Toturi's Army Letter - #2
I have no time for pleasantries as we are readying ourselves for movement as I write, but I will try to tell you all I have learned. You last letter was very enlightening, and I will try to complement the information you sent to me. And please, I must ask that you no longer speak my family name. I am Akodo no longer.
I have encountered the Crab army on three occasions, and on all three, I have managed to force their retreat. I must admit that I cannot take complete responsibility for our army's victory. These Dragons have taught me much since I joined their ranks. Under the tutelage of Sensei Kage, I learned all the traditional methods of warfare, but these Dragons (especially the tattooed man Togashi Mitsu) have shown me the virtue of unorthodox tactics. I have always regarded the use of shugenja to be over valued by the armies of the Phoenix and Dragon, and now I understand why they are so prevalent.
I have heard that the Gray Crane has won the Emerald Armor. That has an ironic poetry to it. Now, with Lord Kakita guarding the Emperor, I wonder how much influence the Lady Scorpion will have with our beloved Hantei-sama. I also heard Mirumoto Hitomi was there. She disappeared from my ranks after the Battle at Beiden Pass when she severed the hand from Kisada's son, Yakamo. The Crab samurai was lucky he escaped with his life. I must also briefly mention the condition of Lord Doji. You must trust me, my friend, the man who is waiting for me in the north is not the Crane Champion. He is an impostor, and I know this because I have seen my old friend and heard the tale from his own lips. He was delivered to me on a moonless night by a masked ronin who disappeared as quickly as he appeared. Lord Doji said that she used some kind of magical egg, and when Mitsu heard the tale, he told me he knew the thing's name. He called it the 'Egg of Pan Ku' and shuddered when he mentioned it. I have often admired the courage of Togashi Mitsu and have never seen him shudder before. I did not like the look of it.
When I speak of this next thing, I must tell you that I am trusting you more than any other I have ever trusted, my friend, but there is something that you must know. A secret ally I have in the Matsu house has told me that they await us to retreat north to Beiden Pass where an ambush has been prepared. The false Hoturi waits in the north, another Shadowlands army waits in the east and the Unicorns will not let us pass through Beiden. We will be forced to march to the North into Lion lands where Lady Matsu waits with her finest samurai. I do not know how I will survive through this trap alone. I have sent Daini to the west to seek out allies. He has not yet returned. I am hoping that the false Hoturi's army has not caught him; I will need the strength I sent him for soon. All my hope goes with this letter. May the Seven Fortunes deliver it safely to your hands. Have faith, and I will speak to you again as soon as I can. Long live the Emperor!
Toturi