Session 9. (10/8/05)

The freshmen samurai spend most of the winter weeks training for their new profession. Katchamaru (Anthony Hummerston) travels back to Esashi for training at the kabuki school and studies monomane and learns the spells Stage Lantern, Breath of the Dragon and Stage Blood. Miyoshi (Jim Loder) stays in Hakodate and studies kenjutsu, ni-to-kenjutsu and poetry, and buys a new 3-man-rating bow. Yoshi (Chris Dore) also stays in Hakodate and studies kenjutsu, ni-to-kenjutsu and kyujutsu. Mineo (Denzil Brown) studies at both the main school and a temple in Hakodate, learning the Lightning Strike okuden and Herbalism. Haku (Paul Burton) travels to the magic school in Matsumae and studies School of Soil and School of Water and learns the spells Darts of Water, Pure Body and Bursting of Bonds. The experience gained from all this study finally takes Haku to Level 2!

By now it is Week 4 of the Year of the Rat (1456). The young samurai regroup in Hakodate on order of the ruling clan to form one of the hunting parties going into the hills to drive off the encroaching Ainu. Once again they are led by older samurai - in fact they have the same party as last time.

On the way to Togenoshita they hunt game, though not as light-heartedly as before. The first encounter, with four semi-wild pigs, is over quickly. Yoshi and Kachamaru dispatch two with single arrows; Mineo and Haku account for another with a willow-leaf arrow and a Dart of Water. Miyoshi is the only one who has any difficulty, since his first arrow only wounded the pig and his second arrow missed as it charged towards him. However, he drew his swords and landed two blows using ni-to-kenjutsu to finish it off.

Shortly afterwards the party ran into a jikumo (giant earth spider). Kachamaru spotted it first and fired an arrow but missed. As the others got their weapons out Kachamaru fired again and hit the spider, causing it to charge at the party. Miyoshi and Yoshi got simultaneous hits and killed the spider. Nothing more was encountered all the way to Togenoshita, where they arrived at dusk.

In the morning they head up to Onuma (Large Marsh) Lake . On the way they spot a group of Ainu warriors in the trees. Tagaya shouts "Get them!" and the rookies charge in. After an exchange of arrows and spears, the warriors scatter. The party splits up and chases until they each have a fight one-on-one. Miyoshi is the most reluctant to fight and he and his Ainu opponent face each other warily. The Ainu shakes his spear; Miyoshi waves his sword. The Ainu jabs nervously at Miyoshi, who deflects the blow with one sword and strikes with the other, causing a slight wound. The Ainu thrusts with his spear again and misses, but Miyoshi lands two blows, one critical, felling the native. Meanwhile, Yoshi has also been using ni-to-kenjutsu against an Ainu, but in his case he tried to draw both swords at once and stunned himself. While he was clearing his head the Ainu ran off into the woods and disappeared. Mineo had quite a long fight against another Ainu warrior who kept trying to run away, but eventually Mineo's sword blows did him in. Kachamaru decided not to run after his foe, reasoning that arrows travel much faster than himself, and fired a couple of arrows, one missing, the other doing very minor damage. By the time that Kachamaru realized that while arrows do indeed travel faster than humans, they don't turn to avoid trees, the Ainu was out of sight. Haku also distained to run and cast Mud under his enemy. The Ainu did very well to avoid falling but the mud did slow him down, allowing Haku to hit with five out of six Darts of Water. The Ainu was all but unconscious when he reached the edge of the mud and escaped into the forest.

The party head back to the path. Just then, Kanemitsu crashes out of the trees on Kachamaru's right at a dead run, crosses the path in front of Kachamaru and disappears into the trees^*. Right behind him is a large bear. Kachamaru notices that the bear has a bead head-dress hanging over its eyes, which seem to shine. He realises the bear must be a spirit.

The party regroups but Kanemitsu is missing. Before a search can be organised he reappears, badly scared. He later privately confides that he is having doubts about this trip. Tagaya however is pleased with the group's commitment, though disappointed at those whose opponents got away.

The party continues up to Lake Onuma. As they reach it they encounter a pack of wolves - enough to each member to take one. Miyoshi, Kachamaru, Mineo and Haku kill theirs in a single round, each with a single arrow (or in Haku's case, three Darts of Water). Yoshi finishes his wolf with his second arrow, and does Tagaya, but the level 2 leaders actually need help from Haku, Kachamaru and Miyoshi.

The party reaches Onuma Lake. Tagaya points out the valley to the left saying, "There's good hunting and fishing land down there." The party heads to the right and down a different valley. A little way down the valley they pass areas where the trees have been felled, thinned or coppiced. Then they spy a group of Ainu woodsmen. Tagaya orders the party to attack. Munataka rushes off; Kanemitsu follows hesitantly. Miyoshi whispers in his ear, "I don't like this any more than you, but if we don't do this we'll be in a lot more trouble." It is a massacre. The woodsmen are felled without managing to land a blow with their clumsy axes or tiny knives. Yoshi accounts for three all by himself. However, as he stands over the body of the Ainu he realises what the dream he had last night meant. The Buddha Amida appeared to him and said, 'He who fells the tree before it is mature harms his soul. Recite my sutra seven times or your soul will perish by morning."

Next time on The Wood: Will the bushi get religion?

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