Ketsueki tsugu senkaki Ronin(Blood feeds t'Ronin warmachine)

[Yoshimutsu Watanabe]

Iie, watashi no Jo-nin, what do you do,where do you go with death in your eyes so?
I go to kill, to quench the thirst of my blade, in Isonia's name.
I cannot permit you, watashi no Jo-nin, who will lead-
You cannot what? Tell me I did not hear you forbid me from seeking the deaths of those that the Blademaiden names anathema?
No, no, watashi no Jo-nin, I would not presume to, but who will lead in your stead, I know not how long you will be gone? the retainer finally stammered hurriedly.

Yoshimutsu snorted, finally gaining access to the stables, rousing the hands to ready his warhorse. Short by most standards at only fourteen hands high, the black gelding had been Yoshimutsu's personal steed for over a year now. Purple chased ebon tack was rapidly readied by the stable hands and a hubbub of voices suffused the stables as his personal guard similarly readied themselves to ride with the Jo-nin.

It matters little, Sohei can maintain the rest of the guntai in my stead, WuJen will oversee the administration. Ensure Lia is looked after, I will have your head if I return to find her dishonoured in any way.

The retainer nodded hurriedly and blanched as Yoshimutsu swung himself into the saddle, the amethyst inset into the pommels of his twin swords, the dai-sho reflecting the moonlight.

With a whoop and a holler, Yoshimutsu signalled the troop to follow and they rode out unto the night, far from Ronin lands...

[Lia MoonFlower]

Nestled under the black and blue silken sheets that covered a futon was a shock of brilliantly red hair, tendrils snaking across the pillow. One pale arm was clinging to one of the pillows, nuzzling it inpercibtibly in its sleep.

"Yoshimutsu..." the voice whispered thickly, coated in sleep. The chill of the silk shocked the woman out of sleep, and she looked around confused for a moment, not seeing the body of the man that she loved next to her.

"Yoshimutsu?" she asked, sitting up, the sheets draping themselves about her waist. Hearing no answer in reply, Lia muttered and got out of bed, searching for the robe that she had worn to bed the night before. Normally she favored a green silk kimono that highlighted her eyes, but last night she had wanted warmth and softness against her skin, especially with the weather changing once more. Wrapping herself in the robe, she stretched and slid open the shoji screen, looking arund cautiously. Padding barefoot through the halls, the servants seemed to take no notice of the elfwoman, a stark contrast to the humans that surrounded her. Even though she was near their height, her red hair was a flaming contrast to their black locks. Her eyes didn't have the slant that everyone else's did either, and they were a vibrant green instead of muted brown. And lastly, her ears ended in a graceful point, indicative of her elven heritage - when most the servants and retainers were humans. This meant nothing to any of them, however - the elfwoman was a common enough sight, plodding through rooms in the early hours of the morning.

It often raised eyebrows when she was not walking about, in truth. Even though Lia had her own home deep in her own lands, she tended to remain at Yoshimutsu's keep. When she wasn't there was when there was trouble at home or when the Ronin were once more at war, fighting hard.

Stretching, she entered one of Yoshimutsu's favorite rooms, only to see him not there. Frowning, she stepped fully into the room and peered around for a moment, only to be startled by a voice.

"Lia-san? Are you lost?" a voice whispered. Lia turned about to see one of the female servants whom she had become fond of standing in the doorway.

"I was lookin' fer Yoshimutsu-sama." She replied. "Have ya seen him wanderin' about?"

The serving woman nodded her head. "Yoshimutsu-sama left earlier today, with some troops. He rode on his warsteed." Lia's eyes went wide and she blinked, her heart beginning to beat in her chest.

"He went out on his warsteed?" she murmured. Nodding to the serving woman, she left the room and made her way back to Yoshimutsu's bedroom, closing that shoji screen behind her. Carefully she opened the screen that led out to the inner gardens. Casting her eyes skyward, she inhaled and whispered softly. "Isonia, guard my heart... keep him safe..."

[Yoshimutsu Watanabe]

Thundering across the fields Yoshimutsu felt the blood surging in his veins. He rode against no guild, not in the name of the Ronin but in Isonia's name only this night. The kagemusha had reported a number of small holdings near the massed lands of the Ronin, not terribly close to the lands of the cherry blossom itself, but near enough that the hard ride would be worth while.

Over the leagues they rode, soldiers and watchmen of the neighbouring Ronin lands nodding and recognizing the Jo-nin and his retinue as the horses sped through the land, divots and sod thrown up by the hooves of their steeds.

Nearing the borders of the lands that had been spied by the ever watchful scouts of the Ronin Yoshimutsu called for a halt to rest and water the horses. Dismounting he unpacked various pieces of cloth and leather, meticulously muffling all the loose pieces of tack and the hooves of his horse, indicating for his men to follow suit. Checking all the horses himself, and satisfied that the horses were suitably rested for now he signalled for all to mount up.

Nudging his mount into a canter they set off towards the pickets of the realm they were about to enter, the muffled hooves of the troop a hollow thumping against the packed leaf litter through the forest. Urging his horse into a gallop Yoshimutsu's mount vaulted over the brush on the outskirts of the forest, his long blade, the katana unsheathed as the horse landed. Crossing the cleared gap in moments, the sentries barely had time to realize they were under attack when Yoshimutsu's blade claimed the first.

To his left, the other sentry had dodged Yoshimutsu's nearest companion's strike, and twisting like a cat was sprinting for the main camp, yelling for help. Unbidden, one of the other Ronin unslung a short crossbow and took aim, letting fly it's deadly bolt to good effect, dropping the fleeing soldier in midstride. But the damage had been done, the camp was roused and Yoshimutsu's troops rapidly dismounted and got amongst the tents of the soldiers, engaging in bloody hand to hand with the frantic halfawake defenders.

Truthfully, it was a slaughter and in moments the defenders all lay dead amongst and in the tents, Yoshimutsu's men commencing the grisly task of removing a number of heads and affixing them to their yari for the next part of their mission.....