The men came pouring out into the cold morning air. One by one at first and then in streams. They set up their own fires on the gra.s.sy flats inside the old fortress walls, borrowing hot embers from the roaring fire that Gengyo"s party had managed to set up.
With the fires burning, the cooks went about their work, setting large pots above the flame and pouring in enough rice to feed a few hundred.
"There you are, my Lord," one of them handed Gengyo a bowl full of rice and poured a selection of pickled vegetables and fish on top. He was always the first to eat – he enjoyed that, for it always felt like he was hungry.
"Thank you," he said simply, holding the bowl of steaming food in one hand and his chopsticks in the other. He caught Rin looking over enviously, still clutching her empty bowl, waiting for her turn. He began to spoon it into his mouth, looking at her all the while, making sure she noticed the satisfaction on his face.
"Cruel… Way too cruel Nii-san," she complained, unable to even look at him much longer. She had to look up at the grey morning sky instead.
Akiko might have been inclined to the same complaints, but she was swift enough to nab some of Gengyo"s. "It"s true," she would say, "it tastes even better from someone else"s bowl."
"I"ll be sure to test that theory," Gengyo a.s.sured her. And when his wife had her food poured, he was looking over, waiting for his opportunity. She held it closely, protectively, knowing exactly what he was doing.
"You still have a bowl half full," she complained, "must you a.s.sault me for mine?"
"Gah! I"ve had it with you two. Give me some food, Akiko!" Rin finally snapped – her bowl still hadn"t been filled and the growling of her stomach could be heard from across their little circle.
"Ah," Akiko looked from the ferocious Rin back to the sneaky Gengyo and she decided that her husband was the lesser of her two evils – it was Rin she turned her back on now, protecting her plate.
Rin didn"t stop there. With a hand on her friend"s shoulder, she was stabbing towards the bowl with her chopsticks, hoping to pick up anything. Even a single grain of rice would have been a victory. But Akiko fought her back with chopsticks of her own and the two of them engaged in an intense duel, their chopsticks moving as quickly as their blades on the battlefield.
"So loud," Morohira complained. He"d turned away the food for want of more sleep. He kept closing his eyes, hiding under his rough woollen blanket, begging the world to quiet down.
"That"s your daughter there," Rokkaku stated, "isn"t hard to tell who she got her loudness off."
"You be quiet too, Rokkaku," Morohira murmured, "let your pal get some sleep."
"Is he hungover?" Gengyo asked. It was rare to see Morohira as anything less than the most energetic person for miles around.
"Hah! I wish. Your father"s a fun drunk, mostly. Bit of sake would have got his spirits up and let him sleep better. But we couldn"t get our hands on any, so here we are, b.l.o.o.d.y miserable," Rokkaku told him.
"Alcoholics," Jikouji said mildly, cleaning up the last of his food.
"Aye, so what?" Rokkaku didn"t even try to deny it.
And finally, Rin"s food arrived and the battle between her and Akiko was over. "Here you are, Lady Rin," the cook said nervously, terrified that she"d tear his head off. But her eyes were only for the food. She s.n.a.t.c.hed it from him and began to wolf it down with the contented look of a happy cat on her face.
"I"ll have some more if you"ve got it," Gengyo said before the cook left for the others.
"Of course my Lord, there"s plenty," the cook a.s.sured him, filling his bowl right up again.
"Your food is now safe," Gengyo told Akiko.
"Good," she said, relaxing.
"Mm, but it does taste better," with her guard lowered, Gengyo managed to s.n.a.t.c.h a chunk of pickled fish for himself, enjoying the irritated look on his wife"s face. "I win," he said with a fool"s grin.
"You always win," she said back, sounding less than happy about it.
Jikouji had been trying to get his attention for a few moments, and with his victory secure, Gengyo looked over to him.
"The scouts are back," Jikouji told him, pointing across to the other side of the fortress where two men were dismounting their horses.
"Mm. They look rather excited," Gengyo noted, waiting for them to cross over to him as he continued with his food. The scouts were sharing conversation with a group of their men. It took them a few minutes before they finally caught their breath it deemed it appropriate to deliver their information to their lord.
The two of them bowed as they arrived, holding their helmets by their sides.
"What news?" Gengyo asked them mildly.
"None yet, my Lord. Their men are beginning to wake up and feed themselves, but there"s no other movement to be had. We can"t tell where they intend to go, not yet," one of the scouts told him.
"Mm… Have another two men sent out. An eye needs to be kept on them at all times. Once you"ve done that, find yourself some food and rest a while," Gengyo said.
"As you say, my Lord," one of them said, and they bowed once again, showing their respects before they disappeared to fulfil his order.
"The Hojo are taking their time with this," Jikouji noted once they were gone. "They"re sure to have noticed our capturing of this fortress, but they haven"t rushed into immediate action."
Gengyo thought about that, wondering on the old man"s point. "Their commander must be experienced then, if he is able to remain calm despite our movements."
"Aye, we would do well not to take him lightly," Jikouji agreed.