"Come on, Chieko! The more you fall behind the more the soldiers will think you aren't too tough!"
"Y-Yes, Masamune-sama!" Chieko forced herself to swallow the rest of her water-filled flask's liquid. Using the last of her drained strength, Masamune's heir managed to get her horse's nose up to her father's horse's neck. Like her, the horse was tired, and kicking it harder only had it angrier and less responsive. The wound on her torso was wrapped as tightly as it could be, burying itself into her skin painfully. The One-Eyed Dragon's heir had lost track of how long they had been traveling a long time ago.
"Masamune-sama, I believe we are pushing Chieko-kun to her breaking point!" Kojuro yelled, his horse just a bit ahead of Chieko herself. "The men are beginning to get weary as well! Her actions of falling behind are seemingly influencing them!"
Had he just referred to her as Chieko-kun? And since when was it her fault the men were getting antsy? Grinding her teeth together and scowling at her superior, she herself yelled, "N-No! I am fine! Please, continue at this pace! If the soldiers are angry at the pace, just yell at 'em! We won't reach Odawada in time if we stop to rest! No matter what, keep them moving! Kojuro, I order you as Masamune's heir to go back to the soldiers ranks and put them into their place!"
Before Kojuro could even open his mouth to respond, Masamune raised his arms up in the air. "Okay guys!" He screamed, "Put ya guns on!"
A large YEAH echoed from behind the three elites of the Dragon's forces. It startled Chieko so much that her entire body jumped forward and onto her horse's neck. The horse obviously was not okay with this, and tossed his head widely every which way. The young girl had no energy left to hold on, and down she tumbled to the ground.
Her small frame skidded on the ground several feet before coming to a violent and abrupt stop. The wind knocked out of her lungs, she did not rise to her feet. Instead she laid there on the cold ground like a dead tree branch. She felt blood seep from her reopened wound, swiftly soaking through her bandages and then gathering into a pool at her under-armor. How the gods must've been laughing with ferocity at her unfortunate state, she thought as a sliver of saliva dripped down her mouth, how they must've been inquiring if this sorry lass really was Lord Masamune's own flesh and blood.
"Get up." A hard voice commanded, his shadow standing over her remorseful frame.
Chieko moved her dry lips and commanded her throat to speak, but all that came out was hot air.
"I said Get up!"
With a greater force than that of the horse that threw her, the girl in blue was grabbed by her wrists and forced up to her feet. Meeting her there was her father, his look that of an amused young boy watching his younger brother get in trouble for something that he himself did. More hot air instead of words escaped Chieko. Her father talked instead. "Don't be like the dammed Motonari Mori." He said, his tone unwavering. "If you want to be my heir, you need to treat your men like your own, got it?"
Chieko swallowed some particles of dirt and nodded.
Masamune turned back to his troops, a big smile on his face. "Alright! Set up camp! We're resting!"
Chieko refused to sit with anyone else as laughter and conversations rang around her. The soldiers were all resting in the grass, peaceful and happy. She sat as far as possible, yet made sure that her line of view made it possible to see everyone before her. How content they were, how angry they would be once she was the ruler. No, there was no chance of being Masamune's heir now…
"Mind if I sit with ya?"
"I don't see why not…" She replied to her father, keeping her gaze away from him. Out of the corner of her blue eyes she saw him take off his helmet and sit cross-legged beside her. No words were spoken for an uncomfortable amount of time. "So…" He spoke up finally, his voice care-free sounding. "How is your wound holding up?"
Chieko instinctively pulled down the top of her kimono, glancing over her bandages. "The blood has not yet seeped through them, so I believe I'll be fine for the impending battle…" She answered coldly before pulling the silky fabric back up onto her shoulders.
"Glad to hear that. Missing you on the battlefield would be a heavy blow." Her father stated, a sigh escaping his lips.
"No it wouldn't be."
"Why do ya say that?"
"Because I couldn't even hold my own in a sparring match against Kojuro…How the hell am I supposed to hold my own in a real-life battle…?" Chieko didn't mean to say it, but once she started she couldn't stop. "I'd make a terrible Lord. I'd tell my soldiers the wrong things, I'd lead them into battles that are unwinnable, and in the end…I wouldn't even be able to protect myself or my land I would inherit from you…"
Masamune let her words sink into his skin before flashing a smile. "Chieko Date…You are more worthy of being my heir than anyone else in the world. You are still a young girl who is just learning the ways of a war chief. You're hot-headed like your old man over here, so of course you'd act that way! Hell, I would've done the same thing if I was younger and Kojuro wasn't such a pain! You're wounded, obviously meaning that riding a big galloping horse would strain you."
"B-But, the soldiers who raised me often told of the story when you bravely fought a major battle with severe wounds! You had to tie a cloth around your hands to help hold in your Claws! I-I could never do such a thing…and all the talk of Sanada's son being a great warrior only disheartens me more…" Chieko was near tears now. Only now did she stare over at her father, expecting him to perform some sort of BASARA miracle.
"Hmp…" Masamune smiled and looked her back in the eyes with his single one. While lacking the second, the first told her all she needed to know. He didn't even have to say it.
He loved her, and she was his heir.
"Hope I'm not crashing anything…"
Chieko grabbed the dagger at her waist and instinctively stood up. She had never heard the voice, yet-
"Hey! What are you doing here Magoichi!?"
Chieko stared at her father with wide eyes, and then quickly switched back her attention to the new woman. "S-Saica, Magoichi…?"
The woman nodded, her one arm at her side and the other clutching a western weapon like it was her child. Chieko had never seen a western weapon, or a gun as they called it, but she knew now was not the time to stare as intently as she was at it. "Yes, that is me. I lead the Crows of Saica, as I'm sure you are educated in."
"W-Why are you here?" Chieko knew, yes, but not too much. She had heard of her father and this woman's long-standing alliance, and never over-thinked it. Now that the orange-haired female Lord was in front of her, she couldn't help but wonder why the two did indeed have a peace alliance when their territories were close.
"Isn't it obvious?" The woman gave Chieko a thorough check out before she continued. "I'm here to help take down that stupid old geezer once and for all. He has a ninja on his side known as the Twilight Ninja who is extremely powerful. In this attack, you'll definitely be needing some guns to even out your old-school battle tools."
"Old school? Now you're just being mean!" Masamune said, crossing his arms and pouting. "I so appreciate the help for the battle though."
Magoichi nodded silently again. This woman, Chieko surmised, was not too talkative like her charismatic father.
"Well," Masamune began, rising to his feet with a smile. 'I'll go inform the troops of your ranks joining us. Care to come along?"
Taking another short glace at Chieko, Saica Magoichi put her gun in its holster on her tight. "Yes, let's go. We must hurry if we're to attack at dusk."