Mogujiro

I stand before the scribe listening to the words he's speaking tho they make no sense.

My Kiko has taken her life,the world is tilting.

I push him aside and call for my horse. My Kiko is dead my smiling bride gone.

I jump up onto my horse with only one thought ....Home.

Riding into rolling mist I push him hard until it feels like his hooves barely touch the forest floor.

Wind whistles past my ears stinging my eyes blurring my vision,the sky is dark grey the clouds look like they are boiling.

I've been riding for hours when the first outpost comes into view.

I need to rest I need food water a fresh horse as I near the tower the guard stationed in the look out waves a tatami flag for me to stop I slow down a little coming to a complete halt at the gates.

The solider dressed in imperial colours steps out when he seese he bows and starts shouting orders.

Bowing deeply he takes the reigns of my horse and steps back.

My legs scream as my feet touch the ground.

I look at the solider and tell him what I need.

Inside the gates I go directly to the commanders office.

The commander is surprised but very quickly gathers what I need and leads me to his personal room to rest food and water are brought.

I remove only my armour, quickly eating the sticky rice and fish stew washing it down with a few cups of weak tea.

His quarters are not opulent but they are clean. Laying down on his cot I will myself to sleep I need rest closing my eyes I fall into vivid nightmares waking hours later with a sour taste in mouth and a dull throbbing behind my eyes.

Dressing quickly I leave his quarters and make my way to the stables the air is tinged with something the sky is still that ominous grey of an impending storm.

My horse is skittish making low sounds like he too can feel something in the air. The stable boy says the wind is funny blowing warm then ice cold been strange since yesterday.

Once I'm on my horse that urgency returns that feeling of wrongness in the air adding to it.

I ride like the devil's of hell are chasing me,passing three watch towers before stopping again.

This time I eat standing at the stable doors as a boy saddles a fresh horse with my gear.

Soon I'm on out of the forest and on the imperial road.

It's late the sunset hours ago when I'm on the hill leading to my village.

At the gatehouse to my estate,the guard greets me with eyes gone round like he has seen a ghost.

When I ask him what's wrong he bows even lower mumbling.

A stableboy comes to help me getting off the horse I grab my swords and put them in the harness around my waist.

It's silent just the rustle of the wind in the trees it's already autumn it's cold not too cold though just cold enough to keep the servants inside around coal burning braziers.

One of the many servants that I cross paths with would have said something about the mistress by now but they still startle when they see me.

An old serving woman that's known me since birth sits outside my quarters.

"Uma what's going on here?"

"My Lord" she says and looks at the floor tears are escaping her eyes.

"Uma tell me"

Before she can say anything a thin cry of an infant pierces the night.

Impossible I think as Uma bends to push open the screen door I don't bother removing my shoes walking into the sitting room down the short hall to my bedroom.

"Feed my son" a voice says a voice I recognize my brother my father's second wife's son.

"No"

Relief washes over me as her voice comes to me.

I push open the screen and pause Kiko is sitting on the floor the room smells like sickness and sour sweat. An infant is squirming on her lap her kimono is open and pushed down her left shoulder her breast once small and pert is heavy criss crossed with blue veins the nipple is leaking milk.

Her hair has been chopped off her face is pale and sweaty her eyes ringed in dark circles.

"Feed him"

They haven't noticed me ..."Kiko" I say it so softly but she hears me and looks up her eyes going wide.

When Ru hi looks at me he smiles that smile he used when we where kids and he'd successfully gotten me beaten or punished for something I did not do.

"Mogujiro San welcome to my home"

"Your home?"

He straightens to his full hieght and gives the most disrespectful bow before saying.

"Back so soon brother"

"What is happening here"

"Can't you see"

I say nothing I just watch my wife fold into herself sobbing.

"How rude of me brother let me introduce my wife Kiko and son Hiro as you can see bearing my son has quiet worn your Kiko out."

I'm going to kill you

" I'm the prefect in this district and you are a solider away from his post."

"I'm going to kill you"

"I have imperial license granting me everything your title,your lands,Your wife"

Kiko is sobbing into her hands the child is now laying on the tatami crying.

The emperor wouldn't never "

Oh he did once reports came in about your losses and then your cowardly dereliction of your duty

He was more than happy to give me everything that's rightfully mine.

The scream that comes out of me is primal while I was fight the mongol hoard this son of a whore was plotting my demise stealing my inheritance and raping my wife.