Session 45. (12/3/10)

The ex-wajin, ex-inhabitants of Hakodate, Shikabe/Yukput, Sawara, Mori, Yakumo and Miyoshiville have now taken up residence in the Ainu village of Taisei, and are starting to make it their home. They have built three huts and have partly completed a fourth in preparation for the imminent arrival of the rest of the tribe from Miyoshiville. They hope their stay will be temporary and that they can to return to Miyoshiville when the Curse of the Fallen Bear has worn off, because the Headman here in Taisei is a hard taskmaster.

The next day is like many others: Mineo, Haku and the wives and children cut wood and make thatch to build new huts; Kokuma and Kachamaru go hunting with some of the village's hunters and their dogs, and while they are not able to contribute much, they learn about the techniques and also about dogs. In the evening, Kokuma and Kachamaru work on training their own, untamed dogs with Hotene's help. They decide to give the dogs names. Kokuma's is 手少 Tesuko (Small Paws), while Kachamaru's is 森山 Mori-san (Forest Mountain). So far they haven't managed to train them to hunt, or even come when whistled, but they can get them to say ソーせージ (sausages).

The rest of the week passes in the same manner. Kokuma and Kachamaru go hunting or train their dogs on alternate days, while Mineo, Haku and the wives and children complete the first 20 huts ready for the rest of the tribe, half of which turns up in three visits of the squid boats. Kokuma makes a breakthrough in training his dog on the fourth day, and manages his first kill in the hunt on the fifth day. Haku manages to fall through the roof of one hut on the third day and breaks some timbers, setting them back a whole day. On the fifth day Mineo supervises the building of an especially large and comfortable hut, decorated with carvings and dyed thatching. This hut he sets aside for Koshamain. Having had the idea, Mineo dyes the rest of the dwellings to look like beach huts. Kachamaru hopes this will give the Headman conniptions, but in fact there is no barracking from the village chief - presumably he is happy with all the hard work going on. Throughout all this, Miyoshi is showing a new attitude by acquiescing to Koshamain's wishes and not complaining, but rather driving the others to work as hard as they can. This is exemplified when Koshamain and some tribespeople turn up in the third squid boat. Koshamain is called to see the Headman, and when he emerges an hour later, he summons Miyoshi for a private meeting. The others can hear quite a bit of arguing going on, mainly in Miyoshi's voice, but when he comes out, Miyoshi merely announces that there are jobs for everyone. He sends Kachamaru and Kokuma to work in the iron-sand mine and smelters (not the spice mines of Kessel, as they first thought he said), Mineo he tasks to cut and haul wood for the smelters, while Haku has the easy-sounding job of collecting eagle feathers. In fact this is a difficult and dangerous job for the Ainu, involving climbing cliffs and fending off large, irate birds with sharp claws and beaks, but Miyoshi knows of Haku's abilities to take Form of Bird and figures that he can satisfy the Headman without too much risk.

For Kachamaru and Kokuma it's a long 12 hours beginning with a march up into the hills north of the valley to a large orange sand pit, then a whole day alternating between digging out the iron sand and carting it in large baskets on their backs to one of the dozens of smelters nearby. Both men have a hard time with all the digging and carrying, but manage to keep going all day. Mineo has a similarly hard day chopping down trees, cutting them down and hauling the logs quite a distance to the smelters. Fortunately he is strong and indefatigable. Haku has a much easier time, flying up into the mountains in the form of a hawk. With his great eyesight he soon spies an unoccupied eagle nest and swoops down to examine it. He finds several feathers, so taking them in his talons, he carries them away and wedges them under a rock while he looks for more. Three more times he goes searching, and on two of his trips he finds nests. The first has no feathers, but the third one has lots - almost more than he can carry. He takes them to his stash then returns to Taisei with his haul.

This goes on for a week, at the end of which more than half the tribe has arrived in the two squid boats and the new, larger multi-purpose vessel. Koshamain takes up residence in his magnificent hut and leaves Yoshi to organise the final evacuation of Miyoshiville. When Koshamain sees how hard the tribesmen are working for their new hosts he comments in a rather frail voice, "You've all done very well!" As another week begins, Koshamain is once more called to the Headman's house, and he once again passes on a list of jobs to Miyoshi. The strangely-restrained Miyoshi doles out the work assignments: Kachamaru is to help in the forge, with Kokuma working the bellows ("I like pumping iron!" he comments). Mineo and Haku join a work gang repairing and building up the river dam that forms the fish ponds. No-one discovers what Miyoshi's work assignment is, but he does seem to be helping the new arrivals by telling them which hut to move in to.

The weeks pass. Yoshi and the rest of the tribe arrive and settle in. There are always jobs to be done, and they are always long and hard: hunting (until 20 Food Points have been collected); felling trees; constructing buildings for the village; carrying wood from the forest; fishing at sea or in the ponds; clearing stones from the fields; skinning animals; repairing fences and buildings; and making and repairing tools and weapons. Winter sets in, but the jobs continue. Kuteashguru, the Taisei Headman, is occasionally seen, a tall Ainu, richly dressed in Ainu-style dyed fabrics. One day he gets together a trading party to take eagle feathers, salmon skins and furs down to Kumaishi. Miyoshi asks Okikurmi, the Headman's younger son, who seems more approachable than the rest of the family, if he or "one of the other ex-Wajin" can go on the trading trip. Okikurmi says, firmly but not unkindly, that this will not be allowed. Miyoshi senses that some of the Taisei natives have noticed his "ex-Wajin" slip, and are looking with some mistrust at the newcomers.

Over the winter, Kachamaru is allowed to make something of his own in the forge, in return for teaching the village blacksmith about steel. He decides to make a katana. Kokuma assists by hammering the metals during the folding process. The discipline of hard work over the preceding weeks has evidently rubbed off on Kachamaru because his application to the task results, in only five weeks, in a Legendary quality (+4, +4) katana. The hamon (line marking different tempering regimes) is crafted to resemble the skyline as seen from Starvation Gorge.

The others are also busy with crafts: Mineo builds furniture for the huts, and it turns out as Master quality; and, at Kachamaru's suggestion, Haku designs a waterwheel to power the bellows in the forge - however, constrained by the flat terrain and slow flow of the river, only an undershot wheel is possible and it turns out to be underpowered - no match for Kokuma's muscles! Kokuma himself trains his dog and gets it to a reasonable level of competence and obedience.

When winter finally turns to spring, Koshamain announces that it is time to release and hunt the bear cub they brought from Miyoshiville. Kachamaru interrupts and asks if he could blood his new sword by going one-on-one with the bear. Koshamain thinks this is a good idea and orders the bear nets to be put out in a circle to form an arena for the fight. Kachamaru dons his best armour and takes his legendary sword, but standing alone in the circle waiting for the bear to be released he starts to feel the fear. The bear's cage is opened and it charges out towards Kachamaru. He swings and misses spectacularly, letting the bear land a smashing blow with its claws, doing 5 damage and stunning Kachamaru. The bear wastes no time and bites the brave hero for 6. Kachamaru regains his senses and slashes the bear for 11. The bear responds with a critical bite for 12 damage. Kachamaru, scathed and close to collapse, goes into a frenzy and hacks at the bear for 12, 10 and 10 damage, killing it. Kokuma hands him a bow and he sends the brave bear's spirit to heaven on an arrow. Haku composes a poem to recite at the feast that evening, with Kachamaru as guest of honour. The Taisei Headman and his two sons, dressed in finery, watch from the veranda of their house.

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