“Ow, sensei. Why’d you have to hit me so hard?”

Jiro downed his cup of sake, then looked over at his charge and sighed.  At least the lad had the sense to wait until they were safely up in a private room before he’d spoken, that was something. “Why’d you have to be born with rocks in your head?”

“I was only gonna say you were giving her five coins, not one.” Masato sulked.

“Lad, you think just cause I’m old I’m also stupid? Why else would she have helped me if I didn’t pay her?”

That produced a long pause, and Jiro could see the wheels turning in Masato’s mind.  Then the boy brightened and rubbed the back of his head- embarrassed. “Oh yeah, I guess so!”

Jiro shook his head and poured himself another drink. Normally a girl should have been there with them to do it, but he had sent them away.  “I shoulda brought Katsu on this mission.” He said ruefully, then downed the next glass. “You’re not gonna last five minutes outside the castle- not five.”

In point of fact, he’d chosen Masato exactly because of the boy’s inexperience- he felt the lad needed something to toughen him up. But perhaps, Jiro started to think as he watched the young man peer in wonder around the lavish room, he’d underestimated the depth of Masato’s naiveté.

Masato let him take a few more shots of sake, and then asked- “Who is Shiori-chan anyways?”

Jiro paused, deciding how to word his answer, and then smiled as he heard the soft swish of robes outside. “You’re about to find out.”

The doors slid open, and an artfully dressed courtesan in reds and yellows swept into the room, causing Masato to again wonder at the stream of beauties that occupied this place. He’d spent most of his life in the castle, and during his time there he’d seen a number of attractive court ladies, but the women here seemed to make those look like fading late-summer flowers by comparison. Even Shiori-chan, who Masato later guessed to be in her mid-forties, was no less beautiful than the most attractive girl he’d known in her prime.

Masato got barely a glance from the new arrival however, as Shiori’s eyes were immediately on Jiro with a look that carried in it so much more than Masato could hope to understand.

“Shiori,” Jiro said, dropping the honorific in a way that only those closest to a person could.

“Jiro-san,” she said with a smile. “It has been too long.”

The old samurai looked at her appreciatively. “It definitely has. You get more beautiful the longer I know you.” Then the moment between them was over, and he nodded his head towards his apprentice. “Shiori, this is my student, Masato.”

Shiori turned to where Masato sat, and the young man immediately rose to his feet to stand awkwardly before her. “Nice to meet you, ma’am,” he bowed.

That earned him a laugh like gentle rain from behind a covered mouth, and then Shiori gave him a polite bow. “A pleasure to meet you as well, Masato-san.”

Her smile made Masato blush. “Gosh sensei, you sure have some beautiful friends. I…I mean, you know some beautiful women…I mean…uh…Oh…” He caught himself and turned away.

That earned him another laugh, and Shiori’s eyes smiled at him with reassurance. “You are very cute, Masato-san. No, I think I will call you Masato-kun.”

“O-okay.” He agreed readily, and settled back down into his seat to sip his drink shyly.

“Shiori, are there any birds in the inn, today?” Jiro asked casually as she gathered her silk robes and sat down close to him so they could talk. This got him a puzzled look from Masato, but Shiori clearly understood what it meant.

“None,” Shiori shook her head. “We may talk freely, I have girls standing guard to keep anyone from listening in.”

Jiro nodded.  “The Lady has sent us, we’re going across the river to fetch back her sons. We need maps and information.”

Shiori took in the meaning of his words.

“So, the time has come for war?”

“Looks like it,” Jiro said with a shrug. “Nothing has been said, and I didn’t ask.”

“A wise course of action.” She agreed, and stood up. “I will get what you need, please wait here.”

“Thanks, I’d appreciate it.”

After she was gone, there was a brief silence, and then Masato asked- “Sensei?”

As if sensing  the question unspoken in those words, Jiro answered. “She and I go way back, lad. She might not look it, but she’s old enough to be your mother, and one of the lord’s top intelligence agents.”

Masato’s eyes widened. “Really? Wow.”

“Treat her with respect, Masato.” His master continued. “She’s a good friend to have.”

“I will, sensei.”

“We’ll need the maps and other things she gives us if we’re going to pull this off. We can’t just walk into an enemy country without knowing where to go, can we?”

“No, sensei, but…” Masato hesitated, as if deciding whether he should ask what had clearly been bothering him since they left the castle, and finally decided to take his chance while his teacher was in a talkative mood. “I was wondering- why exactly would our lord give his sons to the Kurokawa? It seems a little stupid, doesn’t it?”

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The Inuyama Rebellion

by Robyn Paterson

“Ninja, report.”

Hasegawa Yohei, chief retainer and advisor to the Lord of the Inuyama clan, had said the words to a seemingly empty room where he sat before his Goban studying the Go game laid out before him, and yet, from the shadows a reply came.

“Your ears are sharp, my lord.” A voice chuckled.

“My ears and their sharpness are of little importance,” replied Hasegawa, sounding mildly annoyed. His eyes were still focussed on the game before him, “tell me what you have come to say and be gone.”

“Of course, my lord.” The ninja acquiesced. “As we expected, the Lady Murasaki has sent agents to the Kurokawa to retrieve her sons.”

“Indeed?” Hasegawa said thoughtfully, a wrinkled hand sliding from his robes to lift the steaming bowl of tea resting nearby to his lips. This wouldn’t do, thought Hasegawa, this wouldn’t do at all.

The Sengoku Jidai was an age of nearly constant warfare in Japanese history- clans struggled endlessly against other clans and today’s ally might be tomorrow’s enemy. The proud Inuyama clan that Hasegawa served, once driven nearly to the brink of extinction by their hated rivals the Kurokawa clan, had finally grown in strength enough to face their enemies in a battle for their freedom. But, this freedom had had many costs, for the peace that bought them the time to secretly rearm was paid for with the clan lord’s own sons- held hostage by the Kurokawa in a bargain of peace. Now, knowing that the declaration of independence would surely bring the deaths of her sons, the clan lord’s wife, Lady Murasaki, had secretly dispatched men to the Kurokawa lands in an effort to rescue the boys.

An effort Hasegawa feared would undo everything that he and his lord had worked so hard to achieve. Now, with the signing of the pact against the Kurokawa with the other clans mere days away, if Lord Kurokawa were to learn of the rebellion all would be lost. He felt for the lady, and knew that the loss of her sons would be deep blow to her, but this foolish sentiment could not be allowed to undo years of work.

Hasegawa placed his tea back on the tray next to him.

“Who has she sent?”

“Jiro, and his apprentice, my lord.”

Hasegawa’s concern became a frown for the first time. Jiro was the castle’s former swordmaster, a wily old samurai with a long history of service to his clan. He had arguably been one of the best swordsmen in the land when he was younger, and although age had slowed him down, he was still a dangerous man with a blade. Of his apprentice, Masato, Hasegawa knew little, but then, Jiro would be unlikely to take a man with him on a secret mission if he were not capable.

“Send a messenger to the Tengu telling him they’re coming, make sure to have any documents they’re carrying be brought to me. They may be needed later when the time comes to deal with our troublesome Lady.”

The schemes of women required swift rebuke by their betters.

“As you say, my lord.” Agreed the voice from the shadows. “And the Samurai?”

“Get what information you can, then…remove them from the game.”

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The soft sound of samisen music wafted through the pleasure quarters of Kitsune-bi Town, broken only by the drunken whoops and shouts that accompanied an evening in the floating world. Along the streets two walked among many, both clad in nondescript browns and greys, but their manner, as well as their swords, set them slightly apart from the many other men and women who freely mixed in these busy streets.

In the lead was a grey haired man with a thin build, perhaps in his fifties, with a long angular face, and his long hair tied back into a ponytail. He was perhaps only a bit shorter than average due to his age, but compared with his companion he looked like a diminutive kappa goblin. The boy who followed, for Masato was lying a bit when he claimed to have seen sixteen summers, was a tall and broad shouldered lad with a pock-marked face that might be handsome when he’d grown into it. On his shoulders was a large pack, something he was in no way happy about.

“Sensei, why am I carrying all the gear?”

“Experience before youth, my boy. I’ve got experience, and you’re the one with youth.” Then his teacher grinned and added. “Better your back than mine!”

“Yes…Sensei.” Said the sullen apprentice, glancing at the last of the gaily frolicking revellers as they finished their march through the pleasure quarters. He brought his eyes front again just in time to avoid walking into his elder, who had stopped at the front gates of the large walled mansion that sat at the end of the road.

“Hey sensei, weren’t we supposed to be in a hurry?” Masato asked, peering uncertainly at the plaque above the door. “Why are we stopping here at an inn?”

His teacher seemed to hesitate, as though he was weighing something in his head, and then he nodded to himself in determination and looked over at the young man. “Men in a hurry still have to eat, lad. Besides, I need to see an old friend who works here.”

“A cook?”

Jiro laughed. “Something like that. Have you ever been in a place like this before, Masato?”

The lad shook his head.

“Well then,” Jiro smiled. “Follow my lead.”

Once inside the dour looking gates, Masato was surprised to find this place had no less the colour or life than the more wild streets outside. They were in a gorgeously decorated front courtyard with many coloured lanterns hung in lines along the gentle stone pathways that weaved among the beautiful plants and statues. Before them were another row of beautiful flowers, each of the white-faced young women clad in colourful silk kimonos , and at the head of the flowers, an older woman led her charges in a deep group bow to the two men.

“O’samurai-san, welcome to the Inn of a Thousand Lanterns.” They said in unison. Then the older woman stepped forward and gestured at the three women at the end of the line. “Please, come in and relax. These girls will show you the way.”

“Thank you, Obasan.”  Jiro said, cheerfully. “But, I’m looking for a specific girl- is Shiori-chan about?”

“Ahhh. You want Shiori-chan.” The woman smiled in understanding, and then she shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, she’s with a client for the moment- perhaps one of these ladies could entertain you instead?” She gestured to a voluptuous girl in green who stepped forward and bowed to the men. “Reiko-chan is a beauty, is she not?”

If there was such a thing as a fairy, Masato was sure he had just found one.

“Wow sensei, lookit her!” He said, his jaw hanging open in sheer surprise.

The girls covered their mouths and giggled, and Jiro did his best to ignore his gaping apprentice.

“I’m sorry, Obasan, but Shiori-chan is the only girl for me.” He reached into his pocket and produced a silver coin. “Here, take this and show it to her, I’m sure she’ll make some time.”

“But sensei…” Masato started as he watched his teacher handed not just one coin to the woman, but several other coins as well, then was stopped short when the back of his teacher’s hand impacted into his gut. “Uuff!”

The older lady smiled and nodded, ignoring the exchange. “Of course. I will ask if she’s available. Please follow these girls upstairs and they will see to you while you wait.”

“Thank you, Obasan.” Jiro said gracefully, then turned and looked at his charge, who was still gasping from the blow to his stomach. “C’mon lad, just breathe and you’ll get over it. Follow Reiko-chan’s butt and it’ll show you the way.”

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The Sengoku Jidai was an age of nearly constant warfare in Japanese history, clans struggled endlessly against other clans and today’s ally might be tomorrow’s enemy. The proud Inuyama clan, once driven nearly to the brink of extinction by their hated rivals the Kurokawa clan, have finally grown in strength enough to face their enemies in a battle for their freedom. But this freedom will have many costs, for the peace that bought them the time to secretly rearm was paid for with the clan lord’s own sons- held hostage by the Kurokawa in a bargain of peace.

Knowing that the declaration of independence will surely bring the deaths of her sons, the clan lord’s wife, Lady Murasaki, has secretly dispatched two of the clan’s samurai -the elder Jiro and his apprentice Masato- to Kurokawa lands in an effort to rescue the boys. But even now as the two men leave the castle on their mission, in other parts of Inuyama castle a shadow falls over Hasagawa Yohei, trusted minister of Lord Inuyama…

The Inuyama Rebellion is a historical action-adventure tale set in the Sengoku Jidai  (Warring States 15th-17th century) period of Japanese history. My goal with the story is to tell a rousing young adult adventure story in the mold of the old Samurai epics and Westerns where the good guys are noble, the bad guys are ruthless, and the action is non-stop, with twists and turns at every corner. Jiro is an aging samurai past his prime who needs to rely on his wits and experience to overcome his slowing reflexes, while his apprentice Masato is just coming into his own and lacks real experience in facing the dangers that they need to overcome on their mission. A perfect pair to make a last ditch effort at a rescue on the eve of a war!

Note: while writing this my focus has been on telling a good adventure story, the clans in the story are fictional, as are some of the places mentioned. I have tried to be accurate when possible, but my focus is always on entertainment first so don’t take this story as historical fact. Also, I’ve chosen to use a more modern form of English with the dialogue both because I wanted it to be accessible to young people, and because the truth is people in every age have always talked in slang and colloquial ways to each other. The language I have the characters use is the language of common speech and ideas, and isn’t meant to simulate some stilted concept of “how they really talked”. Having lived in Japan, and holding a minor degree in Japanese Studies, I know very well how they talked and carried themselves, but the focus here is entertainment, not accuracy.

I hope you’ll enjoy this story, thanks for reading it!

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About the Author– Robyn Paterson is the writer/producer behind the Kung Fu Action Theatre podcast, which showcased action-adventure audio drama he’d written from 2006-2010. Working with a team of actors from around the world, Rob brought over 46 stories of historical adventure, superheroic action and epic science fiction to life. Recently, Rob has changed gears and is focussing on writing fiction with the Kung Fu Action Tales podcast, and published his first e-book on the Kindle  (Hot Soup) earlier this year. To keep his dog fed and editing pen sharp, Rob works as a Communication Skills teacher at Fanshawe College, in London, Ontario, Canada.

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