"Tenka Musō" Arc I: The Bloody Dawn

[McScottish]

Not only they received a beating moments before but now two filthy wanderers, ronin, vagabonds or worse had arrived. A hard day, sighed the guard.

Two yari point at his chest:

"In the name of Gindo, who you are and what do you desire? Explain yourself!"

There is a time for lying...many times...but perhaps this is not one of them. Not yet.


Noburu glared at the two sharpened tips lowered toward him, his eyes opening wide in an expression so full of outrage that it seemed as if his he might snap at any moment. Those eyes were turned on the two guards with the same intensity, his mouth twisting into a grimace as he spoke. All the while his hand, his entire body in fact, remained completely relaxed and his limbs kept away from the hilts of his blades.

"How dare you!" He boomed, "that loyal allies of the father of Hideaki-tono should be greeted in such a way is a disgrace! That I, Mori Haruka, and my companion Shigeno Nobukazu, should be greeted in this way by members of the clan that we bled for on the field of Sekigehara..." His eyes began to fill with the tears of a man who had been wronged, his shoulders lowering and his voice beginning to crack with emotion, "we wished only to return to Takao and serve the young master, and now we are to be detained at the gates?!"

His arms began to wave, like a man who could simply not believe what had just happened, ignoring Shigeno and his horse all the while, his face shifting through a number of expressions until it settled on one of a man keeping back the tears.

"Please," came the resigned sigh, "allow us entry, that we may serve the son of our slain lord. That is all we ask. You may even take my blade, if it should make you feel more at ease."

What the guards, or anyone, would do next he did not know. He only hoped that if they did decide to pierce him through the chest that it be quick.

[Oznerol]

There is a time for lying...many times...but perhaps this is not one of them. Not yet.


Noburu glared at the two sharpened tips lowered toward him, his eyes opening wide in an expression so full of outrage that it seemed as if his he might snap at any moment. Those eyes were turned on the two guards with the same intensity, his mouth twisting into a grimace as he spoke. All the while his hand, his entire body in fact, remained completely relaxed and his limbs kept away from the hilts of his blades.

"How dare you!" He boomed, "that loyal allies of the father of Hideaki-tono should be greeted in such a way is a disgrace! That I, Mori Haruka, and my companion Shigeno Nobukazu, should be greeted in this way by members of the clan that we bled for on the field of Sekigehara..." His eyes began to fill with the tears of a man who had been wronged, his shoulders lowering and his voice beginning to crack with emotion, "we wished only to return to Takao and serve the young master, and now we are to be detained at the gates?!"

His arms began to wave, like a man who could simply not believe what had just happened, ignoring Shigeno and his horse all the while, his face shifting through a number of expressions until it settled on one of a man keeping back the tears.

"Please," came the resigned sigh, "allow us entry, that we may serve the son of our slain lord. That is all we ask. You may even take my blade, if it should make you feel more at ease."

What the guards, or anyone, would do next he did not know. He only hoped that if they did decide to pierce him through the chest that it be quick.

The guard didn't understand what that man was saying. He seemed moved as well. A poor peasant he was, and didn't mean to wrong the man before him.

"More survivors from Sekigahara? Moments ago our captain and the remnant of our host arrived... I, we, didn't know that..."

The other ashigaru spoke.

"We don't know you, Mori Hakura. We didn't know your intentions"

A samurai appeared. Young an slender like a bamboo shaft.

"What happens here? Visitors, again? Your failure to recognize our respected captain was enough for today, you two"

The ashigaru bow slightly. The samurai turns to the so-called Mori:

"I've heard your emotive speech. So you bled for Gindo? We'll surely be in need of swords soon, for Kai is a desired prize"

[CAJD1991]

Sweet, soundly silence! Mori ignored the answer. Though, being the man that he was, it was without doubt that Mori Haruka had heard Nobukazu. Silence was as much an answer as anything. Yes, I know. Nobukazu savoured the small victory.

The little mountain moved somewhat faster than he had before, or perhaps, so close to Takao and the Gindo-shi, Nobukazu and his skeletal companion allowed their legs a few shorter steps. Dismal though the view was, the ground was good, the view of the valley and plains commendable. Even with such a lackluster palisade, there was scope for greater, much greater, things. Shall it be upon this rock that Yamato will be risen on high?

Two spears greeted Mori Haruka. “In the name of Gindo…”

Will they strike him down? Nobukazu wondered in an instant of curious apprehension. ‘No!’ a voice within him cried, ‘not yet.’ The young ronin kept his body still, his breath silent, his eyes watching the guardsmen and the little frozen mountain of a man.

“How dare you!” shouted Mori with an indignation that left Nobukazu in mute bemusement. He is an actor as ever there has been. A true- “loyal allies…” whatever words were running through Nobukazu’s mind vanished into a burst of laughter that set his body afire with pain as he struggled to keep it behind his teeth. Thankful for the distance between him, the guards and Mori, Nobukazu turned to his horse and fussed with pointed pointlessness until he could he regain control. A spectator and a ronin for the Regency, oh what “loyal allies!”

The guardsmen stiffened to awkward attention at the appearance of a samurai. He’d be as tall as me, or near enough to make no great difference.

“What happens here?” the man demanded in a voice softened by youth. From the shrinking guards to Mori he turned; “We’ll surely be in need of swords…”

Hideaki is quick to see an opportunity, that or this boy by the gate is thinking far too ambitiously. Ah, but there will be blood spilt in Gindo’s name, for the Great Cause, for unity! If he can take Kai within the winter, seal Shinano and turn to Kanto and Totomi…

There was a chance. A chance for Gindo, for Kai, for Japan.

“Forgive mine companion for his emotions,” Shigeno Nobukazu said with apology ringing timidly in each note, “it has been a long, tiresome trek and the grief for our honoured lord weighs heavy upon our lowly souls.” Taking to a spot beside Mori, though still a “horse width’s” apart, Nobukazu bowed to the boy and guardsmen.

“Our swords and souls are, as ever, at the mercy of the Gindo-shi.”

[McScottish]

That's right...play your part, man named Shigeno, and we may still survive this.

At least this is what Noburu thought as he imitated Nobukazu down to nearly the last twitch of his muscles, bowing to both before him, and going even one step further, kneeling down into the mud of the road and prostrating himself in a form similiar to that of the Chinese across the sea.

"We wish only to speak with Hideaki-tono, that we may re-affirm our allegience to the clan and tell him of what we saw on the field where his father was slain."

You still fear me, he thought without needing to look at Nobukazu, a man who believed that he knew the truth and yet had not had time to confront him, you are right to fear me, and should continue to do so. Should you open your mouth to anyone, I will not hesitate to slit your throat.

"Bloodied, lonely, and hungry we are." Croaked the brown-clad Ronin again, "but, as ever, our liege and his safety behind our blade comes above all else."

[Xion]

Hideaki crumbles. He rubs his hands nervously, then caresses his goatee anxiously.

"Ten soldiers! Many widows and orphans were made in the battlefield! Not only us, but many of our subjects! Disgrace has fallen upon the Gindo"

Not even a body to mourn!

"We will have to prepare the funeral and start the mourning period. Let us all clad in white to express our sorrow for those who... ha...have fallen"

Oh! What I will do, now I'm a Lord. But father was supposed to grow old, to taught me in the ways of rulership, but now charged with that burden I'm, and I might be feeble and weak. Birds of prey will arrive. I'm sure. Oh! Father! I pray for your soul!

Yes, a Lord, I'm daimyo now. Daimyo...

"Sister, you will tell our sisters about this... I cannot..."

Kasumi sits still for a moment, then slowly rises to bow to her brother. "Of course, my lord." She nods to the captains present and then leaves the damiyo's quarters while her lieutenant stays in case a officer of the local watch's input is required with neither of the other two officers present at the time after Lady Kasumi's departure.

On her way back first to her quarters to change out of her armor for a white and silver kimono, Kasumi thinks on what has happened. "Not just disgrace , Hideaki, but misfortune as well. With some many men slain, the harvest may not be brought in entirely, some may starve this winter..if not others who know of our misfortune strike first at us." After leaving her quarters, she heads to those of her sisters, to relay the tragic news..