First chapter form my Samurai fiction.

Hi and thanks for your interest; here's the first chapter from a Samurai fiction I wrote over 10years ago and am working on tidying up; I'd appreciate your feedback, please note that I have put in for a trademark for the tag 'Yosai' and thus please do not copy this tag : 1

Feudal Japan 2

Chapter 1 – Water Element3

“to sweep in and out as the tide”4

Were it not for the blood that created its own current with every new drop, the rain water on the hard mud and shingle might lie as still as the two Samurai Warriors who stood off once more.5

The rain had been falling for two days, hampering the poor rice farmers from collecting a rapidly rotting crop. As two fat Samurai sat in a villager's home eating the last of his family's rice one turned to the other and said, "It is a pity that we shall not be able to take both these men to our Lord."6

They stood to see what would be the climax of this fight. Both men as honourable as the other awaited their turn to wipe the heavy rain from their eyes.7

Yosai, the taller of the two, was not a neat looking Samurai – maybe a 'Ronin' – a Samurai for hire who had seen better days.8

His hair tied back in the customary top-knot, his eyes were darkened as though he'd lived his whole life in the cold misty mountains that surrounded Kaken Village; the same mountains where, it was rumoured, the demons lived.9

Yosai flicked the blood from his sword and lowered it so as it's point was facing backwards, holding it the 'wrong way around'.10

His opponent was a remarkable man indeed, already bleeding heavily, his blood ran over the sweat and dirt of his clothes and into the puddle the two men shared, yet he stood motionless.11

Like a lightening flash Yosai sprang forward, his opponent stepped to meet him. Bringing his sword up to meet the downward cut, Yosai blocked him handle to handle and immediately reacted by head-butting him.12

His opponent shook the tears from his eyes and immediately drew out his shorter-sword, even before the long sword he had dropped had hit the ground.13

He cut to Yosai’s mid-rift but he was gone. Like the sea he had come in and then retreated.14

The man wasted no time in stepping forward with a huge lunge at Yosai’s heart.15

Yosai stepped 45º and avoided the blade. The power of his lunge slightly unsettled the man’s balance.16

A split second but that was enough for Yosai to cut him from hip to head.17

As his opponent fell to the floor Yosai shook the blood from his sword and returned it to it’s scabbard with a shallow bow to his worthy adversary he went to walk out of the village.18

“Sir! Sir!”19

Yosai turned to see a lowly peasant who looked at him as though he knew him. With a smile Yosai asked what he wanted.20

“There are two Samurai in my home who wish to speak with you.”21

“The story is simply this”, began the fattest of the Samurai,22

“Our Lord has sent us to recruit Samurai like your great self into the ranks of the Takeido. For ten years now we have staved off attempts from our neighbours to overthrow our Lord. They are not strong enough to make a bid for the Shogunaté, their thirst is simply for our farms and the wealth they produce.”23

As the man took another mouthful of rice, the second finished, “Our neighbours have won more lands in the last year and now outnumber us 3 to 1. We believe they will soon attack us”.24

Yosai, who had sat without a word, looked up for the first time at the two men. “Then we must go to your castle and meet your Lord!”25

The castle stood on the top of a hill overlooking the land to which the Takeido family held the title of masters and Government. Its large wooden doors opened slowly to reveal a huge courtyard surrounded by beautiful buildings of oak and stone.26

Directly north sat a man of around 40 years of age and a woman a little younger.27

In the courtyard two men were fighting with wooden swords.28

As Yosai and the two nosey Samurai came into the courtyard the two men stopped their mock duel and sat on their feet.29

Besides these two men there seemed to be no guards in sight.30

The Samurai led Yosai to sit between the two duellists and moved forward so they were sat between Yosai and their Lord, slightly blocking his line of sight and, with only four men, still rendering it impossible for Yosai to make an attempt on their Lord’s life, should that be his intent.31

The nosey Samurai talked about Yosai for a while as their Lord smiled. Then the two parted and took their places either side of their Lord and his wife.32

Their Lord bellowed across the 20m gap between himself and Yosai,33

“My name is Kuiji Takeido, I am the Daimyo of Takeido Province. For many years our neighbours have been planning to overthrow us and lay claim to our Lands. Rich in rice farms they could well provide the budget our neighbours require to expand their ranks and make a bid for the title of Shogun.”34

Yosai said nothing and continued to totally focus on the regal Kuiji Takeido.35

“We believe their numbers outrank ours by three to one and are therefore looking to hire Ronin like yourself. In return for your service, you will be given land the size of 1000 horses stood end to end and 2000 horses wide.”36

Yosai’s eyes widened at the kindness.37

“Ah, Samurai, you are a wise man to see the generosity of my offer but there is a catch.”38

With that, his two guards stood and beckoned Yosai closer to their Lord, disarming his long sword before he stood, Yosai got up and moved toward their Lord where he sat now only 3m away. His guards moving to sit directly in front of the raised plinth on which their Lord, his wife and the two nosey Samurai now sat.39

“You are to be the leader of an upcoming visit of our Lady to the local medical man who is old and can no longer travel.”40