Where the Reeds Grow Thick

Chapter Four

Shige awoke to the sounds of coughing and children's whining voices. In the pitch dark of the cave, she tried to cover her ears and go back to sleep, but the sound bounced deep along the rocky walls. In a futile effort, she bunched her coverlet around her shoulders.

"Big Sister," Sachi whispered beside her. "I'm thirsty. My chest hurts."

"It's because we're so high up in the mountain," Shige whispered back. "It's alright. Ask Mother if she has a water skin."

Sachi nodded and wiggled over to where their mother slept. "Mother, can I have some water?" Shige heard her sister say.

Whatever the answer, Shige didn't care; she snuggled back under her coverlet, ignoring the rocky ground. The temperature was cool in the cave, but it clung to the air with moisture, seeping into her skin. She envied the soldiers invading her warm town below.

She wished she knew how long the villagers would hide here, how long they'd be without word of their husbands and sons; it was suspiciously quiet outside.

As Sachi again asked for water, an old man rose from his slumber with a grunt. "If you don't shut up that kid, I will!" he shouted.

"You're not talking to your wife, sir," her mother said softly. "Don't shout. I'll go find a river, Sachi-chan."

Knowing she'd never get back to sleep, Shige sat up. "I'll go instead."

"Really? No, I'm older; I should go."

Shige was already folding her bedroll. "Oh no, Mother, I've already folded my futon! Now I'll just have to get up. Ah, too bad."

Taking Sachi by the hand, Shige walked from the cave. The sky was still purple-black as the sun rose, warblers and grosbeaks singing softly in the bushes. Shige laced her fingers with Sachi's to be safe.

"Don't let go of my hand, alright?" Shige said with a nudge to her sister's hip. Assuming Sachi nodded, Shige bounded forward.

She could smell the rocky outcrop where the bamboo grove grew; near it, there was surely a stream or river. Heading west, she followed the scent. "Do you know the scent of water, Sachi-chan?" she said.

"Like in the well?"

"Like in a river. Smell something like metal in the air? That's river water, got it? If it smells like dirt, it isn't good to drink."

A gust of wind whipped over the forest, muddling the scent. Still, Shige knew where to walk by now. Daylight brushed across the valley below, the little stave of her village hidden in the trees. Thank its luck, there was no black smoke from cannon fire, at least.

As daylight reached the mountain, the little peaks of the bamboo shoots came into view. A little stream babbled unseen, and Shige pulled Sachi along toward it.

"We found a stream," said Shige. "Fill up your water skin, and I'll come back with a pot later."

The sisters sat by the stream for a moment, enjoying the forest's calm. Sachi drank until her little belly was full, and Shige washed her face.

The sound of rustling leaves interrupted their calm, and Shige grabbed Sachi to her chest. "If it's a bear, pretend you are dead," Shige whispered. Bamboo creaked beneath someone's feet, a man's voice called out in pain. Shige remained silent and put her hand over Sachi's mouth; Sachi's frightened tears pooled on Shige's knuckles.

"Who's there?" Shige called. "I have a knife, and I'll kill you if you attack!"

A moment passed in silence, breath like fire in Shige's lungs. In two large steps, a man approached from behind the bush. Shige stood, nudging Sachi behind her in one swift movement. The man was older, of average height, dressed in the simple short jacket of a commoner; his legs, bare in the mountain cold, shivered pitifully. Most strikingly, his skin was deeply pitted, clearly a survivor of illness.