The Golden Naginata by Jessica Amanda Salmonson Read Free Book Online Page A

sadness regarding her unresponsiveness to amorous clues; probably she was supposed to be flattered to be compared to golden sunsets. But the charge of inconstancy was entirely false! It revealed the ronin’s self-centered ignorance more than any comprehension of Tomoe’s strengths or nature. She tore the paper from the limb and crushed it in her palm. Ich ’yama was surprised. Tomoe growled at him, “Your sentiment would be appropriate for a courtesan or girlish page. Either might reply happily to your bid for sympathy. But to level a charge of inconstancy against a bushi is to challenge my very honor as a samurai! I will prove my constancy with my sword. You will agree to duel?”
    Ich ’yama stammered, “I—I didn’t mean … I—I only meant …”
    â€œTomoe Gozen!”
    It was Prince Shuzo Tahara hurrying out of an inn. He must have been watching this drama unfold from an upper floor window. Hidemi Hirota was with him, as they too had been spying through the low districts and doing so as a team. Tahara stopped two sword-lengths away from the man and woman samurai, and shouted as though he stood a long way off,
    â€œTomoe! Place your priorities according to your conscience! You want to duel the ronin! What is more important!”
    â€œDon’t meddle, Shuzo!” she said. “He has been an affront to me all day. He has even accused me of inconstancy! I cannot waver now.”
    â€œLet them fight,” said Hidemi.
    â€œNo! Ich ’yama has ten of the faces in his brain! Tomoe has another ten! If one dies, or they kill each other, part of our task will go uncompleted!”
    â€œTell us the names of the men,” Hidemi suggested to Tomoe and Ich ’yama. He looked at the prince and added, “Then we can let her kill the ronin.”
    â€œI said no!” The young prince had the commanding posture and tone of his class, but lacked years and experience. It took more than blood to be a strong leader to samurai as willful as these. He could only plead to their sense of duty: “If you must fight, do so with boken . A wooden sword won’t ruin our chance of seeing our task completed.”
    Tomoe had pushed her sword out the length of her thumb. The sword was not yet drawn. Ich ’yama looked terribly burdened and upset. He said,
    â€œI will agree to what Shuzo Tahara says, Tomoe! We will test each other with sticks!”
    Prince Tahara decided the terms: “It will be at dusk, in the gardens where we already agreed to meet. The bonze can be a witness too.”
    Tomoe said, “It is dusk now.”
    â€œThen we’ll repair to the gardens,” said the prince. “Hidemi, please run ahead and find a pair of strong bokens.” Tomoe pushed her sword tight into the scabbard, saying,
    â€œGood.”
    Hidemi Hirota was sweaty from having raced in search of wooden swords. He rested on his knees near the monk. Shindo sat in the gardens with his pilgrim’s staff at his side, his sword next to that. He did not look pleased. Tomoe was not unaffected by Shindo’s stern expression. Despite the gloomy circumstances which brought the five together, Shindo had been of bright humor. Now his humor was spent. The prospect of two in their group fighting against each other rather than a common enemy had completely overwhelmed his cheerfulness. Tomoe’s guilty feelings caused her to feel defensive. When she, Prince Tahara and the ronin came into the garden, she asked the bonze coldly:
    â€œWhy wrap the sticks in straw!”
    He set the padded bokens on the ground in front of him and denied Tomoe the courtesy of reply. He addressed the entire situation instead: “I will not consider either of you good warriors if you cause so much as a bruise. No, do not argue! The test of skill is not whether one of you can hurt the other. If you can control your blows so well as to cause no injury, that is the measure of supreme