Heian Romance: 13. The Old Shrine

13. The Old Shrine

 

One particular cloudy evening, Yorinaga was looking for Yuiko urgently. So he went to Oxen Street but found that she had left the clinic and went to outskirt of the capital looking for certain herbs sometime ago. Hence, he hastened his horse in order to catch up with her.

 The reason Yorinaga looking for Yuiko, is that his affectionate comrade and servant Kimiharu was hurt by a poisonous arrow while running his master’s errand. Ever since Yorinaga was promoted to the Minister of Left, he had made many enemies who resented his disapproval of the current Emperor Konoe. His enemies namely consist of his own brother the Regent Fujiwara no Tadamichi, the Empress Dowager Bifukumon and her brother Fujiwara no Ienari. When they heard that Kimiharu was hurt, they would bride all the physicians in the capital not to treat him. Therefore it left Yorinaga no choice but to ask for Yuiko’s help.

Yorinaga found Yuiko picking wild flowers along a small stream when he reached the site stated by the servant in the clinic.

“Physician Abe no Koremitsu, I beg you to come with me immediately!”

“Yorinaga?! What are you doing here?”

“My servant Kimiharu was hurt by a poisonous arrow, he is in need of your help!”

“Why should I? That’s none of my business. I only treat poor people, not dog from prestige family!”   

Yuiko get back to her horse before Yorinaga could make any replies.

 “Get back here!!” Yorinaga got up his horse and started a cat and mouse chase with Yuiko.

The sky turns darker as they went farer and farer from the capital, and eventually heavy rains fall which cause them to stop at an abandoned old shrine.

“I guess the rain won’t stop until the next day.” Said Yorinaga.

“Well thanks to YOU, we are trap in this broken shrine!!”

“Why me?”

“If you didn’t follow me then we won’t end up here!”

“If you would accept my invitation to help Kimiharu then we won’t end up here!”

“Why should I accept it?”

“Why shouldn’t you?”

“Stop it! Stop it! This conversation is getting nowhere!”

“Fine!”

They set up a fire inside the shrine and Yorinaga started to take off his outer garment to dry them beside the fire.

“What are you doing?” asked Yuiko.

“Are you blind? I am drying my garment! It get all wet and damped because of the rain. You should do the same either, before you catch cold.”

“I am fine!! I like the wet and damped feeling though! Hachoo!!”

“Here let me help you get rid of your clothes.”

“Get off of me!! I am fine!!”

“What a weird person. Saw you picking wild flowers just now, makes me wonder about your gender.”

“NONSENSE!! I am truly a big man! Not like you white face, red lips sissy!”Said Yuiko while striking her chest.

“You should be the sissy not me!!”

Their menial argument continues until a loud thunder strikes.

“Hey, do you know this place?” asked Yorinaga.

“No…actually I never been to as far as the stream just now...”

“Really? Hmm… this place gives me a creep! Do you think it is haunted?”

“Silly you how can it be?”

“Think about it Koremitsu, an abandoned shrine in the middle of nowhere on a rainy day!! They said there will always be a parade of hundred demons during night like this!!”

“Stop it Yorinaga! You are scaring me!!”

“Ha-ha!! So who’s the sissy now?”

The thunders strike again. This time more vigorously.

 “Ah!!”

Both of them were shocked and hugged each other tightly.

While hugging a sudden indescribable feeling grows in Yorinaga…