夢路の帝王. Emperor of the Dream path

Chapter 8 第八章

Kitsune and Hachiman shared a look before turning to us. Someone cleared their throat and we all looked over at Takeo and he said, "Shouldn't we find shelter? It's getting late." Kitsune responded as though he was trying to come out of a daze, "Yes, shelter." Hachiman rolled his eyes and hit Kitsune lightly on the back of his head. Kitsune immediately came out of his daze and I couldn't help but chuckle to myself a little. "Right then. Let's go." said Kitsune. Kitsune walked ahead of us, into the forest. Hachiman followed him. I started to go but Takeo grabbed my arm, stooping me. I looked at him as if to ask what's up, but he dropped his gaze from mine and let go of my arm. "Never mind," he said. He walked ahead of me into the dark forest. I stared at his hunched shoulders and stiff back for a few minutes before I heard Kitsune yell, "Hurry up Yui!" I rolled my eyes but I ran ahead to catch up with the rest of the group. We walked in silence for about an hour. No one mentions how tired we all were. No one spoke of our hunger. We didn't want to break the peacefulness that came from walking through this forest. Wind could be heard rustling the leaves. The gurgling of a soft stream filled the air around us. We even heard the occasional sound of animals running around in the woods. The silence, although peaceful, wouldn't last forever. We are living on borrowed time, none of us is willing to admit it though. Eventually, we saw lights in the distance. We arrived at the source of the light and wow, just wow. Before us lies a beautiful house in a large opening.

Surrounding the house were sticks upright like a fence, weeds, and trees. A small bridge leads the way across a stream of water. The ground-made of earth and the grass was damp and muddy. The sky was a darker shade of gray, and the trees were still dripping water. Before us was a house. Small, yet sizable.

The wooden frame, slightly splintered, held the house up right, the clay looked wet and well washed. The tiles on the roof lead the water down, tile by tile. Drip by drip. The Shoji doors and clay walls under the engawa were dry. A door was cracked ajar by an inch. A kid sat outside on the porch, listening to a windchime that slowly swayed in the wind. "Hey, kid. Are your folks home?" I asked. The kid woke up with a jolt, looked at us wide eyed, and ran inside yelling for his mom. "Mommy! There's strangers outside!" yelled the kid. We heard murmuring and eventually a middle aged woman came out the door.

"I do apologize for my son. He's quite timid. Is there anything I can do for you?" We looked around. Trees were all the eye could see. Hopefully we know how to climb a tree if things get rusty. I looked back at the woman. "We're travelers. We are looking for shelter for the night." It then dawned on me that Hachiman and Kitsune were there but the woman was still looking at me and confused on who else I was gesturing to. Maybe she can't see them. I continued. Trying to brush it off. "We are looking for shelter for the night. Your house was the only area in the vicinity. Is it ok if we camp here just for the day?"

She looked back to her son, then back at us. "Of course! I'm Hima, stay as long as you need, Junpei does need some friends." All of us smiled at us as she guided us inside. She returned the smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Inside was an area where you slip off and put up your shoes. Up one step is the main living area. A white futon lay in the corner in the back, big enough for two people. To the left of it, a wall with a sliding door. "I take it this is the Bed room?" Takeo asks. The woman nodded. Behind the futon was another shoji door. Light was passing through it, natural light. "Is that the door to the back?" I asked. Once again the woman nodded.

She led us to the room left of us. There was an irori. A type of inground hearth. In the hearth was a tea kettle. Steam was still coming out of it, but the fire was smoldering. The condensation on the teapot shone brightly with the little natural light shining through the doors. The woman stops and points to the door next us, once again to the right. "That's the bathroom," she said, quite calmly. "You may stay as long as you'd like!" A smile growing on her face.