The Eye of the Kami

She stayed in the room for an entire day without moving, barely thinking, until Kondo came over to her and sat down, eyeing her with a look of disdain.

“What do you want?” she finally asked, growing uncomfortable under his gaze.

“You have hardly twitched since we left land. I wanted to make sure you were still alive.”

She glared at him but said nothing.

“I want you to go out and get some food below deck. You will be quite safe. I have told the men what would happen to them if they bothered you.”

She bowed her head sarcastically. “No thank you.”

“I’m not giving you the option,” he said, this time firmly. “Remember what I said when we first met. I will not allow you to die.”

At this, she sat up and looked at him. “Where are we going?” It was a direct question, and it took him off guard. He seemed to waver, wondering whether he should answer truthfully.

“I’m on a ship,” she stated. “There isn’t much chance for me to escape. If you tell me where we are going, I’ll go and get some food.”

Kondo nodded, accepting her bargain. “So be it. We’re headed for the New Capital if you must know.”

“The New Capital,” she thought. “He means Mashige City. It used to be the stronghold of the Mashige clan, before Mashige Hideyo, the current Shōgun, came to power. After he had won the war, he began transferring power from the Old Capital, which lay in the very heart of Nakashima, to his ancestral home on the east coast. It was a bold move, as the Old Capital had been the seat of power since the time of the Emperors. But it was also a clever move, for he knew his lands best, and instead of being surrounded on all sides, he had the sea at his back to protect him.”

“How long will it take to get there?” she asked.

“About a week, if we continue to get fair winds.”

“What will happen to me once we get there?” she continued, venturing into dangerous territory.

Kondo paused, considering for a moment. “We’ll both find that out when we arrive.”

“Will I meet the person who hired you, the one who wants to kill my father?” This time she had gone too far.

Her captor scowled. “I answered enough of your questions! Now go get some food!” There was an edge in his voice that warned her that she should obey.

She stood, made for the door, and slid it open to reveal the bright light of day. She was surprised, for even as she stepped into the rising summer sun, it felt quite mild. The cool breeze of the ocean greeted her and blew ripples in her worn and stained kimono. The deck was teeming with the crew who moved about, concentrating on their own tasks. Few paused to notice her, and those who did quickly diverted their eyes. Kondo’s threat must have been quite severe.

Yuki suddenly realized that this was the first time she had ever been on a real ship before. About ten years ago, she had crossed the strait in an old junk, but that kind of thing could barely stay above water, and it hardly felt like they were moving at all. This was her first time cruising fast on the open ocean, without any land in sight. She felt a mixture of fear and exhilaration.

She then took in her immediate surroundings. Kondo’s room was towards the bow, while the captain’s quarters were across the ship towards the stern. This meant that Kondo had the highest place of honor on the ship, second only to the captain himself. She admired the tall wooden beams that were used for the masts and the rectangular billowing sails that flapped in the wind. She turned and walked towards the side of the ship. She needed to stop now and again to get her sea legs under her, but she soon was able to steady herself. She leaned on the wooden railing and peered out into the formidable vastness of the ocean, and the indigo hue of its depths. The foam of the waves sprayed up from below, and it felt as if she were flying atop the clouds.

“Careful lassie,” a voice suddenly came from over her shoulder.

Yuki whirled around to see a shirtless man with a pipe in his mouth. His skin was browned from time spent under the sun, and he was completely bald, though he was not so old, perhaps in his thirties. His sinewy limbs showed that he had pulled lines since his youth, but his belly also revealed that he had in recent years enjoyed a bit too much sake and rice.

“Who are you?” she asked instinctively.

“Well, I’d be the captain, Yoko’s the name,” he replied with a toothy grin. “Your friend told me to keep an eye out for you, make sure you didn’t do anythin’ rash.”

“We are not friends,” she said, frowning.

“Ha! I assumed that to be the case, beggin’ your pardon.”

Yuki granted him a dismissive nod.

“Anyways, it’s not very often we get a woman aboard this ship. I can’t think of the last time we had one out on the open waters. Sure, they come aboard when we make port but, well it’s a different thing I suppose.”

Yuki stared at him. “What is he going on about?” she wondered.

“Well, right, I apologize if the men seem a bit abrupt with you or sharp, they might think that it's bad luck to have a lady aboard, though I don’t personally fall in for such nonsense. Others haven’t seen their wives in quite a while so they might be a bit ornery. But the rules are set, and you have free reign as a guest aboard this ship, so as long as you keep your head, you’ll come to no ‘arm.”

“Thank you,” Yuki said quietly. This man had every right to treat her with contempt, but for some reason, he was acting generously to her. “Does this ship have a name?” she asked, forcing a small smile.

“Why of course! Every good ship should have a name. Even bad ones should have them too. This is the Hino, named after a very lovely lady I once met back in the Old Capital. She told me she was a princess, and I took her word for it. I never saw her again after that, but her memory is still sweet to this day.”

“Is this your ship?”

“That it is, and a rare thing too with the Shōgun and his daimyō buying up vessels like confections at a festival. They’re converting them into warships since most of the old galleys were sunk over the course of the war. The Hino is a ship built for speed, not battle, and though she’s been in a tight spot or two, her speed has saved us before all else. We work freelance, usually transporting important persons, messages, or cargo. During the war, I built up quite a small fortune getting messages from one place to the other and bought the Hino towards the end of it all, though business has not been as good as of late to tell you the truth.”

She could not help but admire this man’s candor, but her train of thought was suddenly broken by the sound of her stomach growling. Captain Yoko noticed it as well.

“Well, I’ll be! You must be starved! Come with me below deck, I’ll get Cookie to make you something nice and hot!”

Yukiana did not refuse. She was hungry, and if this was going to be the way of things, she needed to keep up her strength. She did not know what tomorrow would bring, and though it was likely that it would only get worse, she had to keep on fighting.

She went below deck and had a nice hot meal, which was surprisingly tasty for being aboard a ship. The men scattered around the mess hall glared at her silently, but as long as she was with the captain and under the protection of Kondo, she did not pay them any mind. She spent the rest of the day wandering the ship, mostly above deck, and talking to a few members of the crew who seemed friendly. They told her many things about the inner workings of the ship, how to navigate on the waters, and about life on the sea. Some of the things were far beyond her, but as a person who enjoyed maritime stories, she listened intently. Soon the sun began to set in the sky and turned the clouds bright orange and yellow. She watched the sunset for quite some time, wondering where her father was in the midst of all of this. Eventually, fatigue hit her, and she returned to Kondo’s quarters. He was busy cleaning his sword and paid little attention to her other than to ask if she had eaten.

She laid down on the floor, rolled once or twice, and soon succumbed to a heavy sleep.