The day the courier with this missive from Kiso arrived at our makeshift court it was relatively peaceful. The sun shone hot against the screens that hid us in their shade and we were all sweltering in our robes. My brother received the letter with a calm face, as if there was nothing new or abnormal in the news. I was the only one who caught the brief sharpening of his eyes and the careful way he folded the papers. As if he was willing himself not to tear it apart. Then he announced the news.
"Our cousin" he stated calmly, "has decided to name himself supreme head of the Minamoto clan and has ordered us to pay him honor and to march west to finish off the remaining Taira forces."
I gaped at him, I will admit it. Such impertenance and shocking self confidence in one who had been so outwardly subservient. Oh I knew he had it in him. I was just surprised that he had played all of his hands so soon and with such obvious disregard for his own numbers. We still had the majority of soldiers, and they were also better trained and organized than his troops.
He ignored my brief loss of composure as he sat down at his desk, not paying any attention as I approached and writing quickly in a running scrawl that still remained elegant despite its speed. He signed his name with a last stroke of his brush and scattered sand over the page to dry the ink.
"Well brother?" he asked, obviously this was a dismissal and I made my way back to the training field.
I had spent even more of my time here since Tomoe's departure. Here where I could force my mind from its continuous spiral regarding our relationship. Twisting and turning through forms as the sweat poured down my back I could force the thoughts from my mind as I exhaled. Letting exhaustion wipe my mind clean of worry.
On nights when I could not go to the path of the sword without disturbing the rest of those without troubles, I would pass the time pacing around my small room or reading poetry. I believe I drove my youngest brother, Noriyori a little bit crazy with my late night visits which, when they did not disrupt his sleep they generally interrupted another's late night meeting. He finally banned me from his rooms.
For a week my eldest brother did nothing, or he appeared to do nothing. He would sit in his office complacently sipping tea as he filled out papers or took time to appreciate the tall pine trees stark against the blue of the sky. Then another letter arrived and Noriyori and I were called in to his office once more.
We were there for good news it would seem as my brother's face appeared more jubilant, or at least, happy to the point that would be allowed without loss of face. After all, one could not allow oneself to have appeared worried.
In the end he revealed the contents of the letter to us.
We had known that he had been in contact with the retired emperor, but being young and more concerned with military exploits, at least that is what Yoritomo assumed, neither Noriyori nor I were included in the discussions and negotions between Yoritomo and Go-Shikawa. Suffice to say that such going ons were occuring.
But Go-Shikawa had declared his support and now we could move, assured of the backing of the court, or at least the court of the cloistered emperor the more effective government power. This was what my brother had been waiting for. True he was powerful and he had the militistic power to take whatever he wanted and destroy any in his way, but this would give him legal justification. In effect he was acting under the will of a descendant of Amaterasu.
Congradulations were in order and given as expected. I could tell that Noriyori had little care and did not fully understand the politics of this situation. I shared a look of exasperation with my eldest brother at his questions regarding the seasonal festivities that were planned for later that month. Apparently such grandiose schemes as the return of Minamoto political power and the reputation of our clan name went over his head when faced with the pleasures of the present.
"Yoshitsune" my brother called out to me as Noriyori and I prepared to leave. I stilled, that tone of voice implied something serious, and I had a strange feeling in my gut that told me this would not be good.
"I have named you so-daisho, general, of the armed forces with Noriyori directly under your command." He waved off the protests that were already brimming on my lips.
"I have not done this willingly as you are dear to me and I fear to lose you. But the other clan leaders have advised me that you are our best option and that you are well prepared to take on such responsibility."
I now knew just how expendable my brother and I were. The closeness we apparently shared was for show as we were less equal brothers than overlord and vassals. I might be a valuable tool, but there were other pretty baubles just as effective. I do not believe that, at this point he actively saw me as a rival and wished me dead, but I also do not think he would have minded if I had remained on my mountain and pledged my life to Buddha.
"I do not deserve this honor" I made the necessary excuses and he answered with the polite refusal to accept my humble denial. I was going to be the general of the Minamoto forces. Kami help me.
It was not until later that day that I discovered the other officer directly under me. Noriyori I knew, while somewhat lazy, once motivated he would get the job done to the best of his abilities and that he would remain loyal, the other I was less sure of. It was Kajiwara Kagetoki, the man with the dark eyes.
I wondered how he had meritted such a promotion. I had certainly never seen his leadership in action, nor were his skills with the sword particularly reward worthy. Not to say that they were not good, just not obviously better than others. I wondered if there was perhaps a political undercurrent involved here. After all, he was the son of the powerful Kagetoki, who was also a close comrade of my brother.
I would wait and see.
Yoritomo used Kiso's behaviour in the captial as a pretext and we used that justification to march against him and oust his forces from the capital.
It was a long march for the many who were unused to such and had perhaps spent less time on horseback than they should have previously. The first few nights were spent by many aching there sore backsides and limping around camp preparing their meals.
As we neared Kyoto, they had become hardened and used to such exercise. Which was good because it would not be their last hard march.
Once in sight of the walls of the capital, our forces split into two parts. I sent Noriyori with half of the men towards the northern Uji bridge while I led the second half towards the south.
We had come with relatively short notice, so the army that Kiso set out to meet us was disorganized and desperate. He was completely unprepared as he had relied too much on the architectural fortifications of the city and had not had forces on the walls as guards.
I was unsettled in my own mind. I knew my duty and I would not waver from it. Regardless of my personal feelings and political non-aspirations, I would not betray the trust that had been laid upon me. But I knew Tomoe was in the capital. As the wife of Yoshinaka she would be in the castle with him.
I grinned for a moment picturing her ordering the servants around as she tried to figure out the multiple layers that a high ranking lady would be expected to wear, especially when presented to the imperial family.
I knew I would one day have to go against her in battle, but I hoped today would not be the day. Kiso would no doubt lead from behind the scenes, and she should be at his right hand. Depending on how vindictive he was he might send her into the front ranks and defy tradition just to see her death at my hands, or mine at hers, for neither of us would fall short in our line of duty. At least not when directly confronted with it.
If I failed in my duty, and if I warned her somehow, her oath of loyalty and her own moral conscious would require her to tell her overlord, Yoshinka. So the battle dawned red.
Noriyori held the brunt of this first attack. The forces under Kiso left the castle from the northern gates as I breached the south and began to make my way through the lower districts. Our progress was serenaded by the shouts of battle that we could hear from ahead. The path we took was empty. The commoners who resided in the area had all shut their doors and peered out from the cracks between closed shutters.
My men were focused and we did not waste time rampaging through these desolated area, I reminded them that there was little to gain in these poorer districts, and if they did not reach the battle ahead, they would not benefit from the spoils of the richer district.
We circumvented the palace as, at that point it was already burning and sparks and falling timber were creating chaos in the area. The sight of the smoke and flames billowing from the upper levels stopped my heart for a few beats. What if she had been trapped in its midst?
We rode to the residence of the retired emperor. The courtiers who had been warned by private missive, as well as the friends of such who had escaped the burning of the reigning emperor's, the Taira's puppet's, castle. At the front of the gate I was required to state my name.
Well let's forget any chance of subterfuge I thought wryly as I called out.
"Yoshitsune, the younger brother of Yoritomo has arrived from the east! Open up!" IN that time one had to be so confident that it bordered on arrogant when one was introducing oneself.
I saw one of the men on guard duty leap for joy and jump off the side into the main complex. Idiots. The gate was opened immediately and we received a jubilant greeting from the courtiers inside. I could not help thinking that if I had been someone else and merely claimed to be Yoritomo's brother, this fortress would be overrun in an instant.
The retired emperor did not come out to meet us, that would have been beneath his dignity. Instead, each of the officers was required to give a formal introduction and state our rank. When this was done we were led into an antechamber and I was called away to meet with Go-Shikawa in a private room. I could feel the eyes of Kajiwara burning holes into my back as I left them behind.
When I entered the dark chamber it took a minute for my eyes to adjust. The room was flooded with the scent of sandalwood and burning smoke, there were no openings to the outside world.
On the upraised stage of the room sat an old man in long robes that seemed to emphasize his old and wrinkled body. But when you looked in his eyes, the fire of a much younger man burned in their depths. This was not a man one should underestimate.
His majesty asked me for a full description of the battle. He seemed to be under the impression that it was already over.
I informed him of the situation at the northern gates and that my men and I were headed in that direction to provide backup.
Go-Shikawa seemed to agree with this plan, stating, "Excellent, but I fear some of the stragglers from Yoshinaka's army might come here to cause trouble. Guard us carefully."
I assented respectfully. I could not really afford to lose men from the active force, and there would be few willing to leave the fight, but I knew I must humor the imperial will and I resolved to put a small amount of men on duty as guards. Perhaps fifty or so.
Apparently we had arrived at the castle just in time for as soon as my meeting was over we received word that twenty of Yoshinaka's men had ridden up. They were surprised to see us, and it turns out that Kiso had sent them so that if worst came to worst they could carry of Go-Shikawa and either force his allignment or cause his disappearance.
Their small number was easily defeated, and as soon as the last horseman had fallen, we turned to the north once more.
When the previous war crys suddenly erupted into the screaming of horses and men intermingled in a bloody cacaphony, I could feel myself pale. But we rode on.
When we arrived at the place where the Uji bridge had once been we saw that the stability of its planks had been replaced by a path of corpses. My brother was inventive when the need came for it, but he also had little qualms over the loss of men. I frowned as I joined him. Our supply of troops was not infinite, but I realised that any other option would have stalled us for too long, allowing the opposing forces leisure to kill off individuals with their archery, which was nothing to smirk at.
My reinforcements strengthened Noriyori's failing numbers and our charge routed the opposing forces and sent them scurrying.
They ran in a disorganized mass, none caring for those who fell behind, only seeking to get as far as possible from the wolves who hunted them from behind. We howled our chase, further striking fear into our prey's hearts. This is really where the idea of fear as a weapon became one of my major tactics.
They ran to the shores of Lake Biwa and we chased them for a day and a night. They made their stand at Azuwa.
It was night when we reached them and their forces lined the water shore. As they had no where to run as the water was also a kind of barrier without ships. We settled down for the night, allowing the soldiers to rest and regain the strength they had lost from their long chase. At least we rested, but Kiso's forces could not sleep as there was always the ever present fear of an attack covered by the darkness of the night. This fear was exemplorated by the firing of arrows into their midst by Noriyori's forces. He did not feel the need for rest and, unwilling to question his enthusiasm after his first definitive victory, I allowed it.
The morning broke and we were ready. They fell before our blades and it was glory.
He said these words with a wry twist of his mouth and a blatantly sarcastic tone.