Session 34. (21/9/12)

Hidasue and his adventurous assistants are settling into their new roles in Shimotsuke province. A month has passed since they arrived when Onuma turns up with Hidasue's household from Sannohe, whom she has escorted through the bandit-ridden lands of northern Shimotsuke, fortunately without incident. She has improved her bajutsu and practised kyujutsu on the journey. Most of Hidasue's staff have come - Ryori his cook, Ota his maid, Umanori his stable boss, Petennouk his handyman and Kaite his lackey, but his housekeeper decides to stay in Mutsu so he has to look for a new one.

One day word comes to the group that the daimyo, Utsunomiya Tadatsuna, has organised a hunt for the heads of the province's noble families. Hidasue has been given the duty of accompanying the hunting party to participate and ensure the nobility are not harmed. As Hidasue passes on the news - and the duty - to his charges, he tells them that Tadatsuna is hoping to shoot a bear and has been bragging to his noble friends that there are very large bears in the province - as much as 40 or 50 hit points. The ex-Ainu bear hunters try not to smirk, but they can tell that Hidasue gets the joke.

"But if the daimyo hits a bear, and it charges him, do we shoot the bear, and possibly spoil the hunt?" queries Ishan Ashte. "Or do we interpose our bodies?"

"You'd better use your judgement," replies Hidasue.

Onuma whispers, "Asking Ishan Ashte to use his judgement is like asking Sahpo to hurry up!" then notices she is whispering to Emishi.

The following morning the hunting party sets off into the mountains near Awano, west of Utsunomiya. There are eleven nobles, Hidasue, five of the adventurers (as Sahpo decided he wouldn't be much help) and an entourage of nearly 20 porters and menservants for the nobles. The mountains are jagged and heavily forested, making the tracks steep and very dark, which a fine, cold drizzle only exacerbates. The five guards position themselves as outriders, ahead of and behind the main party (and one with the retinue), trying not to scare off the game. Suddenly Tomtare sees some movement in the forest; Yoshi Yeesu catches a glimpse too. Two of the nobles spot something and signal to the party to stop. Whatever it is, it is large. Tadatsuna dismounts and leads the nobles into the trees; the guards fan out and move into position to cover the action, though Tomtare gets in front of the hunters and is ordered aside with a swift grunt from one of his betters. Yoshi Yeesu was about to make the same mistake, but hurriedly skips out of the way, instead circling to the side of the prey. Onuma stays to guard the retainers.

Yoshi Yeesu is furthest into the forest and is first to see that the quarry is in fact a large pack of wolves, converging on the hunting party. Three decide they can spare him some time and attack him, biting him for 3 damage. He hits back with his sword and badly injures a wolf. The other two attack but miss. Yoshi Yeesu replies with a critical hit, killing the first wolf. The nobles party has spotted the wolves by now and fires arrows at them, killing two. Two more attack Tomtare but their teeth slide off his armour. He hits one for 12 damage.

Now the wolf pack fans out as they get among the nobles. The nobles drop their bows - reluctantly as their menservants are too far back to take them, so they lie on the damp ground - and draw their swords on the wolves. There appears to be more than 30 wolves. Two of them attack Emishi but his armour is too strong. He kills one with one swing of his sword. Ishan Ashte swings both swords but loses his grip on one and it sails over the heads of the wolves and the fighters - to score a direct his on Onuma! Onuma suffers three damage and critically fails her interrupted attack, almost breaking her sword in the process.

The action turns into a running fight between the wolves and the nobles, with the guards being attacked at the fringes and the retainers desperately trying to catch loose horses and pick up valuable bows. Onuma fights off the odd stray wolf that gets as far as the retinue. But despite the numbers, the outcome is never in doubt. Two of the nobles get bitten, and Emishi and Yoshi Yeesu suffer bites, but the strong armour and sharp steel is more than a match for mere wolves and soon the baying is silenced.

Onuma is going to recover the daimyo's bow, hoping for extra recognition, when she realises the daimyo is missing. Hearing some noises further into the trees, she follows - calling to the others - and finds the daimyo, isolated and trapped beneath a fallen horse, desperately fending off a pair of enraged wolves with the only weapon he can reach - an arrow! Quickly, Onuma casts Hand is Faster Than the Brain and whirls into action, slashing at a wolf once, twice, three, four times, the last blow killing it. Meanwhile, Emishi has arrived and uses Control Wolf to keep the remaining wolf from attacking Tadatsuna. He uses it again and drives the wolf back to where Onuma and Yoshi Yeesu can hack at it, and between them they kill the last wolf. Ishan Ashte helps the daimyo out from under the horse. He thanks his rescuers then addresses Emishi.

"That's a remarkable skill you have with wolves. Where did you learn it?"

Emishi can't think of a safe answer, but fortunately the daimyo interprets this as him being start-struck on being addressed by someone so many ranks above him. Fortunately also, Emishi doesn't realise this.

The hunting party ends early and returns to the capital, stopping briefly at a nearby village to eat lunch and send some peasants to skin the wolves and bring the pelts to the nobles. The five adventurers decide not to bother with trophies. Back in Utsunomiya there is a party at the castle, which Hidasue attends. The ex-Ainu have their own party to celebrate their 13 kills, and they are dismissive of the nobles for ending the hunt early. "Shimotsuke commendations all round," declares Emishi.

Hidasue doesn't return until the morning. He seems very pleased, and not at all hung over. "The daimyo's daughter Miyako seems very nice," he comments.

Onuma's feminine radar goes off. "Will you see her again, sir," she asks slyly. Hidasue blushes.

The next bandit action occurs later that week. The five are patrolling without Sahpo again and have crossed the great marshes of northeast Shimotsuke on one of the few roads. A few miles north of the town of Ogawa they find a man lying in the road. His saffron robes show him to be a Buddhist monk. He has been beaten up and left unconscious. Onuma tends to his wounds and soon he comes round. Yoshi Yeesu makes a fire and brews some bog myrtle bud tea which revives everyone. Onuma talks to the monk and finds out that he was attacked by a bandit who took his begging bowl and the coppers he had. They escort the monk to Ogawa and leave him in the care of the temple. Ishan Ashte gives him three copper coins, which the monk immediately donates to the temple. Then they go to the mayor's office. The mayor's clerk looks apprehensive.

"Who are you?" he asks, adding, "...noble sirs," as he notices their two swords.

"We are the law," grates Yoshi Yeesu.

"What's up in this little town," asks Emishi brusquely.

"Err, nothing... Nothing at all."

"What do you know about the bandit problem," asks Onuma.

"Nothing! There's... there's no bandit problem here."

Onuma casts Pinocchio Effect and the clerk's nose grows by a foot.

Ishan Ashte plays Bad Cop. "You know, in Mutsu the bandits held the town's officials to ransom."

"I've never heard of Mutsu."

"Do you have any suspects for local banditry?" questions Yoshi Yeesu.

"There's no banditry." (His nose grows again.)

Sensing they are getting nowhere, the five lawmen leave. On the way out Ishan Ashte notices that the office is well appointed, with fine artworks on the walls.

"Let's hit the local bars," suggests Onuma. They head for the biggest inn. Emishi checks the horses outside on a hunch that rich bandits will pimp their rides. He hurries after the others who are listening to a voluble man blowing his own trumpet to a couple of cronies.

"And then I hit him again and grabbed this bowl," - pointing to a begging bowl on the bar, now full of rice crackers - "but he only had a few coppers. Still, it paid for these drinks."

Emishi whispers to the others, "It's only circumstantial evidence - let's chop him to bits."

"I'll ask him," hisses Onuma. "Where did you get that bowl?" she demands, casting Pinocchio Effect. Unfortunately it fails.

"None of your business. Hey, where are you going with my bowl?" he shouts as Yoshi Yeesu picks it up.

"Where did you get this bowl? Mmm, nice rice crackers."

"That's none of your business."

"I'm making it my business."

The man looks around then draws a sword. Yoshi Yeesu calls on his iaijutsu, draw his sword and strikes in one smooth movement, inflicting 13 damage on the bandit. The man's friends, who had stood up and reached for their swords, stop and hold up their hands. The bandit suddenly bolts for a door at the back of the bar. Ishan Ashte chases but is well behind. Then Onuma casts Stage Smoke and disappears, only to reappear in the doorway the bandit was headed for.

"Where did you get that bowl?"

"I found it. Really, I found it. In the road. North of here." Emishi thumps him. "All right, I took it from a monk."

The confession obtained, the famous five drag the bandit off and hand him over to the local doshin. Then they go to the temple and give the bowl back to the monk. "I'm sure you can to purify it."

"Yes, rice crackers leave such a lingering odour."

Satisfied with a job well done, the lawmen mount up and ride back to Utsunomiya.

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