Kayo's Tale

Kayo had to put some distance between herself and the city fast. At least for a couple of weeks until things died down. The fortunes of the patrons of the ochaya, or tea house, waxed and waned, soothed over by the ministrations of the geisha that served its premises. But for some reason the last samurai Kayo feted had taken personal offence at his misfortune at the gambling den, and swore to ruin her future. Perhaps one of the smaller towns on the outskirts would provide a temporary respite; Kayo could always return in future. In fact, anywhere along the Nakasendo mountain road was a sensible opportunity to regain her fortunes if she played her cards right.

Kayo, a princess stripped of her silks, escaped from seppuku's cold promise after a disastrous alliance between her clan and a shogun vassal. The vassal's family want her dead, and her own father intent on burying her name in monastic silence, hunted her.

After her escape from the shogun's court, she attempted geisha training, a fleeting opportunity to hide that had withered under her restless spirit; dawn's light was a constant unwelcome adversary that defeated her. Though blessed with a goddess's beauty, she also refused to sell her soul for coin. Instead, the Kitsune no Ana, one of the imperial capital's illegal shadowed gambling den, became her stage. By day, she was a captivating illusion, a hostess with a smile that hid a storm. By night, a ruthless dealer, her fingers weaving fate with every shuffle.

Six months in the den ended in a bloodbath, a samurai's fury unleashed, accusing her of cheating. Leaving corpses and whispers behind, Kayo fled the capital, the Nakasendo's winding path her only solace. Perhaps, in a humble post town, she could catch her breath, rebuild her shattered fortunes, and play her cards again. Layers of roughspun coton kimono covered by a tick navy Michiyuki obscured her pristine skin and generous female curves. Her head covered with a Sedge (hat), and a scarf covered her neck and chin as she slipped through the gate of the furthest town she could reach, her small feet aching with every step.

Fleeing a city was a desperate act, but without the backing of the bakuto ikka of the Kitsune no Ana, (or even with their backing), a samurai's ire was not to be trifled with. Kawada Sanji was not an unreasonable boss, his tayu oiran, or senior courtesan, had slipped Kayo a string of ryo, enough to afford her a journey out of town. In doing so, he was also signaling that he had cut off all ties with her services, so as to disassociate his business with the mistreated geisha and give face to Moriyama Naomasa. For it could be argued that Kayo was not at fault for whatever slight Moriyama perceived that was so terrible he drew his katana to cut down his offenders mid-performance.

As she stood at the main gates of Heian, the former capital city, Kayo knew that there were plentiful opportunities along the coastal road, the Tokaido Way which was highly trafficked by all manner of travellers. This also meant a slew of bakuto families and gangs plying the entire route, something Kayo wasn't sure was the wisest path to take. Up Nakasendo would take her through the mountain trail. Not that she was planning to hike through the ancient road to enjoy the scenery, but the post towns along the way would afford her many stops to earn a living. And more importantly, to put her past behind her if she continued in an easterly direction, very very far from her own exiled prefecture and her vengeful enemies.

The gate was bustling with throngs of people coming and going, even in these dark times, but as she journeyed on the crowd expectedly thinned as the sight of the city disappeared from view. There were still a variety of travellers, peasants going about their business, tradesmen ferrying wares, the occasional merchant accompanied by guards, she even saw a trio of women on their journey, escorted only by one man armed with a sword. But as she travelled, she became more and more mindful that she was travelling alone, not the wisest of decisions.

Perhaps the tiny village ahead would afford her a moment to rest her feet and review her choices if she wanted to travel on. Too tiny to be even called a village, it was a rest stop that lined either side of the foot of the mountain road, just before the slopes began to rise more steeply. There was a chance to get refreshment, or to make acquaintance, or even ply her trade. But if she deemed it unnecessary, she could press on.

A village, small and unremarkable, offered a sliver of anonymity. It was a starting point, a place to gather her thoughts, though grand strategies were not Kayo’s strength. She excelled at subtle manipulation, pulling the strings of men with practiced ease like a puppeteer.

Securing protection for her journey was paramount. A merchant caravan, she’d been told, was one of the best option for a lone traveler, especially with the growing unrest of civil war she heard about. The local inn, likely the only one in such a forgotten place, was her first target. If that yielded nothing, she'd turn to the village's merchants. Kayo also need to refill her water skin at the well or next river.

Walking, she wondered which banner her clan now flew Emperor or Shogun, two sides of the same corrupt coin in her perspective. Their mutual destruction would be her liberation if this could happen.

Kayo considered finding the most opportune moment to catch up with who seemed to be the most notable merchant on the Nakasendo trail, the one with the largest train escorting a wagon, accompanied by two bodyguards, but for some reason, the trader chose not to slow down at Idawata post station, instead choosing to press on to some further destination. With the darkening purple of dusk, Kayo was not confident that she had the means to risk the next leg of journey for she didn't know how much further the next stop was. Perhaps the inn would offer other options.