[D4 LE] A Visitor (Hideo's Yurt) [Closed]

[Ide Amaya]

"I agree, watashi no ouji." And she began to apply the antiseptic to the areas she had cleaned.

"She will have to be woken up," the good mother said.

"No one can do that," said the farmer.

"Oh, it can be done. My great aunt once woke Rain Woman." She did not mention that it could only be done by a young woman, for surely the farmer would forbid his daughter to try.

"It is all the same to me," said the farmer, "I can survive this drought for a long time yet."

"You should not talk in such a stupid way," she chastised, "if we have no more rain, everything will dry up, your land included."

"If I am so stupid and you are so clever, go wake her up. In fact, if you succeed and it rains before tomorrow evening, I will allow my Min to marry your Jiahao. That is my word."

At this, Min opened her window and called, "I have heard what my father has promised."

"All right, Min," the farmer grunted, "you do not need to witness when your father promises something, I always keep my word."

[Seppun Hideo]

There was a slight wince at the antiseptic, his wounds quite sensitive still. He managed a chuckle at the daughter calling out though, but otherwise didn't comment. Wanting to hear more of the story.

[Ide Amaya]

"I'm sorry, these deeper cuts are still raw." But she was done with the balm for the moment. Now she worked her way down the planes of his back, bathing him from shoulder blade to waist.

Quickly Min set to work helping her neighbour fill a great big can with water and take it to her meadow where Jiahao was waiting with the sheep which had nearly died of thirst. As they arrived there with the water, they suddenly heard a hoarse quavery voice saying: "hurry, hurry!" And again it said: "hurry! hurry!" The animals took such a fright and pressed so close together that they knocked over the can and all the water ran into the ground.

Min, Jiahao, and his mother all ran to the barn and peered out through the gaps. Suddenly a little man came charging over the meadow. His skin was dark like ebony, and he had long red hair that waved like flames. He wore tattered clothes and they, too, fluttered and flittered like fire. He ran on spindly legs, and had grasping, spider-like fingers. The sheep bumped one another and fell atop each other, and then they ran away.

The little man laughed shrilly and shouted:

No more waves I trust,
Only springs that turn to dust,
Only woods that are dry,
As the Fire Man dances by!

[Seppun Hideo]

"It's ok" Hideo said quietly in reply, going quiet as the story began again. He sat up a little straighter to allow her to wash his back easier. He listened to the story, and the twist as the fire man cometh! A twist to the story!

[Ide Amaya]

Her voice had lilted sweetly over the Fire Man's verse, in obvious contrast to the harsh voice the character would be expected to have.

Min gasped, but the good mother quieted her, "hush, he is saying the verse I had forgotten." The little man was shouting the verse again and again, repeating it over and over as if he could never hear it often enough. But then, he passed by, and was gone in a flash of flame and smoke.

"Half the verse is still missing," she said, "but I have remembered it,"

Take care 'ere you awake
For at night you shall be taken

And turning to Min, she said, "repeat the whole verse after me, because with this verse you must go and wake up Rain Woman." And all three repeated the verse until they all knew it perfectly. "Now the only thing left is to find Rain Woman."

"I know of only one way," said Jiahao, "Fire Man is certain to know, and I shall ask him."

"Don't do it," Min begged, but Jiahao had already left.

[Seppun Hideo]

Hideo really enjoyed the way Amaya told a story. It was really good. He waited to hear her tell the entire verse, and ruin the mean farmers day.

[Ide Amaya]

She rinsed the silk and washed down his back once more.

He did not have to look very far. The sparks raised by Fire Man's heels had set a patch of dried grass afire, and the little man was seated in the center, wickedly watching the flames.

Jiahao pretended not to notice him, but Fire Man called out: "come here, young man, you wish to know the way to the Rain Woman."

"Who told you that?" said Jiahao.

"I can tell by your nose," answered Fire Man.

"If that is what I wanted," said Jiahao, "I would not ask you, for you do not even know yourself."

"Is that so?" said Fire Man, "I don't know that Rain Woman lives behind the big wood? Or that the path goes through the big willow that stands there?"

"I am not so stupid as to believe this," said Jiahao, "no path can go through a tree."

"No," agreed Fire Man, "there is no way because Rain Woman went to sleep and the earth took her down and won't let her come up again, and now the whole world will be turned to ashes!"

[Seppun Hideo]

Hideo blinked; plot twist! The fire man seemed as mean as the farmer, and the story was turning into a rescue mission. He slightly adjusted how he sat, his legs now to his side in a relaxed way instead of the more formal sitting

[Ide Amaya]

She places a hand on his shoulder and, with gentle pressure, bades him to lean forward. She does not speak, for that would interrupt the flow of the story.

Quickly Jiahao returned to his mother and Min. "I know the way," he said breathlessly."

"Through the hollow willow," said his mother, "now I remember! But you must only go when it is dark, for then the Fire Man's power is weakened."

The next morning, before the dawn, Jiahao was ready. His mother gave him a special honey drink so that he should not collapse with thirst on the way. He gathered his lantern and, when Min arrived, they went together through the dark wood until they came across a row of willow trees. And in front of the largest of these willow, Jiahao stood and began to recite the verse.

He had barely done so when the ground opened up to reveal a passage deep into the earth. And so they passed into the tunnel. They went only a little way before coming across a set of wooden steps which led upwards and into the mountain. There were cave-like passages, and more steps. When they stopped and listened, they heard the drip of the mountain springs, and sometimes the noise of distant streams.

[Seppun Hideo]

Hideo without question leans forward, enthralled by the story which had started so simple yet had now gone deeper. Wooden steps in the mountain? Water running? Would there be another plot twist?

He didn't even consider nor notice her washing his back as much anymore.

[Ide Amaya]

Amaya begins to balm the man's strong back, using her fingertips.

"I hope we shall be able to get out again," said Min.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"I must not be afraid," she said, "your great aunt also came this way, perhaps even alone. Let us go on."

They walked on for many hours until, suddenly, they saw daylight at the end of the passage. Stepping into the open the were met by a tremendous heat. They looked around and could see they were between high mountains. The path led gently uphill between dried-up bushes and to one side was the bed of a stream, but no water flowed there.

On they went under the gaze of Lady Amaterasu, and the heat was immense. After a time, Min stopped, "I cannot go on." Quickly, Jiahao gave her a mouthful of the honey drink and she was refreshed. So he took a mouthful as well. Restored, they continued on their way.

For many more hours they walked past great trees, dried and bare. After a time they came to a meadow. Here the thick grass was withered and scattered with numerous dropping flowers. And they came to a great lake, but it was dried to nothing more than a little muddy pool. Dead fish lay in the bed, and a crane stood sleeping on one leg. But beyond the lake a building towered over the trees.

"Now you go on alone," said Jiahao, and found a tree that still gave some shade, where he would wait for Min.

[Seppun Hideo]

Unlike the previous times, Hideo was lost in the story enough to not feel the fingernails or the balm as much as before. The story had twisted again. They had heard water, but they found heat? Maybe it had no happy ending?

[Ide Amaya]

A touch let him know he could sit up again, and she bathed along the back and outside of one arm, shoulder to elbow.

Nervously, Min went around the lake. She jumped with fright when she saw, on the other side, lying amongst the flowers, the form of a woman in flowing robes. Was she asleep? Was she dead? Quioetly, Min went to her side. The woman was very tall, but she was withered like the flowers, she scarcely breathed at all. Kneeling, Min whispered in her ear:

No more waves I trust,
Only springs that turn to dust,
Only woods that are dry,
As the Fire Man dances by,
Take care 'ere you awaken,
For at night you shall be taken.

Suddenly a stormy wind arose and there was a roll of thunder. A hoarse cry of rage echoed through the mountains.

The woman opened her eyes, "what do you want?"

"Oh, Rain Woman," Min cried, "won't you please get up? You have slept for such a long time and the whole world has dried up."

"Are my streams no longer flowing through the land?" asked Rain Woman.

"No, for they have all dried up."

"Oh dear, oh dear," sighed Rain Woman. "The time really has come. Come with me and take this pitcher." And so Min picked up the pitcher that lay in the grass nearby and followed Rain Woman.

[Seppun Hideo]

Hideo sat up straight again, letting the woman wash along her as the story went on. The rain woman! With a pitcher? how strange!

[Ide Amaya]

Gently, she balmed the arm as her story continued.

"Are you now going to make it rain?" asked Min.

"First you have to unlock the well," said Rain Woman. And she pointed to a thin trickle of water that was coming down from one of the mountains, "fill this pitcher," she instructed.

They drew near the building. Tall spires reached far into the sky. It was made of rock without seam or join. Barring the way was the remains of a stream. "Fetch the key," said Rain Woman, "do not be afraid of anything you see, nothing will harm you."

And Min saw that by the door of the tower was a large key. But as she crossed the bed of the river, she gave a scream. Out of the mud arose an ebony fist whose spidery fingers stretched out towards her. "Go on, go on," Rain Woman urged, so Min carried on. And when she came to the key, she reached out her hand for it, but it was searing hot. As she poured the water over the key, it hissed loudly, and the hand in the stream closed its fingers and withdrew back into the mud.

Taking the key, Min walked through the entrance of the tower, which was without gate or door. And she reached the well, which had been shuttered with heavy doors, and she unlocked the and pulled them open. From the well came a damp smell that quickly filled the whole tower.