Where the Reeds Grow Thick

Chapter 11

Takuma and Shige headed off on their journey. He was silent for the walk, and Shige was grateful for the reprieve. Her mind was filled with worry, and her fingers sought the prayer beads in her pocket.

"I apologize for yelling at you this morning," Takuma said quietly. "This war is not easily understood even by nobility, and I shouldn't expect you to understand the minds of generals."

Shige inched her pack up her shoulders. "You didn't yell. It's alright; I undermined you. That's the term, right? Undermine?"

Takuma laughed sardonically. "You can't undermine someone in the same rank. I need to get used to being with other peasants again."

They walked on and Shige watched Takuma in silence. He'd gained strength in his limbs since she'd first found him on the mountain, and his scraggly stubble had grown into a thick beard on his face. She was glad he seemed to be thriving, even if tensions kept him on edge.

Shige tucked her hands underneath her armpits, and her thoughts turned to Hina. She'd been kind to Shige, and she'd almost seemed grateful that Shige was there. Her eyes shone with a new light, almost as if she hadn't been defeated.

"How long do you think the war will last?" Shige asked.

"The generals are saying about a year," Takuma replied.

"Maybe less if the bandit groups start helping."

Takuma shook his head. "The footsoldiers are little more than bandits as it is, remember? Real bandits would send the whole operation into total destruction."

Takuma kept walking and Shige followed. The two continued in silence, focusing on the road ahead.

Shige thought about the villages she'd visited. Part of her was frightened, but another part of her felt at peace. Hina had looked at her and Takuma as equals. She'd treated them well, and she'd thanked them. Shige had never met someone as brave as Hina, and she hoped she didn't need to be as brave as her.

Down the road, they met with a traveling merchant and convinced him to give them a ride to Kyōto.

It wasn't long before the streets of Kyōto surrounded them and they reached a teahouse, sandwiched between a market stall and an inn. Shige sold the rest of her father's mementos to the merchant, pained to part with them, but knowing war was no time for sentimentality.

Standing in the street as the merchant left, the stark surroundings gave her pause. She'd expected a bustling city, but what met them was a vast landscape of disrepair, small huts and rubble dotting the landscape as far as the eye could see. Most notably, it seemed devoid of people, save some far-off children playing or the occasional cart-driver passing by.

"What happened here?" she asked.

"The footsoldiers burned down everything," Takuma said shortly. "They weren't ordered to, but both sides found it convenient to fight in the city with everything gone. There was so much ash in the air for a year."

Shige nodded, hoping the citizens were able to relocate before all the razing began.

As they approached the teahouse, Shige took note of the customers. Samurai and middle-class citizens sat at the tables, drinking tea or resting their feet. Some were playing Go while others were whispering to one another. Shige pulled her shoulders back and walked with her head high as she entered the wooden building with Takuma.

"Welcome, welcome,"said the small man behind the reception desk. "What can I get you?"

"A pot of tea for two, please," said Takuma, placing the money on the table. "And hot sake for me."