man ever reappear, Tonbo san?”
“No, Chiri san. He wanders his own ways, moved by his own moods. But his children are not fickle, nor should they ever be taken lightly.”
The rat suddenly understood.
“The great fox spirit. The thief of heaven!”
“So we believe. It is a tale we tell.” Tonbo gave a gruff nod. “The foxes will tell you that stories have strong shoulders. They carry far more than mere truth ever can.”
Kuno looked at Tonbo in great respect.
“Kitsune Sura is a strange companion to have chosen. You have the patience of a bodhisattva, Tonbo san. You have my deepest respect.”
Tonbo did not answer at first. Instead, he laid out bowls and chopsticks beside the fire.
“I was seven years old, fourth son of the clan chief. I had gone up to the shrine to sacrifice rice balls to Hachiman – the Great Kami Of Warriors! I was full of myself and very fierce. I wanted to be a mighty samurai! But some bullies had another plan…”
Chiri listened, her ears pricking with interest. “ What happened, Tonbo san?”
“Kitsune Sura happened.” Tonbo gave a dark chuckle. “I was preparing to face down six older boys. Mighty would have been the pummelling I would have received! When suddenly – a hornet’s nest came sailing from the trees. It struck my opponents fair and square. They fled at great speed, chased by extremely angry insects.
“And there, sitting in the trees and hooting with laughter – was Sura. Seven years old, all fur, eyes and tail. The terror of the mountain.”
Chiri smiled.
“And so you sacrificed to Hachiman after all?”
“In a sense. We sat down and ate the rice balls together.” Tonbo nodded. “But the God understood. He had brought a gift to me.”
Over in her tangled bed, Sura was sniffing at the delicious scents of breakfast. The smell lifted her up out of bed. The fox opened her eyes, and gave an enormous yawn. Her fangs were very very white.
“Oooh! We have fish?”
Tonbo threw her robes. “Up!”
“I’m up! I’m wild, I’m trained, I’m ready for action.” The fox nuzzled and wiggled inside her clothing. She changed to human form, emerging out through her peach-printed robes to tied them closed, then wind her belt into place. Her long hair tufted out around her like a great weird theatre wig. “See? Ready!”
Tonbo tossed her a hairbrush.
Sura brushed out her long copper-red hair, then combed it – finally tying it back into its white-tipped pony tail – decidedly the hairdo of a hoyden. Leaving her bed in total disarray, she descended on the campfire like a ghoul, taking breakfast into her hands with mad, carnivorous glee. She ate with a rapacity that made Kuno keep his fingers well clear. He lifted his meal away from the fox.
“It is a great improvement over kitsune cooking.”
Sura waved her chopsticks about, perfectly happy.
“It’s fish! I can’t do fish. No legs!”
Enjoying herself thoroughly, the fox paused mid meal to look upon the cook with immense gratitude and benevolence.
“This is so good! Did you catch these?”
Chiri ate with a ladylike grace, using two ebony chopsticks.
“Yes, Sura san. The water spirits do not mind, so long as one is not too greedy.”
“Well its good! Really good!” The fox finished the second half of her meal at a gulp. “Are those sesame seeds?”
“Sesame seeds, grated kiyuzu rind, sansho pepper, ground ginger and hemp seed.” Chiri waved lovingly at the world all around her. “The world provides with generosity for those who love her.”
“A dragon flows effortlessly with the yin and yang. I shall laze upon its back, as safe as though I were in my mother’s arms!” Sura put aside her empty bowl. She leaned over to investigate Chiri’s very grumpy little rock. “So hey! Who are our little friends here? We should be introduced.”
The nezumi girl arrayed her little air and rock elementals side by side before her. Both creatures bowed by way of introduction. Chiri spoke of them with
“No, Chiri san. He wanders his own ways, moved by his own moods. But his children are not fickle, nor should they ever be taken lightly.”
The rat suddenly understood.
“The great fox spirit. The thief of heaven!”
“So we believe. It is a tale we tell.” Tonbo gave a gruff nod. “The foxes will tell you that stories have strong shoulders. They carry far more than mere truth ever can.”
Kuno looked at Tonbo in great respect.
“Kitsune Sura is a strange companion to have chosen. You have the patience of a bodhisattva, Tonbo san. You have my deepest respect.”
Tonbo did not answer at first. Instead, he laid out bowls and chopsticks beside the fire.
“I was seven years old, fourth son of the clan chief. I had gone up to the shrine to sacrifice rice balls to Hachiman – the Great Kami Of Warriors! I was full of myself and very fierce. I wanted to be a mighty samurai! But some bullies had another plan…”
Chiri listened, her ears pricking with interest. “ What happened, Tonbo san?”
“Kitsune Sura happened.” Tonbo gave a dark chuckle. “I was preparing to face down six older boys. Mighty would have been the pummelling I would have received! When suddenly – a hornet’s nest came sailing from the trees. It struck my opponents fair and square. They fled at great speed, chased by extremely angry insects.
“And there, sitting in the trees and hooting with laughter – was Sura. Seven years old, all fur, eyes and tail. The terror of the mountain.”
Chiri smiled.
“And so you sacrificed to Hachiman after all?”
“In a sense. We sat down and ate the rice balls together.” Tonbo nodded. “But the God understood. He had brought a gift to me.”
Over in her tangled bed, Sura was sniffing at the delicious scents of breakfast. The smell lifted her up out of bed. The fox opened her eyes, and gave an enormous yawn. Her fangs were very very white.
“Oooh! We have fish?”
Tonbo threw her robes. “Up!”
“I’m up! I’m wild, I’m trained, I’m ready for action.” The fox nuzzled and wiggled inside her clothing. She changed to human form, emerging out through her peach-printed robes to tied them closed, then wind her belt into place. Her long hair tufted out around her like a great weird theatre wig. “See? Ready!”
Tonbo tossed her a hairbrush.
Sura brushed out her long copper-red hair, then combed it – finally tying it back into its white-tipped pony tail – decidedly the hairdo of a hoyden. Leaving her bed in total disarray, she descended on the campfire like a ghoul, taking breakfast into her hands with mad, carnivorous glee. She ate with a rapacity that made Kuno keep his fingers well clear. He lifted his meal away from the fox.
“It is a great improvement over kitsune cooking.”
Sura waved her chopsticks about, perfectly happy.
“It’s fish! I can’t do fish. No legs!”
Enjoying herself thoroughly, the fox paused mid meal to look upon the cook with immense gratitude and benevolence.
“This is so good! Did you catch these?”
Chiri ate with a ladylike grace, using two ebony chopsticks.
“Yes, Sura san. The water spirits do not mind, so long as one is not too greedy.”
“Well its good! Really good!” The fox finished the second half of her meal at a gulp. “Are those sesame seeds?”
“Sesame seeds, grated kiyuzu rind, sansho pepper, ground ginger and hemp seed.” Chiri waved lovingly at the world all around her. “The world provides with generosity for those who love her.”
“A dragon flows effortlessly with the yin and yang. I shall laze upon its back, as safe as though I were in my mother’s arms!” Sura put aside her empty bowl. She leaned over to investigate Chiri’s very grumpy little rock. “So hey! Who are our little friends here? We should be introduced.”
The nezumi girl arrayed her little air and rock elementals side by side before her. Both creatures bowed by way of introduction. Chiri spoke of them with
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