Shadows & Lies

Shadows & Lies is a fiction written by Nancy Sauer. 

Annotated Story


Somewhere in Zakyo Toshi, during the Month of the Dog in 1170, Shosuro Masanobi is making her way home from the night's parties. She stumbles for a moment and pauses to catch herself. She has been pretending to be Shosuro Hana, a playwright and social butterfly. This meant she had to consume a fair amount of sake to keep up appearances, and she could tell she was slightly drunk. She begins planning her exursions tomorrow night, while Hana would be home "working on her play" and recovering. As she nears the area where she lives, she cuts through an alley behind a tofu shop. She notices movement in the corner of her eye, but before she can properly draw her concealed knife she feels something hard hitting her stomach and she is pressed up against the wall of the shop. A hand covers her mouth, pinning her head. Masanobi tries to gauge her opponent, seing a man in a dark kimono with no mon. He has black hair and dark eyes with a faint greenish sheen. She tries to squirm out of his grip bu shrieks as she realizes the pain in her stomach was from a knife. The man guts her, smiling as he does so.



Sometime later, Daigotsu Hirata is telling Daigotsu Masahiko how he killed Masanobi. The two are eating stew, and he explains that it was entirely coincidental that he spotted Masanobi sneaking around in the darkness a few weeks back. He had followed her back, learned what she truly was and decided to kill her. Masahiko thinks to herself that Hirata is useful, but was definitely the least sane Daigotsu she had ever met. He was expendable however, should she ever need a fall-guy. Hirata offers her more stew, and she accepts commenting on the unusual taste. He says it is the local sake, and refills his own bowl next as he asks what her next plans are. Masahiko reveals she is here to recruit any ashigaru and ronin worthy of their Lord's service. Hirata promises to keep an eye out for more spies, to allow Masahiko to work more freely.



Kyuden Bayushi, during the Month of the Rat in 1170, Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Paneki is meeting with Bayushi Eisaku. Eisaku's sensei has said good things about him, and Eisaku fights down the pride and replies he only wishes to serve to the best

Kyuden Bayushi, Month of the Rat

“Your sensei has said good things about you. He says that you have a great deal of potential, and the skill to put it to use.” Bayushi Paneki spoke casually, as if passing along an observation on the current court fashions.

Bayushi Eisaku kept his face expressionless, but it was hard. To know that his name had been praised to the Champion himself was a source of pride, but he would not allow it to distract him from the important things. “I wish only to serve our clan to the best of my ability,” he said.

“As do we all,” Paneki said. “I have a particular task for you, but you will have to wait a moment before I explain it. There is one other person I wish to have here first. When she arrives you must remember two things: Be very polite, and do not ask her any questions.”

“Yes, Paneki-sama,” Eisaku said without hesitation. He could not imagine being anything other than polite in his champion’s presence, and asking questions of an unknown Scorpion was simply a bad idea.

“Excellent. I–” Paneki paused and cocked his head as if listening. “Please, Maru-san, come in.”

The door slid open and framed in the doorway stood an attractive woman in a black kimono embroidered in black thread with circles and scorpions. “I thank your for your welcome, Paneki-san,” she said. She bowed as if to an equal. “Do you have a question for me?”

“Not at all,” Paneki said with a smile. He waved her towards a pillow. “I just wanted to share with you some information I have received recently.” “I am always happy to help the Scorpion Clan,” Maru said. She smiled and knelt where Paneki had indicated. “What would you like me to know?”

“Since they first appeared, we have been watching the members of this self-styled ‘Spider Clan’” Paneki said. “I find their actions suspicious and their motives suspect.”

“They have been about for some time,” Maru said. “Surely your information network has given you what you need to move against them–or to dismiss them from your mind, if they are really no more than what they seem.”

“In the normal course of affairs, yes. And yet something strange happens in the areas that the Spider become active in. People who were once ready gossips become close-mouthed, or dead; our agents vanish, messages go astray. And none of it, of course, can be traced to the Spider.”

“How distressing,” Maru said. “You have a plan?”

“I do.” Paneki nodded at Eisaku. “I have a report from one of your people that members of the Spider Clan have become very active in Zakyo Toshi. I am going to send this one there, posing as a ronin, to join them.”

“Inelegantly direct,” Maru said thoughtfully. “Still, if other means fail…”

“I believe that he has the capacity to succeed in this task.” -

Maru stared intently at Eisaku for a moment, and the young Scorpion tried very hard not to flinch. There was a focus to her gaze that he had seen before only in his sensei. “Success is a difficult thing to judge,” she said. “When the time comes, will you recognize it?”

“You are sounding positively oracular,” Paneki said dryly.

Maru’s lips curled up in a slight smile, but her gaze did not waver. Eisaku hesitated for a moment, and then spoke. “I am a samurai. I will carry out my lord’s orders, and let him decide if I have succeeded.”

“A virtuous sentiment,” Maru said. “May it keep you from harm.”


 * To Be Continued (when not swamped at work...) --Majushi 15:28, 29 July 2008 (UTC)

Characters

 * Shosuro Masanobi / "Shosuro Hana"
 * Daigotsu Hirata
 * Daigotsu Masahiko
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Not Present, But Mentioned

 * Masahiko and Hirata's Lord
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