A sleepy Akiko peeked her head out of the window of her second-floor room. She glanced lazily around the courtyard, trying to find the source of the noise.
It wasn't long before she spotted the overbearing greasy figure of Toda sitting atop his stallion, surrounded by his ferocious-looking guards.
At the sight of him, her breath caught in her throat, and she immediately ducked back inside the room, her heart beating wildly, and a sickness beginning to permeate up from her stomach.
The level of disgust – but also fear – that she felt toward Toda Naoyori was incomprehensible to the average person. She had been aware of his existence since she was very young. When she was a toddler, he assumed power of the neighbouring village, due to the sudden death of his father.
And increasingly, with each year, she had grown to dislike him further. And very quickly that dislike turned into hatred.
She had only just awoken, and after a pleasant dream of being carried along gently by a flooding river, her mood had been pleasant.
But a single glance of that greasy snake was enough to ruin it all.
She peeked out again, with a hint of worry. Every time that man had visited, something unpleasant had followed.
Akiko took great care not to be seen, only allowing her eyes out over the frame, as she looked on over the situation.
She could not hear quite what words were being spoken, but she noted the repulsive way in which Toda was gesticulating, and the mild manner in which her father was being forced to respond. And then, next to her father, she thought she spied a familiar figure. But from the angle she was looking at, and because her father and the man were standing side by side, it was difficult to make out many features.
She continued to observe after her near-midday awakening. There was nothing much she was expected to do anymore. She was allowed to live as she wanted, within reason.
As a child she had been engaged in a rigorous education, how to stand, how to act, how to do basic cooking – though that was never really that important, as the servants would cook for them anyway – how to dress, and recently, how to act toward your husband.
But since she had secured a marriage, that education had stopped, seeing as it was now unnecessary. That was the only silver lining in the whole affair. She'd absolutely detested the lessons, and would much rather have learned about history, or the like.
The only two skills that she learned through her 14 years of education that she deemed to be valuable were riding, and reading.
Though they always told her she was a little too wild on the horse. Galloping off and living her guards flabbergasted.
And reading allowed her to learn what they did not deem fit to teach her. Of history, of Japan, and even of the world. In her explorations of numerous literatures she had not found a single one written by a woman, and many a time she had frowned in thought at that.
Still, in such books, she had read of the exploits of incredible women, such as Empress Jingu and her expedition in Korea, and also of the general Tomoe Gozen. It had been a dream for her, when she a little younger, that she could grow up as they, and learn martial arts and the sword just as the men did, and become one of the Onna-bugeisha.
She figured if that happened, and she had shown any amount of skill, perhaps they would not force her into a marriage so quickly, and instead see her as the other men, as a warrior.
She noted Toda start to grow more aggressive, pointing toward the figure of the man hidden behind her father. A few of his men followed up behind him.
At this, she noted with a hint of pride, that her father stood in front of the man - forcing him backwards – as though to protect him.
And then the identity of the man was revealed, and she stared forward with a good amount of shock.
'Miura!?'
Her heart began to beat faster once more, trying to figure out the implications of his presence within her courtyard. Did he somehow offend Toda? Was that why he had attempted to reach for him? And why was he with her father in the first place?
At Nakatane's interfering actions, the mounted snake began to shout, overcome by anger.
"You mean to stand in my way Niwa? You should know that it's no trouble for me to simply burn your village to the ground instead, is that the path you want?"
Her father responded, keeping his voice level so that she could not hear him.
"Innocent? What does it matter? Are peasants not all the same breed? If one peasant has sinned, then we merely need to kill a few in return."
Again, her father's response was not something she could make out.
"Hoh. It seems you've become something of a peasant sympathiser, Niwa. I had always known you were beneath me, but to think that you have fallen so low. You're even inviting one into your home, like that scruffy little dog behind you."
The conversation went back and forth, with Toda insulting Nakatane time and time over, and the older man responding with as much calmness and grace as he could muster.
Akiko hated seeing her father like this, her heart aching. She knew he was a good man, and that he would do right by his people… But some things are too difficult to find a good solution to, and sometimes there is only a choice between two bad ones.
She felt a different sense of worry for the man behind, who was watching over the situation with that calculating gaze of his. She wondered what was going on in his head at times, for she had him pegged as an interesting man. And perhaps, a caring man too. He had gone to great lengths for the honour of his family, and had even treated her kindly – whom he did not know too well.
'Are he and I friends?'
She wondered.
It was a difficult thing to establish. They were cordial with one another, and spent a good amount of time together, making each other laugh. But was that enough to make them friends? She did not know.
The control that had been placed on her life since a young age had starved her from such relationships, and now that one was beginning to form, she had nought but her knowledge gained from books to judge it by.
She did know one thing though, and that was that she enjoyed his company. Whilst she was all but confined to her room with this injury of hers, the one thing she looked forward to was her time spent at the lake in the evenings.
The conversation down below was interrupted, as a few of Nakatane's guards began to march through the entrance.
The older man's face fell, as he realized what would follow them.
A guard behind them spurred on a horse that dragged a grisly cart behind it, with a cloud of flies following along the way.
She could see nothing of the bodies except from a stray arrow sticking in the air – one that she recognised.
'Are those not the same ones I gifted him? I…'
She paused, wondering what this signified.
Had he killed livestock? Or were those even his arrows in the first place? The plumage was rather unique, being red, but it would not be impossible to find such arrows elsewhere, surely?
But a familiar set of people walked into view from behind the cart, and his involvement in something was all but confirmed.
She recognised Gengyo's little sister, Rin, and not for the first time she complimented her beauty.
'His sister's really pretty… So is his mother.'
…
…
Gengyo panicked upon seeing his family come into view, instantly realizing that everything had very much gone down the pan.
Toda glanced from him, back towards his family, then back towards him, before a huge smirk covered his face and he began to chuckle.
"Gahaha, so that's how it is, eh Niwa? That's definitely this dog's family – they look too similar. And they were brought in with the bodies of my men. So you've already gathered all the pieces for me, how kind of you."
"Wait! Do not be rash, I-"
He was completely ignored by Toda who turned to his men.
"Capture them. Feel free to kill those that struggle."
Was his cold command, and his men instantly spurred into action, sending their horses forward and pointing their shining weapons at the guards who stood in their way.
"Fuck!"
Nakatane cursed loudly, his fist clenching. He ground his teeth hard, as his brain raced with a tide of options. All that he had planned, all that he had sacrificed, was about to be for nothing.
But was it worth it, if, in the end, they were all the playthings of such a venomous tyrant?
"MEN! Heed my words! Do not allow those dogs an inch closer – all that do, should meet the end of your blade."
A great cheer resounded out from the men. They had been pushed around by Toda's people for far too long, and now they had finally been given the opportunity to fight back.
The guards at the front of the cart brandished their spears, pointing them threateningly toward the approaching horses.
Guards sprang out of the entrances of houses, bows drawn and pointed at their quarries. At such close range, a kill was all but guaranteed.
There were in total 6 bowmen, and 11 infantry. The odds were very much not in Toda's favour, and his men were looking back to their master nervously.
The snake's face was a mask of displeasure, looking as though he was ready to cover Niwa in a thick mucus laden with venom.
"So? You've made your choice then, old man? You've finally gone mad?"
"I have."
"Even after offering your own daughter up to me, like the whore she is, you make this choice? And for what? Peasants? Your village will be burned to the ground, this is not a fight you can win."
"I'm aware. But it's better than suffering under scum like you. My dear daughter is far too precious to become your toy – it has taken me too long to realize what my heart has always known."
"Pity. She will still become my plaything. I will ride into this village on the morrow, with my men, and we will rape and pillage all the way up to your mansion's gates. And when we get here, what do you think will happen? Hoh, I think I'll leave that to your imagination. But even if she has to spend her life as a drugged mess, your daughter will not be free from my reach."
"You fucking swine! I'll make sure to take your head before she can even catch sight of you!"
"Hahah. I'm actually looking forward to this now – I can finally wipe out your stain without having to suffer the Daiymo's punishments."
Gengyo saw an opportunity to speak, and though he knew his voice would not be welcome, he still felt it would not hurt to try.
"It is still dishonourable to attack us immediately upon the morrow. The Daiymo will not improve – not at this time, when we are preparing to go to war. A week, at least, would give you some smidgen of honour."
Toda glared down at him, shocked that he'd actually spoke up in his presence. His face contorted with disgust, as though he was looking at the infected corpse of a plague victim.
He then looked back at Niwa, acting as though he had not spoken at all.
"But since I am an honourable man, I will give you five days to 'prepare'. So that you can have fitful dreams in which my face will be featured."