Wild Mushrooms: Meeting Eternity

By David Kudler

When eternity comes to visit

A Hojo commander is delighted when two pretty young shrine maidens enter his camp on the evening before a battle. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been.

A Risuko prequel story showing Mieko and Kuniko on a mission — at their sweetest and at their most deadly.

Preview:

Sugi wasn’t given to fancies. He was a good Buddhist; the old gods and spirits had never interested him much.

But […] these two girls, in their miko garb, standing on the edge of what would be a battlefield the next day, popping up like wild mushrooms — they gave him exactly the same feeling. The feeling that he was face to face with the eternal.

It was not an easy feeling.

He smiled to cover his discomfort. “Young ladies, how may I help you? This is not a place for such lovely girls.”

Biting her lip, the delicate one glanced over to the tall one, who gave an impassive nod. Apparently reassured, the smaller girl turned back to Sugi, her eyes decorously downcast. “My lord general, sir. We didn’t mean to be here. We’re on our way from Estuary to the shrine at Picnic Lake. We were told by the priest to follow the road up that valley, there.” She tipped her head past the Takeda garrison. “Those soldiers over there, they were… not very nice.”

The tall, square-faced girl gave a grunt and scowled. “Took our food.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” said Sugi, solemnly. He lifted his chin. “Would you lovely ladies care to join me and my soldiers for our evening meal?”

The smaller, prettier girl held a hand in front of her mouth. “Oh. My lord. We could not —”

“I insist. And you shall sleep in my tent. I will… guard the door.” He gave a slight bow. Since, after all, they were spirits.

The pretty girl started to object, but the bigger one put her hand on the other’s shoulder. “We’re hungry.”

“Of course, my dears. I am sure my soldiers would be delighted to have you join them this evening.” In his mind, Sugi could see it: these two young beauties (well, one beauty, the other… handsome), laughing and singing with his soldiers on this, the night before their legendary victory. It would become part of his fame. And perhaps…

He smiled at his own runaway imagination. “Come. It smells as if the supper will soon be ready.”

(Historical adventure short — Japanese Civil War era, battlefield romance, women assassins, Shintō spirits)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stillpoint/Atalanta
• Release date: Sep 25, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393660880

David Kudler

David Kudler is a writer and editor living just north of the Golden Gate Bridge with his wife Maura Vaughn and their daughters. And their cat. And many guppies.He serves as the publisher of Stillpoint Digital Press. Since 1999, he has overseen the publications program for the Joseph Campbell Foundation. He has edited three posthumous volumes of Campbell's unpublished writing and lectures and overseen editions of nine additional print titles, the most recent being the third edition of the seminal Hero with a Thousand Faces. In addition, he has shepherded the creation of nearly twenty hours of video and over thirty hours of audio recordings. Of late, much of his focus has been creating new ebook editions of Campbell's classic titles.His novel Risuko is a young adult historical adventure novel (whew! lots of qualifications on that!) set in Japan during the Civil War era.He's a passionate reader of mysteries, fantasy and whatever else he can get his hands on. He is a story addict.

Book preview

Wild Mushrooms

Kunoichi Companion Tales #2.5

(A Seasons of the Sword Prequel)

by

David Kudler

Stillpoint_Enso_Logo_-_Red

Stillpoint/Atalanta

Wild Mushrooms:

Meeting Eternity

Stillpoint Digital Press

Mill Valley, California, USA

Copyright © 2020 by David Kudler

All right reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, or other—without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review. For more information, contact the publisher at

[e-mail]

First edition, September 2020

Version 1.0 (PublishDrive)

ISBN 978-1-393660-88-0

Risuko news subscribers and Kickstarter backers get exclusive early access to the Kunoichi Companion Tales, a series of exciting prequel stories by Risuko author David Kudler that introduce characters and themes from the Seasons of the Sword novels!

There are at least eight planned stories:

Kunoichi Companion Tales

Kunoichi Companions covers 077-6x9-Book-Series-Presentation-COVERVAULT

White Robes — Mired in her own grief, Lady Mochizuki Chiyome encounters two young women who give her a whole new, much more interesting opportunity (now available!)

Silk & Service — A young Takeda warrior meets a servant who is much more than she seems (now available!)

Wild Mushrooms — A Hōjō commander is delighted when two pretty young shrine maidens enter his camp on the evening before a battle. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been.

Ghost — At a banquet to celebrate a new alliance, Chiyome contemplates murder, and discovers a new servant (now available!)

Schools for Talented Youngsters: Monthly Headmistresses’ Dinner — Three unique ladies get together once a month to share the joys and challenges involved teaching young ladies with very particular… talents. (Historical fantasy/crossover)

Shining Boy — Plucked off of the streets of the capital, an orphan girl tries to figure out what story she's wandered into (Coming soon!)

Blade — Toumi doesn't want anyone messing with her business (Coming soon!)

Little Brother — Returning to the monastery turns out to be as hard as leaving it was (Coming soon!)