A Fox's Whisper

25: Ҝ卂乙ㄩ卄卂

In the hush of wind
Leaves blanket...

No, that didn't work. I scraped my shoe over the dirt where I'd etched the words of a half-written haiku with a stick. I was quite alone now, the wind my only companion as I rested underneath the Sacred Sakura tree.

I brushed a loose strand of hair back from my face, running through a list of words that could possibly give new life to the poem. But alas, it was to no avail. My lack of proficiency in poetry seemed to strike me a little harder over the head than usual as I continued to draw mental blanks. Perhaps it is an idiosyncrasy of mine to strive in vain to compose any sort of haiku when I know full well it's best left to others. I do better to memorize poems already written by those whose talents tend to lean in that direction.

I scratched the stick through the dirt again.

In the hush of wind
Trees dance in an unheard song
I rest in autumn

I sat back, crossing my legs and giving a slight smile at the poem on the ground.
Autumn is truly my favorite time of the year when the trees are crowned in scarlet and gold regalia, standing tall overhead like noble lords and ladies. I sighed wistfully, thinking back on the many autumns I had spent in the wilderness amongst the maple trees.

A quiet "ahem" snapped me out of my thoughts, and I looked to the side to find Lady Yae and Inari standing side by side about a yard away from me.

"Writing poems? How befitting of a samurai." Yae gave a dry smile as she craned her neck to better read the haiku on the ground.

"Lady Yae," I said, surprised at her oh so sudden return. Nevertheless, I smiled at her. "You're back. I trust you had a safe journey?"

Inari scowled darkly at Yae, though the kitsune girl was paid no mind by the latter. "As safe as one could assume, given the circumstances," Yae said airily.

"Circumstances?" My brow furrowed, and I uncrossed my legs to better lean forward to catch what she might say next.

"Well, are you going to tell him, Miko?" Inari said bitterly. "Or am I?"

"I know more of it than you, be patient," Yae said, clenching her fists in exasperation. She took a breath to compose herself, her lazy eyes drooping all the more as if she did not wish to talk at all. Rather like she wished to take a very long nap underneath a summer sun.

"Tell me what?" I looked between Yae and Inari in turn, but neither said anything.

When Yae did speak again, it was not to answer my question just yet. "I would assume you both are wondering why I left so suddenly. I do owe you an explanation. But perhaps we had best discuss this inside where prying ears won't overhear."

"No." Inari crossed her arms. "Get it over with now."

Yae studied me for a good long while, and seeing as I did not agree or disagree with either of them, she sighed in defeat. Or perhaps annoyance. It was rather difficult to tell, and given her history with Inari, it could very well have been one or the other.

"Alright, since you insist. The original reason I left for the city was simply that I wished to look over a few of the public historical records that the Kamisato clan oversees." Seeing that Inari was about to ask what those were, Yae added, "They are documents detailing the entirety of Inazuma's history from the smallest of events to the Archon War. Famines, wars, architectural feats, stories supposed to be legends, everything is written in excruciating detail on those documents in one unbroken timeline. There was one particular event I wished to review in hopes of branching out in a particular area of research, so--"