Mountains of the Great Divide - Eastern Side

Sen's people had lived in the mountains to the east of Kiyonai for a long time. Their villages were scattered throughout the mountains, some low, where villages were expected to be, and others – more exclusive and harder both to reach and live in – higher up. In one of those villages, so small as to not have a name, Sen had been to visit her grandfather and been ordered to cross the mountains into Tokhung, to carry out a mission of information gathering. Glad to be entrusted with an important task, she had agreed immediately. But then she was introduced to a strange man, and told she must bring him with her, which she was less than thrilled about. Nevertheless, she had no choice but to bow low and carry out her grandfather's wishes. She had not been particularly forthcoming to Kaen Kogoeshinu as she led him up high precipitous paths, down innocuous-seeming animal tracks, and crawling under snow-laden undergrowth through holes that most people would have scarcely noticed.

To his eyes, she would appear as nothing more or less than a sturdy peasant girl, the type of which who was found everywhere throughout Tawakoshi. A headscarf covered her hair, and she wore practical leggings and an apron, armlets that kept the draught out of her kimono and covered the backs of her hands, and a straw raincape. She had a forgettable face, like so many other common people, and a ruddy cheeked complexion that spoke of a life outdoors. However, her knowledge of the secret passes set her apart from a normal peasant girl, and within her clothing she was armed with blades and poison, so she had little to fear from being alone any length of time with the man.

It began to snow, this high in the mountains it was not unusual, even though it was well passed cherry blossom season, and late in the afternoon, she began using her hands to clear away snow from what appeared to be another lumpy bit of rock face, revealing a tiny shelter made of woven twigs, bamboo and straw. “Go inside,” she said, waiting for him to head in as she looked warily around, before following him in. The interior was dark, and a little warmer than the outside, mainly from being out of the wind. There was a spot on the earthen ground where fires had been made before, a small metal box containing flint and tinder beside it, and at the back of the shelter, a large bundle of wood. There was barely enough space for the two to sit inside with the tiny square hearth between them. “Well,” she said. “We're in Tokhung, not so as you'd know.”

“You're welcome,” Sen replied, with a small bow that could be considered a little mocking. After arranging some kindling in the fire place, she sat and watched as Kaen lit a spark, and his whole hand set on fire. An urge to jump back was fought off, but she started involuntarily, then peered curiously at his flaming hand. Once the fire was out, Sen reached across, taking hold of the hand and examining it for marks, surprised to see that the flesh was untouched. Nor did it have the characteristic smell of the chemical a fire juggler would use to coat their body for an act. So this man really did have something to hide, something interesting. She let go of his hand, as though it ceased to interest her. “Whatever you just did, please don't do that in front of anyone else, milord,” she said, filing away for later use the information that he could set himself alight and be undamaged and was either a master trickster or even more unusual, a magic user.

“If it's an easy passage you want, go by Gangsu fortress,” she replied, “but then, there's some reason you can't go that way, or you wouldn't be here right now. Be glad of the ice and snow, while its hard for us, its impossible for Tokhung soldiers. Likewise, without the company, you'd be dead by now, milord. Sorry to say it, but you would not have found your way through here alone.” Excusing herself, Sen left the shelter briefly and came back with the frozen body of a rabbit, a stick already inserted through its length so she could begin a slow roast of the meat over the fire. A secret cache outside , under the drifts of snow, had been left by hunters for those travelling this way, those who knew how to find it. “I won't ask you why you need passage to Tokhung, milord, but if you want to tell me your story it would make the time pass quicker.” Sen did not expect to be given the truth, but she did wonder about the nobleman's jewelled weapons and expensive clothes. “A simple girl like myself rarely gets to meet a gentleman like you milord,” she added.

Sen was deeply impressed by the man's control of the elements, but unlike the simple peasant girl she earnestly claimed to be, she didn't back into the corner with her head on the ground begging the gods for help and forgiveness, instead she watched rapt. How useful such a power would be... she thought to herself as she listened to his story. “Your grandfather's swords? So he could also control magic?” she asked him. A natural question for any curious listener but for Sen it was truly pertinent. If such magic could be passed through the generations, what a benefit it would be to her family. “If you can move water, can you move snow too?” Sen asked, wondering at the possibilities. She rotated the frozen rabbit on its spit, her fingers unfreezing themselves quickly in the warmth of the small hut. She almost laughed at the ease with which he casually mentioned the young Hizashi lord's name. “Hmm, this is your real story, isn't it, Kaen-dono?” she asked, moving her legs to one side to sit more comfortably. Perhaps he shouldn't have told her. It was an act of trust that may have been misplaced. However, she wouldn't betray his secret as to do so would damage the reputation of her family, she had a simple way to die before torture if that became necessary. “And what is it that everyone is supposed to believe? Your 'actual' reason for travelling to Tokhung?” Her small smile gave a twinkle to her eyes in the firelight. “I should need to know that if I'm expected to go along with it.”

Sen listened on to Kaen's story, deeply absorbing everything he said. Seeing his encroaching melancholy she shifted a little nearer to him, sharing heat as well as companionship. Maybe his family saw it as tainted blood, but how could it be anything other than useful, to have secret magic at your control? The eyes… the eyes would be difficult to conceal in a child, but maybe if they were to raise it to pretend to be blind, and always keep those eyes covered. "It is not so bad to be set free," she said, her knee almost touching his as she leaned forward to rotate the cooking rabbit once more. She considered his words. "It is good, I think, that you will not have to tell too many lies," she said, looking at the rabbit rather than at him. He seemed a little too open, trusting a little too easily. She picked it up by the stick and held it out to Kaen. "It's done. Please eat, Kaen-dono. Then, we should get some sleep, there's another hard day's travelling tomorrow."

Since he didn't take the stick of meat, she put it into his hand with her own, and curled his fingers around it. Her hands were surprisingly warm for the cold weather outside. "Memories of the past are all well and good, Kaen-dono, but they will not keep you fed." She looked at his necklace. It was pretty, and very unusual to see someone wearing jewellery of that kind. How much was it worth? she wondered, and all those gemstone encrusted swords. Later... she would tell him to cover them all with plain cloth, and hide the necklace inside his clothing, but right now, the melancholy and nostalgic mood he was in suited her, and she wasn't going to break it with practicalities. Getting him to eat was a different matter, he could die out there in the snow if he didn't get sufficient energy inside him. "I am no one special to Hizashi-sama. I am merely good at my job, that's all," she said, looking down into the fire, then up into his eyes. "But perhaps I could be someone special to you, Kaen-dono?" she said, blinking her dark eyes a few times.

"Hizashi-sama trusts my grandfather. My grandfather chose me for this role, to lead you to Tokhung through the mountains, and to look after you when we arrive." There was something in the way she said "look after you" that was not entirely innocent sounding, as much as she batted her eyelashes and bowed her head. They were so close to each other that she could feel the warmth of his body through their layers of clothing. Sen leaned in a little more. "I'm afraid not, Kaen-dono. In my line of work, I tend to move about a lot, I'm not in one place too long for any young man to court. And also... I fear that I am not so attractive that I would have many suitors anyway. My hands are rough, and my cheeks red from being out of doors, not many men's perfect wife material." She flicked her eyes up at him again, then smiled a sad smile. "It's fine, though. I am happy just to serve my family and do my duty to our lord." Her eyes lowered a little, lingering on Kaen's lips. She licked her own, they were a little chapped from the wind, then looked back into his eyes again.

"Does that mean that Kaen-dono is looking twice at me now?" she responded, her tone undeniably flirtatious, and although she did a lot of coyly looking at the ground and using humble words, no blush seemed to rise in her cheeks. Her eyes seemed to dance in the light from their small fire as she looked up at him, with her hand taken into his. She could feel the hardened skin from where Kaen had held his sword, but his grip was surprisingly gentle. She put her own hand over the top of his. "Your words are beautiful in themselves, Kaen-dono," she said. "It is rare indeed that a noble person speaks like this... " Sen paused for a moment. "Talking of which, we will soon need to make our bed for the night. It gets very cold here and so for both of us to have the best chance of survival, the closer we are to each other, the more we can share our warmth, the better."

Sen returned his kiss, at first with demure reticence, but growing more passionate as their lips continued to lock. She put her hands on his chest, feeling the muscles of a warrior with a lifetime's training under his clothing. "Kaen-dono," she said quietly as he broke the kiss between them, "If you wish to look at me, please do so. My face, or … anything else. And should you wish to touch those things, my lord, please, it would be my honour." So saying she leaned in to kiss him again, taking his hand and encouraging him to place it wherever about her person he wished to.

After long moments, she broke off. Sen reached deeper into the hut behind her, pulling out a bedroll with a mat and a warm blanket of bear fur. She unrolled it deftly, laying it beside the fire, and pushed down lightly on Kaen's shoulders to encourage him to lie down. "Let's make sure it's warm under here before I put out the fire," she said, and unknotted the belt of her obi as she lay down next to him, her skin glowing a little in the firelight.

Once they had warmed the bed, Sen poured sand on the fire. They only had each other's bodies to keep them warm now, and they made sure to produce as much heat as possible, before they lay down exhausted in each other's arms and slept the rest of the night away.

The next morning Sen woke wrapped in the young nobleman's arms. For him, perhaps it had been a pleasant distraction and a comfort, for her an opportunistic moment that could yield benefits but unlike a lot of elements of her work it was not distasteful. Kaen was an attractive man, well-connected and rich. The only downside might be, she thought as he kissed her good morning, that he might become a little too attached. She put a smile on her face, leaned in to his chest and gave a soft “mmm...” as she awoke. “Kaen-” she stopped herself abruptly, about to use an honourific, until she recalled he had told her not to. Odd, since most men she had bedded, no matter what class, preferred being called “-sama” or “my lord”. “Kaen, thank you for keeping me warm. But now we must face the outside again...” She reached for her kimono and shrugged into it, before getting out of the bed. The interior of the hut was still pleasantly warm. “Stay,” she said, putting a hand on his chest. “I'll get everything ready for the journey.”

After getting dressed, she tied her hair back in a simple low ponytail, and arranged everything within the hut. Once Kaen got up, she would put away the bed roll, tidying it away in the back of the hut, and producing some faded cotton rags. “I'm sorry, but your weapons are too distinctive, and too valuable. Please wrap them in these.” She also wrapped one as a headscarf around his head. “Dressing like this does not suit you, but it will keep you safe. Please also hide that necklace of yours. It would be inconvenient to attract the attention of robbers.” Once she had sufficiently toned down Kaen's look, she handed him a dried rice and millet ball and some jerky of uncertain provenance, making sure that their hands touched. “Eat.” This morning Sen was back to business, but she made casual contact with Kaen when she could, just to assure him that she still felt affection for him.

Once they had fortified themselves for the journey ahead, Sen pulled what had looked like a collection of wooden sticks out from the back of the hut. Indeed, it was firewood, but bundled together on a frame that could be worn like a backpack. It was a convenient and plausible excuse to be among the mountains when they descended into Tokhung. She put it on, apparently used to the weight. “It's a little quicker getting down the mountains than up, but still, be prepared for another good walk,” said Sen, and closed the door of the hut firmly after them, brushing snow over the entrance and their tracks so that even a yard away it was concealed. The snow that continued to fall would disguise it further.