Beyond the Palace
by Davina Lee
*
Author's Note
When we left Matoaka at the end of the last chapter, she had just arranged to have a sleepover at her mother's place. Her mother happens to be a wolf who lives in a den atop a high bluff, but hey, that's nothing compared to the craziness of real life, huh?
So what do we know so far?
Matoaka lives in harmony with nature, part of a group simply referred to as The People. Somewhere out there is a place called The Palace, but we haven't gotten to that just yet. We know about it, because of another girl teasing Matoaka, claiming she was "born in The Palace."
So is the title of this series making sense yet?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Are we going to find out?
Eventually. But first we have to meet Matoaka's girlfriend.
* * *
This chapter features a group of Shinto shrine maidens. For a little background, the traditional attire consists of red divided and pleated trousers called
hakama
(the wide legs making it look almost like a skirt) combined with a white robe called a
kosode
. The greeting offered to Matoaka by one of the shrine maidens is
Tadaima
(tah-dah-ee-mah), which translates to,
I'm home
.
* * *
Chapter 2: Chihiro
"Hold still," said the medicine woman, frowning as she applied the sticky herbal ointment to Matoaka's forehead.
Matoaka bit at her lip.
"Does that hurt?" asked the medicine woman.
"Huh? No. I probably don't need anything for it. I'll be fine."
"In a hurry then, are you?"
"Hurry?" said Matoaka. "Why would I be in a hurry?"
The medicine woman laughed. "The shrine maidens of course. Everyone knows of their coming."
Matoaka wrinkled her nose. "What's in this stuff, anyway?" she asked. "It smells like trees."
"You're changing the subject. Are you sure there isn't a shrine maiden who's caught your eye?"
Matoaka pulled back, shaking her head. "Am I done?"
The medicine woman set down the shallow dish of the ointment she had compounded. "You're done."
Matoaka sprang to her feet. "Thank you," she hollered, as she dashed from the doorway of the medicine lodge.
"Come back after supper," called the medicine woman. "And don't pick at it."
Matoaka waved, but didn't offer any other acknowledgment.
* * *
Matoaka ran to the edge of the place she called home, to the border where rocky bluffs and trees gave way to a wide expanse of tallgrass prairie. And snaking through the prairie grass, in a long, single file line, were a dozen riders on horseback.
"The shrine maidens," said someone. ""They're nearly here."
"Surely they'll be hungry," said another. "Let's take them some food."
Matoaka turned to look at Grandmother, who had caught up and was standing beside her now. Grandmother rested her hand on Matoaka's shoulder.
"They'll be here soon enough," said Grandmother. "Stay here under the canopy of trees where it's safest."
"But... Yes, Grandmother."
Matoaka fidgeted as she watched the riders approaching. On top, each mounted woman wore a gleaming white
kosode
, wide in the shoulders and short in the sleeves. From the waist down, she was covered by a brilliant red
hakama
, the wide legs pleated and extending to the ankles, even when draped over the back of a horse.
"Majestic, aren't they?"
"Yes, Grandmother." Matoaka gazed at the trio of women who rode two to a horse, with the women seated behind them wearing considerably less flashy attire.
As the line of riders approached, Matoaka focused solely on the plainly dressed passengers seated behind. "They look tired," said Matoaka.
"It is a difficult journey, the place they have come from to reach us."
In the distance, the young women who had decided to run out to greet the riders with gifts of food had finally met up. Each of the riders dipped her head as she halted her horse to accept gifts of dried berries and nuts.
The women behind the riders, clinging to their waists, barely raised their heads.
