All Shades of Blue

Truce

The only warning he got came in the form of a messenger limping into camp, a slash wound through his calf coloring his shoes crimson.

"We're under attack," he gasped, clutching at his ankle. "Date Masamune is nearly upon us."

The rest of the encampment sprang into action. This was bad news indeed. How many men did the One Eyed Dragon bring? A hundred? A thousand? Kennyo wasn't so naive to expect that they'd brought any less than it took for total extermination. "How many did you see?"

"Only him."

That didn't fall within his expectations. Kennyo considered their position for one long moment. "Have archers take up position around the camp. No one is to engage him except at long range. At the first sign, fill him with arrows."

"What's going on?"

Oh hell.

The woman emerged from her hut, bracing a bit of wash under her arm. Of course. It figured that she was the subject of the Date lord's attentions. More annoyingly, Kennyo knew that winning her over to his philosophy in the heat of the moment was a tall order.

"We're under attack."

"Oh really?" Her mouth squared off in a line. "And from who, praytell?"

"Does that matter?" He snarled.

She rolled her eyes and thrust the basket into his arms. Hardly waiting for him to take it, she shoved back her sleeves and marched down the hill. "Yeah, how about I just talk to whoever it is rather than have someone die today?"

Buddha help him. Hers was the most peaceful solution, that much he knew. He hadn't gone so many decades in a temple to forget that. Still–still–the possibility of bringing down one of Oda Nobunaga's most favored vassals was too tempting to pass up. Frustrated and tormented and uncertain in turns, he charged after her. "Come back!"

She ignored him and stepped into the trees. Silently he vowed to never take in one of Nobunaga's people again.

—

It was almost insulting to face against so many untrained bodies. Masamune resorted to using his fists and his tanto, barely breaking a sweat. What was that crazy monk even getting at? If he really meant to use these poor souls as his army, didn't he understand how many of them would die? Mitsuhide had warned him about the fervor of their devotion. Frankly, he didn't understand. How devoted could you be to a lost cause? On one hand he admired their faith. On the other hand–

Well, people called him half-blind.

"Hey!"

He swiveled at the greeting, tanto in hand and waiting for a fight. Fortunately for Kennyo, it was exactly who he was looking for.

"Lass!" He sheathed the blade with a chuckle. "Great. There you are. Let's go."

He had to admit she was spirited. No one else gave Lord Nobunaga a run for their money as much as her. Their little chatelaine was not so prone to following orders as the others might have liked; in the few days they'd had her, she'd been no end of questions and comments and suggestions, one after the other, each more pointed and suitable than the last. He'd missed the show since her kidnapping (and honestly, how had her assailants even succeeded? It felt hilarious to suggest that anyone could just pick her up and walk away, not with a mouth like that on her).

And then she surprised him yet again.

"I'm not coming."

He frowned and dug a free finger in his ear, trying to see if he was losing his hearing as well as his sight. "Funny, Kitten."