I own … not much, nothing here really. So, enjoy for free and appreciate Stan Sakai. Maybe buy some of his comics. I have no art here like he draws …
Tomoe Ame sighed, "My lord …"
"No, Tomoe Ame, Usagi has been a loyal friend! We must find a way to rescue him."
Tomoe sighed. "Well, we shall try my lord, but we must make a fine strategy to do so."
An older Samurai, a hound, bowed to them. "If I may speak, Tomoe Ame Sama?"
She turned to him "Please do. You are one of the oldest and most experienced among us."
"There may be a way, but it will take much work: all the rest of the day and into the night, but that might be good, as it is cold, and a fire will most assuredly …"
"Alert them to our presence. You are right. So, what must we do to put this plan into action?"
. . .
They had decided to chain him from a left-over post of what appeared to be a partially dismantled booth along the street. If he lowered his heels to the ground the strain in his arms pained them. If he raised himself to his toes, the tension in his arms lessened, but his legs and feet were strained instead. Thankfully, he had had particularly strong legs since he was young. People from his village and family usually did. His sword training had made his arms powerful too.
The chill of the air aggravated everything, though. It was late fall, nearly winter. They had partially removed his kimono to beat him earlier. The beating they had given him caused everything the canes had fallen upon to sting and flare. Parts of him felt on fire. Parts of him felt like ice.
He saw the healer come out his home and point to him. The goat scowled up at the ninja leader. Finally, he yelled at him "If you do this to the Yojimbo, he may die! You must want him alive or you would have killed him already!"
"He may be the key to getting Lord Noriyuki away from Tomoe Ame."
Usagi's ears pricked up. His eyes widened slightly. He supposed despite his current misery, he should not end his life by telling them there was no possibility of that happening.
The healer spoke again to the ninja leader. "Then you should tend him better!"
"He just has to look lively enough to bring pity to the hearts of Lord Noriyuki and his lady retainer."
"He is sweating! Sweat in this cold, especially overnight, could cause hypothermia! You also beat him! He could well die from that alone!"
"He's tough. Besides, we do not wish him in fighting shape. Apparently, allowing him to be so only welcomes trouble."
"Let me at least warm him!"
The ninja leader was silent for a long moment. Then he spoke. "Yes … load him down with heavy clothing for the night."
The goat healer slumped. "You want more pressure placed on his arms and legs then . . ."
"And give him some saki. That will warm him up."
The goat scowled up at the ninja leader. Then he turned and went into his house. Usagi slumped a moment. Then he tried to prepare himself for more pain.
. . .
As the pressure on his arms increased his sigh was cut off by his teeth gritting. As he knew it would, the healer throwing kimonos over his arms and back, wrapping them around his waist, and tying them on with belts both warmed and weighed him down. Then, out of the folds of one, fell a sandal.
The goat's foot nudged it toward his toes. Usagi carefully and painfully raised one foot of his own and then another to stand upon it, which elevated him slightly relieving the pressure on his arms significantly. However, the extra weight of the kimonos pained his wrists further. Lowering his heels still pulled his arms straight and strained them. Not only this, the sandal lay perpendicular to his feet allowing both sets of toes to rest on it, but his heels hung over its side. The healer left as soon as he had moved the sandal under his toes. If he had had the breath, Usagi would have sighed. Still, he appreciated the help, or, at least, he would until his arms and legs gave out more.
. . .
Night fell, even with the kimonos wrapped around him, Usagi felt cold. The village seemed so silent. He wondered how many villagers actually dared snore and turn over in their sleep …
Then a sound came on the wind. Horse whinnies and hoof-beats. There also seemed to be the slight jingle of tack.
Usagi's ears swiveled that direction. His eyes widened. No. Surely not.
Hadn't the goat kid found them? Or had the child simply fled? Despite this being understandable for an untrained youth, Usagi's heart burned. It might have had something to do with the hours of pain he had endured.
Then he froze. Could they be trying to rescue him? His ears fell.
The hoofbeats grew louder. Then he heard bowstrings pulled back and released. Usagi winced. The hoofbeats went on. The Ronin expected to hear bodies falling into tall, dry grass. He did not.
His ears swiveled still further in that direction. More strings released. There were more hoofbeats, and no body-falls, not even any cries or groans of pain. Forms of horses topped by suits of armor with arrows sticking out of them passed by. Usagi watched wide eyed, impressed, and sorrowful.
Neko Ninja stepped out of shadows and caught the reins of the steeds. Then they stuck spears into the forms in the saddles. Sounds came forth Usagi did not expect. They were the rustling of dry grass.
Suddenly, there were shouts outside the village. Forms without armor, rose out of the tall grass holding bows of their own. They released arrows pulled back in them. Ninja fell off the roofs silhouettes of arrows protruding from them.
Horses bolted. A few ninja were trampled under their hooves. The ninja remaining raised weapons to fend off the arrows. Some did so too late. About half within Usagi's sight fell.
After releasing their second volley of arrows, Noriyuki's Samurai charged. They fended off kunai, throwing stars, and arrows with their blades. Then the ninja rushed them back.
As Usagi turned his head to watch, a bang made him look ahead of him again. The door of the healer's home had burst open. A figure filled the whole doorway. Then it strode out of it. Usagi's eyes widened at the sight.
A Necko Ninja rushed the form. Without even turning, the bounty hunter punched him in the face. Then the rhino fell to one knee and grabbed a blade off his fallen foe.
Gennesuke then rose and strode up to Usagi. The rhino hacked not at the chain, but at the wood holding it up. A few ninja came up to stop them. He roared and struck out at each. The ninja-blade, fist holding it, and his feet were all put to use. Once, he even head-butted a charging ninja. Then the rhino turned back and continued hacking at the wood. After the fifth interruption he seemed particularly fed up. "I have a headache, an arm-ache, and I lost a bet! Do not come near me unless you want to die!"
The wood cracked. Then it fell apart. Usagi dropped hard. As he looked up and caught his breath, however, he murmured, "Good to have you up and about again, Gen …"
Well, what do you think?
God Bless
ScribeofHeroes