Twelve Lies I Told Shingen Takeda

Chapter 24: For the Rain it Raineth Every Day

Once she realized the implications of the flooding, Mai snapped into action, telling the maids to set up a supply chain of food and dry clothing. In a tone of voice that dared Kenshin to argue (he didn't argue), she said, "Have some of your vassals set up tents for shelters. We can use the training room as temporary housing for anyone too frail or too sick to be outside."

Seeing as she had herself – and the situation in the castle- under control, I decided to join the evacuation efforts and slipped out of the room to change clothes – and personas. Mai caught up with me in the corridor. "Katsuko, I can always use..." She paused. "You'd rather be outside helping, right?"

"Yeah – I'd be more effective out there." If she was desperate for an extra set of hands, I would stay inside, of course, but there were enough maids and younger pages who could do what she needed as well – probably better – than I could.

She waved me off, and I dashed back to my quarters and became Katsu again – more or less. I didn't bother with the dratted binder or make the effort to do anything more with my hair than to yank it into a ponytail. There wasn't any time to waste. No longer any need to hide - everyone knew Katsu was female.

When I got back to the Main Hall, the first groups had already left, and Mai was handing out packs of supplies. "This isn't a wormhole storm, is it? Or a typhoon?" she asked, as she pressed an oilskin wrapped bundle into my arms.

"It doesn't feel like either." Granted, I'd only experienced one wormhole storm at close range, but in hindsight, knowing that Honno-ji had been one as well, this deluge felt different. As for a typhoon... it would be rare for this part of the country to receive a direct hit from one. In any case, the winds didn't feel strong enough for that. No this just felt like plain old seasonal wet. Exponential seasonal wet "What did Sasuke say?"

"I didn't catch him before he and Shingen left to go upriver to see if they could – science it." She waved her hand like science was some kind of magic. "Or, I guess, engineer?"

I didn't envy either of them that task. It would be grueling work. The further up into the mountains they went, the worse it was likely to be. At least no one would be shooting at them. Hopefully not.

I stuffed the bundle she'd given me in my pack and hurried out.

***

At the first village, I reported in to Yukimura, who was leading the evacuations. "Aw geez, Katsuko, don't you want to stay inside and help Mai?"

"She's got it covered. I'll be more useful out here. Pretend you never learned about Katsuko." I glanced over at where the Akazonae soldiers were helping the villagers carry their belongs to the temporary camps up in the hills. "I've done this kind of thing before – only then it was because of an invasion, not weather."

Yuki was busy enough and needed too much help not to make further issue out of it. "Thanks then." He looked down at a map and directed me to the south end of the town. In his official role, Yuki was a revelation. As he gave orders calmly and authoritatively, his men all leaped to obey without question. He'd drawn the hero-worship of a couple of pre-teen boys, who followed him around and hung on every word he said. Although they must have been a nuisance, he was incredibly patient with them, making sure they felt respected and at the same time, keeping them out of trouble by delegating simple tasks to them.

The remainder of that day and all night, passed in a blur as I knocked on doors, helped mothers grab their most necessary belongings, made sure houses were deserted (in one, I discovered a man who had slept through all the commotion), passed along instructions to the oldest girls (all the able-bodied men and boys had gone to help Kenshin fortify the riverbank), and occasionally gave the littlest children piggyback rides up the hill to where Mai had organized a camp outside of the flood zone.