Chapter 6: A Scorpion and a Mantis

A Dangerous Patrol...

Shoraku hears the sound of a fight in the woods and takes himself and one member of his patrol unit off the beaten path to investigate. They find a massacre and one Tsuruchi, which he catches before they can flee. The Tsuruchi informs him that there is a prisoner and that his ally is in danger, and uses the opportunity to run back. Shoraku sends Fuu back to get backup, staying with the two Scorpion left, and interrogates them. They attack him, but are unable to best his skills, and opt to blinding him and running away.

A Hostage Situation

They find a beaten Shosuro inside the cave, obviously taken hostage. Shoraku attends him medically and brings him outside, where he is warned of the gruesome vision and keeps his eyes closed. He is placed outside of view of the dead men and women and questioned briefly. They find out he is Shosuro Satoshi, one of the nephews of the Shosuro Daimyo, and that the kidnappers wanted to ransom him off, so they could not have been working for a daimyo directly. Satoshi also mentions that he saw a Tsuruchi in the town he was taken from, and tells Shoraku the town. Shoraku heads that way to intercept his escaped bounty hunter.

One Horse Outruns One Small Tsuruchi

Shoraku arrives in the town before the Tsuruchi and asks questions. The innkeeper tells him that the Tsuruchi left things here with him, and would probably be back, so Shoraku lays in wait. He catches Tsuruchi Yuuta as she's trying to make a break for it. He asks her what she knows and she tells him that she knows they intended to meet up with someone named Hitachi and that the way they talked about him, he was probably a maho cultist or an oni of some sort, 'cause they were scared of him. She tries to leave and he tells her she should at least get rest. He's berated by his ancestor for implying that he would let her go without seeking justice for travelling without papers--the reason she ran. He concedes he plans to do no such thing. She talks to herself in her corner of the room, too. In the morning, he doesn't let her leave, and insists she come back to his fort to make an official report to a magistrate.

The Time for Running was Yesterday

Yuuta attempts to sneak away multiple times, but ends up at the fort, although she complains about riding the horse, not comfortable on it. Once there, she's offered a bath. She goes in alone and forgets to put up the occupied sign. Shoraku comes in while she is still soaking, and there is an embarrassing exchange where he stands naked in front of her. She doesn't get out of the bath without a towel but it becomes apparent she is a woman when she does. She gives her testimony later that day, and an entourage arrives to pick up Satoshi. His younger brother, Mitsuo, who speaks in sign, delivers a request from their family Daimyo, the provincial governor, and picks up Satoshi. The request is that Shoraku find out all he can about this attack, and then bring the Tsuruchi to the Shosuro--along with the travelling papers for them to do so. Shoraku informs Yuuta of this, and presses her for why she was here in the first place. She ends up revealing that she's on the run from her parents, she talks to her older brothers when she's talking to herself, and that she wasn't with travelling papers because travelling papers means that there is a trail to follow, and her "pilgrimage" would be cut short--doubtlessly now it was already on its end.

Investigating Whispers

Scouts trace the two runners back to the main road, where they fled north--from there, they can't be further followed. Investigators sent to the homes of the two Samurai report that one home is defensive--the direct vassal family to Bayushi, while the other is upset but conciliatory--the vassal of a vassal family to the Bayushi. Another investigator checks the next town down the road to find no signs of the runaways, and a final investigator goes to ask some courtiers about the name "Hitachi", and finds that it is the name of an Ancient Hero of the Lying Darkness that was slain centuries ago. From there, Shoraku decides to seek the blessing of Bayushi Miyako to investigate the vassal family that was defensive.

Travelling to Bayushi Palace

Yuuta refuses to mount a horse, arguing they could do just fine on foot--after a bit of an argument, Shoraku yanks her into his saddle, steadying the horse when it protests the sudden wrestling on its back effortlessly, and they travel off. It's a 2 day ride. They set up a Yurt for evening one and are settling in for food and drink, when Shoraku sees a shadow flicker over the Yurt's wall, and steps outside to be attacked by 3 ninja. He misses with the first arrow and is slammed into on all sides, nearly killing him--through tenacity and adrenaline, he stands firm as Yuuta shoots two of the ninja down from inside the tent, and he cuts down the last before falling over. She drags him inside and tends to him best she can, staying up all night. He wakes up and she gets food for both of them before falling asleep. While she sleeps, he investigates, finding the horses the ninja left behind and the rest of their gear, including a mon that belongs to the vassal family he is looking to investigate. He sets the horses free of their ties and then they travel another small bit to make sure they are not set upon in the same place. Yuuta keeps him from doing any heavy lifting, although he has tended to himself thoroughly and is operating at full capacity. They bed down for another night, and he kisses her while she is asleep. She doesn't wake. They arrive at the palace of the Bayushi and are given a group of Magistrates to assist with the investigation.

Investigating a Traitor

While at the vassal's holdings, they are politely scorned. Many beautiful women go out to meet them, flirting with them avidly. Among the family, though, there is one more nervous than the others, and so Shoraku approaches her for information. She agrees to tell him things, but only at night, alone. He agrees, and she shows up at his door that night in a slip of a kimono, and seduces him. When they are finished, she admits that her father has fallen into debt and deals with the Kolat, and that she is bitter because he has sent two innocent men to death trying to protect himself from this foolishness. Shoraku tells her she should find other family members who will testify, so that they, too, will not face the sword. She agrees, but has little hope of success. In the courtyard the next morning, Yuuta gets slapped when a bayushi woman mistakes her for a man and she crudely replies, "Do you have a penis under there, too, Scorpion?" As they part ways from the magistrates after their investigation comes to a close, Shoraku teases her about this.

Escalation is my Middle Name

Shoraku continues to tease Yuuta about the scorpion advances, and she proceeds to call him a slut and a whore in response, getting more and more angry. The fight escalates, until Shoraku pins her against the Yurt's main support pole and strips her of her clothing. NSFW

They tear at each other, and he fucks her until she can't move anymore.

He takes her back to the Shosuro holdings where there's a Tsuruchi guard waiting for them--he reports what he knows to the family daimyo and tries to get her out of going home by insisting she's hired by him, which only forestalls the inevitable. The Tsuruchi guard mostly take him for an honorable, helpful fool, and do not take offense when he tries to thwart them on her behalf, but Yuuta is, inevitably, taken home, with no small amount more affection for the Bayushi.