“It would be our pleasure to meet with your lord,” Bren replied giving another low bow.
“Then we shall escort you to my lords palace where we may talk in a more dignified manner,” the man said before turning around and saying a few words to the obvious leader of the group. The armored men remounted their horses and led the way for Bren and his people to follow.
As they passed through the town Bren noticed that everyone hit their knees as soon as they came into view and sometimes before Bren even noticed them. Even though they were prostrated on the group more than a few looked up to openly stare at Avalanche. Bren didn’t know why the rock hound intrigued the local people so much, and it was starting to bother him. Avalanche was indeed an oddity and no matter where they went, she drew some attention but this was well beyond what was normal.
Once they were outside of the city the odd reaction of the people didn’t stop but there were far less of them to stare so Bren felt a little more at ease. It took more than a half hour of forced marching until they caught the first glimpse of what they had called a palace.
Bren had seen many palaces in his life but never anything like what he now saw. The building was built at the top of a large hill and was surrounded by more than twenty foot of water. The only real means of entering the palace was one long stone walkway that was only wide enough for one wagon or three horses riding abreast. Once inside the walls the main house was large and looked almost like a tree with different levels, each one having its own clay roof overhang. In all honestly it reminded Bren more of something one might see in a painting. As they neared the main doors to the palace, which were made of a light wood that almost shone white in the waning sunlight, the armored men dismounted and a group of servants appeared to take the reins of their horses.
“You can have your servants and retainers take your horses to the stables. Our people will make sure they are well taken care of,” The man who had first talked to them said as they continued to follow.
Bren instructed the others to do as the man had said but as normal Cass refused to leave his side. After the third try Bren gave up and simply hoped that the lord of the house would not take offence.
Before entering the house they were forced to take off their boots and replace them with soft soled cloth sandals. Once they were rid of their footwear, they were taken to a small room near the center of the building where a large group of women forcibly and under protest stripped them of their clothes and washed them. It was more than a bit degrading to say the least but Bren at least took comfort in the fact that even Cass seemed a bit reluctant to have strange women disrobe him.
Once they were clean they were given new clothes in the same manner that they had seen the local people wear if not a bit more extravagant. The tunic though thicker than what he normally wore was easy enough to figure out, but what they wore for pants was not so easy. After the fourth failed attempt to get his pants to stay up Bren gave up and called one of the ladies for help. The young lady covered her mouth and Bren was sure she was laughing but he couldn’t be sure. The woman took hold of the two ends of the white belt that was attached to the piece of clothing and reached around behind him and brought them back to the front. After she tied them in the front she started warping them in an odd fashion ending up with a cross look when she was done.
Cass watched the woman closely and tried to mimic what she had done but in the end while his pants stayed up they didn’t look nearly as neatly done.
Now fully dressed Bren picked up his sword from his discarded clothes and tried to find a comfortable way to strap it on but since the clothes were more loosely fitting than he was used too, it felt odd and bulky hanging on his side and seemed to tangle with each step. After the sixth time of readjusting his sword belt, Bren gave it up for a lost cause.
Bren was surprised that their swords had not been taken but he was glad as well. He was sure that Cass would not have taken the loss of his weapons lightly, even if it meant they would have to fight their way out completely surrounded by enemies.
Clean, clothed, and completely embarrassed Bren and Cass were led to a large open room where numerous men sat on soft looking cushions on either side of the room. It was almost like a human path leading to the man who had worn the gold wreath decorated helm. When Bren was no more than twenty feet from the man he gave a deep bow and held it until he was given the leave to rise.
Two cushions were brought out for Bren and Cass and placed in front of the daimio. Though the cushions were placed next to each other Cass pulled his back so that he sat slightly behind Bren on his right side. As Bren sat, Avalanche appeared walking freely into the hall, his stone feet clapping loudly on the soft wood of the house. With each thud Bren cringed slightly inside afraid to look at what damage might have been done to the soft and elegant flooring. Bren kept his gaze forward as Avalanche settled beside him not even recognizing that his hand had absentmindedly rested on the creature’s head.
Oddly Akinori bowed his head ever so slightly in Avalanches direction then turned back to Bren. “How is it that you came to have a jinnai komainu at your side?”
“Do you mean Avalanche?” Bren asked in a confused tone. “She had been a companion of my father and has watched over me since my birth.”
“Then your family must be important to the gods. The jinnai komainu are believed to be the guardians of our gods, and have only been seen in the days of legend. It is said that when they walk on the land that great changes are coming. I would warn you to be wary, there are those among my peers that would not like to see such an omen walk the earth.”
“Are you one of those?” Bren asked the daimio.
“I have not made up my mind as to that yet,” Akinori replied his face remaining impossible to read. “Change can be good or bad depending on how you take it. If I was a man who believed in tradition and lore then I would welcome the god’s decree without question, but if I was a man who had forgotten his blood, and pledges, then I would fear such a coming. Right now I do not know which one I am. To borrow a saying from your land, I am stuck between two paths and I know not which one I walk.”
Bren listened intently as the man’s accent was thick and he tended to skip over a few sounds and slightly changed others. A few times Bren was forced to put together the whole of his words to try to figure out one and make sense of what the lord was saying.
“Before I decide what path I walk, may I ask, what is the purpose that has brought you to our land?” Akinori asked his eyes focused squarely on Bren.
“We have come to trade,” Bren answered. “I have brought many items of magical nature from my homeland in hopes of returning with not only gold but a name that will spread across the land like wildfire.”
“I believe the name of Bren Torin has already spread across the land,” Akinori replied surprising Bren. “I am sure that you have heard that we are a land that is constantly at war. Then you should also know that information is the key to any victory. You should not find it uncommon that I would know your name since my land borders the sea. So I will ask you again. What is your purpose here?”
Bren held out his hand to calm Cass who had shifted his leg slightly so that should the need arise he could stand quickly. “I apologize for my deception but I would hope its reason will be obvious. I have come to take something from the Brotherhood camp that lies to the northeast of your own land. I seek no harm to any of the people of your land, and hope I receive none in turn.”
“The Brotherhood,” Akinori said contemplatively. “Yes they have come to our shore in the recent years to escape the eye of the tower and of the warrior king. I have no love of these men. They seek out all who use magic, even those of the divine arts. If they are your goal and you walk with the guardian then I will not stop you, but I can neither offer you much in the way of aid.”
“You talk of the divine arts,” Bren said hoping to lead the subject.
“Our priests and tacticians call upon the aid of the gods, though it is forbid
den to be used in war, it is useful to keep our crops, and people healthy,” Akinori replied. Tonight you will dine with me and tomorrow I will allow you to go on your way. Two men shall accompany you,” the daimio said as two men stood from the group sitting along the wall. “Arashi, a skilled warrior who was once a Ronin or traveler, and Hayao a man skilled not only with the blade but at the art of stealth.”
“I am honored that you would send your own men, but I do…” Bren started to say but his words froze when he saw the look that the daimio was giving him. “I consider it an honor to help the one chosen by the gods. These men will follow your words as if they were my own. Now let us eat and drink so that we may celebrate this meeting.”
Bren who had never been a heavy drinker tried to wave off the many cups that were offered him but he found his hosts to be far more forceful that he was used to. The liquor they served was like nothing that he had tasted before, it was slightly sweet like wine but had an oddly light and rich flavor that danced on his tongue. By the time night came to an end, Bren found himself barely able to sit up without aid, thankfully though the lord had called in numerous ladies to not only pour the drink but also to aid those who had fallen too deep into their cups.
Bren was carried by two women who smelled faintly of plums to a small room where a soft mattress had been placed on the floor. It almost felt as if he was camping on a bedroll though the bed was far superior to the one he had in the wagon. His head spinning, Bren tried to calmly steady himself, but in the end, all that was left for him to do was to close his eyes and drift off into a drunken slumber.
CHAPTER XXIV
Just as he had promised the next morning Bren and the rest were allowed to leave. The daimio had been more than a gracious host in not only giving them two new swords but also enough horses for each of them. The horses were unlike the ones that he had back home, they were slightly shorter and much trimmer with stone muscles that felt like steel under his hand. Most of the horses looked of common stock but the ones given him and Cass were of a much finer quality.
Reaching up Bren touched the earring in his left ear. The second he touched the earring his mind was filled with normally unheard voices. Bren had found that among animals, horses were one of the proudest and most astute. “What is your name?” Bren asked voicing his question to the creature he was riding.
“Fukuyo is what my previous master called me,” the horse replied the voice in his head sounding slightly hesitant. “I am not used to this…I am not sure that I like it.”
“Is it not a good thing to get to know each other?” Bren asked keeping his voice calm. “We will be spending a lot of time together.”
It took more than an half an hour to get Fukuyo to talk to him in earnest but once he did she was a fount of information. She was the daughter to the daimios prized stud. Fukuyo had not been outside of the palace grounds much but she knew the surrounding area greatly and had a fondness for the green apples that grew on the local trees.
The countryside near the port didn’t look much different than anywhere else he had been. There were a lot more decorative trees that looked as if they had been planted on purpose. Rows upon rows of plumb trees lined the road though they were currently without their flowers, Bren was sure that in early autumn this place would be a sight to behold.
Bren had studied a lot during his childhood about magic. He had learned that almost everything dealing with magic was all theoretical since everyone found its use slightly different. The only real thing that all mages had in common was the power they wielded. Enchanting was slightly different and seemed to follow a pattern. Like magic, each enchanter inscribed their own versions of their spell but they all had a few things in common. Every enchanted item consisted of the same major parts. The first was the body, it was normally made of wood or metal and held the actually inscribed spell. The next major part was the heart, and was either a gem or crystal which pulled in and stored magic to be used by the inscribed spell. In practice it seemed simple, but inscribing a spell was something only a few could do and Bren was not so talented. That didn’t mean that his studies had went without merit though. He knew that he could forcibly charge the gem of an enchanted item to make it work in quick succession without having to wait for it to charge naturally. The downside was that enchanted items used four to ten times more magical energy than a spell cast from a mage and for most mages it would be too much of a drain, but then again Bren as not a normal mage.
Before they stopped for a midday break, Bren had got done charging the earring that allowed him to talk with animals. At first it was slightly draining, not because of the magical energy used but because he often tried to push too much energy into the gem at one time. The gem was small and could only hold so much energy. One time Bren even feared that he had broken the gem but after careful inspection he found that it was left intact.
The two new companions to the group stayed to themselves mostly and Bren could count on one hand the number of words the two had said since daybreak. Even during the stop they remained removed from the rest of them and from the look of it they didn’t even talk to each other.
Bren didn’t honestly know what to think of the two men. There was the chance that Akinori had sent them along to help him, but that would be too convenient. Most likely the two had been sent to keep tabs on Bren and the others but that didn’t explain why they stayed away from them. If they were spies, then it would make more sense for them to stay close so they could listen to what was being said among the rest of the group.
Curious about his two new companions Bren chose to sit next to Arashi who seemed like the least imposing of the two. “Can I help you my lord?” Arashi said standing and bowing in front of Bren.
“I just thought it would be best to get to know my new friends,” Bren said taking a seat on the ground.
“What would you like to know my lord?” Arashi said in a stiff and overly formal manner. It was something Bren had noticed among the northerners, they were all extremely polite almost to the point of being offensive.
“As much as you are willing to tell me,” Bren answered as he handed the man a cup of the rice wine that the locals called sake. “Why don’t we start with why you carry two swords, and how long it will take to reach the edge of your lord’s domain?”
“Ah,” Arashi said as his hand brushing the hilt of the longer sword that hung at his waist. “Warriors hold a special place among our people and we are required to carry these two swords at all times. To be caught without them would warrant a harsh punishment. The longer sword is for fighting and while the shorter blade may be used against enemies it is carried so that we may hold sway over even our own deaths in battle.”
“What do you mean?” Bren asked looking at the smaller blade that was more than a dagger but less than a short sword.
“When one knows he is close to death he takes the blade and ends his own life. The dagger is also used when one must take his life by order of his lord or to erase his life due to shame.”
“That doesn’t sound like a very pleasant dagger to carry,” Bren said with a heavy voice.
“It is part of being a samurai,” Arashi said without a hint of emotion showing on his face. “As for the edges of my lord’s land we will reach it around nightfall. There are few lands that one cannot cross in a day by horseback.”
“I have wondered about that since I first learned of how you separate your lands. Why are they all so small?” Bren asked.
“Once long ago we were ruled by one man. It did not end well,” Arashi said.
“The emperor?” Bren asked more than said.
“Yes, but not the one that you think of. The southern emperor ruled our land only in name. We did not wish a fight with the south, nor did we wish to submit so we agreed that we would send him a tithe every year and fly his banner over our castles, yet we were under no obligation to head his laws nor orders. The emperor that ruled our land lived hundreds of years before then. The land was large and on the edges his
voice was weak and chaos ruled the land. Twelve great warriors rose from these lands and raised an army and took the land from the emperor. Once they had control over the land they spilt it among their sons and generals and since that time it has been a rule that no one man would control more than he could survey in a fortnight.”
“Yet you still have those that fight to gain control over their neighbors,” Bren said confused.
“Yes, but they may not rule the land they take,” Arashi replied. “Another must take the throne of Daimio. If ever one man should take the land all for himself, all of the rulers of the land would unite and remove him from his seat of power.”
“What is the story of your friend over there?” Bren asked nodding his head toward Hayao who sat the furthest from the group though Bren noticed the same watchfulness in his actions that he often noticed in Cass.
“He is not my friend,” Arashi said spitting on the ground. “He is a spy, a man of deceit and holds no honor.”
Bren could tell that pressing the issue about Hayao would bring only trouble so he left the issue where Arashi had left it. A spy it would explain his watchful eyes but why would Akinori openly send a spy with him. Did the daimio expect him to need his skills or was he really keeping tabs on him.
Bren didn’t like the idea of keeping a spy around but he didn’t know what would happen if he sent the man away. Most likely he would simply follow then while staying out of sight. In the end it was better to keep him close so that they could keep an eye on him. Better an enemy you can see than one that remains hidden.
After a short meal they continued on their way. Though the daimios themselves were small in size, the northern country was large and there was a lot of land that had to be covered before they neared their destination. Not to mention that they had plenty of stops to make thanks to Monique and the packages. He had left most of the travel details to Cass and Jin who between them could plan the safest and most direct route to their final goal.
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