The Ring of Earth - Chris Bradford [80]
Akiko looked at Jack. ‘I can understand her hating samurai, but why does she have such an issue with me? We’re on the same side.’
‘Miyuki takes a while to warm to people,’ he replied in her defence. ‘But she’s a good person once she trusts you.’
‘Really?’ said Akiko, giving Jack a dubious look.
While they’d been getting organized and their injuries tended to, Kajiya had lit a small fire in the woods and cooked some of the rice he’d found stored in a large temple pot – another of Soke’s secret stashes. Their morale and strength were soon boosted by the warm meal.
‘We have food, clothes and weapons,’ Tenzen announced. ‘Now all we need is a plan.’
48
MIST CASTLE
The crucifixes lined the road like dead trees. Leading in an avenue up to the main gate of Maruyama, they offered a grim welcome to any traveller. A group of workmen laboured hard to erect the last cross before sundown. The sound of their hammering was faint but insistent to the ears of the ninja, who lay hidden at the forest edge.
It had been three days since the attack on the village. They’d caught up with Akechi’s army on the second day and followed them through the mountains, but the prisoners had been well guarded and there were simply too many troops to stage an escape attempt. Tenzen suggested they wait until the samurai were no longer expecting trouble. ‘Akechi’s too arrogant to believe anyone would attack his castle. We’ll have the element of surprise,’ he argued, and they’d all agreed.
They watched the last crucifix being raised. It was smaller than the others.
Child-size.
Akiko let out a gasp of horror. So did Miyuki. Jack felt his blood run cold. This samurai lord was cruel and heartless. No wonder the ninja despised him so.
‘Akechi’s making an example of them,’ said Tenzen with disgust. ‘To warn the other shinobi villages not to resist.’
A rustling in the undergrowth alerted them to the return of Kajiya, Danjo and Kato. Only their eyes showed in the gathering darkness.
‘All set?’ asked Zenjubo.
The bladesmith nodded.
‘We attack tonight,’ announced Tenzen.
‘Shouldn’t we at least reconnoitre the town first?’ suggested Shiro.
‘No time. And we know the layout from the last mission.’
‘But we’re rushing into this without enough preparation,’ Shiro argued.
‘We’ve already discussed this,’ snapped Tenzen, his patience having worn thin with Shiro’s objections. ‘They could be dead by the morning.’
‘What are we waiting for then?’ urged Jack, plagued by visions of Soke hanging from Gemnan’s tree and Hanzo boiling in his cauldron. Jack pulled down his hood and adjusted the katana on his back. As a ninja, Tenzen had told him it would be too cumbersome to carry two swords for such a mission, so the wakizashi was left with the rest of their equipment, back at the temple.
‘Wait,’ said Zenjubo, much to Shiro’s evident relief.
Sitting cross-legged, his eyes closed, Zenjubo spread his hands out in front of him, the thumb and index finger touching. ‘On chirichi iba rotaya sowaka …’
Jack recognized the kuji-in chant and hand sign for Zai. Despite his impatience to leave, he forced himself to wait for Zenjubo to complete his meditation. Zenjubo continued to chant the mantra under his breath. But whatever ninja magic he was summoning, it appeared to be having little effect.
Still they waited.
As dusk fell, Jack noticed it was getting colder in the valley basin and a mist rolled in, settling like dragon’s breath across the plain. Eventually the town disappeared from view and only the castle poked through, a single jagged tooth in the valley’s mouth.
‘Kasumiga Jo,’ Tenzen whispered, smiling knowingly at Zenjubo. ‘He’s using Mist Castle’s legendary defence against itself. Now we’ll be no more than phantoms in the night. Not even the sentries in the watchtower will spot us.’
Jack turned to Zenjubo in awe. He knew Zai gave control over the elements, but he’d never imagined such power. ‘You did this?’
Zenjubo shook his head. ‘Merely encouraged it.’
This, Jack realized, was the Ring of Earth in action again.
‘Now we go,’ Zenjubo announced.