The Twelve Kingdoms: Shadow of the Moon

because you needed something to wear?"
    The plainness of the question left Youko too bewildered to reply. The woman took her silence as a yes. She moved from the doorway into the room. "I keep the clothes over here." She went over to the bed next to Youko, knelt down and drew back the quilt, revealing a drawer underneath. "That box there is for old things I don't need anymore, like for my child that died."
    She opened the drawer and took out an outfit. "What kind of clothes do you like, then? Don't have much else besides my own." She looked up at Youko. Youko stared back at her. When she didn't answer, the woman held up a kimono. "Too bad my daughter died so young. These are all pretty plain."
    "Why . . . " Youko blurted out. Why didn't this woman sound the alarm? Why didn't she run away?
    "Why, you ask?" the woman said, turning to Youko. Youko found herself at a loss for words. The woman laughed, a bit stiffly, resumed laying out the kimono. "You come from Hairou?"
    "I . . . um . . . . "
    "Big fuss there about a kaikyaku running away."
    Youko fell silent. The woman smiled a wry smile. "Lots of hard-headed folk about, that's for sure. Kaikyaku are going to ruin the kingdom, they say. Kaikyaku do bad things right and left, they say. A shoku happens and it's all because of the kaikyaku, they say. The things fools say."
    She looked Youko over from head to toe. "Where'd that blood on you come from?"
    "When I was in the mountains, the youma . . . . " She could say nothing more.
    "Ah, you were attacked by the youma, were you? Lots of them about, lately. You seem to have come through well enough."
    The woman got to her feet. "Go on, sit yourself down. You're a hungry one, I bet. Had anything to eat? You're looking positively gray."
    Youko could only drop her shoulders and shake her head, no.
    "Well, then, let's have ourselves a bite. I'll heat up some water and we'll get all that grime off you. We can decide on what to wear after that." The woman cheerfully gathered up her things and started to leave. She glanced back at Youko, who still hadn't moved from where she stood. "Now, what was your name?"
    Youko started to answer. No words came out. She sank to her knees, the tears spilling down her cheeks.
    "Oh, you poor thing. It's okay, it's okay." The woman spoke in a motherly voice, her warm hand stroking Youko's back. "It must have been very hard for you out there. You'll be okay."
    The weight of everything Youko had endured overwhelmed her all at once. The sobs tore at her throat. She curled up on the floor and wept as if the world would end.

Chapter 18
    " W ell, then, why don't you change into this?"
    Standing behind a folding screen, the woman handed Youko a nightdress. "You'll be staying here tonight? You can wear this for the time being."
    Youko bowed her head deeply in gratitude.
    The woman consoled the still teary Youko. She prepared rice gruel sweetened with azuki beans. Then she filled a big tub with hot water and prepared a bath for Youko. Her long, aching hunger satiated, Youko washed in the hot water, put on clean nightclothes. She was starting to feel like a real person again.
    "I'm really, really thankful for all you've done." Youko came from around the folding screen the woman had set around the tub and bowed again. "I'm so sorry about everything."
    After all, she had tried to steal from this woman.
    When she looked at her directly, she could see that the woman's eyes were blue. The woman's blue eyes softened and she laughed.
    "Oh, don't worry about it. Let's leave it at that. Have something warm to eat. Drink this as well. It'll help you sleep. I've made up your bed."
    "I'm sorry."
    "Like I said, not a problem. I hope you don't mind, but I put away that sword of yours. It was making me uncomfortable."
    "Yes. I'm sorry."
    "Oh, nothing you need to keep apologizing for. Now, I don't think I caught your name."
    "Youko Nakajima."
    "Kaikyaku do have funny names. You can call me Takki." She handed Youko a teacup.
    Youko took it and asked, "How is your name spelled?"
    Takki sketched the characters for "achievement" ( tatsu ) and "maidservant" ( ki ) with her finger on the tabletop. "So, Youko, was there someplace you needed to get yourself to?"
    Youko shook her head. "No, no place in particular. Takki-san, have you ever heard of a person named Keiki?"
    "Keiki? I don't know anybody by that name. Are you looking for him?"
    "Yes."
    "Where's he from? Is he from Kou?"
    "All I know is that he's from around here . . . .