I own nothing!

Tomoe Ame smothered and "oof!" She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes at her opponent instead. The Komori had pushed her off. The old ninja master was stronger than he looked. She had landed in the snow. She feared its depth would slow her. Then she heard a familiar voice shout, "Get them, Usagi!"

She glanced toward the cry automatically. Her mouth fell wide open. Her lord was standing in the open, in the snow, raising and waving his arms. She shouted. Her voice cracked, "My lord! Get back inside!"

As he gave an order, her gaze snapped back to the ninja leader. She saw three younger komori swarming her. She also saw Kurokaze take flight and dive back into the great tree's branches behind them. She shouted after him even while charging the three ninja coming at her, "Coward!"

. . .

Usagi wondered if Kurukaze was truly being a coward. It didn't seem like the ninja clan leader he'd come to know somewhat during their brief talks. Giver of dishonorable advice, constantly, thoughtful tactician, constantly, coward?

He had only seen him, when the Komori had thought his chances at achieving victory great, though. Perhaps, the Kashira considered it reasonable to keep the ruler of his clan alive even by leaving lower level ninja troops to die as he made his escape.

These thoughts were fleeting through his mind like released arrows. He could not think about them very long as more ninja charged him through the snow.

The one with snow on his face still blocked all his blows with his sword, his kick to the Komori's head, however, connected. He used it to leverage himself up, turn, and land on the next uninjured Komori, who'd been guarding the den, sword first piercing him through. The injured took a swipe at his back soon after his landing with his unbroken wing. Usagi managed to turn in time to block it with his sword, but now he was lying on cold snow and a still warm body pushing upwards on crossed steel. Thank goodness, Tomoe Ame had already told Lord Noriyuki to go back inside, because he had no breath to do so himself!

. . .

Tomoe Ame fought off the three younger ninja stabbing through the first then using his body to block the advance of one even while turning the rest of her body to face the other. She soon lost her body shield to the claws of the living Komori behind it. So, she began to fight off both sets of blade-edged wings with maneuvering her two swords separately on either side of her. Then, one of the Komori ninja she fought fell. The brief song of an arrow had cut through the air just before he did.

Her living foe took flight, but then fell also with an arrow was visibly sticking out of his chest. She turned. Both swords were crossed in front of her to fend off any more arrows. Then she saw a necko in white dropping down from the tree in front of her. The great tree still stood behind. She braced her feet in the snow waiting for an attack.

Black forms of the Komori near her samurai left the snow to lift into the air and dart toward the branches of great trees. She noted this from the corners of her eyes keeping them on her fellow necko coming toward her. If was the one who'd led her there. She recognized her after watching her back moving through the trees for such a long time.

The other necko warrior approached her with her eyes grinning through the gap in her mask. A smirk was in her voice too. "Nice distraction you provide, Tomoe Ame Sama. Now the Komori are all but defeated, and only you and some of your Samurai stand between me and my prize."

. . .

Arrows cut down the two Komori he faced. Confused, Usagi looked in the direction the arrows had come form while raising his swords to fend off more. Then he saw the necko ninja in white including the one approaching Tomoe Ame. At the sound of the obvious leader's voice, and words it spoke, his mouth dropped open. Tomoe Ame had made a deal with Chizu?!

He sprinted through the snow toward them both. "Chizu!" He stopped a few footsteps ahead of and at Tomoe Ame's right. There he stopped, got into a fighting stance, and held up his swords up to block. The necko ninja paused and tilted her head as she looked at him. Her smirk became even more obvious "Ah, Usagi, I'm a little sorry to see you here."

What do you think?

God Bless

ScribeofHeroes