Seirei no Moribito - Volume 2 - Chapter 3.1

PART 3 THE PEOPLE OF THE DARKNESS 
CHAPTER I THE KING’S ENVOYS 

Rumors spread rapidly through the clan settlement that the chieftain’s son and the captain of the guard had returned badly wounded. The frightened clothes merchant terrified all the shopkeepers in the marketplace with his story of the fierce woman who defeated the two men. To prevent the tale from being embellished any further, Chief Kaguro called a gathering of the warriors. 
As Kassa was of spear-bearing age, he was permitted to sit in the farthest corner of the great hall. Surrounded by the noise of the crowd, he looked for his cousin Kahm, but was startled when he finally caught sight of him. Although Kahm’s injury had been slight — just a few cracked ribs, now firmly supported by a wide leather belt — his face appeared haggard and his expression grim. To Kassa, he looked like a different person. Kaguro thumped the stone floor sharply with the butt of his spear and the crowd fell silent. His deep voice resonated throughout the room. “Clansmen. I have called you here today because, as I’m sure you’ve heard, an incident has occurred that seriously threatens the honor of our clan. Yuguro will tell you the details.” 
Yuguro took a step forward. A shaft of sunlight shone through a narrow window and illuminated his figure. “My clansmen, a ghost has come back to haunt us. The ghost of one whom those over thirty will remember well, a man that I myself laid to rest with these two hands.” A low murmur ran through the hall. Kassa saw his father’s face tighten. “That’s right. The man that both the chieftain and I have been ashamed to call our brother, the wickedest man in Kanbal — Jiguro.” 
He gave a small sigh. “I was only sixteen when Jiguro fled this country, stealing the gold rings that symbolize the bond between the royal family and the clans. My father had died of illness and my esteemed older brother had lost his right arm. If our family had not suffered these misfortunes, or if I had been a young man in my twenties, then the strongest youth of the other eight clans would not have died. 
“Jiguro was very strong. I know this well, for I was the last to fight him. But his heart was rotten to the core. And so I didn’t hesitate to kill him, even though he was my own brother.” 
A hush had fallen over the hall. Recalling those days when they had lived in shame, the older men remembered with renewed pride the triumphant young Yuguro returning as a hero. The younger men knew this story too, but it was their first time to hear it from his own mouth, and they listened with rapt attention. 
“I never told anyone this before, but when I fought Jiguro, someone was watching us — a young woman of about twenty-two or twenty-three. I defeated Jiguro fairly and gave him the honor of dying in battle, but the young woman cursed me.” 
Kahm felt a sharp pain in his side and rubbed a hand over his broken ribs. The words the woman had said as she swept back her sweat-drenched hair popped into his mind. Whether it’s a fair fight or not, honor makes no difference to the one who dies. Honor is nothing but an empty word to comfort the killer. Your uncle Jiguro knew that well. 
“I merely did what was right. But women …” Yuguro smiled. “You can never tell what they’re thinking, if you know what I mean.” 
The crowd laughed, but Kahm did not smile. The spearwoman he had faced was far removed from the picture his uncle was now painting. 
“As I was saying, she cursed me. She vowed to make a fool of me and shame my honor. I paid no attention to these threats and completely forgot about her. But now we’ve found out that she has come to Kanbal. Tonno! Kassa!” 
Kassa jumped when Yuguro suddenly called him forward. His father hastily beckoned him and together they went to stand by Yuguro’s side. Kassa was so nervous, he could not even remember how he made it to the front. He could see only row upon row of curious faces wondering what this was all about. 
Yuguro placed a large, heavy hand on his shoulder. “I’m sure you all know Kassa’s younger sister, Gina, my niece. She’s a lot like my sister, a very brave girl.” 
Laughter erupted from a group of Kassa’s friends. 
“Apparently, Gina wished to show my son a thing or two, and she went into the caves to prove her courage. Her older brother, Kassa, went after her to save her. And there they met the woman I’ve been telling you about as she was making her way through the caves from New Yogo.” 
Kassa was surprised. What Yuguro had said was true, but he had failed to mention the fact that they were attacked by the hyohlu and the woman had saved them. He had missed the most important part of the story…. Kassa opened his mouth to speak, but Yuguro’s hand tightened on his shoulder. He looked beseechingly at his father. Tonno just shook his head faintly. 
“She told Kassa and Gina that she was on a journey of penance and asked them not to tell anyone. Now Kassa may be young, but he’s a true Musa warrior. He saw danger in the fact that a stranger could be in the caves, and he came and told me immediately. I rewarded him and Tonno for providing such precious information. To prevent rumors from spreading, I told them to say they’d found a piece of lyokuhaku.” 
Kassa was speechless with shock. He felt as though he were in a bad dream. Was this some carefully thought-out strategy that only adults could understand? Yuguro had spun his words cleverly, weaving the facts together to make a completely different story. Yet Kassa could not bring himself to correct him. The eyes of the crowd intimidated him, and if Yuguro did have some deeper plan, he might ruin it by speaking up. 
“I’m very impressed with Kassa here. He may be small, but he’s brave and clever.” Yuguro smiled at him. Hesitantly, Kassa smiled back. When Yuguro gestured for him to return to his seat, he walked shakily through the crowd to the back. Men patted him on the shoulder, saying, “Well done,” but he could not respond. 
“So once I discovered this woman had infiltrated Kanbal, I immediately sent Kahm and Dom after her. They did a superb job, quickly finding and capturing her where she was hiding in Yonsa territory. That was yesterday.” 

Yuguro gestured for Kahm to come to his side. “As you all know, Kahm and Dom are both excellent spearmen. Well, Kahm is still a little young, but nevertheless, he’s close to being one of the best. So I had complete confidence that they could capture her.” 
He sighed, looked at Kahm, and then looked back to the assembled men. “But this woman is as cunning as a wolf. When they arrived in the mountains, she fell off her horse on purpose and pretended to be wounded. Dom was dismounting to help her when she suddenly spooked the horses. He fell and broke his nose, while Kahm here cracked his ribs. Dom still tried to stop her, but she stabbed him in the shoulder with her spear. Then she fled into the mountains. Isn’t that right, Kahm?” 
Kahm looked up at his uncle, sick at heart. He revered Yuguro and knew that this deception was necessary if their great undertaking was to succeed. But piling one lie on top of another went against his honest nature, and he hated it. 
Yuguro’s eyes narrowed sharply. “I’m not blaming you for your failure, you know,” he said gently. “You’re young and you were hurt. There’s no need to be ashamed of not helping Dom when he fought on with his broken nose, or for letting the woman escape.” 
Kahm looked at his uncle in shock. “No! That’s not true! Dom was —” 
His father, Kaguro, cut him off. “Kahm! You should be ashamed of yourself. Don’t try to excuse your cowardice by blaming someone who isn’t here!” 
Kahm was stunned. Dom’s injury was fairly serious, but certainly not awful enough to prevent him from attending this meeting. He had heard Yuguro himself tell him not to come, advising him to rest instead. Kahm ground his teeth. He felt an invisible net tightening around him, for anything he said now would sound like he was making excuses. His only choice was to remain silent. 
“Kahm is still young, brother,” Yuguro said calmly. “Don’t be too hard on him.” He turned back to the crowd. “Well, it was a long story, but now you know the situation. Clearly this woman has escaped into Musa territory. As she fled without her cape or supplies, she won’t survive long in this season. Still, I’d like fifty of our best men to divide up and search for her. Get the Herder People to help too.” Then he added with a smile, “But don’t underestimate her cunning or her skill with the spear, and don’t be fooled by anything she says about me.” 
The men laughed. 
At that moment, a horn blast echoed long and high, weaving through their laughter. The room fell silent, then the men began talking excitedly again. The horn signaled the arrival of a message from the king of Kanbal. 
There came a loud knock, and the young men guarding the doors opened them. Two warriors stepped into the hall wearing the purple cloaks and silver headscarves that marked them as the king’s envoys. The crowd hushed immediately. Facing Yuguro, one of the men held high a scroll of goat’s hide sealed with wax. 
“Greetings to Kaguro Musa, Chieftain of the Musa Clan, and Master Yuguro,” he announced in clear, ringing tones. “We bear an urgent message from the king for Master Yuguro.” 
They walked forward under the eager gaze of the warriors, who were hoping desperately for news of the Giving Ceremony. After the messenger handed Yuguro the scroll, he bowed, broke the seal, and opened it. He read it without a word, then looked at the messengers. 
“You have traveled far and fast to deliver this. I’ll start preparing immediately. We’ll be ready to leave the day after tomorrow. Please rest and refresh yourselves here until that time.” He gestured to two of his attendants and they led the messengers from the hall. Then Yuguro turned to face the assembly. 
“Clansmen, great news! The Gate to the Mountain Deep has opened.” 
The men gasped and then, as the news sank in, they raised a thunderous cheer. 
Deep within a cave behind the king’s castle lay a massive door of natural rock that barred the way into the Mountain Deep. It could only be opened from the inside, but once every generation, the Gate slid open, signaling that the Mountain King would hold the Giving Ceremony in the winter of that year, and bestow much-needed luisha upon the people of Kanbal. Although there had been occasional discrepancies in timing, previous ceremonies had always been about two decades apart. But this time twenty years had passed, and then thirty, with no sign of the Gate being opened, and the people of Kanbal had grown steadily poorer and more anxious. Some whispered that the sacred bond between Kanbal and the Mountain King had been violated since the last Dancer, Jiguro, had dared to steal the gold rings of the King’s Spears and flee the country…. 
Now, after thirty-five years, word had finally come. The ceremony would take place this winter. The bond between the two kingdoms had not been severed after all! The men’s faces shone with joy. When their king received the luisha, grain would once again flow into the country. He would present every clan with gifts. For the next few years at least, they would not have to worry about having enough food for the winter. For the people of Kanbal, this announcement answered all their hopes and relieved all their fears. 
“Everything seems to be happening at once!” Yuguro called over the tumult in the room. “Men, there’s much to be done. Divide up the work. The gifts for the Mountain King must be ready by the day after tomorrow.” The men began talking excitedly. Yuguro thumped his spear butt on the floor to regain their attention. “I’ve just had a thought for which I would ask your approval.” He beckoned his eldest son, Shisheem, who was standing nearby. He was almost the same height as his father. “Ordinarily, Kahm would attend me in the capital, but as you can see, he is injured. A ten-day horse ride will be too taxing for him. Instead, I propose to take my son, Shisheem, who turned sixteen this year. It’s time for him to mix with the other sons of the clan chieftains and learn from them. What do you say?” 
Kahm turned pale and looked first at his uncle, then at his father. But Kaguro merely nodded to Yuguro, a bitter expression on his face. If he agreed, no one else would even think of opposing the idea. 
“Don’t worry, Kahm,” Yuguro said to him. “The Gate to the Mountain Deep has opened, but it will be another twenty-five days or so before we actually enter the mountain for the ceremony. Follow me to the capital when you feel better.” Then he turned to the clansmen and shouted, “Men of the Musa clan — it’s time to work!” 
Kassa was pushed along with the boisterous crowd as they left the hall, but he turned for one last look at Kahm. Just before he passed through the doors, he caught sight of him and Shisheem. The contrast between their two faces — one dark and gloomy, the other flushed and shining — remained branded on his mind.