Protect Trade

[GunStar]

Name: Protect Trade
Rank: “C”
IIC Length: —-
Difficulty: Medium
Objective: Protect a trade caravan as it goes to Yozamu
Description: Some traders, who make constant rounds from the capital to the ninja village, have requested that a ninja accompany them, to help deal with the snow and harsh conditions as well as any potential bandits. It was agreed that the “C” ranked fee will be paid for this, due to the potentially dangerous and unpleasant nature of these missions.
Reward: 10,000 Ryo

Harumi


The Yuki winters were harsh and cold, the Yuki summers were not much better.  Especially at night when the strong winds were most prevalent.  I folded my arms across my chest, a subconscious maneuver to trap my body heat against my cold skin.  It wasn't working very well, even with my multi layered and fur lined clothing on.  My brother Kira on the other hand, the cold seemed to not bother him as much. The clouded skies gave way partially to the brightly dimmed lights of the full moon occasionally. Snow had not fallen in a few days, but that didn't mean that there was any shortage of it on the road sides or forest floors. There was also plenty of ice that presented a hazard when it came to footing, but if everything went according to plan it wouldn't make much of a difference.  

"Harumi." My brother said as he walked over to me. "The caravan is here." 
I emerged from my thoughts, walking away from him in defiant silence. I didn't let any emotion wash over my face, but I was sure he knew how I felt about him currently. Disappointed for this situation he had gotten us into for following a stranger blindly. Angry with his disregard for common sense. Despite these things I still loved him more than anyone else in the world, he was my brother after all. He would just have to deal with my silence and cold shoulders until I got over his poor decision making, or we got out of this mess. Whichever came first.

My boots treaded lightly in the snow and dirt, taking me to the approaching caravan through the thick Yuki forest. Seeing the caravan, my fingers brushed up on the zip ties I carried with me, and as I glanced back at my brother, I could see him twirling a senbon through his gloved fingers. If he had one, he definitely had a bunch with him, the twirling senbon catching the evasive moonlight just like his pitch black eyes. They were like stone, focused fully on the task at hand. His usual grin was no where to be seen.

Emerging from the tree line, both my brother and I approached the caravan as they came to a stop. I wondered what they would think of having two children as a protection asset. I didn't have to wait long to find out.
"Children?" Was the first word out of the pot bellied man's mouth that climbed out of the horse drawn carriage that led the caravan. "Children?" He said once again in disbelief.

I knew I wouldn't have to say anything, Kira would handle the talking.
"Do you want a cracker Mr.Parrot?" Kira asked sarcastically. "Or do you want to keep repeating yourself?"
"I paid good money for protection on our trade route, and your village sends up children." The man shook his head in frustration.
"Our village ninja are spread a bit thin at this time, doing... ninja stuff. However, just because we are children doesn't mean we can't protect you. We've accomplished much in the time we've been ninja. Take it, or leave it." The pot bellied man stroked his beard.
"What choice do I have? Gear up, and be ready in five. The faster we get this done, the better. "

[GunStar]

Kira



Things weren't going that bad. The caravan was in motion, moving towards Yozamu. The three horse drawn carriages were moving almost at a snail's pace, but moving none the less. The road on which they traveled was rough, packed dirt, filled with patches of ice and small drifts of snow. Both sides of the road were shaded with large trees that were thick enough to offer cover to the anything like animals that wandered from the trails in the forest or anyone like my sister and I who were presently high up in those trees where we would have a strong vantage point for the carravan's protection. It was my idea too! You'd think that Harumi would be grateful to have such a strong strategic mind in her brother and yet, she was still silent. This no talking thing of hers was starting to get on my last nerve. If she wasn't my sister I would've ditched her a long time ago.

The strong winds seemed to have died down a bit, which made the Yuki cold almost bearable. The cold didn't bother me much anymore. It was freezing cold of course, but I was already used to the flavor of the land. My sister on the other hand, she may not have been cut out to living in this kind of climate. The two of us navigated the tree line, leaping tree to tree. I could feel the rough bark of trees, even through the leather of my gloves. I made sure to land on branches that could support my weight. Even with that in mind I could still get pretty high up into the trees without breaking them, although I could still feel them flex with my weight when I managed to get too far up into them. Harumi on the other hand always seemed to get near the top, her footing always secure, her movements always graceful. It was almost enough to make me jealous.

All in all, it wasn't bad. The constant movement was keeping me warm. Plus it was always fun leaping tree to tree, trying to not be the first one between myself and Harumi to lose footing or worse. She wasn't talking to me and yet I knew she was still having some fun up here. Even if she wasn't willing to admit it. The slowing of the already sluggish carravan piqued my interest, pulling me away from my thoughts. I glanced over to my sister and caught her eye. Something was up. Harumi moved further up into the trees, I'm sure to gain a better vantage point. She disappeared into the thick branches quickly and quietly. The only sign of her existence being the sway of a singular branch and the sound of the leaves rustling for a brief moment.

She went high and I moved low. I planted my feet firmly on the branch, pushing off into the brisk night air. My hands gripped an icy branch in mid air, which was perfect because it alowed me to swing around the branch without tearing my gloves. Once my momentum started moving downward I let go, performing a single back flip before landing on the cold and hard dirt in a crouch. I ran forward at full speed, or about as fast as I could without making any noise in the tree line. The carravan had come to a complete stop at this point, the only illumination this deep in the forest being the lanterns that hung off the side of the horse drawn carriages. Still, with that small bit of light I couldn't see what it was that made the carravan stop. Until....

I stopped behind a wide tree, peering slightly around the edge of the trunk. Four men, stood in the center of the road. The one on the left was a mountain of a man, huge and muscular, wearing thick furs. He had a mohawk and a short mustache, his face tight as he smoked on a cigar. The two in the center wore thick furs as well, their builds and posture were similar, almost as if they were related. They both had black scarves pulled up over their faces so just their eyes showed and the only difference between the two was that one had long, shoulder length hair and the other had a short cut to the point of almost being bald. The last one was skinny, and clearly disinterested, his pale blonde hair moving gently with the wind. His reddish pink eyes scanned the carravan and his mouth was pulled up into a slight smirk. He wore furs as well, but his were thin and exposed his neck and part of his chest. It looked like he didnt even feel the cold. These guys looked like trouble.

[GunStar]

Harumi

I continued climbing high into the evergreen trees, feeling the flex in the branches as they became thinner near the top. I placed my steps carefully, barely causing the branches to sway under my weight. Kira always told me my steps were noiseless up here, which kinda made sense, cause I was always sneaking up on him so easily.

I knew Kira would be going low towards the caravan, most likely taking up a position that would allow him some kind of vantage point while also staying hidden. Adults always seemed to underestimate us because of our youth, but even with our immaturity we had the mental fortitude to think tactically. Springing upwards toward another branch, I slipped on a slick patch of ice. My hands shot outward reflexively, and even though I couldn't see what they reached for, I somehow managed to grasp a single branch in my gloved fingers.

I hung there for a brief moment, regaining my bearings as I glanced around looking for my next perch. Kicking my legs out to give me a bit of momentum, I swung forward, arching my back and tumbling in a back flip before coming to a silent landing in a crouch on a branch a tree over. The tree didn't move at all with my soft landing, and peering through the pine needles and branches, I could see the stopped caravan below me. I could see the slumped figure of the man with the huge stomach laid out in the snow and ice on the side of the road. He looked as if he was dead, but the blood staining the ground near his head was not enough for him to have sustained a mortal wound...

From the looks of things, the coward tried to run and had paid for his cowardice with a sharp blow to the head. Staring at his unconscious form for a moment, I could see the falling and rising of his chest. Alive. Moving my attention away from him, I saw four men standing in the center of the road, as if they were waiting for something. The realization dawned on me all at once. Us! They're waiting for the ninja who're supposed to be guarding the caravan! Now I just had to hope Kira was smart enough to realize the same thing.

[GunStar]

Kira

We were outnumbered 4-2, and all four of these guys looked as if they had a great deal of battle experience. They could probably over power us, they would most likely flank my position on an approach, and there was always the chance they might steal something in the caravan of significant value. I held my vantage point, knowing it would be a slim chance they would spot me through the brush and foliage. Not to mention the fact, that any sharp movement I made would definitely be noticed by these guys, even if only out of the corner of their eye.

So.... How to proceed? Picking them off one by one was probably the best bet, but that would have to wait until they lowered their guard and they looked as if they were on high alert at the moment. They were undoubtedly waiting for some kind of sentry or defense of the caravan to occur. The answer to my problem was clear. Wait them out. Knowing Harumi would follow my lead gave me confidence, but the night air was crisp, as a icy wind began to howl through the trees. I could handle the cold, Harumi on the other hand would be another story.

My plan sounded good in theory, but was then completely destroyed by the mountain as he puffed on his cigar.
"Come out children." He commanded loudly in a rough voice. He didn't sound quite right, as if he had an accent he was attempting to hide. "We have a few things to discuss, before we send you on your way..." I was definitely confused, and if Harumi was in a close enough position to hear the man, I'm sure she felt the same way. Regardless, I didn't move and neither did she,a sure sign that we were still on the same page.

A few moments of silence and no signs of movement lead the man to take another drag of his cigar, the cherry emitting a faint glow in the dark. 
"Understand your choices. You can come out of hiding, we can have that discussion I was speaking of and then we let you continue you on this mission. There will be no death, no bloodshed. Especially for the fat shit that runs this caravan." He let his words echo before continuing on. "Or... I can send my companions out into the darkness to retrieve you- after they've beaten and bloodied you of course. We will murder the man you were sent to protect, and torch the goods that you are supposed to be keeping an eye on. I don't suppose that would bode too well reputation wise for a struggling village such as yours."

Fucked. There was no other way to put it. Somehow the big guy knew we were here, knew who we were. We definitely needed the money for this mission, and if we allowed fatso to die, we wouldn't get paid.
"Ten seconds." The cigar guy said nonchalantly. The bored skinny guy twirled a kunai in each hand, clearly getting ready to enjoy himself for a change. This was not gonna end well...
"Hey." My sister's sweet voice lofted gently into the breeze from the top of the horse drawn carriage. All four men snapped their heads around, the surprise etched into their faces was hard to mistake. Haurmi stood on the carriage looking down onto the men, her hands defiantly placed on her hips.  "What is it that you wish to discuss?" She asked. If she was shaken, it was not showing.

[GunStar]

Harumi

I knew my brother so well. It only took a few moments after we were offered our ultimatum before I could see him peeking out from behind a tree. Stupid! He was sure to get noticed, and I for sure didn't want him to get caught and beaten to a pulp... or worse. Although, now that I was on the subject and thinking about it, he did deserve to feel a little pain for what his stupid decisions were putting us through. But that would have to happen another day...

My body moved as if possessing a mind of it's own, my hands reaching out and grabbing branches as I swung through the trees. My feet found purchase, avoiding spots of ice that might normally cause an adult to slip or be noticed. Quickly I descended through the trees, the stronger winds masking any noise I might've made as I traveled. Approaching from the backs of the four men, I made one last leap from the trees and landed silently on top of the horse drawn carriage I was aiming for.

"Hey." I called out to the four men. I watched as they turned around with shocked looks on their faces. "What is it that you wish to discuss?" I asked them, my hands on my hips as I tried to my best to look confident.
The large man with the mohawk took a long drag of his cigar before a wide smile spread across his face.
"Would you look at that." He commented in his rough, accented voice. "Aren't you a sneaky one?"
"You mentioned a discussion." I responded, keeping my eyes locked on his with a stern gaze. "I don't believe a jovial conversation was a part of the ultimatum you offered."

He chuckled lightly.
"Where is your brother little doll?"
"Clearly hidden from view... for now. Anything you need to say will be heard by him I'm sure."
"There's honestly not much to say." He puffed on his cigar, reaching into his thick furs with his off hand and pulling out a scroll. "A message from your father." He tossed the scroll to me and now it was my turn to be shocked.
"Fuck that guy!" Kira's voice echoed through the tree line.
"Shut up!" I hissed in response, annoyed that he would give his position away in a fit of anger.

The mohawk man rolled his eyes.
"I guess we know who the mature one is. Any who, your father said he would be in touch very soon. Said he would help you kids get out of that current predicament. He also said to tell you he misses you very much."
"Sounds like he said a lot." I responded with narrow eyes.
"Sarcasm. Nice. We'll be on our way now." He snapped his fingers and his three companions disappeared. "And next time, be nice. After all, we're family" He winked at me before disappearing.

The remainder of the mission was smooth sailing after that.

..............
EXIT