The Wings of Dreams

me.”
    “That’s fine with us,” somebody answered.
    “Oh? Is everybody okay? Is anybody injured?” The girl answered her own questions with a wry smile. “Everybody could hardly be okay. Still, that this many managed to escape is reason enough to rejoice.”
    Shoutan looked up at her full of grateful expectations. It shouldn’t be a question of whether somebody going on the Shouzan would do anything for them. A person going on the Shouzan should by all means be concerned for their lives and safety.
    The girl descended into the wash. She took in the crowd before her and said, “Where are your travel packs?”
    Almost as if taking the question as a reprimand, one man admitted that he’d tossed his aside and taken off running.
    “Yes, when you’re running for your life, such things would get in the way. But we must go back and fetch them. We won’t get far after this without food and water.”
    After this, Shoutan repeated to himself.
    The girl stopped a few feet away. She turned and said, “Oh, you’re one of Shitsu-san’s attendants. It’s good to see that you’re okay.”
    “Yes, um—”
    “Let’s go back and retrieve your packs. Is there anybody here who can’t walk?”
    “But—”
    “Stay here and we’ll eventually die of hunger and thirst. We need those supplies. Food and water. How many here have enough to provision themselves?”
    A few hands went up here and there.
    “Meaning there is hardly enough for the rest of us. Yes, we have to go back.”
    “But—” Go back and do what? To start with, they didn’t have any horses.
    “But what? We need those supplies, don’t we? Without them, we might as well abandon any hope for the future.” Shushou smiled. “I’m walking all the way to Mt. Hou. After all, youma aren’t allowed on Mt. Hou. C’mon. Let’s go.”
    Shushou spoke as if proposing to go out for a stroll. She crossed the wash and started up the other side.
    “But—Miss—Shushou-sama—”
    “We came this far on foot, did we not? The distance we have left before us is considerably less what we’ve covered so far. A fortnight, I reckon. And we’ve been on the road for almost a month. This is hardly the time or place to start voicing complaints.”
    “But—the youma—”
    “Haven’t youma been popping up all along the way? Outside the Yellow Sea as well. That you’ve made it this far means that you’ve got luck on your side. And from here on out, it’s hardly possible that all of us will get killed.”
    “Are you serious?”
    “But without food and water, none of us will live long.”
    “Except we’ll have to make the journey back from Mt. Hou too!”
    “Yes. The shushi who accompanied me brought along provisions for two, enough to last the round trip, and it wasn’t more than what a strong man could carry on his back. In any event, let’s worry about getting to Mt. Hou first. Once we’re there, I’m sure we can work something out.”
    “Work what out?”
    “Doesn’t the kirin reside on Mt. Hou? A group this large wasting away in front of the his gate will get his attention right away. He’s certainly not going to stand by while his retainers show us to the curb. At the end of the day, we should end up with enough to get by. The kirin is bound to be a better chap than the master who abandoned you in the Yellow Sea. He’s a creature of mercy and compassion, right?”
    Shoutan opened his mouth to respond and laughed instead. “I suppose so.”
    “Then let’s be on our way. Even that youma’s not going to loiter in the same place forever. It’s not like something like this has never happened before. We’ll go back and sort through the provisions and carry only what we need to get to Mt. Hou.”
    Around her, people slowly got to their feet.
    “That’s right! Chins up. When we get to Mt. Hou, who knows? It’s not unheard of for the kirin to chose the common man. Servant or master, you’ll still end up meeting the kirin. In a very real way, servants go on the Shouzan too. So buck up and put on your best face.”
    Buoyed by her words, they started back down the road. She can’t possible be that naive, Shoutan thought to himself. Nevertheless, a spark of hope grew in his heart. This girl’s glimpse of the future momentarily focused his attention on his own—a life that a few minutes before didn’t matter now amounted to more than nothing.
    “Don’t spread out. Close ranks. Stay aware of your surroundings. If you spot what looks like a