THE EMPEROR’S GIFT DEPARTS
26th of Hantei (Month of the Serpent) – Morning came and Donoha was not the first one awake. Shànzi reminded him Hoto was probably still at the geisha’s wagon. Both of them had ducked out after the third round of sake and screaming Hida Eiji’s name because of the tales of glory Hoto recounted. Soon Eiji’s name had turned into Sukoshi Yama (little mountain)! Donoha was certain the Crab could hear it all the way back as loud as the crowd was. This Dragon was happy to see the Crab get recognition they deserved, after his travels to their lands.
All the samurai had to check in with their respective Emerald Amassadors – caravan Clan Damiyo’s before the caravan departed. Because Otaku Kai had been adopted by the Dragon she had to accompany Donoha to meet Mirumoto Tanetsu sama. Donoha released Shànzi to meet with the Lion Ambassador, but remember to mention she was his retainer. Shànzi walked away and remembered her conversation with Seppun Sora. Her kimono she wore was one Donoha’s grandmother had given her. The style was elegant and timeless, mentioning a Lion had gifted it to her when she was much younger. Donoha’s mon was embroidered on the left side to almost blend into the flower designs.
After all the meetings in the morning hours of the clans and the Emerald Ambassadors. The tents were nearly all down and stored away. The group was starting to see the caravan beginning to move as it was stretching into its formation for the road. A small richly decorated wagon showed up with an imperial Miharu guard, mentioning they were looking for Donoha. A large square chest was dropped off and Shànzi received it on Donoha’s behalf. Donoha had been helping Eiji and Kai load a few items into the wagon’s attic space. It helped they were so tall!
Hoto noticed the name of the a master craftsman on the bottom front leg. “Whom, may I be so bold to inquire is Kitsuki-san’s grandmother?” Shànzi explained the story Donoha had told her about second child of Donoha’s grandfather, Seppun Yūshū, formerly Kitsuki Yūshū. The first was to be a Seppun but the second would be returned to the Kitsuki family.
Shànzi explained further that Donoha mentioned the first meeting he had with his grandmother was when he was seven. She fished a tiny pile of notes out of her kimono. “Here it is,” she said and let him read her transcribe notes of the haiku Seppun Sora-sama had shared with her. His grandmother has visited the Great Falls Castle where Donoha had grown up on a few occasions. the last time was when he was 13 years old.
A new face appears,
Shining like the sun, a goddess.
Amaterasu, reborn.
Shànzi continued as Hoto read Donoha’s first haiku, “There’s an internal waterfall there and Donoha had been working on crafting his first haiku and was having a hard time. Seppun-sama wanted to meet her grandson without court pretense. She wore a kimono with no mons anywhere and walked up behind him to ask him what he was doing. When he turned around his eyes lit up and recited the words on that paper.”
Shànzi indicated the washi paper Hoto was holding, “She helped him to remember to write it down. It seems he kept bowing to her for any guidance. She had been getting mad that someone leaked her status. So she asked him if someone had told him she was coming? His reply was that he had prayed for help to Amaterasu because he was having a hard time with words and structure. Then today Amaterasu visited him in person. He was unworthy of such a visit from the kami, but would remember it forever.”
Shànzi finished about them sharing a wink when she was later introduced as his grandmother. Even when they met again and she asked him about the haiku. Donoha told her there is no reason for him to disbelieve that the Kami did not answer his prayer when she arrived. He gave her another haiku before she left from that visit when he was ten years old.
Grandmother’s smile, bright
Like the sun she is named for, warms
All who see her face.
Hoto returned the washi paper and indicated the master craftsman whom had made the box. Citing this his work goes for around 10 koku or more per piece. Donoha came around and saw the box and Shànzi bowed to Hoto. Whom noticed the embroidery almost hidden among the patterns and color changes on her left breast of the kimono she wore: her Mon was directly below Donoha’s with Ebisu’s arch (Fortune of Honest Work) surrounding it. She was indeed his retainer. She then informed Donoha of the package from his grandmother and that there was a missive inside.
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The Missive of Seppun Sora – 26th of Hantei (Month of the Serpent) – Year 1123
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Dearest Mago-kun (Grandson),
I know the cost you endured to make the new style of rokuganto (Rokugan styled sword) with fitting the view of wabi-sabi into it. The view or thought of finding beauty in every aspect of imperfection in nature. Your passion with the idea that nothing cannot be fixed given time and work. You have never failed to amaze me, being able to take wabi-sabi and apply it to tsugi or tategu. Your kindness to souls you have never met and can never repay you for seeking to restore lost honor.
Omio has given me a detailed report of your scars and how you came to the motto: pain is traded for wisdom. Please try to avoid any further scars on the face dearest grandson. Although your grandfather is very fond of your motto and constantly wishes he had your face scar. As though his accomplishments weren’t enough for him. We both love you dearly and will miss you.
Since you have agreed to undertake this quest of the Emperor’s Gift and fought against Lu-Feng’s revenants in what Shànzi-chan is calling the Battle of the Emerald Shades. I have taken your two koku and decided on my request. Everything in the box and the box itself is yours in exchange for your first sword, Supaku (Spark). Do not tell your grandfather or let it slip to anyone. It is to be a gift for him. I will allow your clan the one year from today to study it. The Miharu whom dropped this off is being sent to Great Fall Castle
The smith assures me this suit will fit your style of your sword. It has been made or assembled from a variety of suits of Miharu armors and embellished with tempered copper and shakudō (a copper 90-92% and gold 8-10% alloy). He said the shoulders will be easy to distinguish since one is for Shirogane to rest on. All of the mons have been added. He is particularly proud of the horns on your kabuto. Stay safe or at least come home alive and with glory my mago-kun.
With love,
Seppun Sora
He could not believe his fortune, and let Shànzi read the letter. His grandmother had taken a shine to his retainer and that made him happy that he’d chosen well. After helping him get dressed so it would be easier to get the box in the wagon he just stood there looking at the armor till Kai walked over and looked at him up and down. She noticed the scale thigh armor had splits in the front and back. Clearly useful on horse back so she nodded and walked on.
Eiji smacked him in the back, “Not broken, lacquer is still in tact, that’ll do. You can’t stand there looking at yourself. That’s what women do to the Doji, not us.”
Donoha laughed quickly and pulled his face back together, nodding. He got on Yukiabo to ride out along with the caravan as it left. He did his best to avoid the stares as his armor could be mistaken for a high lord’s suit. The mons on his armor made its ownership very clear though. Shriogane landed on his right shoulder and chirped their approval.
Setting his fine light armor in the box once they stopped for the night, he thought about making some modifications to it. The travel to the outpost of the Centipede Clan took until the 8th of Akoko (Month of the Horse), the trip was as uneventful as one might hope for after the Battle of the Emerald Shades. Donoha spent their time between patrols on the caravan in the morning or evening shifts. The middle of his day was spent with the artisans and making full set of fittings for a rokuganto (Rokugan styled sword; which could work on a katana: uchigatana / tachi, wakizashi, tanto, nodachi, even a nagamaki). He made one set with cherry blossoms that the merchant providing the tools and supplies could sell. His other set focused on using Centipede motifs in them for the clan they were comming to visit.
- Habaki – The shoulder jacket of the blade to help disperse shock from strikes, sitting above the tsuba (Hand guard).
- Tsuba – Hand guard
- Kozuka – A short knife that slide through one of the holes in the tsuba into a “mostly” hidden spot on the side of the saya or sheath of the blade.
- Kogai – A decorative tool used for tying and pinning hair. The kogai was attached to the saya in the same way as the kozuka (a small knife inserted into the saya).
- Seppa – Two pair of thin metal spacers on either side of the guard (tsuba) of a sword (rokuganto).
- Menuki – Ornaments display on the tsuka (handle) of where they can catch the eye and display a symbol about the sword or owner.
- Fuchi – The cap of the handle against the tsuba.
- Kashira – The pommel (end cap) of the handle.
- Kojiri – The end cap of the saya or sheath of the blade.
The set he provided the merchant with cherry blossoms used iron and and shibuichi (alloy of 70% copper and 30% silver) to make the flowers pop to the eye using the nikuboi (relief carving). The set of Centipede Clan fittings used iron, copper, and shakudō (a copper 90-92% and gold 8-10% alloy). The tsuba stood out for the nikubori (relief carving) one could flip it over and over to watch the shakudō centipede crawl through from one side to the other four times! The rest of the tsuba was carved to look like cracked, rocky, ground.
Each of the Kozuka were small knives forged in his style he told his father would be the Kitsuki Kiba (Fang of the Kitsuki) blade style. Both of them had folded, blackened blades with the signature copper hamon line separating the harden edge softer core. These two Kozuka though were also a departure from the norm as they had double edges to them and the copper hamon ran up both sides. The work done in such a small size! It was remarkable to the merchants and the one smith he decided was competent enough to help him. That smith went by the name Tsi Sadayoshi, a ronin samurai.
The handle on the merchant’s set was Umimatsu (Black Coral) set in copper. Netsuke (scrimshaw) carvings to show the cherry blossom tree. The leaves being chased in shibuichi to make them stand out against the black and occasional fleck of red coral. Framed in and against the copper base.
The handle that went to Moshi family of the Centipede was made from clear lacquer resin! With his training in Kagaku (chemical reactions) he was able to build upon the nakago (tang) after wrapping his makago in shin copper sheath. Allowing him to create a surface for small layers of clear lacquer resin. Building on each layer he used amber dust to make a rocky landscape and then inset a special copper menuki of a centipede! When done it could be viewed from the sides and above as a centipede of the valley crawling over rocks of amber dust!
Using an orange ito silk and weaving in a flat braided copper wire version. He made a very unique ito wrap criss crossing metal and silk. That tsuka’s ito wrap by itself was a work of art! When you add in the amber dusted resin handle with copper menuki adhered to their spots, it was so beautiful to just look at.
During this time Doji Hoto and Hida Eiji spent most of their time on caravan patrol. Kyūjūsan (93) wagons was quite the caravan indeed! Hoto and Donoha had spent very little time together despite sleeping in the same wagon. Donoha was avoiding the Doji because he felt as though he had made him mad. Since he was the son of the current Emerald Champion he had no wish to infringe some court problem on to his Seppun grandmother. When Shànzi told him later that Hoto had been asking about his background, Donoha said to hide nothing. Answer all questions as truthfully as you could. Donoha also knew he snapped at him when he had been physically hurt. Emotions were high all around that night, and that may have been the first battle the Doji had been a part of. Rather than sparing verbally and making things worse no matter his intent. Donoha sent his retainer, Shànzi over to heal him and he walked away.
Even at the party he threw Donoha made sure Hoto had seen him and both raised saki cups towards each other but neither made a move to get within range to talk. Otaku Kai could feel the tension like a sixth sense and Donoha made it clear several times any tension was being directed at him this evening. However, an invitation was sent and to work as a team you must learn to work through rough moments and still have your teammate’s back. That is why he came with Shànzi and Kai. That night Donoha made it clear to Shànzi not to say any accolade about him. Tonight was Eiji’s night and he “EARNED” it.
Eiji and Donoha would spar when time permitted over the nearly two weeks with bokken and a training tetsubo (which is to say a simple but large wooden club made from many pieces of rattan). Donoha is trying to learn tetsubo tips and then provide similar guidance with swords or bladed weapons. Eiji helped him understand how to use his hammer as a sole weapon or things he could try if using it in his off hand.
Donoha was the most surprised and happy with Kai having made to friends! The first one was Hida Kawada of the Crab Clan. Whom was hoping to learn some of the Unicorn Clan’s techniques for firing bows on horseback. It took about three days for her to really open up and she did seem to get brighter each day because Kawada never cared about her size of roku shaku (6 feet). Until then the only person to treat her this way was Donoha. She was starting to really appreciate the Crab Clan members she had met.
The second friend she made was one of Kawada’s close friends and also an archer – Bayushi Akiyama. Kawada and Akiyama were near opposites with Kawada being relaxed and willing to even joke and laugh. Akiyama was always refined and followed all the rules in public. Their bickering between each other could not hide the fact that they were close friends and bond that had developed over time. Akiyama also did not care about Kai’s height in the slightest! Donoha was thrilled to hear about a Scorpion Clan member that did not seem to want to do him harm. He had high hopes that perhaps he could make friends with one as well. At the very most, overcome the hatred the one from the Shosuro family had for him.
