The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [68]
‘Hand it over,’ growled a man, ‘and we’ll let you live.’
Coming to a rocky outcrop, Jack looked down to see three men on a forest path surrounding a fourth younger man. Judging by their appearance – shabby kimono, unkempt beards, wooden clubs and knives in their hands – the three men weren’t samurai. Or ninja. They were bandits.
Their victim was better dressed, in a plain travelling kimono and wooden sandals. A merchant or craftsman, Jack guessed. The young man held out a pouch with a trembling hand and threw it to the middle bandit, a brawny, hard-faced man with a flattened nose.
‘Is that all?’ the bandit demanded, feeling the weight of the coins in his hand.
The victim mutely nodded his head.
The bandit snorted his disgust. ‘Kill him.’
‘But you said you wouldn’t,’ cried the man.
‘I lied.’
The two other bandits, grinning maliciously, converged on their victim. One wielded a wooden club; the other had a rusty knife.
Jack knew the next few seconds would decide the poor man’s fate. He couldn’t stand by and allow him to be murdered. Quickly pulling a shuriken from a pouch on his waist, he flicked it at the bandit with the club. Blood spurting from his wrist, the man dropped his weapon and screamed. Unseen, Jack leapt from the rock, landing between the second bandit and his victim.
Blocking the knife attack, Jack grabbed hold of the bandit’s arm, twisted it and threw him to the ground. There was a sharp crack as the man’s arm broke, leaving him writhing in agony.
‘Oi, ninja! Try this for size.’
Jack looked round just in time to see a massive cudgel being swung towards his head. Ducking, he simultaneously elbowed the leader in the stomach, but the man hardly flinched. As the bandit prepared for another bone-breaking swing, Jack drove in with Demon Horn Fist, sending him colliding into a tree and the cudgel flying from the leader’s grasp.
‘You don’t scare me, ninja,’ the bandit wheezed, now drawing a vicious knife from his belt. Then he stopped in his tracks as if he’d seen a ghost.
‘Blue eyes?’ he muttered, and began to edge fearfully away. ‘You’re no ninja. You’re a demon!’
Turning on his heels, the leader fled down the path, his two companions following close behind.
‘P-p-please don’t kill me,’ stuttered the young man, who’d fallen to his knees, his face ashen with fear at the strange sight of a ninja with blue eyes.
Jack retrieved the purse the bandit had dropped in his haste.
‘Take it! Take it all!’ the man pleaded.
‘It’s yours,’ replied Jack, placing the purse into the man’s begging hands. ‘And you’re free to go.’
‘Th-th-thank you,’ stuttered the man in astonishment. He bowed his head to the ground. ‘It’s my father’s takings from Maruyama.’
‘Your father’s a merchant?’
‘Yes, he sells fans,’ the young man replied, warily getting to his feet.
‘Tell me, where are you headed?’
‘Shono … But I left late and decided to take a short cut to the post station … Stupid idea. I should have listened to my father …’
‘And after that?’
‘Kameyama … Tsu … Toba … Why?’
Jack smiled behind his hood. Here was the opportunity he’d been waiting for.
‘I need a favour,’ said Jack, deciding to trust his instincts with the man.
‘My life is yours to command,’ replied the merchant’s son, bowing solemnly.
Jack reached into the folds of his shozoku jacket and removed the note. ‘Can you deliver this message to Date Akiko in Toba?’
Taking the folded slip of rice paper, the merchant bowed again. ‘It would be an honour to be of service.’
‘This message is very important,’ Jack insisted. ‘It has to be given to Akiko and no one else.’
‘I’ll guard it with my life,’ promised the merchant.
Jack watched the young man depart and prayed the message would reach its intended destination.
41
WAITING
As dawn broke, Jack sat beside the temple overlooking the valley. The sun, peeking above the mountains, welcomed a new day and the village awoke to the sound of a cockerel crowing. Kajiya’s forge burst into