L5R Chronicle: The Day the Horses Died
I slept late the next morning, though I suppose it could be said that I had an excuse. The night before hadn't been the most restful. Embarrassed anyway, I washed quickly and went to go find the chamberlain. I was hungry, but the matter of Benkai had lain uneasily on my mind all night and was calling to be dealt with. A hunting through the house turned up the fact that Atsuko had left word that she would be consulting with a member of her family all day, but no chamberlain.
Beginning to be frustrated, I combed the halls again and this time as I rounded the corner towards the kitchens, his sweating face appeared directly before me. Pulling myself up with disgust, I coldly asked him to summon a courier that could guide me to the mortician, Eyebrows. His eyes bugged even more than normal and he swallowed hard.
"Um, you're going to go see him??" he managed to strangle out.
"Of course. I'm not going to bring an eta here to my residence to speak to. Why, where did the old magistrates talk to him?"
"Erm, the... um... Civil Hall of course," he pompously told me, wiping sweat off his forehead. I thought for a moment. I could have the man summoned to the Civil Hall, but I suspected that the Civil Hall wouldn't be the most secure place to discuss anything that had to do with Benkai. Smiling inwardly at my own newly-developed paranoia, I glared at the chamberlain.
"I would like to be conducted to Eyebrows' as soon as possible. Please send for a guide." I turned on my heel and walked into the kitchen, pleased by the outraged noises he was making behind me.
The cook was looking more awake than he had been the day before, but unfortunately as surly as ever. I asked him politely for some rice and soup, and at least for once he didn't taunt me about my fish aversion or meat preference. He applied a red sauce to the rice and handed it to me. Wandering out to the garden, I munched on the rice. The sauce was fiery and delicious - I made a mental note to thank him for finding something that would appeal to my taste for spices.
**
Just as I finished eating, a glint of metal in the shade of one of the trees caught my eye. I stared into the shadows, and in a moment was able to discern the figure of Fukushuu Kaze. Leaping up, dishes forgotten, I crossed the length of the garden in a few strides and knelt on one knee beside him.
He was asleep and covered in blood. The gift katana that had disappeared from my room the night before lay next to him, bloodier than he, if such a thing was possible. I swallowed, fear for what it may have been that he had done crowding rational thought out of my mind. I shook him roughly and after a moment he blinked up at me.
"Oh. It's you," he said flatly and made as if to go limp again. I restrained the urge to slap him across the face and shook him harder.
"What have you DONE???" I hissed at him. He looked at me calmly.
"It was a family matter. Nothing to concern you, Otaku-san." Rage boiled over and I pulled him up to a sitting position and rattled him until his head lolled.
"It became my concern when you used MY katana to do your dirty work and came back to drip blood in MY garden," I whispered, flames dancing in my eyes. He giggled quietly.
"Anyone who could have identified the blade is dead, and I made sure that no one followed me here, Otaku-san." He looked into my eyes and considered. "If you must know, I went to the Scorpion quarter and severed my ties to my family. You will be pleased to know that I burned down five separate illegal opium affiliates. The blood you see on me is that of the Thunder Guard horses I killed to keep them from following me."
I let him drop in disgust and he slumped against the tree trunk. He offered me the blasted ugly katana covered in gore and I glared at him.
"Don't offer me that bloodstained mess," I told him icily. He shrugged, hauled himself up and made his way to the pool in one corner of the garden. Kneeling, he pulled off his overshirt and started to use it to clean the blade meticulously. I stood nearby and watched him as he rinsed and rubbed at the metal, and let my thoughts race.
He was, unfortunately, somewhat correct. What he had done was really in the jurisdiction of the local magistrates, not myself. If he was turned in to them, however, he would be tortured and executed and not only would Atsuko not be happy about that, I would be losing a potentially very useful man. If he was speaking the truth about the opium dealers, then I was indebted to him for doing something I couldn't have done without his knowledge. If he had made sure that no one had followed him, then no one could trace him to my residence. If. So many "if"s.
By the time he finished carefully rinsing the sword and proffered it to me from one knee, I'd made my decision. Sighing, I made a motion for him to go upstairs to rest and as he left the garden, I searched for Captain. I found him at the front gate and he straightened as I approached.
"Yes, Magistrate?" Sketching a quick glance to ensure that we were relatively alone, I related to him in a low voice what his cousin had told me. His eyes widened and his mouth worked as I spoke. He'd just taken a breath to speak as I finished when a movement outside the gates drew both of our gazes. I cursed under my breath to see Captain Jocho and two guards blazing up the street towards us, his furious expression clearing the way better than any cry to make way could have. He was afoot. I took a deep breath as he stormed up.
Bowing, I inquired to what I owed the pleasure of his visit. He ignored my offer to be conducted inside the house, and started speaking angrily. The longer he spoke, the more I quailed inwardly and froze my expression outwardly.
"I have a matter for you Magistrates. I know that you are not slated to officially begin your duties for some weeks, but a heinous crime occurred last night that I want you to Deal With. The entire stable of the Thunder Guard's steeds were SLAUGHTERED last night. It was a blatant act of cruelty and obviously designed to throw the Thunder Guard into confusion. I want the matter investigated and resolved in five days time or heads will roll." He glared at me as he hissed the last word and I prayed that my face wouldn't betray me.
"Shosuro-san, pardon my ignorance, but would not this fall more under the jurisdiction of the local magistrates..." I started, but he made an angry motion and cut me off.
"The local magistrates are incompetent," he snarled. "YOU will see to this matter."
I tried again. "I'm terribly sorry, Shosuro-san, but I honestly don't have the personnel to undertake an investigation of this magnitude by myself. I'd be pleased to assist the local magistrates in their investigation but I'm afraid that I'm dreadfully unsuited to be heading an investigation at this point in time."
His eyes blazed. "You will obtain the personnel necessary and find the person responsible for this act of terrorism. If the matter is not taken care of in five days I will go to my mother." He turned to leave. "Five days," he spat over his shoulder as he strode out the gate and his pair of guards leered at me. I stayed still, head bowed respectfully, until he disappeared around a corner. My head snapped up. Captain called for one of the Crane twins to take his place at the gate and we looked at each other.
"I think we need to go talk to your cousin," I said. He nodded, tightlipped, and we hurried inside. He thrust the door to the dining room and we saw Fukushuu Kaze sleeping on the floor, a tanto clenched in his fist and still wearing the gore-spattered clothes he had been earlier. Captain walked up and stood a meter or so away from his cousin. He reached out with the butt of his spear and poked Fukushuu Kaze in the chest none too gently.
Fukushuu Kaze bolted upright, tanto at the ready, but as soon as he recognized us he relaxed.
"Reflex," he shrugged. "What do you want, cousin?"
Captain was visibly angered by his cousin's indifferent attitude. He knelt close. "WHAT did you DO last night?!?!?" he demanded to know. Fukushuu Kaze's mocking gaze danced to me.
"Didn't your Unicorn employer tell you?"
Captain shook his head angrily and leaned closer. "I want, cousin, to hear from your own mouth."
Fukushuu Kaze rolled his eyes and repeated his story. When he came to the part about killing the Guards' horses, Captain held up his hand and looked to be shaking with fury, or fear, I wasn't sure which.
"Was it entirely necessary, cousin, to slaughter EVERY HORSE IN THE GODDAMN THUNDER GUARD STABLES? Captain Jocho came to the Magistrate and is demanding her investigation of the matter. I'm shocked that she didn't tell him that you were sleeping right up in her own dining room. WHAT were you thinking? Do you have any idea on how you're going to get yourself out of this mess????" Fukushuu Kaze eyed me sardonically past his cousin's shoulder.
"I could turn myself in."
"No. You'll be tortured if you do that," Captain shook his head. "You're my blood and I don't wish the torturer on my enemies. And the Magistrate has already appeared to negate that option herself." His cousin shrugged and turned the tanto in his fist towards his belly.
"There's always another option," he drawled. I stepped forward at that point. Looking down at him, I frowned.
"I know Isawa-san wouldn't be happy with that option," I said. Perhaps my eyes tricked me but it seemed that his shoulders drooped a fraction when I spoke. I decided to take heart and continued. "I've decided that I'm not going to turn you in, for both of the reasons that Captain-san and I have said. We both know that I personally don't trust you, but I do trust your cousin, and I'd prefer to avoid causing Isawa-san distress. This is dependent, however," I sighed, "on you figuring out a way to extricate you and me from the situation that you've so rudely thrust on our shoulders."
He stood up and I narrowed my eyes at him. "It would probably be best," I said, "if you were not to be wandering around the house covered in dried blood like that. The chamberlain, we know, is untrustworthy, and he's the head of all the staff here. Do you know if any of them have seen you yet?"
"No one has seen me." He looked at me rather scornfully as his cousin took him by the arm.
"Cousin, let me dispose of those clothes and get you a set of mine to wear until you can get some of your own," Captain said. Fukushuu Kaze wordlessly stripped his outer layer of clothing and handed them to his cousin, but before Captain could move any further, he nodded to both of us and leaped out the window. My jaw dropped. Captain and I rushed to the sill and looked out, but he was nowhere to be seen.
"I'd... I'd... I'd better take care of these clothes," Captain said uncertainly. I nodded.
"I have business to take care of anyway," I told him, as I belatedly remembered the courier that had no doubt arrived some time before and been forced to stand around in the kitchens waiting to take me to Eyebrows. I told Captain to watch the house while I was gone, and went downstairs.
**
Sure enough, there was a scrawny street boy of about fourteen years swinging his legs on a stool in the kitchen. He jumped down as I approached and looked down reluctantly while he asked me where it was I wished to be taken. I wondered when it was that people would tire of staring at my blue eyes and great height. The boy kept sneaking wide-eyed glances up at me while I told him that I wished to be taken to Eyebrows.
As I saddled my horse, the boy dared to ask me a question.
"Begging your pardon, Magistrate-sama, but are you SURE that you wish to be taken to the Leatherworker's Quarter?"
I swung up and looked down at him.
"Lead on."
He gulped, nodded hard, and trotted out the gates. It took us almost half an hour to reach the Leatherworker's Quarter, during which time I succeeded in thinking about absolutely nothing but enjoying the ride. Even that was spoiled, however, as we neared the home of the eta and the stench of shit began to clog our nostrils. I wrinkled my nose, but summoned my dignity and kept my head high as the boy padded ahead of my horse and stopped in front of a small hut.
Dismounting, I warned him to watch my horse carefully and opened the door. I had to duck my head to get in through the door. It was cold inside, but brightly lit, and a man was stooped over a corpse with his back to me. I cleared my throat and as he turned to look at me, I understood why he was called Eyebrows. His eyes were hooded by an overhanging brow with the thickest and bushiest set of eyebrows I'd ever seen. I spent a moment idly wondering how it was that he could see past that mass before I collected my scattered thoughts and addressed him.
When I told him who I was, he jerked. Turning quickly, he switched a sheet over the corpse he'd been examining. Facing me again he bowed very low, and speaking to my feet, asked me how he could help me.
"Well," I sighed, "you could start by telling me anything, helpful or not, about the manner of Togashi Benkai-san's death."
"Ah. Erm. Well, unfortunately I haven't had the time to discern much of interest, Magistrate-sama. His body was found roughly a mile outside of the city, in an area that was scuffled as if by combat. His death was caused by a series of slices through the chest with a sharp katana or perhaps a short no-dachi, but there were additional wounds as well. He had been bludgeoned about the head and there are burns about the neck area which suggest that he'd been distracted by a fire spell." Eyebrows shrugged, keeping his eyes respectfully low. "I'm sorry that I don't have anything else of use for you."
"If you..." I rubbed at my forehead fretfully and began again. "If you should find anything, anything at all, of use, I want a courier sent to fetch me at once. I've been told that it is Dragon custom to have the body transported to their homelands for cremation. Have arrangements for this been made?"
He nodded. "A emissary from the Dragon is expected within the next week, Magistrate-sama. The body will be taken care of by him."
"I am in possession of a few of Togashi-san's belongings. When the body is prepared to depart, send a courier to collect them, shall you? They should be burned along with him to accompany him in the next life."
"Yes, Magistrate-sama. I am to notify you if I learn anything in the matter of the deceased, and also ensure that a courier is sent for his belongings. I understand."
I thanked him and left somewhat hastily. As he'd spoken the last sentence, the right arm of the corpse that he'd been examining had fallen out from under the sheet. Benkai's tattoos were blasphemously colorful against his pale, pale skin.
**
By the time that my small guide had conducted me back to the Noble's Quarter, I had composed myself. I dismounted at the gate and sent the courier off to get paid. When I asked Captain if Fukushuu Kaze had returned, he shook his head, but as we walked in towards the garden, his cousin was standing in the middle practicing a kata. Captain looked at me and shrugged, a puzzled expression on his face. Remembering his cousin's disappearing trick out the window, I just shrugged back and went in to the garden.
Fukushuu Kaze was dressed in all white, a new katana in his hands and a pile of more new, obviously expensive, weapons laid to one side.
"Cousin, where did you get the money for all of this?" Captain asked, running his hand along a particularly finely made knife. "I know I haven't paid you well enough for you to afford these!" Fukushuu Kaze sighted down the blade of his katana as he tried a few more experimental slashes. Holding the blade out in front of him, he looked at his cousin out of the corner of his eye.
"Easy. I spoke with Father."
"What did you tell him?" Captain managed, a shocked expression on his face. Fukushuu Kaze sheathed his blade and shrugged.
"Everything."
"WHAT?" I stepped forward. "What did everything entail???"
The look on his face just barely escaped being a sneer. "I told my father everything, Otaku-san. Just because the Shosuro decided that they would expel me from the clan doesn't mean that every family member agrees with their decision or the reasons for it. My father holds me as his blood." A cold smile stole over his features. "Besides... should my father be at all tempted to betray me to anyone, he knows that I could ruin him with a few well placed words. He was more than happy to help me."
I sighed. I didn't know who Fukushuu Kaze's father was, but I hoped that his son knew what he was doing. "Have you come up with a way to fix the mess you caused yet?" I asked. His smile grew larger and a little warmth creeped in as he jauntily tossed his katana over his shoulder.
"Nope," he winked at me. "I should probably get started on that!" He walked past me to the garden wall and leapt over it. I couldn't resist the urge to run over and look over the edge. Twenty feet below he was walking blithely down the street, white kimono spotless. The wind carried a sound to our ears. He was whistling. I turned to Captain.
"Who in the name of the gods trained him??"
Captain looked at me blankly.
"I honestly have no idea -" Perhaps he might have continued on that vein of thought, but we were interrupted by one of the Crane guards bursting in. Panting, he fell on one knee in front of me.
"The Governor's here to see you, Magistrate-san. She is in a VERY bad -" he was cut off by the beginning of the Governor's entourage sweeping in behind him. The Governor herself was preceded by four guards, and six more followed her. I silently said my prayers, carefully froze my face, and bowed deeply as her icy gaze bored into me.
"Five of my most profitable vassals were terrorized last night. Their shops were burned to the ground and one man was killed. The local magistrates are involved in investigations of their own. I require you to resolve this matter." Her voice chopped each syllable out precisely.
"Yes, Governor," I smiled at her and hoped that anyone, anyone at all, was blessing me with luck right now. "I will endeavor to investigate the situation as well as I can." I bowed low. "Is there anything of use that I can be told about what happened last night so as to have something to begin looking into?" I felt her relax a little bit. She most likely hadn't been expecting me to acquiesce so readily to her demand.
"Well, all of them were sellers of medicinal opium, and not only were their shops razed, their entire poppy crops were burned." She handed me a list of names and stared frostily over my shoulder at Captain. "It could have been Fade, but we fear that the most likely scenario is a raid by the Bayushi," she almost spat the word, "aimed at undermining Shosuro interests here in Ryoko Owari."
He stared straight ahead into air, the very image of a proper guardsman, and I kept a smile plastered to my face as I bowed again. "I thank you for the information, Governor. I will begin my investigation immediately." She nodded to me and shot another glare at Captain before beginning her sweep out of the garden. I hurried to escort her out of the house and she eyed me as we walked.
"The Bayushi should watch their step," she said suddenly. "If their involvement is proved in this matter, it will prove to be the final straw in their dealings with the Shosuro over all of Rokugan. The Daimyo stands ready to expel the lot of them from the clan if there is further provocation." I kept the polite smile glued to my face and nodded as she spoke. Her eyes twinkled at me momentarily as she stepped out the gate. "I'm glad to see," she said, "that you are keeping your guards so.... expensively equipped." I bowed to her as she disappeared to cover my confusion.
As soon as the gates closed I straightened and racked my brain for what could have prompted her parting comment. Oh! Fukushuu Kaze's blasted pile of weapons in the garden. I grumbled and hoped that even the scheming mind of the Governor wouldn't guess the true owner of the weaponry. Heading back into the garden, I tried to put together in my mind how to tell Captain that his entire family was in danger of his and his cousin's fate. I had no sooner stepped in, however, when Captain spoke.
"Magistrate, I've been meaning to ask you. Where is Magistrate Togashi-san?"
My jaw dropped. I'm sure I must have made quite a picture, wisps of black hair escaping my ponytail, blue eyes surprised, and mouth open wide. I had totally forgotten about the new Magistrate all day. Hadn't he been supposed to show up here in the morning?? It was well past three now! I told Captain that I had no idea at all where my partner was and we summoned the Akodo guard to go see if he was at his quarters. Totoro lumbered off to check the Dragon Magistrate's residence and I began filling Captain in on my suspicions about Togashi Ikuru.
**
I felt vaguely guilty about not trusting my new partner. But trust was something that I now valued too highly to be spreading around. Especially in the direction of someone with the odd inconsistencies that Togashi Ikuru had. The reddened skin around his tattoos as he'd sat on a PILLOW at the Governor's introduction lingered in my mind.
The Lion guard soon returned, followed closely by my ever so physically UNimpressive partner. Ikuru yawned as he came into the garden, and bowed to me.
"My apologies, Otaku-san. My journey must have taken more out of me than I'd been aware of. I hope you can forgive my unwitting rudeness."
I waved my hand lightly and smiled down at him.
"It's not a problem, Togashi-san. I'm merely concerned for your health. Are you somewhat recovered or do you require more rest?"
He squinted up at me. I topped him by over a foot. "I'm, erm, fine. Yes, quite recovered."
"Well then," I clapped my hands together, "we've been given two items to investigate by the Governor and her son." I filled him in on the investigations, leaving out all reference to Fukushuu Kaze that I could have imparted. Behind Ikuru, Captain caught my eyes and made an interrogative motion with his head towards the little man. As I spoke I gave a negligible shake of my head. Captain nodded uneasily. "So," I finished, "I am going to head down and see what help we can possible expect from the local magistrates in these matters. I would be flattered if you would accompany me, Togashi-san, since I know that you have yet to see the Civil Hall where we will begin our duties in a week or two.
"Captain-san, I'd like you to see about perhaps acquiring some trustworthy," I stressed the word, "help from anyone that you may know personally."
Captain said, rather unhopefully, that he would see what he could do, and I called for my horse and another for Ikuru. The pair of us rode down to the Civil Hall, carefully, as Ikuru was not accustomed to riding. A little functionary squinted at us as we dismounted, then smiled obsequiously at me and asked how he could help us.
I explained to him that I was looking for any of the local magistrates for consultation on an investigation. He hemmed and hawed for a few moments before confessing to me that, in fact, none of the local magistrates were there. I blinked in surprise.
"None? None at all? I was under the impression that someone was on duty at the Civil Hall at all times... where have they all gone?"
He shrugged and bowed. "I don't know, Magistrate-san. They were called away to deal with something that they didn't impart to a lowly caretaker like myself. If you would like to leave a note for one of them, however...." he trailed off expectantly. I nodded distractedly and he dashed off to acquire some writing instruments. When he returned I wrote out a brief message to whomever might come in next on duty, then I showed Ikuru the office that we'd be using once we were officially on duty as Emerald Magistrates. He picked up a copy of a map of town to take with him, but there wasn't much else we could do there and so we headed back towards home.
Fukushuu Kaze was there speaking to Captain when we returned. He nodded to me as Ikuru and I walked up, and opened his mouth as if to speak. Captain coughed and I shook my head almost imperceptibly. He smoothed into greeting us both, but while Ikuru bowed his hello, the ronin narrowed his eyes at me. I gave him a look which, I hoped, conveyed that I'd explain later. Ikuru straightened and turned to me plaintively.
"Otaku-san, I haven't eaten yet today. Would it be too much trouble for me to find some food?"
"Of course," I replied and began leading him towards the kitchen. Benkai never would have complained about such a simple thing as hunger, a little voice in my head peeped. The kitchens were completely vacant when we entered, and I turned to Ikuru, hiding a smile with an apologetic bow. "I'm sorry, Togashi-san... The cooks would appear to be absent." I checked the pots that were laying about, but the most promising contained only a bit of cold, slightly burnt rice. "If you would care to cook yourself something, feel free, or I could escort you to an inn?"
He ducked his head and picked up a bowl. "This will suffice, Otaku-san," he said as he scraped the mess in to his dish and began to eat it. A moment later his face turned bright red and he gasped. I wasn't quick enough to leap towards him and he fell to the ground, passed out. I checked to be sure that he was still breathing before picking up his bowl. The rice had a bit of the red sauce mixed in it that I'd thought was so pleasantly spicy. I laughed and muttered something about non-Unicorns not being able to handle spices as I shook him. His head lolled and I rolled my eyes. Scouting around, I found a bucket and after considering a moment, doused his head with cold water.
Ikuru bolted to a sitting position, gasping, with water running over his shaved head and onto his clothes. I was secretly hoping that he would swear, but I suppose that he was too busy coughing to do so. I knelt solicitously near him.
"Togashi-san, are you alright? I had forgotten that our cook was experimenting with some new spices."
He coughed again and nodded as Captain came in. Captain took in the scene and wisely decided to ignore it.
"Begging your pardon, but the Governor is here to see you," he told me. "She's in a much better mood than earlier."
I cocked an eyebrow and hurried to the sitting room. Ikuru followed somewhat behind me, attempting to look less soaked than he was. Captain and Fukushuu Kaze took up guard positions at the door as I entered. The Governor was seated already, and smiled graciously as I bowed deeply to her.
"Ah, Otaku-san," she beamed. "I came to inform you that your assistance, as it turns out, will not be required in the matter of my vassal's losses."
"Uh... What has happened, Governor?" I asked confusedly.
"A source tipped my magistrates as to the person behind the raid. As we speak, they are preparing to resolve the matter." My mind raced. She was ignoring Fukushuu Kaze in the doorway, which she surely wouldn't be doing if he'd been found out. Who, then, had been set as the scapegoat? Just as the most likely option presented itself, she continued, and confirmed it. "Regrettably, it has been proven that Bayushi Korechiko, the leader of the Bayushi here in Ryoko Owari, executed the raid." I felt, rather than saw, Fukushuu Kaze's involuntary twitch.
Thankfully, the Governor didn't notice as she expertly drew an exquisite mask of sorrow over her features. "My biggest regret is to those innocents who are sworn to the Bayushi. Their patron declared a criminal, their holdings are now forfeit to the office of the Governor. I can only pray that I will be able to spare them more upheaval." She rose to her feet and nodded to me. "I must return to the Palace. It is a shame that Korechiko had to be so sloppy. The Shosuro are not pleased."
I bowed politely to cover my expression and escorted her out, staying respectfully at the gate until her carriage was out of sight. Then I fairly ran back to the sitting room. Captain was holding Fukushuu Kaze's arm to keep him still, and Ikuru was staring at the pair of them.
"Go about your business," I told them carefully. Fukushuu Kaze took off like a bolt of lightning, his cousin still clasping his arm. They disappeared down the hall and Ikuru looked at me, raising an eyebrow. I smiled deprecatingly and told him that I'd assigned the pair some tasks earlier that they'd not begun on.
Passing a hand over my forehead, I begged his pardon. "I've some studying that I've been meaning to do. If you'd like me to call for an escort for you back to your residence...?"
He nodded his head out towards my garden. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to use your garden to meditate."
"Of course, feel free," I said. "I'll be over in my room reading, so whenever you'd like an escort home, come let me know." With that, I bowed my leave and retreated to worry. I made a good show of studying, had anyone cared to look in my room; but the words blurred in front of my eyes and I blindly turned pages.
**
About the only thing I absorbed was that the prize horsebreeder in town was a former vassal of the Unicorn but had been bought out by the Bayushi. Before too much time had passed, however, Ikuru knocked at my door.
"I was about to come up to request my escort, Otaku-san," he began, "when your honorable Captain-san and his guest" Guest? "arrived and asked to be conducted to you." He jerked a thumb over his shoulder and I squinted to see two shadowy figures in the hall behind him. One of them was very tall - easily as tall as myself.
Without allowing Ikuru to continue, Captain and the tall man came forward into the room. I stood to greet them, noting with respect that the tall man topped me by nearly a full inch. Captain bowed to me, but the other just stared coldly at Ikuru.
"Leave," he directed, an unmistakable note of command in his voice.
Surprisingly, Ikuru meekly bowed and scurried out. I cocked an eyebrow at the tall man, suddenly realizing that although I'd never talked to him, I'd seen him circulating at the Governor's Palace more than a few times. I bowed respectfully, an action he acknowledged with the barest of nods. The moment Ikuru left the building, the man headed into the garden and began closing it off. I looked questioningly at Captain. He looked back at me somewhat shamefacedly and I sighed.
"What has been done?" I asked. He twisted his grip and appeared to be weighing his words carefully.
"My cousin and I acted to protect our families. Fukushuu Kaze is currently seeing to their safety." As he spoke, I sighed again. If I hadn't already suspected who exactly Fukushuu Kaze's father was, this evening's events would have tipped me off. "I'm not sure what my father is doing in the garden," he confessed to me. I clenched my fist and said a quick silent prayer as I mentally charted my course in this mess.
"I support your family in this matter," I told him. "This raid is a petty power grab, on a charge that we both know is fabricated, even if it WAS your cousin that committed the deed. I'm not sure what to do about him yet, but you may reassure your father that I'm not going to turn him or the other family members you are protecting over to the Shosuro." I stopped as a look of relief came over Captain's face, interrupted by one of the Crane twins rushing in breathlessly. A scroll was in his hands and he tremulously handed it to me, telling me that a courier from the Palace had just dropped it off for me.
My heart sank. I unrolled it and scanned the first few phrases.
By decree of the Scorpion Daimyo, I read, and due to the treasonous actions of the Family Bayushi towards their own clan, the whole of the Bayushi are hereby expelled from the Scorpion. They are considered from this day forth to be ronin, save those listed below. Those listed below are hereby declared outlaws, to be delivered up to the Scorpion for rightful execution. I swore. The list attached to the bottom of the scroll stretched for easily a few hundred names. I recognized many of them as those of influential Bayushi throughout the Empire, including several that lived in Ryoko Owari. Fukushuu Kaze and Captain's fathers were the first two names on the list.
I handed the scroll to Captain, telling him formally, "This news does not in any way change my decision to support your family. The fact that this notice has gone out the same night as the framing of your uncle is impossibly quick. These scrolls have most likely been lying in wait in Shosuro hands all throughout the Empire, waiting for an excuse to be made to produce them. As an Emerald Magistrate I am sworn to uphold the sanctity of the Empire as a whole, and these actions of the Shosuro are in direct opposition to that." He swallowed hard and began reading. "The first two names on that list," I told him gently, "are those of Bayushi Korechiko-san and your father. The Shosuro want them dead... which means that I am going to protect them to the best of my ability. Since you and your cousin were declared ronin before this, you should be reasonably safe." He raised his head, his face a frozen expressionless mask.
"With your permission, Magistrate-san," he said, "I'd like to share this list with my father. He needs to know so that a course of action can be planned." I nodded and he hurried into the garden, closing it off behind him again. I had barely taken a breath when the Crane returned.
"Magistrate-san, Captain Jocho is here to see you." I swore again and hurried out to the front. Jocho stood inside my gates, eyes blazing, and three guards accompanied him. He sneered at me as I strode to the steps and looked down at him.
"How may I help you, Shosuro-san?"
His eyes glittered up at me. "I have been sent to retrieve the two Bayushi serving as guards here. They are to join the other Bayushi that have already been captured." My breath turned to ice in my lungs. Fukushuu Kaze and Captain had been declared ronin days before, yet the Shosuro seemed determined to execute them anyway. I prayed to Bayushi-kami and Shinjo-kami, as well as Otaku-sama, that I had chosen the right course back in my room, and set sail.
I drew myself up. "The two RONIN serving as guards here are no longer Bayushi. As such, they are already excluded from the proclamation that has gone out concerning their former family."
Jocho's face turned ugly with anger. "They have been declared by special order of the governor to be on the list of outlaw Bayushi. You will turn them over to my custody!"
"I will not," I said calmly, hoping that I wasn't quaking on the outside as much as I was internally. I heard Captain come out on the porch behind me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw a huge no-dachi strapped to his back and I prayed that this sight wouldn't infuriate Jocho more. It was probably bad enough in his eyes that I'd come to greet him armed. "Regardless of the former clan or familial affiliation of my two guards, they are now in my employ as Emerald Guards. This puts them under my protection, and as I hold the office of an Emerald Magistrate, this places them above local law."
"You will surrender them," Jocho repeated dangerously.
"No, I will not. They are Emerald Guards in my employ and therefore under my protection as an Emerald Magistrate, answerable only to the Emerald Champion and the Emperor himself. They are mine and I will not turn them over to be executed for a matter they were not concerned in."
Jocho stepped close to me, one foot on the first step of the stairs. "You are a beautiful woman," he told me icily, "and I would hate to have to scar you. Stand aside and surrender those men!" he ended in a furious shout.
"I will NOT stand aside," I shouted back. "They are ronin, employed as Emerald Guards, above the Governor's decree, and exempt from this situation. I would thank you to remove yourself from my property. These men have done no wrong and you are coming dangerously close to disrespecting my office as Emerald Magistrate of the Empire."
He stepped back and gestured to his men. "Secure the house." All three drew their katana and began advancing on me.
"Shosuro-san," I cried, "You will respect my authority as an Emerald Magistrate and CALL YOUR MEN OFF!" He made no answer and his guards neared the stairs. I drew my no-dachi. Beside and slightly behind me I sensed Captain drawing the huge no-dachi he was carrying. I tried one last time to plead with Jocho. He just looked at me coldly and remained where he was, arms crossed.
I readied myself to defend. If I survived, I didn't want it said that I'd been the one to instigate the fight. Suddenly the bells began ringing in the city, and to my dismay I recognized the sequence that summoned the Thunder Guard to the Magistrate's residence. For the first time that day I blessed Fukushuu Kaze's slaughter of the stables and the precious time it bought Captain and me before Jocho's army arrived on foot.
The nearest of Jocho's guards charged me and I blocked quickly. His blow skittered off of my no-dachi and as I prepared to counter, I was aware of Captain roaring towards the two that had held back.
My opponent had fallen close in against me so I shoved out with my hip and as he stumbled back slightly, I swept my no-dachi across two-handed and nearly separated his torso from his waist. He gurgled and time slowed. As his shoulder began dipping down, my attention was caught by the image beyond of Captain, his no-dachi practically glowing with power, slicing through both his enemies in one stroke.
An instant later I hissed in pain. Time snapped back to its normal pace and I kicked at the body of the guard as his dying blow slashed down from my left shoulder and blood began gushing from the slice that opened from shoulder to knee on my left side. He fell back in a gory mass as I sank to one knee.
Beyond the flickering torchlight of the courtyard I saw figures on horseback racing up the street. The Thunder Guard, I numbly realized. That prize horsebreeder of the Bayushi had become forfeit to the Shosuro Governor along with the rest of the Bayushi holdings.
I locked eyes with Jocho and bled.
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