screaming on the ground, Tashima spun. His blade rushed through the chest of another Lion. The cut was too deep, and the katana stuck, torn from Tashima's hand.
One of the last Matsu charged the disarmed man.
Toshimoko lightly turned aside the Matsu's strike and, with a single massive blow, killed the Matsu.
Tashima stared, wide-eyed, at the blood trailing down the old man's arm. "I know you," he whispered, glancing at Hoturi as he drew his sword from the fallen Lion. "I know you both."
One Lion still stood, his sword lowered defensively. He pressed his back against a pine tree and glared at his opponents. "There are fifty more men on the other side of this ridge. They have heard our screams. They will come for us, and when they do, they will kill you."
Tashima responded, "They will come for you, Lion, but when they do, you will be cold and dead."
"We are fifty. You are four."
The stroke was swift. Hoturi watched a thin trail of red trickle down his blade as the last Matsu fell.
"We are four," he said quietly, "but we are Crane."
"He was right, Honorable Lord," Daidoji Tashima said, using a scrap of silk to bind an open wound in his left arm. "They are fifty, and we are four. We cannot stop them before they reach the next village."
"What is the next village?" Toshimoko asked, sheathing his katana.
"Haikeun, my lord."
Hoturi shook his head. "No, Daidoji-sama." The Daidoji's eyes widened at the honorific, and widened more as Hoturi and Toshimoko both bowed low. "We are but traveling ronin, once employed in the service of the Crane."
Their eyes wide, the two Daidoji glanced at each other warily. "If my lord says so,"
"Your lord says nothing," Toshimoko grumped, kneeling to look down at the dead Lion. "But this mad ronin does. Perhaps it would be better if you forgot your lord, and showed the ronin where the Lion march."
"Of course ... of course." Bowing, the Daidoji pointed to the north. "Leave your horses here. It is not far, and we know the path. Master Daidoji Ukamo-san had sent us to scout the armies to the north. When we returned to Osuka, we found that the village had been destroyed, no more than a day ago. There is something else. The village of Haikeun still has travelers from the Kakita Festival. A young Phoenix there bragged of his swordsmanship—"
"Phoenix?" Toshimoko asked. "Was he a young man, rather pale, thin eyes and a twisted smile?"
"You knew him?"
"Ah ..." Toshimoko looked away. "We met at the festival."
"He was challenged to a duel by a passing Crane," Tashima continued, "and because of his injuries, has been forced to remain in the village."
Toshimoko looked almost sheepish for a moment. "Keen as Shinsei's wisdom, indeed."
Hoturi glared at his sensei. "Show us the way, Tashima-san. We will follow."
armies on the march
Matsu Gohei marched at the head of a small legion. He watched Crane heimin leave their fields and houses, running in terror from his troops. The path behind them was strewn with Osuka villagers. Ahead, another village rested in soft green valleys. Its roofs shone in the bright sunlight. Gohei smiled, testing the shoulder plates of his armor. Battle would be a welcome reprieve from the day's march.
"My lord," a scout ran from the rear of the small army, bowing low. "The last group of scouts from Osuka have not returned, and several soldiers report seeing a party of ronin traveling through the woods toward Haikeun."
"Ronin?" Gohei's dark eyes flashed beneath his large golden helm. He was not a large man, but his thick shoulders and wide stance conveyed the impression of a towering
mountain. A mane of silk tassels upon his family armor shook as he signaled orders to his second-in-command. The army would continue its march toward the village. In a grating voice, he said, "How many ronin?"
"Fewer than ten, my lord. The reports are mixed." The Lion armies made good use of their scouts, sending them ahead and behind in order to maintain steady information. They knew the
One of the last Matsu charged the disarmed man.
Toshimoko lightly turned aside the Matsu's strike and, with a single massive blow, killed the Matsu.
Tashima stared, wide-eyed, at the blood trailing down the old man's arm. "I know you," he whispered, glancing at Hoturi as he drew his sword from the fallen Lion. "I know you both."
One Lion still stood, his sword lowered defensively. He pressed his back against a pine tree and glared at his opponents. "There are fifty more men on the other side of this ridge. They have heard our screams. They will come for us, and when they do, they will kill you."
Tashima responded, "They will come for you, Lion, but when they do, you will be cold and dead."
"We are fifty. You are four."
The stroke was swift. Hoturi watched a thin trail of red trickle down his blade as the last Matsu fell.
"We are four," he said quietly, "but we are Crane."
"He was right, Honorable Lord," Daidoji Tashima said, using a scrap of silk to bind an open wound in his left arm. "They are fifty, and we are four. We cannot stop them before they reach the next village."
"What is the next village?" Toshimoko asked, sheathing his katana.
"Haikeun, my lord."
Hoturi shook his head. "No, Daidoji-sama." The Daidoji's eyes widened at the honorific, and widened more as Hoturi and Toshimoko both bowed low. "We are but traveling ronin, once employed in the service of the Crane."
Their eyes wide, the two Daidoji glanced at each other warily. "If my lord says so,"
"Your lord says nothing," Toshimoko grumped, kneeling to look down at the dead Lion. "But this mad ronin does. Perhaps it would be better if you forgot your lord, and showed the ronin where the Lion march."
"Of course ... of course." Bowing, the Daidoji pointed to the north. "Leave your horses here. It is not far, and we know the path. Master Daidoji Ukamo-san had sent us to scout the armies to the north. When we returned to Osuka, we found that the village had been destroyed, no more than a day ago. There is something else. The village of Haikeun still has travelers from the Kakita Festival. A young Phoenix there bragged of his swordsmanship—"
"Phoenix?" Toshimoko asked. "Was he a young man, rather pale, thin eyes and a twisted smile?"
"You knew him?"
"Ah ..." Toshimoko looked away. "We met at the festival."
"He was challenged to a duel by a passing Crane," Tashima continued, "and because of his injuries, has been forced to remain in the village."
Toshimoko looked almost sheepish for a moment. "Keen as Shinsei's wisdom, indeed."
Hoturi glared at his sensei. "Show us the way, Tashima-san. We will follow."
armies on the march
Matsu Gohei marched at the head of a small legion. He watched Crane heimin leave their fields and houses, running in terror from his troops. The path behind them was strewn with Osuka villagers. Ahead, another village rested in soft green valleys. Its roofs shone in the bright sunlight. Gohei smiled, testing the shoulder plates of his armor. Battle would be a welcome reprieve from the day's march.
"My lord," a scout ran from the rear of the small army, bowing low. "The last group of scouts from Osuka have not returned, and several soldiers report seeing a party of ronin traveling through the woods toward Haikeun."
"Ronin?" Gohei's dark eyes flashed beneath his large golden helm. He was not a large man, but his thick shoulders and wide stance conveyed the impression of a towering
mountain. A mane of silk tassels upon his family armor shook as he signaled orders to his second-in-command. The army would continue its march toward the village. In a grating voice, he said, "How many ronin?"
"Fewer than ten, my lord. The reports are mixed." The Lion armies made good use of their scouts, sending them ahead and behind in order to maintain steady information. They knew the
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