Motoyoshi Jiro sat at the far end of the dock, drinking his tea as he stared out over the fog shrouded sea. So far, this latest mission for Lord Arai had been less than successful. Pirates, storms, shipwreck, it seemed that the gods conspired to keep them from their appointed task.
Jiro sighed slightly and took another sip of tea. Along with the pirates they had once again encountered the foreign warriors with red dragons tattooed on their arms. Warriors who carried strange weapon and fought with strange techniques. Several of these long-hafted weapons lay back in the house, to be presented to Lord Arai as proof of their involvement.
The battle against the foreigners had not been without it's cost. Kenji, the heiman, had been seriously wounded in the initial fight with the pirates, and even now was only just recovering the ability to move freely. Shinbei, however, had committed the ultimate act of service, dying in the second battle with the pirates and their gaijin allies. His head had been preserved in a cask of sake, to be buried with honor back home. Jiro sighed again, he would miss the archer.
Rising, Jiro gathered up his bow and a sheaf of arrows. Shinbei's skill had impressed him, and lately Jiro had been spending time practicing his aim. After that, Yabu was to take Jiro and himself up into the woods to perfect certain techniques for moving silently, as well as weapons training later. Jiro paused and once again examined the misty surface of the water. The next ship still wasn't due for a month. They needed to get off the island, and soon, for not only did Lord Arai need to be informed of what had been discovered, but there was still the matter of the message that needed to be delivered before the spring thaw...