Doctor Who_ The Room With No Doors - Kate Orman [77]
The pod wouldn’t stay buried. Could he get the cart up the hill without its being noticed? He doubted it – there were so many people down there that someone was bound to spot him.
Kadoguchiroshi. He needed advice. Surely the old monk would be able to think of a way of protecting the pod.
Though Chris wasn’t sure what the point was any more. He took one more look at the battle. The horsemen were riding over the dying and dead to reach their foes. He turned and went into the forest.
Kame rode to the top of the winding road, where the hill turned into the valley. He left his horse sheltering beside a great rock, and crept forward. The sounds coming from the valley made his heart sink.
The valley was filled with soldiers. The great crowd rippled with violence.
Two armies locked together, after years of minor skirmishes, the dams of their hate and ferocity bursting open. Standard battle tactics, nothing fancy, a lethal spray of bullets and arrows followed by a head-on charge.
Kame shook his head. This would have happened eventually, he felt sure of it. He merely wished their timing had been a little better.
He glanced down to the river, worried. The peasants were huddling together in a hollow, too afraid to make a fire in case the smoke drew attention to them. For a moment he imagined that each of them was a small, precious statue, easily destroyed if dropped or dashed to the ground. Fragile. ‘Unlike you, Ese Kame,’ he snorted.
There was no safe way to the monastery. They could go through the mountains, but it would take days – he wasn’t sure the villagers could survive that 154
long. No, their best strategy would he to press on, staying under cover, and praying that the battle held the attention of the warriors.
Kame went back to his horse. With any luck, the tiny group was too unim-portant to slaughter.
His hackles rose as he made his way back to the forest, carefully, watching for the enemy – any samurai was their enemy now. He could smell gunsmoke, too close, and there were sounds of fighting – but the troops would avoid the forest, preferring the open plain where everyone could see their bravery.
‘Me villagers were careful to keep their heads down. Even they could smell the guns. ‘Quickly,’ he told them, ‘we’ll go deeper into the forest.’
Nearby, a samurai screamed an order to his troops. The villagers started to their feet, looking around. As one, they heard the hoofbeats coming up the path towards them.
‘Everyone!’ Kame stage whispered. ‘Run and hide!’
He leapt down from his horse, and slapped the beast’s flank, sending it meandering off into the trees. The poor animal was almost as exhausted as they were. If there were troops nearby, they’d be distracted by the horse.
The villagers hurried into the trees, looking around frantically for the source of the danger. Too close, too quickly. Kame stood in the clearing, hand on his sword. His body felt drained of energy. Would this be the time that he died –
truly died, not one of these mock deaths he was forced to endure?
He was confident that Mikeneko could lead her people to safety, as long as they were lucky enough to avoid further encounters. He felt oddly as though death would not be a mere trifle, but a positive relief.
He was faintly disappointed when the Doctor rode up to him.
‘I’m glad to see you’re still with us, Kame-san,’ he said, without preamble.
‘Is everyone all right?’
Kame glanced around at the forest, where the peasants were making a complete hash of trying to hide. ‘Yes,’ he said.
‘It’s not safe here,’ said the Doctor. ‘I narrowly avoided some groups of soldiers who’ve splintered off from the main battle. They’re running scared, shooting at everything that moves.’
‘Then there’s nothing for it but to make straight for the monastery, and hope,’ said Kame. ‘Everyone, come on!’
Someone screamed.
A second arrow fell into the forest, and then a third. The air was suddenly filled with the smell of gunpowder.