Momma, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Samurai

[cubofkai]

Who: cubofkai, a horse, and you.
Where: Just about anywhere; the Lake
When: Afternoon!
Style: Either/or!

When Mitsuhide had told Yukimura he could train a horse to allow him to ride as he usually did, he took that to heart. Nearly every morning since he had been working with a stallion nearly as excitable as he was, chatting excitedly to it as he taught the horse with surprising patience.

Now his hard work was paying off.

If you hear the sound of pounding hooves, you may wish to get out of the way.

Yukimura was crouched on the back of the stallion, one foot sideways and the other placed squarely between the beast's shoulder blades. He held his hands at his sides, missing the feel of his spears in his hands, as they cantered through any space big enough and empty enough for an excitable horse and his master to pass through.

If one were to follow them, eventually they would find a laughing Yukimura near the lake, brushing the sweat off the equine's body as it drank its fill.

Comments

[redcloakedthief]

[Matthew follows him with curiosity.

And amusement.

And appears quite like a ninja to pat the horse on the nose, peering around it to speak--]

Were you born with that sense of insanity, or is it learned?

[cubofkai]

[ Yukimura jumps in surprise, but then relaxes somewhat when he notices Matthew (somewhat as he is not so certain what he things of the other man quite yet). ]

I would not call it insanity, but I never remember being different.

[redcloakedthief]

[He grins at that, nodding.]

Alright. That seems fair.

Then feats of strength and balance are normal in your world.

[cubofkai]

But of course! They are necessary for battle.

[ All right, maybe necessary isn't the word one should use for standing on a horse, but then again, his world is a bit special. ]

[redcloakedthief]

[He tilts his head, thoughtful.]

Are you a cavalier, then?

[cubofkai]

A cavalier? I do not know the term.

[ Puppy is confused. ]

[redcloakedthief]

Ah...That answers that question, I suppose!

Heh, someone who fights on a horse. Like a knight.

[cubofkai]

Oh! Well, I do join the Takeda cavalry on many an occasion, but I often fight as a footsoldier, as well. In my homeland they call people such as I samurai.

[redcloakedthief]

[He considers that.]

Samurai...

Heh, not a term I'm familiar with. So how do you fight then? Consider me curious.

[cubofkai]

You are not? Oh! Well, I fight with a pair of cross-spears, myself. Samurai may use many different weapons, however: many use swords, some only their fists, my own lord uses a great axe... I even know a man who uses a ship's anchor as his weapon!

[redcloakedthief]

...Huh. Sounds a bit vague to me, but what can you do.

[He just shakes his head, amused.]

Then you are capable in battle. Used to being directed, I would imagine.

[cubofkai]

Samurai is not a style of fighting, you see; it is a way of life. f

[ This is a very important distinction, at least to Yukimura. ]

Well, yes, of course.

[ Though lately he had been expecting to direct instead of being directed, which was... much more difficult. ]

[redcloakedthief]

A way of life...

[A thoughtful hum, and then he nods.]

I see. i understand.

But if you're used to being directed, I'm going to take it that your lord isn't here at the moment.

[cubofkai]

...ah, no. That he is not. As far as I know, he remains safe in the land of Kai...

[ Hopefully safe. Yukimura fears that he may return to horrible news. ]

[redcloakedthief]

Hey--if he's a lord worth giving your loyalty to, he'll be able to take care of himself. Don't be so insulting to your own lord.

[cubofkai]

It is not that Oyakata-sama is weak!

[ Yukimura looks startled that anyone would even think he was insulting him. ]

But he has been struck by illness, and that is an enemy even the strongest of warriors can fall against.

[redcloakedthief]

Illness, huh...

[He pauses. He knows that story well enough--Lord Uther had fallen to the exact same thing. A pause...and he nods.]

Alright, fair enough. I'll give you that one.

Then you'd better stop following and start leading.

[cubofkai]

...that I have been trying to do.

[ Trying because... Yukimura knows that he is not a very good leader. He is not sure most days why the Takeda are willing to follow him. ]

[redcloakedthief]

[He taps a finger to his lip momentarily before, well--]

Trying is hardly good enough.

Don't let down your lord that way. Come now--is this the way of life of the samurai?

[cubofkai]

I would fight for the Takeda with all my soul, were I with them again.

[ Yet... ]

Though all I find myself able to do now is stay in this place and wait to see what fate brings me.

[redcloakedthief]

...Nah, that's the wrong way to look at it! You've got time here--why are you just going to squander it away.

Time is money, after all!

[That might almost even sound like Sasuke, complete with cheeky tone.]

[cubofkai]

[ ... it does sound like Sasuke, almost as if it had come out of the ninja's own mouth. ]

I do not mean to squander it. Do you have a suggestion, then, for what I should do with it?

[redcloakedthief]

[Heh.]

Then work for it. Make use of it! Do something with your time here.

Figure out why it is you still can't lead. That's more worthwhile than just vowing that you will, someday in the future.