A pair of young siblings walked from a distant village. They had lived near the estuary in a small wooden cottage. The cottage was dilapidated, drafty from all four walls, sweltering in the summer and frigid in the winter. But the boys didn't mind, and were content in the company of their loved ones. 

Just a few more steps and they would reach the sh.o.r.eline, from there it was possible to see the small island in the bay. They came here often in the summer to play in the water, away from the blistering heat. If they were lucky, they could even catch a few fish. This would make mother very happy.

The rain slowly subsided, waning to a drizzle.

The brothers slowed their steps and looked back upon the path they had traveled. Rain pattered off of their straw capes, each drop plummeting to the soil at their feet.

"Big brother?" the little one looked up.

His brother gazed silently at the sea, thoughts lost in the roar of waves cras.h.i.+ng on the rocky sh.o.r.e. Then, as if seized by a sudden determination, he turned to his young sibling.

"Mizu... why don't you go back first."

"What? Why? Why don't we go back together?" the little one protested.

"There's something I need to do here, so why don't you go back first? Father will worry if he finds the house empty."

"..But....But....."

In the end, Mizu pulled his cape up a little higher and wordlessly turned toward home. The elder brother Musoru, watch his retreating back disappear into the drizzle before suddenly turning and breaking into a run, das.h.i.+ng headlong along the sh.o.r.eline.

"I hope Musoru's going to be okay...... he gave me his cape."

Mizu thought of how mother always worried for them, always made sure they where properly protected from the elements. Mother wouldn't approve of Musoru being without a cape.

It wasn't too late, Mizu glanced hesitantly in the direction he had come. Perhaps he should.............

But brother would be displeased.... Mizu deliberated some more before hanging his head and heading to their home on the outskirts of the village.

He walked a little further and before him rose a large house. Mother worked there occasionally.

Mother was a great seamstress, able to repair and mend all sorts of clothes. She was a great cook too, and she always had a warm smile.

Daika had a warm smile as well, she was the same age as Mizu. (Note: Daika is the little girl.) She had always been a great playmate, but now she could no longer respond to anyone's voice. As Mizu thought back to his loved ones, his eyes filled with tears.

As Mizu raised his sleeve to rub at his eyes, a sudden gale sliced through the air, tearing the straw cape from his shoulders. Mizu frantically grasped for the edge of his cape as two figures dropped to the ground seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

"Ahhhh!   Not again!!" One of the figures cried as he crashed down, landing with a splash in a wide creek. Mizu watched silent and stunned as the stranger frantically splashed to the edge with a long suffering sigh.

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Narachika and Masahiro had been s.n.a.t.c.hed up by Taiin's whirl wind so suddenly that they had been totally unprepared for the landing, cras.h.i.+ng down haphazardly in swampy creek. The s.h.i.+nshou however, each landed gracefully, alighting on the nearby gra.s.s as though the great distance traveled was merely another step.

At the sight of Masahiro and Narachika covered in mud and gra.s.s stains, the other s.h.i.+nshou were quick to rain criticism on yet another botched journey by Taiin.

For her part, Taiin was defensive and exasperated.

"But....But.... Touda glared at me.... I swear.

She fell silent and hung her head.

Touda, in the form of a white mononoke perched on Kouchin's shoulder. Kouchin felt a pang of sadness for Touda. It was a bit unfair. He had remained in his unintimidating mononoke form. It wasn't his fault. But since he himself did not mention it, Kouchin said nothing.  

Presently Touda lept from Kouchin's shoulder landing with a twitch of his tail. 

He was already being very careful.

Touda knew his presence disturbed and frightened Taiin to the point of diversion. Seized with fear, she would suddenly lose her focus on the task at hand.  But Taiin's mishaps can harbor dangerous consequences, so Touda generally made a point to stand behind Kouchin or Rikuguo when group action was necessary.  This was of course, an effort on his part to avoid accidental eye contact with Taiin, for Narachika and Masahiro, who had both set out on their journey clean and presentable were now soaked to the bone and covered in mud. They had actually set out on their journey with clean spare clothes, but those too are now waterlogged and stained.

No one had expected this inconvenience.

Narachika and Masahiro seemed at a loss, unable to determine a course of action until the soggy cold forced them to peel away the soaked layers, and wring out the muddy water.

"Good Heavens ! " Narachika complained as he straightened his dark ebos.h.i.+ hat. (Translator's note: an ebos.h.i.+ hat is the tall dark hat worn by Heian n.o.bles.)

Narachika was startled out of his efforts arrange the sodden hat, when he took sudden notice of a small boy standing nearby.   

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Mizu stood rooted to the spot, as he regarded the sudden visitors with a saucer-eyed, slack jawed horror. The taller man approached him, and Mizu whimpered, a scream of terror already pawing at his throat.

"Im so sorry we scared you. But you should know this type of grand entrance is very popular in Jindou*."

Mizu, who had turned to run, hesitated at the unfamiliar words.

"Jin... Dou?"

"Yes, yes." the taller man added. "We're from Jindou, have you heard of the house of lord Yutari* ? "

At the sight of the mud covered youth who had seemingly fallen from the sky, Mizu's fear wavered, and he couldnt help but stifle a laugh at the ridiculous sight.

"Oh....oh.. yes, I do know of him ! " Muzi replied with enthusiasm.

Seeing that he had captured the boy's interest, Narachika continued on.

Ah, so you have heard of him! Could I please trouble you for some directions then? It will be dark soon, perhaps your mummy or daddy could help us as well ?

___________________________________________________

Masahiro and the others observed Narachika's strategy with admiration. Working with young children should be second nature with him, as he is the father of three.

"Im filled with awe." Taiin quipped in the background, in a voice that suggested that she was filled with something else entirely. She nodded resolutely.

Masahiro sighed as he glanced down at his sodden clothes. Although their ultimate purpose was to obtain the letter, uncleanliness and their unpresentable condition wasn't something that was going to help.

Unbidden, Masahiro glanced at the white mononoke, his eyes meeting its fierce scarlet gaze. Though the creature's expression remained one of disinterest as it quickly looked away, Masahiro's gaze remained on him.

Why does he still remain in this form? Touda didn't desire this form. Even if it was Seimei's orders, it shouldn't have this degree of hold over his will. If I asked him, would he answer?   

Masahiro was about to ask when he felt a cool mist rise around him, a sharp wetness completely different from the rain. Confused, he blinked his eyes.

The estuary should be nearby. It was said that the estuary was where fresh water from the river mixed with the salt.w.a.ter from the sea. It was filled with the bounty of the ocean, fish, and shrimp were abundant there. The wind came from that direction too.

The rain drizzled to a light mist, and the sky brightened a bit.

But Masahiro felt a nagging sense of unease, a choking pressure in his chest that seem to tell him that something was amiss.

The wind from the sea............. The sharp mist borne by the wind....... and enfolded within the strange, sharp humid air, the desperate howls of a child. 

There was something chillingly familiar about the feeling.

Masahiro shuddered, for borne on the wind were the cries of pain, woven into one with the familiar scent of youkai.

Without hesitation, Masahiro bolted, with Rikugou and Kouchin on his heels.

"Hey!.... HEY!!!!  MASAHIRO!! " Narachika called out after him.

"There are Youkai hiding beneath the waves." Genbu answered as he too dove forth.

The two humans remaining seemed momentarily stunned before Narachika turned to Mizu his voice edged with urgency.

"Return Home NOW ! Do not come out, Understood ?"  

Mizu nodded. Suddenly his eyes grew wide.

"But Brother!!... He......"