Session 31. (31/8/12)

By Guest Director Anthony Hummeston.

We pick up the story with the Shirakawa barrier but two days ride away. There are no more signs of bandits, but there are other perils on the road. The wind is at their back, but it is chilly. During the afternoon, a few wet flakes of snow start to fall. It looks pretty at first, but an hour later, the road is slippery with slush, and treacherous. The pace slows to a careful walk. Ishan Ashte, Sahpo and Tomtare all have tumbles from their horses when they stumble. Yoshi Yeesu skilfully picks his way around every rock, tree and obstruction. Onuma tries to do the same, well aware that if she was to fall on her rear, there will be a queue of volunteers to massage it better. Just as her confidence rises, her horse stumbles and pulls up. Hidasue calls for a rest.

They find a place under the trees to camp. Onuma walks her horse around for a while, to keep it moving, while Ishan Ashte and Sahpo make up a poultice for the swollen fetlock. The two of them apply the poultice and bandage the limb neatly. "There!"

"Fantastic job!" -They bump fists.

Onuma is seething. "Not my leg...The horse's leg!"

There are awkward grins from Sahpo and Ishan Ashte.

"We're no veterinarians..."

"I'm a simple country doctor with horse-sense," Ishan Ashte admits, and starts all over again.

"The horse-sense clearly isn't working," Onuma fumes. "That's 'Short-stay' - Hana's horse. My horse is over there!"

She and Hana look at one another. They put both fists to hips, shake their heads; and exclaim in unison: "Men!"

The others keep a low profile, and prepare a light supper. The prisoners grumble and complain that there is only pine-needle soup to drink. Sahpo threatens them with seconds, and they soon pipe down. There being little point in continuing, they settle in for the night. The snow continues. In the morning there are a couple of inches of slushy snow on the ground, and even more inches down the back of Emishi's armour. They break camp and proceed.

The porters are scouting on ahead, picking their way along the road, with Emishi 'leading from the front.' The others all make rude comments and hand gestures behind his back. Yoshi Yeesu wonders why the porters are still carrying packs, especially as they have several extra horses now.

"Why don't the porters put their packs on the backs of the purloined ponies?" he asks.

Sahpo's wisdom puts him right. "No porterage, no pay..."

"Precisely!" Ishan Ashte comments.

Yoshi Yeesu isn't satisfied. "Okay... but the porters could empty their packs and pretend to porter."

"And we could pretend to pay them!"

The southward trudge is slow, wet and depressing. "Look on the bright side though."

"What's that?"

Yoshi Yeesu cups his hands around his ears. "Hear that?"

"No"

"Exactly. Because there is nothing to hear..."

"So?"

"So it's because Emishi isn't talking!"

There is a moment while they think about this.

"You know I'm feeling better already!"

They all trudge along enjoying the relative silence. Sahpo says, "You know, every morning I wake up at dawn, enjoy the silence, and pray that Emishi will fall off Park-and-Ride. He'll be paralysed from the nose down, and we'll have to kill him out of mercy."

Onuma grins. "I think I could find just the thing - a large blunt instrument!"

"I think there'd be very long queue of people waiting to put him out of our misery!"

The snow worsens. Onuma starts grumbling. "It's like we're cursed: First we get blown off course. Then we lose track of the neem tree. We get booted out of Hidasue's home. Then we have to resort to collecting taxes from people, and escort our ill-gotten gains southward in this horrible late spring snow. Hidasue keeps losing his sword... Maybe we have offended the spirits somehow."

"Maybe there's a common denominator..." Emishi shouts back rudely, then spurs his horse on. The other heroes, Hidasue, the porters, the prisoners and even the horses all point to Emishi. Hana feels loyalty to her husband, but eventually points at him too!

Onuma sighs. "Is there anyone under heaven that he hasn't offended?" She lets the question hang in the air, while the others all rack their brains trying to think of a single exception.

Ishan Ashte changes the subject. "We should have proper hats, you know."

"It isn't a birthday party."

"No. Oil-soaked paper hats are good protection in the snow. One sews the sheets together to make hats and capes. Of course," he changes to a whisper, "back home, we'd use fish scales." This reminds the others of their Ainu heritage. They start to regale the porters and the prisoners about the snowfalls in the north - though they are careful to be vague about exactly how far north.

"We had twelve inches in a night." Onuma says, referring to the snow. The others misunderstand, and nearly fall off their horses with so much laughing.

Finally, they spy the gate between the provinces. They ascend a shallow rise for a mile or so, and there at the crest of the hill is a gate-house. It commands a panoramic view for several miles around. There is a courtyard, and a few small buildings. A single bedraggled guardsman stands stiffly to attention as they approach. Yoshi Yeesu is wary. "What if he's one of the bandits in disguise?"

"True. We should exercise caution. It would be a tragedy if we escaped the bandits only to be taken in by a man in a guard's uniform."

The porters look happy. Yoshi Yeesu soon sees that some of them recognise the guardsman. "I'm assuming that that is a good sign," he says after a while.

The border guard is apologetic. He grovels in the slush at their feet. "So sorry. Your onward caravan has been delayed." Hidasue frowns. Emishi is about to say something rude, but is stopped. "No matter," Hidasue reassures the man. "We'll wait. We've been delayed ourselves, by bandits, an injured pony and the weather."

The guardsman is mightily relived. "You may stay in my house, humble as it is. -My name is Katorii, by the way."

Our heroes look at one another, and across the courtyard to the small house. "It's okay, we like the snow," Yoshi Yeesu says. "We'll camp outside. After all, one more day can't make any difference. And we can keep an eye on the prisoners, and the money at the same time." This decided, they camp in the lee of the house, affording them some shelter from the wind. They build a fire, and warm some stones. They offer Hana one. "It's okay, I have Emishi to keep me warm," she says, being the dutiful wife. Onuma theatrically raises one eyebrow. Hana grins at her. "Actually I think I'll be better off with a cold rock!"

They check their supplies. They are running low and could do with some more poultice for Onuma's horse. "There's a herbalist that lives in the mountains," the guardsman offers, hearing their discussion. "She might have what you need."

"She may have a lead on the neem tree too," Sahpo says.

"There's nothing better to do while we wait - other than plot Emishi's downfall."

"I was hoping that he might stay behind with the money... And Hidasue... And Hana."

"It won't take much defending," Emishi boasts with confidence well over the border into arrogance.

"The province thanks you for your sacrifice," Onuma says with feeling, and a low bow. The others quietly applaud her fine acting, and razor sharp wit.

They send Tomtare out to scout into the next province for signs of the caravan they are to meet. After some time he returns with no news. They decide to go on up into the foothills to get away from Emishi's bragging. Emishi has found that Katorii is very interested in his numerous heroic exploits and competition winning. The lowly guardsman smiles at him politely. Feigning interest. He too should get an award for his acting!

Leaving the rest behind, Tomtare, Yoshi Yeesu, Onuma, Sahpo and Ishan Ashte start climbing into the mountains. They follow a stream uphill, and think of rabbits for some reason. After an hour or so, they spy some farm buildings, and a modest winter palace. "Summer palace in the summer," Sahpo says, showing some wisdom.

"Summer or winter, it appears very quiet..."

"Too quiet!"

As they get close, a woman runs out, only to sink to the ground in front of them.

She bursts into tears. "I don't suppose you've seen my husband?" she sobs.

"No. We're travellers, escorting a caravan from the north. We are gathering herbs and we need supplies... and..." This is falling on deaf ears. The others being too polite to intervene, Sahpo goes over to the woman. Spurred on, Onuma puts her arm around her. Through the grief and the tears, the woman explains.

"My eldest son went into the forest with some labourers, and my husband... Only they're missing. We found two labourers dead. There are bears out there, and I fear the worst."

"Well, we came for herbs, and a poultice for a lame horse... But..."

Onuma glares at Sahpo, and offers to help. "We are experts at catching bears. And we have some skill in hunting, and tracking. We'll find them for you."

The woman sobs in gratitude. Seeing strangers with their mother, two young children come out of the house, asking for their father. She gathers them into her arms and goes back inside the house. The others look around, rather stunned at what has happened.

They move away out of earshot. Ishan Ashte is downcast. "If he was attacked by a bear, one can only hope it was quick. Getting torn apart..." He tails off thinking about the grim reality. Sahpo isn't so concerned for the man's wellbeing. "Sometimes the spirits must be appeased. Maybe he has offended them."

They ask the wife, whose name is Yuriko, for some supplies to camp for the night in the forest. She shows them where they can get food and dry firewood. She mentions that her husband, Takanori, usually manages the running of the farm. This rings a bell in Yoshi Yeesu's head. He has heard that name before somewhere. They make their way into the forest before dusk, and find a clearing to camp in. There are signs of bears but a search of the area turns up no more clues. Yoshi Yeesu keeps turning the name Takanori over in his mind. Finally he asks the others if it means anything to them. They all have vague recollections of a Wajin general by that name.

"I'm sure my father mentioned a General Takanori leading some of the troops at the battle for Hakodate. That would be twenty or thirty years ago. He reputedly took hundreds of Ainu heads."

"This could be the one and the same."

"In which case I hope the bears really did get him."

"That's not a nice thing to say. He has a young wife and children remember?"

Although the snow has covered many signs of tracks, Tomtare is on the case. Like a bloodhound, he advances through the forest on the trail. Onuma is working over the name Takanori in her mind. "I can't say for sure, but I associate the name Takanori with violence and death in the past."

"If it is the same, then he may well be the general. I suppose he could have retired here with a young wife, a summer palace, and modest farm." They all think about this.

"Hakodate: A battle lost, a siege lost, and a promise broken," Sahpo reminds them. "That was Miyoshi's doing."

"I think that history..." Ishan Ashte says, in defence of Emishi's father, "doesn't paint Miyoshi that favourably. The Wajin won the battle, but in reality, the Ainu were overwhelmed by superior numbers. War veterans with arms and armour to match."

"History is written by the victors," Yoshi Yeesu adds, forlornly.

"If you're not on the side of history, then you're doomed." Sahpo says, with feeling.

Onuma is about to make a comment about their Ainu heritage, when Tomtare stops and points.

"What is it? You smell something?"

Tomtare points again. He says one word: "Bear."

They look where he is pointing. They can see a gash across a tree trunk.

"How can you tell from a single gash?"

Tomtare extends a forefinger. He puts it into the slash down the bark of the tree. Then he moves his finger to the right about three to four inches, and traces another slash.

"Bear!" he says again.

Now that they can see the multiple marks of a bear's claws they gulp.

Yoshi Yeesu reaches for his bow - a fearsome weapon, taller than Tomtare. "I think we're gonna need a bigger bow!" he says.

They examine the marks further . The gashes in the trunk of the tree are deep, but it is the wideness of the spacing that concerns them.

"Big bear!" Tomtare reiterates, doubling his word rate.

"Is he being charged by the syllable today?" Onuma wonders.

A while later, Tomtare stops. "Blood!"

"He's doing that 'one word description' thing again!"

"No. Blood. Here on the tree. A smear, but blood nonetheless." Tomtare explains, nearly using up his entire quota of words for the afternoon.

"But trees don't bleed," Yoshi Yeesu points out - pointedly.

They look at it. Finally Ishan Ashte solves the riddle. "I'm hurt, I'm bleeding... I pause here, leaning against the tree..." The others look around for footprints, but the snow has all but obscured anything definite. They proceed with caution, and pick up their visual scanning. A few hundred yards away, they find a clearing.

"This is where the woodcutter must have lived," Yoshi Yeesu jokes, "before getting eaten by a bear!" But no one else is in the mood for humour at the moment. The light is beginning to fade, along with their hopes. "Maybe we should go back to the farm..." Sahpo is starting to think the same way, when a shout comes form Tomtare. "Here!"

The others scramble to where he is standing, indicating a pile of rocks.

"Just rocks..." Ishan Ashte starts to say.

The others move forward, and look closely. There among the rocks, and mostly covered in snow is the mangled body of a man.

"We've found him!" Yoshi Yeesu says, excitedly.

There is a scrambling and flurry of activity. They brush away the snow from the body. They pick him up gently and lie him on an improvised litter of branches.

"Dead...?"

Sahpo concentrates on the body. He feels for a pulse, but his hands are shaking from the cold. "Probably died of his injuries, or froze to death soon after."

They look over the body. Terrible wounds have been inflicted, by claws and teeth of a large animal.

Yoshi Yeesu says something profound. "A man, though naked, may still be in rags."

This is a sobering thought. -Also a frightening thought.

"He's not naked. He was wearing armour. Strong armour," Sahpo says after a while. He looks up. "I... I'm not helping much am I?"

"Are you sure we're safe?" Ishan Ashte asks.

"We're mighty bear hunters!" Onuma says, trying to rally their spirits. But even her acting training can't keep a slight tremor out of her voice.

Sahpo goes back to the body. Tomtare is looking at the place where it lies. "There are signs of movement. He must have crawled here and thrashed about a bit." Sahpo isn't giving up on the man. He goes through all his medical experience. He slides a tanto from a scabbard.

"No point, he's already dead."

"No," Sahpo says excitedly, "there is misting on the blade. He breathes! Shallow and faint, but he's alive!"

"Light a fire!" Ishan Ashte says. "Gather wood and make it quick!"

They cover the body with spare clothes, and within minutes a fire is burning. They lay rocks around it to warm, and start to tend to Takanori. He would appear to be in a deep coma. They heal him as best they can, and put pine needles to many uses, including a thin but warming soup. "He might just make it..."

"But we're not out of the woods yet!"

Ishan Ashte is cutting branches from trees. In a short while he has made a fine sled.

"Great, but did you have to colour it purple?"

As the light finally fades, they half-drag, half-carry the sled with its precious cargo back to the farm, where there is light and warmth, shelter and food. Yuriko, the man's wife, is somewhat relieved, though the sight of her once strong and proud husband is hard for her to bear.

She offers to let our heroes stay for the night, but they are of a different mind. "We're going out again," Tomtare explains.

"To find your teenage son, and the bear that did this," Ishan Ashte adds, with steely resolve in his voice.

There being nothing more they can do for Takanori, they troop out. A short while later they are in the dark woods again.

"We're going to need some light, if we are to find their son."

"The son of an infamous Ainu killer," Onuma says, with feeling. "I'm sure it is him."

"But their son is innocent," Sahpo says, "One cannot blame the children for the sins of their fathers."

There is a pause. "Did anyone else think about Miyoshi and Emishi there?" Yoshi Yeesu says, with a broad grin.

"Unfortunately, yes. -Though I tried really hard not to."

They head for the clearing, using torches and Onuma's light spell. They set up a small camp, and re-light the fire. There being little else to do but sit and watch, they sit and watch. Sahpo starts telling a bedtime story, but the others stick pine-nuts in their ears, and avoid listening to it. There are no bear attacks in the night, but in the morning there are fresh tracks for the trackers to track. Luckily there has been no more snow, and through the clouds are thin chinks of sky. Sahpo isn't too surprised about an uneventful night. "Actually bears are generally considered crepuscular near people..." he throws into the conversation. The others look at him blankly. "They mostly come out at dawn and dusk," he explains. "Now the interesting thing about bears is that..." But the others have replaced the pine nuts in their ears and miss any further information.

They soon find paw prints. They are the size of Tomtare's breastplate.

"Paw prints. Bear tracks." Tomtare says, matter-of-factly.

"It's enormous."

"After snow, the sun warms the edges of a footprint, making it look much bigger." Sahpo points out, but is not very convincing. They trudge on in their search pattern.

Tomtare stops the monologue with a shout. He's been out scouting and found a bear! He shouts, "Bear!" and then adds, "Fore!" as he brings the heavy tetsubo to bear on the bear, and clubbing it heavily. The bear lumbers through the attack to concentrate on the others who are hastily drawing swords and preparing magic. Ishan Ashte is ready first, and swings both his swords at the bear. He cuts a gash in its side, but the creature twists in pain, spoiling his aim with the second blow. Yoshi Yeesu closes in with a solid strike, as Onuma powers her spell, and becomes a blur of action. Mere milliseconds go by between the spell triggering and Onuma landing a strike with her sword. Sahpo is waiting his turn, his fingers crackling with unreleased energy, Tomtare has used the momentum of his strike to turn on the spot, and he brings the tetsubo down upon the bear's bare back, killing it. Sahpo curses his slow reaction time, as the spell fizzes for a moment and fades.

"You never wait for me! It's not fair!" Sahpo moans.

"We'd all be bear food if we waited for you."

"It's not fair! You get all the glory!"

"We'll back off next time, and you can kill the creature by yourself," Yoshi Yeesu tells him. "We'll sit it out, and watch as you go toe-to-toe."

Sahpo is still fuming, but has the wisdom to see that this strategy might turn out badly for him. The vision of Takanori lying broken and close to death sobers him somewhat.

"I still think there's some kind of anti-magic bias," he grumbles, but nobody is listening.

They pile rocks on top of the bear, and by that time Sahpo's temper has tempered somewhat. "We should shoot an arrow to send the spirit of the bear off..."

"To its forebears," Yoshi Yeesu interrupts.

"Well, I would say ancestors, but essentially, yes." Sahpo breaks into a grin. "I'm glad that some of you haven't completely forgotten the Ainu ways."

With solemn ceremony, they stand silently while Tomtare shoots an arrow westwards, sending the bear's spirit home. Sahpo is satisfied at their send-off, although he's still seething inside.

After a pause to reflect, they gather the rest of their meagre camp.

Yoshi Yeesu has been thinking. "Maybe instead of going to find the bears, we should let the bears find us."

"What are you going to do, leave food out...? A jam sandwich for instance?"

"I was thinking that the bears are waking from hibernation, and are probably hungry. And from my knowledge of farming, there's little food to be had at the moment. -Spring snow doesn't help either."

"I was thinking that the bears are vengeful spirits, come to punish Takanori for the sins of the past," Sahpo muses, rather unkindly.

"It's a theory..." Onuma starts to agree, "but one would have thought that the spirits would have acted sooner. The battle of Hakodate was twenty-five or so years ago."

"Spirits are not like hot-headed samurai. They are slow and subtle and..."

"And over there!" Tomtare interrupts, silencing the conversation. He points through the trees. As they have been walking, a bear has been moving quietly alongside them. As they stop, the bear stops. Tomtare is about to say something, but the sight of the bear through the trees silences him. He grabs Sahpo's sleeve and pushes him forward a step. "Okay all yours..." he whispers, and indicates for the others all to take a step backward. "I think this is something that Sahpo has to do for himself!" he hisses.

Sahpo is not to be outdone. His eyes narrow, and he stretches out into the spirit world. For a second all he can see is forest, and then the spirit of a bear looms large in his spirit vision. It is monstrous, angry and vengeful. It is feral and out of control. He tries to stop his legs from quivering. His mouth is dry.

"No it's not!" he manages to croak. At this cue, there is a crashing through the forest. Sizeable saplings are thrust aside, and there is an almighty bellow. Everyone can make out an oncoming bear, but what a bear!

Tomtare raises his tetsubo to strike, the others prepare for a fight. The bear crashes through the forest, sweeping everything from its path. The bear is monstrous. Its shoulder is level with the top of Tomtare's upraised tetsubo! A mountain of flesh, and an array of teeth bear down upon them. This isn't going to be an easy victory! This is a test of their mettle and their willpower. It will also be a test of Sahpo, since a few sword blows are not going to fell such a beast! Weapons drawn, and grim determination in their hearts, our heroes ready themselves as best they can. Before they know it, the enormous bear is among them, shrugging off blows and slashing with its claws. The fight is on!

Onuma starts with a stage flash, lighting up the forest, and sending a silhouette of the bear into the trees, but the creature's height and speed spares it from being blinded. Sahpo sings a chant of placation, but in his fear, stumbles over his words. The bear roars louder. "If it's even possible, I think you made it even angrier!" Tomtare snarls at Sahpo. A bear's paw, decorated with long and sharp claws, swipes at him, and all he can do is sprawl in the slush for cover. Yoshi Yeesu jumps and slashes with his blade. "I go for the ears, it's the only part that isn't dangerous!" he yells, his fury getting the better of him. But the time for throwaway comments has passed, the time for killing and dying has come.

Onuma steps forward, and magical flames spurt from her mouth, burning fur and flesh. The bear growls, and the flames dissipate in the wet fur. The magical fires fail to take hold and they wither. Ishan Ashte and Yoshi Yeesu both manage to land hits, but their swords merely bite into the layers of fat under the skin of the bear, causing it no significant damage. Onuma tries her quickness spell, but it too withers before it triggers. Things are not looking good for our party. Sahpo tries to exorcise the spirit of the bear, but with no success. The bear lashes out again, with claws like tanto blades slicing and tearing. The first to feel these claws is Tomtare, who blesses his armour as the bear claws viciously at him. -Even so, his arm and side run with blood, making the tetsubo slippery. But the bear has over-extended its reach, and Tomtare exploits this by striking it hard in the ribs. The bear is winded for a second or two. Ishan Ashte and Yoshi Yeesu use this opportunity to get hits on the bear, this time both making telling wounds. The snow speckles with bear blood, joining that of Tomtare. Onuma tries to magically accelerate again, but the spell is interrupted by a lunge from the bear, and fails. By this time, Sahpo is out of range of the bear's attacks, and lets fly with a full volley of Arrows of Wood. The arrows speed directly into the bear, making it pause for a moment. However, its mighty frame is too much for the magical poison to have much effect. Yoshi Yeesu lashes out, cutting deep into bear flesh. He is swatted back for his efforts, but manages to roll with the blow, minimising the impact. Even so, the tips of the claws draw blood from his arm, though it is only a scratch. The bear turns on Onuma, and with a clubbing motion, lifts the girl clean off her feet, depositing her several feet away. She too has felt the claws ripping into her flesh, and she winces with the pain, though miraculously remaining on her feet. More attacks rain in on the bear, but only Tomtare makes much of an impression - a tetsubo shaped impression on the cheek of the bear, bringing blood to its mouth. Sahpo switches from attack mode to support mode, his magical power being used up fast. He lays magical hands to Tomtare, closing his wounds, and stopping the bleeding. Onuma breathes fire again, but she is too far away to get it to catch properly. The bear starts to rise on its hind legs, a terrifying sight to see! Yoshi Yeesu reverses his blade and stabs the bear, making it drop to all fours again. The bear takes its anger out on Ishan Ashte, both claws ripping into his armour. Ishan Ashte can take no more of this, and he crashes into a heap at the bear's feet, where he lies motionless.

Onuma yells a panicked, "Man down!" and rushes to Ishan Ashte's aid. The bear attacks her too, clawing and attempting to bite. Yoshi Yeesu has been half spun around, but remembers his reverse thrust, and plunges the sword into the flank of the bear. Onuma's side and arms are stinging with pain, and blood is in her eyes. With all her strength, she drags Ishan Ashte clear, still concentrating on the magical burning. The flames flicker higher for a moment at the bear's side, but die back. Sahpo switches healing to Ishan Ashte, who sits up, gasping for breath. The bear lunges at Tomtare, biting him savagely. Tomtare stands his ground and slams the tetsubo into the bear. It rears up again, this time smashing its paws into Tomtare, who stumbles back sunned. It is now or never for Yoshi Yeesu, who courageously runs forward and plunges his blade into the belly of the beast. Its paws wave weakly, and Yoshi Yeesu withdraws sideways, running the blade across the bear's belly. The bear comes crashing down, its mighty strength finally gone, its wounds having overtaken it. It claws weakly at thin air, but the fight is over.

There is a stunned silence. Our heroes are battered and bloody. It is all that Sahpo can do to stabilise Ishan Ashte, while the others spit blood, staunch wounds and catch their breath. With aching arms they bind gashes, and watch Sahpo work on Ishan Ashte. The monstrous bear still towers over them even in death. "A mighty beast indeed."

"A worthy adversary."

Sahpo is saddened. "A shame we had to kill such a noble beast."

"A noble beast that killed several labourers, and nearly killed Takanori. Maybe even killed his eldest son."

"-Not to mention nearly killed us!"

"Us too." Tomtare agrees, "Yup."

They rest for a while. Their mood is sombre. An eerie silence lasts for many long minutes. Finally Onuma says, "Well, there's a tale to tell your children."

"And your children's children," adds Sahpo.

"No. Not your children's children." Onuma shakes her head.

"Why not?"

"Because your children shouldn't be having sex."

They think about this. Then they grin, then they laugh. It is a thin and reedy laughter, but it relieves the tension. As the giggles die down, Ishan Ashte says, "I mustn't laugh. -Every time I do, a bear claw sticks out through the bandage."

"That isn't a bear claw, -that's a rib."

"Eeew!"

They take a few of the enormous bear claws as trophies. "We must honour such a mighty spirit," Sahpo reminds them. They all agree.

Sahpo says a few words, releasing the spirit of the bear into the spirit world. When he is finished, they all raise their bows and, without prompting, release their arrows into the sky.

They stand for several minutes in silence, being reverential. Then they lower their bows, and start to walk slowly back, dragging Ishan Ashte on another improvised sled.

Tomtare is in an upbeat mood. "You know when you fired that arrow, Ishan Ashte?"

"What about it?"

"I think that was actually another rib."

Ishan Ashte goes as white as the snow, and slumps back down on his sled. Yoshi Yeesu offers to rub soot in his wounds to make them stand out as proud battle scars.

"I think they'll scar enough without adding soot." Sahpo says sagely.

When Ishan Ashte is finally on his feet, they resume their search.

They wander around the wood for several hours until tiredness and hunger makes them turn for the farm. They are met by a tearful Yuriko. "The farm-hands found my son. Alas, he was dead. But my husband still lives. He owes his life to you."

Sahpo is about to say something, but turns away, busying himself with packing up some supplies. In the end he and the others go to see their patient. Takanori is still in critical condition, and needs yet more healing.

When he drifts off to sleep, Yuriko leaves. Our heroes whisper about the fate of their patient.

"We could let him die."

"-Or help him die."

"That's not very honourable."

"After what he's done?"

"Allegedly done."

Ishan Ashte is the fist to react. When the old man opens his eyes again, Ishan Ashte puts a hand on his arm. "Just remember who rescued you." He pulls up a sleeve and shows his rather hairy arm. "I'm not killing you, though you are at my mercy..." He stands up. "I'm better than that!" he says, and turns on his heel and strides out as best he can. Meanwhile, Onuma goes to reassure Yuriko. "He may babble a bit in his delirium. I'd pay it no heed," she says, soothingly. One by one, Yoshi Yeesu and Tomtare and Sahpo go and check on the patient. They search their consciences, but after much deliberation, each resolves to do nothing.

A few hours later, they have done all they can for Takanori. He is stable, and will hopefully recover. They leave Yuriko to comfort her young children. The image of her tear-stained face and sad children is a hard one to bear. Outside, the labourers are mourning their dead. The little children suddenly look small and vulnerable.

"She'll be alright, won't she?"

"I hope so. The bear is gone, the spring is returning."

"If the old man dies, she'll be a rich widow."

"The old man isn't going to die. -Not unless the spirits think otherwise," Sahpo reminds them.

"I feel sorry for her."

"Regret is part of life," Yoshi Yeesu sighs. "Just like death."

They trudge back down the mountain with a few supplies that were left for them, the bear claws and the scars of an epic battle. "Here we are, the mighty bear-killers."

"Somehow I don't think I'm entirely comfortable with that title."

"Me neither. I was just trying it for size."

"If the cap fits..."

Ishan Ashte wonders, "I wonder if Takanori were to die, whether Hidasue might meet and marry Yuriko, and maybe adopt the children."

"I don't think he's the marrying kind."

"Though it wouldn't be without precedent. After all, he adopted Hana, and a five-year-old."

"Five-year-old?"

"Emishi."

"Oh I see. Yes. Five-year-old!"

They are all still sniggering when they arrive back.

At the gatehouse, the wet snow is already melting. The onward caravan has still not arrived. Hidasue has read his orders, and is pondering his next move. Those that were left behind are eager for news, and Sahpo regales them with tales of their exploits. Even the sceptical Emishi pipes down when they show him the claws of the bear, and the long, deep, wide gashes in Ishan Ashte and Tomtare.

"I've made a decision," Hidasue tells them.

"What? Marry the rich widow, and move into the winter palace?" Emishi asks, insensitive to the situation. Onuma glares art him.

"Summer palace," Tomtare reminds him. "And she's not a widow."

"Summer palace," Emishi parrots, sticking his tongue out, just like a five-year-old.

Hidasue raises his hand to stop their arguing. "No. We'll prepare to move off."

Without question, his charges make ready their gear and their horses.

"I wonder whether that was the actual General Takanori?" Onuma asks.

"We may never know..." Yoshi Yeesu sighs, "We may never know..."

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