I woke up to the loud calls of a rooster, heralding upon its loud pitch the dawn of a new day.
To my surprise I could not see the morning sky, but could only barely notice dark brown wooden planks. Under my head laid a small box-shaped pillow and on top of me was a white blanket like a soft cloud. Next to my head was a candle who was almost completely consumed by its flame which was now weak and dying, sending small-almost unseen- specs and sparks everywhere like the sun in its final hours every day.
I felt as if I was back in my uncle's mansion, with the exception in the smaller size of this room and its lack of any décor.
I rose up. My shoulder sent a sharp pain down my torso in return. This pain helped me realize I am still alive and that this was not a dream, I could never have felt pain during my dreams why would I then?
I took my sleeve off. My shoulder is bandaged tightly with white rags. What have happened after the battle? Was my only thought. Then I reached for my chest, luckily my coin was still tied to a string around my neck.
"Tono-sama! He's awake" Said a low and hoarse voice, like the one of Sasaharu as I remembered.
"Leave us then! Call for the doctor to check his wounds and for the chief village to prepare us a breakfast" Said someone else, his pitch a bit higher and his voice more clean.
"Ah! Akiie-kun! Please, sit up here and let us talk" said the second voice who apparently belonged to Kuchiba-taisho. He signaled me with his hand to come closer.
Next to a small table sat the commander, wearing a simple robe not fitting his position. Kuchiba-taisho was surprisingly young, perhaps only a decade older than me and already in charge of an army
The atmosphere felt weird, why would a commander of an army be so friendly to a thief he had forced to recruit?
I sat on the pillow on the other side of the small table and began to ask:
"Where are we tono-sama?" I asked
"A small village in Bitchu province sitting by the banks of Takahashi-gawa. But you would like to know WHY we are here as well or why am I treating you like this, do you not?" I nodded to him in agreement.
"Well, your cut was not very deep but I'm afraid it got infected when we treated you. As a result you became ill and continuously regained and lost your consciousness for four days. In the meantime I had received a messenger's letter telling me that our most kind lord, Naoie-sama has decided to promote me to the rank of a general and the commissioner of finances"
Sasaharu again could be heard outside, He had told us that fresh clothing and a doctor has arrived for me. Kuchiba-taisho ordered to let them in.
I sat quietly as the doctor had unraveled my wound and prepared to spread balm over it. Kuchiba-taisho looked as if unsure to continue our conversation or not. Minutes passed without a sound in the room and only when the doctor left the commander had resumed:
"Now boy let me ask you of your name again" He asked.
"Fukubara Akiie, tono-sama" As I replied, his eyes became dark as the night, a hard stare on my very self as if he knew of my lie. A bit of anger escaped through his face as he stared
"Well, and what will you reply if I had told you that you lie? Fukubara was the name of the traitor I slew that certain night we met, and for a fact I know he had not any family member resembling you I daresay. What will you answer then boy?"
Silence… I did not know if to reply or not, only when his face became thicker with foreseeable anger was when I replied:
"Okikuyama Akimoto… tono-sama"
"Hm… that certainly explains the Tanto you had carried" he replied and calmed in the same instant. He was not surprised at all by my answer.
Silence again. Kuchiba-taisho had now rose to his feet and walked in circles
"What if I had told you I need a commander of a Yari-shu?" Kuchiba-taisho continued "Will you accept?"
"With all due respect tono-sama, I'd like nothing better than to return to my family"
"Ho, you would like to return to your uncle and live as a cowardly outlaw? As strong as your uncle is, he still cannot revert the Daimyo's orders. Aside from that, let me ask you why were you caught?"
I hesitated for a moment but still answered, knowing that Kuchiba-taisho knows everything about me and I can hide nothing no more.
"A bandit my uncle had paid was supposed to provide horses and help us escape through the forest"
"And he took off I daresay, correct? Listen boy your uncle is not known as the fiend of Bizen for nothing…" an eerie hint in his voice for our conversation to unfold
"Your breakfast has arrived tono-sama!" Sasaharu again called from the outside, interrupting our conversation.
"Let them in" Kuchiba-taisho had again replied. Inside walked three women, one holds our meals- a mackerel and rice, the other holds a teapot and two tea cups and the last one brings forth a sake gourd as well as two drinking cups.
Kuchiba-taisho once again broke the silence when all had left the room:
"You would also like to know WHY is it I'd like to appoint YOU as a commander of a unit and not one of my lieutenants, am I right?"
I nodded again
"Well… Yoshida is a good Samurai, wise and skilled in combat. Yet, he is not suited for commanding men on his own I daresay. He is only good at following orders. Sasaharu on the other hand can be too rough; roughness in a commander is good, but only at the right amount and he excides thy amount by too many. And that goes without saying that he is a tad brutish as well; he would rather engage the first man he sees rather than foresee said situation before the attack. "
"Why me then? Have you not other Samurai you trust?"
"No, I do not trust most of my men, Sasaharu and Yoshida proved themselves numerous times before me, the others have not even once yet I daresay."
"You though… I trust your skills if you managed to survive your first battle, that is always a good indication on a man's skills I daresay. And loyalty… you might not be the most loyal to me, but you won't think twice to sacrifice yourself to save your sisters, am I right?"
I nodded again and wondered how he knows so much about me.
"And for last, I know that you were in charge of some of these little 'operations' of yours back in the day. For that I know you possess skills of leadership. What will you say then? If I promised to keep your sisters safe, will you accept then the position I'm offering you?"
"Hai tono!" I said and bowed before him. I decided to put my trust in the man who saved my live once again.
"Oh… and before you go… I have a gift for you." Kuchiba-taisho said and pulled a knife out of a belt tied around his waist.
"Your Tanto. It is rightfully yours after all, is it not?"
I nodded and quickly grabbed the knife back. A motion so quick that made my injured shoulder hurt.
"Thank you tono! This means a lot to me! More than you can tell…" I replied
"Ho, I know how much this means for you... Stay and eat with me. Let us converse on more matters concerning you"
"Hai tono! Of course!"
"Well then… Ittadakimasu!" Kuchiba-taisho said and begun to eat. I replied as well and began to eat with him.
Many of the matters we spoke of during our breakfast shocked yet intrigued me at the same time. Matters that will not make sense if I were to reveal them at this point of my story.
That afternoon me, Kuchiba-taisho, Sasaharu and around 400 men, now under my command, left for Okayama.
8th month, 7th year of Tenshou era
Akira's face had become pale, so pale as if the sun had sucked and dried all color from his body.
"Akimoto-sama… you are alive…" He said quietly. It was clear he needed a lot of effort to speak at that moment.
"I am Akira-san, may I please meet my sisters?" I asked plainly.
"Sakuya-sama is at work at the moment, Chihiro-sama is participating in a flower arrangements class but I can check if she would like to speak with you" he said and signaled for another man to bring her
"Hold on Akira-san… when have my sister begun to work?" I asked surprised, uncle Kiro agreed that my sisters will be able to live quietly if I were to work for him"
"You are right, Akimoto-sama. But since Kiro-tono thought you have met an untimely end, he decided to make your sister work in your stead so she can pay your debt, do not worry her work is not as dangerous as yours"
"But what does she do? Akira-san?" I asked, lowering my voice and set my right hand on the tsuba of my sword as to appear more intimidating.
"She works in your uncle's host den, she is not harmed by any sort of way I can assure you" said Akira and bowed before me, it appears he still held respect for me and I can still trust him. Yet I did not know who he is most loyal to; me or my uncle and so I decided to tell him as little as possible.
"I can walk you there right now if you desire."
The man came back and whispered something in Akira's ear. Akira nodded in agreement
"Let me speak with Chihiro first, then we can go"
"Of course, she will come right away" Akira said and went inside "Would you like to come inside Akimoto-sama?"
"No Akira, I have other matters to attend to. Also explain this to uncle Kiro if he asks about my whereabouts and send him my best regards for I'm afraid I'll leave Okayama this afternoon"
"Understood Akimoto-sama" Akira said and bowed before me again
A moment or two passed before Chihiro came by. She was now at the age of 12, almost a young lady. She was dressed well in a light red kimono with patterns of fish and birds. I wanted to hug her, she instead slapped me and yelled:
"How dare you leave me and big sister like this?! Uncle Kiro said you abandoned us like father did! I hate you big brother! I wish you had died like him!"
I was shocked by what she said. Her words piercing my heart like sharp arrows. And before I could have told anything else to her, she has returned inside.
Gods… what have I done?! Was all I could think, not knowing about the influence our uncle has poured over her before and during the time I was gone… I would find out about this fact only when it will be too late.
"Is everything alright, Akimoto-sama?" Akira said and snapped me back to my senses.
"Ha… Hai… Let us go to the den Akira-san…"
'SLAP!' My right cheek hurts again. Sakuya then hugs me and says "I missed you so much!"
"Sorry I did not write to you" I told her "Certain situations did not allow me to"
"That is fine brother,… I'm just glad you’re here again."
Sakuya holds me tightly. Unlike Chihiro, she is not dressed like a young princess. Her dress is only meant to attract a man's look: Her hair is tied back with many pins, similar to a Geisha. Her makeup is also heavy like the ones Geisha wear. She wears a skimpy purple Kimono with the pattern of reeds growing by a river bank.
"The men treat you well here? Right sister?" I asked, making sure she is not hurt in any sort of way.
"Some of them are rough in their approach, but luckily it is the den's rules to not allow any sort of intimate contact with the women" She replied with a strong look.
But strong as it were I could still see the whirlpool of her emotions through it. She was so tough in her behavior it had amazed me. I knew of Sakuya's mental strength since we lived in the farm, but I had never seen her like this before.
"Are you fine sister? I can try and ask crowd with uncle Kiro, perhaps find some reasoning with him"
"No brother, I am fine. Please, just tell me you are staying this time"
"I am sorry Sakuya, I… I cannot stay" I said, her eyes filled with tears in an instant "I am tied to a contract with the army, but I met a good man there, he will take care of you if needed. Look for Terakado-san in the barracks if you ever need help he told me, ask for Kuchiba Nishikintoki and show the man this:" I gave our family's coin, only like that will the man help her, I felt.
"He will provide of you and Chihiro with anything you desire…" 'SLAP!' Sakuya was now barely holding back her tears. My cheek stung deeply from her second slap, she was clearly very mad at me… who wouldn't be after what I had told her… she had found me and lost me again in an instant.
"Please… just come back safely… I will not be able to deal with your loss again! And write! Every moment you can!" She hugged me so tightly I thought I was about to burst, her eyes have now let loose two fountains of tears.
"I will… but please take this letters from Terakado-san… I'm afraid there are reasons I can't trust uncle Kiro anymore…"
"I understand brother…" she lets go of me "I must return to work now… fix my makeup…"
"Goodbye sister!" this time I hug her deeply "Please try and make Chihiro understand my deeds, tell her I love her very much!"
"Goodbye brother! I will!" she said and left the private quarters given to us. I left them too and left the den. Now I must return to my men.
And so I was of on my way to Mimasaka province… to Tsuyama-jou… The Yamana at that time will prove as untrustworthy allies and a war will break between them and the Ukita.
The battle against the Shimizu would prove a child's play compared to the siege of Tsuyama-jou… My first chance to truly prove my worth to Naoie-tono.
|
Re: Two Sides For A Coin - a Ukita AAR - Updated October 28th
Reply With Quote
)
