The Battle of Cherry Blossom Snow by Compiled by Fantasy Flight

Author:Compiled by Fantasy Flight [Kreines, Compiled by J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

Ignoring the sharp ache of his joints and the pain in his leg, Yoritomo braced for the next wave of goblins. Nothing. The rabble backed away from the pinch point he’d created in the pass, the bodies of the first three waves enough to discourage them from another attempt. Still, he didn’t lower his guard, not even to wipe away a bead of sweat. These opponents proved every bit as capricious as the seas, but so far, not a single goblin had made it through.

And to think, Hida Sukune was going to waste an entire unit on this task!

The flesh on the back of his neck goosepimpled, and Yoritomo trusted the instinct, spinning out of the path of an arrow arcing behind him. The missile whizzed past and sunk into the back of a retreating goblin, sending the others splashing away and through the swamp.

Yoritomo turned toward the newcomers: mounted samurai in blue and white armor, the flags protruding from their backs displaying a crane with a spear in its talons. Samurai of the Daidoji family. And the man lowering his bow at their lead, face hidden by his mempō, could only be the Daidoji daimyō himself.

Daidoji Uji. Yoritomo knew the man by reputation alone, but he had not expected to see him here. Weren’t the Crane too absorbed in their northern affairs to pay the Crab any mind?

The daimyō’s voice was as cold as his eyes. “Hida Sukune mentioned you were holding this pass by yourself. Allow the Iron Cranes to give the Son of Storms some respite.”

No introduction. And the other Crane warriors had not put away their bows.

Yoritomo kept his eyes on them. The hairs on his neck had not settled. “So you’ve come to help? Why then do I have the impression that arrow was meant for me?”

Uji dismounted. Neither of the accompanying Cranes looked away as he placed a hand on the foreign-style blade hanging from his side. Not a bad choice; Yoritomo had one like it at home. It was designed to catch short blades in the action of a parry. Chosen, no doubt, for this exact encounter.

If something happened to Yoritomo here, if he fell defending this pass, that would certainly suit the Crane. After all, hadn’t the Crane discovered the Mantis’s piracy only a few seasons ago? Hadn’t one of Yoritomo’s own captains attempted to seize the Keep of White Sails in recent memory? Had he not, just a year ago, shown up the Crane at their own Winter Court?

And now here he was, alone, during a pitched battle, with no one from his own clan to witness. If something other than goblins killed him, well, that could never be proven, could it?

Yoritomo couldn’t help but smirk. He almost respected Uji for having the guts to consider this.

A loud splash. Then another. Uji froze, then fell into a stance, drawing his blade. Yoritomo spun to face the sounds of scrambling feet and screeching battle cries. The goblins had found their nerve again.

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