Spirit's Princess by Esther Friesner

Author:Esther Friesner [Friesner, Esther]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-375-89990-4
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2012-04-23T16:00:00+00:00

Aki and I never did go to see the cherry blossoms that year. The days following the departure of the Ookami were taken up with too much work for both of us. Father called his most trusted counselors together to talk about the possible consequences of his decision to refuse Lord Nago’s offer of alliance. He insisted that Aki be present and listened attentively to everything my oldest brother had to say. Aki found this new mark of favor immensely flattering and gratifying. Nothing would keep him from attending those meetings.

“You wouldn’t believe it, Himiko,” he told me when the two of us were working in the fields. “Father asked me what I thought!”

“It’s about time,” I said a little grumpily. We’d spent all that morning bent over row after row of seedlings, and my back was stiff and sore. “You’re going to be our next chieftain. He should have included you long ago.”

Aki straightened up and looked away from me. “Don’t blame Father, Himiko; he tried. I was the one who was too busy. Going on a hunt always seemed more exciting to me than sitting in a circle listening to a bunch of old—older men talk on and on.”

“It is more exciting,” I said, wiping sweat from my brow with the back of my arm.

“Only sometimes. And it’s nowhere near as important.”

“Bringing home meat to feed your family’s not important?”

“The decisions we discuss in council affect every family in our clan. I don’t know if I’ll make a good chieftain—and I’m in no hurry to find out—but I have to prepare. It’s time I grew up, Himiko.”

I stood and stretched the kinks out of my spine, then slapped dirt from my hands. “Aki, if you’re not grown up, no one is. Look at how old you are! There are boys in our village younger than you who’ve already got wi—” I bit off the end of what I’d been about to say—wives and children—and cursed my hasty tongue.

“You make me sound older than Lady Yama,” Aki said lightly. If he’d guessed what I’d nearly said, he didn’t show it. “Even if I were, it wouldn’t carry any weight. Growing up is more than a matter of counting years. There are plenty of old fools in the world.”

And young ones, I thought, regretting how close I’d come to hurting him. Without another word, I went back to work. If I kept my hands busy, maybe I wouldn’t have the time to say anything else stupid.

Aki bent to his own task, but not before stooping near me and murmuring in my ear, “It’s all right, Himiko. I know you didn’t mean to say that.” My cheeks flamed as he went on: “If anyone should be embarrassed over what my life lacks, it’s me. And if anyone can mend that, it’s me too.”

Day followed day, and I watched the distant flourish of pink blooms dwindle away, branch by branch, tree by tree. There will be other seasons, I told myself. But

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