The Day of Thunder

[Canary]

"Thank you for your assistance, Han-hei," Ayako said, making an awkward half-bow while supporting Shizuku. "You were just in time."

"Let's get you to the healer's house," she said to Shizuku. "Lean on me as much as you need."

Shizuku nodded. "Yes... thank you..." She winced, but turned to bow awkwardly to Han-Hei. "Thank you again...!"

She leans most of her weight on Ayako as they go.

/exit?

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora turned to examine the ruins.

He knew a thing or two about Kumori and fire.

The parent in me is so relived of terror and wants to call that foolhardy. The parent in me is so incredibly proud and wants to call that brave.

"Kumori-chan, I think I'm going to hug you now."

[Shiba Kumori]

She looked at him and rolled her eyes… but didn’t move away or protest.

[Jiyo Sora]

So he hugged her.

With the full measure of his strength.

And didn't let go for a good while.

He also didn't say anything.

[Shiba Kumori]

She sat there still for a moment reluctantly accepting the embrace…

Then here memory filtered back to similar hugs from the rough man… He had been taller than her then and now she stood half a head taller than him…

She let out a breath from her nose that seemed like she had been keeping in all day and gently wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

[Jiyo Sora]

After a bit, he let go.

"Part of me wants to say, 'never do that again.' But that's just an old man's fears, and it's not my place to tell you anything except how proud I am."

[Shiba Kumori]

She let go and looked back at him.

“I’ll probably do that again…”

It would be hard not to see the overlapping of mother and daughter with the way her face looked.

[Jiyo Sora]

"Almost certainly, Laughing Bird. I'd expect nothing less."

He cocked his head at her. Smiled.

"Might not be a look you had fun getting, but I think it actually suits you."

[Shiba Kumori]

“What?” She asked as she put her hand up to her face.

“Something wrong with my face?”

[Jiyo Sora]

"Just... something that takes me back twenty-five years or so, to a hillside well south of here."

He smiled fondly.

"I think it'll heal, but it's one of the most honorably-gotten injuries I've ever seen."

[Shiba Kumori]

“Gross.” She said with a matching tone of disgust.

“I sure hope it’s not permanent.”

[Jiyo Sora]

"First step is living long enough to find out."

He grinned.

"But if you hate it, I suppose we could find you another mask. Maybe something avian this time..."

[Shiba Kumori]

“I think I’ll leave my pretty face out for now.” She then began looking over the fields.

“What started all this…”

[Jiyo Sora]

"Well, when a Sun and a Moon love each other very much..."

He sighed and looked over the vista.

"Humor aside, if I had to hazard a guess, this is an opening feint."

[Shiba Kumori]

“If it were you… How would you come at us?” She said looking out closer to the woods in the distance and some narrow pillars of smoke in the distance.

[Jiyo Sora]

Sora scratched at his beard, thinking, for the first time in years, like a Hikaru planning a raid.

"From a different angle, a different direction. A probing strike like this draws out the defenses, gives you a feel for what they can do. Also makes the defenders touchy about the direction they've been hit from. Even if we try to maintain vigilance in all directions, the damage and bloodshed out this way will pull our attention, even though they didn't bleed us that badly. Combine the stress of worrying about the perimeter with sleep deprivation, get us jumping at our shadows and second-guessing our instincts. Try to tempt us to withdraw into a narrower, more defensible space and rob us of any freedom of maneuver, and increase tension by enforced close quarters. That's what I'd do. Let the fear work on its own for a bit while I waited to strike in a more opportune direction."

[Shiba Kumori]

She looked around and nodded her head.

The landscape was such that Sora’s strategy would make sense. Put them in an ever increasing cage of space and internal doubt.

“Cool… and how do we stop you from doing that then?”

[Jiyo Sora]

"Step one, keep everyone busy so they don't have time to think about how fucked they might be. I think I might suggest that Wu Zhe start training some of the locals in the basics yarijutsu. Might be Makime can turn them into something like a decent fighting force, especially if we slot enough samurai or monks into the mix to serve as unit leaders- you know, try our hand at being those inspiring figures that insane spirit-woman keeps saying we need to be. I'm sure plenty of people will say we need to work on fortifications. I say go for it- especially anyone who doesn't want to carry a spear. Let people feel like they're taking their lives back."

He shrugged.

"Might not do as much practical good as could be hoped for, but it's important that we do something. Simply telling everyone to sit tight and wait for the Thunders to save us all is the kind of comforting lie that doesn't fool a child. Second thing- some of the samurai have horses, and might be a local has a pony. We get all the mounted warriors we can, and we keep them off of patrol and watch duty. They need to be our mobile reserve, as rested as we can make them, so that wherever the enemy hits our perimeter, we can get reinforcements into the fight in a hurry, giving other fighters on a foot a chance to get there before the line can break. And having them ready means people going about their day to day some reassurance that we've still got reserves."

A pause.

"Third- no one should go anywhere outside of the village alone. No individuals to get picked off, no 'did anyone see where my brother went?' Even being told a person is dead outright is more reassurance than the worry. Raiders love getting one or two people to scream for everyone else. Fourth, same general idea, keep everyone healthy. Keep watches short so people don't get as many chances to nod off on duty. Rotate often. And try to keep spirits up- music, entertainment, whatever."

At this point he made a seesaw motion with his hand.

"It's a start. If we were fighting humans, I'd recommend a strong sortie, a show of force. Not sure that'll work here."

[Shiba Kumori]

“Sounds like you got your work cut out for you then…” She replied.

“Organizing all that seems like quite the job. Getting everyone to work and work soon… Time to put that reputation to good use.” She says with a knowing tone.

“Everyone has something to do.”

What am I supposed to do… if not…

[Jiyo Sora]

"Oh, the first goal is to delegate. Let Wu Zhe handle training any volunteers- he's already staying with the headwoman, safe to say he won't balk. Tell Makime we're trying to come up with some sort of fighting force and she's likely the best commander. If she doesn't come up with the cavalry reserve idea, I'll float it to her. Figure out who's best at planning and constructing defenses, and give them that pain in the ass."