Session 52. (27/5/16)

Rewind a few days... to when the seven adventurers - Miyoshi, Kachamaru, Mineo, Haku, Yoshi, Kokuma and Kanemitsu - first beached their beleaguered ship near Miyoshiville, north of Kumaishi. Wet, bedraggled and tired, they pull the boat - now little more than a leaky hull - high up onto the beach and take stock.

"Where are we?" asks Miyoshi.

"Near ... hmm ... Yoshiville," replies Yoshi.

"You mean Miyoshiville!"

"That's what I said."

"Where did the children's boat go?" asks Mineo.

"Last I saw it was being blown far to the south by the typhoon's storm front," replies Kachamaru.

"I'll go and scout down the coast," says Haku. "I could be a few days." With that he transforms into an albatross and soars into the sky, heading south.

"In the mean time we need to fix our boat," says Kokuma. "We'll need wood, cordage, glue, sheet material, and sail cloth. We'll also need some metal tools, so we need to find some metal or metal ore and make charcoal."

"What about the neem tree?" asks Kanemitsu. This is the vital ingredient for a medicine for Koshamain, their clan chief, who is dying back on their home island and the reason for their adventure. It is only cultivated on the other side of the peninsula, near Mineo and Miyoshi's home town of Shiriuchi. It seems a million ri away right now.

"All in good time," growls Kokuma.

Now we cast our minds five years into the future and 160 ri away to where the children of the heroes of The Wood are once again leaving a job due to unreasonable demands of their employer. Having survived a shipwreck on the coast of Akita province and falling in with kindly but incompetent bushi Hidasue, they have been law-keepers in Akita until Hidasue asked for his ancestral home back, tax collectors in Mutsu province until promoted to a better post in Utsunomiya, then peace-keepers in Shimotsuke until being made scapegoats for a failed spying mission. Now they are heading for Kyoto along the Tosando, the eastern mountain road.

One night, after a meal of suspicious-looking mushrooms, Sahpo has a vivid, trance-like dream in which his parents have been shipwrecked near Miyoshiville and are trying to decide what to do next. His dream goes like this...

Mineo, Kokuma and Miyoshi are assigned to woodworking duty, but it is impossible to make any planks or spars with only swords and knives to work with, so they just collect branches as a raw material for charcoal, which they will need for iron smelting and working. Yoshi, Kanemitsu and Kachamaru head inland to hunt game to feed everyone, but on Kanemitsu's first shot his bowstring hits his forearm, he gives a loud yelp and scares off the game they had been quietly creeping up on for half an hour. However, Kachamaru manages to fell a small deer as it flees. Patiently they spend another half hour stalking some piglets and each manages to catch one - Kanemitsu and Kachamaru with arrows and Yoshi with a net. They return to the beach and set up a makeshift camp on the forest edge and start cooking. Yoshi and Kachamaru make a clamp and pile in the wood to make charcoal - this will take all night. Kokuma finds some heavy stones to use as hammers and a large boulder with a flat top to use as an anvil. Miyoshi collects roots and thin, supple branches and starts making cord, which will eventually become rope. Mineo changes to his fox form and heads over to the nearby village of Kumaishi to see what he can find.

In the morning the charcoal is ready. Yoshi and Kachamaru build a forge, ready to start smelting ore and working metal. They have no ore as yet, so they melt down the lowest quality sword they have and beat it into a hand-axe head. Kokuma fashions a handle from a branch, and they use Miyoshi's cord to fasten them together. Meanwhile, Miyoshi uses his sword to prise some bark from smooth trees to use as a covering material. He tries some direct repairs to the boat, but lacks tools and materials to make any progress. Kanemitsu swims out into the sea to collect some kelp for food and medicinal uses. Later, Kanemitsu, Kachamaru, Yoshi and Kokuma go hunting. Kanemitsu bags a small boar, Kachamaru snags a small deer, Yoshi fells a large deer and Kokuma... catches a pigeon. On the way back, Kachamaru finds some pine trees with high resin content wood, which Kokuma boils down in the remains of the charcoal clamp to produce a glue for the boat repairs.

Foxy Mineo has no luck searching Kumaishi during the night, but by day comes across the warehouse used for trading with the Ainu, and here he finds a large bundle of sailcloth. Unable to do much with it in fox form, he waits until dusk, changes back to human form and sneaks away with it along the waterline until he is out of sight if the village. His find is eagerly received by the others. Miyoshi puts the sails on the boat, making it useable at a pinch. Mineo is a bit troubled by his thievery, but sees that he had little choice.

About 20 ri down the coast, Haku has reached the southernmost town of Matsumae without seeing any sign of the children's boat. He circles over the coast and looks speculatively across the straits to the big island of Honshu, homeland to the Wajin, shrugs, then flips his wings back to the north for a more detailed search on the way back to the others. He arrives in the evening and reports on his findings or lack thereof. Seeing the repaired boat he adds, "Sorry I couldn't help with the boat. I'm not really an outdoors sort of person."

"That's why you've got so many children," quips Kachamaru.

Yoshi suggests they fire arrows into the west to send their children's souls on their way, in the Ainu tradition. Haku points out that they don't know where their souls are, or if the children are alive or dead, but the others think it is a good idea anyway. They all fire arrows into the sea towards the setting sun. Yoshi somehow manages to hit a squid with his arrow, while Kanemitsu hits a basking halibut. Haku fires Arrows of Wood, and there is a strange magical shimmering. That night Haku has a vivid dream, which he thinks is connected to the shimmering. He tells the others about it in the morning, and discovers that Kachamaru had exactly the same experience.

"I had a strange dream last night," begins Haku. "I saw the children's boat founder on jagged rocks just off some shore, and everyone forced to jump onto the rocks and scramble ashore with just a handful of possessions. They made camp and in the morning found themselves on a rocky headland by a long shingle beach, and just inland was a large lagoon surrounded by acres of tall reeds, with tall mountains on the horizon. The headland was forested, so they went hunting, caught some pigs but Yoshi Yeesu and Tomtare were gored by a wild boar, fortunately not badly. But then they were attacked by wolves, fought bravely and drove them off. Then the dream ended.

"What do you think - could it have been a vision?"

"We had a dream last night," exclaims Kachamaru. "We had the same dream!"

"You can't both have had the same dream," declares Mineo. "It must have been a vision."

"Does this mean that out children are all right?" asks Yoshi.

"We can hope so," opines Kokuma.

After a day spent cutting wood with the new axe, fixing the boat, patching, mending, gluing with pine tar and tying ropes, the boat is ready to sail. The seven adventurers hold a meeting to decide what to do.

"We should go and find the children," says Miyoshi.

"How?" asks Mineo.

"In the boat. - Stupid!"

"But they could be anywhere," protests Mineo.

"If they were anywhere along this coast I'd have seen them," points out Haku.

"Anyway, they seem to be all right," says Kachamaru. "I think we should find the neem tree before it's too late."

"Too late for what?" demands Miyoshi.

"Too late for Koshamain. - Stupid!"

The adventurers prepare to set off on the journey across the isthmus, shaving and trimming their hair in Wajin fashion, just in case. On the first day they reach Otobe and sneak through, unseen. That night they camp beyond the town, and Haku has another vision - shared by Mineo, Miyoshi and Kachamaru. They see the children encounter Hidasue and have a fight with the local youths, emerging victorious. They also see Hidasue showing them a map and their surprise at how far off course they are. Unfortunately, the vision does not include a close-up of the map.

"I think that proves they are on the next big island," declares Haku in the morning.

"I told we should have sailed after them yesterday," protests Miyoshi.

"But we don't know where on the island. It might be a really big island," reasons Kokuma.

"And now we're a day away from the boat," adds Mineo.

"It looks like they'll be all right for a few days," concludes Kachamaru. "We should press on to the neem tree and look for them on our way back."

The party sets off and reaches Esashi, where Kachamaru's parents own a kabuki theatre. It is not possible to go around the town, so they scout the backstreets and try to remember their Wajin manners. They meet a citizen of the town - he doesn't recognise them as Ainu sympathisers. Kachamaru nervously pretends to ask for directions. "We're looking for the kabuki theatre. We heard there is one here." The citizen is very helpful and leads the party to the theatre. Mineo thanks their guide and turns to Kachamaru.

"Well, here we are."

Kachamaru seems to have cold feet. "I've got a bad feeling about this."

Kokuma is irritated. "You dragged us across town. You'll go in!"

Kachamaru starts towards the door.

"But they might not welcome you," offers Miyoshi helpfully.

Kachamaru pauses, shrugs and goes in. He finds his mother and there is a tearful reunion. Kachamaru says he and his friends are just passing through, omitting the 20 years of living with the Ainu as a turncoat. His mother interrupts him.

"You must go - I don't know what your father would do."

Puzzled, Kachamaru attempts humour. "Could I have 20 years' pocket money?"

"They say you fought for the Ainu at the Battle of Hakodate."

Kachamaru looks at his feet. "It's a long story - but I will come back to tell you about it."

"Can I do anything before you go?" his mother asks.

"Well, some money, clean underwear and some cheesy puffs would be useful."

Kachamaru's mother goes off and returns with some money (4 SP), clean clothes (which Kachamaru hasn't grown out of) and some food. Kachamaru hands over his dirty laundry. "I can hear my father, I must go!" He leaves the building and rejoins his friends. They quickly leave town and continue down the coastal road until darkness forces them to camp. Overnight, Haku has another vision, this time shared with Yoshi.

"I saw Ishan Ashte and the others in a boat," recounts Yoshi, Ishan Ashte's father. "But instead of heading back to meet us, they were chasing another boat across a harbour. How did they get a boat in just one day?"

"Maybe they stole it, and are trying to get a bigger, better one to escape with," suggests Kachamaru.

"No," says Haku slowly. "I have the feeling that time is not linear in these visions. I mean, it is daylight for them when we're sleeping, and they had new clothing - uniforms, almost. I think this vision must be from the future."

"The future? How far?"

"I don't know. Maybe weeks."

"Does that mean we don't catch up with them for weeks?" asks Miyoshi.

"I think so," replies Haku, but uncertainly. The seven adventurers sit and ponder for several minutes before Yoshi pipes up, "This isn't finding us a neem tree. Let's press on." The others agree and break camp.

Their journey that day takes them past Kaminokuni, Haku's home town. He is happy to give it a wide berth, and leads the way across the plain to pick up the path into the mountains that leads to Kikonai on the other coast. They meet no-one on the path and camp beside it in a long, green valley. During the night Haku is too tired for a vision, but Miyoshi, Kachamaru and Mineo share the same dream. They see the children in a major fight with pirates in a large, reed-lined lagoon, eventually capturing a building, freeing pirates' wives, see Onuma killing the pirate captain by burning him to a crisp using Breath of the Dragon (to Kachamaru's great pride) and picking up a jewelled sword, which seems to have some significance.

It takes the three dreamers all day to relate the story, while they climb the valley to Yunotai, a place with a name but no inhabitants - just a hot spring. Exhausted by the day's climbing and storytelling, the seven eagerly shed their clothes and jump into the hot, soothing waters. Before it goes dark, Kanemitsu, Kachamaru, Kokuma and Mineo go hunting for fresh food, while Miyoshi makes an Ainu bow and Yoshi cuts some arrows for it. With a good meat meal inside them and relaxed muscles, the adventurers settle down for the night.

That night's visions are shared by Kanemitsu, Miyoshi, Kokuma and Haku. The children look different from the previous vision, Miyoshi notices - at least a year older, new clothes, and travelling around far from the sea, knocking on doors and demanding money. "I hope they haven't become bandits," says Kanemitsu during the following morning's discussion.

"I think Emishi said something about collecting taxes," says Miyoshi.

"Is that better or worse?" ponders Haku. They think about this for a while. Then Kokuma stirs.

"What are taxes?" he asks. They spend the rest of the day explaining to him, with little success.

They cross the mountains at a pass at the head of the valley early in the day, and head down a valley on the eastern side. By the day's end they reach the first signs of civilisation - cultivated fields. Overnight the visions return. Haku dreams of an episode where the children are chased by a faceless ghost in a mountain forest, while Yoshi, Kanemitsu and Mineo dream of them in a deep, dark cave finding strange cubes of smooth, white stone, which they refer to as cave pearls. The children appear to be even older, maybe a couple of years ahead of the current time. They discuss the two visions as they descend the path through the fields and into Kikonai, but Yoshi is strangely quiet.

"It's my old home," he explains. "I can't decide whether I should see my parents. We are defectors after all." Just then they meet a townsman. He recognises Yoshi.

"Yoshi! Is it you? What are you doing here?" he asks, with no sign of hostility.

"Can you tell me how my parents are?" asks Yoshi.

"They are well, but very ashamed of you." - Yoshi looks away - "I don't recommend you visit them."

Yoshi is downcast, but manages, in a small voice, "Please give them a message - I wish them well." Yoshi thanks townsman, then hurries along the road and out of town. The others have to run to keep up. A few miles further on, Yoshi tires and sits on a boulder overlooking the sea, not responding to the others' questions. After a while they make camp among the scrub and dunes bordering the sea and set watches overnight in case news of Yoshi's return reaches the wrong ears. During the night only Haku sleeps well enough to dream. He sees the children fighting both bandits and kappa in marshes. They seem to have moved on again and aged another year.

"I'm starting to think we won't see them again," opines Haku. "But they do seem to be well and carrying on our warrior tradition."

After half a day's travel the party reaches their goal - Shiriuchi, Miyoshi and Mineo's home town. Mineo leads the way to the plantation next to his parent's lands, where he sees just what he remembers as a young boy - his neighbours neem trees, sparsely dotted across a south-facing slope, protected from the harsh climate by circular fences around each tree and by sheathes of straw wrapped around the trunk. The trees are bearing unripe seeds, while the leaves are just starting to yellow.

"Do we take the leaves or the seeds?" asks Kachamaru.

"I don't know," says Mineo. "The recipe isn't specific. I do know that the seeds have the necessary ingredient in a much more concentrated form. But I'm not sure if they are ripe enough."

"How much do we need?" asks Miyoshi.

"A lot if we take leaves. Not so much if it's seeds."

"We can't just 'take' them anyway," Haku points out. "Really we need to buy them."

So Mineo takes the four silver Kachamaru was given by his mother and goes to the neighbour's house to arrange the purchase. He agrees a price of 2 SP with the son of his old neighbours, who Mineo is glad doesn't recognise him. They spend the next two days gathering both leaves and seeds from the 30 or so trees, making sure not to take too much from any one tree. At night the visions continue to follow the children's lives several years into the future, until they suddenly stop after seeing them flee from one employer. Haku recalls that the last thing he saw was them eating mushrooms and experiencing hallucinations.

"Were they poisoned? Are they dead?" demands Yoshi anxiously.

"I don't think so. I just think they were having a vision of ourselves. They saw us repairing the boat and setting off from Kumaishi. Maybe our visions have gone full circle and cancelled each other out." No-one has a better explanation, at least not one they care to think about.

With the leaves packed into bundles and the seeds in sturdy skin bags, the adventurers have one last night before setting off back to Kumaishi. Haku has his first night without a vision, but as he prepares to greet the dawn, kneeling and facing the east, he enters a state of great tranquility, and sees the world in supernal clarity. As he watches, his companions' breathing slows down and stops; birds land and fall asleep; animals stop moving. The sun seems to be waiting to rise.

Haku feels his spirit lift from his body and glide, ever faster, into the darkness behind him. In an indefinable way, he also seems to be travelling into the future. Soon he comes to the sea, and shortly afterwards to the island they call home. Slowing, and drifting into the village, his spirit enters Koshamain's hut. Koshamain is bent over in deep, deep pain. There is no sign of any medicine. Haku's spirit puts its ear to Koshamain's chest, and it can hear the sound of Koshamain's heart beating, but even as Haku listens, the sound of the heart stops.

Haku awakens from the trance; the sun rises; his companions stir from their night's sleep. Haku's other-worldly experience is still with him and shapes a budding poem in his head, which he recites as the others wake up:

Look at what's happened
while the world fell asleep
gliding like west
kneeling to the east, in search.
My chest just beneath
where blood runs deep
and heart is an organ
which pumps for sound
bent red in deep deep pain.
I'll remember
I'll remember what I've seen
and become awake
from the sun rising

The return to Kumaishi takes eight days and is uneventful. They sail the repaired boat back to Miyoshi Island, only to find that Koshamain is already dead. However, several other people have caught the disease, and the neem medicine saves them. During the adventure the heroes have had many new experiences and are given a hero's reception by the islanders - Miyoshi (10 budo 35 On); Yoshi (20 budo 45 On); Kachamaru (15 budo 40 On); Kokuma (5 budo 30 On); Mineo (5 budo 30 On); Haku (10 budo 35 On); and Kanemitsu (5 budo 30 On).

The tribe needs a new chief. The heroes look at each other and nod. "Kokuma," they say in unison.

"But can we believe it?" demands Tomtare.

"It felt real, and it wasn't like any ordinary dream. You know, we weren't being attacked by giant spiders," insists Sahpo.

"Oh, come on," protests Onuma. "You're trying to tell us you dreamt of our parents five years in the past, dreaming of us five years in the future, so we all know our parents and their children are safe and well?"

"I'm not sure I followed that," says Ishan Ashte. "Could you explain it in words of one or fewer syllables for Emishi?"

"Oy!" says Emishi. "I understood it right up to the dream part."

"That was right at the beginning."

"Well I believe it, so that's that!" declares Sahpo.

"And thus ends the debate," philosophises Yoshi Yeesu.

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