A Song for the Devil

Lessons

When we took our first rest for the way to my village, despite being separated from both Nobunaga and Hideyoshi for the majority of the journey, I sought out my teacher. Masamune Date looks absolutely thrilled to see me as he dismounts his horse.

"Thank you." I say with a smile as I approach him.

He laughs. "Let me guess." He leans in closer so no one around us will hear. "You enjoyed what it brought out in him?"

I blush rose to my cheeks. "I'm not sure I want to know how you know what that does to him."

He raises his shoulders and closes his eyes as he smiles innocently. Once some of the men took his horse to take care of it for him, he turned to me. "Ready to train."

I nod my head, trying to not look or sound too excited. "I'm ready to learn sensei."

He leads my guards and I to a space a short walk away from the traveling party. I was expecting him to show me how to fight, and was irritated at his first instruction. "Show me how you dance now."

"What does that have to do with teaching me to fight?" I nearly huff the words.

"Tsk tsk tsk Rina. I thought you said you were ready to be taught." The one eyed dragon smirked.

I begin moving without a second thought. Playing the music that Nobunaga and Hideyoshi played for me at the hot springs in my head. When I was two thirds of the way through Masamune spoke up. "I see what they were saying. You'll probably catch on quick to the movements. Does practicing in your head help you?" I nod yes. "Okay. I'm going to have one of my men come to help show you some of the choreography, once we reach our last rest spot for the day I'll have you show me what you've learned and retained. Do you think you can handle that?"

I nod my head again. I can handle more. He's being too gentle and too slow. I'm guessing he doesn't want to spar with me because I'm a woman. I've read the movements, I've seen diagrams of the movements and have stored them in my mind, replaying them over and over again, imagining I'm fighting Kenshin. As he walked past me to summon his man to help, I decided to go for it and swung my leg out to kick him as hard as I possibly could in the gut.

It must've been the element of surprise that made it possible for me to kick Masamune Date hard enough that he landed on the ground. I continued to take my moment and pin him to the ground, landing my knees on the pressure points I've read about and pressed my hands to his neck. I can feel every set of eyes from our traveling party are on us now, including the two people I want to prove I am capable.

My sensei is still catching his breath, struggling a bit with my hands squeezing his throat but unable to reach for me because of the pressure points I have him pinned as I speak loud enough for all of the other men to hear. "I'm no master of strategy like Mitsunari, but I do know to never underestimate Someone who wants to fight." A rumbling of laughter comes from the group of men watching. "If you weren't my husband's ally, you would be dead by my hand." More of a joking "oooh." Comes from the men at that.

Nobunaga's voice silenced all of the rumblings. "Enough." I turn to see him, keeping my smile hidden from even him right now as his carnelian eyes are cold on me. He's the warlord now, not the lover. I thought seeing him like this would make my heart hurt, but it doesn't. Seeing him lead, seeing him focused, only makes me respect him more.

I get off of Masamune and extend my hand to help him up, which he denies and rises to his feet without assistance. "It will never happen again Lady Oda." He promises as he dusts himself off.

We both walk back to the large group to find his man. As we were walking I was approached by Ranmaru and told to meet Nobunaga in the woods where he directed me. Masamune nodded in acknowledgement, still looking a bit irritated with me for embarrassing him.