A Dilemma of Soul
2 September 1998
by Don Davis

Takehai sat by the waterfall in the pre-dawn light, reflecting on the previous night.

He and his companions had been traveling together to meet Usagi Ozaki, here at the monastery. It had been late, and they all had been walking their horses, due to the narrowness of the trail, and the storm blowing rain in their faces. They had been traveling all day, and all were exhausted. Suddenly Marako had cried out, pointing away from the trail. Takehai had looked, but saw nothing in the gloom. As he was about to turn away to query Marako, he finally noticed a flicker of light shining through the trees. After only a few seconds, it was decided that Naoki, Marako, and himself would investigate the light, in hopes that they would find shelter from the storm.

The hut was made of carefully stacked stones with a skin covering the doorway, tied down to keep it from flapping in the wind. The light they had seen leaked out around its edges.

Naoki called out, "Hello in the hut!"

No response emerged. Marako frowned, "I don't like this."

"Nor I," Naoki replied. "Perhaps we should go in anyway, but let us be very cautious. You on the left, me on the right, and Takehai will come in behind us, ready to back us up."

Marako drew her bow, nocking an arrow. Naoki readied his tetsubo. Takehai took a deep breath, then nodded to Naoki. With a cry, Naoki pushed the flap out of his way, snapping the ties holding it down, and he and Marako took up their assigned positions just inside the door. Takehai waited for them to clear the doorway, and ducked inside, ready for anything.

Except for what faced him. Seven Man-sized rat people, all ready to defend themselves. A small, but well-fueled, fire burned in the center of the hut, warming and lighting it. Surprised, and taken more than a just a bit off-guard, Takehai nearly jumped when the leader of the Rat-Men, carrying a Shugenja's scroll satchel, spoke in an angry, high, squeaky voice, "Stay still manthings! No fight Nezumi! Leave now! We kill!"

"Nezumi," murmured Naoki under his breath, perhaps a little exasperated. He stepped forward. "Listen, we just want some shelter until the storm passes. There is plenty of room in here for you and us."

"NO! Manthings leave now, Nezumi kill!" The six Nezumi in front of the leader fingered their swords.

Naoki laughed.

Takehai and Marako exchanged worried glances as the Nezumi seemed to get more uneasy. Naoki stopped laughing, a look of surprised realization on his face. "You're serious!? Well, tell me; How do you think you can kill us, and the fifteen others outside?"

The leader considered this for a moment, then squeaked something in his language to the others, who huddled around him, squeaking back. A heated discussion followed, all the while as they watched the humans across the hut warily.

Marako leaned over, and hissed, "Naoki! What happens when we don't bring fifteen men inside the hut?"

"Don't worry," He whispered back to her, grinning. "Nezumi usually aren't very good with our numbers."

She glared at him, "Usually?"

Takehai hoped that Naoki was right. These were the first Nezumi he had met. He would like to learn more about them, and maybe talk with them. Surely they wouldn't mind a monk discussing philosophy or religion with them. Would they?

The Nezumi leader stepped forward, and with his walking stick drew a line in the dirt of floor, dividing the hut neatly in half, broken only by the fire in the center.

"Manthings there. Nezumi here. Manthings go over line, we kill." The Nezumi stared at Naoki, daring him to challenge him.

Naoki, however, had won the issue. "That's completely fair. We'll be happy to stay on this side of the hut."

Marako volunteered to go get Jinjiro and Ishi.

Takehai looked at the leader appraisingly. He decided that though he could be dangerous, he was mostly honorable. He would probably hold to his end of the deal. But nonetheless, Takehai was disappointed. He had really hoped to talk with them.

Marako soon returned with the other party members. Ishi seemed unusually intrigued with the Nezumi, and immediately walked over to the leader, who was still standing by the line he had drawn (who watched him come warily, and perhaps with some hostility), and said something to him in a chittering, squeaking speech.

"Ishi can speak Nezumi?" Jinjiro was surprised.

Naoki nodded. "There is much about him that you don't know," he said quietly. He seemed to look at Ishi with some grief in his eyes.

Takehai watched the exchange between Ishi and the Nezumi leader with great interest. Perhaps Ishi would be willing to translate?

The discussion between the two Shugenja went on for a long time. At one point, Ishi dug in his pack, and brought out a large chunk of silver (Where did he get that? Takehai wondered), and handed it to the Nezumi, who quickly pocketed it.

Just as Takehai was thinking of walking forward and intruding into the conversation to petition Ishi, Ishi suddenly struck the Nezumi to the ground.

The other Nezumi sprang forward, swords flashing out of their sheaths like lightning. Takehai was caught off guard. Jinjiro leapt forward and struck one, preventing it from striking Ishi. Marako and Naoki were only a step behind, but Ishi was still struck once, even as he was reaching for his own sword. Takehai, sword now drawn, was blocked from the fray by his companions, and perhaps from his own lingering shock at how quickly the situation had exploded into violence.

The Nezumi Shugenja/Leader let loose a spell, blowing open the back wall of the hut. The Nezumi retreated quickly through the opening, leaving behind the two bodies of their fallen comrades, cut down by Takehai's companions scattering into the stormy gloom.

Takehai quickly turned away from his companions, to hide the pain that he knew would be evident on his face.

Takehai was startled out of his memories by the beat of horse hooves at a canter. Looking up, he saw Marako approaching on Motoko. He quickly schooled his expression to one of friendly greeting.

"Hello, Takehai-san," Marako greeted him warmly.

"Good Morning, Marako-san. A ride this morning?"

"Yes. I was going to take Motoko running up above the waterfall. It's a wonderful morning for a ride." She smiled hopefully at him, "Would like to join us?"

He managed a smile, "No, I'm afraid I already promised to help the Brothers with their chores for the day. It was kind of you to offer, though. Thank you."

Marako sighed wistfully, "That is fair. I had hoped to maybe share views on the Tao, but perhaps we can later."

"I will look forward to it. In the meantime, I wish you and Motoko a good run."

"A good day to you, too, Takehai-san." She smiled again, and kneed Motoko forward, heading for the path that climbed the ridge to the top of the waterfall.

Takehai watched her go, ashamed of his lie. As much as he loved his companions, he was suddenly very conscious of a great gulf between the path he walked and the one that they did. Even Marako, who he had more in common with due to her vows as a Battle Maiden. Though she studied the Tao almost much as he did, and revered the fortunes as much as he did, he still had more in common with the monks at this monastery than any of his companions. It grieved him, but it was still very true.

He felt the need to meditate, to ease the roil of emotions inside him, and return calm to his soul. But as he turned away from the waterfall, he saw Jinjiro approaching. He felt pain to the core of his soul. Here was one he esteemed as highly as his own Father, for Jinjiro's sense of honor was as strong. He also had an appreciation of beauty as great as Takehai's own, as evidenced by his ready ability to compose a haiku when he had seen the setting sun color the waterfall the previous night when they had finally arrived at the monastery.

But the same man was one of the best duelists in the Empire. Jinjiro had lost only once. Takehai suspected that there were very few men Jinjiro would not eventually surpass in skill.

Even as he watched Jinjiro approach, Takehai knew that he would not be able to find any peace here at the waterfall. But he could see the Brothers already in the field behind Jinjiro. And he was reminded of something his Sensei had once told him: "Perhaps one of the best paths to inner peace is through physical labor. To labor with one's whole body, is to labor with one's whole soul. And when the body and soul are one in purpose, peace must follow."

"I think I shall help the Brothers with their labors," Takehai said to himself. "I'm sure they would welcome it."

Genuinely smiling, he rose to greet Jinjiro.