The trip north to Kamiagata, the Gaian's base of operations, was only a bit further than the trip to Izuhara had been. However, it would take a week via carriage due to all the check points the Gaians had setup. That, however, wasn't the worst part in Lin Liqin's opinion. The first leg of the journey would take him through Toyotama.
Lin Liqin glanced out the window as they made their way down the road, before quickly closing the blinds. Nature had reclaimed the area, but even through the thick vegetation it was possible to make out the outlines of the buildings that had once stood there. It had been more than ten years since Toyotama village had been destroyed, but Lin Liqin could still picture it as if he'd been there yesterday. He tried to push the thoughts from his mind, focusing on the slight bouncing of the carriage.
He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, but a beautiful dream greeted him as if trying to put his mind at ease. A brother and sister ran through endless fields, playing with other children, getting sweets from the elders, and laughter echoed from one end of the village to another. Eventually, the siblings returned home where their mother's delicious food filled their bellies and the ringing of their father's hammer from the near by forge sang them to sleep.
When the little boy and girl awoke they found warriors from Japan had arrived. They promised to protect them from the invaders that were coming. The boy thought they were the most amazing people he'd ever met. He was enraptured by their war stories and got lost for hours staring at their weapons and armor. The parents offered a spare room to a young soldier. His father ki forged a shield for the young man so that he might better protect them. The mother made some exceptional dishes she usually saved for special occasions. Together the family sat around the table praising the young man's bravery, while Lin Liqin stood in the corner screaming for them to run. No matter what he did he couldn't change the events playing out before his eyes.
The dream had become a nightmare. The streets were slick with blood that seemed to fall from the sky like rain. Lin Liqin watched in horror as the brother and sister tried to navigate the battle field as they made their way home. Just as their goal came into sight so did a group of Gaian soldiers, but the young Japanese man that'd been staying with them was there as well. The young man was halfway between the children and a group of Japanese warriors that had been pinned down, he couldn't help both and had to make a choice.
Lin Liqin felt numb as he watched the man turn his back on the children, but that back was replaced with another as the father came bursting out of the forge to meet the Gaian soldiers. Then the mother was there, quickly scooping up the young girl as she tugged at the boy's hand, dragging him along. They ran all night, making it to the edge of the forest before the mother collapsed. There was an arrow lodged in her spine, it was a miracle she'd been able to walk let alone run while carrying a child.
Watching over the boy's shoulder, Lin Liqin saw the light leave the mother's eyes, a scene that would haunt him his entire life. At that moment he heard a voice calling him back to the waking world, “Sir, we're approaching the first checkpoint. Prepare for an inspection.”
*** *** *** ***
While Lin Liqin was traveling Lin Liqiu was looking over the abandoned forge. This used to be the craftsmen's district, where many expert craftsmen plied their trade, but many had abandoned the island and left areas like this empty. The smithy was quite large and had pride of place at the eastern edge of the courtyard along the main thoroughfare. The road ran along the western edge, with a carpenters' workshop to the south and some sort of stonemason shop to the north.
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Tsubame pointed out that due to this being a neutral city it would be difficult for either side to rally a substantial number of forces without raising suspicion. Also, the courtyard would allow them to control foot traffic in and out of the area. The carpenters' workshop was being overhauled into a temporary base for the Japanese soldiers, while the stonemason shop was being left available for the Gaian's when they arrived. Additionally, the two forces would post sentries through out the rest of the district and the abandoned nature of the district as a whole would reduce the number of people negatively impacted by these changes.
Lin Liqiu and Tsubame spent most nights reminiscing about the old days when the three of them used get up to no good. The two ladies also went through an astounding amount of alcohol, leaving many of the Japanese soldiers shocked, both that they were still standing and that there was someone that could keep up with Lieutenant Tsubame.
True to their agreement, the Japanese military was supplying all the materials that Lin Liqiu requested and even provided the manpower needed. Under her watchful eye and strict instructions they were doing good work and the renovations were progressing faster than expected.
A week after Lin Liqin had left Gaian soldiers finally arrived at the courtyard and began outfitting the stonemason shop as a temporary base. The tall soldier from the Gaian trio that Lin Liqu had met previously approached her, “We meet again. We received word that the deal had changed. The new terms have been accepted. Your brother is traveling here with the commander at his request. They should arrive in about two weeks.” As the soldier turned to leave he caught sight of his two compatriots that were currently working to reinforce the stonemason shop, over his shoulder he added, “Don't worry about those two. I'll keep them out of trouble. But... perhaps it would be for the best if you tried to keep your brother away from our base.”
After the Gaians arrived Tsubame kept her distance from Lin Liqiu to prevent the appearance of favoritism. The next two weeks went by uneventfully despite the two militaries being within such close proximity to one another. By the time Lin Liqin's carriage arrived Mitsushima's abandoned trade district had been transformed, appearing quite lively with troops patrolling the streets and alleyways. The district was split into a northern and southern area, with banners hanging from the buildings to clearly mark which faction was occupying them.
As Lin Liqin was approaching the smithy he could see smoke rising from the stacks, proving that the forge had been brought back to life. He briefly recalled visiting the old smithy with his father before his mind began to wander back to his dream, he shook his head in an attempt to free himself from the memory. Lin Liqiu had been informed of his arrival and met him at the door, “You look miserable.”
“You're as blunt as your hammer,” Lin Liqin quipped back.
“That's what it takes to get through to someone as dense as you,” Lin Liqiu fired back.
As they entered the building Lin Liqin asked, “Where can I rest my head? You can give me the tour in the morning.”
Lin Liqiu smiled briefly at the rare win over her brother when trading insults, but quickly shifted to worry, “It's still early. Was the trip that exhausting? They didn't mistreat you, did they?”
“They were pleasant,” Lin Liqin waved her off, “I had dinner with the commander every night and, besides a few veiled attempts to recruit us, he was the perfect host. I... I saw mom and dad...”
The worry on Lin Liqiu's face shifted to sorrow, “It's been a few years since you last had that dream. Follow me, there's a bench you can sleep on near the forge. Let the heat and ringing of my hammer lull you to sleep.”