she wanted was some answers. There was one man in town who knew the thrush better than anyone: Sesshu Tomo. Word was he was back for a few days, and if anyone knew about Jin’s life outside of the city's walls it was him.
The door to the inn was open. All the windows were boarded shut from the outside. And no light dared enter inside. The attendant on duty was an old friend of Yuri’s. Good, she hated talking to her boss. She approached the counter. Her friend smiled and asked her how long she would be staying. It seemed the room was dark enough where the scar over Yuri's chin didn’t attract so much attention and give her away. When she didn’t respond, the girl leaned in closer. She squinted until … She gasped almost knocking a cup of sake on Yuri.
“Lady Kanrei,” she said, bowing. “Apologies. I didn’t recognize you at first.”
“It’s fine.”
“What can I do for you? I mean, I assume you came here for a reason.” She placed a hand to her mouth and gasped. “Does this have something to do with the shogun’s death?”
Yuri arched her eyebrows. “What makes you say that?”
“Then the rumors are true?”
Gossip and half-truths were what Sakuko fed off of. She claimed it even saved her life at one point. Yuri didn’t believe a word of it, but humored her. She always had information. Perhaps it was a lie, perhaps not. The only way to know was to ask her outright.
“What can you tell me about him?” she asked.
Sakuko leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. “Jin’s a Tzensu.”
Yuri leaned back and looked down at the crumpled painting of the thrush and frowned. Steeling herself, she looked her friend straight in the eyes and demanded to know who started the rumors. The girl pointed to a room.
“It's Sesshu. He's in there if you want to talk to him.”
“Sesshu?” Yuri asked.
The girl nodded. “He’s been staying with us since Lord Jin’s death.”
Yuri rubbed her chin. The timing was convenient, but why would Sesshu want to kill his former student? What did he have to gain from it? She shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. Jin committed seppuku. The question on her mind should be why, not who? But what if Shinobu is right? That would make Sesshu Tomo a suspect now.
She approached the door, waiting a few seconds before tapping on the wood.
“Come in,” a voice said from the other side.
Yuri entered the room. Sesshu’s candlelight made her eyes narrow. So much light came from the room she had to avert her gaze. The brightness fell after a few seconds and Yuri saw Sesshu Tomo sitting cross-legged and in front of a scroll wet with ink. The painting was of a short-winged thrush. Or at least, that’s what she thought it looked like.
The technique he used was a mystery to Yuri. The ink splotches were applied without rhyme or reason to create a mess which could be interpreted as anything.
Sesshu turned and smiled. “What can I do for you, Lady Kanrei?”
“Do you know anything about Jin’s death? Something which might hint that …”
“He was murdered?”
“Yes,” Yuri said, nodding. “Do you know anything?”
“I was wondering when you’d be coming here? You are lucky. This was my last day in town. Now then, what do you want to know?”
“I guess … well, do you think Jin was murdered?”
“Yes, but by who I do not know. His beliefs make him a target for anyone with a grudge against the Tsenzu. But you must already know this. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here, asking for my help.”
Yuri paused, thinking. Jin was a Tsenzu? No, that couldn’t be right. Lord Kasaju was strict when it came to religious practice inside the city walls. How did Sesshu know about Jin’s supposed affiliation with the Tsenzu? What did he mean by her already knowing about Jin’s religious practices? She’d never seen him practice once. Not even the mandatory one implemented by his father.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re referring
The door to the inn was open. All the windows were boarded shut from the outside. And no light dared enter inside. The attendant on duty was an old friend of Yuri’s. Good, she hated talking to her boss. She approached the counter. Her friend smiled and asked her how long she would be staying. It seemed the room was dark enough where the scar over Yuri's chin didn’t attract so much attention and give her away. When she didn’t respond, the girl leaned in closer. She squinted until … She gasped almost knocking a cup of sake on Yuri.
“Lady Kanrei,” she said, bowing. “Apologies. I didn’t recognize you at first.”
“It’s fine.”
“What can I do for you? I mean, I assume you came here for a reason.” She placed a hand to her mouth and gasped. “Does this have something to do with the shogun’s death?”
Yuri arched her eyebrows. “What makes you say that?”
“Then the rumors are true?”
Gossip and half-truths were what Sakuko fed off of. She claimed it even saved her life at one point. Yuri didn’t believe a word of it, but humored her. She always had information. Perhaps it was a lie, perhaps not. The only way to know was to ask her outright.
“What can you tell me about him?” she asked.
Sakuko leaned in closer to whisper in her ear. “Jin’s a Tzensu.”
Yuri leaned back and looked down at the crumpled painting of the thrush and frowned. Steeling herself, she looked her friend straight in the eyes and demanded to know who started the rumors. The girl pointed to a room.
“It's Sesshu. He's in there if you want to talk to him.”
“Sesshu?” Yuri asked.
The girl nodded. “He’s been staying with us since Lord Jin’s death.”
Yuri rubbed her chin. The timing was convenient, but why would Sesshu want to kill his former student? What did he have to gain from it? She shook her head. She was getting ahead of herself. Jin committed seppuku. The question on her mind should be why, not who? But what if Shinobu is right? That would make Sesshu Tomo a suspect now.
She approached the door, waiting a few seconds before tapping on the wood.
“Come in,” a voice said from the other side.
Yuri entered the room. Sesshu’s candlelight made her eyes narrow. So much light came from the room she had to avert her gaze. The brightness fell after a few seconds and Yuri saw Sesshu Tomo sitting cross-legged and in front of a scroll wet with ink. The painting was of a short-winged thrush. Or at least, that’s what she thought it looked like.
The technique he used was a mystery to Yuri. The ink splotches were applied without rhyme or reason to create a mess which could be interpreted as anything.
Sesshu turned and smiled. “What can I do for you, Lady Kanrei?”
“Do you know anything about Jin’s death? Something which might hint that …”
“He was murdered?”
“Yes,” Yuri said, nodding. “Do you know anything?”
“I was wondering when you’d be coming here? You are lucky. This was my last day in town. Now then, what do you want to know?”
“I guess … well, do you think Jin was murdered?”
“Yes, but by who I do not know. His beliefs make him a target for anyone with a grudge against the Tsenzu. But you must already know this. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here, asking for my help.”
Yuri paused, thinking. Jin was a Tsenzu? No, that couldn’t be right. Lord Kasaju was strict when it came to religious practice inside the city walls. How did Sesshu know about Jin’s supposed affiliation with the Tsenzu? What did he mean by her already knowing about Jin’s religious practices? She’d never seen him practice once. Not even the mandatory one implemented by his father.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t know what you’re referring
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