"and always like that dazzling sun." "I will defend you from all the darkness." "This is the truth from my heart." "I could get you to believe me." "don't lose it." "Your kindness won't be in vain." "You'll be carried aloft by the wind to somewhere that isn't here." "and I know you'll blossom one day." "I'll be there for you." "I hope I can watch over you like the sun for all time." "This is the truth from my heart." "Has it been two years?" "the Female Bodyguard ...and swing your plows!" "Sow the rice seeds and make the seedlings sprout!" "come!" "Swarm like a black cloud and fly down from the northern mountains." "It's good to be in Yogo." "I can feel my soul growing more tranquil." "What is it?" "It's not often that you see a woman warrior." "Are you from Kanbal?" "yes." "I'm here for maintenance on my short spear." "Maintenance?" "you can get anything you need in Yogo." "that you have money." "Perhaps." "But those with money end up living the same life wherever they go." "means you can live as those around you do." "And there's really nothing wrong with that." "You're quite philosophical for someone so young." "I'm not young any more." "I'll be 30 this year." "you!" "It's a royal family procession!" "But I'm not from this country." "I have no obligation whatsoever." "He's going to fall!" "There he is..." "He's just a child?" "What happened back there?" "He must've lost consciousness right away." "He didn't swallow any water." "Step aside!" "Commoners such as you must never look upon one of the royal family!" "Do not look at him!" "send for a carriage and doctor!" "send for a carriage and doctor!" "Listen!" "Get rid of that crowd!" "Tanda." "Is something wrong?" "For you to come all the way to Ogi no Shimo..." "I gather she hasn't come here yet?" "Tanda." "But it's been two years now." "I wouldn't be surprised if Balsa came back any day now." "I hope you're right..." "Tanda?" "I'll visit with you some other time." "so I'll be in town for a few days." "you'll be the first to know." "I hear they read this would-be hero the riot act!" "Can you believe the gall of that guy?" "Thank you for your patience." "Sake!" "Bring us some more sake!" "Sake!" "Bring us some more sake!" "Here you go!" "Sake!" "Bring us some more sake!" "Very well!" "Wait!" "There is something we'd like to ask you." "We heard that a warrior rescued a member of the royal family from Aoyumi River today." "We are searching for this person." "Rumor has it that this warrior was a short-spear bearer." "Would you happen to know anything of this warrior?" "Not a thing..." "Just as I thought." "Forget we had this conversation!" "I can see you don't want me to just forget it." "I wouldn't if I were you." "you'd be killed twice before your sword was drawn." "Wait!" "I realize we have acted with disrespect." "We are emissaries from the court and have been searching for you on orders of the second queen." "The second queen?" "Hearing that it was a skilled warrior who saved the prince... and have only been questioning men." "you." "You have my word that we will do you no harm!" "do us the honor of accompanying us to Ninomiya Palace." "Not what I had in mind." "I should've had this repaired as soon as I arrived." "Moribito Guardian of the Spirit" "This is quite a view." "the mikado's lifestyle must be beyond belief." "I'd hate to see this feast go to waste." "why would they poison me now?" "Forgive us for not being more effusive after inviting you here." "but..." "We commoners are unable to look directly into the eyes of a member of the royal family." "we will instantly be struck blind in both eyes." "that is one of the reasons..." "But the second queen is most grateful to you for saving the prince." "This money is your reward." "but please accept it." "Her Majesty the second queen herself has instructed me to ask you to spend the night here." "you have already done more than enough for me." "now... do us the honor of staying the night." "Your belongings have been taken to your room." "Thank you." "What can I say?" "what on earth is this futon made of?" "I wonder if the nobility are called "those who dwell on the clouds" because they sleep on these huge things every night." "never mind!" "This may be my only chance to experience what they call "heaven"!" "Warrior from another land..." "Are you awake?" "I'm awake." "Please come in." "I see that you are indeed as formidable a woman as they say." "and yet you do not fall blind." "Thank you for rescuing the prince today." "You have my deepest gratitude." "I am unworthy of your kind words." "You have already shown me hospitality of the highest order." "Any further gestures are most unnecessary." "I see." "I expect that you must find our coming to visit you in the middle of the night to be most unusual." "Balsa." "Show me your face!" "you have a fearless look in your eye." "You are known by the name Balsa the Spear-wielder." "They say that there are none who do not know your name that you have the appearance of a warrior of distant Kanbal and that your skills have saved many lives over the years." "Is this wrong?" "Your Majesty..." "What you have heard are no more than rumors that embellish my reputation." "nothing more." "I see." "Why do you risk your life to earn money performing such work?" "it is the hope that I place in your ability that has brought me here to ask this favor." "I do not care where you flee." "Will you take this child and protect him for the rest of his life from the mikado's assassins?" "From the mikado's assassins?" "Today it was an ox cart." "he had a narrow escape when a geyser suddenly erupted at the hot springs." "But why in the world would the mikado want to kill the prince?" "It all began some two months ago." "the child began mumbling strange things in his sleep." "observe him as he slept he told me that some unknown force had possessed the child." "this star reader is honorable and trustworthy." "turning instead to a magic weaver of the Yakoo." "the star reader consulted not only this magic weaver but the master star reader as well." "I suspect that the mikado secretly ordered the prince's death upon receiving the master star reader's counsel." "Merely for that reason?" "If word of this gets out and rumors begin to spread it would irreparably damage the good name of the mikado." "You!" "Have you been disrespectful to my mother?" "Chagum." "I have asked her to safeguard your life." "But wait a moment..." "Wait!" "you must listen to me." "I want you to follow her wherever she goes... you must not die." "You ceased to be a prince the instant the mikado ordered your death." "you must not harbor ill will towards the mikado." "He bears the terrible responsibility of ruling this country." "Bring it in." "try as she might." "Please give me your word that you will accept this and protect my child." "I understand the gist of your request." "However..." "This is a most dishonorable way for you to treat me." "In what way?" "For my life to be forfeit as a reward for having saved the prince's life..." "How is that not dishonorable?" "No one is suggesting that you be killed." "Are you certain about that?" "If someone of my low social status were to hear a story such as yours that person would have no choice but to agree to your request." "her life would be more or less in jeopardy." "Your Majesty." "If I ever tried to pay for something with gems bearing this palace crest our whereabouts would be discovered at once." "this is the only money that I have at my disposal." "But you are correct." "I cannot allow one who has learned this secret to leave without consequence." "Balsa!" "You can either die here or take a chance at survival with the prince." "Choose one or the other!" "For a queen you certainly don't seem to have many trustworthy men." "Two in the room behind me." "Three in the hallway." "which is quite pitiful." "Don't make a move!" "I'll take the treasure." "You two!" "Fill this with as much as will fit!" "earlier you asked why it is that I work as a bodyguard." "I was forced to take the lives of eight dear people." "to appease the souls of those eight people I am working as a bodyguard until I've saved an equal number of lives." "Eight people's souls?" "I will protect the prince." "Chagum." "Trust her as I do." "Come!" "Mother!" "I don't want to go!" "Mother!" "You!" "If you want the prince to escape to safety start by setting a fire in his bedchamber!" "And then take us to the palace's secret escape route!" "Hand me the bag." "Your Majesty." "Balsa!" "how many lives will you have saved?" "his life will be the eighth." "holding back the tears on those nights..." "When it felt like I was about to succumb to my doubts... at my side before I knew it." "It was none other than you who was there for me." "I want to be strong." I stumble and hurt myself again." "I can get back to my feet." "Thank you." "again and again." "I call out to my precious loved one." "Is my voice reaching you?" "human warmth never does." "I'm certain I sensed the presence of the one that I hold dear." "Next Time" "Balsa goes into hiding in the Yogo city." "But she and Chagum are given no time to rest." "Hunted." "Hunted" "The mikado's shadow servants are about to be unleashed."