Part One: Chapter 2

Chapter 2





The man introduced himself as Rinkawa Hiruma, an assumed name Yoshimo guessed, but offered no other information until they reached his home, a vast building surrounded by lush gardens and a high wooden wall.

“This is where I live when I’m in the capital,” Hiruma said once they were inside. “You will stay here as well. Hurry up! One of the women will show you to the bath. Kaede!” he bellowed. “Kaede, come out here!”

A moment later a slender woman clad in a black and gold kimono came out down a long hallway toward them. She bowed and said, “Yes, Hiruma-san?”

Hiruma didn’t even look at her. “Kaede, take this boy to the bath,” he said. “Then come find me when he is clean and fed.” With that he turned and left.

After Hiruma was gone Yoshimo and Kaede spent several very long moments in silence, and then at last Kaede said, “Poor boy, take those muddy sandals off and follow me.”

Yoshimo complied, and she led him down the hallway she had just come from.

“Are you Hiruma-san’s new apprentice?” She asked.

“Yes,” Yoshimo replied. He still wasn’t quite sure what Hiruma wanted him for, but he was going to be fed and given a roof to sleep under so at that moment he didn’t particularly care.

Kaede nodded. “He said he would be getting one. I didn’t think so soon though,” she said. “And how old are you?”

“Sixteen. Almost.”

“A little old, but still trainable, I suppose. I’m Kaede, as you already heard. Your name would be?”

“Yoshimo.”

“I see. That’s a good name. Where do you come from?”

Yoshimo didn’t reply.

Kaede looked over her shoulder at him with an enigmatic smile. “I understand,” she said. She stopped at a doorway and opened it for him. “Here is the bath,” she said. “I will find some clean clothes for you to wear and tell the servants to prepare a meal for you. Don’t worry about heating the bath water; there’s a spell on it so that it is always hot and fresh.” She bowed again and left him to his own devices.

Yoshimo stripped and washed the mud off before climbing gratefully into the hot bath water. He sank in up to his eyes until he had to breathe again. It was uncommonly nice to be able to soak in a bath again, nice to get the dirt and grime out of his skin and hair. It was only then that his heart, which had been beating frantically since the moment he had met Hiruma, slowed and he was able to think properly again.

He raised himself out of the water enough to rest his elbows on the edge of the bath and set his mind to the issues at hand. There were several things to consider. First of all, who was Hiruma really, what did he do, how had he earned the money to build this palatial estate of his and had he earned the money at all? What about that Kaede woman? What place did she hold in the hierarchy he had been thrust into? Was she a wife, a sister, a concubine or a servant? No, she dressed to well to be a servant, though Hiruma had spoken to her like one. She didn’t look like Hiruma’s sister either. Hiruma had mentioned other women in the household too. Were they relatives, daughters, sisters, aunts, or were they merely maids?

He might have dosed off in the bath if he hadn’t been so hungry. A maid came and set down some clean clothes for him before too much time had passed and after she left he stepped out of the bath, dried himself off and dressed. As soon as he stepped outside he could smell food. He followed the scent to the dining room, a neat rectangle with a long, low table in the center of it. Platters of various sort of food were set out, and Kaede was seated at the table, waiting for him. He sat down and forced himself to eat politely.

“I hope you enjoy the meal,” Kaede said conversationally. Yoshimo would have said something, but his mouth was full. Kaede didn’t seem to mind his silence. She filled it herself. “I also hope you enjoyed your bath, you were quite a mess when you came in. Now that you’ve tidied up I can see you’re a handsome young man. Hiruma-san will be jealous. He must not have noticed. You are somewhat old though, well, older than most of Hiruma-san’s previous apprentices. The last two were little more than children really. They turned out rather badly though, so perhaps he wanted to find out if it would work better if he started with an older apprentice.” She said all of this in between delicate bites of food. “I hope you work well with Hiruma-san. He goes through apprentices something like an important lady might go through kimonos. You know, a new one every season. Eventually they become out of style, and they wear out rather quickly.” She smiled at him. “So, tell me something about yourself. I’m always curious to know who I am going to be working with.”

Yoshimo hesitated, not sure where to start and not sure what he wanted to tell her, nor how much. He chewed for a moment, thinking.

Kaede laughed gently. “All right then, we’ll start with me. Like you, I work for Hiruma-san. Of course, I serve him in a different way.” She leaned forward and went on, “I’m a sorceress, and skilled in other areas as well.”

Yoshimo swallowed and said, “I see.”

“Do you?” Kaede asked, arching one fine black brow. She sat back. “How is the food, really?”

“It’s fine, thank you.”

“So polite! Hiruma-san’s last apprentice was an insolent little snot, perhaps that’s why he’s not around anymore. Hiruma-san didn’t like him much after all.”

Yoshimo paused, and then said, “I thought that his last apprentice died.”

“Oh, he did,” Kaede said blandly. “He’s very dead.”

Yoshimo tried not to look too disturbed. He focused on his food, mulling that last little revelation over as he ate. He decided he ought to investigate and find out just what counted for insolence in this household so that he didn’t inadvertently step over the line. Insolence and disrespect had already gotten him thrown out of one home; he didn’t want to get thrown out of another, or worse yet killed, because of it.

“What does Hiruma-san do, exactly?” he asked after a while.

“Oh, this and that,” Kaede answered. “The Shogun uses him to track criminals and pays him well for it. Sometimes he works for others if they pay well enough, but that is a secret beyond these walls.” She took a bite of her own food and said, “Speaking of secrets, you should know that these walls have ears, and their names are Hana, Ayame and Kurenai.”

“What does that mean?”

“My own apprentices,” Kaede said. “They love to gossip and talk.”

Yoshimo nodded. “I see. So Hiruma-san will be teaching me…?”

“Oh, he’ll be teaching you his trade. He always wanted someone to help him expand his influence, but some complication always arises. Either the boy has too much independence and strikes out on his own, or he dies early on during the training. Or Hiruma-san finds him unsatisfactory. I’d avoid any of those fates if I were you. The ones who strike out on their own never seem to live very long after leaving.”

Yoshimo’s mouth felt dry and he took a sip of tea. “He trains only boys?”

“No, he had a few female students, but I didn’t like them much. He and I compromised on the matter, and now he only chooses males.”

“I see.”

Kaede smiled. “Do you want anything more to eat, or are you full?”
“I think I’m done, thank you.”

“Wonderful! I’ll go find Hiruma-san then. I’m sure you’re anxious to have things explained to you.” Kaede stood up, bowed, and departed.

Not long after Kaede left Hiruma entered the room. He sat down at the table across from Yoshimo and said, “Do you know how to use that sword, or is it just for decoration?”

“I know how to use it,” Yoshimo said.

“Good. The less I have to teach you the better.” Hiruma sat back and eyed Yoshimo like a farmer appraising his livestock. “I’d better be able to put you to work soon. Training you is a waste of my time and feeding you is a waste of my money. I expect you to start earning me money soon.”

Yoshimo nodded. He didn’t know what to say.

Hiruma scowled. “Good.” He stood up and shouted, “Kaede! Bring one of your maids in here!”

A short while later Kaede appeared with a petite young woman in tow. “What can we do for you, Hiruma-san?”

Hiruma ignored her and looked straight at the young woman. “Take him to one of the guest rooms.”

“Yes, Hiruma-san,” the girl replied dutifully. She bowed politely to Yoshimo and said, “Greetings, Yoshimo-san, my name is Ayame. If you follow me, I can show you to your room.” When she got a nod of agreement from Yoshimo, she bowed to Hiruma and Kaede and led him out of the room.

She started down one the hall, but went no more than a few feet before ducking into a dark room, giggling quietly. Perplexed, Yoshimo stuck his head in the room and caught sight of the trail of Ayame’s pale kimono. He lost sight of her, but no sooner had he pulled his head out of the room than Ayame grabbed him by the collar and pulled him in.

“Shh!” she warned him in a laughing whisper. “They’re going to talk about you.”

“I guessed as much when Hiruma-san sent me out,” Yoshimo replied.

“Aren’t you curious?”

“Of course, but I’m tired and sore too,” Yoshimo said.

Ayame ignored him. Tugging on his sleeve she led him over to the thin, shoji-panel wall. “Listen,” she whispered.

Yoshimo sighed quietly and gave in. For a while he heard nothing but the clinking of pottery and the soft sound of drinks being poured.

Then Hiruma spoke. “What do you think of this one?”

“He’s very handsome.”

“I mean as an apprentice, fool.”

“Oh, he’ll do. He has potential certainly. Kurenai-chan and Hana-chan were spying on him in the bath and they say he will muscle out well. He’s a bit scrawny right now though, isn’t he? Good meals and exercise will fix that. They also agree that he’s handsome.”

“Will you leave off on that?”

“Yes, when you stop ogling my maids.”

Silence, and then Hiruma said in a tight voice, “If you don’t want me to look at them, they shouldn’t be pretty. Now, back to the boy, what do you think of him as far as potential?”

“Oh, he’ll do.”

“Yes, yes, you said that already.”

Kaede's laughter was like the tinkling of bells. “As far as potential ability and potential to learn, he seems boundless. Potential to be obedient… well, we shall have to see, won’t we?”

“Were you able to get any more information out of him? What’s his history?”

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m guessing as much as you are. Given that sword of his he was samurai born, but recently cast out. An ill-behaved younger son, perhaps?”

Yoshimo grew tired of being insulted behind his back. He turned about and left the room, Ayame giggling quietly as she followed in his wake. He stopped a little further down the hall and asked, “Where will I be staying?”

“Oh, follow me,” Ayame said with a resigned sigh. “You’re not any fun at all.” She guided him through the house to a small, spartan room, and, with his help, pulled a futon out of the closet in the wall. “Welcome to your new home.”

Ayame left him quickly and just as quickly Yoshimo collapsed onto the bedding set out for him. He closed his eyes and let the sound of rain drumming on the roof lull him to sleep.