Samurai in the Time Rift 8.1 a

Part 8

The new Direction

8.1

The roar of the river greeted the group as they rested by its bank. Teishin Buke stepped up to the river edge and looked over across. He then turned and approached the Taisa.

"What mockery is this? We are back at the same river and are to cross back to the land of the Hibagon." Teishin cursed at the Taisa. "Show me the amulet. Perhaps you mis-read it."

Taisa Mori looked up and held onto the amulet. It had taken them on a long tracks in the last few sunrises, but Taisa Mori knew from his observation, it did that to avoid contrat with possible bad terrain and above all, pursuing enemies. The amulets seems to glowed when it sensed danger and hummed for them to leave the place. Its direction find was a vibration that tells them where to move on.

"Teishin Buke, you do not threatened the Taisa or you would answered to me." Gunso Mita warned the other who would backed off on that threat. It was Edo who asked the Taisa on the amulet direction.

"Edo-san, I seen it myself. It led us so far and we been safe for the journey. Do you doubt it? You have held it before." Edo was the one privileges to held it as Taisa Mori wanted another to know of its use. Taisa Mori had explained to all of them of the amulet workings as told to him by Lord Noriake. They all agreed that they need to find the way back or be forever lost on this land. Therefore, they had followed the Taisa but with the current obstacle, it looked like a bad choice.

"Taisa Mori, I stand not to question now, but would like your advise on how to cross the river. We have no raft and it looked like we have no bridges." Teishin Buke rebuked back towards the Taisa and then eyed the Gunso. He knew the other would nit be able defend the leader now.

"If we had built one before, we could built another." Taisa Mori spoke up.

"Fools! The Hibagon and the Nihonzaru are on our path, yet you think we can build a raft." Teishin Buke replied. He looked towards the others and then spoke again.

"I would suggest we moved on. Downriver or upriver, made no difference as long as we are moving." Teishin Buke gave his advise. Edo stepped out and supported the Teishin on the suggestion.

"No, we cannot do that. We need to cross over." Taisa Mori spoke out. "I suggest that instead of building, we seek out their boats. The Hibagon have come across so we would do the same."

"Bento, you seek upriver. Sun, you seek downriver. Be back by sunrise." Taisa Mori gave the command. "The rest of you would remained at the forest."

"Edo-san, you would go with me to lure the enemy away." Taisa Mori approached the farmer. "Gunso would assumed command in my absence."

"I would come along." Teishin Buke volunteered to follow the two leaders. Taisa Mori looked to Edo who nodded to the request.

The first to be seen was the Hibagon led by Intai, who was on the trail. They rested in a clearing while the trackers checked the trails. The samurai had wiped their tracks and left misleading ones.

"Fools! I am surrounded by fools!" Intai hollered out and swung the hammer against the tree trunk. The hammer blow brought down a cluster of leaves, but the leader of the Hibagon was still not sated in its anger. One of the two trackers returned and reported back.

"The trail ended at the river. They appeared to have crossed over." The scout report was received with cynicism by the leader. He lashed out at the scout, and then asked of their boats.

"Its upriver and still guarded by the warriors."

"Go there and bring those boats here." Leader Intai gave the command. "We would camped here."

Just as the samurai were to sneaked away, the other scout reported back.

"Leader Intai, I spotted the renegade Leader Tut. There are also the Nihonzaru are on our trail; a hundred strong."

Leader Intai took into consideration of the report. It then decided to followed suit to go to the boats. Taisa Mori saw the Hibagon leave for their boats and that dampened his mood. He then turned to the other two.

"Do we followed or do we make our own trail?" Taisa Mori replied. It was Sun who answered for them. He had just returned from his scout trip.

"I found our raft. It must had floated down the river. It was caught in the sand bar."

Immediately Taisa asked the group to followed Sun while he and Gunso await the other Hohei who was stull upriver. It was then Gunso spoke to Taisa on his concern.

"Taisa, do you ever think of our land? The one whom we all came from?" Taisa Mori nodded and then looked back to the Gunso.

"We would get back, Gunso. That is my promise to you." Taisa Mori was then distracted by the arrival of Keo and the Nihonzaru warriors. They were following the trail of the Hibagon. That was also the trail of Bento who went upriver.

"How do we warn Bento?"Gunso asked of the leader. It was a tough decision but he made it then. He took off a piece of cloth and used the blood from his finger to write the characters. He left it there by the river bank and told Gunso to picked up the trail with the others.

"We cannot leave him." Gunso protested to the Leader. "He is ours'."

"I have no choice. Bento knew the choice I have made. He's samurai now. He would be able to find his way back to us." Taisa Mori told the Gunso. "I have a dozen more life to burden myself with."

"You are a bastard, Taisa Mori, but I would abide by your command." Gunso Mita turned to walked down river, but Taisa Mori stopped him.

"You convinced me. We would stay and wait for Bento." That made the Gunso smiled.

In the absence of Bento, the rest of the group continued their march down the river, with Sun and Edo taking the lead. Sun took the opportunity to be near to Lady Ayuse although she did not reply to his gestures, she also did not refuse his help to carry her things. Lady Noki pulled the young Hohei aside.

"My lady Ayuse is young and may not understand a lot of things in life. I am her guardian and would protect her if need be. Your ways, samurai. They are too close for comfort. May you please backed off from her for now?" Lady Noki had dealt with the samurai before but she had the backing of Lord Noriake.

"I am sure your lady in care can make her own decision, Han woman." Sun replied referring to her heritage as a Han descent and not of the Nippon land. Lady Noki took offense but she calmed herself down from fighting the young Hohei. She dismissed his action as that of a rash young man but by then Sun had stepped forth to be with the younger lady again. Lady Noki decided to hold back her emotions and followed the couple closely behind them.

It was not long wait for Taisa Mori and Gunso Mita when they saw Bento fleeing from the forest towards them. He was in such a hurry as there was five Nihonzaru on his back. Taisa and Gunso leapt out of their hiding and confronted the approaching Nihonzaru. Taisa swung his katana at the Nihonzaru that was charging at him; his blade made the cut on the smaller foe across the chest.

Gunso was more direct with this upthrust of the yari at the Nihonzaru and with the creature skewered there, he swung the yari to hit the other one nearby. Meanwhile Bento had stopped in his run and used the arrow in his hand to stabbed the approaching Nihonzaru in the nose.

"Run on, Bento." Taisa indicated as he finished off the last Nihonzaru. Gunso and the Taisa covered the flank on seeing no more pursuing Nihonzaru; they took to the tracks. Soon they caught up with the rest who were waiting for them. Edo approached the Taisa.

"We were concerned, but now we have a different concern. Look to the river."