Emperor of the Eight Islands: Book 1 in the Tale of Shikanoko (The Tale of Shikanoko series) by Lian Hearn Page A

despite the winter sun, which had broken through the cloud cover and shone for a short while before dropping behind the mountains in the west. He would not get back before dark. The only vessel he had to carry water was the small bamboo flask. He found some roots of water plants, and a crab under a stone, and ate them both raw. Risu lay down and he settled beside her, his head on her belly. All night he was tormented by the idea of cutting her throat and drinking the warm blood. In the morning she looked at him reproachfully as though she knew what he was thinking.
    He mounted Nyorin and set off back over the ridge. He shot and wounded a hare on the slope and spent some time tracking it down. It took longer to get back and darkness overtook him again before he came to the clearing. He could smell the smoke and see the flames. His heart swelled with relief. If the fire was still alight, Sesshin was probably still alive.
    The old man stirred at Shika’s approach but did not seem able to speak. Shika dripped some water into his mouth and set about skinning the hare. After feeding Sesshin he held him in his arms all night, trying to keep him warm. In the morning he seemed a little better, but still could not move.
    The next day Shika let the horses go, still saddled, for there was no way he could carry their harness. He and Sesshin could share the water he had brought if they rationed themselves, but the horses had to drink. They grazed in the clearing for a while, keeping an eye on him, and then they wandered away. For a while he heard the noise of their progress through the woods, then silence returned. He hoped they would wait for him at the waterfall, but he couldn’t help fearing he would not see them again.
    Sesshin slowly recovered. Shika lost count of the days, but one afternoon Sesshin said, “I am sorry to have to tell you this, but someone is following us, guided by werehawks.”
    Shika listened, but could hear nothing beyond the usual sounds of the forest. A wood pigeon was calling monotonously and the wind rustled the beeches.
    “How can you tell?”
    “I heard twigs break, and the cry of the birds.”
    “How could you? I can’t hear anything, with younger and sharper ears.”
    “Once I underwent a ritual that was meant to give me farsight, so I could see into distant places. It failed, for reasons connected with the nature of light, but when I recovered I found my hearing had increased a hundredfold. It was something of a burden—you may have noticed I used to plug my ears with wax—but now I am blind, it will prove very useful. This is why you should never concern yourself over your fate; everything follows the laws of destiny and therefore happens for a purpose.”
    “So, are we going to let this person, whoever it is, capture us, or is it our fate to escape?”
    “I think we should make every effort not to be taken by one of the Prince Abbot’s monks,” Sesshin said, struggling to his feet. “I don’t relish that prospect at all.”
    “But can you walk?”
    “I will lean on your shoulder.”
    They made a slow, painful progress up the slope toward the top of the ridge. Shika could see where the horses had been before them, the broken branches where they had torn at leaves, their hoofprints in the soft earth. When they came to the summit he spotted Nyorin’s white coat through the leaves below. They had found their way down to the waterfall and were still there. His heart filled with joy, and he let out a loud whistle. Nyorin whinnied in reply, echoed by the mare.
    A bird shrieked above him.
    “Hurry,” Sesshin said. “They are here.”
    Pulling the old man after him, Shika half-slid, half-scrambled down the slope. The birds swooped over his head twice, then circled away, calling loudly. When they reached the bottom, Sesshin was trembling with fatigue. The horses trotted up to them, happy to see Shika. Risu’s saddle had slipped around her belly and Nyorin had broken his reins. Shika quickly