Editing Memories of a Stone Wall (section)

===Act X: The Lion and the Crane ===
:>We all stared at him.
:>"The Karo is left handed," he said again.
:>I had, on a few occasions, been close to committing murder in my life.
:>So I knew exactly what that looked like.
:>I grabbed hold of Kitsuki-san's obi before he could do something stupid.
:>There are times in every person's life when you must do things you never thought you would have to.
:>"You don't understand! He HAS to die!"
:>"'Not a Lion!'"
:>"This has been the plan ALL along!"
:>Kitsuki-san had avoided jumping to conclusions since the incident with his Sensei, but it seemed he was in full swing once more.
:>"Slow down, spell it out for us. Some of us are just dumb."
:>"Tenkai leads the tsukai! They probably are a Bloodspeaker cell!"
:>"He arranged to betray the Lord of the Castle in secret, in exchange he would swear fealty to the Lion and be allowed to govern the City!"
:>"He could then protect his cell with his authority, allowing them to move much more freely!"
:>"He had the cook poison Hosokawa, then he or one of his cell raised Hosokawa as a zombie!"
:>"THAT cut off the new Lord's political allies, so that the Lion are not forced to give the city back during Court this winter!"
:>"A plan this deep, this far reaching... it HAS to be THEM!"
:>Whoa, you had me right up until that part.
:>"Don't you see? We were never the goal, just an obstacle! Not the King, but a piece that had to be removed!"
:>"Uh, why?"
:>"One of us must already know THEM. Without realizing it, we have the ability to expose THEM. Or perhaps they simply feared we might be able to do so. "
:>"So they tried to get us out of the way first, before they began their plan to gain political power throughout the Empire!"
:>So let me see if I'm understanding you.
:>The Bloodspeaker cult has begun to move again, and they're trying to insert members of cells into positions of political power throughout the Empire. 
:>And one of us knows a high ranked member of the Bloodspeaker cult, without realizing it?

:>"Yes, yes!"
:>I was glad I was sitting down.
:>Because that was some heavy shit.
:>"You think that Lion Clan Lord, what was his name?"
:>"Matsu Banjaku."
:>"You think Banjaku is part of the cult as well."
:>"Possibly, yes."
:>"I dunno."
:>We all looked at the Monkey.
:>"We had Banjaku over for dinner once, and he seemed a bit thickheaded to me. I don't think he could hide being a bloodspeaker very well."
:>"What, why did you have him over?"
:>"Hime-san has some business deal or other with him, I don't know the details."
:>"Why didn't you mention you knew him before!?"
:>"First time I heard his name mentioned."
:>My temples began to throb painfully.
:>I stood up.
:>"I'm going to get the Daidoji."
:>"Huh?"
:>"Don't get me wrong, I think you're right Kitsuki-san. But we don't have enough evidence to bring down the Karo, and not enough time to find any."
:>"You have an idea?"
:>"Yeah. We tell the Daidoji our suspicions. He's going to be the one leading the Battle, I'm sure of it. So he watches out for signs of the Karo's betrayal."
:>"When he spots that, we'll have that piece of shit by the balls then."
:>"And we'll make him tell us everything."
:>Everyone nodded.
:>Even Naomi.
:>"I do not like war. I do not wish to see any of you in battle like this. But there is a very young boy who will die if we do not act."
:>"Promise me you will all be careful tomorrow."
:>"We will."
:>I went and spoke to Daidoji Hideo.
:>When I was finished, he sat still and looked at nothing for a very long time.
:>Finally he spoke.
:>"I will look for Tenkai-sama's betrayal."
:>"If I do not see it, and we both live until the end until the end of the first day, I will have satisfaction for your accusation."
:>"Fine."
:>"You are so certain?"
:>"I am."
:>"Of your skill with a blade, or the Karo's guilt?"
:>I took a page out Toshiro's book and shrugged.
:>"Both."
:>The Daidoji chuckled at that.
:>That night, I slept in my armor.

:>As dawn broke, light glittered off the armor of the Lion army.
:>They raised a mighty cry that seemed to shake the very walls.
:>And charged.
:>I was right where I should be, front and center of the Vanguard.
:>The Mantis and the Monkey were in the second ranks. Toshiro was there as well, Tetsubo in hand. 
:>Naomi was at the gates of the palace, ready to heal the injured. Kitsuki-san was with her.
:>The Lion didn't pause to wonder why there was a Crab in the very first gate they assaulted.
:>Some tried to rush past me, but I shifted my armored bulk from side to side, knocking them off balance, impeding their advance.
:>Three decided to get me out of the way.
:>Matsu, all of them. They rushed me with their Katana, screaming fiercely, attacking with wild abandon.
:>I expected as much, so I had prepared myself.
:>I spun my tetsubo, knocking aside one blade, into another.
:>I shifted my arms and caught the third one on my Sode. It slid off harmlessly
:>Having left themselves wide open, thinking they would overwhelm and kill me, I struck back.
:>My tetsubo tore through their light armor as though it were rice paper, and I left two of them wounded and bleeding.
:>Slowed by their wounds they failed to get past my armor. The third one, however, managed to bury the point of his katana in my thigh. 
:>I grabbed his wrist before he could withdraw his blade and backhanded my tetsubo across his face. As he reeled I swung from the side with full force.
:>I struck him in the chest, and he staggered back a half dozen feet falling onto his back. He did not rise.
:>The other two came in again, one swinging low at my legs, the other aiming an overhead strike at my head.
:>I deflected the overhead, but couldn't get out of the way in time of the second. She cut me across the back of my calf.
:>These Matsu fought fiercely, but they seemed to have no sense of self preservation. I endured their assault and retaliated, leaving both of them on the ground, dead or unconscious.

:>I held the line where I was, but there were several gates into the city. 
:>Behind me I heard the cries of battle.
:>The fighting had not yet reached the palace, that I could see.
:>HO! HO! HAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!
:>I think that cheer came up from where the Mantis was.
:>I wonder what he did.
:>A red orb blazed past me and exploded among the Lion trying to get past my gate.
:>Toshiro limped up to join me, batting aside an Ashigaru with his own tetsubo as he did so.
:>Looks like you're having fun here.
:>I want some.
:>I grinned as we readied ourselves for the next wave.
:>I waved Toshiro back as I was quickly surrounded. I hacked and swung, the bodies so tightly packed I couldn't miss if I tried. I felt several wounds open on me, though in the press I had no idea who or what had injured me.
:>And then I saw a Lion bushi challenge Toshiro to a duel.
:>Ah, Toshiro was swinging around his tetsubo, maybe the Lion didn't realize...
:>Toshiro looked at him.
:>"Hmmmm."
:>"No."
:>And tossed a pair of burning orbs at the Lion.
:>The Lion fell in a charred heap.
:>I heard a horn sound out. From within the palace.
:>The signal from the Daidoji.
:>It had happened.
:>Toshiro and I were in the thick of it, unable to draw back without exposing ourselves.
:>The others would have to handle it.
:>I trusted them.

:>Toshiro and I fought on, side by side.
:>We were both covered in wounds, but we were Crab. We were the Mountain, the Lion were the Waves. The Waves would win, in the end. But many many waves would break upon us before that happened.
:>And then the second Horn.
:>The banner of the Crane flew high on the walls of the palace still.
:>And I could just make out the Daidoji, holding up a golden and tufted helm.
:>Ah. The Karo must have opened the rear gate to the Lion.
:>And the Daidoji had been waiting for it.
:>The Lion around us hesitated, seeing that.
:>"Make way, MAKE WAY!"
:>It was Matsu Roku.
:>He looked up at the palace where the Daidoji waved the Helm.
:>He nodded.
:>"Susume was a fine officer."
:>"I see I sent her into a trap."
:>He looked at me.
:>"Your doing?"
:>"Our investigation revealed the Karo's plot."
:>"I see."
:>He looked me in the eyes, sheathed his blade, and took a stance.
:>I guess he would rather be killed in battle than admit his defeat.
:>I could humor him.
:>His technique was better than mine.
:>But only just.
:>I survived his first strike.
:>I made certain he did not get a second.

:>As the Lion withdrew Toshiro and I went and found the others.
:>We found them staging an impromptu Shibari session, with the Karo as the star of the show.
:>Kitsuki-san was just requesting the use of a few very specific Eta.
:>Ren was there.
:>There was something almost comical about the boy wearing a full suit of armor.
:>Ceremonial, of course. No way the Crane Lord would actually fight.
:>But I could see that it would indeed keep him fairly safe from stray arrows.
:>My respect for Kakita Ren shot up several notches. It's not often a pampered lord, born into the Kuge, knows how much his mere presence on the field can bolster the morale of his troops.
:>"Why Tenkai? Why did you betray father like that? Betray me?"
:>Tenkai just sat there, tied up in the manner befitting the worst sort of criminal, rather than a Karo.
:>Ren stared for a moment.
:>Then composed himself, donning once again the mantle of Lordship.
:>"You mean that you will need the torturers, Kitsuki-san, yes? You will have them."
:>"Just remember, I must have his confession on what he did to Father."
:>"You will, my Lord. I promise."
:>"Take him away."
:>In Rokugan once enough testimony has been gathered to ascertain a person's guilt, they must then confess to their crime before they can be punished.
:>Any means may be taken to elicit the confession.
:>We already know they are guilty, after all.
:>Samurai, however, do not conduct the torture themselves. It is an unclean business.
:>So the Eta handle the actual application of pain until the guilty party admits their crime.
:>I knelt down next to Tenkai, and looked him in the eyes.
:>"You see that elegant looking gentleman over there?"
:>I nodded to Toshiro.
:>"You know he's a Shugenja? He's got some magic that I've seen him use to bring back from the brink of death."
:>"You're gonna have a good time."
:>Toshiro grinned.
:>"I'll get the rats."
:>I grinned as well.
:>"So I have to get the wasabi this time?"
:>"Yeah."

:>We were bluffing.
:>Naomi was a much, much better healer than Toshiro.
:>And didn't I just say Samurai do not commit torture themselves?
:>But Crab do a lot of things Samurai aren't supposed to.
:>We were betting on the false perceptions of Crabs being brutes no better than the Ogres they fought to lend credence to our little game.
:>Neither Toshiro, nor myself, had any idea how you might torture someone with rats and wasabi.
:>But neither did the Crane.
:>His imagination did the work for us.
:>He broke down then and there, blubbering like a little girl.
:>I found it much more satisfying to break him with a few well placed words, then to allow him to stoically endure the torture of a few Eta for a bit.
:>And besides, we needed information of the rest of his cell; every second we wasted with him was another they had to attempt to escape us.
:>He coughed it all up.
:>Tenkai was the only Samurai in the cell in this city.
:>He had several peasant servants as his subordinates, they doubled as a spy network.
:>Nothing occurred in the palace, or city for that matter, that he did not know about.
:>The former Lord Kakita Hosokawa had grown suspicious of his Karo of late.
:>Hosokawa had realized the implications of some of the edicts that Tenkai had proposed.
:>Tenkai decided to kill him before Hosokawa learned the truth.
:>Tenkai WAS a bloodspeaker.
:>And he did have monthly meetings with other bloodspeakers from the surrounding areas.
:>They were Samurai, he knew that much.
:>But not who they were, where they lived.
:>Everyone wore masks and used fake names.
:>These meetings were run by one man everyone knew not to cross. It was he that set up the meeting between Tenkai and Matsu Banjaku.
:>As far as Tenkai knew, Matsu Banjaku was just a tool they had made use of. Banjaku had no idea the nest of vipers he had fallen in with.

:>We were able to round up the servants easily enough. Including the Eta Tenkai had used to reanimate Hosokawa's body.
:>Oh, and the cook himself added the poison to the Lord's sushi.
:>Though the cook was just a patsy. Bribed with large sum of money.
:>Which the Karo simply took back once the cook was executed (on his suggestion, of course)
:>We ransacked Tenkai's room, finding his maho scrolls. We burned them all.
:>Tenkai and all his followers were all executed
:>Crimes as heinous as his did not allow for the option of Seppuku.
:>Tenkai screamed and pleaded as they lashed him to the cross.
:>It was quite pathetic.
:>Naomi could not bear this part of her duty as a Jade Magistrate, so Toshiro oversaw it all in her stead.
:>The rest of us made polite excuses about her health.
:>No one questioned it.
:>As we made ready to leave, the Daidoji came to see us off.
:>The young Lord is quite busy, and so unable to see you off himself
:>But he wishes to convey his gratitude to you for all that you have done for us.
:>I do as well. You did not have to stay when the Lion attacked. If not for your actions, Tenkai's plot would have succeeded.
:>Know that should you ever require anything, the Lord will do all in his power to see that you get it.
:>We all exchanged surprised glances
:>The favor of one so highly placed could go a very long way indeed. We would need to be careful not to squander it.
:>We set off, still in pursuit of any customers who had possibly been tainted by the bog hags, but now knowing we had to be on the lookout for bloodspeaker cells all over the area.
:>The Mantis spoke up about that.
:>Anyone else find it odd that we went years without dealing with tainted things and maho, and now suddenly they're crawling out of the woodwork.
:>The Monkey rolled over a stone on the side of the path.
:>Grubs swarmed underneath it.
:>You'd be amazed what you can find if you just look under a few rocks.
:>I closed my eyes and refused to believe the Monkey had just been wise on purpose.