At the confluence of the Ishikari River from the west and the Sorachi River from the east, near the intersection of what is now Route 451 and the Hakodate Main Line, there was a land known as Takikawa Sorapchi Pets.
The land was flat and fertile, making it suitable for cultivation, and it is believed that many people have settled there since ancient times.
A mound of earth three times the height of a person covered an area roughly the size of a small village. Around it, a wooden fence about nine feet high isolated the place. The site was surrounded on three sides by waterways and elevated above the surrounding area, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. A ladder, likely for lookout purposes, stood taller than the fence, but it was currently unoccupied.
This was the residence of the elder, Hawukase.
Several fortresses, or Chashi, were distributed around Takikawa, suggesting that Hawukase used this area as a base to keep a watchful eye over the river basin.
A gate made of logs, about nine feet wide, was placed at the break in the wooden fence. A gentle slope led up from the lower part of the river to the gate.
Six men were climbing the slope.
Two in the front, one in the middle, and three at the back. The man in the middle wore clothing with white Ainu patterns on blue fabric, while the others wore clothes with blue Ainu patterns on a yellowish-white base. All but the man in the middle carried bows on their backs and wore swords at their waists.
The wind blowing upstream ruffled the red hair of the man in the middle.
They arrived at the gate.
“Halt.”
Two men with swords at their waists emerged from either side of the gate, blocking the way of the six men.
“What business do you have?”
The red-haired man stepped forward.
“I am Samaikachi from Ebetsu Yubeotsu. I have come to report the subjugation of a scoundrel who sought the elder’s life.”
The gatekeeper bowed.
“I have heard. Please wait a moment.”
One of the gatekeepers ran toward a large house visible in the distance.
Samaikachi smirked defiantly and folded his arms.
He glanced around.
In front of the gate was a large square with a Nusa-san altar for performing the Kamuy-nomi ritual. To the west side of the wooden fence were two grass-thatched houses, and to the east, a slightly larger house.
Beyond the altar stood an eight-tatami-mat-sized house, with an even larger house further back to the north. The front house seemed to be for rituals and meetings, while the back house appeared to be the residence of the elder and his family.
The gatekeeper returned.
“Please wait in that house,” he indicated the house beyond the altar.
Samaikachi nodded grandly, and the group began to move.
He glanced at the altar as they passed by. White paper tied to the wooden fetishes, Inau, fluttered in the wind.
They entered the house, passing through the windbreak antechamber. In the center of the room, a three-foot-square hearth burned, dimly illuminating the grass-thatched walls. Colorful embroidered tapestries decorated the walls, arranged around the place of honor.
Samaikachi surveyed the room appraisingly, as if he owned it. A slight smirk played at the corners of his mouth.
After a while, a shadowy figure emerged from the rear entrance.
A giant of a man.
He wore a sea otter fur coat, with broad shoulders and thick arms barely contained within the loose sleeves. His thick neck hinted at the ferocity hidden within.
His white hair, like a mane, was tied back with a headband embroidered in blue on white fabric. Narrow eyes beneath thick white eyebrows scanned the group. His mouth, covered by a thick white beard extending down to his chin, moved invisibly.
Samaikachi twitched.
“Sit down,” the deep voice rumbled.
The giant man lowered his large white body onto the upper seat by the window, while the group slowly sat down on the lower seats.
Haucse’s narrow eyes glared at the group.
“—So?” he said in a single word.
That one word was enough to freeze everyone in place. Samaikachi puffed out his chest, trying to appear confident.
“Well, well. Could it be that the chief is unaware of our report? We have vanquished those who sought your life—”
“Who gave you permission to do such a thing? Speak!” the deep, resonant voice interrupted.
Samaikachi was momentarily at a loss for words. His forehead glistened with sweat, but he quickly regained his composure.
“Hmph. An odd thing to say. In Ebetsu Yubeotsu, the villagers talked about it as if it were common knowledge. Failure to report this is the chief’s negligence, isn’t it?” he bluffed with an innocent expression.
“Mind your tongue, boy.”
The low voice echoed, causing everyone’s bodies to tense.
“To kill a mainlander without clear evidence that he killed a bear is to give Matsumae a pretext for attack. No commander would allow such reckless behavior. And furthermore,” the elder paused, glaring with narrow eyes, “the decision of the commander is made through my recommendation and the council of village chiefs. If you have any objections, go through the village chiefs first.”
The elder’s tone was calm, but his words carried a weight that brooked no argument. No one could move.
“Do you not think that this process of council deliberation delays the decisions of the Ishikari?” Samaikachi’s eyebrows furrowed. “If not for this delay, Shakushain might not have been killed so easily!”
His voice, raised in anger to bolster his courage, trembled slightly.
Hawukase stared impassively at Samaikachi’s face but then began to shake with quiet laughter.
“So that’s your true motive, boy. You care nothing for the mainlander, nor for this charade of protecting my life.
Do you not understand why I agreed to meet you, even though you are not a village chief?”
“What?” Samaikachi bristled.
“Do you think I am unaware of the person who has been spreading rumors about me at every opportunity? You underestimate me,” the elder’s shoulders were still shaking. “I only agreed to meet you to see the face of the one moving behind the scenes. You five behind him,” the elder pointed with a thick finger. “You wear Ainu clothes, but you are not Ainu. Where are you from?”
The five men glanced at each other uneasily.
“Answer me!” the deep voice reverberated, shaking the walls. Everyone flinched.
Hawukase’s bearded mouth twisted into a slow grin.
“Most likely, you are destitute men from Mutsu, gathered by Matsumae’s spies. Who spoke to you?”
Samaikachi clicked his tongue. He stood up and drew his sword smoothly.
“Hmph, I despise old men with quick wits. Enough of this charade. Everything will fall into place once you’re dead. —I will take your life, old man.”
With a sharp sound, the five men also stood up and reached for their swords.
The door flapped open suddenly.
“—Samaikachi, that’s far enough.”
The voice belonged to Ikurui, who entered with Rukeshi behind him, bow drawn and aimed at Samaikachi. The two gatekeepers and five more Ainu men followed, drawing their swords and pointing them at the five men.
Samaikachi and his men were immobilized.
Samaikachi looked around and cursed under his breath. He sheathed his sword, removed it from his waist, and threw it to the floor. The other five followed suit.
Samaikachi and the five men were led outside. The hazy sunlight broke through the clouds, illuminating the square.
Demba and Irika stood side by side a short distance from the door.
Samaikachi passed by them, his eyes darting.
One of the Ainu men was momentarily distracted by Demba’s height. Seizing the opportunity, Samaikachi snatched the man’s sword.
By the time the man cried out, Samaikachi had already wrapped his arm around Emariya’s neck, who was at the very back.
“Kyaah!”