Beyond The Palace Ch 03

Beyond the Palace

by Davina Lee

*

Author's Note

The previous chapter ended with Matoaka snuggled in for the night, resting in the arms of Chihiro, the visiting shrine maiden with a special interest in Matoaka. But while Matoaka enjoys the intimacy, she can't seem to remember meeting Chihiro before that night. Is it because of the bump on Matoaka's head as everyone seems to suggest, or is it something else?

And what about the trio of girls brought in with the visiting shrine maidens? What's their part in all this?

Let's check in on them, shall we?

* * *

Chapter 3: Every Girl Needs Her Wolf Mother

"Matoaka-chan," whispered Chihiro, just before leaning in to plant a gentle kiss on the back of Matoaka's neck.

"Mmm," mumbled Matoaka. "Sleeping."

"Matoaka-chan," said Chihiro, planting a second kiss. "I promised I would help you remember me. Last night. I promised you when--"

"When the sun came up," finished Matoaka, still lying on her side, facing away from Chihiro. "The sun's not up yet."

"Look around, my lovely flower," said Chihiro. "Morning twilight is here."

"Mm-mmm. Still sleeping," mumbled Matoaka, burrowing herself deeper into the pile of blankets.

"I've never had a girl less enthusiastic about my kisses."

"You have lots of girls, do you?" Matoaka's voice was muffled by the blanket pulled up tight over her head.

"If I did, you'd still be my favorite," said Chihiro.

Matoaka rolled over and glared.

Chihiro grinned.

Matoaka reached to wrap her hand around the back of Chihiro's head and pulled the young shrine maiden to close the gap between them. "I forgive your indiscretions," whispered Matoaka. "Now let me sleep."

"You remember, then?" asked Chihiro. "You remember us?"

"I think so. I remember your sweet kisses." Matoaka puckered up and leaned in again, planting another peck on Chihiro's lips. "But I had forgotten your incessant teasing."

Chihiro laid her hands on Matoaka's shoulders and pulled her close.

"And your strong arms," Matoaka touched her fingers to Chihiro's bicep, trailing down past her elbow and over her forearm to the back of her hand. "I had forgotten your strong arms. But I like the way you hold me. It makes me feel safe."

Chihiro twisted her wrist around and splayed her fingers, weaving them in with Matoaka's before closing her grip. "Holding you in the night is what I enjoy most. Do you remember when we first met?"

"I don't know," said Matoaka. "Was there a lot of kissing?"

Chihiro chuckled. "Not at first, but soon after. Your grandmother introduced us."

"Ugh," Matoaka groaned, rolling away from Chihiro. "Why'd you have to mention her?"

"She's a good woman. She loves you. She loves all the girls of The People, as if you were all her own children."

"I suppose." Matoaka flashed a quick frown. "But if you're not going to let me sleep, I'd rather talk about the kissing."

"Kissing?" said Chihiro, puckering up to lay a peck on the tip of Matoaka's nose. "This kind of kissing?"

Matoaka shook her head.

"Maybe this kind?" Chihiro moved in again, planting her lips on Matoaka's forehead this time.

"If you're trying to soothe the bump on my head, the medicine woman and my wolf mother already beat you too it."

Chihiro shrugged. "I give up. What kind of kissing?"

"You're such a teaser," said Matoaka, slipping her hand behind Chihiro's head again and weaving her fingers into the shrine maiden's hair. "This kind. Your lips. On my lips."

Matoaka went in hard, mashing her mouth against Chihiro's, causing the shrine maiden to stiffen and suck a noisy breath through her nose.

"You're very bold," said Chihiro.

"Don't pretend you don't like it. You're the one who woke me up before the sun, so don't pretend you suddenly don't like it."

"I do like it," said Chihiro, rolling onto her back and looking up at Matoaka, who was pushing her way up and astride Chihiro's hips.

"But?"

"No buts. I like it."

Matoaka looked away. "I'm being too aggressive. I'm going back to sleep."

"Matoaka. Lovely flower. Look at me."

Matoaka turned her gaze back to Chihiro. Chihiro lifted her hands to Matoaka's shoulder and let them fall, trailing her fingers down Matoaka's arms as she went.

"I like your kisses," said Chihiro.

Matoaka grinned, pink rising in her cheeks. She leaned forward, pushing her fingers out straight and pressing the flat of her hands against Chihiro's cheeks. Matoaka puckered up and touched her lips to Chihiro's.

Chihiro arched her back and wrapped her arms around Matoaka, pulling her close.

"I remember," said Matoaka. "I remember kissing you. And being in your arms."

Chihiro smiled up at Matoaka and pulled her in again.

* * *

"You're late," said Grandmother. "The other girls have gone up ahead."

"Sorry, Grandmother. It's my fault."

"Come on," said Chihiro," holding out her hand. "We can still catch up."

Together, Matoaka and Chihiro walked deeper into the forest.

"They'll be by the stream, meeting their wolf mothers and getting acquainted," said Chihiro. "They always spend some time together as a group. It gives everyone a chance to adjust."

"Get acquainted?" said Matoaka. "But, don't they already have mothers?"

"Of course they do. But they've forgotten. And they're not from this place you call home. So they'll be matched with new wolf mothers to take care of them."

"Forgotten?" said Matoaka. "Like how I forgot about you?"

"These girls were brought home from The Palace. They didn't want to forget about their mothers. They just did. It happens."

"Chihiro? Why do they forget?"

"Shh," said Chihiro. "We're here. Look."

* * *

Standing beside the stream were the three young women. Their drab old clothes were gone, being replaced by the colorful, traditional clothing of The People. Close by their sides, one between each girl, stood three shrine maidens, dressed as Chihiro was in wide-legged red pants and a white robe.

Between the girls with their shrine maidens and the stream, lying on the shore with heads resting on their paws, were three large gray wolves.

A little farther down, a young woman sat tending to a fire. Beside her, sat the medicine woman. Now and again, the medicine woman passed over bits of sagebrush that the young woman added to the fire. The smoke curled lazily into the tree canopy overhead.

The shrine maiden to the left of where Matoaka stood looking on reached into her kosode and pulled out a bit of dried venison. She knelt beside the wolf and held the strip of meat in the flat of her hand. Across from her, the gray wolf rose to her feet and crept forward to accept the offering. The shrine maiden reached to scratch behind the wolf's ears and the wolf came to sit beside her.

Down the line of girls, each shrine maiden offered a bit of dried meat to the gray wolf mother who then came over to sit between the shrine maiden and the young girl beside her.

"They're being introduced," said Chihiro.

The first girl in the line was already down on one knee, hand on her wolf mother's shoulders, running her fingers through the gray's fur and whispering in the wolf's ear.

The second girl in line was down on her knees now too, flopped across her wolf mother who lay on her side, lifting her head now and then to lap at the girl's face with her tongue. The shrine maiden at her side smiled and patted the wolf's shoulder.

As Matoaka looked on, the third girl was looking down at her feet and backing away. The gray wolf in front of her stayed close to the ground, lowering her head to rest on her paws, and letting out a short whine. The shrine maiden next to the girl reached out for the girl's hand. The girl turned her back.

The medicine woman rose from her seat beside the fire and passed the remaining bundle of sagebrush to the young woman she had been sitting with. The medicine woman strode toward the stream and the girl.

"What's going on?" asked Matoaka.

"Sometimes a girl has trouble adjusting," said Chihiro.

"But, wolf mothers are the kindest, most caring... I love my wolf mother."

"I know that. And your mother knows that. But still. Sometimes."

The medicine woman had joined up with the girl and her shrine maiden. Together they stood beside the girl. Each put a hand on the girl's shoulder. The gray wolf at their feet kept her head on her paws and whimpered every now and again.

"Come on," said Chihiro, reaching for Matoaka's hand. "Let's give them some space."

"Where are we going?" asked Matoaka. "To see my mother?"

"Do you need to see your mother?"

Matoaka glanced at the medicine woman and the shrine maiden still standing beside the girl who now had her head in her hands. "I thought maybe she could help."

"They'll be fine. These aren't the first girls to be taken in by The People." Chihiro tugged at Matoaka's hand. "Let's go hunt for mushrooms. It would be a nice gift to take back to your grandmother."

"Ugh," said Matoaka, frowning. "Why do you always bring her up?"

"She loves you too, you know."

Matoaka stood fast and kicked at the ground.

"Fine," said Chihiro. "I'll find the mushrooms for your grandmother. If you help, I might let you kiss me. But if you don't..." Chihiro scampered off into the trees.

"Chihiro!" called Matoaka, before tearing off after her.

* * *

With the sun low on the horizon, Matoaka sat cross-legged by the fire, preparing a pot of wild rice. Chihiro sat beside her, picking mushrooms out of a basket and shaking off any water still clinging to them from their rinsing in the stream. Grandmother walked up to the fire, sniffing at the air.

"It smells extra delicious tonight, Matoaka," she said.

"Chihiro and I went foraging for mushrooms," said Matoaka. "Well, mostly Chihiro found them, but I helped with the washing."

"I'm looking forward to supper," said Grandmother, and then wandered off to speak to some of the others, leaving Chihiro and Matoaka alone by the fire.

"I told you she'd like them," said Chihiro, leaning in for a kiss as she passed over the last mushroom from the basket.

"Are the new girls joining us?" asked Matoaka. "I should add some sweet potatoes, so we have enough food to go around. I bet they're hungry."

"They'll be with their wolf mothers," said Chihiro. "And their mothers will provide food for them. Do you remember how it was when you met your wolf mother?"

Matoaka shook her head. "I've always known my mother," she said.

Chihiro moved her hand to rest on Matoaka's thigh and leaned her head against Matoaka's shoulder. "Would you like me to take over stirring for a while?" asked Chihiro.

"I've got it," said Matoaka. "But don't go. I like having you here beside me."

"Every girl needs her shrine maiden," said Chihiro, with a chuckle.

"And her wolf mother," said Matoaka.

"And her wolf mother," repeated Chihiro, patting Matoaka's thigh. "Yes. Every girl needs her wolf mother."

"Do you think she'll be okay?" asked Matoaka.

"The girl we saw at the stream?"

Matoaka nodded.

"I think so. She has her shrine maiden and the medicine woman to care for her. And her wolf mother will still look out for her, even if it's from a distance."

"Why doesn't she remember?" said Matoaka. "I know that may not be her mother down by the stream, but she must remember her own mother. Shouldn't she?"

"Some girls have a harder time than others," said Chihiro. "These girls came from The Palace, so it might take some time for them to adjust. Soon though, they'll be joining the rest of us for supper each night, and then we'll need those extra sweet potatoes."

"Theodosia said I was born in The Palace."

Chihiro said nothing, but did gently squeeze Matoaka's thigh where she still rested her hand.

"I don't like Theodosia much," said Matoaka. "She says such awful things. She the reason I have this scrape on my head.

"Theodosia.

"We won't need to make extra sweet potatoes. That new girl can have Theodosia's portion."

"Matoaka," said Chihiro.

"I know, it's not nice. But..." Matoaka's words were cut short as soon as she saw Grandmother approaching again.

"It smells delicious," said Grandmother.

"It's the mushrooms," said Matoaka, looking up.

* * *

In the moonlit distance, a lone wolf cut the silence of the forest with a sustained howled. Inside the lodge, Matoaka stirred, but rolled over without waking. The wolf's howl was picked up by another, closer this time. Finally, from atop the bluff high above where Matoaka slept, came the final sustained howl.

"Mother?" mumbled Matoaka, blinking.

Matoaka reached out to feel over the blankets as she finally opened her eyes. The only evidence Chihiro had been with her that night was the indentation in the bed covers. As Matoaka sat up, the sound of horses hooves was already fading into the distance.

* * *

Afterword

It appears Matoaka isn't the only gal with a shrine maiden and a gray wolf looking out for her. And though she remembers her own wolf mother, her memories of how she met Chihiro are a bit more hazy. And with Chihiro riding out in the middle of the night, you may be forming some theories on that meeting. But I'm going to stay tight lipped for now and let you see how it plays out.

For your end of the chapter soundtrack selection, find the song

Cosmic Love

by Florence + the Machine

Next up... The Weeping Somnambulist