Spirit's Chosen by Esther Friesner

Shoichi’s widow took charge of my weeping little brother, Masa’s wife, Fusa, saw to it that the new mother, her infant, and her little son were taken home safely. Masa himself remained where he was, shocked by what had happened, yet ready to take a stand for our mother’s sake.
    The rest of our clanfolk gathered to gawk at her, now limp and whimpering in Lord Hideki’s unyielding grasp. The old warrior’s face was flushed scarlet, though I couldn’t tell if it was from rage or the humiliation of having a woman disarm him. When her legs folded under her, he didn’t relax his grip, letting the weight of her body dangle painfully by one arm. Her sobs could have melted stone.
    “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt Yukari, forgive me, I don’t know what happened to me, I can’t … I can’t …” She gasped for breath and covered her face with her free hand, filling her palm with tears.
    “Let her go,” Masa said, his lips a small, taut line. “You’re hurting her.”
    “After what she did?” Lord Hideki snarled. “If you want to talk about
hurting
someone …”
    “I’m done talking.” Masa seized Lord Hideki’s wrist and squeezed. My big brother had a blacksmith’s strength. Mama’s captor grunted in pain and released her. Masa caught her as she fell and swept her into his arms as ifshe were a child. She clawed at the front of his tunic and moaned. “It’s all right, Mama,” he said kindly. “I’m taking you home.” He turned and began to walk away.
    “You
dare
—?” Lord Hideki thundered.
    Masa paused and looked back. “You wanted me to be a chieftain, to make decisions for our clan. This is my decision.”
    “This? Treating her as if she did nothing wrong? She tried to
kill
that child!”
    Mama heard his words and uttered a cry so terrible my heart flinched in pain. “She didn’t know what she was doing!” I protested. “She isn’t well.”
    “For a sick woman, she has a demon’s strength,” Lord Hideki countered. He lifted his chin at Masa. “Go now, but see to it that she is ready to face the consequences of her crime tomorrow.”
    My older brother shrugged. “So be it.” He carried Mama away just as Kaya returned with the supplies needed to care for Yukari.
    As Master Michio and I examined my stepmother’s broken bone as tenderly and effectively as we could, Kaya took charge of Takehiko. His recent ordeal had left my unhappy little brother wide-eyed as an owlet and nervous as a mouse between the fox’s paws. At first he refused to be parted from his mother, but Lady Badger had her clever ways of conjuring smiles and kindling laughter. She soon had him riding on her shoulders while Yukari received the care she needed.
    My stepmother was fortunate: the break lay just below her wrist. It was simple to set, and with the spirits’ helpwould heal more quickly than if it had been the wrist itself that took the brunt of the cudgel blow. Master Michio sent for a bowl of boiling water, steeped some crushed herbs, and had her drink the mixture to dull the pain.
    I had just finished tying Yukari’s bandage when I became aware of the muffled hum of voices all around me. Bits and scraps of words flew through the air like petals swooping on the dawn breeze. Time and again I heard my mother’s name, but never once spoken with anger or condemnation: only pity.
    They understand!
My heart sang with blessings.
Our clanfolk
know
she was not herself when she attacked Takehiko! They don’t blame her for it
. I wished I could embrace them all for such wonderful compassion.
If anyone is at fault for what happened here today, it’s me. I should have watched her more closely. I wanted to believe she was well again before that was so. I won’t make that mistake again. Tomorrow I will begin her healing anew, and this time I won’t pretend that she is better until it’s true
.
    Master Michio gathered up the remains of all the items we had used on Yukari’s broken arm and