by Ryan Kirk
For Mari’s plan to have the greatest effect, haste was of the essence. The winter was still biting cold, but the season couldn’t last more than another two moons. They needed to be organized and moving before that happened.
Based on the logistics of the messages, Mari’s party would be the first to arrive at the gathering location, a long, shallow valley in the territory of House Fujita. Koji was certain that if Lord Isamu knew what was happening on his own lands, he’d be furious. Fortunately, of all the lords, Isamu was the least aware of the events happening on his terrain. The position was also defensible in case the situation became desperate.
As more blades trickled in, Koji had to spend more time every morning to leave. With a tiny group, he didn’t have to travel very far to be able to meditate clearly. As the gathering continued to grow, he needed to travel farther just to leave the boundaries of the camp and even farther to meditate in peace.
Mari was nearing the time when she would have to begin. Her shadows informed her that every lord was already moving, and there was a real possibility war would start before the snow had melted. Her forces had to be faster.
As was his custom, Koji sat in the snow and focused on his breath. Not long from now, this daily ritual would be difficult to follow. If Mari’s plan succeeded, they would be on the move constantly, with little time to rest and be still.
His meditation worked for a while, his focus expanding to where it needed to be. The effort wasn’t nearly enough. His quest to find clarity had been useless. His comfort with the sense had increased and he could push his gift farther than before, but in combat it was of no greater use.
Today, as with most days, his mind wandered. With so much happening, it was difficult for him to focus on his sense. Every time he redoubled his efforts, he became even more distracted.
One matter was the most distracting. Mari’s plan had him commanding one of the large units that would be integral to her strategy. For a number of reasons, he felt uncomfortable with the idea, but he hadn’t developed the courage to face her yet.
Finally, he quit. He stood up and drew his sword, running through the same practice he had completed almost every day since he had been a child. As his body slipped into the motions, his mind relaxed.
For a moment, his world shifted, the colors became more vivid, and he was in the state he so desperately sought. But in his next breath, the moment was gone.
Koji almost threw his sword to the ground in frustration. Mustering every scrap of control he had, he resisted the urge.
Barely controlling his frustration, Koji slammed his blade back in its sheath.
He wasn’t sure what he needed to do to become better, but he knew he needed to speak to Mari before it was too late. The longer he waited, the worse the situation would become. Facing his fear, he turned back toward the tents.
One benefit of Koji’s position was that he was quickly admitted to see Mari when he came. Takahiro was at the door, ensuring her time wasn’t wasted by needless demands. Koji simply said he had something important to talk about and was let in.
Mari was again poring over papers, taking copious notes using a system he didn’t understand. Koji knew how to read but was amazed by what Mari did with the ability.
Mari seemed to know almost everything of importance happening in the Kingdom. She knew where the various armies were, what villages were starving, and which were well fed. Koji suspected she even knew what was happening in Starfall, which meant blades were selling information on their own kind.
In a way, he supposed, Mari was a little like a blade. Their advantage came from the ability to take in heightened information about the world, to predict events happening just a little in the future. Mari did the same, although without the gift.
He waited for her to finish her notes. When she looked up, she smiled at him, and his heart broke. He admired Mari, perhaps more than anyone he had met. Following her had been the most honorable decision he had ever made. To know that his secret might discredit her, or even worse, bring her disapproval unto him, was almost more than he could bear. It reinforced his decision. This was the right thing to do. He stood up a little straighter and spoke.
“Mari, I do not think you should put me in command of one of the units you are creating.”
For all the agony he had suffered over the past days debating what to do, getting the words out was surprisingly easy after he started.
Mari didn’t respond, waiting for him to say more.
“Mari, serving under you has been an honor, but as a nightblade, my hands aren’t clean. I’m afraid that if people ever find out the crimes I’ve committed, it would ruin our cause. If I am a mere warrior, you can disown me. But if I were a commander, you wouldn’t have that chance. It’s much safer to simply put me with a unit, probably not even your own.”
She frowned at him. “I don’t care what you’ve done in the past, Koji. Your work now is all that matters, and you’ve done great work. You’ve saved my life, and you’ve trained a number of nightblades. You’ve earned this.”
“Thank you, Mari. But some crimes can’t be washed away, and few people in this Kingdom possess the same tolerance you do.”
Mari looked unconvinced. “If that is your only argument, I must disagree. Perhaps you don’t feel worthy, for whatever reason. But I’ve been traveling with you for moons now. I’ve seen the way you train, and I’ve seen you kill. If anyone knows your heart and your character, it’s me. There’s no one I would rather trust with these blades.”
Koji started to get exasperated. Mari would always be Mari, and that very consistency was one of the reasons he swore his sword to her. But the trait wasn’t without drawbacks.
“That’s not all, Mari.”
She gazed at him expectantly, and for a moment, he almost told her that he had killed her brother and the king. But as he looked in her eyes, all he saw was kindness and trust.
“There’s a difference between being a good warrior, or even being a good person, and being a good commander. I know that I’m a good warrior. There are some who are better but not many. But I am not a leader of blades. I have no grasp of battlefield strategy, and I hardly have the charisma to keep blades in line. The greatest service I can offer you is my ability to kill, not my ability to lead.”
He wasn’t sure if it was his argument or the tone of his voice that stopped Mari from objecting. She studied him, and Koji worried she would see the darkness of his past in his heart. For the longest time, she said nothing.
When she did speak, her voice was soft but strong. “You’re sure about this?”
“Absolutely.”
Koji could hear Mari’s tent snapping in the breeze, but his eyes were only on her, wondering what she would decide.
“Very well. It’s not the decision I would make, but I trust you with my life, Koji, and if you are certain about your feelings, I will replace you.”
Koji bowed deeply to Mari and left, relieved that his request had been honored, terrified that he might be the one to break Mari’s spirit.
A few days later, the time had come. Koji was ready. Since his self-imposed demotion, his status had been unusual. Because Mari still considered him a personal guard, he was still invited to meetings of the commanders, and his task list seemed to grow every day. Commander or not, Mari trusted him, which meant more to do.
He had been given his fair share of inquisitive stares when Mari announced he was being replaced. Of the three commanders, Koji had been considered the favorite by many. All Mari said was that he had requested to be reassigned. As curious as they might have been, none of the commanders inquired deeper, and Koji wasn’t vocal about his misgivings.
Koji joined the other blades. From one perspective, this was still a small gathering. There were less than two hundred blades present, and as they huddled together against the cold, they didn’t take up much space. Someone had found a wagon, and Mari climbed on top to speak to her audience.
Even though their numbers we
ren’t impressive, their capability was great. Koji had tried to remember his history, but he didn’t think a larger force of blades had ever been assembled outside of special festivals in Starfall.
Mari was conversing near the wagon with Jun, and while they waited, several of the blades near Koji fought for his attention. Their situation was dire, but the mood around the camp was strangely jubilant. The days had been filled with hunting, training, and fires that lasted long into the night. From the sounds Koji heard each night as he drifted off to sleep, quite a number of blades had fallen into couples while they waited for the gathering to become official.
A blade next to him, even younger than he was, spoke conspiratorially to him. “Koji, I know that you are able to talk to Mari whenever you want. Maybe you can convince her to hold a gathering, maybe during the next cycle?”
Koji chuckled softly. Truth be told, he wouldn’t mind another gathering as well. It was relaxing to be in the company of blades, to be doing good for the Kingdom. He was still haunted by his demons, but his days were as content as he had ever remembered.
“I’ll see. I can speak, but she doesn’t always listen!”
The other blade was about to laugh but turned serious as Mari stepped up on the wagon.
The lady of House Kita was in her full Lady in White costume, her heavy robes making her seem larger. Although the platform was only a little higher than the surrounding area, Koji thought she towered over all the blades. Her spotless form stood out against the worn and motley collection of traveling clothes the warriors and healers wore.
The only change to Mari’s outfit was the veil, conspicuously absent. Standing in the middle of the crowd, Koji could easily make out every facial feature, from the strong set of her jaw to the slight upturn of her mouth.
Koji couldn’t hear a single murmur among the crowd. Mari’s strong voice carried over the assembly.
“Brothers and sisters!”
Every eye was on her, but Mari didn’t rush. As Koji looked at her, he knew she was the embodiment of what it meant to lead.
“First, I must thank you for all you have done for the Kingdom so far. The stories of the kindness and good you’ve done this winter—hunted and hated—will someday become the legends we tell our children. Of this, I’m sure.
“All of us know it is easy to be kind to a friend, but to serve those who live scared of you, that is a quality not many possess. But it is within all of you, and my words will never express my gratitude.”
Mari paused and looked over the crowd. Koji felt a stirring of pride to know he was associated with blades of such honor.
“Our work is not yet done, though. For all the lives we have saved and all the good we have done, the Kingdom is still at war. Soon the snows will melt and the armies will march, and this ground, the ground that feeds our families, will be poisoned by the blood of friends.
“The lords do nothing to stop this. They fight for a throne, not for their people.
“We’re going to teach them what comes next! We’re going to show them that they can’t starve their people to feed their armies!”
Despite the reserved nature of most blades, Mari’s passion caused a cheer to break out in the crowd. Koji joined them.
“Although our strength is tremendous, I do not want to see unnecessary bloodshed. Our mission, as I see it, is to hit the armies of all the lords in such a way that they can’t make war on one another.
“While they focus on their fronts, our groups of blades will tear them up from behind, hitting their supply lines.”
A murmur went up from the crowd. There was no honor in taking a supply depot.
“I know what you must think,” Mari said, “but our purpose is twofold. All of us have seen the waste the lords have left in their haste to prepare for battle. Across the Kingdom, families starve so the armies may march and fight. We take these supplies, not just to stop the armies, but to feed the people whom we’ve sworn to defend.”
Koji wasn’t sure he’d ever seen a crowd of any size change their minds so fast. They had all seen what was happening in the villages.
The winter had been one of the most brutal in memory. Each of the lords had made the decision that feeding their armies was more important than feeding their citizens. In most cases, the armies left a little behind, but never enough for the village to survive.
Mari would fix the problem. They would attack the supply points, take back the food and matériel, and return the goods to the people. Mari had planned a series of strikes against each lord, one after the other. The pace would be brutal, but her goal was no less than to entirely cripple the armies. In the best case, she could stop the war in its tracks and feed the people in the process.
When Koji had first heard her idea, he had been astounded. He loved the plan and had done everything he could to shape it into a feasible strategy. From the looks of the assembled blades, her idea resonated with them as well.
He knew how they felt.
Mari finished her speech.
“I know that many of you have sworn your swords to me, and for that, I am ever in your debt. Everything I do is for the Kingdom, but only because of the loyalty you have shown me.
“If I were a lord, I would command you to serve, but I am no lord. All I can do is ask. Do this for the Kingdom. Do this for me. If you are not comfortable, please feel free to leave the gathering whenever you feel called. I assure you, no one here will stop you from departing. Our mission will be difficult, and our lives will certainly be at risk. It is, as always, your decision to make.”
With that, Mari bowed down deeply to the blades and stepped down from the wagon. Koji looked from face to face, and he knew no one was leaving.
Mari now had her own small army, ready to stop the war.
Chapter 17
The snow had yet to melt, but the signs of spring were promising. Asa and Daisuke had more daylight to train in, and although the days were still frosty, Asa could feel the extra warmth of the sun on her skin. Spring was growing closer every day, the winter a long journey almost over.
She stood alone in the plains, just outside the largest village they had ever trained in. Daisuke’s house was a few days’ walk from a few villages, most only a scattered collection of huts. This particular village was the largest within a three days’ walk, holding perhaps fifty people.
It was her final test of a sort, even though Daisuke never said as much. Asa’s fighting skills had improved considerably, her two-sword style developed to a point where she was eager to duel Koji again. She wasn’t invincible, but she was much, much better.
The other skills Daisuke tried to teach her, though, were much more challenging. Those were the skills they tested here today: her ability with her gift, her awareness, and her focus. Although her dual-sword style was an incredible improvement, these were the skills that would make her truly powerful. She had seen Daisuke’s skill, and although she still wasn’t anywhere close to his ability, she believed she had improved.
Her test wasn’t complex. The day was bright, and although it was cold, the people of the village were out of their houses, enjoying the sunlight as best they could. All Asa had to do was get from one end of the village to the other without being seen. Her test began the moment she reached the edge.
Calming her breath, she extended her sense, getting an understanding of the place. The fact she could reach her sense over the entire area was in itself an indicator of how much she had improved under Daisuke’s strict discipline. After a while, Asa was sure of what she had already guessed: there would be no easy way through the village.
Daisuke stood on the other side, using his own gift to sense everything happening. Asa took a deep breath and started walking toward the village.
She stopped just on the outskirts, waiting for people to clear out of her way before she began. She had chosen a narrow backway through the buildings to avoid the most eyes. The path bent and turned between huts built closely together.
When Asa sensed
her moment, she stepped forward. The first dozen paces were easy. She could sense that no one was nearby and the path was completely unobserved.
Her first challenge came after she had passed an intersection. Her sense, wandering throughout the area, detected someone stepping onto her route in an intersection in front of her. Asa started to backtrack, but her gift warned her that someone was standing next to the intersection she had just passed. She couldn’t remain where she was, but either direction seemed to be a failure.
In the past, Asa would have tensed. Her mind would have raced, not finding any answers no matter how fast it worked. After several moons of training with Daisuke, her response was different. She focused on her breath, quickly expanding her awareness outward. There wasn’t much time. The woman up ahead would see her in a few heartbeats.
Her sense, more refined, felt the man behind her lean against one of the huts, its wooden walls bending slightly under the pressure. Asa realized his back was toward the intersection. His posture indicated he wasn’t leaving anytime soon, but if she moved quietly, she might be able to stand behind the man without him noticing her. Asa retreated, turning the corner and seeing his back. He was a bulky figure and not terribly observant. Asa slipped into his shadow, crouching a little.
The woman entered the path Asa had just been standing on. Now she had to trust luck. The intersection she hid near had three routes. If the woman chose Asa’s route, there was nothing more she could do.
The pedestrian entered the intersection, and Asa held her breath. Possibly an elder of the village, the woman continued straight, never glancing in Asa’s direction.
Before, Asa would have gotten back onto her first path as quickly as she could, but now she knew better. She kept her focus on her sense, planning her next moves. More people were walking near her original path. She’d be better served by choosing a different alleyway.