Heaven’s Wind – [PART 5]

1) I would not have been able to write if it were not for my awesome all-night 10-straight-hour manic caffeine-driven writing. xD
2) Again, a huuuuge thank you for all the wonderful comments for the previous chapter! LOTS OF STORMY LOVE TO YOU GUYS. <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.

GLOSSARY:
geta (げた) : traditional Japanese sandals.
kinchaku (きんちゃく) : a woven pouch, usually silk or cotton. An accompanying accesory to traditional Japanese garments for women.
furoshiki (風呂敷) : a traditional Japanese method of convenient goods transportation using a folded cloth. See image of furoshiki here.
michiyuki (みちゆき) : a traditional women’s overcoat worn over the kimono.
dango (団子) : a Japanese dumpling usually served on a skewer.
Ohisashiburi (ne) (おひさしぶり、ね？) : It’s been a while since we last met (eh?).
tachi (太刀) : a Japanese sword, the predecessor of the katana (the katana was only developed in 1392AD). It is slightly longer and more curved than the katana.
shirasaya (白鞘) : a simple wooden mount, functions as a scabbard (but mostly for storage and blade perservation).
obi (おび) : a sash worn as a belt for traditional Japanese clothes such as the kimono.
harabuto mochi (腹太餅) : the original name for daifuku. Glutinous rice cake with sweet filling.
wakame soba (わかめそば) : buckwheat noodles in hot broth topped with wakame seaweed topping.

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Heaven’s Wind
Part Five

Aki woke up from her slumber with the gentle rays of dawn’s light showering her face and the lulling music of two singing white-throated sparrows meeting her ears. She was reluctant to rise up amidst such a lovely morning; above that, her sleep was restful and dreamless, one which brought such tranquility to her mind after the many frustrating nights of insomnia.

“Ohayou.”

With blurry eyes, Aki looked up. Across the room, Satoko was adjusting a headpiece in her pinned-up hair with the help of a mirror on the small table. She was already dressed in her court lady’s jyunihitoe uniform, the garment’s twelve thick layers bunched up in ripples of colours around her as she knelt on the hard floor.

“O—ohayou,” Aki greeted as her eyes slowly scanned her surroundings. Confusion seeped into her sleepy face: she did not remember falling asleep in her bedroom.

Last night… the stables… was it all a dream?

“Ah, by the way,” said Satoko. She paused for a moment, studying her reflection in the mirror while patting the headpiece to ensure it was secured, before she lowered the mirror and spun around to face the younger woman. “Did you notice anything peculiar last night?”

“Hmm?” was Aki’s lackadaisical reply. She seemed dazed, lost in her thoughts, absent-mindedly rubbing sleeping Tsuki’s back.

“I recall hearing creaking noises in the room and from outside on the corridor, as though someone was stepping on the floorboards, and you know the wood creaks even under the lightest of weight. Did you hear it?”

Aki, still unsure of the events that occurred the previous night, shook her head. “I did not.”

Satoko opened her mouth, then closed it, and she shrugged her shoulders. “Oh well. Perhaps it was Lady Masuda off to meet her lover,” she nodded with a knowing smirk. She turned back to the mirror and started lathering white rice powder cream on her face, all the while chattering to herself about the obnoxious behaviour of Lady Masuda and her tumultuous relationship with a high-ranked soldier. Aki paid no heed to her friend; she pushed aside the futon covers and got up, dragging her feet to the washbasin by the window where she sank her cupped hands in the water and splashed onto her face. The sharp coldness of the liquid jolted her awake, but it rejuvenated her.

Out of the corner of her eye, something made her pause in her movements. On the floor below the window, in the laundry basket, was her michiyuki folded neatly atop a pile of messily stacked clothes. It would not have seemed unusual at all, but it was evident that no clothes were ever neatly arranged in the basket.

There has to be an explanation, she reasoned to herself, but on the contrary her hands trembled. She reached out for the michiyuki and brought it up to her nose, inhaling the cotton material, and she gasped. It smelled strongly of hay… and the familiar scent of Lord Ohno’s clothes.

Lord Ohno must have carried her back to the room after she fell asleep.

“Go dress already!” Satoko exclaimed out of a sudden. “We shall break our fast before we part ways. It is sufferable as it is that you are relieved of your duty today while I am not, and what more on such a beautiful day… insufferable indeed!”

“No, you go first. I’m afraid I have matters to attend to,” Aki told her. She hurriedly changed into her casual garments while putting a deaf ear to Satoko’s attacking questions of suspicion, and she grabbed her discarded michiyuki and patted Tsuki before she rushed out of the room.

“Wait, Aki!” Satoko called after her. “If you are heading out to town, will you buy a new pair of geta for me?”

“I will, nee-sama! Have a nice day!” Aki yelled back as she ran down the corridor.

She scrambled down the winding staircase to the ground level, purposefully ignoring the stares of passing court ladies ready to leave for the Empress’ quarters, and cut across the courtyard to exit the women’s quarters through its main entrance. She clutched her kinchaku tightly to her chest in one hand and pulled up the skirts of her kimono with the other, her sandals thudding noisily on the stone as she dashed passed gawking patrol guards and servants, heading towards the west gate of the Palace. I hope I’m not too late…!

Even from afar, she could spot Lord Ohno standing idly at the base of the towering gate, immersed in a conversation with a Captain in command of Palace guards of the west gate. Beside his feet were a blue painted furoshiki and an uninteresting wooden box, its contents presumably fishing equipments, and his hand grasped onto two fishing rods which dangled over his shoulder.

Aki sprinted faster towards him and waved her hand vigorously in the air. Lord Ohno broke midway through speaking and turned his head, smiling as she approached him.

“I… I’m sorry… for… keeping… you waiting…” she panted heavily. She doubled over with her hands on her knees, trying to catch her breath. Beads of sweat slid down her face; she must have looked like a mess.

Lord Ohno uttered not a word, but only fished out a handkerchief from within his sleeve and wiped her sweat-drenched face, his fingers pushing her askew fringes aside and adjusting her hairpins.

Aki looked up at him uncertainly. “Have I angered you, my lord?”

“Anger me? No, there is no reason to be so,” he said, followed by a soft laughter deep in his throat. “I am glad you slept well.”

She stared at the lord for a few unblinking seconds before she suddenly blushed furiously, her wandering mind unwittingly conjuring images of Lord Ohno carrying her to her room, taking off her michiyuki before tucking her in bed. It unnerved her, and she pretended to cough.

The Captain stepped up to Lord Ohno’s side. “Is this the escort you spoke of, my lord?” he asked, gaping at Aki reproachfully.

Lord Ohno nodded as he picked up his belongings. “Come, Lady Kikuchi, let us take off while the morning air still sees fit for a stroll,” he said to the young lady.

“Yes, my lord,” she answered, curtsying low to demonstrate to the Captain the deep respect she had for the lord. The Captain snorted under his breath, and she scowled at him.

“Captain, ensure you carry out your duty in my absence,” Lord Ohno commanded. “Nothing is as of utmost importance as the safety of the Imperial Family. I speak to every guard here,” his eyes darted from one Palace guard to another, “guard well!”

“Yes, my lord!” boomed dozens of voices in return.

Lord Ohno nodded curtly, and then he passed the gates with Aki trailing behind him and entered the town.

It was barely two hours since dawn and the town was already bustling with activity. Traders set up their stalls along the stretch of the main street and yelled aloud to promote their items and to attract customers. Women, maids or mothers with their child carried on their back, haggled prices of vegetables, and men surveyed household equipments such as hammers and knifes.

“Before going down to the river, I am dropping by an acquaintance’s shop to pick up an item,” Lord Ohno informed Aki. “I hope you do not mind.”

“No, not at all,” she replied. “What sort of item is it?”

“You will see.”

Lord Ohno brought her to a small, inconspicuous shop just off the main street. He pushed aside the cloth hanging over the doorway and entered, holding it up for Aki. The interior was rather small and narrow, though the windows along the adjacent wall gave the area light and air, making their presence welcomed. On the walls to her right and behind the counter hung a remarkable array of melee weapons, mostly tachi and daggers. Aki spent a full minute studying each and every blade displayed with much avidness, marvelling at the splendid quality of steel. As opposed to Aki’s fascination, Lord Ohno stood patiently at the counter, waiting.

Just then, the door behind the counter swung open and a woman stepped out. “…gone off for a stroll, as he says every time… knowing he is up to no good…” she grumbled incoherently. She froze upon noticing both of them, but it was at Lord Ohno that all moodiness vanished and a broad smile crossed her beautiful face.

“My lord,” she greeted and bowed, the movement seeming awkward due to her large, rounded belly.

“Good morning, Kiyo,” Lord Ohno greeted in return with a warm smile. “You are glowing more than ever. Pregnancy agrees with you.”

“As always, your words of praises flatter me,” she laughed, her voice ringing out like soft chiming bells. Almost by instinct, she rubbed her belly. “Are you here to see my husband?”

Lord Ohno nodded. “Yes. Do you happen to—”

“Oh-chan!”

Both Aki and Lord Ohno spun around. Standing at the doorway was a man of small built, sporting a boyish grin set in his youthful face – does he not exude the same immortal youthfulness as Lord Ohno? Aki wondered with amazement – his hands clutching the small legs of a little boy sitting on his shoulder, who was eating dango from a stick.

“Lord Ninomiya,” Lord Ohno greeted. Familiarity and joy danced in his twinkling eyes.

The man lowered the boy from his shoulders and approached the lord. “You finally found some spare time among your impossible duties to come see me, eh, Oh-chan?” he remarked cheekily as he enveloped the Lord General in a brotherly hug.

“O-hisashiburi, my lord!” the little boy piped cheerfully. His sauce-covered mouth opened into a broad grin, revealing two rows of healthy baby teeth.

“O-hisashiburi ne, Takahisa,” Lord Ohno replied, patting the boy on the head with obvious affection. “I brought you a gift.” He dug into his furoshiki and pulled out a small wooden carving of a horse and handed it to a glowing Takahisa.

“You never fail to spoil my firstborn with gifts, do you?” Lord Ninomiya teased, before he turned to the boy. “Say ‘thank you’ to the lord, son.”

Takahisa hugged the wooden horse to his chest. “Thank you!” he cried out in pure joy.

Kiyo marched forward with a disapproving frown marring her beautiful face. “Kazu, what have I said about feeding Takahisa sweets in the morning?” she said sharply. She pulled out a handkerchief from within her sleeve and wiped the boy’s mouth.

“That he is only to be rewarded for good behaviour,” Lord Ninomiya recited monotonously as though reading aloud a passage from a book, “and he behaved so well! He complained not once while his Papa browsed the impressive selection of anvils and sledgehammers. Does that not count for good behaviour, my lady wife?”

Kiyo did not reply. Kazu grinned triumphantly and kissed her on the cheek, simultaneously rubbing her belly with surprising gentleness and affection. Kiyo sighed exasperatedly, but in her hazel eyes there was only adoration for her husband.

“Ah, I believe this beautiful young lady here is a company of yours?” Lord Ninomiya asked, his questioning eyes falling on Lord Ohno for a moment before they fell on Aki.

“Yes, this is Lady Kikuchi,” Lord Ohno introduced.

Aki bowed deeply. “Aki it is, my Lord and Lady Ninomiya. I am merely a lady in the Empress’ court and I have not a title. Lord Ohno thinks too highly of me.”

“It is befitting,” Lord Ohno retorted under his breath.

Lord Ninomiya’s eyes flitted between both of them with a look of wonder, and then he chuckled. “Of course. Laying your charms on the Empress’ innocent court ladies, are we not, my lord?”

Lord Ohno smiled regretfully, but he did not pursue the topic of Lord Ninomiya’s preposterous suggestions any further. “I believe the tachi is ready?” he inquired politely.

“Indeed it is!” Lord Ninomiya exclaimed. “Come, I shall reveal to you my finest work.”

He gestured towards the door behind the counter, and he led them to the room at the back of the shop, which was the swordsmith’s forge. Lord Ninomiya fetched a large angular case from the cupboards, its cover sleek and bright in its fiery shade of red, and he opened the lid. Inside, a long blade with a hilt plated with gold and sapphires was secured in a shirasaya and cushioned in cloth of midnight blue.

“I spent many a day and night of two moons to complete this tachi,” Lord Ninomiya explained bloated pride. “It is rather difficult to capture the essence of strength and spirit that you possess, but aye, this blade now carries a soul as mighty as yours.”

Lord Ohno lowered his fishing equipment on the floor and pulled the tachi out of the shirasaya and held it at an arm’s length, studying its profile and analysing the workmanship with a critical eye. The blade was the finest weapon Aki had ever seen. Its impressive length, from tip of the blade to the hilt, measured at approximately one metre, and the edge was sharpened to such perfection that it could easily sever the trunk of an age-old tree. The smooth steel glimmered gloriously at her, exuding strength and perseverance in it.

“This is good blade,” Lord Ohno praised, smiling with satisfaction. “You have outdone yourself once again, my friend.”

“Have I not always?” Lord Ninomiya countered smugly. He closed the case and placed it back in the cupboards, and almost instantaneously, he had whipped out the tachi that hung from his obi and slashed it at Lord Ohno, right before Aki’s wide, disbelieving eyes, and it was met with a loud clang as Lord Ohno held it back ten inches from severing his neck with his new tachi.

“Perhaps you would like to conduct a thorough evaluation of this fine blade, my lord?” Lord Ninomiya questioned, a humorous expression setting deep in his face, before he added nicely, “…I insist.”

Lord Ohno was expressionless at first, but swiftly his face broke into an exhilarated grin. “Of course, since the swordmaster insists,” he said.

Without another word, they both strutted towards the other entrance of the forge and marched under the threshold, disappearing out of sight. Aki was left stunned and lost for words. She felt as though her heart was ripped right out of her chest when she thought, for a fraction of a second, that Lord Ohno could have been killed.

“Lady Kikuchi?”

Aki looked up. Kiyo gestured towards the threshold of which the lords had just gone past. “Would you like some o-cha, and perhaps breakfast if you have not broken your fast? The lords’ duelling often drags on for numerous hours, so there is no hurry,” she said.

Awkwardly, Aki nodded. She picked up Lord Ohno’s belongings from the floor and followed Kiyo, who held little Takahisa’s hand and whispered to him, “Come, child, let us welcome this kind onee-san into our home.”

Aki discovered that the forge was connected to the garden at the back of the Ninomiya’s family home. It was in the middle of the lush garden, beside a koi fish pond, where Lord Ohno and Lord Ninomiya had taken position on opposite sides, legs spread out and their tachi held taut in front of them. They were both concentrating hard on one another’s movements. Lord Ohno, however, spared a glance at Aki and smiled at her. Lord Ninomiya took this opportunity and launched himself at the Lord General whilst thrusting his blade, but the blow was deftly blocked.

“You should not allow such a moment of weakness, my lord,” Lord Ninomiya teased with a playful smirk. “Otherwise you may find a limb or two severed before your eyes return to the enemy.”

“Wandering eyes do not indicate a wavering concentration, my lord,” Lord Ohno replied in an even tone, though the small smile on his lips betrayed the sheer enjoyment he felt.

“Such immaturity,” Kiyo sighed while shaking her head.

Eagerly, Aki took a seat on the open-air walkway that overlooked the entire stretch of the garden. She was keen on watching the duel, and more so to see Lord Ohno perform in battle. Kiyo disappeared into the house with Takahisa in tow, and appeared a few minutes later with a tray laden heavily with food befitting a small feast – a pot of tea, a couple of teacups, a serving plate full of sliced apples, oranges and sand pears, another plate serving a mountain of harabuto mochi, and lastly a bowl of steaming hot wakame soba. All the food looked mouth-wateringly delicious, and only then did Aki noticed the pang of hunger in her stomach.

“Let me help you,” she offered, quickly getting up and taking the tray out of Kiyo’s hands – before Kiyo could protest – and setting it down on the wooden floor.

“There is no need for such an extravagant meal, my lady,” Aki continued with a little embarrassment.

“Do not address me with such formality, I am not accustomed to it,” Kiyo chuckled. “Kiyo it is. And I shall call you Aki.”

“Yes, my la—Kiyo,” Aki said quickly. She helped Kiyo as she struggled to sit down.

“This enormous belly can sometimes be a source of frustration when I cannot perform even the simplest tasks,” she bemoaned. She adjusted her bottom so that she sat comfortably on the cushion and her legs dangled freely from the edge of the walkway.

“When is the babe due?” Aki asked as she sat down. She poured o-cha, offering it to Kiyo before she poured one for herself. Kiyo stared at her, bemused.

“You act as though I am the guest and you are the host,” she remarked in amazement.

Aki smiled sheepishly. “Itadakimasu,” she thanked, bowing her head slightly in gratitude before she took a mochi from the plate. The aroma was tantalising but as she chewed through the soft texture, it was the flavour that melted in her mouth.

“Aha!” Lord Ninomiya cried out. He had slashed Lord Ohno on the forearm, exposed by the rolled-up sleeves of his haori, and a fine line of thick blood oozed out of the deep cut.

Aki stared with wide, horrified eyes. Kiyo was not shocked at all, though she did not find the action even partly amusing. “Kazu! Have a care! You do not want to be charged by Imperial laws for grievously wounding the Lord General,” she yelled.

Lord Ninomiya ignored his wife and kept his gleeful eyes on his opponent. “My lord, have you lost your almighty skills? This duel is no more challenging than a fight with my three-year-old son!” he taunted.

Lord Ohno was unfazed by him. He quickly swiped the blood caking his skin and grinned. “Do not let your overconfidence bloat up, my friend. It may lead to devastating consequence,” he countered, and in a flash he advanced to Lord Ninomiya and swiped at his hips, though the swordsmith blocked it with a swift spin of his tachi. He swung the Lord General’s blade off the offence and thrust through the air, aiming for his shoulders, but Lord Ohno ducked in time and side-stepped before a rebound could strike him. Again, they were engrossed in a dance of blades as they continue to duel fiercely, the sound of clashing steel ringing across the air.

“Kiyo… are Lord Ninomiya and Lord Ohno good friends?” Aki inquired, attempting to sound as nonchalant as she could as she ate a slice of sand pear, masking the growing curiosity she had.

At that question, Kiyo smiled affectionately. “Aye, they are childhood friends. They have spent most of their life in one another’s company, between them a friendship so deep and strong that even blood brothers cannot contend to. Sometimes,” Kiyo paused, chortling with profound humour, “I wonder if my husband wished to be married to the Lord General. The Emperor was certainly convinced so when they worked closely in the Palace.”

Aki’s head perked up from the o-cha she was sipping. “Lord Ninomiya is a minister in the Emperor’s court?” she blurted out incredulously.

“Lord Minister of Weaponry Development, more precisely,” Kiyo explained, her voice betraying a slight distaste, “he manages and develops weapons fit for equipping the Imperial warriors. In the past he resided in the Palace and worked with his assistants and Lord Ohno – who, at that time, was rising quickly up the Army ranks due to his impressive achievements – but he preferred the quiet life, and he was granted permission by the Emperor to reside in town, with the condition that he continues to preside over departmental affairs. Most importantly,” she looked down and caressed her belly, “the Palace is no place for parents to raise a family.”

Aki studied her, and then at Lord Ninomiya, and for a wild moment she felt envy boil in her blood. Lord Ninomiya and Kiyo were once bound by laws of those in service to the Imperial family, but they could break out of the stifling and restricting environment and lead a quiet, peaceful life with a growing family, still very much in love. It was difficult for Aki not to envision a possible future much like theirs – living with contentment and happiness with the one she loved. Instantaneously, her eyes fell on Lord Ohno.

He is the Emperor’s General of the Imperial Army, Aki, do not let your emotions override your logical thinking! He can never pursue a quiet life when his duty does not oblige an interference of his personal life…

“It is rather peculiar, actually, to note that this is the first time Lord Ohno has introduced a lady to us,” Kiyo said, almost inaudibly, as though speaking to herself.

“Sorry?”

Kiyo’s twinkling hazel eyes bore down on her with an expression of curiosity. “Ohno-san does not have many friends, you see. He is not known to be very sociable outside his small circle of friends. Lord Ninomiya aside, he is only ever as close to Lord Matsumoto, Lord Sakurai and Aiba-san of the Imperial horses.” Then, she leaned in closer to Aki as though emphasising on the magnitude of her words. “And I do not believe the mere notion that you are simply tagging along as a mere servant.”

Aki blinked numerously. “I apologise… but I do not understand,” she said.

“You, Lady Kikuchi, have enamoured the Lord General!” Kiyo proclaimed, smiling with delight.

“T…that is near impossible, my lady,” Aki retorted, almost too loudly. She averted her eyes and shut her mouth, feeling her cheeks heat up and knowing the skin was reddening in colour.

Kiyo laughed at Aki’s nervous reaction. She leaned over and clasped the younger woman’s hands. “Dispassionate and indifferent, he is, but under the façade is a man who is honest and true. The Lord General never lies with his eyes. With those honest eyes of his, I can see a love that is pure and untainted,” she murmured with a confident nod. “Do you… have feelings in return for the lord?”

Aki bit her lip, not knowing whether it was right for her to admit to Kiyo. She confided in no one about this matter, and it proved difficult for her to reveal her true heart’s desires to a person she had met not an hour ago. Kiyo seemed to understand this, and she did not pursue the question.

“Without a doubt, I know you will give Ohno-san the happiness he deserves,” she nodded approvingly.

“I am not so very sure about that…” Aki mumbled under her breath, followed by a resigned sigh.

“Admit your defeat, Lord Ninomiya!”

Both women perked up their heads sharply. Lord Ninomiya was lying sprawled on the grass with his hands held out in defeat, a look of dismay spread across his face, as Lord Ohno stood above him and grinned triumphantly as he held the tip of his tachi to Lord Ninomiya’s throat.

“I do admit, this tachi is the finest indeed. It is very light in weight, yet its thrust force is deadly,” Lord Ohno marvelled aloud.

“I am just as amazed by my smithy skill as you are,” Lord Ninomiya snapped impatiently, “but would you release me now?”

Lord Ohno sheathed his tachi and stretched his hand out, helping Lord Ninomiya to his feet. “You have lost some of your great agility,” the Lord General pointed out.

“Fatherhood,” came the disgruntled reply, though he patted Lord Ohno’s shoulder, acknowledging his victory.

Kiyo clicked her tongue in absolute annoyance. “You would think maturity and wisdom grows with age, but that conception is reversed for the two of them,” she scowled, and she got up and went inside the house to fetch the medicinal herbs and gauze to treat their wounds.

Lord Ninomiya came over to the walkway with Lord Ohno. “Lady Kikuchi! What do you have to say about Lord Ohno’s impressive – supposedly – wielding of the blade?” he asked, grinning mischievously.

“Impressive,” Aki breathed, “I have none other words to describe it.”

“Thank you,” Lord Ohno said quietly.

And it was then that, when they both gazed knowingly at one another, Aki finally could see it in his warm eyes: nothing but pureness, and love. It was so overwhelming that she thought she felt tears in her eyes.

- ~ -