Leaving the Hare Inn
16 July 1998
by Ed Rubin

It had been a good jog, longer than usual, but flatter, given the terrain in Hare territory, but since there was to be another horseback ride today, Naoki knew that there wouldn't be exercise from traveling. His sensei always told him, "Your first priority is making yourself ready. Always find time to train. The extra edge that a single day's workout can give might one day mean the difference between life and death." Naoki cherished his sensei's wisdom, and always arose early to build his power and endurance.

Another piece of his sensei's wisdom was nagging at his mind as his good companions and he started the final leg of the journey toward the Hare's castle and their undertaken mission to discover the truth about the scroll that had been stolen from the Lion. It had been during a strategy lesson, kneeling in the middle of the dojo, when Sensei had said, "You must always know your lines of supply. When your supplies are cut off, you will survive only to the limit of your personal endurance."

That day, Naoki had been thinking in terms of the caravan of supplies for an army engaged in battling an enemy army distant from his base of operations. But today Naoki saw the advice in a new light. He was not traveling in an army today; they would not need siege weapons and reinforcements; and the "enemy" would, if everything worked out well, not even know that they had been "attacked", let alone defeated. And yet, their mission would not be complete until they could return to Matsu Castle, probably along the road they had just traveled.

But Naoki knew he was now close to broke, and even the rich among his companions must already be feeling the bite of the Scorpions from their inns. They would not travel back the way they had come, that was certain, unless a monetary miracle happened. But Naoki's sensei had been clear on this point as well:

"A wagon train of supplies will not, ever, be able to break through enemy lines to resupply an engaged army. Do not count on it. Rather, do not let the enemy close down your lines of supply. If they do, then you have only your own endurance to count on."

There would be no miraculous wagon train here, bearing the koku necessary for the journey home. He and his companions had burned their own supply lines, by not planning the return as they had their advance. Ah, well, Naoki sighed to himself, we must then make our own supply depot here, rendering the need for supply lines irrelevant. We must turn this from an attack on enemy territory into a defense of homelands, or, more likely, into a resupply stop in our allies' depot. We must adopt these other tactics, if we are to succeed.

We will make them glad we are here, Naoki vowed, we will give them ample opportunity to show their gratitude. And in that way, we will resupply ourselves. We will complete the mission that we have undertaken. To do otherwise, of course, would be less than minimally acceptable.