Heaven’s Wind – [PART 4]

1) I’d like to thank everyone for the lovely comments to the first 3 chapters! <3 And also Kitty for the flattering comment. I actually blushed reading it. xD
2) FINALLY a continuation to Lord Ohno and Aki’s story. I’m so sorry for the obnoxiously late update, I was attacked by a vicious writer’s block T_T no surprise there.
3) Monday onwards I’ll be going back to school, so that robs away a lot of my free time to write :/ But I’ll try my best, for the sake of you guys. I owe you all sooo much <3

HEAVEN’S WIND
an Ohno Satoshi fanfiction

Rating: T
Genre: Historical romance
Banner: Lord Ohno Satoshi and Kikuchi Aki (modeled by Toda Erika)
Summary: When Aki arrives at the Imperial Heian Palace as a new lady-in-waiting in service to the Empress, she is filled with indescribable anticipation and anxiety, knowing a new chapter in her life will begin. What she knows not… is that her life will change completely, and it begins with a chance meeting with a mysterious man on the stone wall.
Note: If there is any factual inaccuracy in terms of historical facts of the Heian Period, it is not intended.

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Heaven’s Wind
Part Four

Ten… nine… eight… seven… six… five… four… three… two… one.

Aki’s eyes flung open. Fourteen consecutive countdowns and yet a sleep of peace eluded her!

She threw the futon covers aside and rose up with a soft, frustrated sigh escaping her lips. She glanced at the clear night sky outside the lattice window, and estimated by easy measures that one too many hours had passed into the night since Satoko last blew out the candle. For those many hours of stretching silence she had lain in her futon in darkness, unmoving and unsuccumbing to fatigue, with naught to do but to listen closely to the drones of Tsuki’s purring and Satoko’s soft, even breaths.

Her eyes then cast over to the blissfully sleeping figures of her friend, whose slackened mouth hung open comically, and her cat, whose purrs vibrated against her thigh, and once again she emitted a deep sigh.

“I can take this no longer,” she muttered exasperatedly. She felt the need to do something – with absolute disregard to the matter of productivity – to cool off her growing misery. She got onto her feet and grabbed her michiyuki from the basket of fresh laundry and put it on. Silently she tip-toed to the lattice door, careful not to step on old wooden floorboards that would creak even under the lightest of weight, and she slid the door open with much caution, at the same time sparing one long glance at Satoko to make sure she was fast asleep. She was convinced the coast was clear, but she walked not two steps out of the door when there was a sound behind her that brought much dread.

“Mreow?” came Tsuki’s sleepy call.

Aki raised her eyes and spun around to find her cat trotting towards her eagerly. “Why do you always have to catch me at the right moment?” she said exasperatedly, but she did not hesitate to let the cat out.

With the cat trailing lazily behind her, Aki descended to the courtyard and headed to the kitchens situated behind the dining hall. She thought perhaps some o-cha would put an ease to her misery and hopefully rid her of the induced insomnia, so she searched through the storage bins for some tea leaves.

Tsuki rubbed against her calves, purposefully brushing her tail against the back of her knees while looking up at her with an expectant glint in her topaz eyes shining like fiery gold in the dark.

“No, I am not feeding you,” Aki reproached. As punishment for disobedience, she had deprived Tsuki of any tuna ever since the night of her great escapade into Lord Ohno’s welcoming lap.

“Curses,” she grumbled. She forgot to bring a candle with her, which proved to be foolish as the kitchen was dark and she was guided only by the faint moonlight through the windows, and she could do not more than rummage blindly through the storage bin. She sighed, and turned to her expectant cat dejectedly. “Come on, we are taking a walk,” she said, bending down and scooping the cat up into her arms.

The night was tranquil and quiet as she ventured through the winding alleys and that led to the heron gardens. It was awfully quiet, save for the soft echoes of the Palace guards’ boots thudding on stone and the distant chatting voices. She hugged Tsuki tight against her chest as she strolled along garden paths, ever so careful the cat was kept concealed under her michiyuki. She was partly glad the cat brought her comforting warmth in the cold, chilly autumn night air, especially when it had rained in the evening.

Her mind then drifted into deep thoughts of Lord Ohno, imagining once again the gentle touch of his finger against her lip. For a good couple of weeks, she found that during moments of peaceful solitude, just like one very much like this, her mind would often stray off to memories of her time with Lord Ohno, and whenever she imagined the lord’s youthful face and his beautiful smile, her heart would swell with filling emotions and her cheeks would darken a deeper shade of red. At first she was embarrassed by herself, but gradually it had become as such a frequent reaction that she no longer attempted to shake away those dear thoughts.

There were one too many times she had greatly hoped in her heart Lord Ohno’s and her paths would cross again, as how they had by sheer chance or fate, but alas, there was never a time. Crestfallen – that was how she felt when each day ended fruitlessly with naught a sight or news of Lord Ohno. Today would be the twentieth night that sadness, once again, overwhelmed her.

Despite understanding that she was developing some sort of feelings for Lord Ohno, she was still confused by those very feelings. She was young and inexperienced, and she knew not how it felt to love a person, not as a family or a friend like Satoko, but as a man she felt her life would be a hollow, empty one without. There were many times that in contemplation she thought what she felt for the lord was an innocent child’s mere admiration, for he was a great and noble man, but a cloud of doubt would always loom over.

“Lady?”

Aki looked up with still-faraway eyes and an expression of absence in attentiveness. A man stood in her way in the middle of a small wooden bridge that crossed over one of the larger koi fish ponds. He wore a casual garment of a simple haori over his kimono and hakama, thus she could not pinpoint his Palace rank. His face was not a familiar one, but she assumed he could be a high-ranked lord from a noble family, judging by the air of dignified nobility he carried himself with.

“It is not safe for a lone lady to venture around palace grounds in the night,” the stranger said, with unexpected kindness that surprised Aki. “It is an open invitation for unspeakable dangers.”

“I am sorry, my lord,” Aki replied with a slight bow of her head, and she stared at him with wariness.

“Why have you not retired to your chamber, lady? I believe now is not an hour fitting for a stroll in the gardens,” he continued. His polite smile was very much opposed to the suspicious tone in his questioning voice.

Before Aki could reply, a cry came. “Lord Sakurai!”

The stranger turned his head around, just as Aki stood on her toes and peered over the lord’s shoulders, and they both noticed a tall man, barely illuminated by the dimly-lit lanterns, jogging towards them while waving his hand. Aki then realised it was the stranger who was being addressed, and almost immediately she paled.

She did not know, till now, that she was in fact speaking with Lord Sakurai, a well-respected physician of the Imperial Family and lord of the much-revered noble house of the Sakurai clan. She remembered Satoko once telling her that the Sakurai family was one of the four most powerful clans under the Imperial ruling. The people both honour and fear them, but Lord Sakurai was well-loved by the people, as he was a compassionate man and his intelligence far exceeded many of his peers.

“My Lord Sakurai!” Aki exclaimed, and quickly she curtsied and bowed her head low. “I was not aware it was you, my lord, and I beg that the lord forgive my rudeness!”

Lord Sakurai raised his eyebrows, and then he laughed. “No, there is no need for me to forgive you, for I do not give much care for formalities when the night is merry,” he said mirthfully as he waved his hand airily. “In the least, I do not adhere to such formalities with as much fervent enthusiasm as Lord Matsumoto.”

Aki was taken aback by his casualness of speech, but she had to bite her lip to hold back a soft chuckle at his unabashed comment. She had not known anyone, Lord Ohno aside, who dared tease the much-feared Lord Matsumoto. Even brave, loud-mouthed Satoko had not the courage to speak of Lord Matsumoto unless they were in safety within the four walls of their bedroom.

“Lord Sakurai!” the man called out again, and now that he had reached the duo, and the lantern Lord Sakurai carried gave light to his physical features, Aki recognised him as the Palace horse lord.

“Lord Aiba,” Aki greeted him with the same deep bow, but she gave him a warm smile. She had met the lord when Tsuki fell ill a few weeks ago (Aki assumed it was all the tuna she greedily ate) and Lord Aiba had healed her with a simple concoction of herbs that impressed her. They became friends, struck up by their common love for horses.

“Ah, Aki-chan! Konbanwa,” Aiba greeted enthusiastically.

“Konbanwa,” Aki greeted with a curtsy, though accompanied with a warm, friendly smile.

It was at that perfect moment Tsuki poked her head out of the michiyuki, and Lord Aiba’s child-like face lit up instantaneously. “Tsuki!” he exclaimed in exquisite delight. He reached out and pulled the cat out of her hideout and cuddled her in his arms.

“Aiba! I thought you had passed out in the stable and buried yourself in your horses’ haystack!” Lord Sakurai grinned. He seemed happily unperturbed by the fact that a cat was hidden underneath Aki’s clothes.

Lord Aiba fixed him a childish glare. “Sake does not hold such effects on me, my lord,” he refuted, followed by a loud hiccup.

Lord Sakurai broke out into peals of laughter, and he threw his arm around Lord Aiba’s shoulder with much affection. “You, my friend, are indeed drunk,” he chuckled, “though I find it odd that you can still speak with soberness. Why have you come to seek me? If you wish to invite me for more drinking, I am afraid I will have to decline.”

“I would love to drink more with you,” Lord Aiba replied with much disappointment. “But I come hither not for that matter. You left this book of yours,” he pulled out a thick book from his kimono belt, “at the stable. Lord Ohno would have fed it to the horses had I not stopped him in time!”

Aki paused in her breath. Lord Ohno?

Lord Sakurai narrowed his eyes as Lord Aiba handed him the book. “Do not tell me that fool has gotten himself drunk?” he growled.

“No, he is very much sober. He did so just to spite you,” Lord Aiba answered with a cheerful grin. Lord Sakurai, however, did not find it amusing.

“Lord Aiba?” Aki spoke out, in a meek voice. The two lords turned their heads to her with equally-curious looks. “Erm… did you say Lord Ohno is at the stables?”

“Yes, most likely tending to his horse, as he always does when he is not asleep,” Lord Aiba nodded, and he hiccupped again.

“Come, let me accompany you to your chambers. I sense your soberness is fast running out of its miracles,” Lord Sakurai said exasperatedly as he patted his shoulder.

Lord Aiba returned Tsuki into Aki’s arms with a satisfied smile. “Tsuki has recovered well. She may as well have the strength of a horse,” he laughed, and again, another hiccup escaped his lips.

“We are taking our leave now, Lord Aiba,” Lord Sakurai said loudly, and now he had both his hands on Lord Aiba’s shoulders and slowly guiding him down the bridge. He turned to look over his shoulder and he bowed at Aki. “Have a good night, my lady. I hope we shall meet again.”

Aki curtsied. “And I, too, my lord. I wish you a good night.”

As the two lords walked off, Aki could hear Lord Sakurai’s deep voice lecturing his companion in fashion of a mother and she caught a glimpse of Lord Aiba’s carefree wave of his hand to the lectures. Aki waited for them to disappear from sight and with a hold of her breath, she headed in direction of the stables. Her heart hammered with rapid beatings, and her stomach churned in nervousness; she wondered if it was right for her to seek out the Lord General. She hesitated at first, her feet dragging heavily behind her, but when she finally decided it was appropriate that she returned to her room, she had unknowingly reached the stable.

The large wooden building housed the hundreds of horses of the Imperial Army as well as the Emperor’s very own stallion and the Empress’ beloved young filly. The lanterns in the stables were lit, and she thought she saw the shadow of a figure through an open window. She slowly approached the entrance and scanned the interior, but she froze when she heard a singing voice that met her ears:

Sakura, Sakura,
Cherry blossoms in the sky,
Near and far as the eye can see,
Like a mist of floating clouds
in the fragrant blush of spring,
Come, oh come,
Come, oh come,
Come and see the cherry trees!

That voice… it struck a chord deep in her heart. She recognised the song as a mere children’s lullaby, but it was sung with aching tenderness and bliss, perfect in pitch and light in intonation, and it moved her deep inside. It was astounding how a simple song could be recreated into an angelic melody. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever heard.

Feeling an irresistible pull drawing her closer, she followed the melodious voice down the aisle. Among the sea of horses, she discovered Lord Ohno standing beside his magnificent black stallion in its box stall, brushing the horse’s mane while he continued to sing softly with a contented smile across his face. She paused in her steps a few metres away and watched with her breath held in her lungs. She could not comprehend why she was utterly mesmerised.

Suddenly, the lord looked up as though aware of her presence, and he turned his twinkling eyes to her with his lips stretched wider. Aki felt her hands tremble under the power of his smile.

“Lady Kikuchi… it surprises me to see you awake at this hour,” he remarked, though he did not seem surprised at all.

Aki gulped to soothe the rumble of nervousness inside, and she curtsied (though rather awkwardly with Tsuki wriggling uneasily under her michiyuki). “I am afraid this night is a sleepless one for me, and I came out for a stroll to pass the time,” she replied.

“Likewise, although whenever I cannot sleep I come to visit my horse,” said the lord.

Then it happened before Aki could react. In a fluid motion, Tsuki sprung out from Aki’s arms and sprinted over to Lord Ohno in joyous abandon.

“Tsuki!” Aki exclaimed in horror.

The cat ignored her mistress completely and rubbed against the legs of the lord’s hakama, arching her back in eagerness for a backrub.

Lord Ohno chuckled in amusement. “Forgive me, but I do not have tuna to feed you today,” he said with mild ruefulness as he bent down and scooped the cat into his arms.

“I apologise for my cat’s behaviour, my lord,” Aki said quickly. “I just do not understand why she is so fond of you…”

“Perhaps she thinks of me as the tuna-wielding gentleman,” he replied jokingly, though it was clear he showed growing affection for the cat, too. With the cat snuggled deep in his arms, he exited the horse’s box stall and sauntered down the aisle. “Would you like to join me for a drink, my lady, to pass the time?” he inquired politely, looking at her over his shoulder with an expectant look.

Aki did not resist a smile of delight. It was as though the lord knew she could not turn down his invitation, so wordlessly she followed the lord in his wake. He guided her towards the back of the stable house where a sake jug and a few cups were conspicuously placed on a large wooden crate, surrounded by squares of hay acting as seats to the makeshift table. It was an unusual venue for three well-respected ministers of the Imperial Palace to have a merry round of sake.

She sat down awkwardly, as opposed to Lord Ohno’s casual manner as he placed Tsuki on the seat beside him – who circled around the spot and stretched lazily before curling up comfortably – and he poured sake into the cups.

“My lord, forgive me but… I do not drink sake,” Aki murmured hesitantly, though rather a little embarrassed.

Lord Ohno raised an eyebrow and this time his face showed genuine surprise. “I know not a person who does not consume sake merrily,” he told her softly. “Nevertheless, I insist you try the sake, it may help you sleep.”

“It does?”

“Umhmm. Here.” He passed a cup to her.

Aki stared at the clear liquid with half-heartened willingness, but she felt pressured under the lord’s expectant gaze burning into her, so she held her breath and swallowed the liquid in one gulp. A sudden burning sensation trickled along the walls of her throat and she coughed.

“Aahh, that happens on the first time,” said the lord regretfully. He moved over to sit next to her and he rubbed her back gently. “Breathe.”

Aki did as the lord said, and soon her throat did not burn any more. She quickly wiped the small tears in her eyes so he would not see such pitiful weakness in her. “I’m sorry…” she croaked.

The lord did not reply. He downed a cup himself, all the while maintaining the rubbing motion of his hand on her back.

“It is… refreshing to see you without the rice powder on your face,” he suddenly blurted out.

“I’m sorry…” Aki repeated, this time in uncertainty. She knew not what to say in return. Flattered? Insulted? So she kept her eyes on her hands in her lap and said nothing more.

“Why do you apologise? Do not mistake me, sans the powder you are so much more beautiful.”

Aki felt her heart leap. Steadily – though her lips were trembling – she raised her eyes at the lord, and she was stunned by the unreadable expression in his face that bore deep into her, but it was those eyes of melted caramel… they were soft and peaceful, and they were gazing at her with sincerity. She felt happiness fill her heart and her feelings overwhelmed when realisation sank in.

He said she was beautiful.

“T—thank you, my lord,” Aki stammered, and she looked away. She bit her lip so she would not smile.

Suddenly she shivered. She had not noticed the warmth from her blushes had masked the chilly air seeping through her clothes, and she wrapped her arms around herself. She wished to have Tsuki’s warm body against her chest.

“It is foolish to wear so few layers of clothes when you are out in the cold. We are closing in on winter,” the lord said with a slight disapproving frown. He shrugged off his haori and draped it over her shoulders, and then he took her hands in his.

“W—what are you doing, my lord?” she exclaimed, unmistakably alarmed by the intimate touch.

Lord Ohno glanced at her. “I am warming you up. Your hands are as cold as winter’s snow,” he replied, and in the passing seconds he brought her hands to his lips and tenderly blew onto her pale skin.

Aki’s unblinking eyes studied his face bent to her hands and unceasingly blowing onto her palms and then rubbing them between his hands. The sensation of his warm breath lightly kissing her skin brought a tingling feeling, but the touch of his hands on hers was comforting, warming up her skin as well as her overwhelming heart. It was a feeling of soothing melancholy.

“Do you fish, my lady?”

Aki was profoundly bewildered by that sudden question. “I’m sorry, my lord, but what…?”

“Do you fish?” he repeated.

“I… I believe so,” she replied slowly, peering at him with visibly perplexed eyes. “I often fish at the river near my village with my brothers. Why do you ask such a question, my lord?”

“Rather, is tomorrow a day of leisure for you?”

“Yes, but my lord, I do not underst—”

“I wish for a companion as I go down to the river tomorrow. I am told tomorrow may be a fine, sunny day and I have hopes of capturing some ayu fishes in the Great River. Lord Matsumoto has dealt me a challenge, unfortunately. I hope you do not mind bearing witness to my accomplishment so you can tell of this tale to him?”

Aki stared hard at the lord with a struggling deadpan face. “Fishing… in the month of October, my lord?”

In return, Lord Ohno smiled a little sheepishly. “So… what say you, my lady?”

“I—If you wish it, my lord.”

His face brightened, almost in the likes of a child given the absolute prize of ten dango sticks, and his smile widened – no, he grinned. Aki was caught unexpected by the unfamiliar expression, but the joyous happiness in his child-like face was infectious, and she could not help but smile in return. He nodded, an unspoken promise solidified between them for the day after sunrise, and he turned back to warming up her hands.

“Sakura, sakura… Cherry blossoms in the sky…” sang the lord, softly to himself.

“You sing well, my lord,” Aki praised shyly.

Lord Ohno lifted his eyes to her and smiled. “Thank you. I am fond of the song, and when I wish to sing, that shall be the first song that comes to mind,” he explained.

“You sing it beautifully… much more than I have ever heard…” her voice trailed off. Embarrassed by the words that blabbed out of her mouth, she began to blush.

The lord peered at her face bent to her lap, and he leaned in closer, murmuring, “Would you like me to sing it to you?”

Without waiting for a reply, he gently wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gently rested her head on his shoulder. With his one hand still holding onto hers, he continued to sing softly:

Near and far as the eye can see,
Like a mist of floating clouds
in the fragrant blush of spring,
Come, oh come,
Come, oh come,
Come and see the cherry trees!

Aki felt exhaustion slowly creep into her bones. Her eyelids drooped heavily and willingly she closed her eyes and snuggled deeper against the lord’s chest, his angelic voice singing a lullaby and coaxing her towards the edge of dreams. She was barely conscious when she thought she felt the lord press his lips to her forehead and kissed her tenderly, and then she drifted off to sleep.

~