Kitsune: A Little Mermaid Retelling

Chapter Twenty-one (Part 2)

I wish Shin were here and that I could speak with him. Rin stood up. She had lingered in the garden, thinking about Hikaru's proposal. She had not thought about the future or even the potential of a future with Hikaru. He was married and a human—well, a half human. She was not completely immune to the gossip. She could not imagine why he had not told her himself. It hurt her that even now he was keeping secrets from her. Not that it mattered, even with Kitsune blood in his veins, his life span would end, and thinking about that just constricted her chest. I cannot even consider a future until I break this spell.

She started walking before she could change her mind. Her bare fleet slapped on the wooden walkways. The servants, who were busy with their tasks, still stopped to bow or try to press offerings of flowers and food into her hand. She shook them off and ran down the hall. She darted down the first empty passageway she could find and leaned against a wall. I almost miss when they hated me. After taking a moment to collect her thoughts, she continued, this time down the deserted halls that led back to her bedchamber. Much of the activity was centered around the main hall, the centermost building where the family entertained.

When she reached her door, she looked both ways before sliding it open. She went straight to her futon, and kneeling down, she reached under it and pulled out the dagger from underneath. She clamped her hand down on it and just held it for a moment. Testing the weight against her palm, she resigned herself to her task. It's her or me. She swallowed past a lump in her throat. I have no choice.

After poking her head out to check for any casual witnesses, she headed out. She hid the dagger in her sleeve just before a servant appeared at the opposite end of the walkway. The young woman bowed so deep to Rin her head nearly touched the ground. Rin smiled and scooted past her, her arm pinned behind her back. Rin went in the opposite direction of where she had originally intended to avoid suspicion, then doubled back once she was certain the servant was gone. Guards were stationed along the cross section that led to the inner ring; she came across blue-masked warriors. They watched her slip past without expression. They were not Kaedemori guards, but Lady Fujikawa's. Damn, they will not know I am a Kitsune. I doubt they will let me pass.

Hidden in the shadows, she sized up the guards and reevaluated her plans. A garden nearby had a trellis, which she could climb. She recalled her last adventure on the palace roofs. I can do it again, and this time no one will be chasing me. She removed the dagger from her sleeve and placed it in her sash. She could not risk it sliding out. Her palms were slick with sweat, so she wiped them on her thighs before taking a deep breath. The guards faced the garden. She would need to distract them to get by. While searching for inspiration, there came shouting from behind the guards. The men turned in unison, pulling their swords from their sheaths as one. Rin seized her opportunity and ran over to the trellis, praising her good fortune.

As she climbed, her hands trembled. The climb seemed to take an eternity. They'll turn around any minute and I'll be done for. In reality it was but a matter of moments. She reached the roof, where she collapsed, taking large gulping breaths. She rolled over and looked down at the guards, but they had disappeared. No matter. At least I was not seen.

She ran along the rooftops. Every few feet she peeked her head over the edge. She found mostly empty rooms. Then she came to a large barren garden. The plants were all dead, the tree at the center was nothing but empty branches. Four young noble ladies sat talking in low voices. They were Lady Fujikawa's maids. Rin squatted on the roof. She wished she had taken off her robes; all the exertion was making her sweat. She swiped the sweat off her brow with the back of her hand.