Ronin Letter - #3
The Empire is aflame with the beautiful rhapsody of war. It is a glorious time to live. Where else can the soul of a true wave man find peace so easily as in the thrill of battle? What else besides war offers the comforts of our class that we are so often denied? When else do the Great Clans look to the ronin and see not a filthy outcast but a skilled warrior whose blade can serve them for a pittance of koku?
My blade has tasted the blood of the Dragon at the Battle of Ki-Rin's Shrine, only to cut down the Phoenix for the Dragon Clan after the loss of the Masters. Before the fall of winter, I was far to the south, killing surly Crab warriors in the armies of Doji Kurohito. Later, I bested a Kakita in a fair duel. Well, I thought it was a fair duel, at any rate. It's not as if there were any witnesses. But I digress.
We are free. One often hears lament over the comforts the samurai of the clans possess that we do not, but what pleasure can they possibly hold that is greater than freedom? We are not bound to any lord, nor to any law save those we choose to observe when discretion demands it. We are free to move about as we see fit, spending the money that the fools pay us to fight in their petty squabbles in any way we choose. One might say that an average Lion soldier has a home and responsibilities. Hah! I say instead that the fool has a prison of his own making. I shall never be shackled so!
The recent news from the Otosan Uchi - the death of Yoritomo Aramasu - fills my heart with joy, for soon perhaps another war shall present itself for my amusement. Should such conflicts continue, it seems that I shall retire a very wealthy man indeed! The death of the Mantis daimyo would not have been of interest normally, except that his successor, Yoritomo Kitao, has proven a more devoted subject of her lord than I would ever have expected! Her righteous vengeance toward the Scorpion is both surprising and unexpected. I won't ask whence such a sudden fierce dedication arose, but I shall be eager to capitalize on the conflict that results, and the employment opportunities that arise!
I have also heard that the Unicorn are on the move. Moto Chagatai is a man after my own heart! He understands the glory and beauty of war. I have great hope that one day I can stand with his forces as they charge into battle. That would be a sight to see indeed! I would not remain long, of course. No man, not even the Khan, is worthy of my fealty! I expect only to find such a man when I die upon his blade.
But what a life to have lived!
-Kihei, Master Swordsman