Young Samurai_ The Way of the Sword - Chris Bradford [29]
‘It seems a rather odd place to take us to train.’ Jack drew closer, checking no one was listening before he whispered, ‘By the way, what were you doing last night?’
Akiko momentarily faltered at the question. Then, keeping her gaze fixed on the path, replied, ‘I was folding cranes.’
‘No, I mean just before dawn,’ pressed Jack. ‘I’m sure I saw you outside the Shishi-no-ma. You were dressed all in black like a ninja!’
Akiko’s face was an odd mixture of disbelief and alarm.
‘You must be mistaken, Jack. I was asleep. Like everyone else.’
‘Well, I saw someone – and I swear it looked like you. But when I got inside, there was no one around.’
‘Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?’ She studied his face with concern. ‘You look dead on your feet. Did you get any sleep last night?’
Jack shook his head wearily and was about to question her further, when the students behind caught them up.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack continued to study Akiko, but her face gave nothing away. Perhaps he had been mistaken. Akiko had no reason to lie to him. But if it wasn’t Akiko, then who else could it have been?
THUNK!
Jack’s thoughts were interrupted by the final beat of Sensei Kano’s bō staff upon the ground. The students all came to an abrupt halt.
‘We cross here,’ announced Sensei Kano. His voice was deep and booming, as if a temple gong had been rung inside his chest.
The students gathered round. Jack edged his way forward with Yamato and Akiko by his side. In front of them was a ravine splitting the forest in two, with a fast-flowing river far below. Shimmering in the watery mist, the remains of a footbridge jutted out over the abyss.
‘Where shall we cross, Sensei?’ asked Yamato.
‘Is there not a bridge?’ enquired Sensei Kano.
‘Hai Sensei,’ Yamato replied, bemused at the question, ‘but it’s been destroyed.’
Sensei Kano raised his eyes to heaven, as if listening to some distant sound, then said, ‘What about the log?’
A little way down from the bridge, spanning the gorge, was a small felled cedar tree, its branches pruned, the trunk stripped bare of its bark.
‘But, Sensei,’ objected Yamato, a tremor in his voice, ‘the log is barely wide enough for one foot… it’s covered in moss… and it’s wet… someone could easily slip and fall.’
‘Nonsense. You’ll all cross here. Indeed you, Yamatokun, will go first. You are Masamoto’s son, aren’t you?’
Yamato’s mouth fell open, his face going a touch pale. ‘Hai, Sensei,’ he replied weakly.
‘Good, then lead the way!’
The sensei gave Yamato an encouraging prod with his staff and Yamato shuffled to the edge of the ravine. He stopped at its lip.
‘Why haven’t you crossed yet?’ asked Sensei Kano.
‘S-s-sorry… Sensei,’ stammered Yamato, ‘I… can’t do it.’
Jack knew his friend was scared of heights. He had discovered Yamato’s phobia when they had climbed the Sound of Feathers waterfall at the culmination of the Taryu-Jiai contest. The same vertigo was defeating him again.
‘Nonsense. If it’s the height that scaring you, simply don’t look,’ instructed Sensei Kano.
‘What? Close my eyes!’ exclaimed Yamato, backing away from the chasm.
‘Yes. Become blind to your fear.’
Everyone stared at the sensei, aghast. The thought of crossing the log was unnerving enough, but to cross it with one’s eyes closed. That was sheer lunacy!
‘It’s perfectly safe. I’ll even go first,’ said Sensei Kano, slipping off his sandals and threading them on his staff. ‘It would be helpful, though, if someone could show me where the log is.’
The students exchanged bewildered looks. The log was in plain sight. After a brief pause, several of the students pointed to the makeshift crossing.
‘No use pointing,’ said Sensei Kano. ‘I’m blind.’
Jack, along with the rest of the class, was stunned. Sensei Kano had led them all the way to the gorge without a guide or even a single request for directions. How could he be blind?
Jack studied his new sensei properly for the first time. Sensei Kano’s sheer size dominated his appearance,