keep deer there and have hunting parties.” “Look!” He whispered suddenly.
She followed his gaze with her own and was delighted to see a small deer on the slope above them. As she watched Fujito came closer and put his arm around her shoulders.
“It‟s not often you see deer at night.” He told her. “She probably was in search of food.”
They were silent for a while, enjoying each other‟s company then Fujito said, “And this might be our last warm night for a while. We head into the mountains tomorrow. It‟ll be a steep climb but we‟ll be fine.” He assured her. “Will we have to stay in the mountains?” She asked, a little fearful. “I‟d like to, as long as we can. It‟s better that we don‟t reach Kamikochi until the snow blocks off the road.” He kissed her temple. “If we get there too soon they couldfigure out that‟s where we are and come after us. But if we get there just as the roads areblocked with the first heavy snow fall they won‟t have a chance of making it until April.”
Katharine was glad he used western terminology for months and times. Japanese ways of counting the hours and marking days and months was very difficult. But whatworried her was that they might be too early getting to Kamikochi or worse, too late.
The next day was sunny, but there was a stiff breeze from the West. “It could mean bad weather.” Fujito told her, securing his pack.
As the trail made its ascent, the breeze became a wind. Katharine felt secure until the shelter of rock fell away on one side, leaving them exposed to the possibility of falling. She glanced over the side.
“Don‟t look down.” He said, more sharply than he‟d intended.
“I‟m sorry, Fujito-Sama.” She said meekly.
He stopped, turned and retraced his steps where he had gone ahead of her. “No, Koibito .” He took her hands in his. “It is I who am sorry. I shouldn‟t have spoken harshly. Please forgive me? It was only my fear of losing you that caused me todo so.”
“Yes.” She smiled into his warm brown eyes. “I do forgive you, Isamu.” “Oh, my koibito .” He whispered, pulling her into his arms. He buried his head in the crook of her neck.
“Excuse me, Isamu San but if we aren‟t careful we‟ll both be lost.” Raising his head he laughed so that it echoed back through the two sides of rock behind them.
Where the trail was wide enough, he held her hand as she walked beside him. When she had to walk behind him, it was only a few paces back.
The wind increased as the incline of the terrain. The coldness of it froze her cheek and cut through the thin material of her kimono like a knife.
Just as they turned a bend on a particularly narrow stretch of path, the wind gusted across knocking Katharine off balance. Fujito had almost turned into the wider tract but he felt the gust and was close enough to hear her gasp. He turned in time to see her fall
and get blown by another wind shear as she grabbed for a handhold. “ISAMU!” She screamed.
Her feet slid over the muddy path as she continued to grope for something to stop her fall.
When he reached her, she was clawing the earth desperate for anything to break her fall. Once more and the sand would crumble beneath her fingers sending her to her death.
Fujito knelt close enough for his arm to extend to her but far enough away so that he wouldn‟t get pulled with her. The wind gusted again. He balled his free hand into a fist, jammed it into a nearby hole in the earth to steady himself, and extended his other arm out over the side of the ledge.
On her last desperate attempt, she grabbed something solid. It was Fujito‟s arm. Her body shook with tears of relief.
“Don‟t cry now, Katsuko.” Fujito shouted over the wind. “I‟m going to pull you up. Hang on tight.”
She felt herself being pulled up and instinctively reached out with her other arm. When she was close enough he held it fast and pulled her away from danger. He drew herinto his arms. “Now you can cry.”
She followed his gaze with her own and was delighted to see a small deer on the slope above them. As she watched Fujito came closer and put his arm around her shoulders.
“It‟s not often you see deer at night.” He told her. “She probably was in search of food.”
They were silent for a while, enjoying each other‟s company then Fujito said, “And this might be our last warm night for a while. We head into the mountains tomorrow. It‟ll be a steep climb but we‟ll be fine.” He assured her. “Will we have to stay in the mountains?” She asked, a little fearful. “I‟d like to, as long as we can. It‟s better that we don‟t reach Kamikochi until the snow blocks off the road.” He kissed her temple. “If we get there too soon they couldfigure out that‟s where we are and come after us. But if we get there just as the roads areblocked with the first heavy snow fall they won‟t have a chance of making it until April.”
Katharine was glad he used western terminology for months and times. Japanese ways of counting the hours and marking days and months was very difficult. But whatworried her was that they might be too early getting to Kamikochi or worse, too late.
The next day was sunny, but there was a stiff breeze from the West. “It could mean bad weather.” Fujito told her, securing his pack.
As the trail made its ascent, the breeze became a wind. Katharine felt secure until the shelter of rock fell away on one side, leaving them exposed to the possibility of falling. She glanced over the side.
“Don‟t look down.” He said, more sharply than he‟d intended.
“I‟m sorry, Fujito-Sama.” She said meekly.
He stopped, turned and retraced his steps where he had gone ahead of her. “No, Koibito .” He took her hands in his. “It is I who am sorry. I shouldn‟t have spoken harshly. Please forgive me? It was only my fear of losing you that caused me todo so.”
“Yes.” She smiled into his warm brown eyes. “I do forgive you, Isamu.” “Oh, my koibito .” He whispered, pulling her into his arms. He buried his head in the crook of her neck.
“Excuse me, Isamu San but if we aren‟t careful we‟ll both be lost.” Raising his head he laughed so that it echoed back through the two sides of rock behind them.
Where the trail was wide enough, he held her hand as she walked beside him. When she had to walk behind him, it was only a few paces back.
The wind increased as the incline of the terrain. The coldness of it froze her cheek and cut through the thin material of her kimono like a knife.
Just as they turned a bend on a particularly narrow stretch of path, the wind gusted across knocking Katharine off balance. Fujito had almost turned into the wider tract but he felt the gust and was close enough to hear her gasp. He turned in time to see her fall
and get blown by another wind shear as she grabbed for a handhold. “ISAMU!” She screamed.
Her feet slid over the muddy path as she continued to grope for something to stop her fall.
When he reached her, she was clawing the earth desperate for anything to break her fall. Once more and the sand would crumble beneath her fingers sending her to her death.
Fujito knelt close enough for his arm to extend to her but far enough away so that he wouldn‟t get pulled with her. The wind gusted again. He balled his free hand into a fist, jammed it into a nearby hole in the earth to steady himself, and extended his other arm out over the side of the ledge.
On her last desperate attempt, she grabbed something solid. It was Fujito‟s arm. Her body shook with tears of relief.
“Don‟t cry now, Katsuko.” Fujito shouted over the wind. “I‟m going to pull you up. Hang on tight.”
She felt herself being pulled up and instinctively reached out with her other arm. When she was close enough he held it fast and pulled her away from danger. He drew herinto his arms. “Now you can cry.”
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