Post by tsurume on Mar 23, 2006 19:19:17 GMT -5
I had watched the sun set, heralding in the night with a glorious panoply of colors, and I savored that one perfect moment of existence. As the darkness fell, and my prayers were completed, I stood and gave one last bow of respect to my father and brothers as they continued battling at the foot gate holding off the Hanzagiri warriors.
After my obeisance, I heard the voice of my mother calling me into the center room of the compound. It was time to make preparations to defend against the terror that was to come. It was inevitable that the Hanzagiri would send their Ninja into the house in order to finish off what the Ronin and Samurai could not. We blew out the lanterns in the center room, and had our armed servants light lanterns in the hallways that bordered the room in order for the light to illuminate shadows that would warn us of any intruder’s approach. Within the room itself, my mother took up a spear, and handed me a makura yari, which is a much shorter pole arm than the spear. We sat on the sleeping mats, still as stones and waited.
We did not have very long to wait for the ninja to arrive. The moment it was dark enough to cover their movements, they came over the wall. They moved in the shadows in complete silence, and our only warning of their approach was the sound of the thudding impact of one of the servant’s bodies hitting the floor. The moment that happened, my mother grabbed my arm and pulled me off the sleeping mats and we sprawled flat into the center of the room. As my mother pulled me, I could hear the sound of metal flying through the air and impacting onto the mats and when I looked back I could see that a number of shuriken had sliced through the paper of the walls and cut deeply into the sleeping mats where we had been sitting moments before. The servants out in the hall began yelling, raising the alarm and warning that intruders were in the house. Their yelling drew attention to themselves and they quickly began falling, the one nearest the screen doors falling backwards into the room, silenced forever by the Hanzagiri Ninja. His dead stare unnerved me and I almost cried out, but my mother covered my mouth with her hand and then stood up holding her spear ready to fight. Her serene and yet determine gaze strengthened my resolve and I stood up behind her ready to aid in the defense of my home. I looked out towards the halls waiting, and wondering when the ninja would attack the two of us, and I noticed that the torn screens let in light from the lanterns outside, illuminating us as well as the blood on the floor in the hallway.
Sudden movement near my mother caused her to whip her spear around, cracking the butt of it into a darkly swathed figure, which stunned him enough for her to alter position, step back and thrust the spear tip into his chest.
With the advantage of surprise and secrecy gone, the remaining ninja began to fight openly, attacking the last of our armed servants and my mother. She was an inspiration of honor and resolve as she fought and wielded her spear skillfully, striking down each opponent as they presented themselves. It was my duty to watch my mother’s back but fear nearly froze me in place. I was horribly ashamed by the terror I felt and prayed to my ancestors to help me push my fear aside and aid my mother in defense.
As if my ancestors answered my prayers by sending me a test of strength and courage, a swathed figure appeared to my right, thrusting a ninjato at me. I am uncertain how I avoided his thrust, only that I instinctively moved to the side using my makura Yuri to parry and then swung it with all my might at my attacker. I heard a sickening crack as it impacted with the swathed figure’s head and he slumped to the floor. I sighed in relief and turned to check on my mother only to watch in horror as she fell when numerous black-shafted arrows struck her. Cold grief paralyzed me. I could not move; I wanted to cry out but I couldn’t speak. I felt as though I were trapped in a nightmare. I saw another movement out of the corner of my eye, but all I could do was drop to my knees and cradle my mother’s head in my lap. I was aware of a swathed figure raising his sword to strike me down – but then, for a reason I could not understand, he simply dropped his weapon and fell forward on top of me. It was then I saw the blade wound in his back and another swathed figure that had been standing behind him. I could not understand why one Hanzagiri ninja would kill another, until I felt my arm grabbed roughly and I was forcibly pulled away from my mother’s body and out from beneath the dead man. My silent tears nearly blinded me and I could not see the eyes of my savior. Without a word he pushed me towards the torn screens and stayed by my side until we were outside. Again, horror and grief overcame me as I looked towards the foot gate and saw my brothers surrounded by warriors, fighting for their lives over the body of my father. I must have made some sort of wordless sound because the man who had saved me clamped a rough hand over my mouth and pulled me to the wall of the compound, then pushed me towards the cherry tree that hung over the wall.
I found it oddly appropriate that the source of my inspiration became the means of my survival. I no longer felt any emotion, and my body seemed to move of its own accord. I knew that someone needed to survive to inform the Empress of what had happened here tonight and so I obediently began to climb up the cherry tree to escape to safety. And yet I paused mid-climb as a stray branch caught and tore the hem of my kimono and I looked back at the one who had spared my life. His sword was drawn and his back was to the tree in order to meet the coming onslaught of two warriors who had seen me.
As though he knew I was watching him, he shouted, “Go!” which jolted me enough to get me moving up and over the wall. As I jumped down the other side, I heard the clash of weapons as his sword met theirs and to this day I do not know if he survived. When my feet hit the ground, I started running and did not look back. I could not let the Hanzagiri find or stop me. Finding the Empress and reporting this to her became my mission. My father, brothers and mother had died in honor, fighting against impossible odds, and had never thought to run or plead for their lives.
And now I must return to my duties. Perhaps when it is finished I will show you the new drawing of the cherry tree that stood against the wall of my father’s house on this anniversary of his honorable death. And this time, instead of my father’s Haiku, I have painted on the drawing a Haiku of my own:
Cranes rise in flight
To honor the Ogawa
Fallen beneath the cherry blossoms.
After my obeisance, I heard the voice of my mother calling me into the center room of the compound. It was time to make preparations to defend against the terror that was to come. It was inevitable that the Hanzagiri would send their Ninja into the house in order to finish off what the Ronin and Samurai could not. We blew out the lanterns in the center room, and had our armed servants light lanterns in the hallways that bordered the room in order for the light to illuminate shadows that would warn us of any intruder’s approach. Within the room itself, my mother took up a spear, and handed me a makura yari, which is a much shorter pole arm than the spear. We sat on the sleeping mats, still as stones and waited.
We did not have very long to wait for the ninja to arrive. The moment it was dark enough to cover their movements, they came over the wall. They moved in the shadows in complete silence, and our only warning of their approach was the sound of the thudding impact of one of the servant’s bodies hitting the floor. The moment that happened, my mother grabbed my arm and pulled me off the sleeping mats and we sprawled flat into the center of the room. As my mother pulled me, I could hear the sound of metal flying through the air and impacting onto the mats and when I looked back I could see that a number of shuriken had sliced through the paper of the walls and cut deeply into the sleeping mats where we had been sitting moments before. The servants out in the hall began yelling, raising the alarm and warning that intruders were in the house. Their yelling drew attention to themselves and they quickly began falling, the one nearest the screen doors falling backwards into the room, silenced forever by the Hanzagiri Ninja. His dead stare unnerved me and I almost cried out, but my mother covered my mouth with her hand and then stood up holding her spear ready to fight. Her serene and yet determine gaze strengthened my resolve and I stood up behind her ready to aid in the defense of my home. I looked out towards the halls waiting, and wondering when the ninja would attack the two of us, and I noticed that the torn screens let in light from the lanterns outside, illuminating us as well as the blood on the floor in the hallway.
Sudden movement near my mother caused her to whip her spear around, cracking the butt of it into a darkly swathed figure, which stunned him enough for her to alter position, step back and thrust the spear tip into his chest.
With the advantage of surprise and secrecy gone, the remaining ninja began to fight openly, attacking the last of our armed servants and my mother. She was an inspiration of honor and resolve as she fought and wielded her spear skillfully, striking down each opponent as they presented themselves. It was my duty to watch my mother’s back but fear nearly froze me in place. I was horribly ashamed by the terror I felt and prayed to my ancestors to help me push my fear aside and aid my mother in defense.
As if my ancestors answered my prayers by sending me a test of strength and courage, a swathed figure appeared to my right, thrusting a ninjato at me. I am uncertain how I avoided his thrust, only that I instinctively moved to the side using my makura Yuri to parry and then swung it with all my might at my attacker. I heard a sickening crack as it impacted with the swathed figure’s head and he slumped to the floor. I sighed in relief and turned to check on my mother only to watch in horror as she fell when numerous black-shafted arrows struck her. Cold grief paralyzed me. I could not move; I wanted to cry out but I couldn’t speak. I felt as though I were trapped in a nightmare. I saw another movement out of the corner of my eye, but all I could do was drop to my knees and cradle my mother’s head in my lap. I was aware of a swathed figure raising his sword to strike me down – but then, for a reason I could not understand, he simply dropped his weapon and fell forward on top of me. It was then I saw the blade wound in his back and another swathed figure that had been standing behind him. I could not understand why one Hanzagiri ninja would kill another, until I felt my arm grabbed roughly and I was forcibly pulled away from my mother’s body and out from beneath the dead man. My silent tears nearly blinded me and I could not see the eyes of my savior. Without a word he pushed me towards the torn screens and stayed by my side until we were outside. Again, horror and grief overcame me as I looked towards the foot gate and saw my brothers surrounded by warriors, fighting for their lives over the body of my father. I must have made some sort of wordless sound because the man who had saved me clamped a rough hand over my mouth and pulled me to the wall of the compound, then pushed me towards the cherry tree that hung over the wall.
I found it oddly appropriate that the source of my inspiration became the means of my survival. I no longer felt any emotion, and my body seemed to move of its own accord. I knew that someone needed to survive to inform the Empress of what had happened here tonight and so I obediently began to climb up the cherry tree to escape to safety. And yet I paused mid-climb as a stray branch caught and tore the hem of my kimono and I looked back at the one who had spared my life. His sword was drawn and his back was to the tree in order to meet the coming onslaught of two warriors who had seen me.
As though he knew I was watching him, he shouted, “Go!” which jolted me enough to get me moving up and over the wall. As I jumped down the other side, I heard the clash of weapons as his sword met theirs and to this day I do not know if he survived. When my feet hit the ground, I started running and did not look back. I could not let the Hanzagiri find or stop me. Finding the Empress and reporting this to her became my mission. My father, brothers and mother had died in honor, fighting against impossible odds, and had never thought to run or plead for their lives.
And now I must return to my duties. Perhaps when it is finished I will show you the new drawing of the cherry tree that stood against the wall of my father’s house on this anniversary of his honorable death. And this time, instead of my father’s Haiku, I have painted on the drawing a Haiku of my own:
Cranes rise in flight
To honor the Ogawa
Fallen beneath the cherry blossoms.