二

My throat was desert-dry, filled with soreness akin to the rubbing of sand against tender skin. Desperately holding back, I coughed, the convulsion of the muscles bringing even a greater ache. Noemi poured some water in my mouth, supporting my hands as I held the container, the liquid reliving most of the throbbing. The brown mare walked barely above human speed, her hooves leaving scattered prints behind. We had been riding for almost two days, with little food and water. I had no doubt the horse would collapse soon and dreaded the moment I would have to rely on my own weakened feet.

“Hold on,” Noemi said, stroking my back, and adjusted the large straw hat she bought to protect me from the vicious sun. “There is little left.”

“I am fine. Are you alright?” Half-conscious, I murmured my agreement, seeing sun and grass merge together in a great hole of black, the green and painfully bright disappearing completely in the veil of dark. Through the clouded wall that muffled the world from me, I heard a weak moan and comforting words of encouragement that were no more than a whisper, the meaning of which I fathomed. The black barrier thickened, separating me from the swaying tread of the horse and Noemi’s soft voice.

 

Aroma of peculiar spices floated in my nose, making my stomach churn apprehensively at the prospect of food; I had to be abstemious for a while. A cool cloth lay on my forehead; my weakened body was under warm, clean sheets. Attempt to speak was nothing more than a groan. Attempt to move no more than a twitch of fingers. But I tried until I was able to open my eyes properly, collecting strength to stand after the brunt of insentience. It felt as though I was pinioned.

“Did she wake?” a creaking voice asked. I did not recognise it, but the next one quickly brought relief.

Noemi answered, “Yes. Will she be alright?”

“Of course,” replied an old woman, whose wide features were blurred. “It is merely a fever. A girl with her skin should not have been under sun for so long.”

The sheets rustled, swimming down as I pulled myself up. The cloth slid off, falling onto my lap while I gathered my legs underneath me. I was in a slight ramshackle, dried herbs and flowers hanging from walls and ceiling, creating the calming smell that I noticed after waking. The old woman’s face was wrinkled, her hair streaked with grey, although it was still healthily thick and mostly black. Perhaps she was not so old after all. Her rough, leather-like hands brushed against my chin as she infallibly held a bowl filled with warm liquid to my lips. I obediently drank, feeling the heat travel to my stomach. It washed off the bitter taste in my mouth. Her cooking aptitude was propitious.

“Where are we?”                  

Noemi bowed her head. She whispered cautiously, “In the local healer’s house. Lord Hashiji’s residence is only two hours away on foot.”

Good. “And the horse?”

The old woman leaned forward, accepting the bowl from my hands. “It was offered as payment, for it is not worth much currently, being in the state it is now. I will take care of it.”

Two hours on foot. The horse, whatever its size and construction, was worth a fortune for its endurance, for most would not have survived such an extensive time deprived of water and much food with two riders on its back. But again, it must be in dreadful condition now. Healer’s treatment did not cost too much or too little, and this was a beautiful mare, calm and clever. To be reduced to a prize of the treatment of a fever�"what a shame it must be for such a horse.

My arms and legs felt fine, although the movements stiff. I drank another bowl of restorative broth before standing with Noemi’s help. My head was no completely clear yet, but otherwise I was completely healthy. Considering how much time I spent inside the castle, it was of no revelation to me to be so severely affected by the sun. I was prepared for the continuation of our enterprise of wanderlust.

The healer observed, “You recover quickly.”

Noemi smiled. “She was lucky to be under your care. Please allow us several more minutes in your house.”

We were permitted to stay there some more to pack certain herbs and change from travelling clothes to simple robes of farmer’s daughters. Noemi was maybe ten years older than me, but still young enough to look as my older sister. After thanking the plump healer, who was very content with our visit�"it had brought her a wonderful horse after all�"we left. I noticed Noemi’s anxiousness as we went farther away from the healer’s house. Disguised as daughters of a wealthy farmer, the youngest of which had fallen sick from work, we gave the impression of being as benign as we could possibly be, yet something still troubled my companion’s mind, even though none of it was reflected on her face.

“What is it?”

She answered simply, “You should not be concerned, my lady.”

“I need to know what is going, Noemi.” As an afterthought, I added, “You know how I hate being in the heat of things but uninformed.”

“My lady,” she replied quietly. “I thought we should get rid of the witness. The old woman would sell her soul for money.”

How could I forget? Noemi was comfortable with killing as long as it was benefit for us; her raising made it her second nature, and I even I could not change that despite all the years we have spent together. Once more, I wondered how many she had slain with cold blood.

“Noemi, she would never doubt my origins. We played our part as good as anyone can.” I smiled at her disapprobation.

“You have a skin far too white for a farm girl, and your hands are too tender to be used in field work.” She paused, holding off her berating. “I do not mean to affront, but Lady Iwasaki is lenient.”

A small incredulous huff did not go unnoticed by her. Perhaps I was indulgent; however, the old woman truly did nothing to harm us. On the other hand Noemi was euphemistic about the greediness of the woman�"I had seen it in her eyes when she looked at our sacks, no doubt pondering over their contents. Noemi was quiet until we reached the gates of Hashiji residence. The Awakened One helped us, for if I was sent to any other castle instead of the Takahashi, then it would be weeks before reached any of the allies. People often said the Hashiji and the Takahashi used to be brothers ones, both had Emperor Blood in their veins, and that was the reason for the closeness of their domains. But the Takahashi had discredited themselves, and were another word for traitors, for they had sold their previous warlord to another back in the times of war. We were spotted soon after we approached the gates.

“Who is it? Lord Hashiji did not expect any visitors.”

Noemi’s sudden appearance in their sight made them open the heavy gates. Was she a frequent visitor? It was hard to believe she would be in a place so far away from the Takahashi, unless she owned a powerful horse. If I did not know her better, I would question her immediately. But I knew Noemi, and I was aware of her nature, and the fact she would only tell me things she wanted me to know. This thing she did not want me to know, hence I silently came in.

“Please call him now,” Noemi said, sending the younger guard after the mysterious person.

The old guard bowed, the helmet hiding his smile. “My name is Hanao Ramezo. Pleased to meet you.”

“Iwasaki Kaori,” I replied, bowing slightly lower than him before I realised my rank was higher. “The pleasure is all mine. I take it you already know Noemi?”

“We do, my lady,” she intertwined. “But let us discuss it later. There is someone I would like you to meet.”

I turned to where she pointed at. The younger guard had fallen behind a taller, leaner figure, which approached us fast, shadows still masking his features. At first I saw only confident stride and straight back full of honour and pride. Then my eyes met his, moved to the familiar silver scar on his temple, the honey-coloured skin and silver in a strange harmony.

Noemi’s perfunctory voice broke our staring. “This is Lord Shigeo, the son of Lord Hashiji Masashige.”

“Lord Shigeo,” I said simply, with a smile that both eased my embarrassment and his astonishment.

“Lady Iwasaki,” he repeated with slightly less politeness, the voice young, but already having a lower tone to it. Our eyes mirrored the surprise.

“My lady, do you know Lord Shigeo?”

Chuckling, I twisted to see her. “No. I do not think I do.”

His voice was careful as he responded, “We are barely acquaintances.”

“Yes.” I added happily, “We met in the forest.”

Noemi raised her brows, her face impassionate. “Truly? Is Lord Shigeo sneaking out again?”

“I hate being caged in one place.” His tone changed slightly, turning naughty. “I never thought Teacher liked it as well.”

The old guard interrupted us before anyone could reply to Lord Shigeo’s pointed comment

“Lady Iwasaki, please proceed in the receiving room.” He bowed to Noemi. “I ask you to wait outside. Lord Shigeo will need to discuss some political questions.”

She nodded and waited for Lord Shigeo to step forward to guide us. Longingly, I thought about a bath and rest, but the matter was urgent, it seemed. Despite my ignorance of outside world, I had quite a vibrant idea of what he wanted to talk to me about. My alliance, of course, and the political matters as well as the Takahashi incident would be the topics I must be careful about. He must not think of me as an enemy, or Noemi and I were dead.

Lord Shigeo’s walk was surprisingly quiet and balanced, akin to Noemi’s but in a bolder form. His speed, his harmony of spirit, and her being his teacher�"he was one of the members of the organisation. But there was one thing that troubled me. Noemi had convinced me the master was not ordering her to return, because he thought of her as a disappointment, yet Lord Shigeo called her teacher. Something was wrong. Either she had lied to me, or he used to be her student when he was still a child. If Noemi did lie, what was the reason?

The doors slid open, the sound demanding my attention. My hearing was exceptionally acute after the many years of Noemi’s relentless training, hence the sound was as noticeable as Lord Shigeo’s breath as he stepped into the vast room. With a small gesture of his hand, he asked me to sit opposite of him on the floor. We put our hands on our lap, keeping them in each other’s vision.

“What was it you wanted to ask me, Lord Shigeo?” I asked softly, not pushing.

“You can drop the courtesies,” he said quietly. “Are the Takahashi completely conquered?”

I made a thoughtful pause. “It was their main residence. Lord Takahashi must have been killed, but it is not a blow of any strength to the Hatakeyama.”

“It is a big win for the Montoku. Takahashi are the best blacksmiths.” Lord Shigeo closed his eyes, the sudden smile startling. “Come in.”

I would like to describe it first. His smile was never open-hearted one, the kind of smile that you felt was kind and gentle and full of understanding. It was a cold smile, proud if not arrogant when combined with the smirking strength in his eyes. Being a layered man he was, I thought it fit him perfectly, hiding the rest of him under scrutinized conceit. But the lines in his face were full of nobility rather than malevolence. Describing him is like trying to describe a complicated character in a book�"it means something, but the strokes make it seem as an object completely different.

The door was open for the briefest of moment, and then Noemi was sitting at my left, an identical smile lighting her face.

“Noemi,” I asked with a grin, “were you not told to stay out?”

She impishly looked up, her expression starting me as it was astoundingly foreign to her. “Forgive me, my lord, lady. Was I interrupting something personal?”

“No, Teacher.” Lord Shigeo gave me a calculating look. “I am sure you know she would have heard us from the other end of the mansion. Now, tell me, what are the things you can do?”

Bemused, I asked, “Pardon me?”

“Noemi must have taught you something, did she not? You reacted too quickly to my appearance in the forest.”

Suspicious, I sat back. “I will tell you if you answer my questions first. Are you Noemi’s relative? Is she a part of Hashiji clan? Why did you call her teacher, if Noemi is superfluous to her clan?”

As young as he was, Lord Shigeo’s wise eyes were serene and unreadable as I bore into them, searching for answers, while the corners of his mouth rose in another cold smile. “You’re in no position to impose conditions."

His tone of voice, although seemingly friendly and open, suggested he would not tell more. Opinion as humbly quiet as dry leaves falling on black earth, Noemi spoke on my behalf, “Beside Lady Iwasaki’s precise hearing, dexterity, speed, and stamina, she is also proficient in espionage, infiltration, and open combat. As any other kunoichi, Lady Iwasaki can use roughly a hundred objects in a regular room to assassinate.” Pausing to smile, she added, “I have trained you well.”

“I trust your decisions,” Lord Shigeo said softly. “It won’t be long before we will need every single one of the Iga, having given the Takahashi main residence and lands to the Montoku.” He turned to me. “As you know, your respective family are officially allied with Hashiji already, but I need absolute loyalty to Iga from now on.”

A small smile on my face surprised him, but he echoed it nonetheless, like a mirror of lies. “After Lord Iwasaki presented me to the Takahashi, I have long since lost the devotion of a daughter. But I will be faithful to both of the clans, for I understand his reasons, although I don’t support them. We are at war now, aren’t we?”

The silence was an answer enough. Anticipation of war weighed heavily in the air, soaked with cold that washed away loyalty of men with its dread, like water curves the edges of stones.

“I need you to become a spy,” Lord Shigeo said finally. “The alliances are very unstable now. If you have any ties to your family besides hate, you will be killed. The Iwasaki will be informed of your ‘death’ in the fire.”

The best chance of survival for me would be to comply with his wishes. The Iwasaki had no need of me when I was just a child. Now that I was a girl ready to marry, they would use me as a string to tie loose ends of alliances, and this was not any of my desires. With Hashiji, I would not be thought of as traitor, for the warrior clans Iwasaki and Hashiji were allied. Besides, Lord Shigeo was the only person besides Noemi who had skills akin to mine, and I as very curious about them, while being a spy would be more rewarding than a wife to an unloved, or a hostage to Montoku or Hatakeyama. My life was to be secret now.

With a smile, I brought my finger to my lips, telling them I had accepted their terms.

 

 

After months more of studying, I learnt that there were two covert clans of inherited ancient skills, developed to the point of almost being inhuman.  One of the clans was Iga�"it was formerly a name of a legendary warrior who was said to be cursed by a demon he slayed in ancient times, but blessed with powers of a spiritual being. Noemi was his descendant. No one told me of the second one, I could not find it in the scrolls. But I did find my name. It was connected to Iga Tashihiro, and Iwasaki Kaede, my mother. I could not blame her�"as any woman, she wanted love above all else.

At first, I thought Lord Shigeo a closed scroll waiting to be read, but it turned out its corners  were sealed shut, and only the cover was visible. He was indeed a layered man, as his name stated. Shigeo was a much more complex person than I had originally alleged�"not exposed and incautious, but often gullible and strategic, incapacitating me swiftly with his unforeseen actions.

It was the start of the fourth month of the year, when it was no longer bitterly cold, but still had the chill mixed with the warmth of bright sun. Rains no longer pursued the night so often, and the days were finally longer, stretching like a thread before breaking off into twilight. Cries of birds were getting more cheerful with every passing hour, all the living creatures completely awakening from their slumber. Lord Shigeo had told me it was a high-class protection of Shinzou Takemasa's daughter, since traitors were found near her room at night for quite some time now. As an important person to one of Katakeyama senior retainers, she could be used in many ways to pawn her family into doing the enemy's bidding. I quelled shiver as he told me that�"the touch of hostage's anxiety still loitered in my blood.

Although the eldest son of Lord Hashiji, Lord Shigeo preferred to act as a professionally ranked informer of the Iga rather than a future head of Hashiji. Secrets of the mysterious organisation and its ties were not yet revealed to me. There were many possibilities�"Lord Hashiji could simply prefer another child as his heir, or Lord Shigeo was a traitor, and used many of the shinobi skills to puppet his father into building him an easy path to power. But I was clever. Everything I was told to do, I did, but closed my eyes and ears to the complex matters of politics. Even if I was the assistant of a traitor, even if empires fell because of him, it was not any of my concern. I did what I had to do to survive. Perhaps later, when I had fortified myself well in the roots of the Iga and the Hashiji, as well as the second shinobi clan, I would begin to insert my own plans and see the world in a diverse light. Not just yet.

Soon after hearing the order, Lord Shigeo collected few materials the mission demanded, and helped me pack as well. Half an hour later, we were ready. I was given a mare, but my riding skills were as meek as was possible for a caged spirit. Kurori was white, like sunlight, her mane and tail dark grey of a winter night. She was one of the cleverest horses in Iga stables, as well as the fastest. Although the reasons were unbeknown to me, I knew I was valued, and they were keen of keeping me alive and satisfied.

As we rode, often disguised, I wondered why no one else was sent on the mission. I was just a new-comer, whose trustworthiness was yet to be proved, while Lord Shigeo was not even of Iga blood, yet did as he was told by Noemi, her abrupt connection with Iga head painfully strong. After one of the Iga inadvertently exposed her deceits to me, I stopped opening to her, and although I saw her upset, I knew better than to put my faith in her again. She was as good of an actor as anyone else in the hidden clan.

Night fell slower these days. My hands were slowly getting harder to see even as I strained to adjust my sight to the hesitant darkness. Kurori ran behind Lord Shigeo's black Yoru so close, her forehead nearly brushed against his white tail. Despite all of my efforts, I barely held on to the horse, and Lord Shigeo distanced himself farther and farther from me, dry twigs and leaves crunching under Yoru's hooves.

The stone road seemed to stretch for miles. I knew the journey would be long.