Pretty much all characters created by someone else. Please don't sue. I write out of love and make no money.

As the sun set, Usagi, Gennesuke, Noriyuki, Tomoe Ame, and the other Samurai rode on toward the city where Lord Noriyuki's palace waited. There was discussion on whether or not it was a greater risk to have the horses carry riders in the dark or to dismount and simply lead them. Many of the Samurai and Tomoe Ame argued they should continue with all speed. Usagi pointed out another thing to consider. "It is the Komori we are fleeing from now. And it is they, who could best take advantage of our heads and bodies being farther off the ground. The horses may carry us forward faster, but I believe the Komori can fly even swifter than our mounts can carry us. So we must take precautions now in other ways." That was how Usagi won that argument.

Tomoe Ame ordered all, including Lord Noriyuki, to dismount. Lord Noriyuki walked in the midst of his Samurai with Tomoe Ame at his right. The horses were made into a ring around the Samurai surrounding their daimyo. Usagi and Gennesuke walked in the rear turning their heads and pricking their ears back now and then as they watched and listened for Kormori pursuit.

The last of the golden sunlight faded away and was replaced by the pale silver of stars and moon upon the land. Usagi then noticed Tomoe Ame falling back through the lines. Finally, she walked beside him. His ears went back, and eyes narrowed at her by his side. "Tomoe Ame Sama. What are you doing here?"

Her own eyes were half-closed, voice soft, and head bowed as she spoke. "Usagi … why did the Komori let you go a few days ago?"

Usagi sighed and looked down at his feet while he walked. "Because … they wanted us to face the Mogura and particularly the Neko clans before we died, so they would be whittled down by our swords."

Tomoe Ame looked up slightly. "Oh …"

He reached out and took her hand. He clasped it tightly for a moment. "We are still a strong force to be reckoned with, Tomoe Ame. Gennesuke and I are here. You can fight us both to a draw, and you have trained all your Samurai well. Your daimyo has as good a chance of returning to his city alive as any in the same circumstances possibly could thanks to you."

She smiled weakly. "Thank you, Usagi San." Then she pulled her hand away and walked back in among her Samurai and to Lord Noriyuki's side again, he assumed.

After she had disappeared from his sight among the other Samurai, he heard Gen stop behind his back. Usagi stopped and turned to him. His eyes narrowed and hand went to his sword's hilt. "What is it, Gennesuke?"

The rhinoceros' nostrils flared. He stared back the way they came mouth set and hand on one of his own sword's hilts. Usagi turned his own head further. He watched dark shapes come between them and the stars. He turned fully around and drew both his swords at once. Behind him Samurai stopped walking, turned, and unsheathed their blades too. Now all eyes among them seemed to be on the same thing.

The dark shapes blocking the points of light in the sky came closer, and closer, and then … landed in the grass not far enough behind them to the Samurai and Bounty Hunter's liking. A voice Usagi had heard before called out to them. "Send Usagi the Yojimbo out to us again."

Tomoe Ame did not come out from among her Samurai, but she raised her voice to respond to the demand among them. "Why?!"

"Our business is with Usagi Yojimbo, for now! If you do not send him to us, we will attack all of you the sooner!"

Usagi yelled back. "I stand with Tomoe Ame and her daimyo!"

"Perhaps, but we would discuss the offers we made to each other when last we spoke, Yojimbo."

A nearby Samurai growled. "What offers does he speak of Ronin?"

Gennesuke turned his head to look over his shoulder at the Samurai. "Obviously, whatever they were they bought you and your daimyo two more days at least, didn't they?"

Usagi spoke in a low, sad tone. "No … the idea of other clans ninja dying on our swords did that …"

The Komori clan's leader called out again. "Long-eared Yojimbo, come to us now or we attack."

Usagi bent his legs in a defensive stance. He brought his swords up to block an attack from above or before. "And if I refuse any offer made will you also attack then when I am not standing with these Samurai?"

"Yojimbo … you are great, but you have only two swords and any one of my ninja with me have as many wings. Did you not see the blades on my daughter's?"

The Samurai behind him were already tense, but Usagi thought he heard a lull in their breathing. He sighed and called back. "Yes! I cut my cloak on one!"

A Samurai behind him spoke. "We have hired a traitor to stand among us ..."

Tomoe Ame spoke back in a harsh whisper. "'I' hired him as did my lord!"

Noriyuki yelled from even farther behind his back. "And Usagi is no traitor!"

Usagi ground his teeth. His eyes flew open. He lifted his voice. "Swear on your daughter's memory as a skilled ninja and dutiful child that you will not attack this group of Samurai or Lord Noriyuki until you have taken my head as discussed before or I am standing with them again with both swords out!"

A long silence followed and then. "I give my word to do as you say. Come out to us and we will talk of more deals to be made on our respective words, honorable Yojimbo."

He lowered his swords slightly and sighed. Then he felt a large hand land on his shoulder. He looked up into a grey face with squinted eyes and a sawed-off horn. "Don't go, Usagi. Don't throw your life away on a hair-slim chance!"

Usagi sighed and replied sending a soft smile up at his friend. "You work with odds all the time, Gen. What are our chances as a group if I don't?"

"Better than yours alone if you go."

Usagi looked away from Gen and back out toward the mass of Komori waiting for him. "That is what I thought." He shrugged off his friend's hand and began striding toward them again. But, he paused and looked back over his shoulder at the tense rhino to give another wider smile. "But I thank you, my friend." Then he looked back and walked toward the waiting group in black again.

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes