Chapter Thirty-Four: Arrival in Aki
I was able to keep this small advantage in mind as we set out the next morning, Ieyasu having done an exaggerated double take when he realised I was still in the camp, "I thought-"
"Not one word."
"Saying nothing."
Looking with confusion between the pair of us, Mitsunari finally shrugged it off, helping me onto Castella instead. "I hope your arm is healing well?" He sheepishly asked, climbing onto his own horse.
"Nothing but bad bruises." I assured, smiling at him. It did little to settle him though, and within five minutes he'd murmured an apology and cantered ahead of us to join Takenaka at the front. Watching him, I sighed quietly, fixing my eyes downwards into my lap.
Reaching over to grip my shoulder, Ieyasu gave me a small wink, "Don't worry; he'll be back to normal after a good sulk. I think he's just irritated."
"Irritated?"
"Yeah, he's- and don't throw anything at me- he's like you."
"Like me?" I parroted, tempted to throw something at him just for a laugh. "In what way?"
Freezing in the saddle, Ieyasu seemed to carefully choose his words, finally cringing as he spoke, "Well, you're both perfectionists, in your own way." My mouth opened in shock, beginning to form an argument, but Ieyasu held up his hand, saying one word, "Braids."
"Hey, I learnt how to do them!"
"It only took you seventeen years!"
"Fifteen, I learnt in Kai."
"What are you pair bickering about?" Takenaka called back, earning a pair of 'nothing's in answer. Once his head turned back around, I glared sharply at my friend, even while he laughed.
Taking a second to calm down, Ieyasu finally took a breath, grinning widely, "Admit it, you spent fifteen years letting someone else do your hair because you couldn't bear it looking imperfect. In a similar vein, Mitsunari has been training so hard that bad strikes rarely happen to him. When they do, he can't understand it and sulks."
Understanding slightly better now, I nodded, turning my face back to the front. Satisfied with his explanation, Ieyasu did likewise, and silence hung between us as we rode, each lost in our own thoughts. "Sayomi…"
"Hm?"
"Why didn't you escape last night? I was guarding the horses myself, waiting for you."
"To scold me for trying to run off, no doubt." Grinning at the sheepish look on his face, I felt guilty for teasing him, and soon eased off. "The incense he always burned had gone out, so I risked looking at him with my extra sense and-"
"Your extra what?"
"You don't know?" When he shook his head, I was honestly startled. I would've thought that Takenaka would've shared that little titbit with anybody he came across. The fact that he hadn't was actually kind of comforting.
Opening my mouth to explain, I suddenly caught Mitsunari tug on the reins, slowing so he could re-join us. Spotting it too, Ieyasu gave a nod, silently indicating we'd speak about it later. Fixing normal looks onto our faces, we greeted him happily, and the incident from yesterday was never brought up again.
Instead, we contented ourselves with the passing scenery, but as we edged closer to Aki, it became harder for us to keep the smiles on our faces genuine. Even when the sea came into view, I know my eyes never left the ruined houses and the people outside them, all women and children, labouring hard in the sun. Turning his head back to look at me, Ieyasu wore a similar look, and a quick glance at Mitsunari showed he was likewise feeling uncomfortable.
We were far from naïve children, but being faced with the reality of how the war affected others was still jarring. "We're a little out of the conscription area." Mitsunari murmured, unable to look away.
"Then this is Mori's work." Ieyasu hissed, his jaw tightening, "How could he do this?"
It might've seemed rich for a man who was a general in an army with a huge conscription zone like the Toyotomi had, to be disgusted by what we saw, but it was all very relative. An army like Oda's or Toyotomi's had a kind of strength to it, your chances of surviving the battlefield or dying on it were generally level, with maybe a dip either way.
But the Mori army was a drastically different story. As I'd previously mentioned, there was a huge rivalry between Mori Motonari and Chosokabe Motochika, over the stretch of sea separating them. Any battle between them was a battle to win, and there was no respect from either side, putting them in a very different league to Lord Takeda and Lord Uesugi, or even Masamune and Yukimura. Heck, mine and Mizu's small snarking contests had more respect than this pair was ever capable of.
Because of their frequent bouts, the mortality rates for the Mori weren't exactly…excellent. They probably wouldn't have even been as bad as they were if it wasn't for a crippling habit Mori had, and one Chosokabe probably wasn't capable of. Whereas the Ogre of the Western Sea was, ironically, well known as a terrific softy, accepting refugees from his war with Mori and treating his soldiers more like family, Mori was very different, and was happy to sacrifice as many 'pawns' as it took to win.
On the plus side, rumour had it that the Mori army pension for a war widow was very lucrative.
With three pairs of eyes still staring at the victims of the useless war, the rest of the trip passed in dull silence, not even Takenaka trying to start a conversation.
When we finally arrived at Mori's castle, Takenaka took care of exchanging the pleasantries with the man sent out to greet us, while the complicated matter of getting me off Castella's saddle was a team effort between us three. Mitsunari held her steady with the reins, while Ieyasu gently tugged me towards him, until I was safely in his arms, and my feet tapped the ground a second later.
"I see Lords Ishida and Tokugawa have accompanied you." A cool voice said from nowhere, Mori walking out of the castle's hall as he did. His gaze focused on me, an eyebrow rising as it did, "But unless I'm mistaken, that's Oda Nobunaga's daughter behind you."
Frowning, I went to answer, only for Takenaka to step in front of me and block our view of each other, "My ward, Lady Hiroto. I took the liberty of inviting her along as well."
There was silence between the men for a second, before Mori gave a verbal shrug, "It's no liberty, we have plenty of space for you and your contingent." As his footsteps moved away from us, Takenaka gestured the boys ahead of us with his head, while he hung back, leading me by the shoulder. With a few orders to the men who'd come with us, we followed close behind Mori as he led us through the castle hallways.
Every time a servant spotted his bright green armour and vegetable shaped helmet, they quickly squeaked and dropped into a bow, not even looking up as we all passed. Sending a look to Takenaka, I received the merest shake of his head, silent instructions not to say anything. Settling for a scowl for now, I turned away, sighing as the next maid knelt down.
Apart from the prostrating servants behind every corner, Aki's castle was beautiful inside, if only for the views it had of the outside. The sun was glittering off of the water, causing each ripple to sparkle as it swayed. So taken with the view and the distraction it provided, I barely noticed when Takenaka released my shoulder and Ieyasu took my hand instead, calling some nonsense over his shoulder. As we took another hall, I briefly spotted Mitsunari hovering between us, eventually leaving Takenaka's side to join us, following a very relieved servant to our rooms.
"So much for the sea." I sighed, staring out at it from the balcony of the lounge between our rooms. Inside, they'd begged a chess set off of a passing servant, and were engaging in strict warfare.
Briefly lifting his gaze, Ieyasu smirked, "You don't want to ruin your dress, do you Sayomi?" Scowling, I observed the game carefully, watching the pieces move around until I spotted a move.
"Your bishop to his rook Mitsunari; opens the way for his king." Throwing a grateful look back to me, Mitsunari quickly moved his piece, ignoring the cry of outrage it caused. Winking carelessly at Ieyasu, I turned my attention back to the water, staring at the masts of the warships in the docks. It was their fault we were stuck inside for now, ready for the alliance to be signed so they could sail off to face Chosokabe.
With a final glance at them, I went back inside, taking a quick look at the door. "Don't even try it." Ieyasu warned, moving his piece to get out of the bind I'd put him in. Rolling my eyes, I took a seat next to him, pouting as I rested my head on my hand.
Watching the pieces move back and forth against the board, I remembered how Akechi how cleared every piece when I was younger, eyes narrowing as I realised their strategies. A glance at either man revealed nothing to indicate they had noticed the other's style, and I clamped my lips, eager to see how it would play out.
Every time Ieyasu lost a piece, that same muscle in his jaw would appear, and his eyes locked onto the responsible piece with a mild hatred, and revenge was never far behind. Mitsunari was different however, he sent forth his pawns first, and if his king or queen so much as appeared to be in trouble, well, regardless of who was lost on the way, the instigator died.
The winner was never decided though, because just as the final pieces were falling, the door opened, Takenaka quietly calling Mitsunari outside. Waiting for the pair to leave, Ieyasu quietly turned his face towards me, raising an eyebrow, "I think we have a conversation to finish."
Smirking to myself, I lay the entire story out, "Those marks I had on my face blocked my empathy, and when they were removed, I got it back. But Takenaka burns incense made from the same shit that was used to seal it."
Looking thoughtful, Ieyasu finally nodded, "That explains quite a bit actually. You were always able to tell if someone was having you on."
There was a grin on my face as I shook my head, "No, that's just sense. But when I looked at Takenaka…it threw me, is all."
"We don't always see the person underneath." Ieyasu nodded sagely, looking back at the chessboard. When he turned his face back towards me, he winked, just as the door opened again. With a quick bow to Takenaka, Mitsunari re-entered, the smirk gone from his face.
"The attack's in three days. Lord Takenaka's heading back tonight to collect the rest of the men."
"And us?" Ieyasu asked, all business.
"We're to stay here. Keep an eye on things." His gaze flickered over to me, a weak grin taking over, "Keep an eye on you, Lady Sayomi."
An amused look worked its way onto my face, "I'm truly honoured." For all his talk of me being a princess, it was nice to see he still saw fit to give me a very heavy guard. Taking it in an evidently different light, Mitsunari smirked, even as Ieyasu flopped back onto the tatami mats, a crazy grin on his face.
Throwing Mitsunari a look, I gently nudged his side; causing his eyes to swivel over to me, smile still in place, "Beach tomorrow? I'll ask about sake."
My cheers only just managed to drown out Mitsunari's groans, but since he wasn't outright refusing to come, or moving to tell Takenaka, we decided to take it as tired acceptance.
