Doctor Who_ The Room With No Doors - Kate Orman [4]
For a moment, Aoi saw the bushi the way the villagers must see them –
three great figures in armour, astride beautiful horses, banners flapping at their backs. They must look magnificent, and terrifying. Perhaps the villagers thought the war had reached them at last.
The head man received then, as best he could. Aoi knelt uncomfortably on the floor of the cramped house while the old man answered his father’s questions.
9
At least it was a house, with wooden walls and floor, and not one of the filthy huts that most of the villagers lived in.
‘Yes, they were here, this morning. They bought food from us, and a quiver of arrows. They asked questions.’
‘About Hekison?’ demanded Father.
‘Yes. But we don’t know anything about what’s happening there.’
Father gazed steadily at the old man. Aoi realized that the wizened fellow was trembling. ‘I am telling you the truth, lord. We’ve heard only that they’ve placed a new statue in their shrine. That was all we could tell the foreigners.’
‘What were the foreigners like?’ said Father. ‘You sold them arrows. Did they have swords? Muskets?’
‘One bore two swords. But they were not warlike, but kindly.’
‘Two swords!’ exclaimed Aoi. ‘The arrogance!’
‘Hmm.’ Aoi’s father thought for a moment. ‘They continued on towards Hekison?’
‘ Hei, O-samurai. ’
Father stood up. ‘We will go now.’
The old man almost fell over with relief. He bowed, over and over, as Kiiro and Aoi got up and followed Father out of the hut.
‘We can’t waste any more time here,’ said his father. ‘Let’s ride hard for Hekison. If they took the trail, we can overtake them by cutting through the valley.’ Kiiro smiled, nodding.
Aoi looked around the village. The peasants were cowering in the doors of their huts, watching the three bold samurai. Aoi swore the foreigners were going to be even more afraid of him.
‘Look,’ said Kiiro.
They were following a winding trail down the side of a hill. It gave them a good view of the valley. ‘There,’ said Father, putting his hand on Aoi’s shoulder.
Aoi followed his father’s pointing finger. There, between the trees, he caught a flash of movement. ‘We’ll be able to see them more clearly in a moment. Watch.’
Sure enough, the two travellers emerged into a clearing. One was a giant!
He must be more than six feet tall! He was dressed as a bushi, as far as Aoi could see, while the other one wore strange clothes and carried a bow.
Kiiro was already nocking an arrow. ‘An easy shot, even from this distance.’
Father shook his head. ‘Do you see that knot of trees beside the path, further along? We’ll ambush them there and challenge them. Try not to kill both of them.’
‘ Hei! ’ said Aoi. His heart started to pound again.
∗ ∗ ∗
10
They waited in the shadow of the trees. Kiiro gripped his bow, restless. Aoi matched his father’s cool stance, watching the path, leaving his sword in its scabbard.
The two travellers emerged from the trees. Aoi’s hand tightened its hold on the handle of his katana.
Both of them were pale-skinned. The giant looked even larger, from this close. Aoi had been right – he was dressed as a samurai; he even carried two swords, though he wore no armour. His hair was the colour of straw.
The smaller man was no warrior – so why was he carrying the bow? Perhaps he was some kind of servant. It probably wasn’t a good idea to make assumptions about foreigners, thought Aoi. Anything could –
Kiiro snapped off a shot. The arrow leapt between the travellers. The small man shouted, and the two of them were suddenly galloping in opposite directions.
Father and Kiiro raced out of the trees in pursuit. Aoi followed his father, who was chasing the small man back towards the forest. In that tangle of trees, they would quickly catch up with him.
The man urged his horse up a slope. For a moment, Aoi saw his pale face turned back to look at them, and then he disappeared into the trees. Aoi’s father drew his katana.
The sword was snatched out of his hand, flying back, as though by magic.
Father shouted