Every journey begins with a single step.
Step well, and your journey will be filled with fortune.
Step poorly, and it will be wrought with disaster.
-The Tao of Shinsei
Just north and east of Beiden Pass is the province of Hamana. Ataka is this province's daimyo, one of the greadt lords of the Clan of the Lion. In Hamana, there is a village, and in th village, there is an inn. It is called Ugaido's inn, for that is the name of the man who owns it. It was Ugaido's inn five hunred years ago, and today it remains Ugaido's inn, passed down from Ugaido to Ugaido for too many generations to count. The current Ugaido is a short, bald man whose big laugh fits inside his big belly. Long ago, a group of bandits almost burned his inn down and left him with a long scar along his face. Now only half of his face moves, which makes him sound drunk all the time. But he is a clever man, this fat little fewllow, and tonight, there is gambling at his tables and rain on his roof.
And it is in this little inn that our story begins.
"Fortunes and Winds!" the little man with the mumbling lip called out. There were cries of anger and joy all about him. He felt his wicked smile creep up on his face and his thoughts turned sudenly to Gimiko. Even with the stink of tobacco in his head, he could stil smell the perfume in her hair.
He shook his head clear of the memory. "Ha! There you have it. Fortunes and Winds. Where is my money?"
The coins were pushed across the table by reluctant hands. He heard the murmurs in the darkness, but he ignored them.Losers will always find excuses, he thought.Besides, these winnings will keep me well fed for many months. He tucked the coins into a pouch hanging from the silk belt wrapped around his waist. He took up his sake cup and felt the warm wine run down into his stomach. The wind outside shook the rafters and he thought, Good thing I will not need the sake to keep me warm tonight.
He stepped from the table. "Sorry, but the sake has gone to my head. Besides, it has been three days since I have had a bath. Good night."
"No!"
He turned ot find the source of the shout. It was a tall man, dressedin a fine silk kimono that deserved better respect. Tucking in his obi were the two swords: the katana and the wakizashi. His eyes were red and dancing. "No! Yo uwill play until I get my money back."
Ginawa looked for the innkeeper. "Why does this man have his swords? Aren't all expected to check their swords in at the door?"
No one said a word. He watched as the crowd parted to allow space between the two men. Ginawa looked for the boy who took his own swords away from him at the door. "It is the law," the boy explained. He knew he shoul have demanded to keep at least the short sword, the wakizashi.
"I have no quarrel with you," He said to the samurai.
"You are a coward!" the samurai spat back.
Ginawa's eyes narrowed. When he spoke next, there was the hiss of a serpent in his voice. "The sake in your stomach speaks for you, samurai."
"Then perhaps I will let my katana speak for me."
Ginawa watched the swordsman carefully, studying the steady rising and falling o fhis shoulders. Give me a hint, he thought. Give me just a single...NOW!
Ginawa leapt, his whole body pushing him at the samurai with an explosion of motion just as the drunkard's sword was coming free of its saya. He hurled his weight into the samurai's shoulder, gradded the swordsman's right hand with both of his own and snapped the arm over his leg. He head the samurai's breath catch in his throat, but the man had enouht willpower left in his pickled brain to keep himself from making any sound. The sword fell to the wooden floor along with its broken master.
Ginawa stepped back, watcihn the fallen samurai as he did. His back bumped into a bystanders, and he spin about, ready for anything.
Five samurai stood before him, the rain dripping off their armor and their spears. Ginawa stepped back from them. "I do not want any trouble. This man," he pointed at the wounded samurai on the floor, "drew his sword against me. I only defended myself. I do not kill drunkards."
One of the samurai walked forward, his masked face turning toward the man with the broken arm. "Magistrate Ujikeme, are you all right?"
"Magistrate?" Ginawa asked, the consequences of his actions coming into focus.
"My arm is broken," the magistrate told the samurai like a child tells its mother he has bruised his knee.
"You must come with us, Ujikeme-sama." The samurai then turned to Ginawa. "You as well."
Ginawa opened his mouth to protest, but shut it almost as quickly. "Let me fetch my swords," he said.
"Swords? You are a samurai?"
Ginawa frowned. "Hai. To my shame."
The masked guard nodded. "A ronin, eh? Very well. Come with me. My lord will want to speak with you."
Ginawa bowed shortly just as the boy stepped up to him, his daisho in his hands. He took the blades, slid them into his belt and tossed a coin at Ugaido. "That should cover the shugenja's fee for purifying the blood from your floor, old man."
"Hai! And them some! You are a good man, samurai."
Ginawa looked at the old inkeeper. He searched his mind for something wise ot say, but all he could find was, "I am a killer, old man. The only thing that makes me is enemies."
They rode through the night along the Emperor's road. By the time the rain trickled to a light haze, by the time the sun crept up in the east, Ginawa's muscles were screaming for a bath. "Just a little while longer, old bones," he whispered. The guards turned to look at him. He smiled and shrugged.
A few hours after sunrise, they found the daimyo's pavillion. The tall circle of white sheets waved in the light wind as their horses came to a stop. The guards dismounted, and Ginawa followed their example.
"Leave your weapons with us," the pavillion's iron-masked guard told him.
"Two times in two days I will be without my swords at my side."
The guard shrugged, "This time you will be sitting before my lord, not a crowd of drunkrds."
Ginawa watched the masked eyes of the guard for a long time, then tooks his swords fro mhis obi and passed them over.
"Follow me," the guard told him. Ginawa obeyed.
Inside the pavillion waited three samurai. Two of them were standing. The third was sitting. Ginawa didn't need to guess whom he was here to see. He moved slowly, kneeling before the seated samurai. Then, slowly, he put each hand on the ground before him and touched his head to the backs of his hands.
The samurai looked at him, motionless in his stare. Ginawa knew better than to speak before he was spoken to. He also knew that this silence was a kind of test. He remained motionless, sitting on his ankles, staring deep into the samurai's eyes. Behind the samurai, he saw the sun rise higher. As it gained height, the pain in his ankles grew, but Ginawa alllowed no sign of that pain to show in his eyes. Instead he focused on another pain, a deeper pain that lived deep in his heart. He lived the moment in his mind over and over again. That pain smothered the ache in his ankles.
Finally, the samurai spoke. "What is your name?"
Ginawa shooked his head. "My name has been taken from me."
"Is that why you travel through my lands without papers? Is that why you wound my magistrates? You are seeking your name?"
Again, he shook his head. "what I seek only death itself can give to me."
A light of understanding shone in the samurai's eyes. "You are a wave man then, a ronin." He looked to his guards. "You say this man defeated Ujikeme?"
The guard rushed forward to kneel at his master's feet. "Hai!"
"With nothing but his bare hands?"
The guard bowed shortly. "Hai!"
The samurai nodded. "You were never very fond of Ujikeme, were you, Hijiko?"
Ginawa looked to his right at the kneeling guard. Slowlt, she removed the helmet from her head and placed it at her side. "He was ever devoted to you, Ataka-sama."
Ataka almost smiled, "Your sincerity does you credit, Hijiko." He removed his fan from his obi and pointed it at Ginawa. "And what do you think of our nameless friend?"
She looked at Ginawa, and he saw a glint of something in her eyes. "He moves well, Ataka-sama. And he shows a bit of resolve."
"Good. I am glad we are in agreement." Ataka made a motion to a servant who quickly brought two papers to the samurai. One of the papers he handed to Hijiko; the other, to Ginawa. "Hijiko, you have served me well for three years. No longer will you be a yoriki, a magistrate's assistant. You are now my chief magistrate, my karo."
Despite her best efforts, a smile blossomed on Hijiko's face, and as Ginawa watched it bloom, he realized he was looking at a hidden beauty under all that sweat and armor.
"And for you, my nameless friend, I have a proposal for you. Since I am now one yoriki short, I was wondering if you would help me fill the gap."
Ginawa knew the question before Ataka spoke it. His gaze dropped to Ataka's knees. He could hear his breath. He felt his heart pounding against his chest. He took a breath and said, "Ataka-sama, I have been samurai to a daimyo, and when my courage was questioned, I failed. I never want that to happen again." "Then don't let it happen again, samurai."
Ginawa's head snapped up. Again, he looked ito Ataka's eyes. Moments passed. Something unspoken passed between them. Ginawa nodded.
"I accept."
"Good, then tell me your name."
"It is Ginawa."
He felt Hijiko start and saw the two samurai behind Ataka put their hands on the pommels of the weapons.
Ataka did not move.
"Then the blade you carry..." Ataka whispered.
"Hai. It is one of the four Iuchiban blades."
Across the pavillion, servants stepped away from the resting sword.
"The cursed swords of the Blood Speakers," Hijiko murmured.
Ataka asked, "Which one is it, Ginawa?"
"The blade of revenge, Ataka-sama"
He nodded. "Then take your weapon and go to your steed. Wait there."
"Hai!" Ginawa rose quickly and went to his blade. He took it as the servants watched, their eyes filled with trepidation.
When he was out of sight, Hijiko asked, "Ataka-sama, is it wise..."
"He is strong Hijiko. The strength of his Ancestors is in his soul. I can see that. There is also a destiny in his eyes. I may be part of that destiny." He looked directly at the samurai-ko. "And so might you."
She bowed and rose. "My life for you, Ataka-sama." Then she rushed back out to her steed.
"The Fortunes have made my house a way station on your path, Ginawa," he said as he watched them ride away. "I hope your path of blood will end in honor."