Yukiana and Tanuki forced themselves to rest that afternoon. Yuki, for her part, could not sleep at all, for the dread of the coming evening was heavy upon her, so that she laid in a state of dulled consciousness, floating upon the waters of a wakeful sleep, but never falling below the surface. Once she could tell that the sun was indeed falling, for the stark light of day gradually dampened to a softer tone of autumn twilight, she rose and ran through the plan one last time in her mind. They had modified a few points since the morning, and she wanted to be sure everything was perfect. Once it began, they would not have much time for contemplation so everything would have to run smoothly for them to be successful. If they failed, they would either be killed, or the Shōgun would undoubtedly strengthen the guard even more than he already had, and the discovery of a half-mortal kami would cause incalculable troubles. They needed to approach this as their best and only chance to escape.

  When all was ready, she eyed her companion who was waiting for the signal.

  “Let’s begin,” he said anxiously and then transformed himself into a brown field mouse. Yuki was amazed at the speed in which the transformation took place, for it seemed to happen in the twinkling of an eye. There were no distortions of limbs or a magical mist that enveloped him, as she once imagined when she read the tales in her youth. He simply was a tanuki one moment, and the next he was a mouse, exactly the same as ones she would see scurry about her father’s field or hide in the hull of the Hino. The only difference, at least that she could see, was a black circular mark on its long rat tail. It was the same shape and color as the one that he had in his true form but scaled down to his current size.

  Her kami had described this phenomenon as a ‘tell,’ and it was one of the few drawbacks of being a shapeshifter. Each form the shapeshifter took could be true to look, to scale, and even to essence if it were a perfect form, but there was always a ‘tell’ that differentiated the shapeshifter from the genuine article. For Tanuki, it was his particular tail marking. Yuki was not sure what her ‘tell’ would be and did not ask him to transform her into something to find out, knowing that he would need to save all his energies for the escape.

  Once he had become a mouse, he scurried over to the door and wagged his head back and forth, twitching his nose occasionally.

  “I hear two guards at each end of the hall,” he told her through their shared mind connection. “But I also hear movements from atop the ramparts, which means the shift change should be soon.”

  Yuki positioned herself near the door and uncovered the key she had taken off Misasa, which had formerly belonged to Mori. She had taken it before the guards came, and no one had questioned just how such a tiny woman was able to break in. This was fortunate, for if they did not have a key, their plan would have been thwarted from the outset.

  They would have to leave at exactly the right time, for the current guards left only a few minutes before the fresh guards replaced them. This was another stroke of luck, for if the guards remained at their posts to wait for their replacements as directed, there would be no interval in which they could escape. As it was, the guards almost never saw any action in this section of the castle and had become somewhat lax in discipline. Yuki did not know by which way the new guards would come, and that would dictate their direction.

  A few moments of intense silence passed. Finally, Tanuki stirred. “The guards are gone.” At this, Yuki moved next to the door and carefully inserted the key. On Tanuki’s command, she would exit and swiftly move through the ramparts. She looked back at her small cell, hoping that it would be the last time she would ever see this bleak cage. At the same time, she was encouraged by the fact that she was leaving it on her own volition, and this time not to throw herself off the walls.

  “I need to do this,” she thought to herself. “For myself. For my father.”

  After several moments had passed, the mouse finally gave the signal. “Go!”

  She turned the key sharply and heard a click, and then slid the door open. To her relief, there was no one there, and when she looked left and right, she could tell that the hall was empty, at least for the moment.

  “I think I hear the replacements coming from the right,” said Tanuki, scampering out of the room. “We need to go left.”

  She nodded and slid the heavy door shut and locked it. The guards had not come in to check on her, and she hoped that this trend would continue at least one more time.

  They proceeded to the left, moving quickly down the wooden corridor, not quite running, but moving as fast as they could with soft footsteps. For being such a small animal, the mouse was able to keep up with her, and stayed on the ground for that would afford him the best chance to hear what was going on around them. They soon came to one of the three-storied watchtowers that were spaced intermittently along the walls. They both paused before the entrance. Tanuki stood still for a while and was silent.

  “Two guards up top,” he told her. “But they seem to be looking out towards the Second Circle, as they are on the far side. We should be able to pass into the Inner Circle if we are quiet.”

  Yuki nodded and then turned into the open doorway. The bottom level of the watchtower was black as pitch, as the sun had finally set leaving no light to illuminate the lower levels. She moved along hastily, feeling that at any moment a guard could emerge from the darkness. Yet no one ever came. She soon passed through to the other side of the watchtower and stared down the long corridor of the rampart. Tanuki had warned her that halfway down this hall was an exit that they could finally use to reach the grounds of the Inner Circle.

  “Stop!” the mouse said at once, freezing in place. “Someone is coming up ahead. We need to go back!”

  She whirled around and made for the watchtower once again, throwing herself inside and pushing herself into a dark corner, one across from the ladder which led upwards. She could hear the stiff steps of a guard growing louder and realized that she had just barely made it in time. Within a few moments, a guard strode into the tower. Yuki held her breath in terror. The guard paused, swiveled his head a few times, but then proceeded onwards, oblivious to her presence in the shadows.

  She felt a wave of relief wash over her, but she lingered for a few moments in the dark before exiting the watchtower once again. Tanuki was with her, and they both sped along the hallway until they finally reached the small doorway from which they could exit the wall.

  “The coast is clear,” Tanuki whispered, as Yuki gently stepped onto the gravel that surrounded the exit. At last, she had escaped the stuffy confines of the eastern wall of the Inner Circle and had come to the lavish and spacious grounds of the Shōgun’s palace. Of all parts in their plan, this was the one that Tanuki had the most anxiety over, for it was simply impossible to tell how many guards were guarding the Inner Circle, and where they would be stationed. As wardens of the Shōgun’s palace, these guards would be vigilant, sharp-eyed and keen.

  “How does it sound?” she asked, creeping northwards beside the wall. They had both agreed that keeping as close to the wall as possible would be the safest way forward, for it would make them less likely of being spotted by the guards who could be watching from directly overhead.

  “Well, this is quite peculiar, but I do not see many guards wandering about. It seems like most of them are congregating in the very heart of the Inner Circle. What they could be doing there at this hour I cannot say, but it is rather fortunate for us.”

  Yuki also considered this a rare stroke of luck, and briefly wondered what could be drawing the guards’ attention. However, she did not dwell on it for long. She knew that she would have to rely on many such turns of fortune if she were to make it through this ordeal, so she took the situation as it was and kept moving.

  They proceeded north until they finally passed the Shōgun’s primary palace and moved into the yard that surrounded the great keep. Here they were much more likely to be seen, as the cover of the palace was lost. They were especially vulnerable to vantages along the western wall, or from the keep itself if there were guards stationed there. They continued to advance unseen and circumnavigated the keep safely without raising the alarm.

  Yuki, who had never been this close to a real castle keep before, marveled at the intricacies of its design. Every tile, every awning, every stone, and every detail was handcrafted and placed with the utmost of care. The sigil of the hawk was carved into every roof tile that hung over each level of the keep, and the gold-plated statues of the hawk were perched on every corner. Yuki felt her fingers tingle as she remembered her narrow brush with death, hanging from a similar statue atop the watchtower. Each ascending level of the keep was slightly smaller than the one below it, giving it the satisfying proportions of a spire, and this with all the artistic details gave the castle a dream-like quality.

  Upon further inspection, she could also see the ingenious defenses and the brilliant engineering used to make this building unconquerable. She could tell that this castle had angled chutes from which arrows could be loosed, rocks hurled, or boiling oil dropped onto unfortunate attackers below. Also, its sheer height and width opposed any notion that this was built merely for show. This was a fully capable and monstrous castle, which dominated everything around it, and could make the most ardent besieger quail before its majesty.

  At length, they finally reached the northern boundary of the Inner Circle and could see the small northern gate in the distance. They took a brief respite under a large maple tree and prepared for the next phase of their plan.

  Tanuki had changed back into his original form. “Now just remember, you must go as quickly as possible. I am already feeling a bit drained from the first transformation, and we both need to change in order to cross this bridge.”

  Yuki noticed that her companion seemed unwell and panted more than usual. She resolved to do her best.

  “Use my tail, right?” she repeated one last time before committing.

  “Yes, it will feel strange at first, but hopefully you will get the hang of it. It is much easier to use than wings.”

  She nodded her head, closed her eyes, and then snapped her fingers. At once, she could tell something had happened, and when she opened her eyes once again, her vantage had changed dramatically. She had become much nearer to the ground, and the looming presence of the Hawk’s Perch seemed even greater than before.

  She was standing on all fours, and once she had overcome the initial surprise of the transformation, she took a minute to make sure it had been done correctly. Her limbs were now covered with brown fur, and she had paws, not so different from a tanuki but special in that they were longer and splayed out. They had padding on the underside of them and curved nails at the end. She could felt a strange sensation coming from her rear, and that was because she had grown a tail. It was long, measuring nearly the length of her small body, and was wide and bushy. Her sensations of hearing and seeing were magnified, and even her sense of smell had vastly improved. She could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest, and her limbs twitched with readiness. Her head jerked from one side to another, whenever a noise started her, such as the gentle breeze bending the limbs of the trees above. The transformation had been successful. She had become a tree squirrel.

  “How do you feel?” Tanuki asked, who was now standing over her and appearing particularly formidable. Yuki had to fight back her instinct to run away and held herself before the mighty beast, who was like a giant bear before her, with teeth the size of her small head.

  “All right, I think,” she said timidly, gradually beginning to test her capabilities by moving her arms and legs and curving her spine.

  “We don't have much time,” he warned. “I am afraid I cannot give you much in terms of a lesson, despite this being your first animal transformation. Just remember, you need to get all the way across that bridge and find a place to stow away. I can give you five minutes, and once that time is up, I will divert my energies to myself, and meet you on the other side. Once I change myself, your transformation will falter, so make sure you find a good place to hide.”

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  “I understand,” Yuki returned.,

  “Five minutes begins...now!”

  She darted off in the direction of the nearby gate. Her first few strides were awkward and clumsy, and she fell on her face several times. It was fortunate that no one other than Tanuki was there to witness her first few steps, for she seemed like a rodent who had suffered a terrible blow to the brain. Luckily, she was close enough to the ground that these falls did not hurt too severely, and her squirrel instincts helped her stay balanced after some time. Once she had reached the gate, her sprinting, which was more like horizontal leaping or prancing, had improved to where she felt quite confident. However, once she saw the massive frame of the gate before her, which was now so large that she could not see the top, her heart sank into her chest.

  She hurried over to the nearest wooden column of the gate’s frame. She put one paw and then another upon it, and her hind legs quickly followed. Surprisingly, she was able to cling to the beam with little to no effort at all, and when she advanced upwards, which at first was only a little at a time, she did not seem to have the sensation that she was going to lose her grip or fall backward. Her tail was held straight out behind her, and she could feel that she could use that too if necessity required. The further she climbed the less fear gripped her heart, and the more rapidly she went.

  The ease with which she was able to ascend an utterly vertical object was exhilarating. She had the sensation that this was a very natural place to be for the squirrel, more so than being on the ground. She did have a limb slip on occasion, but the others were so firmly planted that this did not seem to hinder her or give her any sense of alarm. She continued nimbly up what felt like a never-ending cliff until she finally arrived at the first summit.

  Yuki had returned to the ramparts that overlooked the Inner Circle of the castle grounds. Specifically, she had come to the slanting tiled roof that hung over the gate. Below, she could hear the movement of two guards who paced back and forth and spoke in low, hushed voices.

  The tiles of the roof were smooth and made from clay, and this posed a greater challenge than the tall wooden beam she had just climbed. Her claws were ill-suited for such surfaces which made climbing the roof slow going and dangerous. She made her way, slipping and sliding here and there until she was at the very pinnacle of the wall. From there she could clearly see the bridge laid out before her and the great expanse that was the North Bailey. She did not know exactly how much time she had used but figured that she had better get moving, lest she transform back to her old form, and immediately fall to her death or drown in the murky moat below.

  As she began her descent, her grip suddenly failed, and she began to slide uncontrollably down the edge of the black tiled roof. She clawed maddeningly for some traction, but her momentum was increasing, and she could do nothing but scratch in vain. She slid down the severe slope of the roof and was eventually launched from the bottom-most tile as if she were in a chute. As she tumbled helplessly through the air, she wondered how on earth she was going to survive a fall from this height, but within a few moments, she had landed hard, though uninjured, upon all four legs. She had taken the expedited path to the bridge below.

  “What was that?” she heard one guard say from above, and as she turned her tiny head, she could see two menacing faces of the guards who were stationed above the gate. They seemed to glare at her suspiciously, wondering why on earth a small creature had flung itself onto that bridge. However, after a moment or two of inspection, both rolled their eyes and turned aside, returning to their former conversation.

  She chittered without realizing it, and then sped away down the length of the bridge, which appeared like a field in her estimation, but a span she knew was no more than two dozen yards across. She was growing ever worried about the time constraints that were set upon her and knew that their escape would be foiled if she failed to get across the gate on the far side. With ever-increasing proficiency, she bounded towards the far gate, and when she reached the opposite column, she jumped straight away upon it without losing a step and began the climb upwards. In what felt like no time she had reached the top, and this time, being even more careful than she was before, she made it down the rooftop without falling, and proceeded to descend, headfirst, down the opposite column.

  As she was accomplishing this final descent, she could not help but think how incredible it was to have this newfound power at her disposal. If it were as Tanuki had formerly said, and she was able to wield this power on her own, there was no limit to the wondrous sensations she could experience. She would be able to fly through the air like a bird or dig through the ground like a mole. She could swim in the sea like a fish, or gallop over the fields like a horse. In essence, she could be and do whatever she wanted to do, and this thought was almost overwhelming to her. She, who had so little control over her life, especially since her abduction, had limitless options ahead of her. All she would have to do is survive and learn.

  After a brief lapse in concentration as these visions swirled around her mind, she became aware that she had finally made it to the other side of the far gate and was standing upon the path that meandered through the North Bailey. Before she was able to celebrate, however, she felt the strange sensation that her body was going to undergo a transformation at any moment. It was a strange, fuzzy feeling, and she knew that it was Tanuki letting her know that her time was almost up. She searched violently for some cover, but there was little in the immediate area, except for a low hedge row to her right that lined the path leading up to the gate. She ran as fast as her tiny legs could carry her and just made it to the far side when she felt it happening. In an instant she was sprawled upon her face, laying headlong in the grass beside the hedges.

  The first thing that made her realize that she had turned back into a human was that she felt cold. The cold autumn wind seemed to penetrate to her skin without her layer of thermal fur to protect her. The second was the sensation of the grass on her skin, and the weight of a body so many times larger than the one she had just inhabited.

  “Who goes there?” she heard a hard voice cry out. She sat up immediately. The voice sounded like it was coming from behind her.

  “Hands on your head!” the voice commanded, growing closer.

  “Did he see me transform?” Yuki thought, complying with the command.

  “Turn around!” instructed the voice, and she obeyed, but stayed on her knees.

  Her worst fears had been realized; she had been caught. However, if there was a consolation, he did not seem to be startled or afraid, so it was likely that he did not see her remarkable change.

  “What are you doing out ‘ere miss?” the guard asked, drawing nearer with his sword drawn. He was one of the Shōgun’s men but wore a youthful face and spoke in a country accent.

  Yuki did not have a convenient answer and stuttered helplessly to come up with something.

  “Wait a minute!” the guard exclaimed, pulling up the rim of his visor. “I’d seen you before! You’re one of them from the district, aren't you?”

  She had nothing else better to offer at the moment, so she nodded her head slowly.

  “I thought so! A few of my fellows took me out for my birthday, they did. I had a time of it, I tell you. You ladies sure know how to make a man feel special. Anyways, what is your business here? Coming or going?” he asked, sheathing his sword, and kneeling down to her level.

  Yuki was puzzled by this query, but as she only had two options, chose the latter.

  “I see. You feelin’ alright? Too much to drink? The men up top may look pretty stiff, but they can really take in the sake, am I right?”

  The guard’s tone had changed so much that for a moment she was tempted to laugh it up with him. “This is my first time,” she managed to mutter.

  “Ah, I see. Well, if you don't mind, I could escort you back to the tunnel.”

  “Tunnel?” Yuki asked, trying to downplay the surprise.

  “Oh, right, the corridor, I suppose it's called. Perhaps you didn't think a grunt like me would know about it, am I right? Well, I think many of us ‘ere do, but we can’t use it of course. Comes in pretty handy I bet. How long from here to the district, ten, fifteen minutes?”

  Yuki could do nothing but nod.

  “Thought so. Ah well, perhaps I’ll earn a higher rank one day, then I can get along down the corridor and come visit you gals more often. But listen to me, rambling on. It must be because of your bright eyes. Are you sure you are all right to make it to the corridor?” The young guard turned and looked behind himself, motioning in that direction.

  “I’ll be fine,” she said, gathering her wits and rising to her feet. “I should really be…”

  “Wait!” the guard said, pulling her back down. “Someone is coming. Let me go check it out. You know the rules. You can’t be caught sneaking around these parts, invitation or no.”

  Yuki nodded her head, still quite shaken. But the guard had been right, and soon, from just above the line of hedges, she could see a dark robed figure drawing towards the gate. The young guard bowed slightly, and then stepped out from the hedges and approached the figure.

  It took several moments for the two to meet face to face. The guard merely held out his hand sternly and uttered the usual, “Who goes there?”

  The figure, who was a bit shorter than the guard, seemed to float along the path, for their footsteps were soft and gentle, as opposed to the careless trampling of the young soldier. The person wore a long, billowing robe with a large hood upon it that shielded the wearer’s features. The robe made them appear more like a ceremonial or religious figure than a courier or a nobleman. It stopped just short of the guard and stood still for some time. Finally, two slender, pale arms came out from the sleeves of the robe and reached up for the hood, removing it slowly to reveal the face underneath. It was Lady Ishihara.

  Yuki let out an audible gasp at the revelation, and narrowly covered her mouth with her hand just in time to prevent it from getting out. This was the first time since the incident that she had seen the one who had taken her left eye, who had nearly left her deaf and dumb, who had corrupted the mind of her dear friend and bent her will to commit the horrific act of murder. This was the Lady who also had kami-sight, was enemy of her kami, and whose power she could not even fathom. Her veins seemed to go cold as ice, but at the same time a wild flame of contempt rose up in her breast.

  “My Lady!” the guard stammered, falling to his knees. “Please forgive my insolence! I did not know it was you!”

  “I would be surprised if you did,” Ishihara said, her low, silky voice seemed to slither out from her perfectly succulent lips. “I have returned ahead of schedule, but I am weary. I mean to enter discreetly, so you will let me in through the back way.” She said this in such a strange way, with such confidence and clarity, that Yuki could only guess that it was another one of her mind-bending spells. The eerie response of the guard confirmed her suspicion.

  “Yes, my Lady,” the guard complied in monotone.

  “Good,” she said, beginning to lift her hood once again. “Now, bring me to the Inner Circle and…”

  Snap!

  Yuki, who had unwittingly been sitting back on her knees, trying to shrink herself as much as possible behind the hedge wall, snapped one of the small twigs underneath her knee from the built-up pressure. The sound at that moment could have been like the clang of a gong, for it was dead silent otherwise.

  The Lady’s head whirled over towards the hedgerow. “What was that?” she hissed, her eyes growing wide with wrath. “Is there someone over there?”

  The guard, helpless to refuse, nodded slowly. This made the Lady all the more tense with rage, and she stormed over in an instant to discover who had been spying on her. Her eyes seemed to flash a devilish gleam.

  “Got you!” she cried, as she leaned over the hedge with her hand raised to strike. Yet there was no one to be found.

  The Lady furrowed her eyebrows and searched down the row, scanning back and forth voraciously, lest her victim should escape.

  Eventually, she was forced to turn back to the guard, who was in a state of severe consternation. “Well?” the Lady said through gritted teeth. “Who was here and where are they now?”

  The guard hurried over and did his own search of the perimeter. “Well, I'll be!” he exclaimed after exhausting his search. “She must have gotten away.”

  “Who was it, you fool?” the Lady cried, exploding with anger.

  “One of yours, my Lady,” he said frantically. “One of yours!”

  “One of mine?” the Lady repeated, her sharp face so full of fury that it took on a cruel, murderous quality.

  “Yes, my Lady!” the guard repeated. He was in a state of hysteria so dire that tears were streaking his cheeks, and his voice was making a loud choking sound. “You must know! They all come up the corridor to the Inner Circle. Not to me. I don’t have money for it. Not me! Not me!”

  After a few minutes of ominous silence, the Lady straightened up, returned her hood to its former position and turned away from the hedgerow. “If it was one of mine then we have no need to worry. Now, get a hold of yourself and get me through the gates and to the other side. I am in a hurry.” Her voice had returned to its smooth, original tone, which brought the young guard out of his misery.

  “Yes, my Lady,” he said, turned about face and led her in the direction of the gate.

  It was fortunate, truly fortunate, for at that very moment a tiny ant sitting on a blade of grass beside the hedgerow turned back into a fully formed human girl. Yuki lay on her back, staring up at the night sky where the face of the Lady had just been and did not permit herself a single breath or twitch of a muscle. She could hear the two walking away, and soon she could hear the low grinding sound of the gates being opened, and at last, the clang of it closing shut. Only then would she allow herself to move.

  “That was so close,” she whispered to herself.

  “Extremely close,” Tanuki’s weak voice interrupted her thoughts. She turned over and looked at the kami, now in his original form, who appeared more haggard than before. He gingerly limped to her side.

  “What happened to you?”

  “I was just making my way down from the top of the gate when I saw the Lady about to discover you. I did what I could and transformed you, but in the process, I lost my own transformation, and fell down from the top.”

  “Oh no! Are you hurt?”

  “Just a bit,” he confessed, doing his best to seem strong, but she could tell that he was hiding considerable pain. “We need to keep going,” he urged, flinching as he motioned to continue. “But I am afraid that I am all out of energy for now.”

  “That’s all right,” she said, carefully gathering him up into her arms. “I have an idea.”

  “And what may that be?” he asked, peering up at her through squinted eyes.

  “I am going to carry you the rest of the way on foot.”

  “But won't they see you?”

  “They may, but I just found out that there has been some kind of secret arrangement, where girls from the district come out and meet with the high-ranking men in the castle. They must be masters because I had never heard of such a thing when I was in Ishihara. If we can keep our wits about us, we might just make it out of here without being held up.”

  Tanuki tried to smile at this idea and closed his eyes restfully. “Being half-mortal sure has its drawbacks,” he said with a soft chuckle.