Ten Things I Hate About Mitsuhide

Chapter 34: Turn the Page

Travel with Yoshimoto? I could probably get anywhere faster and less conspicuously without an escort, but in spite of his ambivalent manner, his knowledge of the politics involved would be worth having. Not to mention there was always the possibility that Yoshimoto wouldn't give up the location of Yoshiaki's hideout unless I agreed to go with him. "Thank you."

He cast a critical eye over my clothes. He didn't visibily flinch at my 'Katsu' drag, but he was clearly unimpressed. "Dare I hope that you still have the clothing Mitsuhide provided?"

"No." I didn't mention the turquoise yukata. That wasn't what I imagined Yoshimoto meant. "I've abandoned the Kaya identity completely."

"Pity. It would be most believable to Yoshiaki if I brought along a concubine." He tapped his fingers on the table. "Stand up, if you will."

Wondering what he had in mind, I obeyed the polite request. Yoshimoto got to his feet as well, and stood next to me, "You'll travel as my page, although I'll have to procure a suitable outfit. My own clothes would be far too long for you."

Had it been Mitsuhide who made such a statement, I would have protested that I wasn't too small, it was he who was too tall, but Yoshimoto had a way of making everything seem like a compliment. He thought a moment longer then added, "I have a relative whose castle will be on our route. I imagine we might find something suitable there, for you will certainly need warmer outfits for the mountains. Her son's clothes will likely fit you."

Right. If Yoshiaki was in mining country, as the context of Iekane's letter suggested, it would be colder there. Maybe not as cold as the Togakushi area where I was from, but cold enough to need heavy outerwear. "Thank you. My winter gear is back at my master's home."

When Aki had first disappeared, it had been the last of summer. I had never expected the search to take me into late autumn. And yet... here I was, following a path that hopefully would not be another dead end. That morbid thought reminded me that I needed to make arrangements for Hiko tonight too.

Yoshimoto reached out and tested the thickness of my kimono. "Perhaps we'll encounter traders on the route. They might have some pelts they are taking to the export merchants." Huh. That suggested it was really cold where we were going (or that Yoshimoto just wanted an excuse to go for shopping). He knelt at his writing desk and jotted down a few notes. "Do you also need a horse?"

"No. Mine is already stabled in town and she's a surefooted mountain pony." A bad tempered one, true, but we'd be more likely to see snow instead of rain, so hopefully she'd cope.

"Ah, you might be better situated in that regard than I am." Yoshimoto folded up the letter, and set it aside. "I'll have one of Shingen's spies take this to my cousin tomorrow."

Hm – I hadn't realized that the Takeda spy network reached as far south as Sakai. But that did present a solution to one of my other problems. "Do you have easy access to the mitsumono then? Because Sho's younger brother is in danger, and it would be a good idea to have someone watching over him."

"How much danger?" He looked at me steadily, perhaps reassessing what he'd just gotten himself into.

"Life threatening." While I didn't think Iekane was currently in Sakai (because if he were, why would he send a message to de Sousa instead of just talking face to face) he probably had access to assassins.

Yoshomoto reopened the letter and scrawled a few more lines. "To be safe, I can have him taken to Kasugayama until he's out of danger." He muttered something about Kenshin needing a hobby.

"If you could make that happen, that's probably the best possible solution." Iekane would have to be crazy to attack Kasugayama. Kenshin's reputation as a fighter was infamous.