Fall from Grace, part 1

  
 
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Kyuden Doji, One Year before the Coup.
Shiba Derunaze looked around him in awe- kyuden Doji was more magnificent than he had ever imagined. The home of the Crane was truly without equal, a thing of beauty far surpassing even the opulence of Kyuden Isawa. He and his ward, the elderly and respected Isawa Kutada-sama, looked out of place in their road-worn traveling kimonos. Their arrival had been anticipated, and they were quickly ushered into a suite of guest rooms in one wing of the great palace. Kutada had arrived to represent the Phoenix in the court of the Crane while the more regular incumbent of the post, Isawa Tetonagi-sama, returned home to study with his school for a few months. And, no doubt, to report any matters that could not be trusted to a messenger.
As Kutada's new yojimbo, Derunaze had of course come too. Fresh from his gempukku and relatively untested, one might wonder why he had been sent on such an assignment so soon. Such was the way of the Shiba- on reaching his gempukku, a Shiba yojimbo would swear to protect one particular ward, and would stay by their side to protect them on whatever mission that Isawa might be sent on. Derunaze had not been selected for this mission- Kutada had. And though it might be thought unwise to throw a youth into one of the more powerful courts in Rokugan, Derunaze had been well briefed. "Keep your mouth shut and your thoughts to yourself. Your job is to protect Isawa Kutada-san from harm, not to engage in battles of words with courtiers. Do you understand?" The words of his sensei still rang in his ears.
As soon as the dust of the road had been washed from his skin, Derunaze was examining every corner of their new quarters as his training had taught him. He satisfied himself that there were no secret doors, checked every possible location from which a marksman might be able to shoot an arrow into the room, and made a mental note to visit those locations later on. By asking servants he learnt that the neighboring suite was not currently occupied, but that a delegation from the Crab clan were expected to arrive shortly and that they would be occupying it. In short, he familiarized himself with his new home.
Isawa Kutada watched him with no small amount of amusement in his eyes. "Derunaze-san, your diligence does you credit. But I assure you; in the home of the Crane we have nothing to fear from assassins. You will find that the spoken word is a surer weapon than any sword in these halls."
"So I have heard, Kutada-sama. But against those weapons I can do nothing, so I restrict myself to preparing defenses against swords and arrows."
Kutada smiled wryly. "Very well, you know your duty. Now, will you allow me to leave these newly-secured quarters and present myself for introduction to the court?"
The next few weeks passed in a blur of festivities and vivid displays of high culture. Derunaze kept to his orders and watched the court from the corners of the room, his attention devoted entirely to watching Kutada-sama and assessing any possible threats. Forbidden as he was from initiating conversations he watched the court as he might watch a kabuki play, admiring the costumes and watching the movements of the actors. Others tended to ignore him, the unspoken agreement that he was a guard and not a courtier observed by all. When spoken to he gave short, factual answers or quotes from the Tao, almost paralyzed by the fear of dishonoring himself or his clan by saying the wrong thing.
As time went on, Kutada-sama was joined in the focus of Derunaze's attention by another member of court- a young Scorpion bushi, no older than Derunaze himself, who seemed to be accompanying the Scorpion courtier Shosuro Unaki. Her name (he discovered by asking a nearby servant) was Bayushi Suhime and unlike Derunaze she took an active part in the court rather than skulking on the margins. Her slight, agile figure moving with practiced grace across the chambers of the court was beautiful and enticing to his young eyes, while she was clearly quick-witted enough to play the games of the court without error. And when Derunaze was off-duty in the training dojo, he would often see her there practicing her kata on the other side of the dojo. Her movements were fluid and graceful, and the sound of her soft voice would instantly grab his attention if it floated to his ears across court. He didn't dare approach her, partly because it would be a breach of his orders and partly because he had no idea what to say. So he stood by the side of the court, and watched her silently as the court went on around him.
One day about two weeks before Isawa Tetonagi was due to return from Kyuden Isawa, all that changed.
When the court retired to prepare for dinner Kutada appeared particularly pleased with himself. Derunaze didn't ask why, he knew that Kutada probably wouldn't tell him. He could only assume that Kutada had discovered something of value, or had reached a trade agreement with one of the other courtiers.
Still, Kutada was always more pleasant to work for when he was in a good mood, and Derunaze wasn't completely surprised to be given time off that evening as Kutada attended a private meeting. As normal, Derunaze went to the training dojo, the one place that he could spend his time off without the likelihood of someone engaging him in conversation. At that time in the evening it was almost empty, with only one other figure working through kata in the torchlight. Derunaze's heart skipped a beat when he realized that it was Bayushi Suhime. As he stepped into the room, she stopped her kata and bowed to him formally.
"Greetings, Derunaze-san. What brings you to the dojo at this late hour?" He bowed back, somewhat clumsily, and managed to force out a reply.
"Kutada-sama has given me the evening off, so I have come to improve my kenjutsu."
She smiled. "Do you always train in your free time?"
"As Shinsei said, what use is a blunted blade?"
"Any sword is a blunt blade in kyuden Doji, Derunaze-san. One would be better off sharpening one's poetry skills, no?"
He ignored the obvious hypocrisy in her own presence here, too embarrassed to take the offensive. "My duty is to the sword. The word is Kutada-sama's weapon."
"Then the two of you are like rice and water, each insufficient on your own." She was teasing him, her silken voice edged with amusement.
"We each serve our Clan as we are ordered, Suhime-san."
"As do we all, Derunaze-san." She smiled. "Would you care to spar with me?" He could think of no reason not to... and besides, spending more time watching Suhime could only be pleasant. He just hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself too much... and that she wouldn't notice the intense longing in his gaze.
He took his stance opposite her, and on an unspoken signal the two of them whirled into action. Derunaze found himself clearly outmatched- she was much faster than him, her strikes forcing him to give ground and leaving him no time to counter. Only her shorter reach allowed him to defend. In seconds he was pressed right back against the wall of the dojo, with nowhere else to retreat to. She spun her blade, feinted to the left and struck to his right leaving him barely enough time to improvise a clumsy block. The force of the clash nearly tore the bokken from her hand, leaving him one small opening. Almost without thinking he twisted his weapon and was rewarded as hers clattered to the floor. But he wasn't expecting her to duck to the ground and sweep his legs out from under him: seconds later he was on the floor with her kneeling over him, his own bokken held to his throat and her face inches from his own. The two of them formed a silent tableau as they paused to get their breath back.
"Nice technique, Derunaze-san," Suhime spoke first, "but no-one can defeat a Scorpion."
He couldn't reply. She was so close to him, her very presence overwhelming him. He could smell her perfume, could see nothing but her eyes looking back at his. He could almost feel her body held just above his own, and was completely oblivious to the bokken at his neck. He strove to respond. "As S-shinsei said, the wise man can find victory even in defeat." He couldn't tear his eyes away from her.
"Then where is your victory, wise man?" she asked, raising a perfect eyebrow. He could find no reply, though he knew the answer full well.
Over the next few days the two of them sparred regularly in the dojo. In court they never exchanged a word, Derunaze keeping to his normal role and she to hers, but in his free hours he would go to the dojo and she would always be there. The two of them would hardly exchange a word, but he looked forward to those hours in the dojo as the highlight of his day. During court he would watch her, entranced by her beauty, waiting for the long hours to trickle away so he could return to the dojo. If Kutada noticed his yojimbo's change in mood, he didn't say anything. But then, he too seemed wrapped up in something to do with the court. Derunaze was thankful. His infatuation would probably not go down well with Kutada-sama, and the two of them would be leaving shortly enough. It wouldn't matter any more then, there was no way he'd be able to keep seeing her once they returned to the Phoenix lands. So there was no need for anyone else to know. Sometimes he just wished that he could stay here, stay with her. But he squashed those thoughts quickly. His duty would never allow it. And what was a samurai without his duty?
As the day of Tetonagi's return and his own departure grew nearer, Derunaze grew more depressed. Suhime seemed to notice, and now they would go for a walk in the garden together after sparring. She must know how he felt, he realized, and the fact that she stayed with him must mean that she felt that way too. Mustn't it? As they walked through the gardens after dark, hand in hand, he felt that he knew the answer. Their conversations became more personal, as they exchanged tales of their lives.
"What's it like up in the Phoenix lands?" Suhime asked him one evening as they strolled through the gardens together.
"Cold. It snows every winter, and even in the height of summer we can stay outside all day. As a result, we work much harder than the rest of the Empire," Derunaze replied with a perfectly straight face.
"Oh? Well, I suppose that such a backward Clan as the Phoenix needs to work harder to keep up with the rest of us." She matched his composure perfectly. "Really? Would you like to tell an Isawa that their mastery of magic barely reaches the standards of their southern neighbors?" "I wouldn't need to. It's plain for all to see."
"Very wise. Criticizing the Isawa's magic can be very dangerous." He sighed, suddenly becoming serious. "Not all the Isawa are as tolerant as Kutada-sama. He is a very easy man to work with." She remained silent, prompting him to continue. "This is the first time we've left the Phoenix lands, and he's been happy to let me do my job without interference. For many of my school friends, the biggest obstacle to their job isn't so much their masters' enemies as their masters themselves. They refuse to listen, or to leave their yojimbo the time to ensure their safety. And then there are the shugenja who insist on picking fights or provoking duels, safe in the knowledge that the Shiba will protect them." A note of bitterness had crept into his voice. "Thank the fortunes that Kutada-sama doesn't feel the need to take advantage of my presence."
"You must be grateful to have such an easy ward. Does he do nothing to make your life difficult?"
"Well, he's a fussy eater. I have to carry a supply of dried oiafish and kami's blessing herbs with me, which is all he'll eat at waystations on the road."
"Truly, that must make life difficult for you." She laughed, lightening the mood, and Derunaze reflected that her laugh was every bit as beautiful as the rest of her.
"What about you, Suhime? What's it like working with that Shosuro?" "Unaki-sama?" Her voice grew slightly hard. "He's my superior, and I obey him."
"You don't sound happy about it."
She glanced around, making sure that they were alone. They were: the gardens were not small, and few wandered them after dark. She stopped walking, and turned to face him. "I'm not. He's so... manipulative. Thinks of everyone around him as pawns in some game, not as people. He's like so many others in my Clan- they're so... inhuman. Not like you, Deru-chan." He blushed, and she reached out to brush his cheek with her fingers. "All my life I've had to watch those around me like a hawk. We're all fussy eaters in the Bayushi academy- no-one wise eats anything that they haven't seen at least one other person try first." She looked down to the ground, as if to disguise a tear. "And I never knew anything different, until I came here. I love Kyuden Doji, it's so natural, so beautiful."
"And yet the finest beauty here owes nothing to Crane artisans. As Shinsei said, the brightest light is often that which does not belong." He took her hands in his as she looked up at him. Gazing into her eyes, he wondered how he would bear to leave her behind.
The day he had long dreaded finally came, and Isawa Tetonagi returned from the Phoenix lands with his yojimbo Shiba Serai. Kutada and Derunaze made preparations to leave the next day, and that evening Kutada and Tetonagi met in Tetonagi's rooms allowing Derunaze the evening to himself. He headed straight to the dojo, where he was unsurprised to find Suhime waiting for him. He'd ceased to wonder how she knew when he would be free. She was dressed in her court kimono, not for training, and it was obvious that tonight they were not going to start with some kenjutsu practice. Walking out into the gardens, neither spoke until they were deep in the heart of the gardens, under the moon. Once there he turned to her, tears in his eyes. "So this is it. I guess we'll never see each other again."
Her eyes were also damp. "No quote from Shinsei? I'd expected that at least from you."
He smiled, despite the situation. "Shinsei once said that any fool can quote wisdom and that only a wise man could apply it. No wisdom can be applied to our parting."
She moved closer and embraced him. For the first time he felt her in his arms, felt the softness of her cheek against his, felt the warmth of her body sharply contrasting the cool night air. He made a decision. "Will you be missed if you don't return to your rooms tonight?" he murmured. "I thought you'd never ask, Deru-chan."
He awoke the next morning to the thin rays of the morning sun peeping through the shutters. The bed was otherwise empty: Suhime must have risen early and gone. He lay for a moment remembering the night before, but quickly turned his thoughts to his duties. No time to reminisce now. Reluctantly rising, washing, and dressing he attended to the final details of his packing before crossing the main room and awakening Kutada. The elderly shugenja had already been in his room when he and Suhime had returned- clearly his meeting with Tetonagi had not taken too long. Just an update on the status of the court, no doubt. Certainly it seemed to his unpracticed eye that things had gone well- the Phoenix hadn't been disgraced, certainly, and Kutada had appeared cheerful enough.
Before long they were on the road West, towards Yukufui Heigen Toshi. They traveled in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Derunaze could think only of Suhime, and of the fact that he'd never see her again. It almost brought tears to his eyes, but dredging every ounce of self-control he maintained a respectable face. Kutada was riding slightly ahead, humming a tune to himself. As the sun reached its zenith the pair stopped at a small waystation, already filling up with other travelers eager to avoid the heat of the day. They dismounted, and Derunaze unpacked the small bag of Kutada's preferred food. Requesting a private room, they were shown to a small table in an alcove curtained off from the main eating area. Derunaze ordered a meal, while Kutada asked for plain rice. As the servant went off to prepare the food, Derunaze's curiosity finally got the better of him. "So what actually happened in court, Kutada-sama? What did you achieve?"
The shugenja paused a moment, evidently deciding whether to answer the question or not. Lowering his voice, he was about to speak when the servant returned with their food and two glasses of sake. Once that interruption had passed, he retrieved some of the fish and herbs from Derunaze's bag and finally gave a reply. "The Scorpion representatives had planned a small event to embarrass their hosts. There was a poetry contest planned for a few weeks ago, an event that the Scorpion wished to go... in a manner that the Crane might find awkward. The plan was to allow Doji Norihime, the favourite, to win and receive the accolades of the court- but then to tar her reputation, thus also dragging down the reputations of those who had so recently acclaimed her. They had prepared this move for some time, I think, and had built up quite a catalogue on the poor lady. Maybe enough to force her seppuku - and shame the Doji in their own home. I never found out the exact details. Unfortunately for the Scorpion, through chance and magic I was able to get a sniff of their plot, and tipped off Norihime to "fall ill" before the contest and retire to the Asahina temples for "recuperation." She was not surprised, and I think may have upset the Scorpion in the past- I do not know. My actions aided the cause of our clan significantly in the court, acquiring us several minor favors among the Doji. But I am glad to be leaving- I doubt that the Scorpion took well to me interfering with their careful plots. Especially if this plot was indeed a revenge against Norihime-san." Taking a mouthful of his food, he continued.
"So there you have it, Derunaze-san. A fairly typical court plot, of the sort that the Scorpion are renowned for. I do not know what information the Scorpion had collected about Norihime-san, but one must always watch what one says when there are Scorpions around. A loose word could lead to your downfall many years later- for the sons and daughters of Bayushi have quick ears and long memories."
Derunaze listened to all of this with barely-concealed horror. While his ward had been fighting the Scorpion in the court, he'd slept with one... But Suhime couldn't be like that. Could she? No, she had clearly returned his feelings. Last night... last night had been wonderful. And Suhime had seemed so disdainful of the Scorpion way of life, as if she regretted being one. He noticed that Kutada was looking at him oddly, and quickly switched his attention back to the table hoping that his ward hadn't noticed his look of guilt. Kutada's expression was beginning to look slightly fixed. Almost... ill...
"Kutada-sama? Are you alright?" The older man gave no reply. "Kutada-sama?" The shugenja slumped forward, knocking his rice bowl across the table. Derunaze rose to his feet and lifted him off the table, but he didn't need medical training to know that there was something badly wrong with his charge. He called for the servant, and ordered him to find a shugenja, his heart in his mouth.
A few hours later he was sitting on a low hill outside the waystation. Kutada was dead, his spirit in Meido with Derunaze's honor. The sense of failure threatened to overwhelm him. Somehow someone had managed to replace the kami's blessing herbs with some sort of poison, knowing that Kutada would consume it on the journey home. Only one group of people had a motive. Only one person had the opportunity. And most damningly, only one person knew about the bag of food in his packing. Because he had told her.
The conclusion was inescapable. And yet... he had believed that she loved him. She had seemed so natural, so wonderful, so... so unlike the image of a treacherous backstabbing assassin. But it could have been no one else. She must have made the substitution after making love to him, after being invited in by Derunaze himself. His glaring failure was clear: not only had he failed to predict the threat, he had actively helped Suhime carry out her mission. There could be no redemption for this failure.
He broke down in tears. He wept for a lost friend, for his lost honor, and most of all for his lost love. She had used him, betrayed him, dishonored him... And yet he could only regret that there would never be a chance for him to hold her in his arms again, to love her. He wept for fear of his future, for dread of what he would have to do on returning to his Clan. Fear, desire, regret - he knew them all that afternoon, and the spark of honor left in his soul hated him for it.
To return to his Clan would mean certain death, seppuku to cleanse the shame of his actions. Death would almost be a blessing now, an end to the burning in his soul. Drawing his wakizashi, he turned it over and over in his hands. The teachings of his sensei ran through his mind. It would be a painful death, but it was the path of honor. The path of Bushido. The path of the samurai. The path of release from torment.
A spark of rebellion ignited in his spirit as feelings surged through him in a raging torrent. His honor was gone, and death would not reclaim it. Seppuku would only redeem his family's honor. Better that the family think him honorably dead than dishonorably alive. He was no longer worthy of the name Shiba. He would vanish into the night carrying his burden of shame. His daisho would be returned to his family, to its true owners. He would start a new life, be reborn, reclaim his honor through future deeds. And one day, maybe he would be able to avenge his ward's death. The Scorpion had taken his name, his duty and his honor. He hated them, he hated their methods, he hated everything about them. And he hated Suhime. He could almost persuade himself of that.
As the torrent relented something Suhime had said on the first day that they had spoken came back to him. "No-one can defeat a Scorpion." Like him on that day, Kutada-sama's victory had been extremely short-lived. As he left his name, swords, and life behind at the waystation, a nameless ronin decided that one day he would defeat a Scorpion. For good.
Part 2