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The Dojo was rife with activity as the school grounds were prepared for spring. Newer students received the more physically demanding tasks, as was proper, while their seniors provided guidance and the instructors kept a watchful eye to ensure that nobody slacked from their duties. There was more work than usual this year thanks to the unusually heavy snows and high winds at the turn of the New Year, with many of the sheds and fences requiring repairs.

In spite of the work load Sensei Takahashi was pleased by the progress being made. Already the trees that had been unable to survive the weight of the snow were sectioned up and the grounds cleared of debris. The most damaged building - a storage shed housing all of the school's practice weapons - was well on its way to having the roof replaced. Several of the more productive students even found time to busy themselves with handling more cosmetic matters by tending to the meditation garden once their assigned chores were complete.

Not that there wasn't any grumbling among the students, particularly the yearlings. He doubted most of them ever had to engage in actual labor before enrolling and some, mostly those from prestigious lineages, chafed at being expected to engage in such common work. Several had threated to complain to their parents and actually seemed shocked when he had them write the letters on the spot and sent them off personally before putting them back to work.

That was not his concern today, though it pleased him to see the students redouble their efforts at his approach. He resisted the urge to pause long enough to more closely examine the work being done. Already he had put off dealing with Ishada Shiro for too long. A decision had to be made.

He found the younger wolf busy sweeping the main building. "Curious duty for a yearling student," he commented absently. "I would have expected to find you mending fences."

Ishada Shiro jerked his body upright with the broom held close to his side. "I was, Sensei. The section I got was not badly damaged so I came here to make myself useful."

"Many students have similar thoughts, though I always find it interesting the new tasks they take on tend to be the least difficult ones." He paused, taking note of how his student's ears dipped back in embarrassment. "Though today perhaps it is fortunate that you chose as you did. I have been meaning to speak with you and would not wish to interrupt your work. Please continue."

There was a pause while Ishada Shiro held the broom uncertainly, then bent himself back to his task while doing his best to avoid eye contact. For a moment Sensei Takahashi expected the young wolf to speak, but was pleased to find his student had enough discipline to maintain his silence. Instead he began to work more swiftly, filling the air with the rustle of the broom against the floor boards rather than with his voice.

"Not curious about why I wish to see you?" Sensei Takahashi asked.

"No sir. You have simply finished reading the report you asked me to prepare," the young wolf said, his hands gripping the broom more tightly.

Sharp boy. "That is half correct. I finished it the night you gave it to me," he said, giving his student a moment to chew on the words. "It was... Well, I shall call it a creative approach. I have been considering how best to handle it."

Ishada Shiro swallowed visibly. The pace of his sweeping faltered. "You say that like there was something wrong with my reasoning."

"There are some who would find fault," Sensei Takahashi agreed. "But then I hardly placed any restrictions on the assignment and it seems clear to me that your approach could be successful."

The younger wolf closed his eyes and let out a sigh, his body almost sagging against the broom as the tension fled. "I was concerned you would be displeased. The assignment implied you wanted me to defeat those castles and I merely avoided them completely."

"Managing to bypass a defense seems like a valid method of defeating it," Sensei Takahashi said, stepping a little closer. "You were indeed correct that the costal defenses are more suitable to repelling minor raids rather than a full-scale invasion. At the least it would get an army past our mountain defenses, but you still have a problem with supplying them."

"I actually know of a solution to that, sensei."

There was a clear touch of eagerness to the boy's tone that gave him pause. Experience taught that too often when a young student showed such enthusiasm it generally led to a response they felt was clever. In reality their reasoning was usually flawed, the taint of inexperience causing them to become overconfident in their abilities and miss details a more experienced mind would surely notice.

Clasping his hands in front of him he looked to the ground while gathering his thoughts. "You appear to have missed a spot," he commented absently and tapped his foot near a dusty patch. "What solution do you think you have found?"

With just a hint of a flourish Ishada Shiro bent back to work, eyes back on his task while he spoke. "My report talks about regular follow-up landings to drop more supplies. It is a useful idea, but I worried it was not enough for the force size I decided was necessary. But with how quickly I want to push inland after departing the boats I realized there was another way to gain supplies. Have the army actively forage while it marches."

"Even on the move a military unit quickly eats any food in the area," he reminded his student, shaking his head. "And any food you took would hardly make a dent."

"No, you misunderstand my meaning. While the men might hunt or take edible plants I mostly see them capturing towns and small castles to seize their supplies."

Interesting. Sensei Takahashi closed his eyes to envision the empire. "Perhaps, but you specifically chose to land just south of the mountains as I recall?"

"Yes Sensei."

"The soil that way is very poor, that is why the empire has to ship so much food toward the fortifications. You still will not take nearly enough to feed even a regular army."

"No Sensei, I would not expect to," Ishada Shiro said with no noticeable decrease in energy. "But the empire expects to have time to respond to an attack and my forces would already be past the main defenses without any real opposition. They can move swiftly along the coastline and with careful rationing they should be able to reach more productive lands before a counter-attack can be launched."

"Perhaps," he said, voice low as he considered the possibility even as he shook his head dubiously. "But even if you reached your goal you run into the problem that even the most productive lands only keep a small fraction of what they grow."

"That is why timing is so critical," the young wolf continued, the broom thumping against the floor. "The landing must happen just before the harvest so the lands are captured before most of the food can be moved into castle storehouses."

Sensei Takahashi folded his hands in front of him and slowly walked past his student with eyes closed. His initial reaction was to scoff at the possibility that such a scheme could possibly work and simply reject the plan on principal. Hard won experience told him that was exactly when it was important to know what was wrong. To do any else allowed base passion to dictate ones actions.

Turning the plan over in his mind a distinct irritation built inside him. A campaign so late in the year would ultimately run into the harsh winter snows that dominated the region. It relied too heavily on how the Empire would respond and light resistance early on. Every voice in his mind seemed to cry that this could not work but when pressed to say why he simply could not find any flaws that proper preparation would not handle.

"A bold suggestion," he said at last, careful to keep the annoyance from his voice. "Clever. Creative. Brave. I could describe it many different ways but there is one word I suspect fits best. Do you know what that is?"

"No sensei. What?"

"Reckless," he said evenly, then gestured to the broom. "Leave that and follow me."

Ishada Shiro paused, uncertainty in his eyes, then leaned the broom against the wall and hastily caught up to walk by his teacher's side. Sensei Takahashi did not speak, preferring to let the silence hang between them as he regained mastery over his emotions. He did not notice how the silence seemed to envelope the world around them until his student spoke unexpectedly.

"Forgive me, sensei."

The unexpected outburst was as startling as the barely restrained emotion pushing from behind the words. He resisted the urge to turn, not wanting to embarrass the younger wolf if he was having as much trouble keeping his passions under control as it sounded.

Instead he relaxed his posture, allowing his voice to soften from the normally strict tone he took with the students. "What for?"

"For wasting your time with my foolishness," came the choked reply. "I should have been more thoughtful."

"I do not recall saying your ideas were foolish." Sensei Takahasha shook his head.

"But you said--"

"I said it was reckless," he interrupted. "Every plan carries some risk and yours certainly carries more than most. If the attack you propose were to fail your army would be trapped and ultimately destroyed. You do not seem to have considered this, however as you cleverly noticed the Empire's defenses are not intended to handle such an attack."

A muffled sniffle slipped from Ishada Shiro, hiding his face behind one hand. "Then where are you taking me?"

There was an undercurrent of fear that made the old wolf stand up straighter, stopping in his tracks. Now he did turn, greeted by worried eyes looking up at him. His thoughts froze for only a moment, then a single laugh rolled from his lips.

"You think I am taking you to be punished?" he asked, incredulous. The way Ishada Shiro's ears folded was all the answer he needed. "That is not something you need worry about."

"Then why take me from my chores?"

"I seem to recall you told me the chores you were assigned were already completed," Sensei Takahashi reminded the younger wolf, holding up a finger. "And even if that were not the case this is my school and you have caught my interest."

"Sensei?" the words practically squeaked out.

"Until I change my mind you will be receiving additional instruction from me. I expect you will continue to perform your regular duties and attend all your normal classes, of course," he said evenly, giving his student a sharp look. "I am sure you are aware of what an honor this is?"

Ishada Shiro bowed his head. "Sensei, I am not worthy of such prestige," he murmured, barely managing to restrain his emotions. "But I swear, I will be."