Rescue Mission (closed RP)

[Kakita Sojiro]

Sojiro turned to look at Kenna again. "Apologies, Kenna-san. I am Kakita Sojiro, and this," he said, motioning to the younger man beside him, is Kakita Hitoshi. Hitoshi-san was assigned this mission, and I was sent to advise and assist him."

"For now Kenna-san, we need to know how many Lion are pursuing you, and how long it will be until they get to this village." Sojiro's mismatched eyes swept through the village, taking in the terrain and any possibly defensive features. "I'd like to prepare the best welcome possible for our uninvited guests."

[Doji Kenna]

Bowing politely Kenna spoke, 'My thanks to you both for your assistance,'glancing back his tone became harder, more military in timbre, 'The initial attack was by two full Kaisha as we passed Aoigawa Mura, we lost sixty-four soldiers of our original one-hundred withdrawing and have since lost three more. Twenty Daidoji separated from our party to stay behind and slow pursuit, I can't speak as to the casualties they've inflicted but Shuen-san and my tallies both concur that at least one-hundred-and-ten of the Lion should be dead or unable to fight. Of course, that leaves about one-hundred-and-ninety-six, assuming the full remainder assault us without having taken further casualties. As for how long we have, I estimate twenty minutes, thirty at the most.

[Kakita Hitoshi]

Whilst listening to the numbers, Hitoshi had to make a conscious effort to to keep his face impassive; that was a lot of Lion. Still, if anyone was good at fighting defensive actions it was the Daidoji, and hopefully the Lion would have taken some casualties on the way.

"I would like to keep the villagers and non-combatants out of harm's way" Hitoshi said, "so I propose that we meet them a little way outside." He gestured at the young Daidoji who had noticed Kenna's arrival and he quickly came towards where the three men were standing. "Hinto-san, what is the terrain like just to the east of the village?"

"Fairly plain, Hitoshi-sama" he replied, "although there is a small wooded patch just over to the side of the road."

Hitoshi thought for a moment, wiping the rain from his eyes. If anything, the storm was getting worse. Then it struck him. "The mud is going to make movement extremely difficult, especially for men in full battle armour. I suggest we make an area into a complete quagmire and then position ourselves in the middle of it, having removed our own armour and geta. We begin with a call for a duel, and regardless of whether it is accepted or not, when battle commences we pour yumi fire into them.

"Whenthey get close to us, we use our greater speed and agility to fall back in an orderly fashion and repeat the process. By the time they reach our final line near the wooded patch they should be exhausted, their numbers greatly thinned, and easy prey for our katanas. To ensure our victory this is when a small detachment of men will charge from the woods and take them in the rear. What do you think?"

[Doji Kenna]

Kenna listened to Kakita's plan carefully, Shuen an impassive support at his side. When the commander had finished he thought a moment more before speaking, 'I believe your strategy will work Kakita-san, the Lion will have been harassed by the forces we left behind and knowing their choleric bent I am confident they will fall for it. There is also every possibility we won't face their full numbers. Her turned and surveyed the village, a slight quirk of a smile appearing for a moment, 'How many men did you bring Kakita-san, if we have sufficient numbers perhaps with the destruction of that house there' he gestured at he house in question, 'We can work ourselves a confined corridor for them to pass through after the muddy field, if they are enraged enough they should fall for it, and if not it provides us a quick avenue to fall back to the other side of the village.'

[Kakita Sojiro]

"It's a good start, but a few things to consider. First, I doubt the Lion forces will stop to 'waste their time' with a duel. Standing out there in the open and asking for a duel is just asking to get trampled or shot by the enemy. Secondly, do not forget that they will be on horses. Yari will be our best bet at first, until the mud makes the horses unstable and the men are forced to dismount. Third..." he looked around again, then motioned for Hinto to come over. "Hinto-san, I need you to talk to the villagers. We need axes, and we need a long length of rope, enough to stretch across the path with plenty of slack, and we need them quickly." "On my way, Gunso!"

Sojiro turned back to Kenna and Hitoshi. "I have some ideas, building on Hitoshi-san's plan. I'm thinking that we extend our rope across the path and keep it buried in the mud. When the Lion are close enough, we tighten the rope, drawing it up to head level and dismounting their first rank or two of cavalry, possibly even getting them trampled by their own forces. Then, once that confusion has set in, I suggest our archers open fire from both sides of the quagmire while a few of our other men drop tress down onto the Lion forces. We don't have time to get more than three or four ready, but that should be sufficient - two trees per side, ready to fall when the signal is given. Once the trees have crushed more of the Lion forces, we engage directly. I plan to keep Hinto and his men in the trees - they are expert archers, and they are equipped with the tsuruchi longbows the Mantis clan has made famous. The rest of our forces hit from the front and the rear of the Lion forces at the same time, so that they can't bring the full weight of their numbers to bear on either side." He looked up at the two men and grinned. "Down in the mud, with a rain of arrows and trees, I think we can break their will to fight quickly once confusion sets in. What do you think, sans?"

[Doji Kenna]

'It is most certainly a good strategy Kakita-san, one that will be benefited our defensive position. Let us prepare, in a situation such as this I am not afraid to dirty my hands with some necessary manual labour.'

[Kakita Hitoshi]

Hitoshi nodded briskly. "Let's get to work."

The village erupted in a flurry of movement as the defenders readied themselves, then after a short while calm descended and they awaited the coming of the Lion.

[Doji Kenna]

The rain was falling heavier now, the storm having intensified over the all to brief period of preparation that he and his beleaguered rescuers had worked with all possible speed. It was a blessing and a curse, it would help reduce the manoeuvrability and perception of the attacking Lion, but it would also lesson the effectiveness of their own all to crucial archers. He could only hope that arrows would find Lion bodies. Such a thought was shameful, but in these hard times of war he preferred the deaths of the rebels to those of his own, regret at the coming slaughter filling him he offered a quick prayer for the dead to come, Lion and Crane.

Twenty minutes had not been nearly enough for all that they could have done, or even would have liked, but they had worked with what was available. The road, barely more noticeable than the muddy and water-logged fields to either side of it, ran from the east. The Lion would certainly arrive from that direction. They'd drawn themselves up near the village, escape would be achieved by retreating back though its muddy but passable main street. To reach them the Lion would need to travel along that all to narrow road and the treacherous fields to either side.

Numerous trip-wires had been hidden by devious hands n the mud, as well as a strong rope that a pair of Daidoji could draw up to unhorse the inevitable cavalry. Even so, they were delaying tactics. Yet, combined with the archers hidden in the woods overlooking the field, and the felled trees they had managed to prepare to roll down onto the road it would help.

Despite their preparations though, they were few and in all too much danger, they had a mere fifty-six men; horses, the four yojimbo and their charges waiting to flee should it at the last be necessary. Against them as many as two-hundred Lion were coming. Admittedly the Crane forces were all samurai, most Daidoji veterans of war against the Lion, but one should never underestimate the Empire's pre-eminent martial clan. Many of the enemy would be ashigaru, a fact that offered little comfort to warm in the chill of the rain. Led by a core of Lion samurai those ashigaru would prove all too deadly.

Kenna's reverie was interrupted like a scene from one of the exquisite plays that graced a Crane palace by the simultaneous rumble and flash of both thunder and lightning, and Shuen's sudden approach.
'We have estimates Doji-sama, Kakita-samas' he said bowing quickly to him, Sojiro and Hitoshi, 'It seems not all the Lion forces have pursued, it looks to be six guntai; one of cavalry, two samurai and three ashigaru. They advance well and in good order.' There it was then, in moments the rain and mud would be mixed with blood as sons and daughters of the Empire slew each other once more. Putting aside such melancholy thoughts Kenna gave his armour and sword a final check, when the Lion reached the final line he would account himself well; he knew they all would.

[Kakita Hitoshi]

Everything went still as the Lion seemed to materialise out of the rain at the far end of the battlefield. Taking a rough guess, Hitoshi believed that they outnumbered the Crane approximately two to one. The wood of his yumi was smooth beneath his hand and he had to consciously force away a fleeting moment of regret that he hadn't practised much kyujutsu since leaving the Kakita Duelling Academy.

The two forces stood watching each other as if waiting for a signal, and Hitoshi decided that he may as well try and challenge his opposite number even though he suspected that Sojiro was right and that it would simply be ignored. He took a couple of steps forward and shouted into the silence.

"I am Kakita Hitoshi, son of Kakita Fusaki, grandson of Daidoji Kousei. I slew the bandits terrorising the village of Quiet Water and defeated the renowned Shiba Takeda in a duel to the death. If your commander is no coward then he will come forth and face me now in iaijutsu!"

One of the Lion on horseback urged his horse forward and from beneath his terrifying mempo a voice growled "I am Matsu Makoto, son of Matsu Ichiro, grandson of Matsu Kentai, and I am no coward. At the Battle of Mountain Watch Keep I slew more yobanjin than you have eaten grains of rice, and I have sent five brave samurai to their graves who dared to challenge me. Before I rout this army from the field, that number shall be six!"

A veteran duellist was not quite what Hitoshi had imagined when he had thought of the Lion commander. But what was said was said. He glanced sideways at Sojiro. "Any last minute advice, sempai?" The older man simply smiled and clasped him on the shoulder, saying "You are Crane. He is Lion. You need no advice."

Hitoshi strode out between the two armies where Makoto was dismounting and watched as the weight of his armour caused him to sink into the mud somewhat. The two men bowed to each other, locked eyes, and then fell into stance. Hitoshi could see that the Lion was good and well believed that he had defeated five others previously, although he wasn't adapting so well to the treacherous footing. As the young Crane studied his opponent a woman's face appeared in his mind.

I have to win, he thought, because I have to live. I cannot die before I tell Mikado how I feel.

There was a blur as the two men exploded into motion, but those watching closely saw Makoto's blade begin to lose purpose towards the end of its motion. It fell, landing in the ground beside its master's feet, and seconds later he joined it as blood and rain mixed in the mud. Hitoshi bowed to the Lion and returned to his troops to allow them to collect the daisho of the fallen. When this was done the Lion second in command gave a shout and the ashigaru began to move forward, then the killing began in earnest.

******

Hitoshi was exhausted; it felt like they had been fighting for an age. They had followed the plan and poured arrow after arrow into their oncoming foes, trusting in the mud to slow them down as they retreated. The horses had been brought down and now every combatant was on foot, but the Lion had finally caught up with them and were reaping a terrible toll on the unarmoured Crane. Hitoshi was fighting back to back with Doji Kenna, who had surprised him with his skill. The young magistrate's katana snaked out at the Lion facing him, but it skimmed off the armour harmlessly and his opponent pressed the assault. Hitoshi stumbled backwards, diverting strike after strike, but never finding time to mount a counter attack. He caught a glimpse of Kenna moving carefully so as not to leave his back exposed before his awareness was again taken up by the relentless attack raining down on him.

Suddenly Sojiro was there, katana slicing into the Lion's arm before he spun and drew his wakazashi across her throat, then he was away again in search of a new foe. Hitoshi spied another figure dressed in brown and gold hacking at Daidoji Hinto, and moved leadenly towards them. Screaming a defiant kiai he slashed his blade into the Lion's knee, which allowed Hinto to finish him with a powerful downward strike.

Six men stood on the battlefield, and all of them were dressed in blue. Hitoshi waved the others towards him. "We were lucky that the Lion split their forces" he rasped, "but it will not be long before more of them come across this battlefield. Take a few moments' respite, and then gather those we left in the village as quickly as possible. For now, we run."

"Wait," Sojiro panted, holding up a hand. "I think I may have a plan..."


(And here endeth the rescue mission. The story of how the survivors made it back into Toshi Ranbo is told in "The Longest Road". Thank you for reading!