The Wings of Dreams

tough.
    “Here, let me,” Rikou said, having hurried back with the kijuu. Without a moment’s hesitation, he drew his sword and inserted the tip into the cuff of the leggings and in a single motion slit them up to the knee.
    For a moment Shushou had to turn away. Like a dammed river filling a deep ravine, a fair quantity of blood pooled in the deep gouge in his thigh just above the knee.
    “Can you move your leg?”
    “I don’t know. It’s numb. Get me a piece of rope. And the haku—no, Seisai’s travel bag. The small one around his neck.”
    Shushou stopped Rikou and went herself. She undid a loop of rope from pack in the back and tossed it to Rikou, then retrieved the small leather satchel draped across the shoulders.
    Rikou cut off a length of rope and tied it around Gankyuu’s upper thigh. He removed Gankyuu’s scabbard. With the sword still inserted, he thrust it through the slack in the rope and twisted it to the side, tightening the rope into a tourniquet.
    “You’re good at this.”
    Rikou smiled. “Well, I know to do this much.” But his brows furrowed.
    Shushou calling out and a man’s voice answering—Gankyuu was the one who recognized a harpy on the prowl. They split up and approached Shushou from her left and right. A step ahead of Gankyuu, Rikou took the arm off the harpy holding her. Gankyuu delivered the killing blow.
    Rikou had watched as Gankyuu threw himself off balance. Not out of clumsiness, it quickly became clear, but to protect Shushou as the harpy lashed out with its tail in its death throes. Here was a man who traveled the Yellow Sea alone, a shushi as strong as they came. But in his rash effort to save Shushou, he had less room to spare than he thought.
    Shushou returned cradling the satchel. “Gankyuu—are you sure you’re okay?”
    “If a little scratch like this can do me in, I don’t deserve to be called a koushu.”
    “But—”
    “And yourself? How are you faring?”
    “I’m fine. This time even I had to wonder if my luck was up. Thank you.”
    Gankyuu looked up at her and said with a faint smile, “Even you, eh?”
    “The way you swung that sword reminded me of nothing so much as chopping a limb off a tree. You really are an accomplished swordsman.”
    Gankyuu got a bamboo flask and small bag out of the satchel. He was clearly taken aback by Shushou’s compliment.
    Shushou explained, “I’ve reconsidered my opinion of you.”
    “I appreciate it. Though you should thank Rikou. If he hadn’t taken off the harpy’s arm, that cute face of yours would be decorating the side of that rock right now.”
    Gankyuu emptied the contents of the bamboo flask into the wound and grimaced fiercely. From the smell, it must be alcohol. The small bag contained what looked like ash, which he next applied.
    “Rikou did? I didn’t expect that.”
    “Seems our bad boy here has a few aces up his sleeve. He did a good job hitting that harpy and missing you.”
    Rikou smiled. “We’d be in a world of hurt if I didn’t have at least one such redeeming feature. A good thing that youma was a harpy. We heard the two of you talking. Weren’t so sure we’d arrive in time when you screamed, but those markers you laid down made the difference. Pointed us right to where you were. That was pretty clever of you.”
    “I told you I was smart.” Shushou smiled, then cocked her head to the side. “I’d never guess from looking at you, Rikou, but were you ever a soldier?”
    “Well, a long time ago I did make a living at it.”
    “So that’s why you have a suugu.”
    “ Had would be the better word. I swapped Gankyuu for his haku.”
    Shushou gaped at him. “You did what ?”
    “I have suugu other than Seisai but not a single haku.”
    “You are an odd one, Rikou.”
    Gankyuu said, “Shushou, get me the water bag.”
    Shushou ran over to Seisai, got the water bag and hurried back. Gankyuu took it from her and said to Rikou, “What kind of packs are you carrying?”
    “I had a goushi put them together for me in Ken. Pretty much the same as yours.”
    “Good. Get going.”
    “Gankyuu!” It wasn’t Rikou raising his voice in protest, but Shushou.
    “The little beasties will be smelling the blood and flocking here. I’ll make do with that I’ve got here. I’m giving the suugu back to you.”
    “This isn’t funny!”
    “I agree,” Gankyuu answered bluntly. “It very definitely isn’t.”
    He applied a strip of foul smelling leather to the wound and wrapped an