Editing Spring Market (section)

==Leaf Shakes the Wind==
Leaf Shakes the Wind had worn a dozen faces throughout the day.  During the horse races, he had been a short, leathery Marukan whose fabulous mustache had garnered much praise from the other riders.  For the afternoon’s taiko performance, he had been a fresh-faced youth, full of excitement and vigor, obviously uncomfortable in a kimono when he was used to going bare-chested.  Now, though, he wore his own face and his own robes and walked among the Marukan without pretense.

He stopped and bought candy from a vendor, the six sticky globules impaled on a sharpened sliver of bamboo.  The stall-owner’s young daughter handed the stick to him, a smile on her small face.  Leaf Shakes the Wind smiled in return.  As her father turned to greet another customer, Leaf pulled the first bit of candy from the stick and with expert precision flicked it into the girl’s mouth.  He winked at her conspiratorially, and her surprised expression became another smile, this one threatening to split her face in half.

Continuing through the crowd, Leaf munched contentedly on the candy, stopping here to admire an expertly-dyed silk sash, there to watch a shadow-puppet theatre re-enacting the [[Battle of Breaking Iron]] for a delighted crowd.  Having finished half of the sweets, Leaf casually tossed the skewer behind him, burying the bit of wood several inches into a building three feet away.  His head a hair’s breadth away from the point of impact, a startled young man froze and then, scowling, re-sheathed his half-drawn knife.

Leaf briefly glanced back over his shoulder after the projectile and smiled.  “You got the closest of anyone today, [[The Baihu Society|Subaru]].  Congratulations.  The candy is your reward.”  Without another look, Leaf Shakes the Wind strolled off again into the crowd, laughing softly to himself.  “I love the Spring Market.”