Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ The Blood-stained Rock ❯ 1 ( Chapter 1 )

The Blood-stained Rock

 

“Yamamoto-sensei! Hey, Yamamoto-sensei!” Amaya yelled as she ran up the hill to her favorite spot. She knew that her sensei, or teacher, would be there. Amaya could see him now, meditating on a rock at the crest of the hill that over looked the town. The rock was black with specks of white, grey, and lines of silver. However, one of the most important features to her clan was the dip right in the middle. For generations, Amaya's ancestors came up from the town and sat on the holy rock, perhaps to watch the sunset or to see the cherry blossoms in May. Once a week, an apprentice monk from the monastery at the base of the mountain processed up the hill to polish the relic until it gleamed like the surface of a lake in the morning sun. But for as long as she had lived, this place had always been particularly special to Amaya for a number of reasons.

“Sensei,” Amaya panted as she reached the top of the hill. Her master slowly stood up.

“Good day,” he bowed. “What is so important that you interrupted me?”

Amaya flinched at her master's hard words. “Well, it is just that it is time for my class, and I wondered if you might be kind enough to teach me up here,” Amaya asked eagerly.

Yamamoto sighed.

“Please sensei?” Amaya pleaded. “It is such a lovely day and I made salmon onigiri!” Amaya smiled as she lifted the box she held and offered it to him.

“Really now?” Yamamoto laughed, onigiri, or riceballs, were his favorite treat. “I suppose I could permit it for today.”

Ten minutes later, Amaya put the lid on to the, now empty, box.

“Very good, thank you,” Yamamoto smiled. “Now time for today's lesson.”

Amaya sat up eagerly; she loved her sensei's lessons. They taught her how to be a better samurai and she enjoyed hearing the stories of her clan's past.

Yamamoto shifted himself on the rock, “Now, during the Korai campaign, Naoshige-sama was looking down the hill, inspecting his troops. Everything seemed to be fine, except when he came across a group of soldiers who had taken off their helmets and were sleeping. Naoshige-sama became angry and bellowed, `This is a battlefield! It is too careless of them. Send to find out who was the first to take off his hood. He shall be punished.'”

Amaya leaned toward her sensei; she had never heard this story before.

Yamamoto continued. “So a messenger went down the hill and asked for an explanation for the soldiers actions. The soldiers were embarrassed and did not know what to tell their lord. Then Heigozaemon Koyama, one of the soldiers, came up with a brilliant idea. He told the messenger, `The twenty of us all took our hoods of at exactly the same moment.' When the messenger told his lord this, Naoshige-sama was surprised and, in the end, no one was punished.”

“But was that right of Lord Kaoshige, Yamamoto-sensei?” Amaya inquired, “Shouldn't they all have been punished for defying their lord?”

“No, that isn't the point of the story.” Yamamoto replied, “It was because of Kaoshige-sama amazement and even pride at how all twenty of them were prepared to defend one another and to be punished all together as a group. That is why they all went unpunished.”

Amaya sighed; sometimes she just didn't get sensei's lessons.

Yamamoto noticed his pupil confusion, “Well how about we discuss one of my father's favorite sayings?” He suggested.

“Great!” Amaya smiled, instantly cheering up.

“Good, now, `Spur even rushing horses,' what do you make of that one?” Yamamoto asked.

“Jin'emon Yamamoto-san meant that…um…even if someone is doing well, you must push them harder,” Amaya proposed happily.

“Correct!” Yamamoto nodded, “But why?”

“Because no one is perfect and if you don't the person will become lazy!” Amaya answered.

“Good!” Yamamoto smiled. “Well then, I believe that I have an engagement with your grandfather and you have sword practice,” Yamamoto stood up.

“Yes, you're right,” Amaya sighed also standing, “But I'm going to stay up here for a while.”

“Being late isn't very wise and Tanaka-sensei is not a patient man. He will probably beat you for being late.” Yamamoto stated.

“I know but…” Amaya started.

Yamamoto held up his hand for her to stop, “I'll tell him that you fell asleep during the lesson so I made you meditate here.” He bowed to her and went down the hill. Amaya bowed to his back. “Thank you!” she shouted to him. Then, she turned around to the stone. Slowly, she walked around the other side so she could see the bloodstains that covered the southern part of the rock. Amaya knelt and touched the month-old blood mark lovingly. “Mom? Dad?” she whispered. “Are you watching over me still? Don't worry, Yamamoto-sensei will take good care of me. I'll become a samurai so I can avenge your death. So I'll see you again soon.” Then Amaya ran down the hill back to her grandfather, the feudal lord of Nara, and her life as the heir of the Nakamura family.