Young Samurai 06 - The Ring of Fire (30 page)

Nakamura threw the burning torch on to the pyre. The logs quickly caught alight and the fire began to spread. Yori’s head remained bowed in prayer as the flames encircled him and smoke billowed into the night sky.

‘We
can’t
wait for Miyuki,’ said Jack, drawing his sword to charge.

Saburo with a handful of farmers, who’d volunteered for the task, prepared to race across the paddy fields and rescue Yori.

Hayato barred their way. ‘STOP! This wasn’t the plan.’

‘But Yori will die if we don’t go
now
.’

‘We agreed
only
if Miyuki killed Akuma.’

‘STAND ASIDE!’ ordered Jack.

Hayato refused to budge. ‘Miyuki’s clearly failed in her mission. Unless the bandits are leaderless, any rescue attempt is a death sentence to those who go.’

Upon hearing this, the volunteer farmers shuffled back from the moat, their nerve gone.

‘Then I’ll go alone,’ Jack insisted.

‘Not without me,’ said Saburo.

‘I’ll go too,’ insisted Yuto, terrified but determined to pay back his life debt to Jack.

From the paddy fields, the crackle and spit of burning wood could be heard.

‘Listen, both of you,’ said Hayato, confronting Jack and Saburo. ‘Being a samurai may mean sacrifice. But in this case it is Yori who must pay that price. Don’t throw your lives away. If you do, Akuma wins. The village will fall. And
everyone’s
sacrifice will have been in vain.’

In his head, Jack knew Hayato was talking sense. But in his heart, the torment of such a decision was insufferable. He’d prefer to die trying, than do nothing and watch his friend burn alive.

Countless sparks flew up into the night sky and the flickering flames of the fiercely burning pyre lit the paddy field. At its boundary where the darkness still prevailed, blades glinted and shadowy figures moved.

‘See! Akuma’s men are waiting for you,’ said Hayato.

‘He’s right. It’s a trap,’ said Saburo, hanging his head in defeat.

‘Yori wouldn’t want you to die for nothing,’ insisted Hayato. ‘But I’ll no longer stand in your way …’

All of a sudden the pyre became a bonfire and Yori was engulfed in flames. His helmet and breastplate offered scant protection against the raging heat. Yet Yori didn’t struggle or cry out. He remained courageous until the end.

‘
YORI!
’ cried Jack, dropping to his knees, weak with grief.

Saburo sobbed beside him, tears streaming down his face.

Hayato forced himself to watch, feeling wretched for having prevented the rescue. ‘He’s truly a brave samurai, not even screaming –’

‘It’s not in a monk’s nature to,’ said a voice.

Miyuki emerged from the darkness. Jack’s relief at seeing her safe was mixed with his despair at Yori’s fate.

‘Is Akuma
dead
then?’ he demanded.

Miyuki shook her head with regret.

‘Why ever not?’ Jack snapped, his sorrow boiling over into anger.

‘I had to make a choice,’ she explained. ‘Kill Akuma or …’

Stepping aside, Yori miraculously appeared behind her.

Jack and Saburo did a double take.

‘YORI!’ cried Jack, hardly able to believe his eyes. Running over, he pulled his friend into an all-enveloping embrace. Then, falling to his knees, he bowed his head in shame. ‘How can you ever forgive me for abandoning you like that?’

‘Don’t listen to him,’ interrupted Hayato. ‘Jack
was
coming for you. I’m the one who stopped him.’

‘I’m glad you did,’ said Yori, smiling warmly. ‘It would have been a needless sacrifice for my dear friend.’

‘But if you are here, who’s that?’ asked Saburo, pointing to the figure tied to the burning stake.

‘A straw soldier, of course.’

Jack laughed in astonishment. Only now did he notice Yori was no longer wearing his armour.

‘But we were watching you all the time. How’s that possible?’ said Hayato.

Miyuki shot him a playful grin and replied, ‘Ninja magic.’

A howl of fury was heard from the paddy fields as Nakamura also discovered the truth. With the straw gone up in flames, the armour collapsed and an empty helmet bounced off the pyre. Nakamura glared in crazed disbelief when he spotted Yori safely behind the village defences. Yori gave him a little bow. This incensed the bandit even more and, kicking the helmet in a fit of rage, he stormed back to Akuma.

‘In order for us to escape without being detected, I needed to leave a decoy,’ explained Miyuki. ‘There wasn’t time to tell anyone of my plan. As it was, I barely reached Yori before midnight.’

‘So it was
you
who put out the torch?’ said Jack, his admiration for her growing even stronger.

‘With a snowball,’ Miyuki nodded.

‘Akuma’s going to be
really
furious now,’ said Saburo with a roguish grin.

Out in the paddy fields, the sound of cracking ice drew everyone’s attention. The heat from the fire had melted its frozen surface and the burning pyre dropped through to the waters beneath. The flames were extinguished and the plain once more fell into darkness.

53

GONE

The battle was to stay awake.

A second sleepless night meant exhaustion threatened to defeat the farmers before Akuma did. They sat beside the sentry fires, heads bobbing drowsily as they fought their fatigue. Barely able to keep their own eyes open, the young samurai took turns to patrol the boundary with their units. The moonless night forced them to rely solely upon their ears to warn of an attack. So every noise became the prelude to a bandit advance, every sound the beginning of an assault. Hayato reported hearing footsteps in the snow, but no bandits materialized to storm the moat. On Jack’s round, he heard the splintering of wood – soon realizing the remains of the bridge were being washed away by the river, piece by piece. The sound of horses’ hooves sent everyone on high alert, but again nothing came of it.

After that, the night settled into an uneasy quiet.

‘What do you think Akuma’s planning?’ asked Miyuki, finding the silence more disturbing than any noise.

‘Maybe he’s decided to lay siege,’ said Saburo, stifling a yawn.

‘But without supplies, the bandits must be starving by now,’ said Yori.

‘That makes them more dangerous,’ said Jack, stamping his feet for warmth. ‘Like a pack of wild dogs.’

Jack glanced round at the farmers, who shivered with both cold and dread. None ventured far from the firelight, terrified they too might be taken hostage by the bandits. Worn out and grieving for the loss of their friends, the strain in their haggard faces was evident – the farmers had reached their limit.

‘Whatever happens,’ said Jack, ‘the next battle will be decisive.’

‘I should have gone back to assassinate Akuma,’ said Miyuki. ‘This could’ve been all over by now.’

Jack shook his head. ‘After Yori’s rescue, Akuma will have doubled his guard. It’s too much of a risk … even for a ninja.’

Sora’s daughter Miya appeared with some rice.

‘From my mother, to keep your strength up,’ she said, bowing and handing out the steaming straw containers. She glanced across the moat to the paddy fields. ‘Do you think Akuma’s finally given up?’

Sitting by the fire to eat, Jack shook his head.

‘I’m afraid that would be too much to hope for.’

‘Wake up, Jack!’ urged Sora, roughly shaking him.

Blinking against the early light of dawn, Jack cursed for allowing himself to fall asleep. In an instant, he was back on his feet, sword in hand.

‘Where’s Akuma?’ he demanded.

‘He’s gone!’ Sora exclaimed, excitedly pointing to the abandoned paddy fields.

Jack rubbed his eyes, but it was true. Akuma was nowhere in sight. The glistening snow-covered plain was deserted as far as the eye could see. A blackened hole in the middle of one paddy field was the sole reminder that the bandits had been there at all.

Hayato strode over. ‘I’ve walked the length of the moat. There’s no sign of him.’

‘He’s moved on to another village,’ said Toge, shielding his face from the rising sun as he too scanned the horizon.

Jack couldn’t believe it. But the farmers clearly did. They were already rejoicing.

‘We’ve beaten Black Moon!’ cried Kunio, grinning ear to ear.

The farmers raised their spears and cheered their victory.

‘Akuma can’t be gone. He
must
be hiding somewhere,’ insisted Jack, unwilling to celebrate so quickly.

Running into the square, he clambered up to the top of the watchtower. Miyuki was already on the platform with Yori, looking in all directions.

‘I can’t see him or any bandits,’ said Miyuki.

Jack’s view from the watchtower only confirmed the paddy fields to be empty. To the east, the mill was a burnt-out shell, smoke curling into the sky like a black snake. What little remained of the bridge was impassable, just a few charred stubs poking out of the water. Otherwise, there wasn’t a single soul in sight. The mountain approach to the north was equally bereft of life.

Spotting Neko enter the square, Jack asked Miyuki, ‘What about the forest?’

Miyuki caught Neko’s attention and signed to her. ‘Neko says the forest is clear too.’

In the village below, the farmers began downing weapons and disbanding their units. Even Yuudai’s men abandoned their post to join the others in the square to celebrate Akuma’s departure.

Toge stood upon the farmhouse veranda with Yoshi. He called up to Jack, ‘Can you see Akuma anywhere?’

‘No, but –’

The farmers’ shouts of delight drowned him out before he could voice his doubts.

Toge now addressed the villagers. ‘Thanks to the young samurai and
your
bravery, we’re free of Black Moon!’

More cheers and cries filled the square. Up in the watchtower, Jack shook his head, unconvinced. ‘Akuma wouldn’t up and leave like this.’

‘Perhaps the shame of defeat was too bitter a pill for him to swallow,’ Yori suggested.

‘Or else, as Toge said, he’s decided to attack an easier target,’ said Miyuki.

‘Akuma’s cunning. He knows the farmers are tired – they’re desperate to believe him gone,’ Jack insisted. ‘He’s simply waiting for us to lower our guard like this.’

‘But the bandits can’t appear from
nowhere
,’ argued Yori.

Jack hunted the landscape for their enemy and saw only snow. He kept searching …

With each passing moment, Jack’s conviction wavered. Perhaps Akuma had
really
gone.

The sun rose fully above the horizon, its golden light heralding a new day and banishing all the fears of the previous night. With the battle seemingly over, Jack was suddenly overwhelmed with exhaustion.

‘Since Akuma’s not here – for now – we should rest,’ said Jack. ‘But we must remain vigilant.’

‘I’ll take the first watch,’ Miyuki offered, just as reluctant as Jack to believe Akuma had gone for good.

Too tired to protest, Jack nodded his agreement and ushered Yori down the ladder. He was just about to follow when his eye caught a flicker of movement. He stopped and stared at the nearest paddy field. There was nothing but snowdrifts. Convincing himself he was just burnt out and seeing things, Jack stepped on to the ladder.

Then he heard an ominous rumbling in the distance.

At the same time, Miyuki yelled, ‘Bandits to the north!’

Jack spun to see a massive boulder thundering down the valley. It had been dislodged from the rocky ridge and now careered towards the barricade. Chasing behind it, five bandits charged along on horseback, Sayomi riding upon the ridge above.

In the square, there were cries of disbelief and alarm from the farmers.

Yuudai shouted above the panic, ‘BARRICADE UNIT!’

To Jack’s horror, he discovered his instincts had been right all along. When he glanced back at the paddy fields, snowdrifts started to rise up and fall apart before his eyes. Two bandits hidden beneath ran at the moat. Between them, they carried a wide wooden plank scavenged from the destroyed bridge. As they went to throw it across the thorn-filled ditch, more snowdrifts burst apart. Nakamura and three other fully armed bandits rushed for the makeshift crossing.

‘Bandits to the south!’ warned Jack.

Saburo rallied his men to head for the moat.

‘Bandits to the east!’ cried Miyuki and Jack saw another pair explode from the snow to lay a wooden board across the eastern side of the moat. Having used the cover of the riverbank to reach the bridge undetected, Akuma now led a charge on horseback up the road and towards the gangway.

Hayato called for his unit. As the farmers rushed in all directions to retrieve their weapons and follow their young commanders, mayhem reigned in the village square.

Stunned by Akuma’s all-out assault, Jack turned to Miyuki in horrified disbelief. ‘They’re going to overrun us!’

54

THE RING OF FIRE