The Samurai's Tale

After the surrender of Castle Iwamura, Akiyama feeds the people who took refuge in the castle. Harutomo notes that the people are given millet and barley at the gate of the castle to ensure that they leave. The people seem grateful, but Harutomo reflects that “it would have been very foolish of them to have behaved otherwise” (161). As the weather turns cold and supplies run low, Akiyama sends most of the supply train troops home to their villages and orders Harutomo to lead a small group of supply train troops to Iida Castle to get more food. At the last minute, 20 samurai horsemen are ordered to accompany them. The mounted samurai are bitter about being sent out in the cold, and they blame Harutomo’s troops. They take out their frustrations by pushing the supply train to go faster, even though the old supply horses are going as fast as they can: “I had to defend my poor barefoot carriers from being beaten,” Harutomo recalls (162). When they can only get a small amount of rice at Iida Castle, Harutomo suggests they go to Takeda’s castle to find more supplies. The samurai captain refuses, saying his orders are only to go to the first castle.