Session 23. (8/6/12)

Our heroes wake in an inn in Ninohe, though none feel inclined to recite that three times, quickly. In fact, Sahpo is still asleep - he recited the Saga of Sleep last night and now can't wake up. Tomtare must have overheard as he too is unwakeable. Over breakfast, Yoshi Yeesu, Emishi and Ishan Ashte discuss their plans.

"So, let's go look for the second gate," starts Yoshi Yeesu.

"But it might not be a gate," opines Emishi. "Maybe it's a language thing... like there are nine geta (wooden shoes) left by the gods." The others give him derisive looks.

"It's more likely to be to do with shrines. What shrines were there in Ichinohe?" asks Yoshi Yeesu.

"Two shrines to Amaterasu and one to Inari," says Ishan Ashte, who was paying attention.

"Okay, do we have any of the same shrines here? There could be nine identical shrines in the nine villages..." continues Yoshi Yeesu.

Emishi goes to have a look. He returns half an hour later. "There's five shrines - none to Amaterasu, but two to Inari."

"How do we decide which is the one?"

"One was to Inari in human form, the other in kitsune form. Which form was the one in Ichinohe?"

"Kitsune," replies Ishan Ashte promptly.

"Okay," says Yoshi Yeesu, "Let's go back to Ichinohe and make an offering at the shrine to Inari. Then come back here and pray at the shrine to kitsune Inari." Leaving Sahpo to sleep off his saga, the three ride the few miles back to Ichinohe and make offerings at the shrine. They return to Ninohe and go to the kitsune Inari shrine and pray. However, the gods are silent. Undeterred, the three adventurers return to the inn where they find Sahpo and Tomtare awake but very groggy. They help them dress and mount their horses for the two day ride back to Sannohe.

Back in Sannohe, the adventurers report in to Hidasue. Since Sahpo missed the latest findings, Emishi takes the role of spokesman. Yoshi Yeesu excuses himself and goes to see what shrines Sannohe has to offer. Emishi finishes his report to Hidasue then asks for advice.

"Is there a castle in Sannohe?"

"Yes, though in fact Sannohe castle is in nearby Nanbu town."

"So there must be learned people there? Who know about local towns and legends?"

"Indeed there is," says Hidasue, a flicker of a smile crossing his lips. "The most learned person is... Nanbu Masayasu, the man who has sent us on this quest."

"Ahhh... So we're on our own then."

At this point, a breathless Yoshi Yeesu arrives and announces that there are eight shrines in the town and one of them is to kitsune Inari. Excitedly, Emishi and Ishan Ashte dash off with him to the shrine. They pray and make offerings, but nothing appears to happen.

"What next?" asks Ishan Ashte.

"Well, as Shinohe doesn't exist, we have to go to Gonohe to find the fifth gate," declares Emishi.

"Unless it has been renamed," muses Ishan Ashte.

The following day, Emishi, Ishan Ashte and Yoshi Yeesu set off for Gonohe, leaving Sahpo and Tomtare to get over the effects of the Saga of Sleep, and presumably also look after Emishi's girlfriend. Gonohe is two valleys to the north. They decide to take a westerly route, and at the end of the first day find themselves in the village of Shing?. But as they ride in, Yoshi Yeesu notices that the wooden name board is fairly new, and an older one is still visible below it, showing a different name. The characters look familiar: 戸来.

"The first one is gate - 'Heh'," says Emishi, his brows knotting.

"And the other one looks like next, like in next month - raigetsu," continues Ishan Ashte.

"So it's Herai - the next gate," concludes Yoshi Yeesu, triumphantly.

"Could they have named it this to avoid calling it fourth gate? First gate, second gate, third gate, next gate?" suggests Emishi.

"That must be the answer," decides Yoshi Yeesu. "Now let's find the shrine of Inari."

They look, but there are only two shrines. One is to Raunderettsu, a minor kami of the village, and the other... is a very strange shrine indeed.

Herai tourist attraction

"What kind of shrine is this?" demands Emishi.

"There's a board here - marked 'Tourist Information'!" says Ishan Ashte incredulously. "It says it is the burial place of a very important leader from far across the seas to the west - Kurisuto."

Forgetting his "humble merchant" role, Yoshi Yeesu accosts a villager. "You there! Do you really get tourists visiting this grave?"

"Yes, great sir. Many tourists. Famous person buried here."

"I've never heard of him. Was he a god?"

"No, sir, he was the son of a god."

"Then who was his mother?"

"A human."

Emishi snorts in derision. "Give it up, Yoshi, we've drawn a blank here."

Ishan Ashte has an idea. "Maybe there's an abandoned shrine."

It doesn't take long to search the village and rebuff this idea. "Or maybe not..."

"But maybe we could establish a new shrine to Inari so we can continue to make offerings at all the gates," exclaims Emishi, his eyes shining. With a plan quickly forming in his head, Emishi directs Ishan Ashte to carve a status of Kitsune Inari for the shrine and Yoshi Yeesu to build a small shelter. Then he says, "I'll be back in a few days," and rides off.

Ishan Ashte manfully resists the temptation to use the cross-shaped burial marker as the raw material for his carving and, using borrowed tools and a quality wood from the surrounding forest, carves an excellent likeness of the kitsune form of the goddess Inari. The carving, and Yoshi Yeesu's shelter, are ready when Emishi returns a few days later. "I told Sahpo to find a gakusho to inaugurate the shrine, but he said he'd learn the ritual himself. So we've got a week to wait until he is ready. Training, anyone?" The three duly spend the week training: Emishi perfecting his basic archery, Yoshi Yeesu developing his precision strike archery, and Ishan Ashte practising his horse riding. At the end of the week, Emishi challenges Yoshi Yeesu to an archery contest.

"Last time you said you wouldn't compete against someone of a lower level," taunts Emishi. "But now I am your level. How about it?"

Yoshi Yeesu can't think of an excuse, and besides, his archery is considerably better than Emishi's. He accepts, hoping it will shut Emishi up. Ishan Ashte joins in, also hoping to get some rest from Emishi's continual boasting.

A target is set up with twenty circles inscribed on it. "Best score from three arrows?" suggests Yoshi Yeesu.

"Why waste three arrows? One each, I say!" chirps Emishi.

"Let's do it," agrees Yoshi Yeesu, grimly.

"Oh good, more sudden death," murmurs Ishan Ashte, mostly to himself.

Emishi fires first. Seventeen! Just three narrow rings from the centre. Yoshi Yeesu curses - he hadn't expected such luck.

Yoshi Yeesu fires. It's a good shot, but five rings out, scoring 15.

Ishan Ashte fires. Thirteen! Unlucky for some, especially Yoshi Yeesu and Ishan Ashte. Emishi starts crowing immediately. "I won! I'm the best. Even though you're better than me. I'm the best!" Yoshi Yeesu and Ishan Ashte cringe, and hope the crowing doesn't go on too long. Unfortunately, Emishi is still in full flow a few hours later when Sahpo arrives. Emishi starts retelling the story, in blow-by-blow detail. Yoshi Yeesu is almost glad it was only one arrow each.

"Next time Emishi will be the target," he mutters.

The villagers of Shing? (Herai) gather to watch Sahpo perform the ceremony of sanctification. After much chanting and a ceremonial procession of the carved fox figure, the shrine is duly consecrated. The villagers make offerings and Ishan Ashte arranges for a village widow to look after the shrine after they have gone. Emishi asks Sahpo if he is going to accompany them to Gonohe, the fifth gate. "I can finish the story of the archery contest," he offers. Sahpo says he is devastated, but must return to his work and studies in Sannohe, and also catch up on some sleep.

Before leaving for Gonohe, Emishi, Yoshi Yeesu and Ishan Ashte pray at the new shrine. Once again the gods are silent.

A night's rest and a day's travel sees the three travellers arrive in Gonohe, a small town 4 ri north of Sannohe. On the way into town they notice a large ranch with many horses grazing in the surrounding pastures. On a whim they turn into the ranch and speak to the stable manager. He tells them the region is famous for horse breeding, particularly war horses. "We have the finest in the country. Do you want to buy a horse?" He looks at Hidasue's old mares and stifles a laugh. "300 silver for a fine riding horse - that's less than you'll pay anywhere else. 750 for a fine war horse and 1500 for a superior war horse."

The adventurers look at each other. None of them has even a hundred silver. They shake their heads.

"Surely you want to upgrade - I mean, look at your horses. I bet even my stable boy could beat your horses on one of mine!"

Yoshi Yeesu's hackles rise; Ishan Ashte is offended; Emishi sees a chance. "Are you willing to back up that wager?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"One of your horses for one of ours."

The stable master looks dubious. "Weeeell, OK. There's no way you'll win. And then you'll have to buy one of mine or you'll have to walk home." He thinks for a minute and brightens up. "Even that would be worth the wager," he grins evilly.

Soon the three old nags are lined up at one end of a gallop. A beautiful war horse is lines up with them, a young boy perched on its tooled leather saddle. The stable master issues instructions. "When I drop my hand, race down to the post at the end of the gallop, turn and come back. The first to pass me is the winner." And with that he drops his hand.

Yoshi Yeesu reacts like lightning and kicks his horse straight into a gallop. The stable lad was slower, but his horse is clearly much faster and is close behind Yoshi Yeesu. Emishi is next, a little way behind and Ishan Ashte, caught off guard, has trouble getting off the start line. He soon recovers and gets into a gallop, holding position several lengths behind his compatriots. The stable lad, however, allows his horse to drop back to a canter and falls back level with Emishi. Then Emishi goes past and Ishan Ashte almost catches the stable lad. Yoshi Yeesu meanwhile is seven lengths ahead, but then disaster strikes! His horse shies away from a scary-looking piece of ground, and it is all he can do to stay aboard. He wheels the horse round in a full circle, but he has fallen to the back of the field, level with Ishan Ashte. Emishi and the stable lad urge their horses on and pass them by ten lengths and fourteen lengths respectively. Then the stable lad falters again and Emishi catches him up as they round the turn. Yoshi Yeesu makes up some ground also, but Ishan Ashte falls back again. Now the two leaders both falter and Yoshi Yeesu closes to five lengths. Emishi and the stable lad are neck and neck. The stable lad's superior horse pulls away again as they race down the last furlong, but then the war horse swerves and the stable lad falls off! Emishi goes racing past. The stable lad remounts, but Yoshi Yeesu goes past as well. Even Ishan Ashte almost passes him. Emishi crosses the finish line ten lengths ahead of Yoshi Yeesu. The stable lad pips Ishan Ashte, but hangs his head in shame. Ishan Ashte feels sorry for him.

The stable master looks like he's chewing a lemon. "Well, you won your bet," he says to Emishi. "The horse is yours."

"Can I have a riding horse instead?" asks Emishi.

The stable master brightens up slightly - riding horses are much cheaper. "Of course. Choose any one you want." Emishi goes into the stables and selects a good-looking stallion - or is it a gelding?

"We'll take the stable lad as well," avers Ishan Ashte. The stable master looks quizzical, but makes no protest. "We'll get him a job at another stable," whispers Ishan Ashte to the others as they leave the ranch with their prize. On the way into town, Emishi's crowing is unrestrained.

"I won again. I'm the greatest. I can even beat people greater than me! On better horses!"

Yoshi Yeesu feels he must say something. "I'd have won if it wasn't for that stupid snake in the grass," he grumbles.

"What snake?"

"The one that scared my horse."

"I didn't see a snake."

"And how good is your wit?"

"Oh. Good point. I'm still the best!" he sneers, thumbing his nose.

Once in town they split up to look for shrines. They find two fertility shrines, though neither has a statue of Inari in any form. They pray at both, just in case. The gods are silent, as they have been at every other shrine. During the search, Ishan Ashte managed to find the manager of another stable and has arranged to meet him for a drink in a bar. The stable boss agrees to take on the stable lad and laughs heartily when he hears the story. The three researchers ask him about the Nine Gates legend and the local village names.

"Oh, that's all a misunderstanding. There used to be nine ranches - Gonohe means the fifth ranch. Then some time back someone decided to change the kanji to the one for gate. They sound the same, you know."

"I knew that," squeaks Emishi. "I win!"

"Liar," chorus Yoshi Yeesu and Ishan Ashte.

Which, as it was true, was a little unfair.

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