Hi
Since Coda Tyburn has met an untimely end fighting evil I have created a new character. I will be posting some of his personal journal before while we wait for Tycho to catch up with the current action in game. Then I will pick up from where we left off. Hope you enjoy this one too (there are japanese terms used in the journal, I will post a quick translation after each entry)
One
I can hardly believe it has been 10 years since I arrived here to serve the Shogun. The training and studies have taken up some much of my day that the time has gone by so quickly.
It was a cool autumn day when I, a noble son of the Shiba family of the Phoenix Clan, arrived at the Palace of the Shogun. My family had long been in service to the Dwarven Shogun and part of that was the training of first sons in the way of the Samurai. The strict Code of Bushido was a distant concept to me on that day. I had travelled with members of my family to the palace and during the welcome ceremony I had to formally say goodbye to them dressed in a white kimono. I could see the pride on my fathers face as he watched me perform my part of the ceremony.
The following day was spent in meditation in the cherry blossom grove in the palace grounds. Three others had come to the Shogun at the same time as me. We sat in silence for many hours, even went a short snow shower left a small layer of snow on us all. At that point I did no know their names, we had not been introduced and talking was forbidden for us. We trained together and ate together for the whole winter without ever saying a word. The Sensei instructed us and we listened. We showed understanding by doing not talking.
In the spring we had learnt enough humility and obedience that we were once more allowed to talk. My new brothers and I spent another afternoon in the cherry blossom grove, this time talking constantly. We told each other of our homes and families. Kuni Jiro was of the Crab Clan and his father was a powerful Shugenja, Jiro was his second son sent to learn the ways of bushido. Kitsune Ryo and Bayushi Akushin both had come from noble families of the far south, newly established and eager to learn the true Way of the Samurai. I told them of my father, a diplomat who had served the Shogun many years ago as Yojimbo to the Shoguns daughter.
That whole first year passed so quickly, we all applied ourselves totally to our studies. We all progressed in the Dojo, practising with long and short bokkens everyday. Akushin quickly rose to the head of the class, he seemed to have a natural affinity for both swords. Outside of the Dojo Jiro excelled at calligraphy, his brushstrokes always seemed so smooth. I found that my own field of expertise was Origami; it came very naturally to me.
Shogun = A warlord
Samurai = Feudal Japanese warrior
Bushido = Way of the Warrior
Kimono = silk gown worn by men and women in Feudal Japan
Sensei = Master/instructor/mentor
Shugenja = A wizard
Yojimbo = A bodyguard
Bokken = Wooden practice sword
Origami = Paperfolding
Two
During our second year studying under Sensei we were introduced to our Senpai. Akushin was given the highest honour by becoming Kohai to the Sensei’s own son Matsu Agashi. I was to be Kohai to Musamoto Mushi. Our new Senpai gave us all extra duties on top of our normally routines, cleaning the dojo and weapons. The Sensei also stepped up the training that spring leaving us all exhausted at the end of the day. Toward the end of spring Ryo received a letter from home.
The Southern clans had formed an alliance with each other and were sending diplomatic envoys to all nearby kingdoms. Ryo was especially pleased to read that his older sister would be coming to the Shogun’s Palace as part of the envoy. Ryo told us of his sister Miko, how they would play together as children in the rice fields and bamboo forests of his home. Weeks passed, we trained and served. It seemed to us that the diplomatic envoy arrived swiftly after Ryo’s letter but in reality more than two months had passed as they had travelled north. Both Ryo and Akushin were eager to hear news of their homelands and of the new alliance between the clans.
We all spent time preparing for the arrival of the diplomats. A welcome ceremony was planned. The envoys party arrived at midday the day before the summer solstice. Ryo beamed to see his sister at the head of the group presenting itself to the Shogun. Miko was an unearthly beauty, her pale make-up highlighting the perfect form of her face. At the time I had no idea what the feelings rising in me would mean, or that Akushin felt the same. I was too preoccupied to see that he was staring at Miko with similar intensity.
W e played our parts in the welcoming ceremony, mainly sitting in full courtly dress near the Sensei. The ceremony lasted all afternoon and when it was finished the Shogun led Miko and the others into his private dining hall for evening meal. We had our own meal in the barracks. Jiro asked Ryo why he had not told us that Miko was so beautiful. Ryo replied that she was his sister and didn’t really think of her as anything other the girl he grew up with.
The day after the welcome ceremony we had a chance to speak to Miko. We all, without prior discussion, bowed deeply to show our respect. Ryo asked her a flood of questions, eager to hear news of their family and how things were back home. She answered his questions and her voice was as perfect as her physical beauty. To this day I cannot remember what she told Ryo that day. My memories are clouded by the passion that she inspired in me.
Senpai = Senior classmate
Kohai = Junior classmate
Three
I ignored signs of Akushin’s love for Miko for a long time. Miko was as cultured as she was beautiful. She would spend hours conversing with the Shogun on all topics. When she could she would spend time with Ryo and the rest of us. Miko was a number of years older than Ryo and I think even the other fell in love with her a little but I had become completely infatuated with her. As had Akushin.
I recall now the first time I realised the true depth of my feelings. I was carrying water back from the well and I heard talking coming from one of the water gardens. I turned a corner and saw Miko sat with Akushin and she was laughing. I am shamed to admit my behaviour but I threw down the water buckets and ran away. I had such an overwhelming amount of feeling that I felt physically sick. Tears were running down my cheeks, I collapsed by a tree. I sat with my back to the tree and grabbed my legs and buried my face between my knees. Miko had followed m e and eventually I heard her call my name. I did not want her to see me in such a state so I told her that I was fine and that I would come and clean up the spilt water soon. She did not try to force the issue for which I was very grateful.
That evening I made excuses to leave dinner as early as etiquette allowed. I could not bear to feel the stares of everyone, I felt as if they were all laughing at me behind their faces. Akushin would not meet my gaze though and spent the whole meal looking very angry, I assumed at my interruption of his conversation. . I was sat in my room folding a phoenix from a sheet of red paper when Miko knocked at my door. She asked me why I had rushed away from dinner. I told that I was shamed by my clumsiness early and that I was worried that everyone was mocking me. Miko quietly explained that neither she nor Akushin had spoken of the incident to anyone. She also mentioned that Akushin had attempted to compose a haiku in her honour that was really terrible and she herself was ashamed that she had laughed aloud.
To make up for her indiscretion Miko offered to spend some time with Akushin and I. The next morning Sensei told us that we had been selected by someone important for a task. He dismissed us from class for the rest of the day. Miko met us outside the dojo with a basket of food. We travelled outside the palace in to the base of the mountain. There at the edge of the forest was a small village with a Tea House. Miko explained what had happened and how she wanted everything to be fine between us all. Both Akushin and I agreed and that we would be yesterday behind us. For my part I genuinely wanted to forget about it all and spend time with Miko. And I thought Akushin wanted the same.
We spent the remainder of the day at the Tea House. I often look back on that day and no matter how much pain and suffering came after, that day we were completely happy. Miko was as captivating in conversation as she was beautiful.
Four
My love for Miko grew over the rest of that summer. I became distracted so much that Mushi noticed something was wrong. He took me aside one afternoon whilst we were fetching water for the dojo. He asked why I had not focused on my training as I had before. I could only be honest with and confessed my feelings for Miko. He nodded and said nothing more.
The next day, after morning exercises, we were told that Miko was to return to her homeland on some family business. Ryo was eager to hear what it was about and asked to see Miko before she left but Sensei told him that she had left at first light. I was shocked, she had mentioned nothing to me about leaving at all. The rest of the day passed in a blur, I could think of nothing else.
After the days’ training was completed Akushin came charging over to me. He began ranting that I had driven her away from him, that I was to blame. I was too numb to respond, Agashi pulled Akushin away and Mushi took me back to my room. He told me that he had been asked by Sensei to find out what was wrong and he reported back what I had told him. This was too much for me to bear, it really was my fault, Akushin had been right but it was me that she had been driven away from.
It was that night that I truly learned the lesson of Bushido, for my feelings were becoming a barrier to my training. I owed my Lord my loyalty, which included focusing on nothing but my training for the next two years. The loss of Miko burned in my heart but Bushido must come first. To do otherwise would be to fail and that is something that we Shiba hate to do. But I hardly slept that night all the same.
And so began the autumn, I focused back into the training. Akushin did the same but I could see in his eyes that he still resented me for my actions. I realised that he had felt love for Miko has had I and that made my betrayal all the more hurtful. I had hurt my friend not just myself. I resolved to make it up to Akushin somehow. He seemed to throw himself into the training more than ever.
Our first year on the path to becoming Samurai was nearly over, I had fallen in love and driven her away and in the process hurt one of my friends. Sensei teaches that the past is the foundation of the present but to dwell on regrets will paralyse a warrior. Clear thought, learning all lessons the past but focusing on the present is way of the warrior. At the end of that year I was still struggling to find that centre, the clear thought.