Author's Games: Samurai

Battle Task 3: Kairi Saito attacking Naoki Hojo

Clan 3: Kairi Saito

"Jiyū no tame ni!"

The battle cry split the darkened air as the army of samurai charged towards the castle of the Hojo clan. It was located in a dense forest, with tall elm and maple trees blocking out the sunlight and providing cover for the attacking army. Kairi led the charge from atop a warhorse, a midnight black stallion called Yoru. On either side of her rode Benjiro and Ishida, both staring with fierce concentration at the enemy troops. For a brief moment, she looked behind her at the samurai she was leading--a mixture of young samurai rebels from the Saito clan and hired ninja warriors wielding tessen--and reflected on everything that had happened to bring her to that moment.

I very nearly died.

It had been three weeks since they escaped the borders of her own clan, and she still hadn't gotten over that fact. She had literally been on the edge of death, and then Benjiro and Ishida had broken free to rescue her. How she didn't know.

Her katana struck the front line of defending enemy soldiers, and she reflected on everything that had happened since then to bring them to that moment. She, Benjiro, and Ishida had escaped into the forests, where they lived for two weeks, hiding from the scouts that had been sent to find them and allowing her leg to heal. Then, one day, their group had been found by Takaoka, a general in the Saito clan's army, who claimed to be organizing a rebellion. He wanted Kairi to help lead his small band of rebels to victory.

His plan was simple: they would attack one of the weaker, neighboring clans, and hopefully be able to gain some of their lands. They would use that land to set up a completely new clan of their own, slowly growing in strength and power until they were able to challenge the new daimyo of the Saito clan.

But what will we do if we lose this fight?

As the battle raged on around her, Kairi's thoughts wandered to the supposed new leader of the clan that had once been hers. She had asked Takaoka about his true identity, but he had just shaken his head sadly. "No one knows," he had answered her. "When we are addressing him to his face, we simply call him daimyo, but when we are talking amongst ourselves, we refer to him as In'ei."

In'ei. Shadow. The name seemed to suit him perfectly. Who was he, and why didn't he show himself? If he wanted to be a good leader, he wasn't going about it the right way; hiding his identity would only cause mistrust to reign.

"Saito-dono!"

The cry tore her out of her distracted thoughts, and she looked up to see a messenger running towards her, hacking enemy soldiers out of the way to reach her. She urged Yoru towards him. "What is it?"

"Takaoka-dono told me to inform you that we have three of the Hojo clan's generals surrounded. He requests that you join him immediately to help keep them from escaping."

Kairi cut down a soldier who was about to run the boy through, then turned back to him. "Where?"

"Nearer to the keep."

Kairi didn't even respond but kicked Yoru in the side. He took off running through the field of soldiers, the messenger boy running quickly behind.

Through the blanket of leaves overhead, she could see that the sky was already beginning to turn dark. Hints of orange and pink peeked through the forest cover. She mumbled a curse; even now with what light was left she could see that their small army was losing. If they didn't get out of there by nightfall, their disadvantage would be even greater.

Her eyes suddenly fell upon Takaoka, who was standing near the walls of the keep, fighting off enemy samurai. She spurred Yoru on, nearing the massive fortress. Once she was close enough, she dismounted, drawing her katana and helping him battle the soldiers. "Where are the generals?" She shouted over the clamor.