bearers who were changed frequently. It was slightly faster than walking, but I didn't look forward to spending days in it. However, a lord did not walk anywhere, and oxen carts were useless outside a city or other civilized areas, as was riding a horse, even if I knew how to ride.
I had been right. Mawatari had barely glanced at Keno standing behind me, dressed in the drab kimono of a maid, his hair pulled back tightly in a bun, eyes staring at the ground. I didn't even know where he had gotten such an outfit, because the maids dressed better than that. Mawatari had been more upset about the fact that the Reavers had refused to leave us. A half dozen attended Keno and me, studying Mawatari carefully. It was unnerving. It was meant to be. They were not going to let either of us out of their presence. They were my escort along with several squads of my samurai under the command of Seki-san.
"Tamazusa-sama!” Mawatari protested.
"They will not leave me,” I said calmly. “They are part of the kuni . They do not wish me to be alone at any time. This is something Iida-sama is going to have to accept."
Mawatari frowned, getting what I was hinting at. “That would be something you have to discuss with him."
"I will. I am interested in anything that Iida-sama wishes to discuss with me."
Mawatari glanced up at Aboshi, who was glaring down at us from atop the shoen 's wall. I was surprised to see “Sakura” standing behind him. I forced myself not to glance over at Keno as I wondered exactly who was standing with Aboshi. The look that Aboshi had given Mawatari promised a slow death if anything happened to us. Most of my samurai would be staying with Aboshi while I was gone, and they were unhappy that they were not escorting me. I had added to Okita's duties the role of karo . I wanted to leave Aboshi with a competent staff, since I wanted to have a kuni to return to.
"I see that your men are unhappy with your decision,” Mawatari told me.
"Are you unhappy when your lord is not under your protection?” I asked lightly.
Mawatari nodded, understanding what I was telling him. I was a well-loved lord, and my people would avenge me if he or his master did something to me. I bowed to Okita and his men, then to Aboshi before climbing into the traveling box. Keno climbed in after me, making himself as small as possible to give me more room.
We were lifted, and the carriers set off at a smooth but quick pace. After a couple of minutes of silence, I smiled at Keno. “You are now going to see how Aboshi spoils us. I don't think of this as a pleasant way to travel."
Keno nodded, looking slightly sick from the swaying of the box. He had traveled this way with me once before, but it had been a more leisurely journey. “If I had known,” he muttered.
I tried not to laugh when I saw the look on his face when I told him, “We're traveling like this for at least a week."
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Chapter Four
Mason
So we all got to go through the fun-sparkly-bad special effects tunnel again. It was just as nasty as before, and I wanted to puke at the end of it. But we all made it this time, and that was all that mattered. We'd had two weeks of learning to shoot a bow, swing a sword, and learn a few basic words in a couple of different languages, like Greek and Mayan. I was hopeless in all of them beyond “hello,” “goodbye,” and “touch her and I'll kill you.” The last one amused the fuck out of McGann. And I was shit with the sword. Wolf took to his like he was a natural. McGann was an okay fighter, but I didn't know if she would be able to gut someone who was after her. I knew I could. I had been barely legal and an okay-looking kid when they convicted me, so I had learned to fight back and had been left alone. Got the rep as being a mean, crazy fucker, and that had kept me going for the time I was in the joint. I still wasn't too handy with a longbow or a sword, so I hoped I didn't have to use them, even if
Dana Carpender
Gary Soto
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Debra Webb