The Black Son

Chapter 31

"You are quite right, Usagi. They may have orders to kill me. Or if they aren't my loyal retainers, but men set there by Inoguchi or the Shadow Lord this mission may well become an effort in futility."

Kenichi leaned back, "I won't waste time speculating. Usagi will remain with the main body, while myself, Lord Naishi and ten others approach the border guards," He looked at Usagi, "If we're set upon and killed returned to our lines and inform General Ame."

He nodded.

Lord Naishi leaned in, "If we're set upon and killed, inform General Ame that my final orders are for every samurai within the Fief are to be crucified," He scoffed, "That has become a Geishu speciality, as of late. So that woman may bestow that fate upon those traitors with wild abandon."

Kenichi took a breath, "Let us pray that doesn't happen. We'll rest for a few hours here before stepping off. Give ourselves and our beleaguered horses a moment to regain our strength. Crossing the border is only one small step in reaching the goal of our mission."

Those 'few hours' passed all too quickly and the column was on the move. First, a rendezvous point was set up just beyond the border. Then Usagi had his scouts perform a recce of the border crossing. There were eight men at the gate. And ten more in a hut just adjacent to the gate; the men were eating, some were still sleeping. The scouts could not see any men in depth. According to Lord Naishi the eighteen men were more than double what was usually called for in peacetime. Fair enough. Kenichi put men into the woods to act as support while he, Lord Naishi and his contingent approached the gate. Motokazu continued to act as Lord Naishi's bodyguard. He kept his musket perched on his thigh and scanned the region for threats. The rain was steady. Drops fell from the brim of Motokazu's helmet and his leather armour was soaked through. Once they cleared the trees the gate came alive with activity. The men burst from the hut and they were armed with spears and swords.

Kenichi noticed that they didn't behave with any sense of discipline or order. They haphazardly set up a defensive posture and every man was shouting incomprehensible words. He could discern only three men clad in proper armour and who wore a daisho. And they tried to calm the men with shouts of their own, which worked more or less. With one hand gesture from Kenichi, the horsemen effortlessly changed their Order of March from a column to an extended line. Kenichi was in the centre and Lord Naishi on his right. Motokazu was on the right of the Lord. Once they were position the line formed a slight crescent shape with the edges closer to the border than the centre. Each man had his musket at the ready. Usagi watched from the safety of the trees where the detachment had emerged and smiled. Not even during the days of his Lord Mifune did he witness such martial excellence. No doubt the border guards were equally effected by how well the horsemen moved into position. One of the samurai had tossed away his raincoat, adjusted his helmet and stepped forward. He would show these interlopers what he was made of soon enough.

"Halt and identify yourselves or we will cut you down," He looked beyond them to the trees, "And whoever else is with you."

Lord Naishi spurred his horse forward, which set several of the spearmen off and brandished their shaking weapons at him. He didn't travel far, hardly one horse length. He then leaned against the pommel of his saddle.

"Good morning, Kitamura."

The samurai drew back and put his hand on his sword, "Who are you?"

"By the gods, man," He lifted the brim of his helmet just slightly, "Don't you recognise your lord?"

Kitamura did and was immediately struck with fear. His hand shook even as he held his sword. He turned to the other samurai who were equally stymied. The spearmen were already scared and had no idea what was going on now.