Spirit's Chosen Read Online Free PDF Page B

chieftain’s son.”
    “That was very wise of you.”
    “It was selfish too.”
    “Yukari, you were
not—
”
    She wouldn’t listen to me. “When the Ookami left, I went home. Your mother was the only one left. Our enemies had taken many slaves back to their village. They took Emi because she was our chieftain’s wife. They took Sanjirou and Noboru because they were his sons.”
    “Not Masa?” I asked. “Not Mama?”
    “They never guessed Masa was nobly born because he works as a blacksmith. As for your mother …” Yukari nibbled her lower lip nervously. “When I returned, she was—she was acting the same way you saw her last night. She threw herself at me, shrieking and clawing at Takehiko. My screams brought our nearest surviving neighbors and Master Michio. While he calmed her and cared for her, someone else told me what had happened while—”
    “Himiko?” Mama’s plaintive cry came from across the room. “Himiko, where are you?
Where are you?
” Her voice rose sharply and turned shrill with panic.
    I rushed to her side, taking her into my arms to reassure her. It was as if some wickedly playful spirit had cast a spell to turn me into the mother and her into the child. She was shaking badly, her fingers gripping me so tightly I yelped with pain. The sound startled her into letting go.
    “Oh! What have I done to you, my precious one?” she exclaimed, gently cupping my face in her hands. “I’m sorry, I must have been suffering from a bad dream. You must be hungry. Let me make breakfast. It’s so good to have you home again!”
    By the time Kaya awoke, yawning, both Mama and Yukari were busily at work preparing our morning meal.My mother had countless questions for Kaya, and though our provisions were now limited, she saw to it that my friend was offered the best of what little we had to share. She behaved with the poise and dignity befitting a chieftain’s widow, and spoke briefly about how she had supervised the proper burial of Father, Aki, and Shoichi.
    “It was not easy—we had many dead to bury and not enough able-bodied men to break the ground—but I led the women who helped complete that task. I will show you where they lie, Himiko, but not today. For some reason, I am very tired this morning, even though I had a restful night.” She folded her hands in her lap. “I always sleep well, knowing I have done my duty to my husband and my sons.”
    Takehiko’s wide-eyed, fearful stare whenever he looked in Mama’s direction was the only sign that yesterday’s outburst had happened. Everything seemed normal, but a frozen pond can seem strong enough to walk on until the thin ice breaks and you plunge in.
    After we finished eating, Kaya attempted to clean up, but Mama wouldn’t hear of it. “You are our guest and we owe you thanks for bringing Himiko back to us,” she said. “You are welcome in this house for as long as you like. I wish we could give you better hospitality, but you know our circumstances.”
    “If you won’t let me clear away the dishes, maybe I can fill them for you,” Kaya said, a toss of her head indicating where she’d placed her bow and quiver. “I don’t know how much game you have around here at this time of year, but I think I can manage to bring down something.”
    “We would appreciate that.” Mama smiled faintly. “TheOokami have not left us many hunters, nor many weapons for them to use. If you do have good luck, I hope you will bring down enough game for us to share with a few of our neighbors. Some of them are in a much worse situation than we are.”
    “I’ll pray that the spirits will favor me in the hunt,” Kaya said cheerfully.
    “The spirits …” Mama’s face turned hard. “The spirits are for fools. The spirits are ashes and air.” She spoke with so much icy bitterness that I shivered to hear her.
    Kaya looked at Mama uneasily. “Well, I should go,” she said. “The light doesn’t last long in this season. The longer I have to