As they broke their fast on grilled pork and steamed rice, they cast a leisurely eye over to the Hojo camp, observing its happenings. They all seemed to have awoken by now and were busying themselves with movement. Tents were collapsed and rolled into neat logs of cloth and timber before they were slid on the back of a cart for storage.
"Good ridden," Morohira said, watching them go. "The cowards might even go all the way back home."
"I think that's too much to hope. The only thing that could cure that shame would be seppuku. They'll want their vengeance as soon as they can get it," Jikouji said.
"I wasn't hoping for it," Morohira corrected him, "I still want to wet my blade with their blood."
Jikouji shrugged and continued munching on his food.
The Hojo camp still held Gengyo's attention. He thought they moved rather quickly for a camp that was meant to be down in morale. He wondered what propelled them to do so. It was unusual to see soldiers so eager to retreat. Fear, he might have supposed.
The number of tents was dwindling. Less than a hundred remained. Each tent was felled with an increasing speed as more men finished their duties and hurried to join them. A train of carts was horsed and ready to leave at a moment's notice.
Gengyo looked to his own men. Their morale was rather high, as might have been expected. By now they knew of the nighttime antics of their commanding generals, and talk of it passed around the castle, pushing many men towards laughter.
Some ascended the walls and leaned against the cold stone whilst they munched on their breakfast, watching the Hojo men run away. They made sure to keep a respectable distance between themselves and their leaders, but that did not stop them from stealing the occasional glance, especially at the beautiful Akiko and Rin.
"Last tent," Matsudaira commented, handing Gengyo a bowl of steaming rice and sitting down beside him.
"Indeed…" Gengyo said slowly. He was sure there must have been more to the Hojo's plans than simple retreat. There had to be, hadn't there? Such an old clan couldn't possibly be run over with such casual ease. It was almost embarrassing.
The last tent went down, and Gengyo's men began to cheer, shouting insults at their fleeing enemy, telling them to go back where they came from like the dogs they were.
The enemy tilted their heads, seeming to hear the insults, but they did not droop their shoulders in shame. They continued as though unfazed.
Gengyo stood up for a better look, leaning against the wall.
With the last tent, there went the Hojo men, orderly in their ranks, their spears in their hands and their swords at their h.i.p.s. A flag waved at the front, and they began to march away.
They left the land blackened where they had stayed, as thousands of little fire pits were dotted across the plains.
An odd soldier caught Gengyo's eye. At the back of the marching column, there stayed behind a single horseman. He wondered what a cavalryman was doing at the back when the rest of the hors.e.m.e.n had left by the front.
He squinted his eyes and looked across their camp for any clues or suspicious signs.
With the men cleared from the camp, he soon found what he was looking for, that single out of place piece. If a man had not known to search for something strange, he never would have found it. For all the black holes where fire had once been, there ran one that was deeper and wider than the rest. Gengyo guessed what it was.
"Ring the bell! Now!" He shouted, his fighting spirit springing to life.
His generals were on their feet in an instant. They did not think to question him, or rush over in an attempt to see what he was seeing. They merely did as he asked, placing their complete trust in him.
Rokkaku made it to the bell first. He grabbed its rope and clanged the bell with a fervour, sending the battle-ready command all through the camp. He rang and rang it until his arm ached.
The men that were atop the wall to watch the show flew into a panic as they scrambled towards the ladders, hastily trying to make it back to their rooms to don their armour.
Gengyo saw that horseman light his torch into a flame. He wandered over to the opening of the hole with a superior swagger, knowing of the destruction he was about to cause. And then, with the casualness of a man brushed an insect from his shoulder, he dropped it down into the darkness.
The reaction was instantaneous. A sound that challenged thunder itself, a great ground shaking boom. Earth and stone were spat skyward violently.
The explosion rippled towards them, opening up the ground as it went. It was as though a giant snake dug its way under that ground and was racing towards them at an ungodly speed.
His generals caught sight of that monster that was coming towards them, and they finally understood Gengyo's warning.
With the early ringing of the bell, the men had long since dismounted the wall and headed to their rooms to armour up. They would only need a few minutes longer before they were battle-ready.
"Run!" Gengyo shouted. It was their turn to dismount the wall before it was blasted to pieces as he knew it would be. He sprang at the ladder, leading the way by example. He did not climb down it, but instead slid, putting his feet outside of the rungs and allowing gravity to do the work.
The others went just as quickly, using all their strength and agility to leave that wall as quickly as they could. Like gods, they fell to the ground, their faces masks of seriousness. They were warriors. It did not matter that moments before they were leisurely munching on breakfast. When the call for battle came, they were ready and waiting, hearts calm and fiery.