THE WHITE FEATHER

After their duel, Haku had gone into the hills where the onsens were. Now, after resting and bathing, she stepped out, dried herself with a linen. These mountains were dotted with thousands of little hot springs. This one was a little more secluded from the eyes of the soldiers and the common goings on of the camp in the temple grounds.

She took up her fresh, white kimono, her mind wandering to her earlier encounter. Haku had been certain the Sword of a Thousand Suns had lost her scent among the morass of the camp when they had entered the previous evening. How he was able to sense her at all, she did not know. In that thinking, perhaps she should not be certain.

As soon as she had arrived, she found her way to the command tent and trudged inside, where she had found that foreigner directing the emperor’s commanders. The Knight Captain Commander of the Winged Blades, the envoy from the Purging Flame.

They had met briefly below the temple summit. Haku almost made a sound of disgust, but held herself back and keeping her face emotionless. Then she thought, Ujio’s personality is rubbing off on me.

This woman wore intricate plate. She was tall and had a commanding presence, despite having not even made eye contact with Haku yet as she pointed at a map of what looked like the temple grounds. “...barricades here, here and here,” she was saying.

“Hai,” the soldier said, nodding in complete deference to her orders.

“Continue to fletch as many arrows as possible. We will need them.”

“But how, Commander, we do not have the resources.”

“Then get them,” she demanded. “Are there not trees in the hills?”

“Hai, but…”

“Rip open the futons if you have to. Take the feathers from wherever you can find them. Fletch as many arrows as we can make. We will need them. We have the advantage of terrain that we must exploit as far as possible.”

The feathers within the futons would be far too soft and packed to work for fletching arrows. Surely she knew that?

“Hai,” her subordinate said with a bow. He turned and strode past Haku as he made his way out of the tent.

The commander continued her studying of the map, then looked up in distraction and what Haku thought mild annoyance. “You?” The armored woman looked at her for a few moments, and then finally it seemed to dawn on her.

The White Feather spotted the dirtied and bloodies rag in the other woman’s left hand. Perhaps whoever had put her in command at the temple knew what he was doing.

“I’m an aide of Sakuraichi-sama. I am on a mission given to me by my daimyō. I am to get word out of the city so that reinforcements may join us against our enemy.”

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“I see,” the commander said. She looked Haku up and down, doubt clearly visible in her gaze. A thin strand of hair had fallen from her coif. “And how is it you presume to get out of the city?”

“Leave that to me,” she said.

“What do you wish of me?” the commander asked.

“I need your help. I need to know where our imperial forces are so that I can find them.”

The commander didn’t say she would assist Haku, but in compliance, she looked down at the map. The White Feather strode forward, looking as well and waited respectfully for the commander to speak.

“We have forces in the north, but they’re beyond the Okaiyo Mountains. It would take them at least a weak to get here.”

“No,” Haku said, shaking her head. “They are too far.”

“The only other force you could contact that would make any difference is here in the south. But you would have to cross the city to get to them. I saw you earlier—in the hills when we rescued the princess, but I still don’t know how you would do that.”

“I can cross the city again in a short time,” Haku said, knowing that right now, tonight, she could not. “But… I am pursued by the Sword of a Thousand Suns.”

I’m too exhausted. I need to rest. Gather my strength.

“I don’t know who that is.”

“A dangerous foe,” she said, not bothering to elaborate. She was too distracted by the chill that ran down her back.

Is it rest I need, or am I afraid of him? I’m not accustomed to feelings such as these. I feel… ashamed.

“How many men are there?”

“At least two-thousand,” the commander replied, “according to our reports.” She looked up and made eye contact with her.

“I will soon make to contact these forces.”

The other woman frowned. “How do you expect to achieve this goal?”

Haku smiled. “I have my ways.”

“I’ve seen your ways.” The commander said, still raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Perhaps you should tell me more. I might be able to use you.”

“No,” Haku said, knowing that she needed to conserve her strength for this task.

The commander straightened. “No?” There was a note of surprise and challenge in her tone.

“My daimyō, Sakuraichi-sama, has given me a mission and I will fulfill it.”

The commander breathed in deeply. “Very well, Haku—White Feather. Do as you wish.”

Haku gave a respectful bow. “I must take my leave now. Arigatou, Commander.”

The commander nodded, her attention immediately diverted to her other aides—Sakuraichi’s captains—as she gave them tasks to perform.

The White Feather left the tent, her white jika-tabi sinking once again into the mud there. She looked about the camp, the breeze spraying her in the light rain. Her eyes naturally found the Western Temple aglow with yellow lights. The princess was no doubt within, happy to be reunited with her family.

Synching the sash around her waist after her bath after their duel, Haku thought she understood the Commander of the Winged Blades better. She was a capable leader. One she could trust, even if their paths were opposed. Perhaps they could have been friends in another life.

The dual had also served another purpose. Haku had tested herself this morning—needed to know if she had the energy required of her to get to the other side of the city, perhaps pursued every step of the way, forced to fight him.

She smiled, making her way out of the hills, back into camp and onto the roof atop the temple. The tiles were hard to traverse as she moved to one side. She surveyed the encampment. There were hundreds of tents and thousands of soldiers.

Trapped.

They needed relief from this siege. If only Haku could do what she had been ordered to do. She nodded to herself, a cold resolve coming over her as she crouched in preparation for her journey, wondering…

I can glide out of the camp and into the warrens behind Hukama’s camp, lose him within the machiyas if the luck of the wind is with me.

If the Sword of a Thousand Suns was still on her trail, this would give her a considerable advantage in staying ahead of him, as he would have to traverse the foothills back into the city proper in order to pursue her. It would take her much of the day to reach those forces in the south.

She ran across the rooftop, determined, her arms spread out like a bird’s wings.