Chapter XVIII
"A thousand ounces of silver per day. Such is the cost of raising an army of 100,000."
"
The Art of War
"
~ by Sun Tzu ~
I explained our story to the men. We were Mito, assigned by our lord, to protect his daughter. I had insisted everyone pick fake names and start using them with each other. It's a pain but better that, than dead because one of us was recognized. With that done, I explained our lord was Mito Kaitaro, a merchant lord from Mura Chuni, a village near the capital. Being so close to the capital it was a town with thousands of merchants. Because of that it would be difficult for anyone to know that we were lying.
"Do any of you have Koga tattoos?" Only the courtier raised his hand. I laughed "You're kidding me." He just shook his head. "Where?"
"My left breast, it's the crest of Goemon."
"Fine. Just do not bathe with anyone but us. The rest of you, be sure to watch his back when he goes to bathe or change clothes." They all nodded. "While you are at it watch my back. I have a few tattoos on me I would prefer to keep hidden as well."
I handed out the weapons and clothes, as well as a few accoutrements. Fans, medicine boxes to hang from their obi, and some jewelry. Once we were dressed and armed as Bandai, Ketsumempo and I mounted a cart. We had managed to attach the second cart to the rear of the first. When we started our trip I placed three men in front and three in back. At dusk we would pull off of the road and camp, like a normal merchant's caravan. The men were quite withdrawn during our first day but that night was a different story. Masakari approached me.
"My lord, I was about to have Yumi start on the stew. Would you and the lady care for some?"
"Yes, both of us would. Domo arigato, Masakari san."
Hoko commented as he unpacked the goods for the night. "I didn't think noblemen liked red meat?"
"That depends on the nobleman." I smiled.
"Ha! Yes, that it does. You don't seem to be anything like the ones we usually work for."
"Domo arigato, Hoko san."
He laughed again. I continued to help unload things while Ketsumempo helped Yumi with the stew. Kubikiri asked me, once we had finished, "Can you tell us anything about what we are doing, my lord?"
"Well, we are looking for something. When we find it, I will pay you lovely samurai for three months work, unless it takes longer than that. Then you are released from your contract with us."
"That's very generous, but it doesn't really tell us what we're in for."
I thought a moment. "The only fighting you will see is if we are attacked along our journey. You are part of our cover story, nothing more. We cannot initiate any fights with other samurai, it would attract attention. So relax."
He nodded. Masakari said, "That should suffice, domo arigato."
"Do itashimashite, Mito Masakari san." He grinned at my excessive politeness.
The stew was good, but the conversation was better. Menuki liked to tell war stories. Tonight she delved into her bag of goodies and came up with the fight they had against a ronin band of brigands. During the fight Jerukukami had fallen on his butt because of some cow manure. Jerukukami hated this story. He said so when she started telling it. Which is when Hoko claimed he hadn't heard it.
"You are such a liar!" Jerukukami said.
"No, I really haven't heard it." He was a bad liar.
"You were there!"
"I've been lots of places."
"You stopped fighting to laugh at me!" Hoko made a show of thinking a moment.
"Nope. I don't remember. Go ahead, Menuki san." Jerukukami crossed his arms and sulked, while the skilled Menuki spun a tale of true humiliation. Embellished, I'm sure, as little as possible.
We would travel the Imperial roads all the way to Mura no Ibusuki. It is one of the Kyushu's major ports to the RyuKyu islands. From there we could catch a boat to Toshi Naha, the RyuKyu House palace. The trip to Mura no Ibusuki would take about four weeks. Plenty of time to get to know our new friends and our new roles. Apparently, their previous lord, a Goemon, had been ordered to commit seppuku while his entire household was made ronin. Their castle had been a small one to the north east of Goemon Toshi, about an hour's ride. That had been five years ago.
Hoko was saying, "I remember when it happened, Jerukukami..."
Menuki interrupted, "Do not talk about it!"
"Why not? We did nothing wrong."
"It is still our shame."
"Only if you let it be so. I intend to work my way back onto the path."
Kubikiri spoke up, "That never happens."
"Maybe. But I will succeed or die trying. How about the rest of you?" Yumi, Jerukukami, and Masakari all nodded. "Then we should succeed someday."
Ketsumempo said, "I have heard of more outrageous dreams. I think if you stick together you stand a good chance of achieving it." They all smiled because of the hope she gave them. Hoko continued, "So, we were all in disgrace. Our lord had done something to Masao and he wouldn't even tell us what, just that we were now ronin. Our old Taisa, Masakari, told us we would stick together and when we saw poor Kubikiri pass by, he grabbed him and made him come with us. Kubikiri had always been a good friend to us. Anyway, that is how we came to be."
I nodded. "I would have thought finding work for six ronin would be tougher than six
individuals."
"No, you would be surprised at how many merchants want protection. And six ronin cuts down on their searching for adequate men. They just come to Masakari and he makes the arrangements."
"I am glad it has worked out for you."
"That's not to say it's been easy. We almost starved to death trying to find work a few months ago."
He went on, as the others smiled listening to him. As for me, I enjoyed the story. The part about how and why Kubikiri came to join them, which told me these men still knew what loyalty was.