The next morning, Mother invited me to go back to the festival with her. She seemed excited to return to the serving tent where she could help make flatbread to give out. I, on the other hand, didn't find the prospect appealing, so I declined. Mother didn't question my decision, but hurried off as soon as she was dressed.
I frowned at her retreating back. She had been so insistent that I go with her the previous day. Why not today as well?
I went about my morning routine with a scowl on my face. I couldn't put into words the exact reason why I was upset, but I was. It didn't seem right that Mother had left me alone at home while she went to have fun at the festival.
I finally concluded that I might as well go spend the day with Budding. She knew about the festival, but I didn't think she'd mind if I just showed up. After all, I'd told her that I probably wouldn't be going anyway.
As I laced up my shoes, I heard a knock at the door. My brow knit together as I slowly stood. "Who is it?" I called.
"Tsuki."
My expression immediately cleared. I opened the door for him, smiling in relief. "I see you got home safely yesterday."
He nodded solemnly. "There weren't any problems, but Afa says we should stay away from the festival for now. Ama told me to invite you to spend the day with us. She didn't want you to be alone."
I hesitated. I knew that Tsuki's father wouldn't be here for long. It seemed like an intrusion for me to be there during their family time.
"You don't need to worry about me," I said. "I was just going to spend the day with Budding."
He shook his head. "She's resting, don't bother her. Come home with me."
I didn't continue to refuse, since it sounded like a fun way to pass the time. I'd never been to Tsuki's home before, and I was curious to see it.
We started walking toward the village, avoiding the paths that would be used for the spring festival.
Tsuki's family lived in one of the sod houses on the northern edge of the village. They served as temporary housing for seasonal workers or families who were constructing permanent residences. Or for people who couldn't afford anything else.
The idea of living in a sod house seemed gloomy, but many of the residents had made the most of it. The grass on the sod was green, and some even grew flowers. The shutters over the windows were painted in cheerful colors, as were the doors. Perhaps my point of view was altered by the hut I'd grown up in, but I thought that the little community was cozy and beautiful.
Hoshi was waiting for us outside, weaving a tiny basket out of grass. She gifted it to me with a flourish. "Welcome," she exclaimed.
I laughed. "Thank you."
She grabbed my hand, pulling me inside. "This way," she sang.
The interior of the sod house was dim, even with the shutters open to let in sunshine. The dirt walls were covered with cloth hangings, giving the large room an elegant touch. There weren't any walls dividing the spaces, but patchwork curtains served the same purpose in sectioning off the 'bedroom.'
A clay stove sat in one corner, where Imi Hana stood boiling bones for broth. Master Chikyu sat on a stool next to her, mending clothing and chatting with her in their native language. Neither of them wore their wooden masks, so I could clearly see their serene expressions.
"Tiff is here," Hoshi announced.
They both looked up and smiled at me. All of my previous reservations immediately disappeared.
"I'm so glad you could come," Hana said.
Chikyu looked at his son. "Kikesa mo?"
Tsuki shook his head. "No problems."
"Good," his father replied.
Hoshi and Tsuki both removed their masks, setting them on the wide stump that served as a table. A sudden thought occurred to me as I watched.
"What do you say when people ask why you wear masks?" I inquired.
Tsuki shrugged. "Most people just assume it's some foreign custom. We don't often get asked."
"I tell them it's part of our religion," Hoshi volunteered.
I giggled. "What religion is that?"
She grinned at me. "I don't know. The religion of not showing your face?"
"We take it very seriously," Tsuki added with a smile.
"What about in Navon?" I pursued. "Do people know you're akagine when you wear a mask?"
Imi Hana tilted her head to the side. "Some people know, but we do our best to keep it secret. There are actually a number of different groups that cover their faces in one way or another."
As she spoke, I suddenly noticed that her teeth weren't as prominent as her husband's and children's. "Wait," I blurted, "are you fully human?"
She slowly nodded. "I was raised that way, but marrying into the akagine community means joining them. It's for everyone's safety."
My eyes narrowed. "I suppose it would be strange if you were the only one not wearing a mask out in public."
"Exactly."
"Tsuki tells me that he taught you how to play yoso," Master Chikyu changed the subject. "Would you care to have a game with me?"
I lifted my hands in protest. "I know the rules, but I'm terrible at it."
Everyone chuckled at my admission. "What if Tsuki acts as your advisor?" Chikyu offered.
My expression brightened, but Tsuki still shook his head. "That won't improve her chances of winning against you, Afa."
"Afa is a champion player," Hoshi said with pride. "He even won a prize."
"We aren't playing to compete," their father soothed. "This is just for fun."
I squinted skeptically. "I guess we could try."
"You'll do wonderful," Imi Hana encouraged.
She was wrong.
Tsuki and I spent a good deal of time arguing over strategies, which confused everything we tried to accomplish. And even when we did agree, Master Chikyu uprooted us at every turn.
Hoshi laughed uproariously from the sidelines, giving unhelpful advice and teasing her father for going easy on us. Tsuki and I couldn't help but laugh as well. The sod house rang with joyful noise.
"What are you doing?!"
"I'm building a defense."
"You're wasting your turn."
"No, I'm not!"
"Afa, take no prisoners!"
"There are no prisoners in this game, byo."
"Byo bomani!"
"Now, now, children."
I slapped down another Earth token, ignoring Tsuki's groan. He wrested the bag of tokens from my hand, shaking them in my face. "You're a byo, too."
I made a face at him. "What does that even mean?"
Imi Hana reached over to pinch her son's ear. "A byo is a minor illness that is more annoying than dangerous."
I broke into giggles again, not offended at all. Master Chikyu placed his token, bringing out an exasperated sigh from his son.
"You might as well give up," Tsuki told me. "You lost a long time ago."
"I never give up," I insisted.
"That's not a good thing," he pointed out.
"Only to my enemies," I retorted, straining to get the bag of tokens back.
"He is right, though," Hoshi admitted. "This game could've been called already."
"I don't mind continuing," Master Chikyu said kindly.
I gave an exaggerated sigh. "No, I will show mercy and let the game end."
"Mercy on me for having to watch this disaster," Tsuki muttered.
Hoshi and I thought his comment terribly funny, but his father flicked Tsuki's shoulder with his hand. "Such sharp words. I haven't seen you like this for many months."
Hana nodded her agreement, but she didn't seem unhappy about it. On the contrary, she seemed emotional at the lively interactions between all of us. I was suddenly reminded that this family was missing a member.
"Master Chikyu," I ventured hesitantly, "where have you traveled since leaving Navon?"
He had been putting away the game, and he seemed surprised by my question. "Most of my journeys have remained in Talva. There are eleven fiefs, and I've been to eight of them. I've never been to the northernmost regions. There have been a couple of times that I was hired to travel into Ghu."
(Ghu was another neighboring country, but I couldn't remember where it was located.)
I nodded, pursing my lips. Navon was to the south of Talva, so it seemed more likely that Tsuki's older brother would be in one of the southern fiefs.
Master Chikyu leaned back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest. "Are you wondering about Taiyo?"
I was startled by his intuition. I nodded guiltily. "I'm sorry to bring it up."
He reached over and patted my head. "Don't worry. The more people who know to look for him, the better."
Hana murmured her agreement, giving me a warm smile.
"I've used all of my connections to search for him," Chikyu went on. "I believe that he's still in Navon, otherwise we would've heard about him by now."
"Is he not able to leave?" I asked.
"The monarchy was overthrown by revolutionaries," he explained. "The borders around Navon have been blocked from both sides—first by the revolutionaries themselves, who don't want citizens leaving, and second by the neighboring nations who fear that the revolution will spread to their own countries."
My eyes widened. I wished I'd listened to my lessons more carefully because all of this was news to me. "How did your family get through?"
"We lived close to the border," Tsuki told me. "When the soldiers came to forcibly recruit all the men in our town, we ran."
"And your brother…" I concluded sadly.
He nodded. "My brother was separated from us."
"We said we'd meet here, though," Hoshi said, trying to look brave. "Three Valleys is the fief closest to where we came from."
I squeezed her hand. "I'm sure you'll see him soon."
Imi Hana took a breath and got to her feet. "Yes, we will," she affirmed. "In the meantime, how about we try our hands at making sugar animals? I bought the ingredients for them on the way home yesterday."
Hoshi and I cheered. Then we teased Tsuki for not cheering with us.
"Aren't you excited?"
"Maybe he doesn't like candy."
"Maybe he lost his voice."
"Maybe he's too mature to be happy."
Hana melted the sugar in a pot on the stove. She scooped up spoonfuls of the liquid for us to drizzle onto the waxed paper. The house filled with the sweet scent of candy and the ringing of laughter.
"What is that?" Hoshi demanded, pointing at my creation.
"It's a bird," I retorted, looking at my blobby picture with pride.
"Have you ever seen a bird before?" she shot back with a grin.
Tsuki used a fork to try and help me shape the wings and add feather-like textures. I appreciated his efforts, but I knew it was futile. I hadn't been able to keep a steady stream of the melted sugar, resulting in varied thicknesses. Also, the candy hardened quickly, so it didn't easily change.
"It's better than your bear," I defended, even though I wasn't sure I believed it.
Hoshi pushed my shoulder playfully. "It's not a bear! It's a sheep!"
I chuckled. "Well, in that case, mine is definitely better."
Imi Hana was peacefully drawing a bouquet of flowers, while Master Chikyu topped it with powdered berries. They made an excellent team, and the result was beautiful.
"Ama," Hoshi gasped, "it's perfect."
I admired the sugar flowers for several moments, before turning my attention to Tsuki. His wasn't bad either. I could immediately tell that he was making a dragon.
"Is that what dragons really look like?" I wondered aloud.
"Who knows?" Tsuki replied, his brow creased with concentration as he added the finishing touches. "There aren't many left. Most people have only seen drawings of them."
I rested my chin on the heel of my hand. "I want to find one someday. I'll learn how to draw and I'll paint a portrait of it."
Tsuki set down his spoon, looking satisfied with his sugar creation. "I'll come with you," he volunteered.
"Deal."
We grinned at each other.
To my surprise, Imi Hana offered the candy bouquet to me. "Take this home and give it to your mother," she instructed. "I doubt she's had the opportunity to indulge in the festival delicacies."
My chest expanded with warmth for this wonderful family that had embraced me. I swallowed the lump that formed in my throat, trying to remember my manners. "Thank you so much."
She made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "It's nothing, truly. I hope she can enjoy it."
"She will," I promised.
Hana motioned to her son. "Take Tiff home now," she told him. "I don't want either of you walking out in the dark, so you need to return before sunset."
Tsuki nodded immediately. "Yes, Ama."
He gathered up the sugar flowers and my misshapen bird, balancing them carefully on his hand. I thanked my hosts profusely, emphasizing how much fun I'd had that day.
"It's nothing, it's nothing," Master Chikyu repeated. "I will be leaving again soon, and it comforts me to know that my family is among friends."
When I looked back at Tsuki, half of his face was covered by his wooden mask. His eyes smiled at me as he tilted his head toward the door.
"Let's go," he encouraged.
We walked out into the late afternoon sun, taking in the warm scent of grass and dirt. We pointed our feet southeast, in the direction we would find my Aunt Theophana's house. Conversation flowed easily between us, making the time pass in a flash.