The afternoon sun sparkled off the mountain lake. Thin clouds failed in their attempts to darken the land below. The wind, however, managed to chase leaves from a grove of elm trees. The resulting scatter covering the water near the shore with multi-colored leaves. The bright colors, a sign of the turning of seasons, often felt first in the higher mountains. On the shore of the lake dressed in muted brown and grey, uninterested in the changing of the seasons stood Kabane. A muscular man, physical in the way of one who labors long hours. Fine muscles in his forearms hinted at a life of precise work with intricate tools. Kabane watched the water, not in the way a fisherman or sailor watched the water. Kabane watched the water like a mother or father might.
Kabane had no children. He had no wife. Though he was a good provider, he remained a bachelor. He could not woo with sweet words, nor was he adept at dancing. Mostly he owed his bachelorhood to the collection of fleshy protuberances that formed his face. For this reason he lived across the lake from the nearby village of Kawa Gyaza. Though he was not unkindly treated on the occasions he visited town, he did not like the reflected revulsion and sympathy that greeted him at every turn.
The water before him broke with a splash. A young woman appeared treading water to keep herself afloat. Holding up a braided rope sack full of mussels she called out to the man on shore.
“I found a whole bed of them!” Her zeal turning each word giddy.
“You were under a long time.” Kabane said without emotion.
“You worry too much.” Mayuko said losing some of the joy in her words.
Mayuko stroked rhythmically against the surface of the dark lake, drawing nearer to the shore with every effort. Kabane stood still as if he were a statue.
Striding out of the lake onto the rocky shore, Mayuko held the prize forward so that the grizzled man could see. Owing to her nakedness and his modest nature he averted his eyes. Instead of looking at the proffered sack he held out a bundle of clothing to the young woman.
“Its just the two of us out here, why must I..” She trailed off and accepted the bundle.
“I’m going into town this evening, would you like me to pick up anything while I’m there?” Mayuko continued.
Mayuko pulled the clothing on over her wet skin, making the process a seeming battle of wills between the young woman and her clothing. Once she had arranged her clothing to her satisfaction, she and Kabane began walking along the shore. Kabane walked in silence for a while before answering the young woman.
“Meat pie.” He said finally. “One of Ishi’s meat pies.” He reached into a pouch and produced a hand that jingled with coins.
“I think she would rather have one of your wood carvings.” Mayuko said with an impish smile.
Kabane just shook the coins as an answer. Mayuko accepted the coins then pocketed them.
“I’d better hurry if I want to get there before dark.” With that she lengthened her stride and quickly outpaced her companion.
Mayuko arrived at the edge of the settlement, her long shadow lost among those of the trees.
The upper pasture contained a number of stranger’s horses grazing on the lush pasture. Quickening her pace she moved down the rocky path towards the Elder’s Circle. There she saw, to her delight, that indeed newcomers had arrived in town.
Seven strangers were gathered near the Elder’s Circle. Six men and a fox Kami waited patiently. Mayuko did not hesitate to introduce herself. Two of the men had ties to settlements in the area. Takeshi, a chatty man and a sort of elementalist, said he was from the eastern city of Kage. Mayuko recalled that it was a mining town in the foothills near the great volcano. Takeshi and his companions had traveled a great distance from another town she had heard of, but never visited. At first Mayuko mistook their lengthily quest to the mountain village as exclusively directed to find her. It took several clarifying questions before she understood that their quest lay elsewhere and it was her ability to see those from the unseen world that had brought them to her village.
The other Kokorese man, looked to her, to be one of the weaponless. A sort of fighting cult that eschewed crafted weapons in favor of training their bodies to become a weapon. Though he appeared dangerous, his mannerisms were disarming.
A curious looking man in a blue turban who called himself Abu Haasan Mahaad ibn Shazier helped her to understand that they had been traveling toward the capital city of Edarrow and found the highway closed at Castle Mamoru. It was easier to understand that her gift of sight was needed to aid the Lord of the castle to detect Oni than it was for her to pronounce the foreigner’s name.
A tattooed man who introduced himself as Whiskers. The Kami spirit seemed to favor his companionship and was jealous of any attention Mayuko gave him. None-the-less Mayuko discovered from him that he had traveled here from a city full of wizards in a far away land.
The last of the cadre was a man with fey features. At first she thought he was deaf, but quickly learned that he could not speak the tongue of the people. His armor and symbols prominent on his person identified him as a kind of holy warrior.
Excited for the new company, but having errands of her own to complete she excused herself from the assembly and moved deeper into the village.
Mayuko knew that there would be a great feast to honor the visitors. She would have to complete her errands quickly if she were to return in time for the feast.