Chapter Text
-Lord Nobunaga, I suggest we make camp here for the night -Hideyoshi approached the mount of his lord-.Tomorrow we will enter Kyoto.
Nobunaga nodded and stopped his horse, signaling the halt for the rest of his small company composed of his Generals Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide, along with their sweet Oda princess, Hana, who was also Hideyoshi’s wife. The group traveled to Kyoto with the intention to negotiate a deal with a well known merchant family; the producers of the best quality kimono fabrics.
They started to set up camp under the starry sky, in a relaxed and cheerful mood, knowing they were on time for their meeting and unaware of the group of men that were coming their way that very instant.
-What is that? -Hideyoshi made a pause in the assembling of a small tent destined to give Hana some privacy.
-What? What is it Hideyoshi? -Hana trusted Hideyoshi’s well trained senses, and she got worried the moment she looked at the seriousness of his face.
-It sounds like a small group of horses -Mitsuhide said, looking in the direction Hideyoshi was indicating.
Nobunaga kept tending the fire, but his eyes were alert, and there were some tension in his body, as he readied himself for battle.
After a few minutes, the silhouettes of six riders could be seen approaching fast over the plains.
-Hana, get inside the tent -Hideyoshi ordered-. Do not come out unless I say so.
She obeyed without a word. By now, she had learned to keep quiet when in dangerous situations, which still happened every now and then. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t fight if the need arose, and she clutched in her hand a small sword Nobunaga had gifted her when she decided it was time to learn some self defense.
Soon the men, six in total, reached the small camp and stopped. They were a disheveled group, their kimonos tattered and dirty, their mounts thin and tired, and their eyes full of greed.
-Hey, you! -Said the one who seemed to be the leader of the group, pointing a them with a long sword that swayed in his hand-. We want you to share your dinner with us.
-And your horses too - said another, behind the first.
-And your tent, and the rest of your belongings -said a third one, snickering.
-Oh my. What a request… --Mitsuhide said, taunting them-. What if we say ‘no’?
-Come on! This is no time for jokes -said the leader, a little put off by Mitsuhide’s creepy smile-. We are planning to let you live if you comply with our request, but if you don’t...
The other ronin unsheathed their weapons.
-Then we say ‘no’ -Nobunaga said with all the calm in the world, without turning from the small fire.
-Oy!! Have you noticed that we are six and you are only three? And look at me when I talk to you! I’m a samurai! -The man rose his voice, offended-. I think I will personally teach you some manners.
The ronin dismounted and looked threateningly at the three men that still seemed totally unfazed at the menace.
-Oooy!!! You!!! -The leader of the gang attacked Nobunaga, thinking he was the easiest target. But the next instant, his sword was out of his hand, flying away from him-. W-Wha...! -He looked at his hand, incredulous, then at the point of the katana that was held firmly near his throat.
In less than a minute, the other five men were on the ground, wounded or unconscious.
Hana, inside the tent, was trying to discern the outcome of the match. She hadn’t risked to peek through the opening, since it was close to the light of the fire, so she couldn’t see what was happening. But by the sound of it, the fight seemed to have finished as abruptly as it started. Then, the silence was interrupted by an almost inaudible groan… coming from somewhere else. What is that? For a moment, Hana thought she had just imagined it…
-Mmmmp!!!
This time, the sound came stronger. Is that a woman? Then she heard the voice of Nobunaga…
-What an interesting cargo you have in there…
-That’s none of your business! -The leader ronin said.
-Oh, but it is, since you made it so -Mitsuhide retorted. The fire illuminated him in a way that made his face look even more sinister than usual, and the man recoiled.
The three warlords secured all the ronin with ropes and tied them to a nearby tree, then Nobunaga went to inspect a big bundle tied to one of the horses.
-Please, my Lord -Hideyoshi stopped him-. Let me do that.
Nobunaga nodded and Hideyoshi went to the horse with his sword ready at hand. By now, the muffled screams were louder and the bundle was moving frantically with bare legs kicking up into the air. Hideyoshi had to put away his sword in order to get near, but as he approached, a feet made an involuntary contact with his jaw.
-Hmf!!
The unexpected kick wasn’t too strong, but still sent Hideyoshi stumbling backward, and he landed on his butt with a groan.
-Maybe you should have approached from the other side… You know, the side that doesn’t have legs... -Mitsuhide walked to the horse stifling a laugh-. Could you please stop moving? We are trying to help you -He said to the faceless bundle, reaching to take off the bag over the head. -What the...!
Mitsuhide wasn’t a man that could be easily surprised, but this time he truly was, as two dark and fearful eyes looked at him behind a curtain of bright colored hair.
-What is it? -Hideyoshi was already pecking behind Mitsuhide’s back-. By the Gods! Is that even human...?!
-I think is a woman... -Mitsuhide said, then he shrugged-. Well, let’s take her down and see.
-Do you think it’s safe? -Hideyoshi said, rubbing his jaw with the back of his hand.
-The great Toyotomi Hideyoshi is scared of a woman? Or… Do you think it’s a youkai, perhaps? Afraid it may eat you...? -Mitsuhide laughed, as Hideyoshi threw daggers at him with his eyes.
-Hm-hmmp! -The woman in question protested, looking at the two men with fiery eyes.
Mitsuhide turned his attention to the woman-thing-bundle. He ungagged her first, mindful of the appalling bruise on her face and the blood on her lips. Then he went to the ropes, wondering why those ronin had felt the need to tie her so strongly.
At last, between he and Hideyoshi, managed to place her in the ground, and started to untie the ropes that bound her like a sushi roll. After some struggle the two men freed her from the fabric that was covering her body and, surprised, had to make a pause to look again at her. Her clothes, if those could be called that, were torn and covered in dirt and blood stains, same as her face, arms and legs; and her hair was a messy tangle of brown, blue, green and purple strands…
With her wrists still tied at the back, she tried --and failed-- to rise, and managed only to slide back to the ground with a thump.
-Careful! -Hana, already out of the tent, tried to reach her, but Hideyoshi raised an arm to keep his wife away. With his other hand, he held his sword to the woman, who looked at him with a mix of fear and defiance-. Hideyoshi, stop! You are scaring her!
-Hana, don’t come closer! We don’t know what kind of creature this is. It may look like a woman, but…
-She won’t hurt me.
-How can you be so sure? -Mitsuhide asked, full of curiosity.
-Because she is like me… -Her voice, full of emotion, disconcerted the three men.
-What? -Hideyoshi looked back and forth from the woman at the ground and his wife, failing to see any similarities beyond the fact that they both were women… And he was still doubting that.
-She came from the future -Hana said in a low voice, approaching despite the protests of her husband.
At that word, the woman reacted. Her eyes widening-. Don’t be afraid -Hana kneeled beside her and took a small knife from the inside of her kimono-. I’m going to cut those ties. Is that okay?
The woman nodded, her watery eyes still locked with Hana’s. Careful to not hurt her further, Hana cut the ropes on her wrists. Again the woman tried to stand, but she was now drained of adrenaline. Her aching body, and the blood rushing through her dormant limbs made it impossible for her to even sit properly. Still, Hideyoshi kept his sword at hand, one step behind his wife, ready to jump the moment the woman tried to do something funny. But neither her nor Hana were paying attention to him. The women were looking at each other as if they were the most marvelous things in the universe.
-You are the--!
The woman tried to speak with parched voice, but started coughing instead.
-Hideyoshi, please, bring her some water -Hana asked.
-Allow me…
Mitsuhide was already there with a waterskin. With a gentleness rarely seen in him, he lifted the woman to a sitting position, letting her rest her back on his chest. Then helped her to drink a few swallows.
-Tha-thank you.
-Maybe it would be better to tend to her wounds before attempting to discover her identity…? -Mitsuhide suggested.
Hana reacted at his words, taking notice of the blood on her body and clothes.
-You’re right, Mitsuhide, please bring her to the tent. I’ll take care of it.
-Hana, are you sure it’s safe to be alone with her?
-Yes, Hideyoshi. Don’t fret. I’ll be fine.
Mitsuhide lifted the woman with ease, and carried her to a bedroll inside the tent. Hideyoshi followed with another pitcher of water. He wanted to stay there, but one look from his wife was enough to dissuade him. Instead, he stayed at the entrance, his full attention to the sounds and voices coming from the interior.
-My name is Hana, Saito Hana.
-I’m Matsui Hiroko… -Her voice was still raged, but getting stronger-. I’m grateful for your help.
-How did you end up here, in this time? -Hana asked.
-By accident.
-You too...
For a while there was silence, broken every now and then with exclamations of pain and apologies from Hana. Then, they started chatting again.
-So, Miss Saito, did you mean you came here by accident too? -Hiroko asked.
-Please, call me Hana. And yes, it was an accident. At first I didn’t understand what was happening… It was very confusing and scary... But, unlike me, you do seem to know where you are.
-Yes, I know. Though it wasn’t me the one supposed to travel, so it was a real surprise when I found myself on that place.
-Say, Miss. Matsui, when I untied you, you were about to tell me something, what was it…
-Oh, that’s… Ouch!
-Sorry!
-It’s okay... What I wanted to say… When you mentioned the future, and I looked, truly looked at you, is that I knew who you were. I recognized you...
-Recognized me...? But, I don’t remember ever meeting you before.
-No, we never did, but I recognized you from the news…
-The news?!
-The girl who went missing last year… -Hiroko made a pause, to better chose her words-. You were on the national news for a while. Also, you were a trending topic on twitter for two weeks. I think there is no one in Japan that doesn’t know your name or your face.
-Oh…
Outside the tent, even though Hideyoshi couldn’t understand all that they were saying, he still could get the gist of it, and he couldn’t help worrying. He never gave much thought to where Hana came from, and she never talked much about her family. She seemed to be totally content living in this time with him.
-Do you know anything about… -Hana was feeling afraid of asking- about my parents…
There was a prolonged silence, and Hideyoshi felt dread at what the answer might be. Then he heard the voice of the woman again.
-I know only what I heard on the news--
-Wait! -Hana raised her hands-. I… I’m not sure I’m ready to hear it…
-Let’s do this -Hiroko suggested, taking her hand-. Think about it for a little while, and when you feel ready, I will tell you all I know.
-Thank you, Miss Matsui… -Hana gave her a tiny smile-. Well, we are finished. I wish we had more water and light to clean you better, but for now that is not possible. Maybe tomorrow you’ll be able to take a bath. I’ll speak to Nobunaga about it.
-Thank you, Hana. And please, call me Hiroko. No honorifics needed.
-Okay, Hiroko. Now, let me help you with this… -Hana lend Hiroko a clean, white kimono and helped her to dress-. Do you want to keep your clothes? -She held up the white blouse, the jacket and the lilac skirt Hiroko was wearing. Her once white underwear was also in a small bundle over the bedroll.
-They are useless now. I should burn them.
-It’s a shame it’s ruined, it was a nice outfit -Hana said-. I’ll take care of them. You can rest now. I’ll bring you something to eat, then you can sleep. I’ll will stay all night right here with you, so you have nothing to worry about.
-Thank you, Hana.
Hana found Hideyoshi just outside the tent. He asked how the woman was and nodded when he was told she was fine in spite of some bruises and cuts.
Nobunaga and Mitsuhide, sitting by a small fire, called them to have dinner. They had rice crakers, and a rabbit was being roasted on the fire. Hana took some rice crakers and more water for Hiroko, but when she returned to the tent discovered the woman was already asleep. Very gently, Hana checked her temperature and was relieved to find she seemed fine; though even in her sleep Hiroko’s expression remained tense and troubled. Sighing, she left her and rejoined the men.
-Did you learn something interesting -Mitsuhide asked when Hana sat by the fire.
-Not much. Her name is Matsui Hiroko, and she came from the same place as me, and just like me, she came here by accident. The interesting bit is that she knew what was happening from the start, and I quote: “it wasn’t me the one supposed to travel.”
Hideyoshi knew it was not all, but decided to keep silent. After all, the rest of the conversation were more of a private nature.
-Nobunaga, can we bring her with us back to Azuchi? -Hana asked-. If not, at least let me take her to Echigo. I’m sure Sasuke he would take care of her… But... But I would really like if she could come with us.
Nobunaga locked eyes with Hideyoshi for a second, enough to see the brief movement of his head.
-I’m intrigued by this woman. -Nobunaga nodded.- She has a fighting spirit, very much like yours. I wonder if all the women of your time are like that.
-Err… No. Actually, I think most women aren’t.
-Should I expect her to smack Lord Nobunaga at some time? -Hideyoshi asked, only half joking.
-Don’t you dare point your sword at her again! She is scared enough already.
-But…
-No buts!
-Will you let me ask her some questions? -Mitsuhide had the most innocent of expressions-. I promise not to scare her.
Hana was about to say no, but then remembered the way Mitsuhide helped her to drink from his waterskin, and decided to trust him.
----
It was well past midnight when Hiroko woke with the sound of her own scream. Panting, she sat on her bedroll and put a hand to her chest, as if she could steady her heartbeat with that simple gesture. Cold sweat was dripping from her forehead, mixing in her cheeks with the drops falling from her eyes…
- Are you okay? Did you have a nightmare? -Hana’s voice was gentle and full of worry.
Hiroko nodded, wiping her face, though she was still sobbing.
-I’m sorry for waking you -her voice was broken.
-It’s okay. What was it about? Want to tell me?
-It was about those men… when they captured me… -Hiroko breathed in deeply-. I guess it’s the PTS, so don’t worry. Go back to sleep.
Hiroko lay down again, facing away from Hana, but her body was still trembling with silent sobs. Then she felt a hand on her back, moving in a gentle and soothing circles.
-I know how it is -Hana said with a quiet voice-. I know how it feels to have a sword pointed right at your neck. I know how scary it is to be in an unknown place, where the customs and rules you knew don’t apply anymore, and where any man feels he has the right to do with you as he pleases, or to kill you for the most stupid of reasons. Although I was fortunate enough and nobody hurt me the way you were hurt.
-How did you managed?
-The first week was a nightmare. I worked like crazy to earn a place in their home, and all the time I felt like, if I made a single mistake, my head would be chopped off my shoulders... But then, they started to trust me and I was able to breathe again.
-When you say “they”, do you mean these men?
-Yeah. They and some others. They became my friends first, then my overprotective brothers. And now, Hideyoshi is my husband.
-So, you have made a life for yourself here. And you are happy…?
-Yeah, I am.
Hiroko smiled in the darkness, feeling more relaxed. The two women continued chatting for a little while, not knowing that the three men near the tent, apparently asleep, listened attentively to their conversation; one of them, feeling guilty and regretful.