The Heritage

Chapter 9

Their route quickly turned into a steep climb above the village and rather than tax the animals, they led them on foot over the worst parts. Motaka seemed born to scamper over the treacherous ground, leaping from boulder to tiny hillock with the ease of a squirrel. Jared kept his attention on Kysoo, primed to assist should she make a misstep. The sun reached its apex at the same time as they crested the top of the steep incline and a soft breeze carried the scent of damp grass, earth and dead leaves.

"We will stop here for food." Motaka announced, and immediately led Kysoo to the side of a huge rock, helping her dismount and settling her on a blanket from her pack. With amazing speed, he built and lit a small fire of twigs and grass, adding larger kindling until the fire sustained a steady burn.

Jak and Jared looked at one another, wondering what food he was talking about. They hadn't planned to use their rations so soon. Kysoo opened a paper wrapped package and handed Motaka a small pot, which he filled with water from a pouch and returned, watching her add the contents of the package. He placed it over the fire and covered the top with a lid, squatting down to wait for the contents to cook.

"There will be enough for all," Kysoo said softly to the two Gaijin.

"From that little pot-" Jared began, before Jak clouted him on the arm.

"You are most gracious Kysoo. We thank you." Jak glared at Jared and shoved him to a seat on the ground by the fire.

She suppressed a smile and busied herself with another package that contained small pieces of raw chicken. These she placed in a small, shallow bowl and gave to Motaka who set it on the fire beside the rice. He added some dark liquid from a bottle Kysoo provided, and immediately the chicken began to sizzle. Jak and Jared watched raptly as Motaka added what looked like weeds and strings to the bowl, stirring and tossing the contents constantly.

After a few moments, he shared the food from the pot and the bowl with the others and began eating alongside Kysoo. Jared was again amazed as he watched them eat with the wooden sticks; he and Jak had to make do with their fingers, an uneasy task as the food was very hot. The contents of the pot turned out to be rice, which swelled to enormous proportions from the few grains Kysoo had supplied, and in spite of the awkwardness, the meal was delicious.

"Your father wasn't very- uhm- forthcoming about your family," Jak began, after they were relaxing with hot mugs of tea, "so if it's not rude, may I ask where you people are from?"

Motaka said something that sounded angry but Kysoo placed a hand on his arm and smiled.

"We are called Japan people, Jak-san. We come from across the great sea. My father is a famous sailor in our land."

"You sailed across all that water!" Jared exclaimed.

"My father and others did. Not I, I was born in this land."

"You speak our language very well. Does he- Motaka, speak it too?"

"My brother is learning... but not too quickly." She turned her smile on the angry looking young man and squeezed his arm. "Motaka has little love for Gaijin- round eyes, or white man. We have been in constant battle with your race."

"Why? What do you fight about?"

"What all men fight about-greed. Greed for land. Greed for money. Greed for power." She began gathering up the dishes and cups, rinsing them from the water pouch and drying them on a soft looking cloth from her pack. "It has taken a long time, but my family have finally established roots in the village we just left. We now manage to make our lives with fishing and small trade along the coast. The pirates no longer bother our boats."

"You mean Gaspar?"

"The man with one hand, yes. My father taught him some lessons about sea battles and he has learned to stay away. We still do a little trade with him, but he is not welcome in our village." Motaka muttered something in an angry manner and stood, pointing to the horses. "My brother wishes to move on. I offer humble apology for his manner." There was another outburst from Motaka, silenced by one equally gruff from his sister. "He is my father, I am as my haha."

"Haha?" Jared asked.

Kysoo blushed. "I forget word. Your uhm- okâsan."

"Mother?" Jak ventured.

"Yes! Yes, mother. Very good, Jak-san." She gave him a brilliant smile. "We should resume our journey now, I think."

*****

The afternoon posed a much easier trek. Rolling fields of wheat-like grass, that swayed like the swells of the ocean as they passed through, stretched before them almost to the horizon, ending abruptly at the base of a tree studded mountain. The sun, that had promised a pleasantly warm afternoon, faded in intensity and dipped in and out of the increasingly heavy clouds.

"This plain won't provide much shelter if we are caught in a storm," Jak said, pointing at the sky.

"We must get to the tree line before it breaks." Kysoo called to Motaka, issuing what sounded like a sharp command and the young man halted, waiting for them to catch up. There was a brief, heated exchange between them before Kysoo asked Jak if Motaka could ride with him to help make speed. Her pony was too small for two.

A surly Motaka swung up behind Jak, keeping as far away as possible and gripping the saddle instead of Jak's back. A low rumble erupted from the clouds to their back and a few seconds later they could see the grey mist of rain streaking down at a steep angle. A brisk wind swept across the plain, flattening the grass and causing their eyes to water, as they spurred the horses into a gallop toward the trees.

Motaka banged Jak on the shoulder and pointed to an opening in the tree line as a jagged yellow string shot down from the sky, followed by the crash of thunder. The riders pressed on, driven by the loud wet sigh of the rain wall chasing them. Jak galloped from the plain into the trees and immediately reined in his horse, pivoting and rearing up, dumping Makota harshly to the ground. Kysoo and Jared followed, partially soaked and unaware that Jak had stopped. Their ponies nearly trampled the fallen Motaka and bumped roughly into Jak's horse.

"Wha- what happened?" Jared yelled over the noise of the rain.

Kysoo was struggling to manage her pony, her face a pasty white as she looked beyond the entrance to the trees. Jak was helping a grateful Motaka to his feet and trying to steady Kysoo's mount, shouting to Jared to look behind.

Lashed by the arms and legs between two trees across the path, the body of a man quivered in the wind from the storm. Blood soaked the front of his bare chest and ran in rivulets down his front onto the wet ground. Jared gasped as his pony nervously sidestepped closer; the man's eyes were missing.

"Hurry, over there beneath those pines." Jak steered the group to the thick, broad shelter of a huge Spruce tree, tethering the animals and dragging their packs in out of the rain.

Motaka was holding his sister, the two of them rocking together in noticeable grief. "Kysoo, what does this mean? Do you know that man?" She let out a helpless sob, nodding and covering her eyes with her fingers.

"He is- was our mother's assistant." Motaka drifted his eyes across the hideous sight behind them. "This is a message to you, Gaijin." Horror and fear filled his eyes.

"To us! What's he talki-"

Jak silenced Jared with a look and moved him away with a nod of his head. They sat together against the trunk of the tree, watching the brother and sister console one another.

"Why is that a message to us?" Jared whispered anxiously.

"I don't know, but it might have something to do with our mission. Don't say any more right now; I think something might have happened to their mother. When the storm passes and things settle a bit, we'll see what we can find out."