“Sou, can we talk? Alone.”

It was Ayane. Sou dismissed the men inside his tent and waited until they were out of earshot. “What is it?”

She sat down opposite him and ran a hand through her hair. “I ran into Saika.”

Sou straightened up. “And? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ayane nodded. “She didn’t do anything. She just wanted to talk.”

“What did she want to talk about?” The fact Izue had managed to get to Ayane without being seen was concerning enough, but what game was she playing now?

“She wants me to bring you to her.”

“Is that so?”

“She said if I brought you to her, alone, that she would free me and guarantee my safe passage back home.”

“I see.” Sou swallowed. It was a good deal. Hand over your captor for freedom. “So why are you telling me all this then?”

Ayane stood up and began pacing the tent, trying to find the words for what she wanted to say.

“You’re a good man, Sou. I truly believe that.” She stopped in front of him, looking him directly in the eye. “You’re like a brother to me. You’ve never treated me like I was some bargaining chip in the war. You’ve trusted me when you had absolutely no reason to, and so now I’m trusting you.”

“I appreciate that.” He truly did. Initially Ayane had reminded him of Yuki, but over time they had become true friends. Over the last six months Sou felt he had spent more time with Ayane than he had with his beloved younger sister. Yuki was his blood, he loved her more than life itself, but he had also come to love Ayane, who as heir to her own clan understood Sou in ways that Yuki never would. She had proven herself incredibly resilient and good natured when forced into a horrible situation, and Sou admired that greatly.

“So when are you supposed to bring me to her?”

“Tomorrow. This same time.”

Sou smiled. “Well, it would be rude to leave the lady waiting. Let’s go see what she has to say.”

Sou listened to the wind blowing through the trees as Ayane fidgeted beside him. This was the spot, she said. He scanned the area, looking for places the witch might appear from. She was somewhere, watching them, he could feel it. He just couldn’t see where. As though on cue she appeared in a tree branch above them.

“Well well, I wasn’t sure if you’d actually go through with it, but perhaps you have more balls than I thought.” Izue dropped down from the tree, landing at Sou’s feet without a sound. Not even a leaf rustled.

“Leave us.” She gestured at Ayane, shooing her away.

“But-”

“Don’t worry, I don’t break promises. Unlike some. Now go. I want to talk to Sou alone.”

Ayane gave Sou a lingering look before she finally turned and exited the small clearing. Izue stalked around Sou like a tiger inspecting its prey, finally stopping right before him.

“Do I meet your standards?” He asked. She smiled.

“You’re even larger up close. Impressive. But that’s what they all say, I’m sure.”

Sou shifted uncomfortably.

“What do you want?”

Izue ran a finger slowly down his jawline. Sou batted the hand away, causing her to grin again. She turned and sauntered away, moving to sit on a nearby log. Sou noticed not one but two kusarigama sitting in her waist band. He was meant to see them.

“Your surrender.”

Sou laughed. “My surrender? And why would I do that?”

So quick he almost couldn’t see it, Izue removed a dagger from her belt and stabbed something beside her. A centipede squirmed beneath the point of the blade, struggling, before it finally stopped moving.

“Because you won’t win this battle. Surely even you are aware of that by now.”

“All I see are some scared people hiding behind some big walls.”

“Walls that have never been penetrated.”

“There’s a first time for everything.”

“There certainly is, Oni of Miharu.” She looked up from underneath her eyelashes, a coy look that would likely bedevil any man she wanted. “But while we relax inside the comfort of our impenetrable fortress, your men are going to keep dying. They’re going to get sick. They’re going to get cold. The rains will be here soon, and then what? Those men who manage to survive aren’t going to put up with these conditions for much longer. They’re going to mutiny. They’re going to run. Some of them may even try to turn you over themselves simply so they can return home. And what will they even return to? How long can you sit on our doorstep before someone else moves into your own, hmm?”

Sou said nothing.

“I think my proposal is quite reasonable. It’s not like I’m asking you to lay down your neck for me. Surrender, become my prisoner, and all your men can safely return home without fear of retribution. You can’t ask for a better deal than that.”

“I’d rather die than become your prisoner.”

“I wonder if that girl feels the same way?”

Izue smiled when she saw Sou flinch.

“What’s good for the hen is not quite so good for the cock, huh?”

Sou had no response. Izue removed her dagger from the dead centipede and wiped it clean on her pants leg.

“How did your men breach my camp without anyone seeing them coming?” It had been bothering him. By all rights they should have heard them coming a mile away. He lost a lot of good men in that fight, he deserved to know how they had been caught unawares.

“You can’t expect a girl to give up all her secrets.” Izue smiled. “What fun would that be?”

“Tell me.”

“How about I ask you something. Why are you even here? What do you hope to gain with this pointless siege?”

Sou was taken aback. He laughed in surprise.

“Something funny?”

“No, no, I just… you’ve got yokai defending your castle, and men appearing out of nowhere, and you want to know why we’re here? It’s just…” The look she gave him was bemused. Sou cleared his throat. “We’re here because ever since your father wrestled control from the Saito there have been constant attacks on our lands. We didn’t come here for fun. We didn’t come here just for the hell of it. We came here because you’ve been threatening our people. Making excursions into our lands. Stealing our crops. Killing our villagers. Burning our farms. You wanna know why we’re here? Because my people are being threatened, and it’s my job to protect them.”

Izue smiled. “Oh my, so honourable. So noble. What a fine man you are.”

He could feel the sarcasm dripping from her words.

“Well if you want to protect your people, noble lord, it’s really quite simple. Surrender yourself to me and you can save them, just like that. Or, if you’d prefer, feel free to continue watching them die one by one until there’s no-one left. It’s all the same to me, really.”

“I’d rather my people die than surrender to a witch.”

Izue stood up, stretched, and gave a nonchalant shrug.

“So be it.” She threw the dagger at Sou’s face, using the distraction to pull out her kusarigama and attack.