Utsushiyo Monogatari: Crimson Shadow

Chapter One : Others

"How is she, Grandmother Ai?", Ichirō gazed pitifully at the curled up ball of a body with grave concern. No more younger than his own ten year old sister, the tiny body of a young female laid curled up fast asleep. Her formerly blood soaked face and clothes removed, revealed a pale but cherubic face and her dishevelled hair was now untangled. On his way to the towering mountain for herb picking,  the curious young man had taken the liberty of making enquiries at each village he passed. No one had lost a child. A wrinkled hand held out a wooden cup of odd smelling brew for him to quench his thirst. Ichiro grimaced as he gulped down the less than appetising concoction. A small cough turned into a gag as an annoyed Ai glared icily at him. Her medicinal brews were famed for its healing powers at the sacrificial price of taste.  

"Strangely...", the stern old woman paused thoughtfully. "I wonder where the blood came from. She had no injuries...it is very strange indeed."  

"Oh", he acknowledged. Ai hastily gestured towards his basket of freshly picked ground roots which he quickly offered to her. She took one in her hand and dusted off the brownish cakes of mud tangled in its roots. Inspecting it carefully, her finger gingerly pointed to the space near the makeshift fireplace. 

"This child...is not us," Ai muttered under her breath as her head turned quickly towards the abrupt speech from the now agitated girl. Dream talking again, still in her sleep. The language was not intelligible at all. 

"Perhaps from the Eastern side of the mountain...," Ichirō offered freely. 

Ai shook her head. The people of the Eastern side still could be understood. The young man had much to learn beyond the mountain which had peacefully sheltered their village along with others. 

"She is not us..."

Despite being puzzled by her repetition, he still knew better than to ask the healer. Ai could speak in circles at times but the look on her face told him enough. Ichirō took a step towards the direction of the girl but Ai reached out for his arm swiftly, pulling him back. 

"You better go...," Ai gave him a cursory wave. He quickly bowed to Ai before making his way out of the wooden hut.  

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"Issei, look at the shape of the leaves on this plant. Remember what this is for," Ai passed the plant to Issei as her eyes studied the  intense concentration on the young girl's face in the open fields near their wooden ramshackled hut. The skies were clear and a light breeze playfully tousled their hair. Issei's dark brown eyes greatly troubled her. Ai could sense that there was a seemingly old and ancient air of presence around the young one. 

"Yes...shiso. Breathing...um...vomiting stop....um...muscle ache," Issei answered hesitantly in a frown as she struggled with correct words in Ai's language. Ai nodded patiently to her correct answers. Despite persistent language barrier, Issei progressed quickly than expected in the studies of herbs. Even more so than Hana, Ichiro's sister. 

Three moons have passed peacefully and her mysterious charge had quickly adapted to the slow village life. Still, young Issei appeared to retain no memories except for an odd language before her village arrival. The meaning of her name was first generation (一世). Seemingly an act of kindness on their part to give her a name, Ai knew deep down that it had a directly opposite intention. If the adults were bad enough, their children were no better. 

At first, it started with pelting of small stones by the little monsters. Issei took it with stride then her injuries grew from small reddish marks to bruises from bigger stones. The parents could only apologetically promise to watch more carefully. The harsh reality of a small farming village was that it happened when the adults were in the field. Even little Hana, Ichiro's sister, was caught in the crossfire, wailing pitifully as Issei with larger injuries remained stoically silent. The village children sought safety in numbers to be that obnoxious. To ensure both girls' safety, Ai could only take them into the fields with her.