The Crossing of the Kalavinka's Young (Part 6)

The curtain of night was about to fall over the highlands. The deep indigo sky took on a darkness as if ink had been spilled, and the evening star appeared in the western sky.
As the lights from the houses began to fade one by one and the village was enveloped in darkness and silence, a knocking sound echoed against the door of a fisherman's hut by the river.

"You idiot! What do you think you're doing—"

The firelight leaking from the doorway faintly illuminated the visitor.
There, a giant of seven and a half shaku* was on his knees, bowing deeply toward the young man who owned the house.

"...What is this act? That's a cruel joke."
"I wish to apologize for my rudeness earlier. I am sorry."
"I was wrong earlier. I came here suddenly, and I was being pushy, wasn't I?"

Following Yoshitsugu, Oto also lowered his head in apology. Yoshitsugu's Tibetan, which he had only recently acquired, was incomparably more stumbling than Oto's fluency. Even so, Yoshitsugu added words one by one, as carefully as he could.

"...We have been traveling for dozens of days in search of a way to cross this great river, the Yarlung Tsangpo. We have long had no prospects for a bridge or a boat, but we learned that there was someone in this village who makes a living by fishing. We have no other support to rely on. However, I cannot grant all of your requests."
"Huh?"

Yoshitsugu raised his head while still prostrate on the ground and met the eyes of the young man, who wore a look of bewilderment.

"We absolutely need the provisions to reach our destination alive. We cannot offer all of our wealth, but we will pay as much as we can. Please, could you reconsider?"

With his plea, Yoshitsugu bowed his head once more.

"In the end, you're just saying you can't pay five silver coins, so you want me to give you a discount? That's convenient for you."
"I am aware that is how it seems."
"Please. There is a place we absolutely must go."

Seeing the silent giant and the talkative child continue to prostrate themselves, the young man felt no small amount of confusion, yet he spat out his words as if half-exasperated.

"...I'm bored."
"Huh?"

At the young man's sudden, unexpected remark, it was Oto's turn to sound exasperated.

"If you guys have traveled from far away, you must have a story or two to kill time, right? You forced your way here, and now I'm wide awake. You'd better entertain me."

As if to block their demands, the young man sat down in front of the doorway.
After a beat, ignoring the young man's grimace, Yoshitsugu whispered to Oto in their native tongue.

"Another bad joke?"
"No, it doesn't seem like he's lying. There's no unpleasant tone in his voice. Whether we can cross or not depends on how we handle this."
"...He's a fickle man."

Yoshitsugu felt a sense of relief at Oto's answer, which could be the key to a solution. Yoshitsugu had realized many times during their journey that Oto's intuition was correct. More than that, Yoshitsugu felt a sense of comfort in the conversation they shared in the language of their homeland, which he had been accustomed to for nearly forty years.

"For now, it seems we have no choice but to go along with his whims. I'll deal with him, since I have to."
"Wait, then I will—"
"It's fine! It's true that your language skills have gotten pretty good, but you're not good with words. Besides, you've already done enough. You bowed your head, and also..."

Oto quietly said the words he had momentarily swallowed.

"When I tried to jump at him earlier, I could tell by your voice that you actually wanted to punch him before I did. You showed a lot of restraint for you. ...Thanks."

Oto showed her snaggletooth in a proud grin and looked up at the exceptionally bright morning star in the far west.

“That’s why I said, leave it to me this time.”

Her amber eyes sparkled like stars. Yoshitsugu felt an indescribable nobility in her young yet dignified profile.