W ho is that? An enemy? An ally? Utsuri gritted her teeth against the pain that had broken out anew in her body because of the abuse of the dock ruffians. She got to her feet, as her attackers were swept aside like moored boats before a tsunami; despite their earlier bravado, when faced with a superior opponent, they offered little resistance. The sounds of the fight swirled around her, but there was no indication that the guards were the least bit concerned with what was happening. She supposed they could care less about the fate of prisoners.

Why come to my aid? Is Munenori clever enough to engineer this situation? Is this person one of his spies, placed here to earn my trust, in the hopes I will be careless and betray something --

Her thoughts turned to protecting herself, for she sensed the person – no, woman, for the voice that taunted the ruffians was, in her estimation, female - was now coming towards her. But defense was unnecessary, for her mysterious savior stopped in front of her and barked down at her, "If you were taught any respect for your elders, girl, you would show me the courtesy of thanks. A salute, at the very least!"

Utsuri lifted a brow at the woman's commanding tone, and cocked her head to one side. She remained wary; her stance was that of a crane at the water's edge – poised and serene, yet ready to fly at a moment's notice. Surely one such as this would not allow herself to be governed by the likes of General Munenori, she thought, reappraising her opinion of her fellow cellmate.

Though the woman had been but a heartbeat away from striking her, the blind girl stood her ground. She cocked her head to the side and spoke to the hand; it was less than a hair's breadth from her nose. "You prefer to attack with Leopard and defend with Crane. This is an effective combination. Someone has trained you well. Of that, this one is certain." Her voice sounded unnaturally loud in the vacuum of silence left behind after the ruffians' defeat. It seemed she knew more about combat than the average prostitute did.

The girl needed no eyes to see the woman's techniques, for every martial art, no matter its origins, had very specific breathing patterns and movements. By listening to the inhaled and exhaled breaths, combined with the sounds and the timing of Ji Nu's feet striking the floor, Utsuri could deduce her preferred style. "I did not know that you were in the cell until you attacked those men. Seldom does anyone escape this one's notice, even when they attempt to do so."

Ji Nu frowned and lowered her hand, arching a brow at the presumed prostitute's strange manner of speaking. What an insolent little brat! Perhaps she deserved to be slapped after all!

"Though you are well spoken, you do have a subtle accent, so I think you are not from this country. The scent of the sea still clings to you, despite the filthy surroundings of this prison cell. Perhaps you came to Kamakura on a ship?"

The proud captain snorted and said nothing. As if she would reveal anything to a cell rat!

"It matters not," Utsuri continued, "who you are or from whence you came, for we are equals at the moment. Two individuals trapped in a wretched dungeon with little hope of escape. If you are hoping for mercy from the Shogun, I assure you that, like his ruthless father and grandfather before him, he will grant you none. Though he and his Bushi cloak themselves in the trappings of honor and tradition, inside they are as hollow and wretched as a hungry ghost. They fear what they cannot control, or cannot understand."

Small hands were clenched into fists; fingernails were digging into flesh. "Many years ago, the Shogun's grandfather invaded the mist shrouded peaks of the Iga and Koga mountains, hell bent on destroying the families who lived there, despite the fact that these families had been allies of his clan for many generations. They killed for him; they lied for him. They were his eyes and ears and helped him to defeat his many enemies. Yet, he feared their power would surpass his own, so he waged war upon them and annihilated most of them. It is a tale that used to be told in all the taverns of Kamakura, but much time has past and it is seldom spoken of these days. But those of us who were affected by it shall never forget it, or forgive it." Her face became fierce as she spoke, perturbing the sigil 'round her neck to glow. The girl forcibly sucked in her breath and grabbed her abdomen, nearly doubling over as the dragon of agony tightened its grip upon her. Her fiery speech had stirred the depths of the chakra that she kept coiled inside her body, and the spell had punished her for it. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to steady her breathing until the glow receded.

"That is," the girl said in between deep breaths, "the kind of treatment you should expect from the Shogun. He will probably execute you for being a dock ruffian and be done with it. So that you do not go to your grave thinking that those in my country have no manners, I shall thank you for coming to my assistance." Utsuri bowed low, as a sign of respect, despite the complaints of her ribs, and indeed her gratitude was genuine. "In my current condition, I am incapable of defending myself." Although, from the look of her, it did not appear that she could do much to save herself, even when not injured or crippled by spellcraft.

* * *

"General Munenori! Are you all right?" The Shogun's Prime Minister dashed into the military man's chambers, with more haste than dignity. By now, all of Kamakura had heard of the samurai's confrontation with the mysterious blind girl.

"Of course I'm all right," the General replied. He was seated on a futon; his damaged armor had been discarded for a more comfortable kimono. "Thanks to the efforts of the Shogun's personal physician." He indicated a grey haired man, with stooped shoulders who was quietly heating a cup over a brazier in the corner. Grunting, he turned and spoke to the physician. "You did treat our little prisoner as well, as I asked you to?"

"Yes, My Lord," the doctor replied, looking up from his steaming concoction. "I saw to it that she would not die from her injuries. But she will not exactly be comfortable either." His heart was conflicted about withholding treatment from any patient, be she friend or enemy, who was brought before him, but such were his orders and he followed them.

"Excellent," Munenori replied, and sank back down onto the futon.

"I shall summon our best Interrogator without delay. I am confident that we shall soon know the location of the remains of the rebels and summarily destroy them." The Minister was confident. He turned to the General, expecting to see confirmation of his predictions, but the other man's gaze was guarded.

He raised himself up onto one elbow and frowned. "I am not so confident. That girl comes from a clan of shinobi. She was raised on pain and suffering and probably likes it. You may break every bone in her body, but she will tell you nothing. We must find another way to persuade the little kunoichi to reveal her secrets to us…"

The Minister frowned. He did not think there was time to waste playing games with captive ninja. Every moment they dallied gave the rebels time to lick their wounds and recover their strength. But the Shogun valued Munenori's opinion, so the Minister did not wish to displease his Supreme Lord and Master by belittling one of his court favorites. "Please pardon me, but I have also come with a message for you." The official removed a scroll from his sleeve and unrolled it. "I have here the report from the Bushi that are guarding the – " he paused and looked in the physician's direction. Frowning, he changed what he was about to say. " – the important treasure."

Munenori knew why the official dissembled. Knowledge of the dragon's egg was secret beyond secret and only a few souls at court knew what was slumbering under the watchful gaze of Dr. Shukoku Shun. He took the scroll and read it. What he saw brought another frown to his face. It seemed the dragon egg was beginning to move! What a calamity! Something had to be done about it at once, lest ruin come to them all. "Please help me rise," he said, tucking away the scroll. "We must go and see the Shogun at once, even if we face his wrath for interrupting his go game."