Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn From: rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu (Bret Rudnick) Subject: [VampQ] Campfire Tales -- Happy Hallowe'en Message-ID: Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1993 15:03:44 GMT ======================================================== [VampQ] Happy Hallowe'en! [Admin: a distraction written by: Matt Hebert (Matte Kudasai) Bret Rudnick (Tomonobu Fujiwara) rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu Synopsis: En route on their quest, Matte and Tomonobu take a moment to relax and swap tales. It is only an aside, not integral to the [VampQ] thread. Matte has just finished her story. The story "Shadow of the Mind" is copyright 1985 by Bret Ryan Rudnick, all rights reserved. It first appeared in the literary magazine "Onyx".] ========================================================= The night air was getting colder as the fire burned down to bright coals. Tomonobu edged a little closer to the heat. "Most disturbing," Tomonobu commented on Matte's story. "You clearly struck the creature with what would normally be a fatal blow. Yet it returned to taunt you. How does one destroy such a thing?" Matte paused for a moment, deep in thought, and said cautiously "I think you probably know more about such things." "Hmm," Tomonobu mused. Just how much _did_ Matte know about his thoughts? "I do have a tale which might be appropriate to the occasion. Care to hear it?" Matte showed no sign of tiring from the long exchange of stories. "Oh, yes, please." "Very well. This was told to me by a travelling priest. He seemed particularly keen for me to pay attention to it..." ------------------------------------------------------------- SHADOW OF THE MIND Yoshito surveyed the expansive battlefield before him. Moments ago the air was filled with the sound of clashing swords and the scent of gunpowder. Now there was naught but the cries of the dying and the scent of the dead. Yoshito spurred his horse on to yet another section of the battlefield. There were hundreds more dead and wounded still to be seen. Perhaps the one he sought would be among them. Sadamasa was Yoshito's enemy. Although both men were bitter opponents, they had a great deal in common. Twenty years ago they faced each other in battle for the first time, young warriors in their first battle, eager to be noticed and praised for their bravery. Neither had struck a blow in combat before, and as they confronted one another, both paused for a moment to permanently fix the image of their first foe in their minds. Their swords clashed. The ring of the steel as the blades met rose above the din of combat around them. But before the contest could be resolved, the tide of battle swept the two combatants away from one another. Neither one forgot that day. Throughout twenty years of more or less continuous civil war, each followed the progress of the other, from footsoldier to mounted warrior to general. Twenty years of bitter determination had finally placed each of them at the head of a great army. After twenty years the decisive battle had been fought. Sadamasa had lost. Yoshito rode to the summit of a small hill a little further on. This was a good vantage point and a likely spot for Sadamasa's command post. Yoshito's patience was rewarded, for there, at the centre of the camp, he saw the body of his enemy. There was no mistake. Sadamasa was dead, and Yoshito savoured his victory, while regretting he did not strike the killing blow himself. It mattered little, he thought. His soldiers were but an extension of his will, and he had always viewed the long campaign against Sadamasa as a personal contest. As he reigned his horse to return to camp he noticed a large black dog had trotted up to sit beside the body of Sadamasa. "So your master is dead, is he?" Yoshito asked the dog. "Will you now starve yourself beside him? Or will you roam the countryside? You appear to be more than a small part wolf. Perhaps I should end your grief and prevent you from harming others." He drew his sword intending to slay the dog, but could not bring himself to actually kill it. Perhaps it was the beast's thoughtful, almost human expression, or perhaps Yoshito respected its loyalty to its master. Whatever the reason, he put his sword back into its scabbard and rode on in the direction of the camp. Unseen by him, the dog followed. Yoshito rode into his camp amidst the cheers of his soldiers. He dismounted near his command post and went to confer with his subordinate generals, Ito and Nagamichi. Their news was good. "Seven thousand enemy heads taken!" Ito exclaimed. "We've lost only eight hundred, and most of them merely footsoldiers." "The province is ours!" Nagamichi declared. "Nothing stands between us and the capital!" Yoshito was pleased. "We may move no further until our lord orders it. It is indeed tempting after such a victory to pursue the remaining enemy, but I dare not exceed my authority. We will not leave our province without permission. We are its primary defence, and there are enemies on other borders. We will dispatch news of our victory and await further orders. Meanwhile, I want to walk among our troops and congratulate them, and console the wounded." Yoshito's command area was also on a hilltop and he and his generals descended to the main camp below. There were few men in this immediate area at the moment and Yoshito very plainly saw the black dog he had spoken to earlier. It was sitting at the bottom of the hill, as if patiently waiting for him. "Well!" Yoshito declared, addressing the dog. "You wish to join our army, do you? Since your former master was so worthy an adversary I suppose we can find a position for you. Let's see, you need a name. You are as black as the night and as silent as a shadow so I shall call you 'Kage' [Admin: KAH-geh -- means "shadow"]." Yoshito laughed and turned to his generals to tell them of his earlier encounter with the dog, and he noticed they were staring at him with rather blank looks on their faces. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Commander, who were you speaking to?" Nagamichi asked. "Why, that big black dog over there..." Yoshito replied as he turned to indicate the beast, but it had gone. "We saw no dog," Ito assured him. Yoshito was confused and a little nervous. "He must have gone away. He is a cunning creature. Let us proceed with the business at hand." With that, he marched down the hill. Ito turned to Nagamichi to say something but the latter motioned him to silence as they followed their commander. * * * * News of Yoshito's victory reached Lord Naonobu only moments before the enemy messenger arrived to negotiate an unconditional surrender. The army of the enemy province had been utterly destroyed, and their government would rather be under Lord Naonobu's protective administration than fall prey to the marauding of other provinces along its other borders. With such favourable terms, Yoshito was instructed to leave a token garrison force at the enemy capital so he might return home to receive the honours due him. Yoshito was happy to finally arrive at the castle in his home province. It was the centre of a substantial metropolis, and within its walls lived the lord and his household, Yoshito himself and his family, and the households of his highest ranking subordinates. Yoshito had worked and fought arduously for his lord, and was rewarded accordingly by being granted the title of Chief Retainer. Because of his importance, he had few private moments in his life. From the instant of his return to the castle he had a thousand duties to perform, then thousand formalities to observe. The sun had recently set when he arrived, but nevertheless his first official act was to report directly to his lord. Yoshito changed into a kimono suitable for the occasion, as did his generals and most important aides. The evening was cool and relatively free from the usually oppressive summer humidity, so Naonobu requested that Yoshito and his retainers meet him on the grounds of his private garden. As was the custom, they arranged themselves formally, facing one another at a respectful distance, Yoshito and his staff on one side, his lord on the other. Yoshito, sitting on his knees, bowed respectfully at the proper moment and then returned to a sitting position. "My lord, I am pleased to report the destruction of the enemy army and their surrender," he said formally, although his dispatches had already told of this. He went on to highlight the bravest exploits of his soldiers. "You have done very well, my Chief Retainer," was the reply. "Your deeds shall be set down in the clan records as the archetype of exemplary samurai performance. You have brought great honour to our clan. It will be difficult to arrive at a suitable reward for such meritorious effort. It seems we have a new province to govern. Perhaps that would be a task worthy of your acceptance." Yoshito bowed low in great respect before rising again to answer. "My lord, I am a soldier, unworthy of such a high office, but if it is your wish for me to undertake..." Yoshito then noticed that in the rear of the garden, behind his lord, was the black dog. Its eyes seemed to glow a dull red, and Yoshito's first thought was that the life of his lord might be in danger. Without hesitation he leapt up, drew his sword, and ran for the creature. Almost at the same instant, Naonobu's ever-present bodyguards, mistaking Yoshito's intention, drew their swords to defend their leader. An instant chorus was heard as Yoshito's loyal men, fearing for their general, drew their swords as well. A bloodbath was narrowly avoided due to the quick thinking of Nagamichi, who literally sprang between Naonobu and Yoshito. "My lords, please!" he cried, "Wait! Protect one another!" There was an instant of confusion as Nagamichi restrained his commander, believing him to be under severe mental strain from his long campaign, and nearly two dozen samurai stumbled over one another looking for an intruder that was nowhere to be found. After a few moments the two sides, disheveled and extremely upset, returned roughly to their original positions. "What is the meaning of this!" Naonobu demanded. "My lord, I feared for your life. A creature that has stalked me since the last battle had gained entrance to your garden and was standing behind you! It was crouched to attack and I believed you were in danger. Forgive me for disturbing the peace of your home." "I do not believe in ghosts!" Naonobu roared indignantly. "You can see there is no one here who should not be. You know the penalty for drawing your sword within the confines of these walls. It is only your past loyalty which prevents me from exacting that penalty here and now! Such rude behaviour is unforgivable! You will remain in your mansion while your fate is decided." Naonobu motioned that the meeting was concluded. He rose and left a stunned Yoshito still seated in obeisance. Naonobu spoke to his son, Lord Kagenori, when he was sure Yoshito and his men were out of earshot. "I do not know if he is mad or if this was an abortive attempt to assassinate me. I want Yoshito isolated until this matter is fully investigated." * * * * Yoshito did not realise the full consequences of his actions until the next morning. He slept little the night before, hoping to find some way to convince his lord and his own subordinates that he had indeed acted only out of concern for the life of his superior. He resolved to set about his duties with zeal, hoping that setting a good example would reflect well upon him. But as he approached the main gate of his mansion he was detained by five of the lord's personal guards. "I'm sorry, General," their leader greeted Yoshito. "We are under orders to protect you, and request you not leave your estate as yet." "Protect me!" Yoshito was outraged. "I defeated the most vicious enemy this province has ever known and you are here to protect me! You mean I'm under arrest, don't you?" The guard, who indeed admired Yoshito, could only stare at the ground. "Where are generals Ito and Nagamichi?" Yoshito demanded. "Lord Naonobu has sent them to different parts of the province on special assignments," the guard replied, still declining to look Yoshito in the eye. "I see. 'To kill a general, first slay his horse,' is how the proverb goes, I believe. Then protect me well, brave soldier. You may one day inherit my estate. And my position." Yoshito angrily returned to his home. Later that evening Yoshito received word that he was no longer under confinement. The overwhelming support he commanded within the clan had convinced Kagenori and his investigating committee that Yoshito had planned no coup. Naonobu still refused to meet with him personally, however, and had decided that Yoshito needed a long rest, light duties, and perhaps even an early retirement. To Yoshito, this was nearly as great a disgrace as if he had been actually executed for a crime he did not commit. It was late at night and Yoshito and his wife sat near their private garden, enjoying the summer breeze and the unusually bright moonlight. Ren, his wife, had been concerned about his heavy spirits all day. She knew he felt no better, for he had the annoying habit of continually opening and closing his fan when he was greatly irritated. "You are troubled, my husband?" Yoshito took in and let out a deep breath. "My career has ended," he said simply. "All because I did my duty." He paused for a moment. "My enemy is not dead. He has haunted me for twenty years and he haunts me still. I feel he beckons me to join him in hell." Ren had been with her husband for perhaps eight months in the ten years of their marriage, but she knew her husband very well. "You have thought of little but the defeat of your enemy for a long time," she said gently. "Perhaps you still cannot accept it. It has been your reason for living, the driving force in your life." Yoshito stood up to pace the walkway, another sign of his uneasiness. "I have seen him, I tell you. He has taken the form of a large black dog. I saw him at the battlefield, standing over his own useless worldly body. I saw him in my own camp And yes, I saw him threaten Lord Naonobu! I hear him, lurking out there. I feel him watching me!" * * * * Yoshito slept uneasily that night. He was disturbed by nightmares. In one of them, he was in the midst of a vast battlefield, surrounded by the destruction of his own army. He was alone, save for a handful of his loyal guard, a surviving few from a host that once numbered tens of thousands. Suddenly before them, a huge black dog appeared, wielding a naginata [admin: a kind of polearm] which it gripped firmly in its mouth. Yoshito watched in horror as the beast cut down his remaining men, Ito and Nagamichi the last to fall. The creature stood there, the monstrous halberd clenched in its jaws, glaring at Yoshito. Then it faded from view, and around where it stood rose one by one an army of Shura, ghosts of warriors who had fallen in battle. They appeared in full battle armour, looking as they did the moment of their deaths. Many were pierced with the arrows that had slain them. Others revealed terrible wounds. Still others carried their own heads, since decapitation was the means of their demise. They were more haggard and sorrowful than the remnants of any defeated army, more terrible in countenance than the most victorious. Yoshito recognised many of them. "Saburo!" he called out to one. "I remember seeing you fall on the battlefield years ago! You led a counterattack against an enemy driving for my flank. The manoeuvre saved us!" The spirit pointed an accusatory finger at its former general, his armguard hanging by a thread. "You are the enemy!" the apparition declared. "In your foolish bid for revenge you recklessly ordered an attack before the army was fully prepared. I fought for you with all my heart and you betrayed me!" "No," Yoshito stammered, "It is not so! What I did was for our lord." He desperately sought for a sympathetic face among the crowd of his former colleagues and subordinates. "Juubei!" he cried, recognising a close friend. "Juubei, we were footsoldiers together. We fought side by side in many battles. You knew me very well..." "I cannot be appeased so easily," the ghost interrupted. "None of us can. Your will binds our pitiful souls to this earth even still. The selfish goal you set for yourself so long ago is too powerful even now. You will not reconcile us until you realise your mad quest is ended. We, the dead, your companions and servants, beg you to set our souls free!" Before Yoshito could reply they faded, one by one, back into the ground from whence they came. He awoke from his dream with a start, nearly drenched in his own perspiration. At first he breathed a sigh of relief upon realising he had only been dreaming. But then he froze at the sight before him! Standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the moonlit garden behind, was the black dog, its glowing red eyes fixed firmly upon him. Yoshito quickly grabbed for the sword ever beside him to cut at the beast. * * * * As was the custom, Ren had been sleeping in a room nearby. She awoke when she heard a cry from her husband's room, and she ran immediately for it, arriving just ahead of the servants. In the room they found a large scorched spot where the master's bedding should have been, and next to it was Yoshito's broken sword. He was nowhere to be found. It was noted, however, that at about the time of Yoshito's vanishing there appeared in the mountainous province of Echizen an itinerant priest, who espoused mercy and compassion for one's enemies, and preached the futility of war and vengeance. He was said to be ever accompanied by a black dog of unusual size. -- |----------B. Rudnick -- e-mail: rudnick@cfatrw.harvard.edu --------| |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | All that we see or seem, Is but a dream within a dream -- E.A. Poe | |--------------------------------------------------------------------|