Z2 Chapter 10: Picking up the pieces
Nick slowly found his bearings in the once familiar space, his balance came in the form of the cold steel block at the rooms center. His padded digits dragged carefully along its surface, feeling the divots and pits of the metal anvil, a sign of its many years of wear. Nick gave a saddened sigh as he noted its poorly maintained state.
"He loved you, you know that right? As if you were his own son." His father spoke from the doorway, the only brace from the winds frozen gale as it battered the metal workers shak.
"Why didn't you at least have uncles smithy preserved?" The tone came off as a harsh rasp teetering on the edge of sobs.
"You know we no longer maintain that way… we can't." Responded the apprehensive voice of his father, Nick didn't need the answer, he knew the truth. The burden of nobility, their frowned upon origins as smiths. Crafts were elevated in the west but still seen so far below the machinations of their acquired rank.
"It still feels wrong to leave it like this." Nick responded solemnly, his father unable to offer more than the slightests of gestures in return.
"That's a matter for another time, but right now I am requested at another war council."
"Hm." Nick nodded understandingly, the need for his father's time was claimed because of the war waged just north of them. So Nick spared no thought to it and returned his focus to the rusted steel block. But something was off, the presence at the door hadn't left, prompting Nick to turn back to his father with a look of confusion.
"Well?" Nicks brow only furrowed further at his father. "Are you coming?"
The confusion set itself almost permanently across his countenance. "Me?" He pointed to himself, his father nodding.
"Talk is making its rounds about the return of my son. Questions have already been raised with many of the nobles around, they debate the validity of rumors like this."
Nick still wore a quizzical expression as he began to walk out of the small smithy, his father reaching an arm around his sons shoulder as they began their steps back towards the main estate. He leaned in to whisper, "A few of them had hoped you wouldn't return, they argued; Lacking an heir, one of them would take the seat of Daimyo and rule over Harima, when I passed."
Nicks expression finally broke its current mold, electing instead for shock "Ooh."
"Ooh is right." He chuckled lightly giving his son a soft shake.
The room warmed the chill of the outside winds from their fur. His father however did not spare the time to indulge this fact, instead electing with the pace of his guard, quickly into the estate.
"Finally, John-dono!" Announced the first of voices that turned to take note of their arrival, or more accurately the Daimyos presence. Nick fell to the wayside as he was accustomed to givin his appearance, however rested and restored his kimono, the bandages around his eyes still left him easily overlooked, he wasn't alone there however; Jack and Skye conversed about their next point of travel, Skyes quiet taller red fox guard was as somber and silent as ever.
"Lords." Johns response was simple and without apology, his act of the slightest bow still demanding unquestionable respect. Each of the present lords responding with lower bows to prostrate their positions of power before the fox war-lord. "So what do we have?"
Set to work they all stood around a prominent old table, from what Nick could make of the sound of parchment as several soldiers and nobles took up their places around a map.
"Fangmeyer marches south, across the river side from us, west due of him is a contingent of Delgatos ashigaru."
"How many?"
The lords conversed for a short while over the numbers their respective scouts had seen. "Somewhere in the range of over forty thousands."
This number did seem to surprise the old fox with some air of discontentment showing over his tone as he hummed in thought. "They recovered quicker than I expected."
"Yes Daimyo, though we did note that there was a lack of samurai in their ranks."
"Hmm?"
Again the nobles spent a short moment conversing. "We believe a few of the Tiger and Lion lords elected to return to their estates or even further west after the death of Daimyo Big. Though they still maintain soldiers in Fangmeyers and Delgatos forces mostly in the form of divisions of Ashigaru."
"Then now is the time to strike, without proper leadership we could do a good amount of damages, especially with winter on our side." Responded a taller, more harsh voice that Nick took to assume belonging to a wolf noble, Western, Okayama Bizen. he further concluded. Several of the lords quickly followed suit in agreeing.
"What of Snarlovs forces?" John reminded.
"Ten thousand of Warlord Snarlovs ashigaru still remain with about one thousand of his finest warriors."
Silence was spent for the few short moments that John mulled over within his head. "That's five rifle divisions along with our own fifteen thousand ashigaru and two thousand samurai. With Fangmeyers twenty thousand were still heavily outnumbered."
The prospect of the numbers mentioned vividly came into view. Though clever, fox clans couldn't neglect the raw force they faced, but their advantage came in the form of the weather. The thick snows played an advantage to the winter species of wolf and fox that made up the majority of their forces. "What do you think," The voice did not project itself into the center of the encircled lords. Nicks ears rose in response of the voice as it directed itself to him, sat off to the side where he would not be in the way alongside servants, guards and his own companions, any of whom Nick more expected the call of attention to be directed towards.
"Me?" Nick still made to clarify.
"Him?" The wolf lord from Okayama questioned, taking stock of the haggard looking younger fox.
Nick didn't hesitate to stand and proceed forward, towards the circle of nobles.
"Yes, what do you think of the battle plan?" John reiterated as Nick joined them in their circle.
"I wouldn't pretend to know-"
"Ahh none of that, just give me your opinion. So far as the present lords and myself can see, attacking them within the snow before they can enforce their troops is our best plan. I want an outside opinion." John urged his son.
Nick gulped with the anxious feeling in his stomach. "Shouldn't we hold until Shoguns forces can arrive."
"None are coming." The Bizen wolf replied with a venom to his voice.
"Hm?" Nick was surprised, at the very least he saw his own actions in protecting the Shogunate from Bigs march on his lands would deserve the immediate aid and response of the Shoguns own forces in whipping out their enemy. "I thought at least Clan Hopps would come?"
"You hadn't heard?" The Wolf seethed, seeming to grow more agitated at Nicks presence with every moment he stood there. "They-" He was suddenly stopped by a gesture from Nicks father.
"To our surprise after a mysterious fox fought and forced Bigs forces to retreat; Clan Hopps promised air in light of this warrior from Harima and thus began marching soldiers to our aid." John paused with a sigh. "However the snake, Bellwether-" An annoyed sound could be heard from the whole of the surrounding lords. "Revealed her colors and assassinated Shogun Bogo."
"What!?" Nick responded in surprise. Nick had spoke to the Shogun barely a couple weeks before and to hear of the large and skillful bovine having died in such a short order was nearly impossible for him to believe.
"Yes." John nodded solemnly, "His son has taken up his father's position as Shogun and called all loyal to the Shogunate to immediately march against Bellwether and her accomplice the Goat War-Lord Salazar just east and north of Echigo."
Nick nodded in understanding, "So we're alone."
"Mhm, so it seems." The room grew silent for another moment. Even unable to see, Nick recalled the map of his father's study, an image laid itself out in front of him from the recesses of his memory.
Yamashiro, His fingers began to trail over the parchment, feeling the texture of the old paper until he stopped at the indentation he would hope to be the Fangmeyers small but prosperous lands there.
Tanba, His finger moved ever so slightly left to the Lion clan of Delgato, the lion whos rebellion claimed the right to replace Lionheart due to their close family ties. Nicks finger moved ever so slightly south of that, its neighbor region was the once hostile land of Settsu for whom Fox and Wolf had allied since their peace some several hundred years ago. Warlord Snarlov ruled this land as a close friend to clan Wilde with the Dojo of the Moon Fang where Nick trained, he caught himself Smirking given the fact it couldn't have been more than three years after that it accepted its first non-wolf or fox species student in Judy of Clan Hopps. With Clans like Wolford they made up their greatest military ally as well as their greatest traders. West of that Nicks finger followed the water southern border of Japan until it landed where he would assume was Harima, the port region the dealt in foreign trade and of course famous for its craftsman.
"My lord why are we indulging this blind Fox?" The Bizen wolf interjected. But it was too late, Nicks mind was already in the process of thinking over the question it made for itself, How do I protect Harima and her allies? It asked as his fingers continued to challenge his knowledge of sight with the feeling of the indented inks of the map. Bizen, He noted his finger crossing the western border of Harima to their other fox and wolf region there, ruled by a Wolf Daimyo named Kaneshige.
"Give him a chance, I'm curious."
Bitchu A land that bordered the frozen western regions ruled by warlord Koraku, Nick inflected if he could recall correctly. His finger trailing the wester further till they caught a small little region, Inaba. He smirked in thought, looking back to cast a sightless grin towards his hare companion who hailed from such a region.
"Curious of what? What could he offer to a war council. My father sent me here to show respect for you and as an assurance for our continued alliance so that both our regions could prosper. Instead you indulge this-" The wolf gesture to Nick with disappointment. "Scruffy, blind monk?"
The wolf was huffing with agitation now but something drew over the room as murmurs fell further.
Even without vision Nick couldn't hope to imagine the glare his father shot the insubordinate wolf that attended the war council. "Kaneshige would be disappointed in you boy." The words spat as a venom. "You would not speak of my son in such a way, do you understand me."
The revelation that blanketed the present lords took them a few moments.
"Your son?" A fox lord off to the left could be heard remarking with incredulity. "My lord are you sure this is not just another fake?" He continued.
John just chuckled lightly, "I am sure. And I'll take this as a formal opportunity to announce the return of my son and heir of Harima. Nicholas, Piberius of clan Wilde." His sights turned back to the heir of Bizen, nearly the size and a half of the fox warlord, the wolf still felt small under his expression.
"I am so sorry Daimyo Wilde. I-I apologize from my disgraceful behavior." Spoke the humbled wolf.
"Forgiven Toyo." John said, though from the tone it was clear that he was less forgiven than he was warned.
"So, what do you think-" Toyo looked to John then to the blind fox, now identified as the powerful trade regions heir. "Nick-sama."
Nick for his part could have played the part of deaf as he showed no signs of their discussion as his fingers trailed the paper aiming to recall all its details of their surrounding provinces.
"This is Yamashiro?" He said placing his fingers over the mountain crossing of the former capital of Japan that now sat the powerful trade of the tiger clan, Fangmeyer.
"Yes." Toyo responded
"Then I might have a plan of attack." Nick smirked.
"Good!" John proclaimed, taking his sound under his arm and shaking him proudly. "What is it?"
Nick smiled for a good second, "Retreat."
It took the group of lords a beat then two to even catch up to what he had just said.
"What?" Toyo stuttered, rage boiling under his fur again before taking a glance at the fox Daimyo and composing himself again to wait out the response of the blind former ronin.
In a practiced motion Nick began to span the map to gesture to each of his stages of thoughts. "They outnumber us here and here." He noted both Yamashiro and Tanba.
"Yes but we have the advantage of the snow and more skilled warriors." Toyo countered.
"And skilled rifle divisions." John himself interjected as well.
Nick nodded, "True but they still maintain the advantage."
Toyo looked for the similarly quizzical expression the fox warlord wore then returned to the blind fox. "How so?"
Nick looked up to the taller wolf. "Their ashigaru are filled with several species no different than our own, however their forces still employ a large number of lions and tigers. Even a skilled samurai would have trouble fighting a rhino and our situation is no different. Each of their foot soldiers could count for as many as four of ours." Nick ran a finger over his chin as he thought it through. "Even with ambushes and our soldiers having advantage in the snow they have the raw mass to challenge this and break the line here." Nick pointed to where their province bordered Settsu.
"Harima and Settsu border?" John concluded.
"Yes, at the river bank here. If they can separate us from each other they could move on either province without the other being able to reinforce the other as needed."
"But if we retreat won't we simply be giving them that advantage."
"Not quite." Nick interceded rolling his fingers over the easternmost borders of Settsu, Yamashiro and their neighboring regions of Omi and Yamato. "The lake south of Yamashiro will act as an impassable border, the cervine lords east of either region will be ordered to assist in Bogo-donos campaign against Bellwether. So their only choice is a direct assault on the wolf and fox provinces south of them. If we retreat our forces further into our provinces while strongly maintaining the bridges between Settsu and Harima we'll turn their advantage into their biggest disadvantage."
John looked over the map now similar as Toyo with confusion. "How?"
Nick looked to the west, gesturing with his finger to the clans loyal to Big. "The west in disarray." Then to the east, "Bigs spies and spies of the Shogunate also claimed aid was produced from Bellwether to Big in his campaign. As larger predatory species they require large amounts of food to sustain their armies, most namely Fangmeyer's armies which take up the mountainous regions of Yamashiro. Once the capital of Japan it was a fortress granted to his clan during the alliances of Prey and Predator species to repel invaders."
"Which makes any attacks by us nearly useless regardless of if we defeat their initial armies."
"Correct, not to mention the loss of soldiers we would have, their food stocks could allow them to hold up for years within their fortresses."
"So what do you propose."
Nick circled the Delgato and Fangmeyer provinces now as if to note something simple. "Let them expand their military borders, extend their troops along the conquered territories while quietly feigning defeat and compressing the mass of our soldiers. While retreating we drain all granaries and lardars within the regions we surrender. Them being at war with the fox and wolf clans that border the low lands means they will not have access for trade of fish, no longer supported by Bellwether or Salazar they can't purchase food to sustain their soldiers."
"But what about the west?" Toyo mused. To which Nick turned back to Jack who had taken note of the sightless stare of its second use.
"Him."
"Him?"
Nick gestured for Jack to come forward, unaware of his own part on this unfolding plan. "This is Jack third son of Clan Savage."
"Daimyo Savage, the hares of Inaba?"
Nick nodded.
"But weren't they in league with Daimyo Big in assaulting the shogunate?"
"No John-dono." Jack interjected, pausing to bow respectfully to the warlord. "Father offered aid to their war effort in the form of trades, silks and some food as were one of the provinces in the west with farmable lands. But no soldiers were ever sent to aid in a campaign on the capitals of either Shimotsuke or Musashi."
It was a minor detail but one that both John and the heir of Bizen glowered at.
"Jack-sama. Do you think you could convince your father to join our side in the conflicts with Fangmeyer and Delgato?" Nick inquired.
Jack stammered "I haven't spoken with my father or brothers since." He looked back at the unassuming features of Skye who maintained as much a bland expression as the accents of the walls. Jack knew better in that he could assume her to be utterly absorbing the entirety of their environment. "Since I became a ronin and attended Orsas dojo."
"Hmm." Began the fox Daimyo, "The Shogun granted me permissions to act in his interests during conflicts of the west."
"Daimyo?"
"What if I offered amnesty for whatever aid clan Savage offered to clans Fangmeyer and Delgato in exchange for his renewed vows of loyalty to the new Shogun and immediate aid-"
"By holding the roads to the west." Nick interjected his father.
"That roads? Couldn't we use their soldiers here?"
Nick nodded, "No. They would be needed to hold the roads due west into the colder provinces, This will help insulate the tiger and lion clans from resources." Nicks finger returned to Fangmeyer's own fortresses. "Clan Delgato maintains a reasonable state of finance but even more than them is the rich nation of the tiger clan; Fangmeyer. More important than mammals in the field of war is denying them from using their koku to purchase food rations for their soldiers. The mountain range will stop them from using the ocean to the north with any level of efficiency. If Clan Savage can ambush any trade wagons on the roads to the west from any remaining loyaltys between Big loyalists and Fangmeyer traders would starve them of that resource. We hold the rivers and docks south as we command more than 95% of the docks that straddled the southern expanse of Japan. The war between the Shogun and Bellwether to the west will starve them of any trades due east."
"Were going to starve them into defeat." John elaborated to the hare. But part in parcel the admission of the plan being not only considered but acting with the intention of Nicks plan being the one they would operate under was a surprise with how newly it was even expressed.
Jack thought it over for a short while before shrugging. "I was planning to return to visit my father, much in the same way we escorted Nick here." Jack gestured to the former ronin beside him; Eager to use the same wording former in that title when he finally returned to his own family. "I think he would be likely to accept this offer for Inabas sake."
"Hm, good. It's a plan then-"
"But lord, it's still too dependent on so many variables. Any series of events could go wrong and throw the whole plan into chaos. Were talking about isolating two of the wealthiest predator provinces. Too many things could go wrong." Toyo added, Nick had to agree, as worldly as his travels were they did offer many obstacles when looking at things so broadly. It was a curious thing, the narrow vision of provinces against the real world where no border knew its distances from the tree line and dirt paths.
Nonetheless, "That's why I recommend we pursue the employ of less honorable mammals." Nick continued.
"Hm, mercenaries, spies?" The older fox expressed.
Nick shook his head from side to side, "More devious then that even, I was thinking more a name sake of our species."
Johns eyes widened, "Shinobi?"
Nick nodded, "Mhm."
"What? We haven't employed assassins in decades. Why would we now?" Toyo argued.
"Neither does Big, as a formality. But it offers us the best ability to maintain constant surveillance of the actions of both clans in whatever they plan as well as grant us early knowledge of their marches. It will give us the best control of our rifle divisions of Ashigaru-" Nick then gestured back to Jack. "As well as help the smaller armies from Inaba from being overrun by Delgato soldiers in a bid to taking control of the western roads to maintain trade routes with the western fisheries and trade docks."
"It would be an expensive venture to hire ninja for any extended period of time. We would also need to hire a large number of them given the expanse they would need to oversee. Where would we find that many shinobi on such short notice who would still be willing to take on this substantial of a contract?"
"Clan Bigs ninja are up for grabs since his death. Two of his shinobi are right over there." Nick ousted with that very winter fox suddenly being incredibly intent with wide eyes.
John, Toyo and all of the present nobles turned on the unassuming fox with an impressive speed. Nick read the room poorly for that moment, absorbed in the flow of the conversation, not recognizing the tension that had been so tightly strung given the part of his fathers forces in the recent assault and subsequent execution of warlord Big.
"Guards!"
The response was immediate as guards suddenly fell on them, neither of the fox shinobi were slow in their own understanding. Quickly on their feet as yari spears enclosed the distance around them.
"Wait!" Jack spat, cursing the lack of his own sword in that very moment. Skye and her quiet second in command took on more steeled and less passive expressions as they readied for any necessary conflict.
"You brought Bigs assassins with you?!" Toyo seethed again, drawing his own katana.
It was Nicks turn to act, to undo his own mistake "Lower your weapons immediately!" Nick spoke with an authority that he couldn't pretend to actually possess. But for its effect several of the guards did for all of a moment before raising them again realizing the order did not come from Daimyo Wilde himself. John looked to his son, who even with a blindfold wore a telling expression back towards his father.
"Lower your weapons." He said with a more stoic posture than any of the other present mammals. At this all of the guards did, with hesitation. All save for Toyos sword and any of his personal samurai.
"They were captured by myself and samurai of clan Hopps. They are my prisoners."
Toyo lowered his sword finally but refused to take his eyes off the two assassins, his snarl a constant of their direction.
"Messages from Daimyo Hopps did speak of two assassin prisoners along with the fox ronin who helped capture them. Though they did not mention they were released into said foxes custody."
"I didn't have a real name to give them."
John nodded, "Messages did include a mention of one 'Piberious' as the ronin that fought and defeated Bigs representative in Kozuke." the Daimyo looked to the hare samurai now. The rest of the soldiers present slowly returned to a more cautious state.
"You want to employ warlord Bigs own assassins, that is a tremendous risk."
"I vouch for them." Nick said, standing up as straight as he could.
John nodded however in response. "Even that wouldn't be enough."
"I vouch for her." Jack added.
"And just who are you to thing your word is so valued?" Toyo glared.
"Jack of clan Savage, of Orsas Dojo. Her only student to ever pass her studies and the most deadly sword mammal in all of Japan." Nick iterated the titles with respect.
"You worked for former Daimyo Big." Toyo added.
"Formerly." Jack corrected, "I was being blackmailed." He turned back the still defensively postured winter fox.
"Orsa was a legend during the battles against Shogun Bellwether and Emperor Swinton. Her name carries a lot of weight." John nodded, his guards clearing a path for the lethal assassin to approach though with a clear note of caution. "Would your clan be willing to take up employment under clan Wilde?"
Skye for her part was short compared to the present species of different thick furred wolves and taller foxes. Her own silent companion stepped beside her as he had always been known to do.
Skye looked to Jack then with an annoyed expression to the taller fox ronin; Nick then back to the fox war lord. "Our loyalties for clan Big have… diminished, Daimyo Wilde." She ended by bowing respectfully.
"How so?"
Skye seemed apprehensive, any story of her clans past being something to hide as an obvious operation of their occupation. "If you had asked our clan to abandon our contract with clan Big just a generation before we would have laughed."
John waited for her to continue.
"But warlord Big did not maintain the same ambitions as his father before him. Our clan was formerly used to maintain financial trade in the west and control other nobles from acting outside of the shrews interests, espionage and spying mainly but it was not uncommon to kill for the benefit of his clan."
"Clan Big has always been known for their ambition." Toyo said plainly, it was true that the clan of shrews was always under suspicion of underhanded tactics.
"But as we all saw with Warlord Bigs latest ambitions, they grew beyond the scope of wealth. Soldiers became more important than spies to him and our clan saw continual insult by his hand. He reduced our clans stipends to measly sums." A note of emotion could be heard in her tone, one that was clearly meant to be hidden as she just as soon covered it with a more business as usual one in its place. "He began to send us on suicide missions to kill any lords in the west that refused to follow his plans in a war with the east. It didn't matter how many of us died so long as the nobles perished as well. We were forced to work well beyond our limits to impress him enough to stop reducing the size of our properties that he continually gave to other corrupt merchants. After my father died I took over as ruler of our remaining Ninja."
"How many?"
"Over five hundred of us remain. Not including our families that you would have to house." Skye gauged the Daimyo, surprised to find herself unable to understand his countenance.
"Five hundred shinobi, no better than a division of foot soldiers. Ninja are no fighters. My lord I could contribute five hundred soldiers to the task of spying on Fangmeyer and Delgato and save us the whole of this needless expense." Toyo countered.
"How much would their fees be?"
"Fifteen koku per fox." Skye narrowed her vision on the Daimyo.
He laughed, deeply from his gut he laughed. "Personal guard demand so high a fee and they prove their worth. Five koku each."
"Were the most skilled shinobi in the west, twelve."
The bidding continued. "I can vouch for their skill, I fought both of them in the castle of Kozuke." Nick added.
"That doesn't speak much as a blind fox." Toyo mocked.
"I can attest to his skill, he being a former student of Orsa before the loss of his sight." Jack included.
"Hmm," John actually sounded impressed. "Ten."
Skye wore her expression well as she nodded with a conflicted expression. Jack knew better however, previous discussions with her revealed that they were lucky to see one koku per shinobi who actively contributed to Bigs war effort.
"Deal."