"Chief of the Sanda from the northern snowfields! Meeting a good friend is like hearing the beautiful cry of deer in the hall where one dwells! With but a faint smile to each other, one may already sleep in peace... And in this moment today, seeing you, I feel as though I, too, hear the call of a spirit deer, and my heart is filled with hope for a tranquil evening!..."
"Haaha! Chief of the Wajin from the southern coast! Reindeer are the companions of a tribe's migration, the envoys who open roads in the deep winter, and still more, friends to travelers on a hard journey. She comes treading through frost and snow, crossing the frozen strait, walking from one tribe's dream into another tribe's heart. And when you hear the deer's cry, that proves you have heard my heart's voice—that you are a good friend who can walk through winter together with me!..."
The great ships lay anchored by the sea. The kingdom's Samurai wore armor and gripped Longbows, watching the opposite side with sharp eyes. Wagoku's Samurai leveled long spears, and behind them stood a row of bow-armed Samurai holding great bows, likewise on the highest alert. And between the battle lines of the two confronting armies were two armored leaders walking on foot. Each had brought several tense personal guards, and through the communication of an Ezo interpreter, they carried on a "friendly and cordial" exchange.
And as they chatted on, Zuwaro and Kakizaki Mitsuhiro both discovered, somewhat to their surprise, that they were of similar age, had comparable levels of cultivation, were both richly experienced, and both had some fondness for poetry. Their communication was easy to understand, and could even be called a rare meeting of minds. For example, the next exchange...
"Ah! Sanda