PROLOGUE:

Takeda Masashige, crouched by the wall of Yasawa’s house. The sound of water from the nearby stream tumbling over itself would normally have calmed and soothed his spirit but not today. He was oblivious. The early sun was turning the morning’s dew into a soft mist around him but this too failed to stir his heart. Dragonflies flitted, hovered and zigzagged over the long grass in which he lay as they rode the updrafts; one of them even landed on his shoulder, but again he cared not and paid it no mind. Instead he remained motionless, threading memories and thoughts together, each feeding and morphing into the other.

‘My father is dead’. He whispered to himself. A hungry void expanded within him, subsided, only to burst free once again, over and over like a drowning man’s gasps. He felt bile race up his gullet, laced with last night’s sake, but he forced it all down.

Masashige thought again on his realisation: his old teacher, Yasawa Gou, so long his most stalwart ally, now stood against him. Why? What had turned him? It was Gou who’d barred his way when he demanded to see his dying father. It was Gou who proclaimed, on behalf of the other retainers, that the clan was to be lead by his infant half-brother, Noboyuki.

Masashige was firstborn, was the rightful heir, it should be him, not this imbecile child, leading the clan. Just because he was a bastard. What difference did that make? He was one of his father’s foremost warlords. He had support and held influence within the clan, he was a popular leader with the men, but it appeared he had no traction where it mattered, not with the inner circle that Yasawa Gou was part of. A circle that was clearly making a grab for power themselves by installing this boy, their puppet, Noboyuki to lead them. How could his old mentor be part of this? He must have answers.

The dawn chorus was in full song by the time Yasawa Gou and five of his men began the trek home. Yasawa Gou felt a gnawing emptiness in the pit of his stomach. Lord Sanada was dead.

The three senior retainers to their master had been at their master’s side when he passed away and heard his last wish, for his infant son Noboyuki to lead the clan. He did not agree but obeyed.

Gou’s frown furrowed further as he remembered Masashige. The tall youth had come, he’d wanted to see his father, but still the shame of what Lord Sanada had done all those years before kept father and son apart. His master had told Gou to keep his illegitimate son out. Once more, he did not agree but obeyed.

The old retainer gripped the pommel of his nodachi in frustration. He hoped his former student would forgive him, however he feared the worst.

At last they reached the torii gate that overlooked his home. He looked up at its painted beams and then over at the large boulder to his left and the rough carving of the Buddha that had been chiselled into it. It reminded him that the Sohei from the nearby temple would be back from their pilgrimage soon. Would they be saddened upon hearing the news that their benefactor had passed away? He needed to find out where their loyalties now lay. Strife was in the air.

Suddenly the three spearmen that had accompanied Gou stopped.

‘What is it?’ The retainer asked.

‘I do not know, master.’ Said the eldest. ‘But there is something.’ He continued to say.

With a glance Gou sent one of his two hunters up towards the nearby hillock. He’d have sent them both but his companion had to stopped to urinate in the adjacent field.

Then Gou too felt the tension in the air. Someone was there. The track upon which they stood began to cloy at his feet. Something was amiss.

At last, Masashige saw his old master as Yawasa descended the slope towards the river. He stood. The dragonfly that had been perched upon his armour darted away…

THE BATTLE AT YASAWA’S HOUSE

Deployment:

Yasawa Gou’s men were centred on the far bank of the river by the Torii gate. A trio of three spearmen were nearest to the shallow ford in the stream that directly lead to the house. Behind them stood the retainer Yasawa Gou. To his right in the field was one of his marksmen, whilst the other hid in the undergrowth by the hillock to his left.

Facing them was his former student the Samurai Takeda Masashige, who stood behind the house out of sight. On the far side of the house overlooking the stream and torii gate Masashige had positioned two bowmen. On the opposite bank from the hillock a group of three spearmen prepared themselves to dash across the river and outflank their opponents.

The Battle:

Fate stepped in right at the start of the battle; this would be a fight between the two samurai, one in which they would throw their all in against each other, but not waste their energies on lesser men.

Masashige dashed out from behind Yasawa’s house and started towards the ford in the river. Yasawa’s spearmen moved to intercept the threat whilst Gou wistfully waited behind, swatting away the arrows shot at him by Masashige’s men.

Masashige moved cautiously upon seeing the approaching spearmen, but on spying his mentor standing back, he became enraged, threw caution to the wind and charged his rival’s minions.

‘GET OUT OF MY WAY, PEASANTS.’ He shouted as he swung his katana at them.

However, his grief and his anger had unbalanced him and his blows were wild and inaccurate. His foes easily deflected them pushing him into the river.

Men on both sides of the stream then fired at each other but hit nothing.

Now it was the spearmen’s turn to attack, they thrust their spears at Masashige.

The water slowed his reactions and one of the spear tips pierced his armour, drawing blood and sending him falling back into the water.

Gou moved to end the fighting.

‘Speak, my student, what do you intend to do here?’ He shouted.

‘This, old friend.’ Masashige replied as he thrust his katana at the old retainer.

Yawasa dodged the awkward blow and raised his nodachi.

‘I am sorry.’ He said as he leapt forwards and brought the long blade slicing against the youth’s armour.

It split and blood seeped from the cut. Masashige fell unconscious into the water and the current washed him away downstream.

Yasawa reached to grab hold of him but he slipped from his grasp…

つづく