Council of the Chiefs, Part 1
Two months have passed since her meeting with the old oracle, and weeks since Reiko became the chief of the village of Yonamine, spending most of her time training and studying paperwork.
The doubts that once plagued her are now dissipating, and she is starting to enjoy her new existence. The village gates that were once close to her now stand open, though she must still be accompanied by guards. The house where she lives has become the chief’s dwelling. Such is the custom in this village, where there is no proper domain for the village chief. Even so, she often finds herself seeking counsel from the old Yonamine.
Now that she has grown seasoned, her brother decides that the time has come for her to face the goblins. He had learned from Daichi that she had already faced goblins before. Yet that experience had been far from satisfactory.
Reiko remembers the last times she encountered goblins. By fortune, she had survived them. Even so, the sight of blood and the goblin’s dying eyes had left her ill at ease.
In a deep part of the forest, west of the village, she walks with the patrol. She is at the center of the group, and silence reigns. Her ears rise at the slightest sound. This time, she is armed with a katana and a layer of protection in addition to her red kimono. The group also includes a mage and a healer for her safety.
The patrol makes for the place where scouts had spotted a new goblin camp. A few minutes later, the first goblin comes into view. Her ears stand upright, and she sees her brother signal to her. She breathes gently and lets the flow of energy enter her body. She slowly looks around her before murmuring.
“Two to the left, three in the tent, one behind the tree,” Reiko whispers.
One of the scouts confirms her assessment, and at Seika’s signal the group takes position. They hold the advantage over these goblins, so they ready themselves and advance cautiously. Reiko is surprised by the group’s cohesion, and her brother signals that the goblin behind the tree is her target.
Reiko slowly draws her katana while slipping through the bushes to take the goblin from the rear. The group’s mage follows her. She waits patiently for the moment when she will be able to skewer it.
A sound rings out, and she knows the fighting has begun. The goblin turns its head, trying to assess the situation. She notices that it is pulling out an instrument. Her ears rise, and with a swift motion she skewers it through the neck and snatches up the instrument so it cannot raise the alarm.
The fight is over. Seika looks around him. No one is wounded. He goes over to Reiko, who seems panicked.
“Are you hurt?”
Reiko shakes her head before turning away and dropping to all fours. The mage smiles at Seika.
“Ah! That happens to everyone. Breathe properly and take your time.”
He turns to the rest of the group.
“Well?”
“No survivors.”
“Perfect. We will gather their belongings and bury them.”
“How is Mistress Yonamine feeling?”
“Like someone seeing blood spill for the first time.”
Reiko rises and punches him in the ribs. A few snickers are heard. The young vixen smiles discreetly; her brother’s advice not to eat had spared her too much embarrassment.
The group continues its patrol. Reiko feels better despite the new clashes with goblins.
“There have been many goblins of late. That is strange,” Seika comments.
“Ah? Should we expect something?” Reiko asks.
“I do not know, but it is troubling.”
Reiko looks at her brother. Then she continues on her way.
Lost in her thoughts, Reiko is stopped by her brother, who signals for her to say nothing. Her ears rise, and she uses the flow of energy to probe the surrounding area. She discerns a band of brigands making camp, some twenty of them. She signals to her brother. Then they turn back.
“There are too many. We need more men.”
Reiko nods. The group eases away from the danger so as not to alert them, the guards shielding her as they withdraw. Seika looks behind him one last time. His ears rise, but he hears nothing suspicious.
Back in the village, she leaves the patrol and heads for her house. The rest of the patrol continues toward the training ground. She enters, looks around, and then goes to the washroom.
As she freshens herself, she thinks back upon the patrol and realizes that the guards’ equipment is inadequate: the armor and weapons are worn down, or else reused from items recovered from corpses.
She has seen at her own expense that, even if she can strengthen her people’s cohesion or force, it is impossible for them to protect and defend the Landes forest without proper equipment. She realizes that what they lack are resources from beyond the village.
She sighs and leaves the washroom to go to her room. She puts on her blue outfit before using the mirror to set her hair in order. Since the transfer of power, she has taken a little more care of herself. Having worn such a lovely outfit had warmed her heart.
After looking at herself for a long while in the mirror, she sets it down and places her white fox mask upon her face before leaving home.
She has grown used to using her mask even though she can no longer see anything. She senses something coming toward her. She recognizes it as an apple. She catches it.
“Mistress Yonamine. You impress me every time. Are you truly certain you see nothing with your mask?”
“Yes, truly certain. Thank you for the apple.”
She continues her walk and pushes her mask to the side of her face. Ever since the patrol, she has felt waves of nausea. She eats the apple slowly. She takes her time to digest it. In the distance she catches sight of Satomi. She approaches. She waves to her.
“Good day, Mistress Yonamine,” Satomi begins.
“Do not start.”
Satomi lets out a little laugh.
“Hi, Reiko. You know I am obliged to.”
“I know full well that you enjoy calling me that.”
Satomi looks away. Reiko narrows her eyes.
“By the way, have you not put on weight?” Reiko teases.
“Ah! You know. The cakes.”
“You can hide nothing from me. Not even if you wear that many clothes.”
“Yes, indeed.”
Satomi turns her head. She laughs.
“I do not like that look. I know it. You are hiding something from me.”
“Perhaps?” Satomi retorts.
“Very well. I will learn it sooner or later. Are you free?”
“Yes. Did you wish to do something in particular?”
“I would like to relax.”
“By helping in the fields?”
Reiko hesitates for a moment.
“Why not?”
“By the way, you grow more beautiful each day.”
“Since that day, I have been taking a little more care of myself.”
“Truly? And here I was, thinking it was for Daichi.”
Reiko turns her head to look at her friend. Then they laugh together. She thinks of Daichi. Her tail sways gently. She blushes slightly.
After spending time in the fields, she makes her way to Asuka’s house. At last, she knocks at the door.
“Come in, Reiko,” Asuka says.
She enters. She catches sight of Asuka sitting and reading documents. The latter turns around. They smile at one another.
“Hi, Asuka.”
Since they began training together, Reiko has come to discover who Asuka truly is. She now thinks of her as a sister.
“With your mask, I cannot see your smile.”
“But you can imagine it.”
“How was the patrol?”
“Horrible.”
“How many times?”
“Three.”
“Have you eaten anything?”
“An apple.”
“Perfect.”
Reiko’s ears point up when Asuka rises. She goes to a cupboard. Reiko’s eyes drift over the documents. She sees that they are patrol reports. Then her gaze settles softly at Asuka. Asuka brings her some lemon juice.
“Do not look at me like that. It is for your own good. Drink it slowly, though.”
“Lemon? Do you want me to do it a fourth time?”
“Quite the opposite. It is to keep you from doing it a fourth time.”
Reiko’s ears rise. She decides to set her mask on the table. Then she takes a sip.
After a while, Reiko sits down. Asuka puts away the documents and prepares to teach her about paperwork. The young vixen never imagined that she would one day have to do such work. Studying paperwork is difficult for her, far more so than combat.
Even so, it allows her to learn more about her village’s relations. One such relation is the one the village of Yonamine once had with the town of Cottie.
“Trade is important to our village. As you know, a fair portion of our goods comes from the other villages of our race, but also from the human villages.”
“We used to trade with humans?”
“Only in a very limited way. We had to go there ourselves. Several years ago, they sold us metals and other goods that are rare in our lands.”
“But?”
“We know nothing. It stopped all at once. We assume that something happened to the dwarfs.”
“The humans?”
“Perhaps.”
The lesson continues. Reiko remains pensive. The growth of her village must pass through trade, yet trade seems to have become more difficult since the humans’ attack. The only way would be to go there in person, but the goblins and brigands pose a problem.
She spends the rest of the afternoon going to ask the old Yonamine for advice. She knocks on the door of his house. His wife invites her in. Reiko smiles. She moves to set her mask on the table before taking a seat.
“Oh. Reiko. What can I do for you?” the old Yonamine asks.
“Good day, I would like to know whether you had any ideas for improving trade,” Reiko asks.
“Oh, a very good suggestion. Unfortunately, it is difficult to answer. To do that, the roads would need to be made safer. In fact, that reminds me of an event I have not yet spoken to you about.”
“Which one?”
Her ears rise. Reiko is curious. She wonders whether it might help improve the trade roads.
“The council of the chiefs.”
“The council of the chiefs?”
Reiko remembers something of the sort. But it goes back a very long way, to when she was little.
“Exactly. Now that you have become the chief of the village, I have called this council so that all of you may discuss what is to come. As you know, our visions differ, and because of that, I cannot advise you to take this or that chief as an ally.”
“I understand.”
“I know, I know, you wish to improve life in the village, and, from your question about trade, that means making our village far stronger than before.”
The old Yonamine pauses.
“Some of the chiefs will never accept that you stand above them, especially considering your appearance. They will underestimate you. They will try to overthrow you. I think it is a good thing for you to see who is your ally and who is not.”
The old Yonamine looks Reiko in the eyes.
“But you will need their loyalty if you wish to achieve your ends.”
Reiko looks straight into the old Yonamine’s eyes. She feels it: he is not trying to lie to her. She looks down at her hands before looking at him again.
“When will the council of the chiefs come?”
“On the Day of Light.”
Reiko’s ears rise.
“Oh. The summer is about to begin…”
The old Yonamine laughs softly, and Reiko smiles. She is beginning to see the path she must follow if she wishes to keep another strategy from coming about.
After several days, Reiko becomes accustomed to the patrols. The sight of blood causes her less and less distress. She has even had to face brigands. Yet killing living people who resemble her leaves a bitter taste in her mouth.
This time, the patrol is setting out for several days of reconnaissance.
“I no longer remember the last time you were away for so long,” Reiko remarks.
“He was too worried about you,” Daichi says.
Seika gives him a stern look.
“Silence. The enemy may come upon us at any moment.”
Reiko smiles at Daichi while he looks away.
A few hours later, night falls, and Seika stops. The seasoned guards take up positions and begin to set down their packs. Reiko is surprised.
“Prepare the camp. We shall organize watches,” he says.
Reiko tries to help the others, but most of them tell her to rest instead. She looks around. She is not the only one being set aside. Most of the new guards are as well.
She looks around again and uses the flow of energy. She senses no enemy, not even far off. She has the feeling that this night will be peaceful.
Night has fallen in the forest, and watches have been arranged. Reiko takes her place and looks around her. She can feel a little tension in the air. Her ears rise. She looks around, inspecting the surroundings. Nothing.
After a while, she finally decides to lie down, setting her weapon along her body and using her pack as a pillow. She begins to feel weary and at last closes her eyes.
Several hours later, one hand settles over her mouth and another around her neck. She opens her eyes. In the darkness, she does not recognize the attacker. The smell of blood enters her nostrils.
