The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [77]
‘We should keep mov–’
Miyuki stopped and listened. The sounds of splashing were approaching fast from behind.
‘Go!’ said Miyuki in alarm.
Quickening their pace, they entered a rift in the rock. The stream cascaded down and they had to climb against the flow. Tenzen slipped and tumbled past Akiko. But she grabbed him, halting his fall. Recovering his footing, Tenzen nodded his appreciation, clearly surprised at her reactions and strength, and resumed his climbing.
Near the top, Kajiya reached for a ladder that led into a wooden shaft. In turn, they scrambled up the steps towards another trapdoor. Jack clambered out after the others, emerging behind the statue of the Buddha. As Miyuki exited, she drew her shikoro-ken in readiness to cut down their pursuers. Out of the darkness, a sword red with blood rose to meet Miyuki’s blade.
46
THE NINE NINJA
Black with smoke, Zenjubo’s face appeared, his eyes narrowing when he spotted Akiko. ‘Prisoner?’
‘No, friend,’ answered Miyuki, though her hostile expression suggested otherwise.
‘Did anyone else make it?’ asked Tenzen. ‘Momochi? My father?’
Zenjubo shook his head.
Distraught at the news, Tenzen stormed out of the temple, Miyuki hurrying after him. Zenjubo nodded for everyone to follow as he closed the trapdoor behind them.
Gathering outside where Tenzen was slumped on the steps with Miyuki, the survivors gazed in stunned silence at the devastation. A plume of smoke rose from the flaming farmhouse into the clear blue sky. Samurai swarmed over the village like a nest of angry wasps, and the bodies of friends and family lay scattered in the dust. Seeing the soldiers ransack the farmers’ homes, Jack’s anguish intensified, his concern for the rutter’s fate adding to his grief at losing Soke and Hanzo.
Akiko, noting Jack’s distress, took him gently to one side. ‘How did you end up here? As a ninja?’
‘It’s a long story,’ sighed Jack. ‘But I ran into trouble in Shono and it was Soke, the Grandmaster, who saved me.’
Akiko gave him an incredulous look. ‘But the shinobi are our enemy!’
‘A frog in a well does not know the great sea,’ he replied.
‘When did you become Sensei Yamada?’ she said, shaking her head in wonder.
‘The ninja aren’t who you think they are.’
‘I realize that truth more than any samurai,’ she replied. ‘I trained as one. All the more reason not to trust them.’
Akiko held Jack’s gaze. ‘You’ve changed.’
‘Perhaps,’ admitted Jack. Then, smiling warmly at her, he added, ‘But I’m glad you haven’t.’
She returned his smile with equal warmth. ‘I see you still have my father’s swords. In my eyes, you’ll always be a samurai.’
For a moment, neither spoke, simply content to be in each other’s company again.
Finally, Jack broke the silence. ‘I was beginning to worry my message hadn’t got through.’
‘I came as fast as I could. The merchant you sent was held up in Kameyama. He apologized profusely. Then it took time to figure out your message. These mountains are a maze, one rocky outcrop looks like another. I had no option but to return to Maruyama. There I discovered daimyo Akechi was mobilizing for an attack on a shinobi village, and it was rumoured there was a foreigner … a gaijin ninja.’
Akiko raised her eyebrows at Jack knowingly.
‘With a reward on his head, I joined the army to capture him for myself.’
‘Lucky for me you did!’ replied Jack. ‘I’m just sorry there’s no reward.’
Akiko’s expression became serious. ‘Your message said you think you’ve found Kiyoshi. Where is he?’
Jack, unable to meet Akiko’s eyes, sadly shook his head.
‘Hanzo … who might be Kiyoshi, insisted on staying to fight.’ He gazed across the smoke-filled valley, remorse overwhelming his heart. ‘I tried to protect him, but in the middle of battle he ran to save his grandfather, Soke. Kiyoshi’s a brave soul. But I fear he’s … dead.’
A wave of grief struck Akiko as all her hopes were dashed. Her face drained of colour and Jack reached out a hand to steady her.
‘I’m too late …’ she wept, her eyes welling with tears as Jack took