A night with the Kami

Toshi Ranbo - Imperial College
Spring 1197

1 day after the Hunting Trip

=== Tsuruchi Hiroshi couldn’t sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw the Hanemuri falling on his friends and then the brief panic as he prayed to the Kami for deliverance, and received it. The unbelievable rush and feeling of completeness as if a part of him that he never knew was missing was returned. Like opening his eyes for the first time to see the aurora. Like …. by the Fortunes he wished he had the words to explain even if only to himself. He couldn’t even talk to Moshi Rekai or any of the other senseis about it without disobeying the magistrate. A feat beyond his capabilities. There had to be a way to avoid breaking the trust of the Magistrate and still regain some semblance of balance.   It took 2 more days before he finally managed to figure a way to appease the diametrically opposed needs. It struck him as he was heading back to his room for the evening. He quickly gathered his calligraphy set and headed toward to the market. Another hour passed before he found a stall selling incense and another selling fine paper before making his way to the local temple to Tenjin.

Thankfully when he arrived the shrine to Tenjin was quiet and empty of any other worshipers. He cleared a space near to the altar, laying out and weighting down the paper and setting his calligraphy set carefull to the side within easy reach before setting some incense alight and reciting a small prayer for inspiration. He sat in front of the paper bowed his head and centered himself before picking up his brush carefully gathering up his sleeve, closing his eyes, seeing the Hanemuri falling on his friends and finally touching his brush to the paper and letting it all pour forth, ciphered but whole. Several hours later with the story full committed to paper he put his brushes away rolled the paper up and placed the scroll in a bowl before the shrine. Saying a short prayer to summon a kami of fire to ignite the scroll as an offering to Tenjin he bowed his head and said a prayer of thanks.   With several hours until dawn Hiroshi gathered his calligraphy set and made his way out and to the temple of Osano-Wo. The act of writing and sacrificing the secret of the trip to the Fortunes had helped calm his mind but he still felt he owed more thanks to Fortunes and the Kami. He placed incense in the bowl and called upon the kami to ignite it. With a rush and a feeling akin to hearing a familiar voice in a crowd the incense began to burn and Hiroshi bowed his head and began a silent and deep felt prayer of thanks to Osano-Wo for saving his friends and himself. As dawn broke over the horizon and the last stick of incense burnt out Hiroshi rose and headed back to the college. Feeling invigorated and at peace with himself after the long night of prayer.he readied himself for another day of class.