The Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai by Barbara Lazar

Author:Barbara Lazar
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780755389278
Publisher: Headline

II. Messengers

With more than a hundred of us, it was more than a day’s travel to Heian-kyō. Captain Tokikazu introduced the samurai who would accompany us. One was so large, he dwarfed his horse. However, none of us spoke while riding, so I surveyed the area, mostly watching the governor.

Michimori rode his horse as if he had never owned legs. Five or six captains rode up and spoke with him during the day. After a glance to see who was within earshot of the conversation, the governor shook his head, barked orders, or spoke softly into their ears. He was the steady hub of his army.

At night we stopped only for brief rest and nourishment because it was summer. Each shred of daylight propelled us to the target, which I thought was Heian-kyō, the magical capital city of the emperor. Instead of sleeping, Michimori talked to a captain in his tent.

At Captain Tokikazu’s request before retiring, I told a short tale to him, Mokuhasa and Sadakokai, the two other samurai assigned to me. They especially liked the story of Kihachi. When I told of how Mikoto could not catch Kihachi because he passed gas and the odour was too strong, everyone laughed. When I told how Kihachi’s body was cut into hundreds of pieces and his head flew into the sky, everyone cried.

That night, I prepared for the governor to send for me, but he did not.

In the morning, we trekked around the hills until we reached Seta at mid-morning. There, Michimori halted the soldiers without explanation. Many sentries scanned the hills, the captains too, appearing stiff and serious, more so than the soldiers. The atmosphere was quiet and still, like the moments before a thunderstorm.

The silence was broken with the sound of galloping hoofs. Horse and rider stopped near a captain, one of the Echizen governor’s personal samurai. The weary messenger almost fell off his horse and stumbled on the ground, but bowed to this captain, who offered him some water. He drank it eagerly, spilling some, which trickled over his dusty armour.

The samurai and the messenger talked and pointed. Eventually, the samurai walked over and bowed to another. Tokikazu explained, ‘No one approaches the commander without first seeking one of his personal samurai.’ The governor agreed to receive the message and motioned for the samurai to approach.

While checking their weapons, Mokuhasa, Sadakokai and I spoke of this messenger.

Mokuhasa began, ‘We have known Prince Mochihito has been gathering forces against we Taira.’

Raising his face from rearranging his daggers, Sadakokai stuttered, ‘Is th-there not an Imperial D-Decree b-b-banishing the Prince?’

‘Yes.’ Tokikazu turned to me. ‘Banished, a cloistered monk, our Taira ally tried to forestall the Minamoto attack on Rokuhara. The leaders of the Minamoto tracked him to his cloister and razed it. They injured and killed the innocent monks and disciples. It was then that the Imperial Decree was issued.’

Mokuhasa added, with sadness in his voice, ‘Lady Kozaishō, this monk returned to Rokuhara, told his story and informed the Taira Clan leaders that Prince Mochihito was on his way to Uji, not even waiting for his reinforcements.

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