Firelight, interment, and the wait for spring

The next morning, the farm was much quieter than usual.

It was 7:09 a.m.

A full hour earlier than usual, those of us staying behind at the farm gathered in the clearing in front of the stables after the morning inspection.

My eyelids felt heavy. Beside me, Rachel Ho yawned, and as though it were contagious, I followed with a huge yawn of my own.

We had gathered like this for the New Year ritual of burning our amulets.

Although it seemed somewhat out of place in the aftermath of the disaster, we had discussed it and decided to follow our usual custom.

We lit some kindling in an iron basin blackened by fire, then tossed the collected amulets into it one by one.

The firelight stung my eyes, making me blink involuntarily.

It hurt enough to bring tears to my eyes.

"Are you all right?"

Rachel Ho looked a little worried.

"No—I'm fine."

After answering, I unconsciously quickened my hands.

For quite a while afterward, we stood in a circle, silently tossing amulets into the brazier, the heat flushing our cheeks and the skin around our eyes red.

The flames before us gradually dwindled until they went out.

The chill of the wind blowing into my face cleared the fog that had clouded my head all this time.

"I'll be counting on everyone from here on, too."

I couldn't help coughing a few times before bowing slightly to everyone before me.

After several rounds of bowing to one another, I finally headed toward the stables shoulder to shoulder with Ravide, thinking along the way about the news Mr. Ogawa had sent.

Apparently, the damage in both Niikappu and Hidaka Honcho was grim. Even at Monbetsu Racecourse, which was in its off-season, some yearlings that had arrived early for training