[IC] For Love And Country: The Road To Marriage!

[Midori]

Agata Castle, Hyuga Province 1 week ago
The quiet air of a cool spring morning fills the chambers of Daimyo Ito as he waits for his daughter to join him. Servants lay out a breakfast along a low table as the rest of the castle carries on with it's day. Samurai can be heard outside training soldiers and honing their skills alongside a chorus of songbirds. The world around them seemed at peace but all was not as it seemed. He had lost two provinces to Daimyo Otomo in the past years and it seemed he was poised to lose what little land he had left in Hyuga. Daimyo Ito needed allies in his fight against Otomo. Daimyo Amako who held the Izumo, Hoki, and Oki provinces was his cousin and would surely come to his aid given the right incentive. That incentive was the matter of the day. Daimyo Amako had only one son and needed to secure his lineage, Daimyo Ito would provide this security in exchange for military aid. It was perhaps the only choice left to him as even the great and honorable Daimyo Shimazu could not afford to defend his border and send aid through Hyuga as well.

Daimyo Ito was soon joined by his daughter who had only just turned sixteen. She sat across from him at the low table and greeted him.
"You wished to speak to me, Father?"
"Yes, Azumi, it is a matter of utmost importance. You know our lands have been seized by Otomo, which is why we now reside here at Agata castle."
"Yes, Father."
"I need to gather aid in order to gain advantage over Otomo and his armies. Daimyo Amako will send armies to fight Otomo but not without gaining something in return."
"Am I to be that something, Father?"
"I am sending you to marry his only son. This will secure his clan lives on and, with the help of his armies, ours will be secured as well."
"What if I am not ready to be married?"
"It is your duty as my daughter. You knew this day would come. In one weeks time you will begin your journey to the Province of Izumo along with four of my bravest Samurai. They will keep you safe."

Agata Castle, Hyuga Province Present day
Daimyo Ito addresses four Samurai in the castle courtyard as the sun slowly rises in the morning.
"Today you will set out with Princess Ito to the Province of Izumo. I expect your journey will not be easy but each of you has shown yourselves to be strong and honorable. I trust you will all protect my daughter's life with your own if necessary. You must travel as the common people do so be sure to gather what you need from town. Princess Ito will be joining you at the gates when you are ready to leave."

[SyrianHamster]

"Today you will set out with Princess Ito to the Province of Izumo. I expect your journey will not be easy but each of you has shown yourselves to be strong and honorable. I trust you will all protect my daughter's life with your own if necessary. You must travel as the common people do so be sure to gather what you need from town. Princess Ito will be joining you at the gates when you are ready to leave."

Tetsuo rose to his feet in one fluid movement and bowed his head to Lord Ito. He issued no words, and exchanged no gesture; his mission was clear and there was no need to dally. Turning on the spot, he left his companions and headed for the castle's open gateway.

Before Tetsuo could leave, he had two duties to attend to. One was a matter of honour, and another was a matter of dishonour. The latter pained his conscience, but he was more uncertain now than he had ever been about his mortality. This journey would kill him, he knew it in his bones, but it would not dissuade him from what honour demanded.

Descending from the rise of Agata castle, Tetsuo entered the town. Peasants went about their toil with miserable expressions; Ashigaru, tight in formation, marched past him with grim faces. A few Samurai milled about, exchanging hushed words and looking uneasily at passerbys. These were hard times for the peoples of Lord Ito's domain. Unending war had stripped them of riches, recent defeats had cost them their land and things did not look set to get better.

Tetsuo pitied them, peasant and Samurai alike. There was little happiness to be found in a losing battle, and he was grateful that he would no longer be part of it one way or the other. One way or the other, Lord Ito's struggle would no longer concern him.

A pang of guilt struck his conscience then, and he recoiled at himself as he processed his thoughts. Where had such selfishness come from? These were his people as much they were Lord Ito's. He had fought for them, he had fought besides them, shared defeats as much as victories and had helped many redeem their honour with the stroke of a sword. He paused as his entered the town proper, and stepped aside as a column of Ashigaru made their way past him.

Looking up at the sky, and taking in the endless field of blue, he made a solemn vow: no more selfishness, no more defeatism, and no more expectations of an impending death. He was Lord Ito's servant, loyal and strong. He would lead the young Princess to her to-be-husband, and his people, Lord Ito's people, would see their fortunes renewed.

As the Ashigaru passed, Tetsuo attended to his first duty. Stopping by the blacksmith, the aging Samurai held out a piece of script that he had stuffed into his komino. The blacksmith was a wily young man, and looked up at Tetsuo with curious eyes. The script was the deeds to Tetsuo's home, and more importantly, his battle armour. It was an old set of laced steel, and though he had cared for it dutifully, it was beginning to rust around the edges. He would not require it on this journey, and so he figured, one way or the other he would not require it again.

“Show this to my land steward. You will find him down by the thatchers. He will grant you access to everything I have, which we have already discussed,” croaked Tetsuo, staring hard into the eyes of the young blacksmith.

“Of course, noble Tetsuo. Here is what we agreed,” replied the blacksmith, as he removed a small leather pouch from around his neck.

Tetsuo snatched the pouch from the blacksmith, gave a slight nod and a grunt, and then proceeded onto his second, darker duty.
Leaving the blacksmith, Tetsuo headed for the local Sake Den. When he was a young man, Tetsuo frequented the whore houses but never chose for himself a wife. It was not such a matter of dishonour as it was of poor taste; all men needed a wife, it was his duty, but then all men had the rights to the loose women who sold themselves for a pittance. Fourteen years ago, he fathered a daughter with a beautiful young Geisha. The session had cost him a mere gold coin, but the resulting offspring had cost him far more in terms of pride and personal contentment.

And so it was, his final act before the road would be one of shallow salvation. His bastard daughter did not know him, he had forbidden it. Her mother was now a spinster, working the fields every day from dawn to dusk. They lived a miserable existence, and he was responsible. Today he was to go part way of fixing that.

Entering the Sake Den he was instantly recognised and hailed by various off-duty Samurai. He bowed them each in turn, and walked up to the bar where he was greeted by a short tubby man with unclean matted hair. Immediately the barman produced two small clay cups, and filled them with a bottle of sake.

“No drink for me, old friend, just a favour,” said Tetsuo, smiling.

“The girl?” Asked the barman, smirking as he threw back his cup of sake.

“And the mother,” replied Tetsuo sternly. “They must not know I sent this. It would be wrong of me to make myself known now, after all these years.”

“As you say.”

Tetsuo planted the leather pouch on the bar, turned and left in a single movement. There was no more to say, and now, there was nothing else to be taken care of. He focused purely on the task at hand: Princess Akumi's safety concerned his thoughts. Distant memories of roads local and far strew themselves across his mind's eye, and he immediately set about identifying the more dangerous areas. In his imagination he saw bandits, armed with bow and sword, snarling in the bushes; he saw Otomo Samurai, mounted on horse and charging down a village road. There were many points for ambush, and much evil abroad that would attempt to harm the Princess.

Troubled, but calculated, Tetsuo made his way to the town gates. There he would find his cherished yari, and the ancestral swords of his father.

[xRobynx]

“Dimayo Ito has summoned your presence it is a matter of utmost importance. Prepare yourself for a journey. I hear you are to escort valuable cargo.”

Sayuri set her cup down on the table and looked over at the older man who delivered such a message.

“When does Dimayo need me to arrive?”

“First thing in the morning.”

“I shall not disappoint,” she replied her eyes solid and unmoving as they seemed to look off into another time and place.

“Very well,” the messenger said as he arose, “I must inform the others.” He turned to leave.

“Please,” she said interrupting his exit. He stopped and turned back to her as she still sat at her small table, “Please, take some onigiri with you. You must be hungry.”

The man nodded, “You are very kind, Sayuri-sama.”

She nodded, “Take your fill,” she said as she stood up and started walking back further into her tiny home.

In the back room she heard the man take a few before taking his leave. Once again, she was alone. Her eyes grew heavy as she looked upon her late husband's blade.

He died honorably, she thought to herself, couldn't hope for more than that...

- - - - - - -

Affront Daimyo Ito she stood with three other men, one was clearly older than the rest but she had found it unwise to judge someone so quickly. They knelt before the Daimyo as he spoke.


"Today you will set out with Princess Ito to the Province of Izumo. I expect your journey will not be easy but each of you has shown yourselves to be strong and honorable. I trust you will all protect my daughter's life with your own if necessary. You must travel as the common people do so be sure to gather what you need from town. Princess Ito will be joining you at the gates when you are ready to leave."


The conversation was short and forward, no other words need be said. They were dismissed and the eldest of the three men that were now to be companions for such a time had quickly made his leave. Sayuri, however, was already prepared. She made her way to the gates without a word to anyone else. Her attire was simple enough as it stood, but her hair was still quite formal. Having a meeting with the Daimyo himself would do that. She released her long dark hair and let it fall to her shoulders as she looked out to the lands beyond the gate, wondering what lay ahead.

[Marcus XVI]

The trip from Satsuma to northern Hyuga had been a positively uneventful one. Before arriving to the lands of the Ito Toshiro had bid farewells to the few retainers that had accompanied him, given his armor to them for safekeeping and and had dressed up in the attire he'd be wearing for the remainder of his journey. He had been greeted politely at the gates and provided with lodgings for the duration of his stay.

That had been roughly three days ago - though obviously this whole thing had been on a planning stage for much longer. As the morning had dawned and he had found himself standing amidst a small group, a woman, a man roughly 10 to 15 year younger than what he himself was and a man at least 15 years older than he himself was. Toshiro forced away the small, proper smile that tried to creep to his lips as he wondered how odd this collection of people would look traveling on the road.

When the Daimyo had spoken Toshiro straightened up, went to gather his weapons and some rations. He mused to himself about the situation and the current alliance between Shimazu and Ito - if Toshiro would be the head of the clan the whole province of Hyuga would already be under the Shimazu control, but he wasn't the head of the clan so such thoughts were meaningless. He shook his head and adjusted the straw hat. There would be ample opportunity for foolish warfare in the future. His father had pledged his aid to the Ito and Toshiro knew better than to go against his father's wishes. Getting the princess safely to be wed was a task much more important at the moment than conquering the province.

After he banished the thoughts of future from his mind the Shimazu made his way to the local temple for a quick prayer. Then he finally made his way to the gates and awaited for the true beginning of their trip.

[Alehkra]

Matotsuru could not help but feel his chest swell with pride as he stood before Daimyo Ito to receive his mission. Less than half a decade before, it would be inconceivable that Matotsuru would be entrusted with a task of such grave importance to the clan's well-being. The Yoshitsune family, while once great, had been reduced to no more than rural, backwards Samurai who worked the fields beside their peasants. Matotsuru imagined that, even now, his father was working the rice paddies alongside the villagers while his mother tended the silkworms. Matotsuru had decided that he was not content with such a life. His ancestors had been warriors of great renown, and he was determined to restore that reputation.

It was for this reason that Matotsuru felt that he owed a great debt to Daimyo Ito. He had been willing to accept a lowly rural Samurai into his service. Though the clan had not fared well over the past few years, the constant warfare had provided many opportunities for Matotsuru to prove himself. Before he was even fully a man he had thrown himself into battle time and time again in the name of Daimyo Ito. He had fought through both victory and defeat, and perhaps miraculously, had survived each such encounter. He had earned not only an impressive array of scars for one so young, but also the respect of the older, more experienced Samurai that he fought with. Even still, however, Matotsuru was a little awed that he would be traveling with the well-known Miyasato Tetsuo, whom had been serving Lord Ito before he had even been born.

After they were dismissed by Lord Ito, Matotsuru made his way towards the modest quarters he inhabited in the castle proper. While he had already prepared extensively for the journey, there were a couple things he needed to do before he could leave. First he needed to change. due to the honor of being in the presence of his Lord, Matotsuru had dressed in his most formal kimono, and had worn his hair in a top-knot. In preparation for the journey, Matotsuru shed his formal clothing and dressed in simple clothes, including a jacket and baggy hakama. Ironically enough, this simple "peasant" clothes were what Matotsuru had worn when he first came to serve Lord Ito.

"It seems that after all these years I've just come full-circle." Matotsuru said to himself, chuckling lightly. After slipping into the plain clothes he untied his hair, letting it hang loose around his shoulders instead of the top-knot he had worn for the meeting with Lord Ito. All told, he looked like either a well-groomed commoner or a wandering ronin. The two swords belted at his waist lent much more credence to the latter, of course, as did the well-kept yumi that he also carried. Matotsuru took a rather wistful look at the suit of armor he had mounted on a stand in the center of the room.

The armor was a source of great pride for him. When Matotsuru had left home, his father had not been willing to let him take the family's one suit of armor. He had told Matotsuru to consider himself lucky that he was letting him take the family longbow. As such, the young Samurai had fought his first battle without any armor. But for the daisho at his belt, he would have been indistinguishable from any Ashigaru. Matotsuru survived the battle, gaining his first scar. As a reward for bravery during the battle, he had been gifted a good, quality set of iron armor. Still, Matotsuru reminded himself that a Samurai in full armor was not exactly the most inconspicuous of characters.

Gathering up the last of his things, he left his room and made his way through the castle. He picked his way through the meandering streets of the castle town, and before long he was in sight of the gate. He picked up his step, not wanting to keep the Princess or his fellow travelers waiting.

[SyrianHamster]

Tetsuo was the last to arrive at the castle gates, a slight he hoped Lord Ito would not take as an insult. Loyalty and devotion to one's master was the key building block to any man, but sometimes there had to be exceptions. Untended personal business is loud professional business, Tetsuo's father had once said. This last thought made the old man halt abruptly; how old had his father been when he succumbed to a sudden chest pain? Forty? It was a bitter memory, and Tetsuo could not recall the man's face.

Noticing that his soon-to-be companions were staring at him beneath the open gate, Tetsuo immediately regained his stone-faced posture and marched onwards. As he came into speaking range, the aged warrior started to pull at the arms of his kimono. His companions looked on curiously. Four subtle and quick tugs reduced the sleeves to mere rags, revealing his scar-covered arms.

"Aki, Hensai!" He barked.

Two armoured samurai standing beside the gates ran forwards. One held a spear, the other a sheathed tanto and wakazashi. Neither of these weapons looked of any notable quality, but they served Tetsuo well most of his life - save for the spear which required regular replacement. As they approached, Tetsuo snatched the tanto from its sheath, grabbed the knot of his iron-grey hair and started hacking away. Some of the townspeople stopped in their daily toils to glare at the sight. When he was done, he sheathed the tanto, and went on to secure the two swords to his belt. Finally he grabbed the yari, and held it aloft in one hand to judge its weight. A few seconds passed before he smiled, and dismissed the two samurai who had borne him his weapons.

Looking less like a noble warrior, and more like a crazy beggar, the newly disheveled Miyasato Tetsuo smiled and bowed his head to his companions. He disapproved of the woman who had the audacity to name herself a warrior, but these were strange times. He would tolerate her presence because Lord Ito had selected her for the task, and besides, the Princess would require a female tender. However, should battle be joined, he would ensure this foolish woman was as far away from the action as he could place her. The last thing any of the group would need was a weak link in a defensive chain.

"My name is Miyasato Tetsuo. I am honoured to be considered worthy of fighting besides all of you - should the need arise, of course," he lied.

Things were not so bad though. This Toshiro character was from the south, and looked to be an able fighter - but time would tell. Matotsuru was young, and Tetsuo found him to be reckless on the Testing Grounds, but he had plenty of vigor. Should things come to drawn swords, Tetsuo was half-confident they could defy a group of bandits three times their number.

[xRobynx]

One by one the warriors she had seen before arrived at the rally point, but the Princess herself was yet to show. This was for the best she thought, better she be tardy than any of them. No one spoke to each other, merely standing awaiting their objective.

The last, and clearly eldest, of them out arrive with a bit more of a show. She watched on as he tore his kimono to rags and called upon two armored compatriots standing watch at the gate to which they stood. They ran to his side. Sayuri couldn't help but watch in an awed silence at how they respected him. The man must be be of very notable importance. She watched as he chopped the topknot from his head, a feat that even caused pause among the common-folk.

Finally he would surrender a small smile and a customary bow. She returned the courtesy, he then spoke.

"My name is Miyasato Tetsuo. I am honoured to be considered worthy of fighting beside all of you - should the need arise, of course."

Hopefully the need would not arise, but no one could make that promise. “Tsukino, Sayuri, an honor,” she replied with fully courtesy.

[Marcus XVI]

Toshiro smiled ever so faintly as he examined the rest of the group. The old man - Tetsuo, was it? - was probably going to end up slowing the group down, or then he'd try to chew everyone's ears off with stories about his 'glory days'. Still the old man had an air of experience about him. The Shimazu remarked that he himself was probably going to stick out like a sore thumb from the rest of the group. He adjusted his straw hat a bit and bowed his head slightly to both Tetsuo and Sayuri. "Toshiro of the Shimazu, also as honoured as both of you."

For now being polite and acting a bit absentminded seemed like a good course of action. Perhaps these people would turn out to be good company in the long run and in some way they could aid the Shimazu cause. Toshiro glanced at Tetsuo and spoke in the most polite and calm tone he could muster. "Let us hope that there is no need for that - after all winning a hundred battles is far less of an achievement than subduing the enemy without fighting the same amount of times."

[Alehkra]

Matotsuru bowed low in respect to his three companions, though the bow for Tetsuo was notably lower, just as the one for Sayuri seemed just a tad shallow. "I am Yoshitisune Matotsuru. I am deeply honored to be traveling alongside such worthy companions. " A wide smile split his face, and he looked almost childishly sincere. "I must admit, being considered worthy of helping to protect Ito Hime fills me with pride. We are working towards a noble goal, my friends. Surely the Gods will look favorably upon us in this mission; we cannot help but succeed." Matotsuru was still young enough (some might say naive enough) to believe in such idealism. Despite the defeats he had suffered while serving under the Ito, he could not bring himself to look at the future cynically. As far as Matotsuru was concerned, he had not yet reached the high point of his life. How could he possibly fail before he had even truly begun?

"I have always thought that there has been too much stock placed into the wisdom of the Chinese." Matotsuru said to Toshirio, still smiling brightly. "Where was their mastery of military matters, handed down from Sun Tzu, when faced with the hordes of the Mongolian Khans? It seems to me that while the Chinese were trusting in the wisdom of winning without fighting, they were conquered. We Japanese fought our battles until the Gods themselves swept the Mongols away from our islands." This was, naturally, a gross distortion of accounts and ignored several important factors that kept Japan from Mongolian domination. It did, however, cast the Japanese in general and the Samurai in particular in a very favorable light. As such, that was how Matotsuru preferred to look at things.

[SyrianHamster]

Tetsuo felt a shimmer of pride at Matotsuru's obvious admiration of him. It was always a warm comfort for a man of war, who after so many years of bitter sword-work could sit back and admire the self-made empire of respect he had constructed. Pride however, was not something Tetsuo was fond of showing. Neither was it a positive contribution to any person's character. Keeping his face as unfeeling as granite, he joined his companions.

The woman returned his earlier greeting. He gave her a dismissive nod; had she not been Lord Ito's chosen, she probably would have not recieved even that. He feared a retort, or some kind of hurt expression from the woman's face, but saw none. The tension between them built quickly, and both were forced to averted eye contact to avoid a scene.

Luckily, right on que, the young Matotsuru started to speak with his usual impassioned ideas of the world. Tetsuo was glad for the intervention; a public falling out with one of the other assigned bodyguards would not have boded well for Matotsuru's honour so soon into the trip. After all, who was he to judge this woman's true strength? He would hold her thin arms and frail constitution against her, but would keep a little room of respect for her obvious courage.

"...we Japanese fought our battles until the Gods themselves swept the Mongols away from our islands," Matotsuru finished.

"Matotsuru, my young friend," said Tetsuo with a gentle smile, "perhaps you wish to tell us of how the Mongols broke upon us like water on rock? How we stood, waiting for them to fight in single combat, as was the custom of our fathers of old."

The Mongols had no concept of single combat, and little respect for Japan's martial laws. Their formations charged the Japanese homeland and the Samurai were caught off guard by the nature of the attack. Had the 'Gods', as the young man had put it, not stepped in, Japan would have struggled to muster a proper response.

Before Matotsuru could reply, Tetsuo held up his hand, "A jest, young warrior. an old man's folly."

Turning abruptly to the Southerner, Tetsuo lowered his head - lower than usual.

"Shimazu. It is a proud name, worthy of its status in our land, and I am glad that your wisdom matches that status. I am sure that, come what may, I can count on your sound council as well as your blade."

Turning away from the Southerner, the aging warrior's nerves started to fray. Where was the Princess and her procession? Surely they should have been here waiting for us? He glanced around at the townsfolk, some of whom had now gathered into small groups to watch the procedings. He thought about heading back to the castle to ensure things were okay, that evil had not befallen them before they had even set foot outside the walls, but he quickly calmed himself. Such anxiety would not be a fantastic display to a group of mostly strangers he would be spending a great deal of time with.

[Midori]

As the Samurai spoke among themselves a small crowd could be seen slowly making it's way up the street. In the middle of the crowd was Princess Ito riding side-saddle on a black horse as it was led through the street by a young Samurai. She was wearing common pink kimono, a field of chrysanthemum flowers was embroidered near the bottom hem and the sleeves were slightly longer than her arms and a simple but well crafted sugegasa shaded her face from the sun. The horse was also dressed plainly as if it belonged to a moderately well-off common family. All in all, the only things that betrayed the 'commoner disguise' were Lady Ito's fair and gentle complexion along with her perfectly groomed silk black hair, which she simply wore down.

The crowd was a mix of Bushi and commoner alike wishing her well and offering various gifts for the journey. Most of them would have to be refused as she could not take more than she needed for the trip. The young Samurai leading the horse asked the crowd to disperse as he reached the gate and stopped in front of the four escorts. "The Princess Ito was delayed slightly from the crowd, my apologies. Please watch over the Princess." The young Samurai bowed to the group and waited for on of them to take the reigns of the horse.

[Alehkra]

Matotsuru, after a very low and respectful bow, took the reigns from the young Samurai. "Thank you for delivering the Princess to us. We will ensure that she reaches her betrothed safely." He turned to look Lady Ito and smiled widely. "Welcome, Princess. My name is Yoshitisune Matotsuru, and I have been given the honor of accompanying you on your journey, to see that no harm comes to you. I promise you, my Lady, that between our worthy companions and I, you will have absolutely nothing to fear. We will see that your joyous wedding day will come swiftly." It was clear that Matotsuru was blissfully free of any sort of self-awareness. He had faith in himself, his abilities, and the favor of the Gods. Anything else, any backroom politics or cowardly ambushes, never even entered into the equation for him. They were brave and strong, and in his mind were given a noble quest. Therefore, there could be no failure.

Having said what he needed to say, Matotsuru turned towards his other companions. "It seems that we are finally all arrived. Who has the itinerary? Where are we off to first, and how quickly must we travel to reach our destination on time?"

[Marcus XVI]

Toshiro had been about to give Matotsuru a rather scathing - though well hidden and seemingly polite - response, but the arrival of Ito-Hime made him reconsider the possibility of the action. Though the Shimazu didn't like the opinions of the younger man he had to grudgingly admit that he already kinda liked the bit overeager young man. Toshiro glanced at the princess and smiled as he spoke "With your permission I shall now shed away the guise of a Shimazu samurai and offer you my humblest greetings as a mere traveling monk." He shook his head slightly, adjusted his hat and bowed to the princess - the bow was knowingly exaggerated, after all he was now just a traveling monk. "Thus accept these humblest greetings and prayers of safe journey to you Ito-Hime."

After a brief while Toshiro straightened up and folded his arms to the sleeves of his robes. "To answer your question, Yoshitsune-san, I suggest we move through Bungo as quickly as possible - that is as far as I know the quickest route for us to take." He turned towards Tetsuo and Sayuri. "What would you suggest Miyasato-dono, or you, Tsukino-san?"

[SyrianHamster]

"I would suggest that we avoid Otomo lands altogether," replied Tetsuo, "for if there is evil awaiting us, it is surely upon the foot trails of Bungo that we will find it. No, I propose that we bypass Otomo lands altogether. Let us make for the coast, and commandeer ourselves a boat that will take us to Shikoku."

[xRobynx]

"Let us hope that there is no need for that - after all winning a hundred battles is far less of an achievement than subduing the enemy without fighting the same amount of times."

Sayuri nodded at Toshiro, these were great words of wisdom, ones she would keep close to her heart.

Matotsuru bowed to greet them all, and the fact the bow given to her was noticeably shallower didn't go unnoticed, she maintained her silence and composure. Tetsuo would also give her a mere nod. Her pride took a hit by such gestures of disrespect..

Matotsuru and Tetsuo, however, would not take the previous words to heart as she had. Instead they seemed much more likely to warmonger. Sayuri felt a bitter taste in her mouth as she thought about it. Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the princess herself.

Drawn on horseback she rode with a young warrior holding the reigns she approached. Sayuri, as well as her new companions, all bowed to their princess. Then the planning began. They needed to determine the safest route.

"It seems that we are finally all arrived. Who has the itinerary? Where are we off to first, and how quickly must we travel to reach our destination on time?"

"To answer your question, Yoshitsune-san, I suggest we move through Bungo as quickly as possible - that is as far as I know the quickest route for us to take."

The elder man would jump in, "I would suggest that we avoid Otomo lands altogether, for if there is evil awaiting us, it is surely upon the foot trails of Bungo that we will find it. No, I propose that we bypass Otomo lands altogether. Let us make for the coast, and commandeer ourselves a boat that will take us to Shikoku."

Sayuri, intent on not going unheard spoke, “He's right. Hopping a boat would be the safest route,” she paused for a second to collect her thoughts, “It would be even safer to take the boat around and we can port in to Izumo directly. Only problem is if we can't find a ship heading that way, or find some proper sailors we'll be lost to the open sea. Otherwise we can take one to the ports on this side of the island. We are more likely to run into pirates though... and port security might pose a problem depending on where we pull in.”

[Alehkra]

Matotsuru could not deny that there was sense in what Sayuri and Tetsuo were saying. The safest and quickest route would undeniably be via the sea. Still, Matotsuru had never been very comfortable with the water, and with boats in particular. He had had a bad experience while accompanying his father on a fishing trip as a child, and had been a very nervous sailor ever since. Naturally, however, he would never admit to being afraid. No, Yoshitisune Matotsuru was a brave young Samurai, and would never admit to fear. Especially not in front of two women, and two older men that he had much respect for.

"To be honest, I have very little experience in the ways of boats and sailing." Matotsuru told his companions a little bashfully. "I am confident, Sayuri-san, that we will be able to handle any pirates so unwise as to choose us as prey, and we would surely be doing a favor for those who make their living from the sea. Still...I generally prefer to have solid earth beneath my feet when I fight, and I would be of little assistance in working the boat." He scratched his chin as he thought, trying to think of a way to make the trip easier. He wanted to be of valuable service, not only in battle but also in making decisions.

"If the port authorities are an issue...surely Lord Ito has friends in Shikoku, yes? An ally, or someone who owes him a favor. If we had a respected figure present to vouch for us, or even better someone who controls the port, then certainly that would not be a problem. If, however, we are not able to find a friend in Shikoku, then I would have to agree with Toshiro-san. Our safest route, barring safe port in Shikoku, would be through Bungo. The Otomo are our enemies, it is true. But it seems to me that those traveling by foot are less conspicuous than those arriving by boat."

[Marcus XVI]

Toshiro tilted his head slightly as he thought about their current plans - going through Bungo might not be quick and like the others had said the sea route would be quicker, but it would make them easier to detect. Then an idea hit him - it was directly from the chinese texts he loved to read so much and wasn't the best of plans, but he decided to suggest it anyways. "Perhaps we could make it look like we are heading to Shikoku, but instead sneak through Bungo." The original text was 'Openly repair the gallery roads, but sneak through the passage of Chencan', though admittedly what Toshiro suggested was actually the very opposite of the actual meaning - making it seem like you take a longer route and instead opt to take a shortcut.

He smiled faintly and bowed his head to the others. "I must warn you that if we are going to head to Shikoku I will not be of much use. I get terribly seasick." Toshiro admitted politely and shook his head very slightly. "Besides I loathe the idea that we would run in to pirates - or worse, the Mori." The last word, Mori was punctuated by spitting on the ground, obviously the Shimazu had very little respect for that particular clan. Admittedly Toshiro had very little reason to hate the Mori - he had been insulted in his youth by the sons of the Mori daimyo and that was something he would not forget as long as he lived.

"However I will go along with the plan of your choosing and pray for a safe trip." Toshiro stated after a brief while.

[SyrianHamster]

Tetsuo was pained at the obvious lack of confidence displayed by his group. He himself was no sailor, and the journey to Shikoku would be a throw of the dice. However, he felt strongly that the entire Otomo army would be on the look out for suspicious travellers. He abruptly walked off from the group, stopping only to give the Princess a slight bow. A sword could not cut through the neck of a kneeling man unless it was certain and true to its cause, much like this group could not commit to a course of action unless it was likewise certain and true to its cause. Already it seemed to the old man, this group had revealed its greatest weakness.

Even more frustrating for Tetsuo, was that the only one who showed any real confidence was the woman. At least she contribued constructively, rather than rattled out excuses. Breathing deeply, and looking up towards the sky, the aging warrior decided that a focused effort down a doomed road was better than a divided effort down an uncertain road. Settled in his mind, at least for now, Tetsuo made his way back to his companions.

"We make for Bungo, but we avoid the roads," said Tetsuo sternly, "there will be no need for a distraction. I will not waste money nor lives on an act of dishonour; if our enemy seeks us, he will find us and we will deter him openly."

Becoming aware of his blatant agitation, the old man reasserted control over himself. His customary smile reappeared, and his tensed shoulders dropped an inch.

"Bungo is open country, we must stick to the forested mountains and avoid the main travel ways. I will take the lead, and you will follow - unless any of you feel that you have better knowledge of the area... it has been some years since I last headed north."

[xRobynx]

Sayuri sighed at the words of doubt each would speak. Seasick, not being a sailor, all excuses. She was no sailor either but none of them had to be to complete the objective. They merely had to obtain sailors, not become them. The eldest of them began to speak.

"We make for Bungo, but we avoid the roads. There will be no need for a distraction. I will not waste money nor lives on an act of dishonour; if our enemy seeks us, he will find us and we will deter him openly."

While it seemed like a good plan overall, considering the fact the rest didn't seem as though they could handle a bit of water, his words showed her much about him, and it wasn't something she liked.

“And I will not waste the life of our princess in the fear of an act of dishonour on out part,” she snapped, “Do you honestly expect them to fight so honourably? I fear not death, but I fear mission failure, a fate much worse. If they employ ninja? What then of honourable combat?”

[SyrianHamster]

Tetsuo growled at the woman's insolence. If she were a man, she would have found herself on the end of his spear; no one questioned his integrity. No one.

"Fronting a woman to stand in a battle line is already one dishonourable slight that I will for now tolerate," he spat, "and the ninja are not a formidable as you would think. But then you would thnk they were, wouldn't you? You're a woman, you listen to the gossip of the common people and you thrive on it."

Angry now, infuriated in fact, Tetsuo stormed towards Sayuri with his spear held firmly in both hands. He may have struck at her, if it were not for the last second restraint he was able to bring to the fore. Glaring at her, with mere yards seperating them, he turned and franticly tried to regain his composure. What were you thinking, you stupid old fool? Tetsuo's mind cried. He needed, no, he had to refocus himself. This mission was to be his final act. Such a display was distasteful, and Tetsuo did not want the last memories of him to be of an angry, hard headed simplistic idiot. He was better than this, and he needed deperately to show it.

Tetsuo sighed, and dropped to his knees before the Princess. "Forgive my childish illustration, my Lady. This mission is like no other that I have undergone. It is complex, and it is unconventional," he said, "but your safety is my only concern, and please never question this."

Gaining his feet, and not quite expecting an awnser from one so royal, Tetsuo adressed the group, "It appears I have shown my age. Too many years spent on the bloodied fields of battle have dulled my senses and turned my will to iron," he turned to Sayuri, "i aplogise for my outburst. They were hasty words."

Standing back, Tetsuo pushed his feelings of self-doubt to the back of his mind. "I stand at the groups command; where you think we should go, I will follow and where you think we should fight, I will stand my ground honourably."