Yuki: A Snow White Retelling Read online

  Yuki: A Snow White Retelling

  Tales of Akatsuki Book 2

  Nicolette Andrews

  Copyright © 2018 by Nicolette Andrews

  Cover Art by Nadica Borshivka

  Cover Design by Covers by Combs

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Epilogue

  Excerpt The Priestess and the Dragon

  Also by Nicolette Andrews

  About the Author

  1

  Banners snapped in the wind. Thundering hooves raced down the road. The raucous laughter of soldiers filled the air. In times of war, stealth was necessary. But being in neutral territory, and compared to their recent missions, it didn't hurt to let the men ease some of the tension. It was good to see them smile again. It had been too long since they'd had a reason to smile. Hotaru wished he could join them in their revelry, but his thoughts were preoccupied. He scanned the horizon, ever vigilant. Just because they were in friendly territory didn't mean they were completely without risk.

  "Ease up, my lord. It's a wife, not a death sentence," his second-in-command said as he pulled up next to Hotaru.

  "It is to all the heartbroken girls at the clan!" shouted one of his men.

  "At least they have their bastard children to remind them of you," said another.

  The others joined in their playful teasing of him and Hotaru forced a smile. If only he were in search of just a wife. It would have been much simpler, and he wouldn't have left their territory. There were plenty of eligible women who would have been more than happy to be his bride. They all knew; they wouldn't have followed him this far if they hadn't. His men were worried, just as he was. This alliance was critical. He couldn't let his fear show. He wanted them to continue to smile.

  "I can't waste all my charm on you lot," Hotaru called to his men.

  They roared with approval.

  The cheers soon died away as the forest came into view. It was as if the air had been sucked out of them. The trees were dense, and growing so close together the trunks were tangled around one another. Their skeletal branches were like clawed hands reaching toward them. Thick, white fog twisted around the bases of barren trees, seeping through the gnarled trunks. Everyone knew these sorts of wild places were the domain of the yokai. Before he had thought those stories were all just peasant's superstition. But he knew better now, and he had learned to show proper respect. If there were any other way around, he would have taken it. But their destination was at the center of this forest.

  Their group slowed to a crawl as they delayed the inevitable. Hotaru turned in his saddle to face his men. They all shifted uncomfortably in their seats.

  "Keep your eyes open, weapons at hand, and stay on the path," he said.

  The road was wide enough for them to travel in twos, and so they lined up as they entered. Hotaru and his second took the lead. The horses nickered with anxiety. Hotaru's had his ears flattened against his skull. They could sense as he could, the otherness of this place. Hotaru surveyed the road ahead, which ended in a thick wall of mist. Everywhere they looked there were long shadows. It was bitingly cold; the spring thaw had only just begun and the road was mired in mud.

  Then to his left the bushes rustled, followed by the hasty jostling of men drawing their weapons. Hotaru held up his hand. A fat tanuki waddled out from within the bushes. The raccoon dog turned its masked face toward them. There was an almost human intelligence in its eyes. Of course the creatures were known troublemakers, but legends said they could take the form of humans and delighted in deceiving humans. Hotaru shook his head, this could only be a regular forest creature.

  After their brief staring contest, the tanuki disappeared into the forest on the other side of the road and he gave the signal for his men to move on.

  It was not long before another tanuki appeared in the pathway.

  "This forest is full of tanuki," Hotaru commented as the second one stared at him with clever eyes. This one held his gaze even longer than the first.

  The men eyed the surrounding forest, as if they expected a horde of the raccoon dogs to burst out of the shadows and tear the meat from their bones. Hotaru laughed away their fears, more to keep them moving forward than anything. There was a tingling sensation at the back of his mind that told him to keep a look out.

  Further down the road, a third tanuki stepped in front of them.

  One of his soldiers, fueled by fear and recklessness, shot an arrow at it. Instead of striking it as it should, the tanuki leaped out of the way at just the right moment. And for a split second, Hotaru thought he had seen a straw hat on the creature’s head. Before he had time to even process that thought, a woman leaped out of the nearby bushes.

  "You're not going to get away from me!" She shouted as she ran past. It seemed she did not notice them at all. And perhaps that was for the best, she looked like a wild creature herself. Her long ebony hair had at one point been tied in a braid, but had mostly come undone, and her feet were bare and caked in mud. Her kimono was splattered and torn and hiked up over her knees.

  Hotaru stared after her, mouth slack long after she had disappeared into the forest chasing the tanuki. Perhaps it was a mistake coming here. I heard these people were strange... He didn't have a choice. Perhaps the clan leaders were more civilized.

  "Let's move out. And do not fire unless I give the order." He looked at the man who had.

  The soldier bowed his head in penance. After that there were no more strange encounters and they arrived at the hidden palace. It emerged from the forest and fog like something out of a fairy tale. Large trees flanked it on all sides, and the green tops of the buildings peaked out from behind a wall made of spikes of wood. In the fog it was easy to miss if you did not know what you were looking for.

  Hotaru gave the signal for his men to stand down and approached the gate.

  "I am Lord Kaedemori, come to see the lord of the clan," he called up.

  A guard's head peeked out from over the top of the wall.

  "Stand back, the gates are opening."

  Hotaru backed away as the massive gate was rolled open and he and his men marched inside. They had announced their visit in advance, and as expected they were greeted by the elders of the clan. At the forefront, a frail man who was swimming in his finely embroidered haori greeted them. He must be the lord's son. Just behind him was a beautiful woman in a bright kimono embroidered with flowers. She could be none other than the lord's daughter and the woman he'd come to marry. Hotaru looked around, expecting the lord of the clan to greet them. But seeing as he wasn't there, Hotaru could only take it as an insult. Negotiations were not going to go as smoothly as he hoped.
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  He dismounted with a flourish, making sure to give his most charming smile to the onlookers. The lord's daughter hid her smile behind her sleeve. Wooing the lady would be no trouble at all. It was the leader whose respect he'd have to earn.

  Hotaru bowed to his hosts. "Thank you for welcoming me here, cousin. I have brought gifts for your father, Lord Fujimori." He gestured to the trunks of treasures and gifts they had brought. The soldiers unloaded them, placing them in front of the young lord while Hotaru smiled up at them.

  The young man's skin was nearly translucent, stretched over his jutting cheekbones and dark circles ringed his eyes. He turned his head to cough.

  "It is good to meet you, cousin. But I fear my father is no longer with us."

  Hotaru had to keep the surprise from his face. He had not heard that Lord Fujimori had died. It was a small mistake, one that he could quickly rectify.

  "I am sorry to hear that. I share your pain; my own father has recently left this world. It is good that we are meeting now, at the beginnings of our individual rule." He addressed the young Lord Fujimori, but it was the young woman who caught his eye. Lady Yuki was just as beautiful as he had been told.

  That wasn't always the case for these kinds of rumors. Often times a woman's beauty would be exaggerated as to not scare away potential suitors. Not that it mattered much in this instance. This marriage was a strategic one. He was just fortunate she was so attractive. "It is lovely to meet you and your lovely sister," Hotaru said, bowing his head at the young woman.

  "This is not my sister. Yuki should have been here to greet you as well but she is..." He paused to cough violently once more.

  "My lord you should rest." The beautiful woman put her hand at his elbow as his body was wracked with coughs. She must be the new Lady Fujimori then. Pity. Though he supposed he couldn't be too disappointed. If the real Yuki were half as beautiful as this woman, he'd have no qualms.

  Hotaru bowed. "I look forward to meeting her."

  Lord Fujimori frowned, not bothering to disguise his displeasure. He'd only just arrived and he was stepping on toes. But even if this man was a recent lord, he knew the dance. What other reason would an unmarried lord come than to make a marital alliance? Especially in times of war.

  "You and your men must be tired—" Lord Fujimori said.

  Someone shouted behind him, and Hotaru turned just as a woman collided with him, knocking him onto the ground. Hotaru looked up at the woman who straddled him. Her hair was frizzy and there was dirt smeared on her cheek. Despite her filthy appearance, she was rather pretty, with large eyes and a rosebud mouth.

  She leaped off him without so much as a 'sorry' and hurried up the steps toward the young lord. No one moved to stop her. It was the same wild woman he'd seen in the forest. She bowed low to Lord Fujimori, her braid falling over her shoulder.

  "I'm sorry, brother. I'll get washed up before our guests arrive."

  Lord Fujimori sighed, before gesturing toward Hotaru. "Lord Kaedemori, I'd like to introduce you to my sister, Yuki."

  2

  Yuki stalked through the forest, breathing in and out methodically. The forest spoke to her, not so much in words, but in feelings and images. She knew each plant and animal by name. If she reached out she could touch their energy, and let her own commune with it. If she wanted to hunt deer, she could command it to come to her. If she were foraging, the forest would guide her to what she was looking for. But there was only one prey she had her mind on today. The soft earth cradled her bare feet as she crept through the shadows. The wind blew toward her, carrying her scent away from her target.

  The tanuki had its back to her as it dug under a fallen log searching for grubs. Its long-striped tail wiggled back and forth. The chubby animal was completely unaware. Yuki raised her weapon over her head, poised for attack. Then the wind changed. The raccoon dog lifted its head, its black nose flaring and whiskers trembling. Before it was too late and it scurried away, Yuki launched herself at the animal, but the tanuki was faster and scurried into the underbrush before she could catch it.

  Knocking the bush with her weapon, she scared it out of its hiding space and it bolted across the forest floor. She gave chase, following its zig-zagging trail through the forest. It darted into a nearby cave, one she could sense had no exit. There was no escaping now.

  "I've got you now," she called in a sing-song voice.

  Her voice echoed back at her, distorted and multiplied. It sounded as if she were surrounded. A chill ran up her spine as a cold spring wind blew through the mouth of the cave with a mournful howl. The cave stank of mold and brackish water. It dripped from an unknown source. The ground was slimy and her feet slid along looking for stable ground. She clutched her weapon close to her side as the small hairs on the back of her head rose up. She was being watched.

  "I'm not going to hurt you. There's no need to hide," she said, trying to coax it out. Not that that tactic ever worked.

  Yuki scanned the darkness, but the light from beyond could not penetrate deep within the belly of the cave and she squinted as she searched for the tanuki. Then one single yellow eye appeared. At first at her height and then rose higher and higher, towering over her. Yuki stumbled backward, clutching her weapon as a roar from the monster’s mouth shook the ground beneath her feet. The yokai's razor-sharp teeth gleamed in the dark.

  Yuki turned and ran, the monster close behind her. Its thundering footsteps echoed behind her. In her momentary wild panic, she stumbled and almost fell, but caught herself at the last moment. As she slowed down the oni should have caught up with her, but when she looked back he was no closer than before. She turned around to face the beast with her weapon drawn.

  "You want to fight?"

  The oni came up short, skidding to a stop just before her. Using her wooden stick, she struck the oni on top of the head. The creature exploded in a puff of smoke and seven tanuki tumbled onto the ground. Each wore a straw hat and different colored haori. When standing they all hardly came up to her hip. One of them had a lump on his head, and Yuki gave the other six matching lumps. They all fell to their knees, groveling for mercy.

  Yuki looked down at them, hands on hips. "Did you really think I was going to fall for that?"

  "We almost had you this time," said Happi.

  "It was worth a try," said Kushami.

  She squatted down beside them, so she was at their eye level. They were basically children, by yokai standards anyway. But they had told her once they were over a hundred years old. In many ways they acted just as human children would. And she treated them as such.

  "Give it to me," she held out her hand. It had been two days of chasing them through the forest trying to get it back.

  It was Shai who broke from the rank and handed her the necklace. She snatched it from his hand, and her finger traced over the pendant. Pale pink petals made of precious stone were set around a central stone. They couldn't have known how important it was to her when they stole it. Yuki put it back around her neck and then stood up, glaring at the tanuki.

  "You have to promise me not to steal anymore." She waggled her finger at them.

  "We promise!" they chirped in unison.

  Yuki smiled. "Shall we play some more then?"

  They leaped up, cheering for more, grabbing her arms and pulling her toward the forest to play.

  "Didn't you have a dinner tonight?" said Kashikoi, the oldest of the tanuki and self-proclaimed leader.

  Yuki rolled her eyes, she'd almost forgotten about the new arrival. From what she'd glimpsed of him, he was no different than the rest. "Oh yes, how could I forget."

  She was in no hurry to get back. How many different men had come vying for her hand since her father's death? "We can play a little while and then I'll head back. I still have plenty of time." She rubbed Kashikoi's head and he leaned into her touch.

  By the time they finished playing it was dark out. She had completely missed the welcome dinner for Lord-what’s-his-face. Instead she went b
y the kitchens, begging for scraps. The head cook had a plate set aside and a lecture about how a proper young lady should act. Yuki endured it, shoveling food into her mouth. Yuki ate standing in the kitchen before going to beg her brother for forgiveness.

  The lights were dim in his room, but she knew Riku wouldn't be asleep yet.

  "Brother?" Yuki called from outside his bedroom door.

  She waited for a response. When one did not come straight away she feared he was actually mad at her this time.

  "Come in," came a rattling reply, followed by a cough.

  Yuki frowned. His cough was getting worse. She crept into the room, head bowed. Riku was lying on his futon, eyes closed and taking slow, rattling breaths.

  She knelt beside him. His health only seemed to be worsening. What started out as a slight cold and fever lingered and grew stronger over the passing weeks. He hardly ate, and mostly drank a special brew of tea. He was wasting away a little more every day. Don't be ridiculous. It's just a lingering cold. But what cold lasted for over a month and persisted despite the warming weather? She couldn't stand the thought it was happening again.

  His cheeks were hollowed out and the circles under his eyes were getting darker. He was a skull with skin stretched over it. His hands were fragile and pale, much too pale. Yuki brushed his fevered forehead with the back of her hand. He should be resting, not entertaining some arrogant lord.

  "We shouldn't have guests until you get better," Yuki scolded.