It was Han's first time setting out alone, but she felt no fear. The Clear Torrent at her waist kept her silent company, carrying the Dog Demon's scent, enough to scare off monsters with ill intentions. In the quiver on her back was a special arrow, blessed with the Spiritual Power of all the shrine maidens. Even without any further Spiritual Power, it could severely wound some of the more powerful monsters when used to vanquish evil. Feeling the comforting weight on her back, Han's heart filled with warmth and peace. It seemed as though everyone had been polishing and crafting their shared arrows together only moments ago, while she had strengthened each of the other shrine maidens' arrows with her own Spiritual Power.
Though it was early spring, the countryside remained empty and lonely, its snow not yet fully melted. As far as she could see, everything was white. Yet beneath that blanket of snow, patches of reddish earth were faintly visible. Sparse trees stood around her, their trunks slender and fragile. Though the landscape was still bleak, tiny green buds could already be seen on the branches. Perhaps in a few more days, once the snow melted, those trees would be clothed in green.
Low farmhouses were faintly visible in the distance. Though a thin layer of snow still covered their roofs, the hardworking residents had swept the open spaces before their doors clean. Heavy winter snows had completely buried the wheat stacks, but now, after the farmers had brushed and tidied them, the stacks were visible again. On the distant mountains, however, winter's grip had yet to loosen, and thick snow still blanketed their slopes.
Han walked at an unhurried pace along the silent road when she suddenly spotted a half-melted snowman beside it. The two branches stuck into its plump white body had fallen askew. She went over, set White Rabbit beside the snowman, and straightened its two dry branch arms. Stepping back to inspect it, she smiled in satisfaction. After smiling for a while, she felt that the little snowman was still missing something. She considered it carefully, then took off her bamboo hat, placed it on its head, and tied the straps. Only then did everything seem perfect.
Not far away, a farmer's son watched the girl in shrine maiden's robes quietly play with the snowman before breaking into an adorable smile. Though she was a sacred shrine maiden, she looked even prettier than the daughter of the lord who ruled their village. When the little shrine maiden raised her head, the boy suddenly grew terribly embarrassed and fled shyly into the house. By the time he gathered his courage and came back out with a precious radish his family had stored for the winter, hoping to offer it to her, the snowy ground outside was deserted. Far away, he could just make out a small figure in a straw rain cape gradually receding into the distance. The little snowman silently regarded him with its head tilted. He set down the radish, walked over, and took off the bamboo hat the little shrine maiden had given it. For some reason, he let out a soft sigh.
When Han noticed someone standing there, she thought he minded her tampering with someone else's snowman. But before she could apologize, he had gone back inside. After a moment's thought, Han picked up White Rabbit and quietly left as well, leaving only her bamboo hat behind as a gift of apology.
Everyone at the temple cared for and looked after one another, but they all possessed a maturity beyond their years.
This age urged everyone, children included, to grow up as quickly as possible-to become strong enough to survive, whether by fleeing war or facing it head-on.
Han had not felt this herself. She had only known fear when she first faced the many hostile monsters, but she was no longer afraid of them now. The talisman paper pressed against her chest concealed her inhuman identity, and the bow and arrows in her hands gave her the means to protect herself. Under the shelter of Kiyomori Temple, she had learned and grown in peace, at her own pace. Yet everyone around her seemed constantly afraid, perhaps because of painful experiences in the past. They woke with a start in the middle of the night, and faint sobbing could sometimes be heard. So the shrine maidens worked tirelessly to improve themselves. They practiced archery until their fingertips split and grew thick calluses, and wrote talismans until their brushes wore bald, then continued practicing with their fingers dipped in clear water. Before the wounds on their fingertips could heal, fresh ones appeared. In such an environment, all Han could do was practice diligently alongside them.
The light began to fade. Before she knew it, the sun was setting in the west, and the white clouds on the horizon had been dyed orange and yellow.
An entire day had passed without her noticing.
She did not feel particularly tired. Perhaps, as the Dog Demon had said, since she was not human to begin with, going a single day without food did not matter. Still, whenever she saw clean white snow on the treetops, she collected some in her bamboo tube to quench her thirst.
She hesitated briefly between sleeping outdoors and asking for shelter, but the prospect of a dark, bitterly cold night won out, and she decided to seek lodging at a nearby home. The older shrine maidens had told her that ordinary people would generally not refuse a shrine maiden's request for shelter, but since she still looked young, she needed to remain cautious. She had taken their advice to heart.
After a gentle downhill stretch, a small village appeared before her. Farmhouses stood in scattered clusters beside fields still covered in snow. Thin wisps of cooking smoke were already rising from some of them, dissolving faintly into the thin air of the late-winter dusk.
She softly exhaled a cloud of white breath and walked toward the largest house, with a crooked tree standing out front. That must be the village head's house.
Han straightened her sleeves and trouser cuffs, stood outside the house's fence, and raised her voice slightly. "Hello, is anyone home?"
The person who came out was an elderly man, not much taller than she was. His sallow face was covered in wrinkles, like those of all the other farmers.
The old man cautiously opened the gate a crack. When he saw the girl's white robes and scarlet hakama and realized she was a young shrine maiden, his weathered face filled with smiles. "A shrine maiden? Please, come in, come in." He opened the gate wide and welcomed her into the courtyard.
"Sorry for the intrusion." Han shyly nodded her thanks to him, then asked, "Are you the village head? May I ask whether there are any shrines or temples near this village?"
"Yes, I am the head of Nakata Village." The old man led the little shrine maiden into the house and seated her at the table. Shrine maidens possessed the power to vanquish monsters and pray for divine blessings. Even if this one looked young, he dared not treat her lightly. "There are no temples near our village, but there is a shrine. The kind shrine maiden Lady Ning oversees its affairs."
Han frowned slightly. "I don't believe I saw a shrine on my way here. May I ask where your village's shrine is?" she asked politely. "It's getting late, and I'd like to stay there for the night."
"Our village's shrine may not be very large, but it has a long history and has always gladly welcomed guests, especially shrine maidens from elsewhere," the village head answered respectfully. "Aoki Shrine is up on the mountain, with stone steps leading to it. But it is quite a way away. If you wish to rest at the shrine, you had best set off as soon as possible."
"In that case, I'll go now." Han rose and thanked the old man. "Thank you very much. I'm truly grateful."
The old man hurriedly waved his hands, unwilling to accept a shrine maiden's thanks. Inwardly, however, he breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed she had no intention of eating here. After the previous autumn, the lord had levied a large quantity of grain. Spring had yet to begin, but the household's remaining food was already stretched thin. He hoped spring would arrive soon, so edible wild greens would begin growing in the nearby mountain woods.
"Then I'll take my leave, sir." Looking in the direction the old man had indicated, Han could faintly make out the shrine hidden among the trees on the mountain. She bade him farewell, turned, and left.
She had not failed to notice that, despite the old man's great respect for her, he had not even brought her any water. Clearly, he might not have truly welcomed her arrival. Yet perhaps it was not that he was unwilling to host her, but simply that he could no longer spare the means to do so. Han sighed and pulled her clothes more tightly around herself. Night had not even fallen, yet it was already growing colder and colder.
Before you continue