A summary of this long text is in the next post.
The day is cloudy and cool, but last night's winds have ceased. The travelers prepare to depart for Chiyoda village and deliver their captive and the bandits' arms and armor. Ito and Omi heft the pole with armor and heads hanging from it and Taisho and Akemi raise theirs with its kuge's chest and bundled weapons. The kuge in pilgrim's clothing climbs into the saddle. Kentaro leads his horse with the gravely wounded and unconscious bandit draped over the saddle. A faint drizzle begins to fall. The travelers set out on the trail leading down Chiyo-san. Along the way, they spot the tail and a foot of a monkey lying not far from the trail. Many roughly circular tracks are around it. Following the obvious ones, they see that they seem to be made by multiple round feet set around two yards apart.
At the foot of the mountain Akemi says,
I am sorry, kuge-sama and everyone. I must ask that you wait while I must retrieve something. She and Taisho set down their pole and she bounds off into the woods. She soon returns with an oblong cloth bag and slings its strap over her shoulder.
Please forgive the delay, and thank you very much for waiting. She and Taisho shoulder their pole and the party heads south along the highway through the drizzling rain.
They pass Neno-san, the mountain known for its shrine to Fuujin, the kami of wind. They continue on, and as as they approach Chiyoda village and see, villagers in a field of dry golden rice stalks. They are bringing in the harvest. At the sight of the travelers, they gawk and gawp. Perhaps they have never seen these things?
-Two bushi in full samurai armor carrying a suits of armor and heads hanging from a pole.
-A bruised pilgrim riding a samurai's warhorse.
-Another armored bushi leading a horse with a mostly naked, bandaged man draped over the saddle.
-A gakusho and a slight peasant boy carrying weapons and an elegant lacquered box, also slung from a pole.
When the traveler's turn right to depart the highway and enter the village's one road, a farmer exclaims and three of the peasant men sprint through the grain to the village. The burdened travelers slowly reach the house that the samurai Sawaguchi had indicated they should return to. The kuge says to Ito and Omi,
Call out and inform that hospitality is needed.
But soon a samurai that some of the travelers had seen at the ninyo's courtyard trots up from down the road. He carries a bow and quiver, but wears only a breastplate and helmet, not a complete set of armor. He looks the party over and briefly bows to Omi and Ito.
Please wait. The Lieutenant Manager will soon be here. The kuge snorts, but it appears that he considers and decides to say nothing. It appears that the samurai is angered and his hand is about to reach for a hilt, but he considers and does nothing. The kuge flinches, then his face flushes bright red with anger. It appears that he was about to give the samurai a good tongue-lashing-- but that he reconsidered the circumstances, and did nothing. The same three peasant men with yari and various pieces of ill-fitting light ashigaru armor arrive clattering from different directions and fall in behind the samurai.
A samurai in full heavy armor quickly by calmly emerges from the house. He is carrying a naginata, but he leans it against the house's wall before approaching. It is Sawaguchi, the samurai of the failed letter writing attempt at the ninyo's residence. It appears that he has already observed the scenario-- the bound captive, the wounded but pretty healthy bushi, the same gakusho, a girl in peasant men's clothing. Looted weapons and armor. A bruised man in pilgrim's clothing, who rides while samurai carry heavy loads. A fine lacquered trunk. He not disrespectfully nods-half bows to the samurai Omi and Ito, and to Kentaro.
You were successful, it seems, and have returned. It seems you escort an important person--
The kuge doesn't wait for him to finish.
I am Sanetoshi, of the Fujiwari of the Imperial Capital. I was on pilgrimage, but it seems the Takeda have no control of the Imperial highway, and I was assaulted by brazen robbers on the very Koshu-Kaido. I am lucky to be alive. I have had to rely on this motley group for my very life, much less civilized meals and accomodation. But I commend them to you for whatever use you may have for them, from what I have seen so far. Now, accommodations, proper meals, and hospitality in that [it]yashiki[/it] will be prepared for me. He indicates the ninyo's home, the biggest one in the village.
Sawaguchi bows low and long.
Of course, o-kuge-sama! Saburo, Toshi, carry the o-kuge-sama's chest to the ninyo-sama's house. And be careful! He leans and whispers to the other samurai, who scuttles off. He leads the kuge to the ninyo's house. The kuge turns and says,
Bushi, if I feel well I will depart for Kofu in the morning. It goes without saying that you will rise early and be ready.
The lower rank samurai soon returns. He says to the remaining peasant in armor,
Keita, get other men and carry the arms and armor to the warehouse. Ronin, bring the captive this way. He says it with a certain respect. Because he had witnessed Kentaro successfully write a letter? The “ashigaru” peasant returns with three other farmers. The four offload the unconscious bandit and lie him in the warehouse. The samurai checks his trusses carefully and grunts. He approaches Ito and Omi.
These men will carry the remaining arms and armor. You need only show them the location. You will be paid when you return.
The drizzle turns into an early autumn rain. Omi, Ito, and any others who lead the porters to the charcoal burners' Chiyo-san do so, and return without event. The remaining weapons and armor are brought to the warehouse. Sawaguchi has been making an inventory of the neatly arranged items with a brush, ink and paper. The peasants neatly arrange the new items beside the others, and Sawaguchi adds to his tally.
