Moon and Star: Book One Read Online Free PDF

her people, let her take a position of high authority in the bakufu. Making a woman Kanrei was unthinkable, yet Jin stood by her every step of the way, even when his role as Shogun was compromised. Yuri wiped a tear from her eye. Part of her wanted to find out the reason Jin killed himself, but she knew the city as a whole mattered more.
    Perhaps Shinobu was right to think Jin was murdered. The evidence pointed towards seppuku as the cause of death, but the real question wasn’t who, but why . Yuri blinked. The people from before were long gone. There was nobody around.
    How long have I been standing here, she wondered. She sighed. The sun shined bright, morphing the statue into a silhouette before her eyes. She looked up and squinted. The sun itself seemed brighter than usual.
    The noise she heard last night had sounded like a typhoon. How could that … Yuri couldn't believe she hadn't thought of it sooner. Mayumi, she thought, of course.
    Who else had the power to control tides with such power and precision? Kyotomo remained untouched by the remnants of last nights storm, thank the Enlightened one.
    Did Kaito know what happened to his father? Someone should tell him about the recent events. If he knew their situation perhaps he could act as an ambassador between Yoshino and Kyotomo as originally intended. The boy had matured, but his interest in politics was still negligible at best. She needed to get him interested for the sake of everyone in Jakai. Jin's death might be the catalyst the boy required. She wished it would be enough to get him to think, before acting rash. As a child of both regions, he represented both the northern and southern courts. If anyone was able to achieve peace it would be through Kaito.
    Yuri walked towards the housing pen where the messenger animals were kept. Which one would get his attention? It had to be something small and non-threatening. A rabbit, perhaps? She nodded. Yes, that would do nicely. Now which one?
    There were several rabbits to choose from. Some white as snow, others brown like tree trunks and dirt. One rabbit in particular caught her attention. At first glance it appeared wounded, but Yuri knew this rabbit to be dependable. It would survive the journey to and from Kaito's location. The message however, was another matter entirely. Could she really trust something this classified to a messenger rabbit? She told the other's not to mention Jin's death to the other Shugo. It might give them ideas.
    Yuri scribbled her message on a scroll. The same one used by Jin all those years ago. The drawing wasn’t bad, but lacked the quality of a true master. Who was she to judge, though. Thinking about how Jin would never be able to paint again was heartbreaking. A knot began to tie itself in Yuri’s stomach. All he ever wanted was to change the world with his artistic expression. Whether or not his individual art accomplished it didn’t matter anymore.
    Yuri finished writing the note and stamped it with the seal of the Shogun. The note itself was encoded. She couldn’t risk this information falling into the wrong hands. Whoever saw the seal would think Jin was still alive. Kaito needed to come back and reclaim the title.
    She tied the note to the rabbit's foot, then handed it a piece of Kaito’s clothing to sniff. Its ears perked up and soon dashed south, towards Yoshino. I just hope I’m not too late.

Chapter Five

    Mayumi came back with a basket full of berries. Kaito wanted to ask her were she went, but found it pointless. Clearly she was out looking for food, but why leave without saying a word?
    She began mashing them. Kaito’s stomach growled in protest. She looked at him and smiled, throwing him a large piece of purple fruit with her other hand. Kaito caught the fruit and took a large bite out of it. The sweet, tart taste slid down his throat like liquid. He took another bite, and another.
    “You were certainly hungry,” Mayumi said. “You ate that pretty fast.”
    Kaito