บท 103: Stakeout

With the coming of morning light, she had emerged from the trees – leaving her horse behind her – and covered the final stretch of distance, entering into Toyokawa.

She wandered through the streets, which were relatively empty as no one wished to be up so early.

The hard cobbles were firm underfoot, and the fresh sea air filled her lungs. She gulped down huge mouthfuls of it, savouring its purity.

The road was steep, and ahead was the port. Wooden jetties shot off into the sea, allowing huge sailing vessels to dock. There were ships that towered above the rest, and flew flags that were certainly not that of a Japanese ship.

She stared curiously as she saw the pale-faced foreigners – with their blonde hair – unloading cargo from the ships. They had all sorts of wares. Silk, firearms, steelworks. She found herself wondering how much it would all sell for. Definitely a pretty sum.