Rubi and Gaku slept soundly, curled against one another in a kind, understanding embrace. There was no one better she could have had the experience with.
When the sun rose, they quietly ate breakfast together, not needing to talk, enjoying each other's company and waiting for the others to wake up. It was nice. She had not expected to feel warmer and closer to him after deciding not to go ahead. This was what people meant when they said intimacy was more than indulging primal urges. It was feeling truly connected. Such a thing was not just restricted to fairytales.
Everybody went down to the dock to say goodbye. They flocked down to the water's edge in an affectionate rabble, joking and jostling, sad to see each other go but happy to know they would see each other again soon.
Gaku gave Rubi a strong, earnest hug, the winds billowing in the sails of the Wanderlust behind them like the cover of a cliche romance novel Rubi might have enjoyed as a teen.
It's funny, she thought, how you think you outgrow those things. Maybe you never do.
It was a wonderful day to set sail. Bright, breezy and mild. Kiramaru embraced everyone in a bear hug that could squeeze the air out of anybody - except perhaps Mimi, who did not seem to rely on air like the rest of them. This time, Kagemaru did not try to escape, accepting the hug a little stiffly. Take'Ichi had joined them too, wearing a large hooded jacket to cover himself in case of any unexpected gender changes.
Once they were in the hills and mountains they would be far from prying eyes, and he could hopefully wait out the symptoms without being discovered. Who knew how long that could take, or if it would ever stop.
Hiiro and Rubi had helped Gaku and his crew restock so that they could be on their way in good time. There was something about rolling barrels of fresh water up the gangplank that Rubi found very satisfying. The Wanderlust was two or three times the size of the Disaster, since it had double the crew. The cargo space was enormous, so lowering in the supplies by winch to Artair and Bradach below deck was their best option.
Udi and Sino-Ji were poring over an unexpected gift of sweets and spices from Aunt Chandra. Zodwa was checking the rigging, able to assess and tie knots with amazing speed and finesse. Today they had bold red lips and rose-gold eyelids, and Udi sported a nice red kiss print on his cheek.
Rubi bid a quiet goodbye to the Disaster, running her hands over the hull gently. Gaku would treat her well, but this ship was her home. There was nowhere in the world she would rather be than in her bed down inside her quarters, sailing towards the next opportunity with her friends.
"I'll see you in a month." Gaku promised Rubi. "Be safe."
"I will." she replied. "What about you, Hiiro? How will we know you got home safe?"
"I'll send word." he said. "I'll find a trade ship to take a message to the Daikoku parliament. They'll take a letter from a royal. But you'll have to tell them who you are to receive it."
Rubi nodded.
"Yeah, I understand. I'll break cover if it means I can hear from you."
"They should be able to keep your identity secret." Hiiro assured her. "Most ministers of parliament wouldn't dare to mess with royal orders, even foreign ones."
"Where to from here?" Gaku asked him.
"To the market to get a mule. Then north passed the sea border, and west towards Migiue."
"Best of luck, my man." Gaku replied. "I hope it all goes well. Goodbye, until next time."
"Bye, my friend."
Gaku finally boarded and the gangway was lifted. The anchor chain clanged as it raised from the waters and they were pushed out to sea by a strong, warm wind. Rubi waved until she could no longer see his face clearly, the ship shrinking into the horizon. She would miss him.
It was on the lonely walk back that the pain started to stab Rubi in the stomach once more. This was it. This was the real thing. The inevitable, much dreaded return of the twisting, aching sensation. She quietly sidestepped towards Mimi to quietly speak to her.
"Mimi, have you made up any of those new pills yet?"
"I have." she said. "I have also organised a steady increase in the dose, so to limit side effects and assess an appropriate dosage for your pain."
"Thank you. I think I'll need one when we get back. I hope they're better than the last blend."
Hiiro appeared on Rubi's other side looking concerned.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "You're in pain?"
Rubi looked a little confused. How did he not know?
"Well, yeah." she said awkwardly. "Same old story."
"What story?" he asked, looking even more confused.
Now she was well and truly baffled.
"It's the same condition I've had since I was ten. It's just worse. I take painkillers a lot so I can still have a life."
"Is it the same thing from when you were a teenager? When you would be sick in bed every month or so?"
"Every month for almost two weeks." she explained.
Hiiro looked shocked. He did some quick mental mathematics.
"Rubi, that's half a month of every month. That's half of your life from age ten."
Rubi laughed bitterly.
"Yeah, I know. But apparently it's natural and a 'miracle'. I beg to differ. It's a damn curse."
Hiiro's face fell, as if everything suddenly fell into place.
"I'm sorry." he said bleakly. "I didn't know it was so bad. I knew it happened but not like that. No one ever filled me in on it... I guess since I'd never suffer from it, I didn't need to be told."
"It is also a bit personal." Rubi agreed. "But I think it would be better for you to know since you might have daughters. We're full siblings so your kids might inherit it."
"Is there anything we can do about it?" he asked.
Rubi shook her head.
"Not really. There isn't a cure, we can just remedy the symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, lethargy, dizziness, fever and of course the unbelievable pain. When we were in Minami we went to the underground markets with Gaku and found a place that recommended we try this particular remedy. It might be better than the last stuff but who knows."
"Gods," he muttered. "That's awful. I remember you being sick a lot when we were growing up. I... I was just so busy. I'm sorry I never asked about it."
Rubi patted his shoulder.
"It's alright. You really were busy. Ubaba wanted you to be prepared to take the throne next, after all."
"Yeah... Look how that all turned out."
Rubi had no answer for him. They all walked back quietly, detouring to the markets to pick a mule for Hiiro. The same vendor was there with some new mules. He recognised Rubi and waved at her merrily. She told him Hiiro was looking for a mule. He looked Hiiro up and down, mentioning how tall he was and suggested a few of the larger mules for him to choose from.
A big woolly boy, who looked to be a cross between a heavy boned draft horse and a donkey, seemed to be the favourite. He was sun-bleached black in colour. The hair on his face and belly gradually shifted to a slightly reddish brown and he had a whiskery, pretty cream nose. He gave the impression that he would easily and willingly get very fat come retirement.
"I think this is an easy decision." Hiiro said, scratching the big mule's ears while the others ate hay and mostly ignored them all. "I'll take him. Where can I find tack for him?"
"The sadler is over there." Rubi advised. "But first, what are you going to call him?"
"What's yours called?"
"Juda."
"Alright, I'll call him... Gamal."
Rubi smiled, pressing her palm into her stomach to dull the pain, determined not to let it ruin her last few hours with Hiiro. She sat down at the sadler's shop, the twisting and aching making her feel weak.
The smith there checked over Gamal's hooves and teeth to assure he had a good bill of health while the leather worker pieced together the right size straps and fixings for his tack. He was a big mule and would have no trouble carrying Hiiro and his gear. Gamal lipped at Rubi's hair, but the more she moved the stool she sat on, the more eager he became.
"You stop it, you pest!" she whispered at him. Gamal continued to make faces at her.
"What a goof." Hiiro agreed. "I love him."
"Mimi," she beckoned, catching her friend's attention. "I think I need some pain relief now. I don't want to wait for it to get worse."
"Of course," she replied. "Everything is back at the apothecary ready for us to depart. We can head there together if Kagemaru and Take'Ichi are happy to wait with Hiiro."
"Is that alright we you all?" Rubi asked.
Kagemaru and Hiiro nodded. Take'Ichi's hood bobbed.
"Be good, Gamal." she whispered to the mule, rubbing his nose.
Rubi and Mimi walked slowly back to the apothecary. Rubi was determined to get there in good time so she could take the tablet as soon as possible. It hurt like crazy to put one foot in front of the other. Every time her body shifted it felt like a punch.
She waited at a table in the dining room for Mimi to go upstairs and find the medicine. She drummed her fingers in agitation. She wanted to tap her feet too but the impact with the floor caused more pain.
"Are you alright, Rubia?" Aunt Chandra asked, touching her shoulder gently.
"I just need some pain medicine." Rubi assured her. "It'll be alright, don't worry."
"Let me know if you need anything." Chandra insisted. "Tea, food, another night, anything."
"Thank you, Chandra. Tea would be lovely."
Chandra poured her a tall, ceramic mug of milky tea with a few sugar cookies on the side. She thanked her and bit into a cookie, tasting desiccated coconut and creamy butter.
Mimi returned with a freshly pressed pill, much smaller than her last. Mimi had said that she would need to start at a lower dose to assess her reaction. At this point, anything would be an improvement.
In the past, Rubi had not suffered many side effects, at least in most cases. The worst of them had just not worked at all, leaving her in pain over two or three months. She gulped down the pill with a mouthful of tea.
The sound of hooves on the pavement outside alerted Rubi to Hiiro's return. Indra and his parents were ready to leave when they were, so after a little more packing and organising, they bid their farewells to Chandra and thanked her for her hospitality. Rubi hoped they would get the chance to see her again. She was a good person.
Kai sat Sama on the back of their pale gold and white mule, Iria. The little girl patted her affectionately, whispering to her softly. Iria was an older, stocky, matronly looking animal, oozing with level-headedness and gentle confidence. Sama was smitten.
Kagemaru had met his match with young Fiore, who walked at his own pace and set the speed for everyone. No amount of prompting motivated the mule to pick up his hooves any faster.
While supplies were full and heavy, they would walk alongside their mounts. Slowly but surely, the road changed from manicured paving stones to gravel tracks, and then into a pressed dirt road as the city shrank behind them. Rubi already missed it, but in a way she knew she was taking a little bit of the city with her in memory.
The biggest thing on her mind, though, was when this new medicine would finally kick in. She plodded along next to Juda, leading him by the reins, just taking in the environment and listening to the sounds around her.
"You will take the fork in this road to head west," Indra's father explained to Hiiro, tracing his finger along the map. "But for now, we will be able to travel a good distance together."
"How long will you all be travelling?" Hiiro asked.
"Uphill, it takes four days to reach our village. Downhill it can be two or three."
"And how much further to the mountains?"
"Another six days, at least. The terrain gets harder to cover as you go further. It can take ten days if the weather is bad."
Hiiro's jaw set uneasily.
"So possibly two weeks on the road." he said grimly.
"There are stops along the way." the old man said, patting his shoulder. "Don't worry about your sister. She's strong."
Rubi smiled. She was strong. But you could always be stronger. She would know for sure exactly how strong she was in two weeks, when they reached the mountains and battled the unforgiving terrain and cold weather. Time would tell.
After about five miles, Rubi had not noticed much of an improvement in her pain. Juda was being a good boy and she told him as often as she pleased, patting his neck and scratching his chin. Learning what he responded best to was rewarding in it's own way, but it did not make the pain go away.
"Rubi, why don't you ride for a while?" Kagemaru said plainly.
"Huh?" she replied. "We just got started."
"You're still in pain." he replied. "Please ride for a while."
This was his frank way of showing he knew she was struggling and that he cared. So, she adjusted Juda's saddlebags while he walked to free up the seat of the saddle. It had been a good investment to buy better harnesses that could be used for both load bearing and riding purposes.
Rubi stopped for a minute to get into the saddle, something she was quite unpracticed at now. She settled in, adjusting her reins and resting her hands on the pommel. A slim person could probably fit more comfortably, as it was quite a tight squeeze on her thighs, but what could she do. The slow rock of Juda's footsteps felt like being back on the ship. She wondered if she could fall asleep like this.
"Are you alright, Captain?" Mimi asked, noticing her mount.
"I'm still sore." she said. "Can I have some more medicine?"
Mimi looked at the sun, calculating the passed time.
"Not for a while longer." she replied. "Another hour should be fine. You will also have to eat something to reduce the risk of any side effects. May I get you some food for now?"
"Yes, please." Rubi agreed.
Mimi passed her a handful of jerky and some chewy flatbread. While hunger was not a priority, Rubi knew it was important to eat before taking her medication. If she forgot to, it could often result in nausea or, worse, more cramping.
She chewed thoughtfully, looking over her group of friends. Indra and his parents were in their cart. Mimi, Take'Ichi and Kagemaru on foot with their mules, and lastly, Kai and Sama with Iria. Sama was nested amongst the waterskins and blankets, chattering away merrily. Iria's long ears flickered between them with the conversation, her soft expression never shifting.
To make the hour pass, she tried to appreciate everything she saw. The plants, birds, rabbits, the wind in the trees. There was bright green bamboo along the roadside, along with glowing marigolds and sunset colour basil flowers in little manicured garden beds tended to by the locals. She wondered if this was the same type of bamboo that Take'Ichi was born from. She would have to ask him one day.
Rubi eyed the back of Mimi's head, feeling the urgency for another dose rising. She just wanted the pain gone. Pain like this could shove any other thoughts out of your mind.
"Has it been an hour yet?" she asked gingerly.
Mimi looked up again.
"I believe so." she said, reaching into her bag and fishing around for a moment. She produced another small pill. Mimi handed it to Rubi and she walked diagonally towards Kai and Sama with the waterskins. Sama was resting on them like pillows as they jiggled gently with each step.
"Can I grab some water?" she asked.
"Not as well as I can." Kai replied immediately.
It took Rubi a moment to realise that it was a joke. A Tsuki joke.
"Oh, I get it!" Rubi said, cringing a little. "Very funny."
Kai floated a waterskin towards her with his hand. Rubi took her pill and threw the skin back to him. Now, more waiting for results.
"Hey, 'Ichi," she called over.
He perked up, snapping out of his daydream.
"Yes?"
"What kind of bamboo are you?"
"Oh, um..." he said, slowly looking around. "I don't think I'm any of these. I think I'd recognise it if I saw it."
"What does it look like?" she asked. "Like the stick you turn into?"
"Yeah, but all bamboo can look pretty similar," he explained. "Mine is a darker shade of green which grows narrow silvery and goldy streaks on it. I don't think I have the stripes yet. It grows very quickly and gets really big and strong."
"Ah, Royal Bamboo." Indra's father said. "It doesn't grow wild here much, but on the southeast coast it is used for buildings it's so strong. One stick can be as tall as ten men."
"See, 'Ichi, you're made of strong stuff." Kagemaru said with a little smile. "You just need to grow up a bit more."
Take'Ichi blushed a little, hiding in his scarf bashfully.
That day they covered about fifteen miles, less than they had hoped. The days were still short and the nights were grim. Rubi felt a little better after a couple of hours and settled into the rhythm of Juda's footsteps.
They set up their camp off on the side of the road in a clearing and started a fire early to stave off the cold. The mules grazed off to the side, enjoying some oats with their meal. Mimi set up a tripod frame for their cooking pot and began to make a vegetable stew. Indra's mother showed Rubi and Take'Ichi how to mix the dough for flatbreads and how to stick them to the sides of the ceramic fire pit to cook. Kagemaru gathered enough kindling and wood to build a roaring blaze, including a nice log to burn hot but slowly all night.
They went to bed in the tents fully rugged up, as the temperature would drop severely once the sun went down completely. They would get up early in the morning and head off again, the first of their three day hike complete.