Love of the Wind Spirit

Love of the Wind Spirit
Chapter 3: The Shrine Maid Meets A Priest

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The shrine maiden’s eyes had gone wide in shock, twin pools of swirling darkness desperately trying to comprehend what she was seeing. The gentle voice had irritated her speaking in flowing verse as if she were some delicate article he was afraid to break. The wind spirit was presuming to know what was best for her and although he might it still irritated her. It was true that she was hungry, but for all of her life her own course had been set. Just once she wanted to be able to say ‘just a moment’ to any of the spirits who handed her tasks that were not always easy or even exactly moral. He was the god that she served though, and so to do so might have angered him by her impertinence.

Still could she at least see his face? Was he hideous and that was why he was always lurking behind her? Why was he not seeking someone among his own kind?

Those thoughts galvanized her into action, and the priestess stopped dragging her feet, spinning around in the invisible arms instead. She could hear him gasp in his surprise and feel his muscles tense to defend himself from whatever attack she might decide to launch. She did have to admit she had entertained the idea a couple times as he had followed her back, but it wasn’t exactly like she could do much against such a powerful deity as he.

She looked straight ahead at where she sensed him, but only the dimmest of outlines for his body could be seen. She could tell that he was tall and powerful, a noble figure. The features of his face were not exactly visible, transparent as crystals that the streams would wash out of the mountainside. What she could see for features nearly took her breath away. Two eyes of a deep amethyst shade were wide in their shock yet full of concern over what had made her turn around. Otome had never seen such gorgeous eyes, and the urge to just stay where she was and drink her fill of them frightened her. Otome had never felt like that!

Fearing that the spirit would hypnotize her with his eyes, she bolted. A spirit as powerful as he was perfectly capable of taking control of her mind and body to make her perform deeds that she would not otherwise do. He had promised to go slow, but that did not mean that he would always be able to control himself. It was perfectly plausible that he could control her without directly knowing that he was. After all, he had already tried to seduce her once today.

Running through the village, Otome made for her aunt’s home and was greatly relieved when she arrived and the main part of her deity had not followed. Perhaps he was just as shocked as she?

Respectfully, the shrine maiden knocked to gain her family’s attention before entering. It was rude to just walk in to the home of someone else without an invitation, and she had lived apart for so long that this was deeply ingrained into her. Immediately, a kind round face opened the door.

“Forgive me for intruding Aunt Tsubame.”

“My child, a visit from my niece is never an intrusion. Come in.”

The well rounded woman escorted the much younger and thinner Otome inside. Normally, she would have removed her shoes, but she had forgotten to put them on when she left her own hut. The older woman noticed though, and promptly asked about the oddity.

“Child, where are your geta? I haven’t seen you running around barefoot since you were nine summers old.”

“I ran out of the hut without them.”

Otome was still trembling from the shock, and Tsubame was quite glad that her children were all out doing their chores after their breakfast. Whatever it was that had caused the normally cool and collected child to race out of her shrine home without her shoes would have been quite the shock.

“Care to tell me what happened, my child?”

There were no words for how much she wanted to do just that. She wanted to crawl into her Aunt’s lap and have her make it all go away like when she was little. Beyond that, she wanted her own mother’s comforting breast to hide in. This whole thing was so much.

But it was her own burden. The villagers did not need to know that their miko had suddenly developed problems in dealing with their village guardian. It would either worry them, or they would drive her away as a failure. Or maybe worse.

“No thank you. It is something I can deal with on my own. I was just . . . surprised.”

“Yumi said that you had a visit from the wind spirit this morning. Is all well?”

Being groped by an overly amorous wind spirit was not on her list of things that were well, but she also could not say that. Other than that, yes, things were indeed well.

“Things are well. There was just an issue he wanted to discuss with me.”

Tsubame did not miss the blush that began to tint her niece’s cheeks a sunset glow, nor did she miss how the poor girl began to wring her hands. Whatever the kami had felt important enough to discuss with her so early in her morning had to have somehow embarrassed the poor child. Hopefully she would discuss things when she was ready, instead of hiding everything inside like her mother had. Tsubame had loved her sister very much, but she had the most terrible habit of hiding the things that made her worry.

“I see. Well dear, here is the breakfast that Yumi had saved for you.”

“I thank you for what I partake.”

A plate was handed to Otome, piled with steamed trout and rice cakes. They had gone a little cold, but it did not matter to the young woman. Her Aunt’s food always tasted good. Her two week fast caused her to make short work of the meal, relishing every bite.

“It was wonderful, Aunt.”

“You really should visit more often child. You spend so much time in meditation or chasing off oni.”

“It is what I must do to keep everyone safe.”

It was then that the alarm bell was rung to signal a stranger’s approach. Otome and Tsubame forgot about the freshly emptied plate, and went to the window to peer outdoors.

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I must admit that it had taken me a little while to recover from the shock that my precious one had given to me. Not much can frighten or shock me unless it involves her. I had no idea of why she twisted around so suddenly and even less of why she had bolted just as quickly.

After I had awoken from my musings, I searched for her energy. Such a lovely light she was, and so bright that she was easy to find. She had indeed gone to her Aunt’s home, hopefully for breakfast. Coalescing my presence outside of the hut, I listened as she danced around her Aunt’s questions. I had not meant to frighten her with my attentions, but I had no idea of how to make up for my error. I was gently breezing through the village while I thought about things that I could do to reassure the young maiden, when I felt a stranger approach the village.

I had been aware of him for weeks, some kind of wandering priest for a deity unknown to me. He seemed to pose no threat as he strode through the forests and over the mountain, stopping at homes of other kami to pay homage with his strange chants from whatever culture he hailed from. The voice I had enjoyed, strong and sure while not overly deep like some men that I had heard. A strapping lad, his rich brown hair had been pulled into a small tail at the back of his head. His robes were two shades of brown in a cut and cloth that was rather coarse, causing me to think of how the bark on an old tree will be in two colors. The eyes had been nothing remarkable, a shade so very common to this area. As his feet beat out the rhythms of the woods, the rings on his staff jangled an accompaniment lyrical and sweet.

Young men who had been out making their rounds of duty had sent back a runner to warn the village of the approaching stranger, and the women were all on their guard. Those who had made it this far rarely were malicious, but it was always better to be aware of the possibility of the kind person being welcomed into your home would rob you in your sleep.

My miko had positioned herself at one of the windows of the hut she was currently inside of, and I approved of her not coming out directly. It was better to see what the man wanted first before revealing herself.

As he walked into the village and greeted those who had ventured outside, he looked around curiously as if he were looking for someone. His eyes rested on my shrine for a while, taking it in before wandering about the village once more. At last they alighted on my precious Otome’s hiding place where she was regarding him carefully. Satisfied finally, he smiled and bowed low to where the main of my presence was standing guard.

“I greet the kami of the Divine Winds that guard these mountains as well as the miko tales say he guards so jealously. May I have a word with Otome-sama?”

Otome emerged regally from the hut, tall and proud as the pine. Her hair flowed behind her like silk as she moved with the grace of the crane, her face as cool and composed as mountain stones. Impassively she regarded him once more, hiding well the curiosity I knew that she would surely be brimming with.

Turning my attention on the priest once more, I was not pleased with how he was regarding her. I could tell by the way he held himself and the light in his eyes that he was regarding her as a mere man would, instead of with the eyes that a monk should possess. I would not tolerate the way he secretly raked her form with his eyes, wondering at her shape and what the details would look like upon removing her modest layers.

I was so annoyed that I couldn’t resist blowing him over, feeling greatly vindicated as he landed in the dust.

Otome had not missed his gaze either, and the blush that just barely tinted her face under her mask of cold control nearly whipped me into a frenzy, and I could not help but howl around her slender form. I wanted to wrap around her completely and hide her sacred shape within a cloud of dust. That is exactly what I did, while whispering in her ear how she should watch out for this supposed monk. I wanted to ask her to send him away, but I didn’t as that would not have been the action of a good host.

I could wait and find out exactly what he wanted before sending him away.

The words of my miko pulled me out of my dark and jealous thoughts. Otome took a tiny step backwards, sensing where I had concentrated myself. Reflexively I wrapped windy arms around her, and for just the briefest of moments, I felt as if I were completely solid. Did she not trust the look he had given her either?

“I am afraid that my kami seems to go where ever I go. You may speak to me as long as you remember he is always near. What are you called?”

“I am called Gihenko.”

“Follow me.”

My priestess led our visitor to my shrine, and sat beneath the maple tree that provided shade near the door. I was very pleased that she was not allowing this male into our home. He was an unknown element after all, and we did not know what his mission was that would bring him so far out here to meet with us.

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Tsubame - Swallow.

Gihenko - Gihen means deception, ko means child.