In Winter's Veil (Open RP)

[The Blue Ronin]

OOC: This post is intended for anybody participating in the Lion skirmishing attacks on Kyuden Otomo. Please feel free to jump in if you think your character would be involved.

IC: Later, Ryumon would reprimand himself. His head was abuzz with all kinds of thoughts and ideas. There was a part of him that continued to express disbelief. Three months ago he had been a junior samurai in the Mantis Clan, recently promoted to the position of Gunso but expected to go little further. Now, by a twist of luck and a good impression on some senior Samurai, here he was now, the second-in-command to the Regent of a Great Clan - and a different Clan!

So he had reason for his mind to be a-whirl, but there was a time and a place for that, and the place was most certainly not in a warzone. He'd let the opulent surroundings of Kyuden Otomo lull him. It was foolish. He'd seen the recent intelligence, the Daidoji officers meeting him with a deference that made it seem unreal, but the facts were clear. While the walls of Kyuden Otomo and everything within bowshot of them were secure, and while the Lion were not making any move in force, there had been sporadic Lion patrols well within the Otomo lands for more than a month now. The Lion were probably mapping Crane positions, trying to keep Crane morale down, tie down troops and secure forage that would be more and more crucial as winter tightened its grip on the land.

Modesty, ease of travel and a shortage of troops meant that Ryumon, despite his newly exalted rank, had asked only for a single Kenshinzen to escort him on the long journey back to Shiro Daidoji. Kakita Yuji was an earnest young man, the portrait of a shining young swordsman, blue eyed, bright-featured and full of the confidence that was unique to the Crane. He made Ryumon feel even more out of place, although he was kindly enough.

The ride wasn't comfortable - the land was heavy with frost and a sprinkling of snow lay across the black fields, not deep, but a portent of the thicker snows to come. Most of the fields were black with stubble, but occasionally they would pass a few peasants bringing in a late harvest. The storehouses, Ryumon noted, were empty. The peasants would be keeping their precious foodstuffs in defended or hidden locations. But apparently the Lion were wise to their tricks.

The burned-out storehouse they passed should have been a warning - a few ashigaru had been clustered about it looking frustrated, but Ryumon hadn't thought to stop - he was hoping to make Tsuma, or at least its outer outposts, before night dropped its frigid blanket. Of course it would have saved him quite the delay.

The first he knew of the danger came when he and Yuji rounded a corner and Yuji hauled on the reins of his steed. The horse reared back, nostrils flaring, confused and panicked. Ryumon did the same. Somebody had dragged a heavy log across the road. Ryumon thought for a second a tree had fallen beneath the weight of snow on its branches but the tree was too think for that, and a long track through the mud and snow revealed it had been moved. By who? Lion... just as the thought found his mind an arrow snaked through the air, finding Yuji's throat. Blood splattered across the Kakita's kimono. Another arrow bit into the mud as Ryumon fought to drag free his sasumata, and a third tore out his horse's belly even as Yuji's steed whirled, directionless.

Ryumon managed to turn the tumble into a controlled roll, the ice patches on the road cracking under the heavy impact of his armour. Rising to his feet, he thanked the fortunes he was still wearing his heavy armour as another arrow broke off one of his pauldrons. Yuji's steed was rearing wildly. He saw where the arrows were coming from - a peasant's hut on stilts in a flooded, frozen field. Some barrels underneath the hut were cover for the snipers. They were too far away for him to charge. Deciding discretion was the better part of valour, he turned to run, crouching awkwardly low, his armour thundering around him, making him feel perversely vulnerable in his slowness.

A shallow irrigation ditch beckoned and he lept into it, disturbing a frost-coated pile of cuttings probably dumped months ago and not cleaned up due to the war. Arrows sung over his head. The sasumata was no use now - he put it to one side and carefully reached for his bow. As he did so, Yuji's steed was finally cut down as one of the archer's expertly felled it with a shot to the neck. There went his last chance of escape. He glanced around. The terrain was flat, with little cover, and they had him outnumbered. There were at least three bowmen, maybe more. They had probably been hiding here hoping to catch some Crane officers unawares. Well, they had done it. As the heat of exertion faded and the winter chill reasserted itself, the rictus of panic was replaced by a deeper, draining fear that rose in his gullet. They had him pinned down, far from help. Was this the end?

[The Blue Ronin]

After a few moments of panic, Ryumon's training began to take over. It was true, the cover around him was sparse, and that his heavy armour meant any attempt to flee or even retreat would be so slow he would end up a pincushion even if he managed to avoid getting mired in any of the numerous irrigation ditches. But the building that the Lion had chosen to take refuge beneath, while it provided ample cover, was flimsy. Just a peasant's store house, purely seasonal, probably abandoned during the sparse winter months.

Of course it would have gone down easily with even a light siege engine, but he had not had the foresight to find one. On the other hand, he did have his daikyu - and while the arrows would merely graze even the weak walls of the hut, he had a way of changing that... when he had served at Broken Wave City there had been a squad of Tsuruchi bowmen stationed there. He had often watched as, during their drills, they had practiced wrapping rough rags around their arrowheads, soaking them in lantern oil and setting them alight. The resulting arrows were unwieldy and short-ranged, but when used against flammable targets en masse they could start a dangerous fire.

Luckily for Ryumon he was carrying both spare clothes and lantern oil. He kept a low profile as the Lion continued to fire arrows around the ditch - none landed near him, but he had cause to flinch as a couple came close. They were obviously not really trying to flush him out, just keep him nervous.

He made a total of ten fire arrows. He lit the first one, rose onto one knee, and snapped it off. It thunked into the thatch roof of the hut and smouldered a little before going out. For his effort he was rewarded with an eager volley of counter-fire. The Lion obviously hoped they had panicked him into exposing himself. For a moment he felt the fear that they were right. But no, this was the best approach.

The next arrow caught and began to burn with a small, reedy but persistent flame. The third landed near it, the two flames joining. The fourth spread a sheet of flame across the roof. He continued to duck back at the Lion's counterfire. By the time the tenth arrow had landed they knew what was happening - the building was ablaze. Flames leapt and whirled along the roof like Scorpion dancers at court. The rising smoke formed a backdrop to the firey dance that made it seem even more theatrical.

It wasn't long before he was rewarded. The Lion had no ability to put out the fires he had started - they travelled light, living off the land, like any scouts or skirmishers, which meant they were mobile and flexible but had no blankets, no water. There were four of them. They scattered, returning fire, but to fire with a daikyu while running was difficult. He said a prayer to Osano Wo and then, on further thought, to lady Doji. Each of the Lion fell under his heavy arrows. Three were dead before they hit the ground. The fourth, he approached as she writhed, the arrow pinning her through the gut. A swift blow from his sasumata ended it.

Ryumon felt his heart gradually slow. He had no horse and no bodyguard and he was still in a warzone. After pausing a few moments for a proper prayer for the spirits of both his yojimbo and his foes, he continued on foot towards Tsuma.