The Twelve Kingdoms: Shadow of the Moon

grew accustomed to it after a while and enjoyed meeting people along the way.
    Although this country had the look and feel of old China, the people living here came in all different types. Their faces were generally Asian in appearance, but the color of their hair and eyes and skin was all over the place. Skin color varied from that of a white Caucasian to a black African. Eye color was everything from black to sea-blue. As for hair, there seemed to be an infinite variety, such as purple or blue-white. In some of the odder cases, hair was two-toned, as if part of it had been dyed.
    Initially, it struck her all as very strange, but she got used to it fairly quickly. And once she did she decided that, yes, different was good. And yet she didn't see anyone with pure, golden hair like Keiki.
    Their clothing was in an old Chinese style. Men wore a tunic over short trousers. Women's fashions were based on the long skirt. Now and then she spotted a group dressed in what was certainly an "Oriental" style, though from what country and what era she couldn't tell. According to Takki, they were traveling minstrels.
    For Youko, it was a relief just to walk. She followed Takki's lead, from getting food to arranging lodgings. Youko had no money, so Takki paid for everything.
    "I'm really sorry I can't help out," she said as they walked along the road.
    Takki laughed heartily. "I'm just an old busybody. You've got nothing to worry about."
    "I've got nothing to give you in exchange."
    "Not at all. It's been a long time since I've seen my mum. Thanks to you now I've got a good excuse to go see her."
    Her kind words were a joy to hear. "Takki-san, did you go to Goso to get married?"
    "No, that's where I got my partition. "
    "Partition?"
    Takki nodded. "When you become an adult, you're given a plot of land and made to stand on your own two feet. The plot I received was in Goso. That's what a partition is."
    "Everybody receives land when they become an adult?"
    "Yes, everybody. My husband is the old guy who lives next door. We split up after our child died."
    Youko stared at Takki's jovial face. Now that she mentioned it, she had mentioned something about a child dying. Youko said, "I'm . . . sorry."
    "Don't worry about it. I wasn't cut out to be a mother. The child we were blessed with after so long, she died on my account."
    "Surely you don't mean . . . . "
    "Children come to us from heaven. So heaven taking her back again wasn't up to me. But people being what they are, I guess it was inevitable. It's too bad about the child, though."
    Youko had no idea how to answer but managed a hesitant smile. In a small way Takki seemed a sad and lonely person.
    "I imagine your mum must be worried sick about you. The faster you get home the better, no?"
    "Yes." Youko nodded. "But is it really possible? When I was in Hairou, one of the town elders said it wasn't."
    "Well, if you got here somehow, surely you can go back."
    Youko nodded again. The carefree smile that came to her lips reflected a profound happiness.
    "Of course. Ah, here we are."
    At the fork of three roads, one pointed to the left. At every intersection along the road there was always a small stone marker into which was carved distance and destination. Distance was measured in units called "ri." This particular marker listed the destination as "Sei" and the distance as "5 ri."
    According to what she remembered from her Japanese history textbook, a Japanese "ri" was two and a half miles. The "ri" referred to here was a much shorter distance, only several hundred yards. So five ri was not that far.
    The scenery itself was prosaic, but the peace and quiet was quite nice. The mountains loomed craggy and tall above the rolling terrain. She could see faintly in the distance mountains whose peaks were wrapped with clouds, but none covered with snow. The sky pressed low against the ground.
    It seemed that here spring had arrived a month earlier than in Tokyo. Flowers were blooming here and there along the rice paddy dikes. Youko recognized some, others were new to her.
    Here and there amidst the fields several small houses were huddled together. These were villages, Takki told her, for the people who worked the land. A little further along they came to a somewhat larger settlement enclosed by a tall wall. This was a town. It was where people in the surrounding areas lived during the winter.
    "So where people live is different during the winter than in the other seasons?"
    "There are a few