Day 4 - From Village to Highway
The dawn is orange, with yesterdays gray skies broken into separate purple and yellow clouds. The travelers don their armor and prepare for the day's journey. Sawaguchi's samurai subordinate summons the travelers and leads them to the road stead in front of the village o-ninyo's house. All of the 50-odd peasant farmers of the village are assembled behind them, variously murmuring and directing sidelong and suspicious glances at the travelers. One big and confident youth, backed by a group of other youths, audaciously stares at the travelers, a threat of retribution in his eyes. Of that there is no doubt.
The samurai hands stoppered bamboo tubes to Omi and Ito. He says, Inside each is a document to present at checkpoints or to traveling Takeda bushi. They explain that you have been given permission to wear armor on the road to Kofu-- only. Also are rough maps of the road to Kofu, for planning where the kuge-sama will dine, bathe and sleep.
Be vigilant and guard from sunrise to sunrise, on your lives. and make sure no further harm comes to the kuge. Keep an eye on the tomboy girl. And the gakusho as well, unless you know them to be really what they say they are. Do this correctly and the Andoh will not forget it. He bows to end the discussion. He nods to Kentaro, who bested him in writing, but was respectful and didn't rub shame into shame. A nod from a warrior to a fellow warrior.
The house's garden walls gate opens. The young kuge Fujiwara no Sanetoshi emerges from the house, and the groundskeeper Niwatori prostrates himself inside the gate. The kuge again wears the now freshly-laundered clothing of a traveling pilgrim, despite some small bloodstains that still remain on the front of the shirt. He wears a new straw hat. It looks more like a farmer's kasa than a pilgrim's more rounded hat, but it will provide protection from the sun and rain. The groundskeeper Niwatori's eyes can be seen eagerly darting around recording everything, taking in all details of this rare spectacle in the rural village. When the kuge and village samurai are in sight of each other, the samurai crisply bow from the waist. The peasants prostrate themselves on the ground and don't look up. For some, it seems to be genuine sincere bowing to a superior. But not for all of them.
Yesterday I rode that warhorse, and mastered it, the kuge says. He indicates Omi's horse. It's a good horse, I'll ride it again today. Perhaps tomorrow I'll see what that one can do. He indicates Kentaro's horse, Tafu. He swings into the saddle of Omi's horse with dramatic flair, pulls its head, and dramatically wheels the wide-eyed horse around in a full circle. He sets out at a lope and rides along the village's narrow dirt road to the highway, the samurai, the travelers, and the villagers following.
As the group approach the highway, they see the old kamunushi from the Neno-san shrine standing at the side of the start of the village's road. Beside him are two figures. One is a young bushi in o-yoroi, with dai-sho and a dai-kyu. From his posture and the way his hair hangs from beneath his helmet, he seems to be casual, self-sufficient ronin, rather than a proud and disciplined samurai warrior. The other figure's role in the world is harder to place. He has a proud comportment, as if a samurai. But he is slight and thin, and his muscles are smooth, rather than corded. His hair is very long and tied at the back. He wears clothing that is neither that of a bushi, gakusho, budoka or farmer. As the mounted kuge passes in front of them, all bow.
When he has passed, the kamunushi approaches the travelers and bows. He speaks to all them-- including Akemi, whom he has never met before?-- but addresses Taisho in particular as the foundation of the group. Good morning! Congratulations on surviving and defeating the bandits. Fuujin-sama's winds were with the arrows, neh? He nods to Akemi, his old friendly eyes twinkling. She looks back at the old priest, eyes wide and listening expectantly. But a naughty little rider of the wind, a little bird, rose, made big fuss of it, and called the whole mountain's eyes and ears upon you. Not to worry. It was just a cocky and naughty bush warbler, playing and having fun.
It was just testing it's brave bushi or ninja spirit, it meant no harm. Akemi's eyes go wider still, and her attention is rapt to the old kamunushi's face.
The old man continues, his whole demeanor a faint smile. I will speak quickly, because the one you must escort can't be held waiting. This – he indicates the strange young man, and his eyes twinkle a little as a sign to the travelers-- is Takeda no Haruto. He has been learning at the shrine. He now leaves the shrine to go to the Takeda capital. I have advised him to ask permission to join you.
He then indicates the bushi. I don't know this bushi's name, because I wasn't so rude as to ask it of a visitor to the shrine. He visited the shrine last evening, paid his respects to the kami-sama, and stayed the night on Neno-san. He did no wrong and asked for nothing. He seems an honest young man, so I advised him to ask to join the kuge's escorts. It seemed that it could be good for him, yourselves, and the o-kuge also.
The travelers hear Kentaro's horse Tafu stop and can feel the kuge's eyes upon them, indicating his impatience and displeasure. He is practically glaring. “My apologies, pilgrims and travelers, for delaying you and incurring ire. Waiting a moment never hurt any child. Just one more moment.” He raises his two fingers of his right hand and touches each traveler's shoulder in turn. “Good luck and may you do your best. Until next time.” The old priest smiles benignly and bows to the group, straightens, and smiles again.
Sayonara is "Farewell" and only said if one never expects to see someone again. The kamunushi says Mata, neh? ("Next time, right?"), which one would say to someone they expect to see again before long.
Omi and Kentaro have Blessings for today.
-Hiroshi and Haruto actions needed.
-Other party members actions needed. Remember that you've got to get the kuge and his chest a few hexes to Kofu. Regrettably, some questions of distances and speed. Compared to who has to do what, as porting kuges' stuff goes. viewtopic.php?p=579034#p579034
-Kuge rides your horse. On gained. You walk. On neutral. Carry kuge's stuff? On lost or gained. Depends on who you are. Fujiwara secondary heir lost along the way? Disaster for the Andoh, then the Takeda, then the Minamoto. Taira rejoice. You will be refugees hunted throughout Kai, with in-service samurai, ronin, ninja all around. And many more heimin eyes in villages and farm watching to collect rewards. If you fail this, Kai's borders will close. And masses of samurai troops will set off to hunt you down. The politics of the Minamoto vs. the Taira with the kuge families watching from the side requires it.
There are many more variations of things like this going on in Nippon at the moment. Which doesn't make things any safer for Omi, Ito, Haruto, Kentaro, Taisho or Akemi. But maybe for the kuge Sanetoshi. A chess pawn upon a road.
Down to BCS 2. 
