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===Act XXXVI: Neutral Observers=== :>After a tearful goodbye to the children, we set out. :>There was no city or village where we were going. :>Just a seemingly random spot on edge of the Crab lands, by the Shinomen mori. :>It would be the staging area where the army was setting up, preparing to head north, some by river, others skirting the edges of the Crane lands. :>We were met by a patrol well in advance of the camp. :>Toshiro and Naomi showed their magistrates chops and explained why we were here. :>The patrol led us in straight away. :>And we found ourselves meeting with Hida Touka, the current general of the Army of the East, and Otomo Jun, who wielded the authority of the Emperor to decide the winner and the loser of the war. :>Akodo himself once said, "Protracted war serves no one". :>Armies require food, and wise generals feed their soldiers with their enemies rice. :>Sometimes the Lion can be goaded into rash, reckless destruction. :>So can the Crab, for that matter. Rare indeed is the time when the Damned are set loose upon fellow Rokugani, but such times are always horrifying to all. :>Shugenja can reshape the very land for generations, or even eternity. :>Scorpion are well known to be sore losers, and often take great pains to ensure that that any foe that routs them from a battlefield will find naught but ashes for their victory feast. :>This then, is why the Imperial Observers exist. :>While the Emperor would no doubt prefer his servants not spill each others blood, were he to forbid war between the clans completely the most militant clans would protest loudly. :>Quite possibly with their massive, well trained armies. :>So the Emperor settles for ensuring that the Clans harm one another, but do little harm to his lands in the process. :>It is uncommon, but not unheard off, for an Imperial Observer to find that that one Clan or another has gone too far, and judge them the loser of a war even if they had emerged victorious in every battle. :>Many of the stories of such events often involved the Scorpion with the Lion or Crab the ones being judged. :>Would that be the strategy of the Scorpion this time though? :>Strange though it was, the Crane Clan was on the side of the Crab in this war. :>No doubt the Daidoji had supplied information to the Crab already, and of course, the Crane stood by with supplies ready should the Crab need them. :>It must be odd for Touka-sama, to plan a war where logistics can be a secondary concern for once. :>Kitsuki-san, Mantis-san and Monkey joined us and introductions were made. :>Otomo Jun opened without preamble. :>I am certain it has been made clear to you all before, but I will say this again. :>You are all agents of the Emperor here, and he is impartial in the outcome of this war. You will not aid your Clan, nor the allies of you Clan. Nor will you hinder the enemies of your Clan. Is that clear? :>She was an older woman, and her face had many sharp angles to it. :>It went along well with her tone. :>Now then. Hida Touka-san, you were explaining the force being mustered here. :>Hai, Otomo Jun-san. :>The Scorpion will face a single Claw of the Crab, so as to limit the scale of conflict. :>A Claw was what we called our regiments. Other clans used the term legion. :>Roughly five thousand troops. :>Jun nodded her understanding as a scribe wrote furiously to keep track of the conversation. :>The scribe himself had two assistants, one to replace his current paper when needed and the other to take the filled paper to dry and be stored for later entry into the imperial histories. :>His calligraphy was much more beautiful than mine, even writing at such speed. :>As expected of an Imperial scribe. :>The core of our force is, of course, two Brigades worth of Hida heavy infantry. Among them the first and second companies of the Second Regiment. :>My eyebrows vanished into my hairline when I heard that. He was bringing in BOTH companies of Hida Elite Guard? :>The Elite Guard were some of the finest of the Crab Clan, trusted with serving as the honor guard of the Clan Champion. :>They were easily on par with the Defenders of the Wall such as myself. :>While Defenders would be expected to face worse odds than most of the Elite Guard, we were trained as specialists. :>The Elite Guard were more adaptable, and thus deployed more frequently. :>The Army of the East, as the Army whose primary duty was to stand watch over the Crab's borders with the rest of the Empire, had very little in the way of our Clan's best troops. :>The First and Second were the best of the Army of the East. :>Furthermore, that only accounted for two thousand soldiers. :>A full regiment had five. :>We also have the fourth company from the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth regiments. :>Again, Touka surprised me. Those were the Falcon's Strike. :>He had called up every single dedicated unit of elite archers in the Army of the East. :>We will, of course, have six squads of Engineers, and a Brigade of the the Yasuki House Guard from the ninth regiment. :>SIX? That's a full troop, maybe more! :>Each regiment only had a two squads as part of the reserve company. :>The Yasuki House Guard were however, not the best of soldiers. They guarded caravans mostly. :>So he would be using them to watch our supply lines. :>The rest of the force is drawn from the Hiruma. :>You say that the core of your army is the Hida heavy infantry, but are they not only two fifths of your army? :>Well, yes. They are not the most numerous, but I will say my soldiers will be worth more than the Scorpion we face. :>Oh. :>Oooooooh. :>I had been beginning to see Touka's strategy, now I was certain of it. :>As I mentioned, everyone knows the Scorpion Clan absolutely refuses to lose with grace. :>Touka's plan then, was to minimize the damage to his own force, to keep them from forcing those almost loses and empty victories. :>After the meeting with Touka we got on a boat and sailed north, up the river of gold to meet the General of the Scorpion forces. :>So, how's Tsuyosa doing? :>Getting stronger every day. :>Monkey smiled. :>Good to hear it! :>And, how are things at home for you, Satoshi-san? :>Monkey blushed at Naomi's question. :>We've got another on the way... :>I grinned, and slapped him on the back. :>Mantis-san spoke up. :>Tatsuki's pregnant as well. :>Of course it would be Monkey who would say it. :>Man, hope your wife doesn't make a stink... :>Mantis-san put a hand on his chin :>Well, she seems happy with having two children, and they were born first so... I don't think she'll raise too much fuss over inheritance or anything like that. :>Do not fret Daigo-san. I have exchanged many letters with her. She is not cruel. :>I know. :>I couldn't blame Mantis-san for worrying though. :>There were plenty of stories about the children of conubines being mistreated by the official wife and/or her children in a samurai's house. :>The Mantis Clan was founded when one of the sons of Osono-Wo threw a fit over not getting named the Champion. :>The Mantis like to pretend that he had some greater reason, but most Mantis are filthy liars. :>At the very least, all the Yoritomo were. :>Tsurichi Daigo proved that some of the other minor clans that became families in the Mantis could be alright. :>Oh yeah, how about you Toshiro? :>Huh? :>Well, you're a year younger than me, right? :>That makes you 25. :>Time's up. :>Toshiro groaned. :>Don't remind me. :>What? :>Yeah, the Clan is just fine letting Crabs find their own spouses... :>Right up until they turn 25. :>Well, isn't that good news, Toshiro-sama? :>No, it really really isn't. :>Have you seen me?! :>I'm a hideously scarred, crippled Kuni with one hut in the middle of a barren wasteland to my name. :>Who the hell would consent to marry THAT? :>Monkey looked off the side, mumbling :>... beggars and choosers, y'know? :>Toshiro groaned and buried his face in his hands. :>Naomi giggled behind her sleeve. :>Our usual banter taking her mind off the children she had to leave behind. :>As the laughter died down we all glanced at Kitsuki-san. :>... :>So Monkey! New kid on the way! Thought up any names yet? :>Uh, not really... :>Mantis-san? :>Dosetsu if it's a boy, Ginchiyo if it's a girl. :>Hoooo? Good names. :>I know. :>That's why I picked them out. :>Toshiro glanced at Mantis-san. :>Don't do dry wit. I do dry wit. You find something else. :>Huh? :>That's an order from your superior, Daigo-san. :>W-what?! Can you even do that?! :>I just did. :>It's done. :>But... :>Ah pupupupupu! :>Toshiro held up a finger :>Already done. :>I laughed so hard my sides hurt. :>Along the way, Jun wished to speak with us. :>Or rather, with me. :>You there, Hida-san... what do you make of the force your clan has composed? :>... :>I thought about it. :>I think you should make certain the Scorpion forces are what they claim to be, Otomo-sama. :>What? Explain! :>I am only taking a guess here, but I believe Touka's strategy is not so much to win, as it is to avoid unnecessary losses. :>Scorpion are good at making the enemy pay dearly for their victory, but the force Touka has called up seems to oppose that strategy well, to my mind anyway. :>Jun tilted her head, tapping her fan in her palm. :>Go on. How? :>If I were leading an army like Touka's I would push just inside the enemies territory, then have the engineers create a fortified position. :>Somewhere out in the open, to taunt my enemy. :>Lure them to fight us the way we like to fight. :>Touka called up every elite archer unit as his disposal, combined with the defenses the Kaiu will no doubt build, any enemy will find themselves in a losing battle should they try to sit back and eliminate the force with arrows. :>Jun nodded. :>The rest of the army is composed of light infantry, Hiruma. :>They are adept at being unnoticed, and knowing how to seize opportunity to strike at the foe when they are off guard. :>The Hiruma are almost as mobile as cavalry, and less obvious as well. :>I think Touka seeks to win your judgment, not through sacked castles or piles of dead Scorpion, but by showing that the Scorpion could never defeat the Crab in a long term, serious conflict. :>Hmmm. :>Yes, that is a sound plan. It may even work... :>Well, we will see when we get to the Scorpion camp, and learn what their general is planning. :>Oh. Yeah. :>I was going to be surrounded by Scorpion. :>No way that was going to go poorly, right? :>Red. :>Black. :>Red. :>Black. :>Everywhere I looked in the camp of the Scorpion I saw red and black armor. :>The things inside that armor stared at me. A lot. :>I had an unmistakable itch, right between my shoulderblades, as though a thousand eyes were staring hungrily at that spot, waiting to sink a tanto into it. :>This...was going to be a very uncomfortable visit. :>Not only that, but the constant sense of danger would interfere with my ability to perceive an actual immediate threat. :>I would make a poor Yojimbo if a Maho-Tsukai sucked all of Otomo Jun's blood out while I was glaring at Scorpion. :>I sighed inwardly and tried to sort out real threats from perceived ones, from one's that were only people wishing they could kill me without any serious repercussions. :>Introductions were made as we met with the Scorpion commander :>His mask was quite simple. He just never bothered to take off his mempo. :>So, he declared himself a warrior at all times then. :>And, what forces will the Scorpion be bringing to this war, Bayushi Satsuma-san? :>Hai. We know the Crab intend to field a single legion, what they call a regiment. :>Of course the Scorpion already knew that... :>We suspect the Crab have chosen to quite deliberately keep this war small. :>Of course, the Crab clan have many strong warriors, tested in battle against the monsters of Jigoku. :>It simply would not do to insult their prowess, or underestimate them. :>Still, our Clan has a much smaller army than they do. So we will only bring half a legion of Samurai, Drawn from across the First Crimson Legion. :>We have, however, mustered up two legions of Ashigaru. :>Jun pursed her lips. :>Ten thousand peasants? :>Oh you need not worry Otomo-san, there are plenty more where that came from. :>He placed his hand to the side of his mouth, and spoke in that not-really-a-whisper tone of voice. :>Many of them are actually condemned criminals, you see. :>There was a recent outbreak of banditry in one of our provinces. :>Jun stared boggle eyed at the Scorpion, her mouth hanging open. :>You... you intend to use BANDITS as soldiers?! :>Satsuma shrugged. :>It is easier than you might think. :>We promised them that they would be pardoned if they survived this war. :>Of course we were lying, but I doubt that it will be necessarily to reveal that fact to even a single one of them. :>Jun blinked her eyes twice, recovering from her shock at the Scorpion's audacity. :>And what do you mean by that Bayushi-san? :>Well, the Crab have Kaiu engineers who can build terrible siege engines, Kuni whose earth magic can tear great rents in the ground and reshape the land, and Toritaka archers. :>If our small force is to engage the enemy at all, we must give those deadly units a target of some sort... :>He said that with a calm, matter of fact tone even I found disturbing. :>I could see Monkey biting his lip. :>A trickle of blood ran down his chin. :>The last time I had seen him this angry it was being caused by a cursed mist. :>I shoved aside those horrible memories as quickly as they threatened to resurface. :>Our plan is simple, Otomo-san, because simple plans are truly the best. :>Right. :>A SCORPION just said that. :>With a straight face. :>The Ashigaru will tie down the main power of the Crab army while our more maneuverable samurai disrupt their formations and supply lines. :>Only a fool engages the Crab on a battlefield they have had time to prepare in advance after all. :>Jun looked at him levely. :>And you are certain there will be no long term ill effects from so many peasants being drafted? :>Well, we may have to hold off on that extension planned for Kyuden Bayushi until next year... but other than that, no. We do not believe there will be any issue with the harvest. :>As I said, most of these ashigaru were going to die anyway. We just found a way to execute them that would also help our Clan win a war. :>Lying piece of shit. :>I'd bet my left testicle more than half those 'ashigaru' were really Scorpion pretending to be peasants. :>I had no doubt the Scorpion had, by whatever foul means, learned the exact nature and composition of the army Hida Touka would bring. :>From that, they could have deduced his strategy, just as I had. :>If that were the case, then the Crab army struggling against 'mere peasants' would shatter an image of the Crab being unbeatable. :>And while he was only bringing in half a legion, it would obviously be the most experienced and elite troops of that legion, each soldier carefully chosen to counter the Crab as best they could. :>Scorpion loved to exploit the weakness of their enemies. :>Now the real question. :>Would Otomo Jun even give credence to my words if I were to bring this up to her? :>Somehow I doubted it. :>It was then that Naomi began to cough. :>I took hold of her as she began to double over. :>Jun glanced over in irritation. :>Apologies Otomo-sama, Bayushi-sama. :>Naomi-sama suffers from ill-health, this happens at times. :>Kitsuki-san, can you bring her medicine? :>Hai. :>Toshiro took over reassuring Jun as I led Naomi outside. :>Rest assured, Jun-sama, her health does not diminish her ability. Hida Naomi is a Crab by marriage, she was originally of the Isawa trained as a tensai. :>We had gotten too far away to hear Jun's response. :>As I steadied Naomi and gave her some water to rinse the blood from her mouth, Kitsuki-san brewed up her tea. :>How are you now? :>This much is nothing, Ishigaki-kun. :>Really, a minor one. :>There was only a slight tightness around her eyes, and her body was steady. :>I had gotten good at telling how much pain my wife was actually in at any given time, since she always insisted she was never in any. :>I poured Naomi's tea and supported her hands while she sipped at it. :>She didn't need me to; her hands were not shaking. :>But it had become habit for me to do so, all the times it had happened. :>Kitsuki-san. :>Hm? :>There is something I must ask of you. :>I used formal language. :>He took notice immediately. :>I told him my thoughts on the Scorpion deployment. :>He said nothing while I explained. :>Naomi's eyes went wider and wider as I spoke. :>When I was done, Kitsuki-san nodded once. :>Yes, I thought as much. :>You do know war well, so the fact that you thought the same thing reassures me we are, if not exactly correct, close to the truth. :>Naomi spoke up then. :>But, we cannot tell Touka-sama. We are neutral in this war; our task is to look for Maho and protect Jun-sama. :>That is true, Naomi, but we CAN suggest Jun-sama make certain the Ashigaru are really all Ashigaru... :>Kitsuki-san was already ahead of me. :>But you cannot be the one to broach the subject, as you are a Crab. :>Right. :>You are becoming devious in your old age, Ishigaki-senpai. :>What, I'm no THAT much older than you! :>You are still closer to retirement age than I am. :>Pfft. Crabs don't retire. :>True. :>... :>What is it, Kitsuki-san? :>I do not think I will be bringing this up though. :>What? :>Naomi-sama is right, it is not our place to interfere in this matter at all. :>Furthermore, it would be unseemly of one as lowly as I to speak out of place. :>If Otomo Jun-sama asks my opinion, of course I will give it to her. :>Beyond that though... :>I stared at Kitsuki-san, trying to work out what the hell he was thinking. :>Then it hit me. :>Of course. He was a Dragon. His Clan was allied with the Scorpion in this mess. :>All that blather about neutrality was just a convenient excuse to help his allies. :>But it was a sound enough excuse I couldn't call him on it. :>So I was forced to settle for an angry glare. :>Credit where it's due, few people can face my glare as calmly as he did. :>Well, if that is all, I shall return to my duty. :>Naomi finished the rest of her tea. :>Why do you not ask me to say it then, Ishigaki-kun? :>I looked down, startled. :>Because he's right about us staying neutral. :>I can't ask you to compromise your honor like that. :>Naomi tilted her head slightly. :>We believe the Bayushi just lied to Otomo-sama, do we not? :>To an Imperial Observer? :>Does bringing up that possibility stain our honor? I do not think so. :>But the Phoenix... :>Are allied with Scorpion, yes. :>But Ishigaki-kun... I am a Crab. :>She stroked my cheek. :>I thank you for your consideration, I really do. :>I will not lie and say this has been easy for me. :>But really now, how many times must I say this? :>I know where my loyalties lie. :>... :>Not for the first time I wondered what I had done to deserve such fine wife. :>We went back into the tent. :>-erve things on my behalf. :>I glanced at Toshiro. :>He jerked his head towards the scribe. :>It was a different scribe then was in the Crab tents. :>Oh? That was the problem with an Imperial Observer: They were only one person. :>So, she was going to spread subordinates around to keep tabs on the whole war? :>Otomo Jun-sama. :>Jun's eyebrow twitched at the interruption. :>She turned to Naomi, who was kneeling in a full dogeza. :>Please forgive my rudeness, but I feel I must speak with you. Privately. Please. :>Jun waited for a time, making Naomi hold her bow. :>Alright, bitch. We understand you outrank us. :>Stop torturing my wife. :>I thought. :>Very well. But this had better be important. :>Bayushi Satsuma nodded. :>We will leave, to allow you your privacy Otomo-san. :>The Scorpion filed out. :>Jun still had not given permission for Naomi to raise her head. :>Alright. Speak. :>I believe you have been lied to, Otomo Jun-sama. :>Hoooo? :>Hai. The Scorpion freely admit they knew the Crabs plans. If that is the case it is likely they have divined the strategy of Hida Touka-sama as well. :>We know it is in the nature of the Scorpion to deceive. They admit as much with their masks. :>You would be hard pressed to assume the Crab could not be beaten in a more whole scale war if they struggle with mere ashigaru. :>Which they would, if those ashigaru were actually Scorpion samurai pretending to be untrained peasants. :>For a long while the only sound was Jun-sama's breathing. :>Ridiculous. :>There are limits to what the Scorpion will do, HIDA-san. :>You would have me believe that there is not just a few, but THOUSANDS of samurai in this world so willing to cast aside their place in the Celestial order as to pretend to be peasants? :>Jun stepped to just in front of Naomi, who held her dogeza. :>I found myself fighting with my own body, every muscle taut, as it wanted to rush at the Observer before she could harm my wife. :>You are only here to look for signs of Maho, Jade Magistrate, and to protect me from Maho-Tsukai. :>You will not overstep the bounds of your duty again, CRAB. :>As Jun's mouth opened again, I felt my control slipping. :>Then Mantis-san and Monkey stepped to either side of me. :>Their movement startled Jun, and she looked at the three of us. :>Thankfully, I was wearing my armor. My mempo hid my face, and the snarl I'm sure I was wearing. :>Still, it was enough a distraction. Jun forgot about Naomi. :>She snapped her fan, signaling she would hear no more on the matter. :>That night, in our tent Naomi apologized to me. :>I am sorry Ishigaki-san. I did not think she would be so angry; I have made things worse... :>No, you didn't do anything wrong. :>Jun is just a stupid bitch, she's underestimating the Scorpion. :>Naomi's mouth fell open and she held her hand over it. :>I did use some pretty strong language there. :>But still.. :>No, It's alright Naomi. She made it pretty clear the fact that you were a Phoenix before we married meant nothing to her, and she was never going to let you get a word in to explain. :>Hah. At the winter court so many people accused me of still having loyalty to the Phoenix, that I never once considered Jun would see me as a Crab. :>Fools will always resort to calling the character of a person in question when they cannot address their arguments directly. And fools go for low hanging fruit. So you will be whichever Clan they find most convenient. :>Ishigaki...to which Clan DO I belong? :>I hugged her. :>You belong to me. That's all that matters. :>She nuzzled into my chest. :>Hai. :>Jun decided we would return to the Crab army for now. She wanted see what defenses were being prepared. :>She was quite surprised when we arrived and found the Crab had already moved into the Scorpion Lands and had begun fortifying a base camp. :>Truth be told, Touka-san, I had always assumed the Crab Clan...ponderous, on the offense. :>We are not slow because we cannot be fast, Otomo-san. It is simply that acting with haste can get you killed quickly. :>There are things that can kill Crabs quickly? :>Many things can do that. :>Does not your Clan pride itself on its connection to the Earth, and it's heavy armor? :>Such precautions are a necessity for the war we fight in the south, Otomo-san. :>A castle cannot guard itself. :>Indeed. A proper fortification is built around the warriors who will stand inside it, not the other way around. :>This was said by Kaiu Shinzo, the highest ranked, and therefore head of, the Engineers present for this war. :>Oh, Kaiu-san? :>Indeed Otomo-sama. Were I building fortifications for Daidoji, or for Akodo, I would use different layouts. :>I see. :>I would know more about these fortifications. :>Of course. :>We should have a castle up soon enough, a day or two at most... :>Jun's fan fluttered. :>She didn't believe him. :>But for now we have these. :>Waist high mounds of earth, like I had used in Shimoda. :>The earth had been tightly packed inside with a layer of loose earth on top to keep the enemy from getting good purchase. :>The moat on the other side of the mound is seven feet deep, with bamboo skewers hidden at the bottom. :>Jun's eyes widened. :>Things like this only kill fools who rush in blindly, and once the first few die of course the rest will learn. :>Now, outside of the camp... :>Outside? You say you're going to expand your fortifications? :>Well, we are, but up. :>No, Jun-sama. I am speaking of the traps that have already been laid. :>Traps. :>Jun's tone was flat. :>Hai. Come, I'll show you. :>We walked out into the wide open area around the base camp. :>Oh, watch your step, Jun-sama. :>He knelt down in front of her, grabbed a handful of grass, and pulled it up. :>Showing a very deep pit. :>Anyone steps on that bit of false grass, and they'll fall far enough to break a leg, or at least twist an ankle. :>The sides are quite smooth, and it's deep. It will be hard to get out without help. :>He replaced the grass. :>There's also these... :>He showed her a small ankle deep hole. :>Look inside. :>Jun did so. :>See the small skewers? :>They point down, so when a foot goes inside they allow it. Try to draw it out and you'll get an ankle full. They'll hold you fast, unless you don't mind tearing out a chunk of your foot. :>How... barbarous. :>Barbarous, Jun-sama? Hardly. :>If we were not fighting proper samurai, that pit would have bamboo spears at the bottom of it! :>Jun stared at Shinzo. :>But, not even Scorpion deserve to die to a simple trap. These things will only hinder them, as a castle that is built with a confusing layout does. :>And what about the moat? :>Shinzo shrugged. :>Like I said, only a fool would jump in to that in way that it would actually kill them. :>I do not concern myself with fools. It is the same for you, is it not Otomo-sama? :>Shinzo laughed heartily. :>He stopped laughing when he realized there was an arrow in his throat. :>Naomi gave a cry and moved to help him. :>HIDA-SAN! :>Jun was glaring at her. :>Around us, several lightly armored warriors in red and black sprang up from the ground, tossing off cloaks of false grass. :>The few Hida with us formed a ring around Touka, shielding their commander with their bodies. :>As the fighting began, Jun just muttered to herself. :>I see, there will be much deception involved in this war... :>She was looking at the false grass cloaks, and the false grass that covered a pit. :>Hah. Crab and Scorpion are more alike than either would care to admit! :>I fought down the urge to punch her for that insult to my Clan. :>It wasn't hard, since I had to knock aside a katana blade. :>What the hell? :>Were the Scorpion after the observer?! :>I spared a glance, but I saw Jun simply present her seal to a pair of Scorpion bushi, who then broke off their charge. :>No, that's not it. :>Oh. right. :>I was wearing my armor. My blue and grey armor, with black silk lacing. :>Well, fine then. Can't accuse of me of not being neutral if they attacked me first! :>I crushed the chest of the one who took his swing at me, then turned to look for more. :>Then I stopped, and ran to Naomi's side to protect her. :>She was also in a blue and black kimono, the mon of the Hida clear upon it. :>And wearing a scroll satchel. :>I glanced over and saw Toshiro had already covered himself in rock and earth. :>His magical protections were doing a fine job repelling the blades of the Scorpion. :>I glanced to the others. :>Monkey looked like he wanted very badly to come to our aid, but I caught his eye and pointed to Jun. :>He nodded. :>Mantis-san was already doing likewise, while Kitsuki-san was looking around carefully. :>Yes, this would be good time for the Bloodspeakers to strike at Jun, with half of us being mistaken for regular Crab forces. :>I smacked aside a Scorpion who got too close to Naomi. :>She chanted softly, and I felt a familiar rush of energy. :>My body sped up, allowing me defend and attack all at once. :>I blocked, sidestepped and struck tossing aside the few Scorpions that came near me. :>Then one managed to get his blade through, past my sode to cut at my bicep. :>My vision swam as his blade bit deep. :>Far too deep. :>I turned to face him, ready to unleash hell. :>And looked into the eyes of Bayushi Kentaro. :>Knowing Two Pincers, One Mind, and with Naomi's spell, there were few things that could withstand my unrestrained fury. :>Except, the way he moved. :>He was countering me perfectly. :>It reminded me of the time when Kojiro-sensei had deliberately exploited the weaknesses of the Hida-ryu in one of our sparring matches. :>I could see Kentaro's eyes focused on something in the distance. :>I knew that look well. :>He was in the void now. :>The depth of the cut on my arm bothered me. :>My body had been trained to be harder even than my armor, yet he had cut me with almost no effort. :>And his movements... :>The basis of Two Pincers, One Mind is simple. :>It is not just a single part of your weapon that is dangerous. The haft of an Ono, Dai-Tsuchi, or Tetsubo can strike a foe as well as your knees, elbows, feet and head. :>It can seem, to the inexperienced or untrained, that I am moving and striking with great speed. :>Really, I am just using the followthrough of one attack to lead seamlessly into another. :>Yet, Kentaro seemed to know exactly how I would do so. He stepped in exactly the wrong way, preventing me from doing so. :>The Scorpion were very good at learning your weaknesses, because they preyed upon them with abandon. :>Kentaro was doing a fine job of preying on my weakness now, so much so that I could not bring my strength to bear. :>However, I still had one advantage he could do nothing about. :>Naomi shouted, and even more vigor flooded into me. :>Kentaro dodged aside as I brought my tetsubo down with my full might. :>The water aided me, and my blow threw up great clods of earth. :>I saw the Scorpion's concentration lapse as his eyes flicked to Naomi. :>No. :>I didn't bother trying to reset my position, I just threw my body to the side from where I was. :>My Sode slammed into Kentaro, and he hit the ground as though a great wave had struck him. :>Thanks to Naomi's magic, that might as well be the truth. :>I raised my tetsubo to finish him off when a humming bulb arrow flew up into the sky. :>It distracted me just long enough. :>Kentaro rolled backwards from my blow and regained his feet. :>HIDA ISHIGAKI! I will never forgive you! :>I prepared to go after him, when I heard a sound behind me :>Hyuk. :>I turned my head. :>Naomi was staring in surprise at an arrow jutting out of her side. :>No. :>No. :>Nononononononono. :>I ran to her side. :>I could see one of the retreating Scorpion holding a yumi, the string still vibrating. :>I threw my tetsubo at him as I moved. :>It caught him in the face. :>Naomi's eyes looked into mine. :>Ishi...gaki...? :>She started to fall. :>Damn you legs MOVE FASTER. :>I dove, catching her just before she hit the ground. :>TOSHIRO! :>I looked :>Thank the Kami, the arrow got bound in the silk. :>Silk is a resilient material, difficult to cut. :>There is a reason that we wear silken clothes under our armor. :>When an arrow strikes silk, the silk twists around it, catching the arrow and making the wound much smoother. :>Normally, an arrow would do MORE damage if you pulled it straight out. :>But if the silk stops it, that's actually the best thing to do. :>I glanced at Naomi. :>She was already unconscious, but breathing. :>Barely. :>TOSHIRO! :>I pulled the arrow from her. :>Then he was there, his hands on her wound. :>Prayers to the kami of water then the kami of earth flowed from his lips. :>His healing was limited in the extreme. :>The best he could do was ensure her spirit would not flee her body, and ease her pain. :>The wound itself would remain, it simply would not endanger her life any longer. :>Well, that's how it would work for anyone else. :>Kitsuki-san came running up with several rolls of bandages. :>I wrapped her middle up tightly. :>A small red stain appeared quickly on the bandages. :>Toshiro...? :>Put pressure here. :>He chanted another spell. :>The pain on Naomi's face eased up, as did her breathing. :>But her eyes did not open. :>Toshiro heaved out a sigh. :>I looked at him. :>She's out of danger, for now. :>Then why is she still out cold? :>You know why Ishigaki. :>I looked down at her. :>Mantis-san brought me my tetsubo. :>Nice shot. :>That Scorpion is dead. :>I couldn't care less. :>A shadow fell over me, as I knelt and cradled my wife. :>Is she dead? :>No, Jun-sama. But she is very weak. :>However, we cannot move her very far, and she must rest with supervision. :>Toshiro stood up, to properly address the Otomo. :>Her health, you see. This wound could still kill her, if we are not vigilant. :>I see. :>I will have to admonish Satsuma for not properly informing his subordinates about my bodyguards. :>That's all? :>Jun looked at me coldly. :>Yes, Crab. That is all. :>I do not recall you making any effort to correct the Scorpion's mistake before you fought back. :>I stood up. :>Jun should really thank Naomi. :>If not for Naomi's weight in my arms, I would have killed Jun with the arrow I pulled from Naomi's body. :>Instead I walked carefully back towards the Crab encampment. :>A nikutai got in front of me. :>I'll show you to the medical tent, Hida-sama. :>Thank you. :>I took Naomi in, and laid her gently down on the first futon. :>Several Kuni came over. :>Toshiro spoke with them in hushed tones, explaining the situation. :>I knelt by my wife, making no move to leave her side. :>Then I felt Toshiro's hand on my shoulder. :>Come. :>After several tries my legs finally obeyed me, and I stood. :>He took me to where Otomo Jun and Hida Touka were speaking. :>Shinzo's death is a loss, but it will not hamper us overmuch. :>It is just a shame he died to an ambush, and not a proper battle. :>Jun nodded. :>The Scorpion attack was still effective. If they had not mistaken my guard for your soldiers I think they would have gotten you, as well. :>Jun looked as us we approached. :>I do hope you will be able to handle things on your own, Toshiro-san? :>I couldn't keep my trap shut any longer. :>You're taking this too lightly, Otomo-sama! :>What if it wasn't a mistake? :>What if the Scorpion were planning on killing the Jade Magistrates? :>And what, exactly, do you base these accusations on, Crab? :>I'm not making any accusations! I'm simply stating you should not be ignoring the possibility! :>ENOUGH! :>First I am told to believe that a samurai could lower themselves to pretend to be ashigaru, now you imply the Scorpion are the Maho-Tsukai who threaten me? :>Toshiro cut off Jun's rant. :>But not in a way I expected. :>He slapped me. :>Jun is right, Ishigaki-san! :>If you cannot keep your neutrality, then I have no need of your service! :>He turned his back on me, dismissing me. :>... :>... :>... and freeing me of any obligation to follow that Otomo bitch around... :>I bowed, accepting my shame. :>And thanked Toshiro in my mind as I returned to Naomi's side. :>Some time later, Hida Touka came into the tent. :>I must speak with you, Hida Ishigaki-san. :>I sighed inwardly, and went outside with him. :>I didn't just lose Kaiu Shinzo today. :>I lost a few of my honor guard as well. :>I understand you have trained as a Defender of the Wall. :>Hai. :>Good. Since you are no longer in the service of the Jade Magistrate, I will have you join my honor guard. :>How does that sound to you? :>I glanced back at the tent. :>My wife was here, the General of the Crab Clan was here. :>If the Maho-Tsukai attacked this place, it could be a disaster for the Clan, and a nightmare for me. :>If I was in his honor guard, I would always be close. :>If I said no, I would likely just get sent away to the Wall. :>I nodded. :>As you wish, Touka-sama :>Very well then. :>It is reassuring to know that I will have someone always keeping an eye out for the Maho-Tsukai who lurk in the shadows of this war.
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