THE SECOND BATTLE OF KENSON GAKKA
Sawanda san got him passage to a Shiro Matsu out of respect to the young man trying to work and better themselves in an unusual gempukku to be certain. The stops in Shiro Daidoji and Kosaten Shiro were fairly quick but he remembers the tea houses in both as wonderful places to eat. Even the border fortress were places of amazing beauty as Donoha san remembers them.
Cross the waterway that feed into the lake known as Mizu-umi No Fuko led him into the Lands of the Lion, home to his mother Kitsuki (was Ikoma) Hana. She had been promised to his father at the wedding of Akodo Isoroku to his father’s younger sister Kitsuki Hotaru. However, Donoha san’s first stop in the Lion Clan lands was none other than Shiro Matsu.
Sheer happenstance would land him in hot water another week down the road in Kenson Gakka. Known as “Humility’s Lesson” since its capture by the Lion for Scorpion incursions against Kyuden Ikoma. He joined another caravan leaving the Matsu family’s stronghold and traveling north along the road through Kyakuehu Mura. He was excited at seeing the final destination of Kyuden Ikoma where his mother came from.
While in Kenson Gakka a member of the caravan had been kidnapped and Donoha helped the caravan master find and recover the member. During the search they were set upon by bandits dressed in the colors and mons of the Scorpion Clan in the city. In a standoff where the caravan master revealed himself to be a high-ranking samurai of the Lion beset by the Scorpion cloaked bandit forces.
Donoha was tasked with rescuing the missing caravan member while the samurai dealt with the interlopers. Donoha dueled the final guard with his wakizashi that was trying to abscond with the victim. The Scorpion-lookin rogue was to quick and cut Donoha’s face! Then with a flick of silver in the dark burying their katana into his upper left shoulder!
Making a split second choice to close the gap Donoha surged forward trapping the blade under his collarbone! Swinging the wakizashi given to him by Kitsuki Inoki. The young Dragon nearly took the bandit’s head before the coward fled into the night clutching their neck. The bandit had abandoned their sword! Donoha did as he was told and got the victim out!
They met back at the caravan where the samurai was waiting, bloody, hurt, but the grin he gave Donoha told him “you should see the other guys.” The ranking samurai was beset upon by the person Donoha had saved. It appeared to be a young lady! It was then it was revealed the victim he saved was the daughter of the Damiyo of Kyuden Ikoma! They began to tell the tale of the battle and seeing the sword still in him certainly helped! A Lion shugenja was brough in to help remove the blade and heal the wound. He was advised to rest because this had badly hurt his left shoulder and arm.
Because of the sword they could make a claim at the imperial court against the Scorpion! Donoha had brought the evidence needed to make the claim stick. There had been warnings of strange movements by the Scorpion so it was decided to disguise the entourage as a merchant caravan. Since Kenson Gakka was a Scorpion stronghold once before it was determined the rouse was to be kept until past the city. They did their best but the Lion are not known for subterfuge. The Scorpion clad interlopers had seen through and attacked.
When the caravan made it the Ikoma holdings his deeds had already been passed on ahead and the Ikoma family Damiyo sent a copy on to Shiro Kitsuki thanking Donoha’s father! The letter publicly declared himself an ally of the boy that saved his daughter, and thanked his mother for raising such an honorable son.