stepped in front of Vina Ruu.
“Vina Ruu, my apologies, for my sudden visit, two days ago...”
The eldest Ruu daughter just silently stared back at him.
And Shumiral quietly stared her way, too.
“Tomorrow morning, I will depart, from Genos.”
Vina Ruu remained silent.
“It will be, half a year, before I return. Then after, another month, of business, in Genos, I will leave again, for Sym. That is how, we members of, the Silver Vase, live.”
Still no reply.
“I will stay, for another, half a year, in my home country, after that. Then, I will spend, another year traveling. Until we grow, too old to make, such journeys, we will continue, to live, as such. We all love, to travel. We are, wanderers by nature. The people, of Sym’s capital, a city of stone, do not travel, but for us, people of the grasslands... traveling is, our lives.”
“So you spend longer traveling than you do at home... What a wonderful way of life...” Vina Ruu whispered. “I’ve envied people who live that way, and admired the outside world. But ultimately... I’m still a woman of the forest’s edge.”
There wasn’t any expression whatsoever showing on Vina Ruu’s face. However, it seemed less to me like she wasn’t feeling anything at all, and more like she was desperately holding back her emotions.
“I can’t simply cast my family aside. And for my people, our souls must one day return to our mother, the forest...”
Shumiral gave a small nod as he stared back at her.
“I believe, that is, only proper... But in these, past two days, I have done, much thinking. And at last, I made up, my mind.”
Vina Ruu silently stood there, listening.
“Vina Ruu, I wish, to marry you,” Shumiral clearly stated.
Lala Ruu, Sheera Ruu, and I all held our breath... and Vina Ruu slowly shook her head.
“Were you even listening to what I said...?”
“Yes.”
“Are you telling me to cast aside the forest’s edge...?”
“No.”
“Then you intend to give up your beloved travels...?”
“No.”
“Then what do you even mean...? I don’t understand what you’re saying at all...”
“I cannot quit, my work. But I have, no family, in Sym. My nine comrades, in the Silver Vase, are everything, to me.” Then, Shumiral calmly continued, “So I shall, abandon Sym, and become, a man of, the forest’s edge. I wish to continue, my work with, the Silver Vase as, a person of the forest’s edge.”
With that, Vina Ruu’s expression finally shifted. Her pale eyes stared at Shumiral as if she was looking at something utterly unfathomable.
“But abandoning Sym means giving up your god too, right...? Then all the people around you won’t be ‘comrades’ any more, will they...?”
“That’s right. But they have all, said they, will forgive me. We won’t be comrades, and I won’t, be a man, of the grasslands. But they will, keep working with me, as a man, of the forest’s edge, and a child, of Selva. We won’t, be comrades, but we will still, be friends.”
“That sounds a bit too convenient, doesn’t it...?” Vina Ruu asked, wrapping her arms around her body as if she was shielding herself from the cold.
Shumiral just kept on looking at Vina Ruu with the same gentle gaze as always, though.
“There are two, matters which are, inconvenient. If I am, a westerner, the Silver Vase, will not be, permitted to, enter Mahyudra. And I won’t, be allowed, to live in Sym. But my comrades, said that, was alright. Because even when, we aren’t comrades, we will remain, friends.”
“But...”
“We shall give up, on doing business, in Mahyudra. And my, other comrades, will handle, the preparations, in Sym. Radajid said, as much... He will become, the new leader, of our group, in my place. But I will keep, working hard, in the Silver Vase, as a westerner, and a man, of the forest’s edge.”
Vina Ruu didn’t respond.
“For the people, of the grasslands, our souls, return to those, grass-covered plains. But I offer, my soul, to the forest’s edge. It is painful, to abandon, those grasslands, which were my home, but I believe, I can live happily, with my nine friends, and you, Vina Ruu.”
Both Shumiral’s voice and his gaze felt incredibly calm.
But I was sure that he was trying his hardest to put all his emotions into those awkward western words.
“I said, we spend one year, away, and half a year, back home. But Sym, is far away. Heading between Sym, and Genos, take two months, both ways. So removing that, travel time, it means, eight months spent, away from home. And we spend, two months, working in Genos. It is only, half a year, that we are away, from both Genos, and Sym. I will spend, those six months, working and away, and the rest, of my time, will be spent, living at, the forest’s edge. And I would like, to spend it together, with you, Vina Ruu.”
“But... you can’t hunt giba, can you...?”
“I cannot. But I, travel throughout, the western kingdom. Thanks to that, I can gain, knowledge of, many things. And I can gather, all sorts of, weapons as well. It should certainly, be possible, to bring new, techniques for, hunting giba, to the forest’s edge. That is, my strength.”
“But my father is one of the leading clan heads. There’s no way he’ll accept a foreigner marrying into his house...”
“I will persuade, Donda Ruu. And I promise, I will bring you, happiness. I will demonstrate, my strength, when I return, to Genos, in half a year,” Shumiral calmly stated, removing an accessory from his hand. It was a metallic bracelet with a small pink stone. “Vina Ruu, I pray, for you, to find peace. Will you accept, this gift?”
“I...” Vina Ruu started replying, but she held her tongue.
After staying silent for a few long moments, though, she glanced up at Shumiral.
“I have a bit of trouble handling folks like you, whose emotions I can’t read...”
Shumiral tilted his head, looking a touch confused. But then, he suddenly broke out in a smile.
“If I am, to become a man, of the forest’s edge, then I shall strive, to let my, emotions show. It’s truly embarrassing, but I also, believe it’s, very important.”
It was a pure, gentle smile that was every bit a match for Sanjura’s.
Vina Ruu’s eyebrows drooped, and she looked completely at a loss.
“I worried over, the matter, for several days... Actually, I did so, for the whole month, but it got worse, when you, were injured. But I know. I need you, Vina Ruu. I wish to be, together with you.”
“But...”
“Vina Ruu, I am glad, to see you, thinking seriously, on the matter. Will you, ponder it, until I return, to Genos, in half a year? It would make me, very happy, to receive, your answer, when that time comes.”
Shumiral timidly reached out his hand and grabbed hold of Vina Ruu’s. In her palm, he placed the silver bracelet he had been gripping.
“For the next, half year, I promise, to think of you, every night. And Vina Ruu... I love you.”
As she held the bracelet tight, Vina Ruu suddenly hung her head, hiding her expression from view.
After staring at her for some time, Shumiral finally turned back towards me. And on his face, he wore a gentle smile.
“Well then, we will, head back. We will, meet again, in half a year. Asuta, Vina Ruu, Ai Fa, Ludo Ruu... and those of you, whose names I, do not know, I wish you all, good health. And I will pray, for a bright future, for the forest’s edge.”
“Yeah, you take care... I’ll be waiting for the day we meet again.”
Shumiral nodded, and then he turned his back to us. The rest of his comrades gave one last small bow, then also did an about face.
I just watched silently as the group of ten tall easterners clad in leather cloaks walked away.
This really was farewell.
Even at the earliest, it would be half a year before we met again.
By this point, I had lived here in this land for over two months.
Half a year from now, we could see each other again.
And a year from this point, I may be able to reunite with Pops’s group.
But still... It wouldn’t be strange in the least for me to suddenly disappear right here and now.
No one knew when they may die, so perhaps we were all in the same boat. But still, I just couldn’t completely wipe away the unease that I felt.
If that happened, this really would be goodbye forever. I wouldn’t ever again hear that calm voice or look into his gentle eyes.
Would I be able to see how things turned out between Shumiral and Vina Ruu?
The very thought was enough to cause me to feel a crushing sensation in my chest.
“Asuta, are you crying...?” Ai Fa asked.
“As if, you dummy,” I replied.
My clan head didn’t say anything further.
But for a moment, I thought she had reached out with her warm fingers to wipe beneath my eyes, only for her to roughly ruffle my hair instead.
With that, the blue month, which had been filled with all sorts of encounters and farewells, finally came to a close.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login