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"It has happened more than you think,” Inukai said quietly. “It is just that most think the holder is dead when they lose power."

"They're both gone,” I said.

"We'll dose you with that tea again, if you don't shut up,” Inuyama threatened.

Fuse just looked at the three of us and shook her head.

"I think that it would be better if you left us, Mother,” Inukai said.

"Please do,” Inuyama added. “And neither one us, nor will any of the other samurai here, act as his second at this time. You need to rest."

She nodded after hesitating a second and left the room. I just stood there. Inuyama and Inukai looked at each other, and then Inukai said softly, “Why don't you sit down?"

"I'll find a way,” I stated, even as I sat down. It was just easier to follow orders right now. Once they stopped worrying about me, I'd find a way to kill myself.

"We will help you join Keno,
if
he is gone,” Inukai promised. “We are just counseling you to wait."

"How long?” I asked after a few heartbeats.

"About a week,” Inuyama said. He knew I was asking how long I had been unconscious, not how long before I could kill myself. “Okita-san sent for Mother as soon as he could. She cared for you, keeping you unconscious until you were able to make some sort of sense. This is the first time you have done more than scream."

I nodded. I didn't care. “But...."

"Mother came alone,” Inukai said. “Then she sent for us."

"How many of you are here?"

"Just myself and Dousetsu,” Inukai told me. “Our other brothers are busy and will join us later."

"Why?” I asked.

"Think!” Inuyama snapped. “Neither one of us has claimed a
kuni
. If needed, we can keep the people here protected by claiming it. What Iida has done, however, has brought war back to us."

"I don't believe you,” I said dully.

"Do you think that any of us would not avenge the death of our brother Keno?” Inukai asked me gravely. He sounded very unlike the man he was, a man of the pleasure quarters. “Shino and the others are gathering their forces to attack Iida-sama. This will tear Nippon apart to avenge our brother, and it will be as it was when we were alive.

"And I don't doubt that Iida knew this. While it is not widely known who Sakura actually is, there was what happened in the spring, when Mother was being so friendly to Tamazusa-sama. Iida-sama might have believed he had to move soon if the rumors were true, that Tamazusa-sama was willing to take one of us as a consort. If he wanted to ruin Nippon, this was one way to do it. However, he might have tipped his hand too soon, which will be the only thing that will save Nippon."

"So all of you are going to be here?” I asked.

"This place isn't defendable,” Inuyama told me. “We're taking you to your capital."

"Keno was happy here."

"We know that,” Inuyama grated. “And he is not coming back here to bury you."

"He's gone."

Inukai didn't say anything else, and I knew Inuyama wanted to shake me. I didn't believe them. Keno was gone, and the land was looking for another lord. It could be one of them or Iida, I didn't care. I just wanted to be with Keno again.

"Iida's idiocy will weaken us, and so then others will want to see how weak Nippon is,” Inuyama said sharply. “The Southerners for one."

"Or whatever Iida has allied himself with,” Inukai added. “I don't doubt that he has allies like Tamazusa-sama's Reavers."

"I've never seen them,” I said. “The Reavers followed my lady around like loyal dogs. Iida was usually alone."

"If they can't breathe air, then you wouldn't see them. I don't doubt that Iida has also made bargains with unclean things,” Inukai said. “There are rumors that his villages house things that are evil, that his peasants have a habit of disappearing. That certain nights of the year, maidens and young boys are staked out on the beach, never to be seen again."

"Keno,” I whispered brokenly, remembering my first glimpse of him, broken from the abuse he had been subjected to.

I threw back my head and started screaming, not wanting to think about him, about anything anymore. I barely felt the blow Inuyama gave me, welcoming the darkness it brought.

Keno

"Egil claims that you used witchcraft against him,” Wolf said.

It was just after dinner. Egil had spent most of it glaring at me, while Tholf just looked thoughtful. I wore my swords still, because I didn't want them to disappear. I didn't trust anyone here. “He made a complaint to Njalsson about you. Since you seem to be part of my group now, Njalsson talked to me about it. The only thing that seems to be saving you from a charge of witchcraft is that Tholf said you fought without magic, just in a strange style. I tried to explain to him that is your way of fighting, but I still think there will be trouble."

"I don't know what you are talking about,” I lied. I wasn't going to tell anyone here I had the ability to cast spells, that I just needed some training to do so. I wasn't in any hurry to get it. I enjoyed exploring other things in my life—like Samojirou—too much right now. “I don't know how to cast spells. I also agree with Egil that blood magic is a bad thing."

Mason looked indecently relieved to hear that, while McGann acted guilty. Wolf was clearly upset about the whole thing. He hadn't been happy to hear I had beaten up two men to get a pair of swords, whether I was going use them or not. I knew he wanted to protect me still. But I didn't need it, and I didn't know if that was making him more upset. I wanted these people to know I wasn't someone who could be pushed around. Mason shouldn't be the one protecting my lord. That was my duty. It was annoying that these people looked at me and saw a child and not a warrior.

"Is it my fault that these unwashed barbarians have no training in unarmed fighting?” I demanded, getting angry. I had simply been trying to arm myself to protect Tamazusa. It wasn't like I could use any of
their
swords, because quite frankly, I didn't have the strength to wield one, even if I knew their style of fighting. “It wasn't sorcery that caused my victory over Egil, simply that I train every morning with my lord's samurai. Egil's a clumsy fool compared to Okita-san or Seki-san. And they have no problem with me the rare times that I am able to win a training bout with them or anyone else."

"They're not going to like that,” Logan said. “They're going to think that you tricked him."

"And we should care why?” Mason asked, sounding bored about the whole thing.

Logan shook his head. “We're outnumbered."

"Fuck it. Let's take a boat and get the fuck out of Dodge, then,” Mason said. “Screw these crazies."

I didn't think anyone was more surprised than he was when McGann and Tamazusa just looked at each other and nodded. “That sounds like a delightful idea,” Tamazusa almost cooed.

"Wolf?” McGann asked. She put a lot into that word. Was it a good idea? Was he willing to go along with this? Can we do it?

"My grandmother is a university professor,” Wolf said. “She knew a professor in the history department who built Viking
knorr
and other ships."

"And?” Mason asked.

"I spent a couple summers working with him. I can pilot and crew a boat. You don't need a lot of people, but knowing where to go might be a problem."

"Keno and I know the stars here,” Tamazusa said. “We can guide you to Nippon. The ocean is rough there, though, and we'll need a sturdy ship to get through the barrier."

"Is that what happened to your ship?” Wolf demanded.

Tamazusa shifted and looked uneasy for a moment. “That was something else. I underestimated the allies Iida-sama had. The ship was destroyed in another manner. I doubt they will be at the barrier when we return, since they've done their duty. They should have returned to the Southern seas."

"We're stealing a ship, then,” McGann announced after thinking about it for a minute.

"But where will we be going after that?” Logan asked.

"There are places we can go. Lands that are closer than my own where we can ask for sanctuary,” Tamazusa said.

Tamazusa wasn't lying to anyone here. It would be easier to go down the eastern shore of Nippon, than the western one. And while most of my family held the upper eastern part of Nippon, they also held portions of the western side too. They were all closer and easier to get to than Tamazusa's
kuni
.

"Shino-sama would be the best person to go to,” I said after thinking about it. “If we miss him, then we can sail down further to Yatsufusa-sama's
kuni
."

"He has a
kuni
?” Mason asked. Actually, he seemed to be the only one who would be rude enough to say something like that, but the others seemed shocked to hear it too.

"He holds the peninsula Awa is on, here in the Dreamlands,” Tamazusa said with a cool smile. “But I know that there are rumors that Fuse-hime is the real power there, since she has her husband wrapped around her littlest finger, it seems."

"Most marriages seem like that,” McGann said with a faint smile.

I let out a breath I didn't even know I had been holding. I knew some people might have an issue with Yatsufusa and Fuse's relationship. In many places in the real world, it would be considered unnatural, since he was a dog and she was human. If it weren't for the magic involved, it would have been. But Yatsufusa wasn't a dumb animal, no matter what he looked like. I thought that there would be some issues with him giving orders and writing out things, but after all their time here, I bet that something had been worked out to cover this. Also, it wasn't like this place was normal, not with
tengu
and
oni
living here. I just wondered why everyone was willing to keep Logan in the dark about who and what Yatsufusa was exactly, what a
kuni
was, or how important my family was. I guessed they didn't trust him.

"Yeah, well, so long as your family isn't too pissed at us,” Mason said, “we should be all right."

Mason

While stealing a boat was a good idea, all the farm had was fishing boats. They were smaller than shit, and I didn't trust that they'd survive something like the storm that washed Keno and Tamazusa up, never mind the barrier thing they were talking about. We could take them someplace else, but then we'd have to steal another ship, because I didn't think we had enough money to buy one. Plus I felt guilty about taking stuff from these people. They weren't exactly dirt poor, but I knew that even a shitty boat was a big thing for these people. I called this place a farm, but I didn't see anything like fields and shit like that. Logan told me they survived on sheep herding, fishing, and some gardening. That made more sense, even if I wondered how the lot of them hadn't died of malnutrition or something. It wasn't like we were eating what was called a balanced diet here, and Keno was even more screwed than we were, because he didn't eat meat, which was a large portion of the meals here. Not that it was steak or something good, more like mutton and stringy chickens.

After a day of hanging around and Keno getting dirty looks from Egil, Tamazusa and I were turning in when I heard a cry from outside. Someone was screaming “
Ouous
!
Ouous
!"—whatever that meant. I found out soon enough when Wolf came tearing back to us. He had been tucking McGann into bed.

"It's a raid,” he snapped, buckling on his armor and sword.

"We can take one of those ships,” Tamazusa said immediately.

Wolf looked at her, shocked. He was ready to go out and defend these people. McGann popped out of nowhere with their packs. “It's a good idea,” she said.

"It'll be a rough ride,” Wolf warned her.

"I know,” she said. She was looking like shit, so getting out for her was a good idea, before she was worked to death. Helga had managed to give her and Tamazusa every shitty job she could think of. I felt a little guilty about abandoning these people, but shit, sometimes that was part of the job.

Logan looked at us. “But—"

"This is the best chance that we have to leave here,” Tamazusa told him. “Their ships are probably on the beach, lightly guarded. We just have to get to them and get them in the water. Hopefully they don't chase after us, but instead return to wherever they came from."

"Wolf's in charge,” McGann said. “Armor up and get to the beach.” She handed Tamazusa one of the packs. “If you could?"

Tamazusa slung it on her back. “Keno can defend us until the ship is ours."

"He's a kickass fighter,” I protested. I barely knew which end of a sword to hold. Logan was a bow guy, and I just knew McGann wasn't going to be able to do shit to someone. Tamazusa's trick with turning people's insides to Jell-O would keep her safe, unless there was more than one of them. I wasn't counting on that to keep us safe.

"Keno has trained with my samurai, but he has never gone into battle,” she said quietly. “He has not killed. And if Aboshi and I have our way, he never will."

"You might not get that choice,” I said roughly, fighting the unexpected urge to give her a hug. “Tonight looks nasty."

I slipped into my own armor and wasn't surprised that Tamazusa grabbed my pack too. I wasn't going to leave that behind; it had all sorts of useful supplies in it besides clothing. Logan unpacked his bow and strung it. It was a fancy one with all sorts of pulleys. I'd seen him put an arrow through a couple of two by fours when we'd had our fighting practice. I could pull it but didn't have a chance of hitting anything smaller than the broad side of a barn. I wasn't ever going to be Robin Hood with that thing. Keno popped out of wherever he had been, looking like he had been sick a couple of times.

"There seems to be a couple of boatloads of raiders out there,” he said. “I think that I know why there aren't a lot of woman here."

"We're talking one of the ships,” Wolf said.

Keno nodded, not arguing. He had wanted to get out of here worse than we did, for some reason. “It's a mess out there."

I didn't know what he meant until I stepped out of the hut. There was a lot of screaming and a horde of really big guys in armor. No one was wearing a horned helmet, and I felt vaguely cheated. Wolf was smart and put the women in the middle. He was in front, and I was tail-end Charlie, while Keno and Logan were sort of guarding our sides. I was glad no one was paying any attention to us. That was normal, because in any type of fight, especially at night, you never really knew what was going on. You concentrated on keeping your ass safe and your team intact and killing the monster you were after. It didn't leave you a lot of time to see the big picture. Radios helped, but since there weren't any here, it seemed like it was every man for himself.