Swords and Shadows

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Swords and Shadows

Its night and only a few night time servants are rummaging about the grounds aside from the guards in the Lion estate. A servant approaches the Lords room of which has 2 guards posted out front. He is carrying a tea tray to his lord before he sets himself to slumber. The guards look at him then motion for him to bring Akodo-sama his tea. The servant not looking up at the guards slightly hurries into the room to avoid possible reprimand from one of the guards as they seemed so fond of doing the past month of his employment.

“Akodo-sama I have brought your tea. Shall I pour it for you?” The servant asks meekly.

“No just bring it to me, I shall drink it when I thirst. This night is far too busy for me to just lie down.” Akodo Shimasa doesn’t look up from the maps that he is studying. From the looks of it they are battle strategies for locations on the lion borders; specifically those of the Unicorn and Scorpion lands. Shimasa takes the briefest of pauses to look up at the servant and wave him away to leave him to his planning.

“Hai, Akodo-sama.” The servant bows deeply and backs out of the room. The servant moves quickly out of the way of the guards before the door closes to avoid the “jests” that they enjoy imparting on him as he leaves. He quickly makes his way down the hall and rounds the corner. The two guards look at each other and smirk. One of them speaks up in an amused tone.

“He’s become a quick one hasn’t he?” He says.

“Guess we’ll just have to be quicker.” The other replies as they both let out a hefty laugh. A voice from the room shouts out to them in annoyance.

“If you two have the time to jest and play like a few prepubescent girls, then perhaps I should fetch the florist to arrange some pretty flowers in your hairs!” Akodo Shimasa shouted from his chambers. “I’ve been better guarded by my 5 year old son than the likes of you two!” He goes back to his maps the area lit by two oiled strings on either corner of the table. He’s been going over the plans and strategies for over a month now, going over the scenarios in his head were they to be attacked from either front. The best places to stick groups for a route, and the best ones to lead such a front if needed. He could feel the strain of reading the maps in the dim light along with the tug of sleep on his eyelids begin to take him over. He rubs his eyes as he murmurs to himself, “tomorrow we shall put them to practice.” With that said he gathers the papers and secures them in a small chest and locks them before heading to his futon.


The next morning Shimasa is awakened by his servant with his usual morning regime of a bowl of rice and green leaf tea. He dismissed his servant with a wave and ate his meal in peace before having his garbs and armor fitted to his body, and made his way out to the fields with his commanders for the exercises in tactics and maneuvers he had been preparing. Shimasa did not prefer the confines of a dojo to prepare his men, he much rather prepare them in as much of a real situation as possible. He would make it as a war game pitting his commanders against the other in the field so that all his troops under his command would be battle hardened and ready, able to react in sync as one mind and body in the field of battle.

“The tactics seem to be rather effective general; you really have out done yourself.” Matsu Tenaka said proudly to his general.

“Yes with the experiences I’ve had with our enemies to the south this seems to be the best way to defend against their armies. Of course the only true test is a test against our opponents. These games can only go so far in preparing them for the real battles.” Shimasa said as he intently watched his armies run and train through the various battle formations.

“Hai, general.” Tenaka replied solemnly.

The following evening Shimasa was again going over his maps and plans when like clockwork his evening tea was brought to him. The small tea pot was left for him to drink as he pleased and he was left alone. Before retiring again to his futon he finished the small pot of hot tea and laid to slumber. Shortly after the servant returned to Shimasa’s quarters and was met with the 2 familiar guards. The servant did not meet their gaze nor say anything but merely brought a tray of a small tea pot and 2 small cups for the guards.

“What the hell is this?” the first lion guard boasted.

“It seems that he’s bringing us some tea to calm our nerves.” The second suggested in a sarcastic tone.

“Oh I’m sure that he has, probably to calm them so much that our hearts impulses stop as well.” The lion guard scowls at the servant.

“No sir, that is not my intent at all.” The servant says as he bows close to the floor.

“Oh really then, perhaps you wouldn’t mind taking a drink of it yourself!” The first guard grabs the servant by the back of the hair and makes him drink a large mouth full. The servant swallows the tea as he replies.

“Is that satisfactory to my lords?” he says quaveringly still not meeting their looks. The guard throws him down the corridor by the back of his hair.

“Get out of my sight, and if you come to Akodo-sama’s quarters out of schedule again, it won’t be tea being shoved down your throat!” the guard barks at the servant as he scurries away letting out a slight squeal of fear. The 2 guards sat for a moment and drank the rest of the tea.

Hours passed into the night as a shadowed figure walks up to 2 sleeping guards. A few feet away was a tea tray and an empty pot. Bayushi Tenrai gave a little smile scratching the back of his head where the Lion samurai had grabbed a tuft of his hair before throwing him down the hallway.

“Had you gripped a bit harder I may have had to play a monk the next time.” He said as he entered Akodo Shimasa’s room. He scanned the room that was barely lit by an oil saucer in the corner. Tenrai made his way into the room and closed the sliding paper door behind him.


The next morning Shimasa awoke slightly groggier than was the norm, as he looked around he was surprised to not see his normal regime being brought to him. Confused he rose from his futon and made his way into the hallway. As he slid the door open he was met with the image of two well able bodies samurai slumped over on the floor sleeping soundly. Shimasa could feel the blood inside his veins starting to boil. At that point he had a sudden shock of realization and hurried to the chest that contained the papers he had planned everything out upon. He examined the container to see that it seemed to have suffered no damage or force of trying to open it. He unlocked the chest holding his breath as he gazed into the chest wide eyed and frantic. He let out his breath as he saw that the chest was still full of rolled up papers. Closing the chest he turned back to the two sleeping samurai “guarding” the entrance of his chambers. The two guards were woken with a start and a pain to their sides as Shimasa landed a solid kick to both of their ribs waking them out of a dead sleep. Realizing what had just happened the two guards rose quick as could be bowing to their lord in shame and realization.

“Explain yourselves, and why I would awake not only to not have my morning meal, but to having my most elite bodyguards asleep in front of my chambers!”

The two men tried to speak but as they attempted to explain what happened their voices were meant with harsh rasping and coughs. As much as they tried they could not speak clearly enough to save face in front of their lord, frantically looking at each other for help. Feeling his blood boiling again at the utter incompetence that was being displayed before him, Shimasa barked out his orders to the two samurai.

“Get out of my site before the both of you meet the edge of my blade and get someone up here to get me my breakfast!”

Going back into his chambers to prepare for the days exercises he reaches into the chest of maps and other papers pulling out the map of the region. As he lays it down and rolls it out across the table his eyes widen is shock and fear. The parchment that he had laid out in front of him was completely blank. After a few moments when his thoughts caught up to him, his head snapping to the corridor outside his room seeing the tea tray on the floor. Another flood of realizations came into his mind and his head snapped the other direction at the empty tea pot at the end of his table. He tried to remember the name and the face of the servant who had been in and out of his chambers for months bringing him his meals, but could not seem to remember either. Feeling his blood boiling yet again, he tears the parchment apart throwing it up in the air and letting out a frightening roar of anger.


Tenrai walks down the dirt road toward the south when he is met with a small contingent of horse drawn lion. He steps off to the side of the road to let them pass as they slow down and stop at his location. He tips up his straw hat to them.

“Good afternoon samurai-sama. Is there something that I can do for you?” He says in a gruff voice.

“We are looking for a servant who stole sensitive material from the castle last night. We believe him to be traveling down this road.” The Lion samurai gave Tenrai the description that was collected from the other servants on the grounds who interacted with him.

“Sorry, but I have not seen this man. Is there a reward for his capture?” Tenrai asked seeming as interested as he could.

“I’m sure our lord would be most gracious were the thief and items returned. Preferably alive so that Akodo-sama can deal with him himself.” The Lion replied.

“I’ll be sure to keep an eye out. Any income these days is good income no matter what the job might be.”

The Lion scoffs at Tenrai before riding off. “Filthy ronin…”

Tenrai tips his hat back down as he continues walking, and lets out a little smile.

“Filthy indeed…” he says under his breath as he feels the folded papers inside his tattered dogi.