Year 12, Summer
Shoji Soju stood on the porch of her hut, watching her four-year-old daughters play in the dirt. Mai was chasing her sister around with a handful of mud, and Mika was screaming in feigned terror as she tried to escape a muddy doom. Other villagers kept checking on them, drawn by the screams, but the tension on their faces drained away when they realized the girls were just playing. There were no hungry ghosts here, not today. Soju’s songs made certain of that.
She heard Nobu come out of the hut and glanced in his direction before looking back to the girls. He wiped his hands on a rag and watched them, frowning in disapproval. “They’re going to get their clothes covered in mud,” he pointed out.
“Almost certainly,” she agreed, her tone indifferent. “With any luck, they will tire themselves out and fall asleep early.”
Nobu snorted in disbelief. “We don’t have that sort of luck.” He glanced toward the edge of the village, then back to his wife. “It’s about time for your song, isn’t it?”
Soju nodded. “Just about. I’m just waiting for everyone to start gathering.”
Seeing their father, the two girls rushed over to him, their muddy hands outstretched in the hopes of being picked up. Soju deftly side-stepped them and headed toward the village’s center, leaving Nobu to deal with them on his own. For a moment, she was tempted to turn around and hug them, to scoop them up into her arms, but she ignored the urge and continued walking. It was better to avoid getting attached, she told herself.
~ ~ ~
Year 21, Winter
Soju sat at the shuttered window, carefully mending one of Mika’s shirts. A stack of clothing rested on the table in front of her, all of it belonging to one of the girls. She didn’t know how they ended up going through their clothing so quickly. It was exhausting.
Mai bounded into the room, pulling her sister along behind her by the hand. “We’re going to go play in the snow!” she announced, barely stopping on her way to the door.
“It’s too cold,” Soju countered, not looking up from her work. “Ghosts prowl further in winter, and there are less scouts to keep eyes on them. It’s far too dangerous.”
Mai groaned in frustration. “We never get to do anything.” Mika looked her way sympathetically, then turned back to her mother. “What if we stay right next to the hut?” she asked, always the diplomat.
“I said no,” Soju repeated, this time with more firmness in her voice. “Go to your room and read some poetry. Maybe it will help to cool some of that fire inside you.”
Mai started to argue, but Mika dragged her out of the room, reducing her protests to mere grumblings under her breath.
Their absence was soon filled by Kuro, who took a seat opposite his wife. “You know…” he started, only to get a glare from Soju. Raising his hands in surrender, he softened his tone. “I was only going to say, they only have two years left. Maybe we should let them have some fun, while they still can.”
She sighed, tired of the long-standing argument. “And if one of them becomes ill or is dragged off by a ghost? What would the village do then?”
“We could just… leave,” he suggested, not for the first time. “Some of our people have already left the forest to join Haka and her scorpion-god. We could be on the road with the first thaw.”
Soju shook her head, her pained expression betraying that she had considered the same thing. “You know what will happen if the ritual is not performed. The gate to the underworld will open, and the dead will spill out into the mortal realm.” She steeled her heart against the part of her that wanted nothing more than to leave. “Their fate was sealed when they were born. The Shoji do not run from their duty, no matter how terrible it might be.”
Nobu fell silent as he lowered his head, and eventually Soju returned to her mending. After a few minutes of silence, he stood and left her alone to her work. Once he was out of sight, Soju squeezed her eyes shut against the tears and took a deep, shuddering breath.
~ ~ ~
Year 23, Spring
It was done.
Soju’s legs were weak, and she had to lean against a nearby wooden arch to remain standing. Nobu touched her arm, trying to support her, but she waved him off.
She had always known it would be Mai. She was the stronger of the two, the one who was always bossing her sister around. Soju had seen this day written across fifteen years of roughhousing and fighting. Mai was the stronger of the two.
The murmurs of the others died away as the priest came up the stone steps, his face hidden behind a ceremonial mask of bone. One of his arms was around Mai’s shoulder, guiding her slowly forward. Mai’s breathing was still heavy, and her eyes were wide and distant, as if she were staring into another world completely. The priest guided her over to Soju and Nobu and stepped back, his role in the terrible ceremony finished.
Soju reached up, wiping away stray tears as she tried to be brave for her daughter. “It’s over,” she whispered, her voice nearly cracking from the attempt. “You and your sister have helped delay a great tragedy, Mai-chan.” She reached out to touch her daughter’s arm. “I know that-”
Whatever spell had taken hold of Mai was shattered the moment Soju touched her sleeve. The girl recoiled from her touch, the distant look in her eyes changing to one of anger. “Don’t touch me!” she shouted, tears now welling up in her eyes. “I… I didn’t…”
“Shh, it’s okay…” Soju moved forward and attempted to pull her daughter into a hug, but Mai slapped her hands away and stumbled backwards. Other villagers stepped towards Mai to help, causing her to look between them in a panic, like a caged animal.
“NO! Stay away from me, all of you! You… you made me do it!” She darted backwards, then shoved an older man aside as she made a break for the temple’s door.
Soju started to go after her, but the priest caught her arm and shook his head. “This is not uncommon,” he said, his voice muffled by the mask. “Give her time to rest and accept that she did only what she must. She will come around.”
He released Soju’s arm, and she leaned into her husband, finally allowing the tears to come as he hugged her tightly.
~ ~ ~
Year 29, Winter
The last note of Soju’s song drifted off into the aether, and she closed her eyes and tried to hold onto the emotions that it had stirred up inside her. It almost worked, for a moment, before the audience’s applause filled the air and brought her back to reality.
She opened her eyes and adopted a humble smile, bowing slightly as the crowd surrounded her to offer their praise. The scents of the court room - cloth and sweat, and far too much perfume - came back to her one by one, and she forced a smile to her lips.
It had been a rushed performance, but since joining the Scorpion Clan, her daimyo had been insistent upon showcasing Soju’s talent whenever possible. She enjoyed it far more than the rumor-mongering and political maneuvering that was asked of her, but it was still difficult not to think of herself as a caged songbird.
A crowd formed around her as the various courtiers and bushi heaped compliments upon her for her singing - and, in some cases, her beauty. Soju deflected all of them with good-natured false modesty, assuring her fans that she was just an amateur who was just so gosh-darned pleased to be performing for such refined patrons.
She was midway through thanking a handsome Crane courtier for his kind words when she caught sight of the young woman with short-hair. Soju couldn’t see her mouth due to the mempo she was wearing, but there was something about her cold eyes, a strange sense of familiarity that she couldn’t quite place.
Soju must have been staring, because the short-haired woman stepped forward, removed the mempo, and spoke. “Hello, mother.”
In an instant, Soju recognized her daughter, and her blood went cold. It had been nearly a year since she had seen Mai last, and she had apparently taken advantage of her new haircut and a simple mempo to evade the guards that had been warned about her.
Soju took a frightened step backwards as the color drained from her face, but she was surrounded by people who hadn’t yet realized what was happening. Mai stepped forward and plunged the knife she had been concealing in her hand into Soju’s belly. “Mika sends her love,” she hissed, before twisting the knife and yanking it sideways.
Soju collapsed to the ground as someone screamed. She could feel the warmth of her blood pooling around her, the pain of her wound. She heard a man shouting orders and weakly raised a hand toward the sound. "Let her go," she weakly murmured, her voice barely a whisper. "It's fine. I deserve this…"
Her hand fell to the ground, too weak to support itself. Soju wondered whether she would see Nobu, and then Darkness claimed her.
~ ~ ~
One Day Later
"The assassin has thus far eluded capture, but rest assured, Haka-san, she will not get far." The attempts on her life usually drew the attention of a high-ranking samurai, but Soju had never received the talk from a daimyo. Mai had made quite the impression this time.
Soju forced a weak smile onto her face. "It is nothing. Do not bother your samurai with such a trial manner."
The daimyo made a noncommittal sound. "Some of the guests believe that you recognized your attacker. Anything you can tell me will help our search."
Soju gingerly pressed a hand to the bandaged wound in her chest. She was starting to feel dizzy again. "No," she finally said. "I don't know who that was. I wish that I did."