Yamada Monogatori: The Emperor in Shadow Read Online Free PDF Page B

at the time. Yet whether you did or did not, one thing remains clear.”
    I frowned. “What is that?”
    “Princess Teiko has not yet done the same to you.”

CHAPTER THREE
    After we crossed the rivers that emptied into the sea at the north end of Ise Bay we turned south again. The bay was to our left, and the mountains separating Ise from Kyoto rose to our right. I hoped to reach the eastern end of Suzuka Pass by the end of the second day. When our business at the Grand Shrine was complete, our plan was to take that pass through the mountains to Kyoto, but for now our journey was still south.
    As we crossed another small river at mid-morning, an arrow hummed past my horse’s head, and then another struck Kenji’s mount near the base of the saddle and he was nearly thrown.
    “Bandits!”
    By then I didn’t need the bushi ’s warning. The archers had hidden themselves in a line of bushes on the near shore, and we were caught in the open. There was a large grove on the opposite bank, and for all we knew it was thick with bandits as well, but I quickly judged our chances at close quarters would be far better than they were at the moment, as we were nothing but targets.
    “Forward!”
    We raced across the shallow river with two bushi acting as rearguard, attempting to cover us by exchanging arrow volleys with the bandits as they rode, but they had no clear targets and likely the only thing that kept them alive was the swiftness of their horses. When we reached the grove, we were rushed by several small groups of ill-kempt men brandishing spears. Fortunately they were as ill-trained as they were equipped, for I was able to ride down the first and decapitate the second. Our escorts were veterans of the war in Mutsu province, and they had little trouble dealing with the rest of our attackers. I counted ten bodies on the ground, fortunately none of them our own.
    “If they had rushed us all at once, they might have fared better,” said Morofusa. “They had the numbers.”
    “They still might. What about the archers?”
    He smiled then. “Listen.”
    I did. At first I heard nothing, but then came the screams. Just as abruptly as they started, they ended. “Fortunately there were only three archers, by my estimation. I think they were meant to drive us into the grove, which was a good plan but poorly executed. I sent Ujiyasu and Yoshitsune to flank them. I think they succeeded.”
    The swift return of the two men in question proved his confidence was not misplaced. They immediately dismounted to report.
    “Three?” Morofusa asked.
    “Three, shōshō ,” confirmed Yoshitsune. “By the time we broke cover, we were already on them, though Ujiyasu-san was hit in the shoulder.”
    “Let me look at that wound,” Kenji said, and Yoshitsune helped Ujiyasu remove his armor. Kenji finally nodded. “Superficial, but a nasty gash nonetheless.” Kenji sent one of the attendants to prepare bandages. “The bleeding itself will clean it out. Once the wound is bound properly it should heal.”
    “Thank you, Master Kenji,” Ujiyasu said.
    “We were lucky it wasn’t worse. I assume we can expect more attacks?” I asked.
    Morofusa looked uncomfortable. “Very possible, Yamada-sama. Most of the clans keep order well enough in their own territories, but the closer to the Capital one gets . . . ”
    He didn’t finish, not that he had to. The Fujiwara were the dominant group in the Capital, and although both rich and politically powerful, for the most part they felt that martial pursuits were beneath them, and the emperor kept no army of his own. Compared to the forces available to the provincial military families like the Minamoto, Taira, and Hojo, the territories surrounding the Capital were relatively unsupervised. Officially, it was a small police force comprised of noblemen who kept order. Most didn’t take their assignments very seriously and even the temples had long since begun keeping their own defense forces of