The Taira, in truth seemed unwilling to fully engage us after that disastrous battle, a surprising response to their victory, but they appeared to be content with a kind of containment policy. True they did have their hands full with other uprisings. I would often be called to my brother's study to hear him complain about 'those scurious upstarts who are using our name as the banner under which they justify their fighting for land rights and revenge for old disputes' we were beginning to get a somewhat rapscallion reputation.
During this period of relatively small disturbance, our forces, mainly under the leadership of Yoritomo, set up our center of command at Kamakura. Although he had effectively revealed himself as a serious opponent, my brother focused his attention on ensuring that this base was secure. By that I mean that he defeated all of the minor lords in the surrounding area who were loyal to the Taira and those who were not inclined to declare one way or the other but wait until the victor became clear. Our territory was thus virtually impenetrable from a Tair attack, the only possibility of defeat would come when we finally ventured out against the Taira in their area of strength.
Then, lightning seem to strike, a random posession perhaps as, against the advice and demands of his, I suppose you would say, advisors, he sent out a messenger under a white banner. A signal for neutral discussion. This in itself was bad enough, but his idea of a compromise comprised a form of betrayal in the eyes of many of the lords. He called for a partition of the country between our family and the Taira, with Yoritomo taking the east. True, this was not the most equal of division, as the west was less prosperous and relied more upon foreign trade. In addition, the west did not hold the same extent of militarization and natural barriers that the east did. Thus, it came as little surprise when the Taira refused with atypical arrogance. We received the head of our envoy as a blatant form of response.
Many of the men approached me for answers regarding my brother's reasoning. I could give them no answer. It was odd, I agree, that he made this move. After all, we had been functioning quite well while ignoring Kyoto and there was no tactical advantage to such a division that would not also have applied to our conquest of the entire country. It made us appear weak and desperate for consilitation this lowering of expectations. We were perfectly capable of defending our position and putting up an equal force to the Taira in a battle for supreme conquest.
I did not, and still do not fully comprehend my brother's logic in this move. Perhaps his recent defeat had undermined his confidence, or this was a contingency plan to fall back on if things did not go as planned. My brother was sneaky like that, and with this move he could claim that he had called for a compromise but was overruled by the others in his supposed coalition. Or maybe he hoped that the Taira would overestimate our strength. There were so many possibilities, but the aura of mystery appealed to Yoritomo and he never gave me a definite reason for his actions.
This was around the time that the name of Yoshinaka appeared on my horizons once more.
He had ostensibly appeared to lend support to his exiled cousins and seek revenge against the Taira in the name of our family. Tomoe had been correct, this was not a man who appeared as if he was trustworthy.
Of course my brother could not afford to show any division between members of our blood, that would show weakness and the others would smell blood. Instead, he welcomed Yoshinaka with open arms and kind greetings. Unfortunately for me, I was close enough to be included in such a broad welcome. Close enough to gain a dagger in the dark, were my feelings.
He was sneaky looking, with close set eyes and a small mouth, and his hands were always twitching. He was supposedly a great commander, and my brother entrusted him with half of our forces and the eventual conquest of the capital, but I could tell that this was not a man of the sword. He was the type who would hang to the rear and let his man do all of the bleeding and the dying, and then proceed to take the credit for a victory, as well as the majority of the spoils of war.
This was the man who I already despised, but would soon come to hate with a burning torrent of rage so powerful that I could barely speak in his presence without a growl tinging my accent. I know for sure that my eyes turned chilly and stonelike, which was the furthest my honor would allow me to shoe my emotions.
It came on the second week after his arrival, the announcement that would destroy any possible hope in my future happiness.
Kiso, a ridiculous name that Yoshinaka had taken up as his own, slid into the audience chamber. Somehow managing to mix oiliness and pompous arrogance into the same gait. He headed to my brother and whispered something to him, with a small smirk on his face. I could tell my brother was unhappy at this news as his face went still and then sculpted into a pleasantly cool mask.
"This calls for congradulations" he announced.
"Lords and ladies I would like to formally announce that Yoshinaka no Minamoto, has taken his first wife."
Now the displeasure made sense. While Yoritomo was married, his wife had yet to provide him with a heir, and now here was his cousing, his equal in age and influence, appearing with a young wife who would most likely prove fertile. Fertile and thus the instrument of a challenge to him and his possible sons' inheritance. I am sure Kiso realised this as well, what I was less clear on was why he thought this would agitate me as well. His crafty face had a look of supreme satisfaction as he turned towards me, as if he had gained something I sought. I already knew there was little chance of me gaining any materialistic benefit through our family, and I did not particularly care, what else could he be so happy about. I would soon find out.
I gave him a lood of bland indifference, and congradulated him on his nuptials. I am sure, in hindsight, that this threw him a little. But then his face mutated into a sneer as his eyes glinted.
"Yes indeed" he whispered to himself and then raised his voice so that all could hear. "My wife is indisposed at the moment, but I will formally introduce her in three days time."
I left the hall that day without a care in the world, easily forgetting his threats that were framed in the language of promises, I would return three days hence to have my heart torn from my chest and crushed by his odiferous feet.
So the tune of our lives, ever gaining and constant losing. A swirl of mad yearning for the unattainable.
I paid little attention to the passing days, and it was only the call to the central chambers that reminded me of the upcoming introduction. It irked me at the time, the reminder had come just as I was falling into the meditative mindset of the sword, and I had little interest in being interrupted so as to be able to make my bows to some woman who had most likely never seen the other side of her screen.
My expression was thunderous as I set out to meet this exemplary figure of womanhood.
It quickly changed to horrified disbelief at the sight of the recent blushing bride. Then I shut down. I would not allow Kiso, who obviously had some incling of our relationship to realise just how close we had been, and just how important a bargaining chip he had gained, at least in his interactions with me.
It was Tomoe.
She was so changed that I almost did not recognize her. She was gorgeous. She had been beautiful before, but now clothed in women's gowns she seemed to shine. Her hair framed her lightly made up face and fell nearly to her knees, perfectly accenting the pale colors of her robe. Her inner gown, just visible underneath her robe, framed her figure, so different with the absence of her swords.
Her eyes were an even deeper grey with the dark lining of her make up emphasizing the difference between skin tone and pupil. Lips dark red, she was a vision.
I forced myself to seem to seem uninterested, unsurprised beyond a glance of recognition. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Kiso's complexion getting more and more red. Apparently I was supposed to burst into tearful angst and challenge him over the rights to this woman.
I wanted to, but I knew I could not. And I knew Tomoe would understand this.
For she was still inside this pale figure of beauty, hidden behind dull grey eyes. True they were beautiful, but they were lifeless. They did not hold the vivacity I was used to seeing in them. Her figure was not the proud, confident one of a strong woman, but rather the curled in and timid one of a victim.
"So Yoshitsune-san, I hear tell you know my wife?" he spoke with such greasy surety, it appeared to be obsequitous, but I caught undertones of condescention and apprehensiveness.
So he wanted to go that route, I thought. The subtle hints of knowledge were no longer working for his underminded schemes and he had decided to be more conspicious. Well, two could play that game.
"That is true, Yoshinaka-san." I could tell I had surprised him with this admittance, apparently he had suspected greater subterfuge on my part.
"Call me Kiso, after all, we are cousins..." he finished with a leading tone to his voice. Ahh, he wanted to know the details, as if he did not already know them. He wanted to catch me in an untruth. But then Tomoe spoke, and from his expression, this was not part of his defined script.
"Husband, we met when I was travelling as a samurai. He was at Kurama temple at the time I took my training to that fair mountain."
A glimpse of the old Tomoe then.
Kiso scowled darkly, but since he had asked the question, he could not chastise her, at least not in pubic.
My brother, perhaps sensing the tension that I sought to hide, strove to soothe the situation.
"Perhaps, the Lady Tomoe would honor us with her talents in a contest with my brother?"
It was framed as a question, but was really a command, and this did nothing to lower Kiso's rising ire, even if it had been a question, there is little doubt that he would have been soothed with the emphasis on his wife's prowess. A talent he obviously did not hold.
Although I am sure my brother was completely ignorant of the undercurrents of the situation, he managed to appear as if he was omniscient, as a true leader would be.
Tomoe held a small, secret smile as she lowered her head to hide her eyes with her bangs. I forced myself not to grin unabashedly and lowered my head in a nod of acquiescence.
This acceptance without his input angered Kiso, and he opened his mouth as if to interrupt, stepping forward slightly, but a sharp glare from my brother stopped him and reminded him of the power play that was going on here.
Taking the center of attention for the first time, Tomoe stepped up to my brother and I.
"Shall we mark off tomorrow at the ninth hour past sunrise for our... duel?" she questioned me with a mischevious tilt to her head. As a samurai in her own right, this was her jurisdiction, a place in which her husband, whether or not he was a lord, could have no say, and I could tell she gloried in usurping his supposed supremacy.
"It shall be so" I answered her, this would be the hardest battle of my life, I was sure. Not that I doubted my skill or hers, it was merely that I had never fought her in front of such an audience, an audience with such close ties to us as well as such an influence on our future relations. Who could possibly infer things about our past ties that were best kept hidden, at least from her husband.
Fortunate for us that we had spent the time on the mountain developing our own secret language of small gestures, body posture and eye blinks. There was no serious reason then, beyond fooling the monks who really had no interest in our going ons, but now it was used in a more serious manner.