“Lady Hanshou will be ready for the girl soon.”
They spun around, wincing. “Hai, Harumi-san!” one called, while the other turned on me. “We will work as quickly as we can.”
“Hurry.” The second servant gave an anxious frown as she stalked up. “I am sorry, but we must do this quickly, now. Please.”
She reached for the furoshiki and took it from my hands. As she did, the cloth opened, and something long and thin dropped from the folds, clinking against the wooden floor.
Both servants looked down, as a long bamboo flute rolled slowly over the planks, stopping when it hit one’s toe. “What is this?” she asked, bending to pick it up. “A flute?”
I took a furtive breath as her fingers closed around the instrument, forcing myself to speak calmly. “Yes. It was my former master’s. He gave it to me the day I left the temple and said I should practice until I could return and play him a perfect song. I’ve been practicing when I can, but I’m not very good yet. Would you like to hear?”
“I am sure you are better than you think.” The servant gave a tight smile. “Perhaps some other time. I will put this with your other clothes.”
“If you don’t mind,” I began as she turned. “I would like to keep it on my person. It’s the only thing I have left of my master, you see. Sort of a good luck talisman. If I always carry it, he will always be with me.”
Her lips started to purse, before she stopped herself. “As you wish,” she said, barely hiding her impatience. “But you must allow us to attend you now. We cannot waste any more time.”
“I understand,” I told her, and she handed it back with a firm look. I gave a sigh of relief as my fingers closed around the disguised scroll, feeling the fox magic prickle my skin, and kept a tight grip on it as the servants stripped off my clothes. As cold air hit my exposed body, I flattened my ears and tucked my tail tight against my legs so the humans wouldn’t step on it as they circled me like wolves. They couldn’t see my kitsune self unless they had a mirror or other reflective surface, or were just adept at seeing the spirit world like Reika, but I didn’t want them to trip and fall over “nothing.” Not to mention my tail would hurt. Thankfully, after misting my skin with a heady, plum-scented perfume that made my eyes water, they draped a white under robe over my body before finally wrapping the elegant kimono around me. The obi was wide and stiff, spanning my waistline to right below my breasts; I carefully tucked the scroll into the fabric while the servants were busy adjusting the bow at my back.
One of the servants had successfully dragged a comb through my hair a few times, untangling the snarls and sparing me no discomfort whatsoever, when another tap came at the door. “Is the girl ready?” the female voice asked, as I blinked back tears of pain and waited for my scalp to stop screaming.
“Hai, Harumi-san!” called the servant, while the other quickly hurried to the door and slid it back. The older woman from earlier peered in, caught sight of me and nodded.
“Yes, good. She looks presentable. My lady.” The woman raised a bony hand, beckoning me forward. “Please, come with me. Lady Hanshou has called for you.”
I followed the woman down several corridors and up an impossible number of stairs, seeming to ascend to the very top of the castle. Peering through an arrow slit at the top of one staircase, I could see the night sky, blazing with stars, and below us, the tops of trees that stretched on to the distant horizon. It appeared that a great forest, vast and tangled, lay beyond the walls of Hakumei castle. I wondered what types of creatures roamed those woods, if it was anything like the forest outside the Silent Winds temple. A feeling of acute longing and homesickness washed through me, nearly bringing tears to my eyes. So much had happened since the night the demons burned down the temple and Master Isao had entrusted me with the scroll. I was keeping it safe, but just barely. Everywhere I turned, it seemed there was someone else who wanted the scroll, be it a demon, an emperor, a blood mage, or a daimyo. I didn’t know how much longer I