My Dream Foretold Woe, And So It Has Come To Pass

[ninja_coder]

On Sunday night, I had a dream. The nobles had decreed that we might no longer kill our enemies in the field. Instead, we had to drag them to Castle Noriaibasha and execute them there. Of course, this would be completely impossible, and would bring all our efforts to a halt. But one cannot explain such things to nobles who have their minds set on doing something idiotic. Especially in a dream, where logic is in short supply.

I woke up on Monday morning with this dream fresh in my mind, fearful that it was a bad omen for the week.

It is beginning to seem that my fears were correct. Yesterday, I got news of a disaster in Nagoya, just as I was racing to the capital to meet Akane to deal with some of our business with the minor bureaucracy of the Emperor’s court. I had no time to deal with the problem… and when I was done at court and went to Nagoya, I could find no trace of it! All that panic, for nothing.

And there were reports of multiple Ayamari in Shiryō-no-Hako, but the samurai teams were engaged in pitched battle at the gates to that district, so I could not even get inside it at all.

Still, yesterday was more productive than today. Today, I arrived at the Castle to find that there had been a mix-up in the papers giving orders to let me into the armory. The new gate guard denied me entrance, and so I had no weapons with which to do my job. (Yes, of course ninjas know how to get past guards and gates. But using such skills against one’s own employer is a very bad idea.) I was able to attend one planning meeting, but aside from that, I achieved absolutely nothing of any consequence in my entire day. And, due to the ineptitude of the quartermaster’s department, there is no assurance that I will be able to accomplish anything tomorrow. Even the best ninja can do little with no kama or manrikigusari.

In my dream, I could accomplish nothing because of the decisions of some of my clan-mates. In reality… I can accomplish nothing. And it is because of some of my clan-mates’ decisions, even if not the nobles.

This was originally published at The Tales of the Ninja Coder. You may comment here, if you wish, but Ichirō invites you to comment at his humble blog.