Young Samurai 06 - The Ring of Fire (29 page)

Glancing along the moat, Jack was relieved to see that Hayato was also repelling his attackers and Saburo’s unit had succeeded in sending the remainder of Akuma’s forces back across the moat.

The tide of battle had turned. They’d survived, but only by the skin of their teeth.

50

ASSASSINATION

‘How many did we lose?’ asked Jack, having summoned the young samurai and Miyuki together in the village square.

Akuma’s men, bloodied and taken aback by the farmers’ spirited resistance, had retreated to the far boundary of the paddy fields. There they remained, licking their wounds, kept under surveillance by Neko, stationed in the watchtower.

‘Seven farmers … and the boy,’ replied Hayato.

‘His name was Riku,’ said Yori mournfully. ‘He was the same age as us.’

Jack sat upon the edge of the veranda, his head in his hands. ‘Two of them were from
my
Sword unit.’

‘You can’t blame yourself, Jack,’ said Yuudai. ‘This is war.’

‘But I trained them. I led them –’

‘And that’s why four of them are still alive.’

Jack appreciated Yuudai’s sentiment, but it still didn’t make him feel any better. And despite repelling the bandits, he could see that the farmers’ morale had taken a severe blow.

‘We’ll be lucky to survive another attack like that,’ he said.

‘I did!’ said Saburo, proudly inspecting his dented helmet. ‘Even my father will be impressed with this.’

‘Don’t forget five of the bandits didn’t make it back,’ said Hayato. ‘That leaves Akuma with around twenty men – and four of those are injured. We may have suffered losses, but he’s in no rush to attack again.’

‘But neither has he gone,’ Miyuki observed. ‘Akuma’s merely waiting until nightfall.’

‘Then it’s time we cut the head off the snake,’ said Jack, his anguish at the farmers’ deaths hardening into action.

‘You mean assassinate him?’ said Miyuki, her eyes twinkling mischievously. ‘Who came up with
that
plan?’

Jack and Hayato glanced in Yori’s direction.

‘For a monk, you’re full of surprises,’ said Miyuki. ‘Tell me, how do you intend to do it?’

Yori looked startled at the suggestion that
he
would be the assassin.

‘He’s not. I am,’ said Hayato. ‘With my bow.’

‘It won’t work,’ stated Miyuki flatly.

‘I
know
Akuma’s out of range,’ Hayato sighed, irritated by her swift dismissal of the plan. ‘That’s why I need to get closer – without getting shot by Kurochi or Sayomi in the process.’

‘That’s not your problem,’ said Miyuki.

‘Then what
is
?’ demanded Hayato, his patience run dry.

‘Akuma’s armour is too thick. Your arrow will simply bounce off. To assassinate Akuma, you need to get in close. Real close.’

‘What do
you
suggest then?’

‘This is a job for a
ninja
 … not a samurai.’

The moon remained unseen in the sky, only starlight reflecting off the snow-covered plain. With nightfall came the return of the farmers’ fears. Aware Akuma was out there biding his time to strike, they were scared to venture beyond the safe glow of the sentry fires. To them, Akuma was a devil who lived off the night and all believed he drew strength from the darkness.

But so did the ninja.

‘I’ll attack at midnight,’ said Miyuki, checking her
ninjatō
was secure upon her back.

‘You don’t have to do this,’ said Jack, fearing she’d never return from such a dangerous mission.

‘This is what I’m trained for.’

‘I know. But men like Akuma are prepared for assassination attempts.’

‘You’re not worried about
me
, are you, Jack?’ she said, a teasing smile upon her lips.

‘Of course I am,’ he replied and pulled a
shuriken
from his
obi
. ‘Take this, just in case.’

Passing her the ninja star, their hands closed around each other’s and their eyes met.

‘I’ll be careful,’ she promised, holding his gaze as she accepted the
shuriken
.

Then she pulled on her hood and ran off through the forest.

Jack watched her leap the moat, skirting the hidden traps until she disappeared into the night. Her plan was to work her way through the forest, down on to the plain and sneak up behind Akuma. Her fearless courage and daring astonished Jack. He wondered if he would ever see her again.

Appearing at his side, Neko signed,
You will
.

Jack smiled at her, grateful for her reassurance. Silent as Neko’s world was, she wasn’t deaf to the many things that went unsaid.

Leaving Neko to keep watch over the forest approach, Jack returned to the square and made his way to the southern moat boundary. Hayato was patrolling the central section of the moat with Saburo at the western end and Yori at the eastern end. Yuudai remained at his post on the northern barricade with a small division of farmers. There was always the chance Akuma had left some men behind to mount a secondary attack and Jack couldn’t risk leaving such a gap in their defences.

‘She’s gone,’ Jack informed Hayato.

‘That’s one brave ninja.’

‘Miyuki
will
be back,’ said Jack, rather sharper than he intended.

Hayato glanced at him. Understanding his anxiety, he added, ‘With Akuma’s head, I hope.’

His eyes returned to scanning the dark expanse of the Okayama Plain. ‘It’s been strangely quiet. I’ve got a bad feeling Akuma’s up to something.’

Jack felt it too. ‘Whatever it is, his time is running out.’

As Jack went to check on Saburo, shouts punctured the night air. Originating from Yori’s unit, it appeared Akuma had made his move. Snatching a flaming torch from the sentry fire, Jack and Hayato ran along the moat.

A startled face appeared out of the gloom.

‘They came at us … from nowhere,’ gasped Sora.

‘Where are they?’ said Jack, his
katana
at the ready.

‘Gone … but not before … snatching him.’

‘Who?’ demanded Hayato.

But Jack didn’t need to hear the answer. He already knew.

In the snow, beside a patch of blood, lay Yori’s abandoned
shakujō
.

51

EXECUTION

The two bandits held up flaming torches so everyone in the village could see the wooden pyre in the centre of the paddy field. Logs scavenged from the forest had been heaped at the foot of a stake rammed into the ground. Bound to this post was a small figure dressed in the robes of a monk and the armour of a samurai – Yori.

Jack stood powerless at the edge of the moat, staring in horror at the planned execution. Hayato, Saburo and the farmers gathered beside him, their faces mirroring his anguish.

Hidden deep within the darkness, Akuma gave a callous laugh at their reaction.

‘You have until midnight to surrender,’ he declared. ‘Otherwise the monk burns.’

‘
Don’t surrender!
’ shouted Yori, his voice trembling in spite of his courageous cry.

Nakamura stepped into the light of the torches and slammed the butt of his axe against Yori’s helmet. ‘Hold your tongue, or I’ll cut it out.’

Yori went limp, knocked unconscious by the blow.

Jack surged forwards in rage, determined to break his way through the thorn bushes and rescue his friend.

But Hayato seized him. ‘No! You’ll be killed.’

‘I
must
save him.’

‘That’s exactly what Akuma wants you to do.’

Jack fought against his grip.

‘He’s using Yori as bait to draw you out,’ insisted Hayato. ‘You’d be dead before you got even halfway.’

Realizing the truth in Hayato’s words, Jack stopped struggling.

‘I hope you like roasted monk!’ Nakamura taunted, before retreating into the darkness.

The two bandits followed, leaving a single torch to flicker in the wind.

‘We have to do
something
,’ insisted Saburo, who was as desperate as Jack at seeing their friend about to be sacrificed.

‘We could charge the bandits – all of us at once,’ Jack proposed.

‘Good idea! Akuma would never expect us to attack him,’ agreed Saburo, his sword already half-drawn at the suggestion.

Hayato pulled Jack and Saburo aside. ‘Our army consists of farmers,
not
samurai,’ he reminded them. ‘Without the advantage of our defences, the bandits would cut them down as if they were harvesting a field of rice.’

‘Then why not a small force of samurai – just us?’ said Jack.

‘You were at the Battle of Osaka Castle. Don’t you remember what happened when Satoshi’s forces were drawn out of the castle? Our side lost! This village is our fortress. It would be suicidal to leave.’

Stepping away from the sentry fire, Toge strode up to the conferring young samurai.

‘You’re not thinking of surrender, are you?’ he accused, paranoid with their whispering. ‘If you do, Akuma will burn you, your friend and
everyone
in this village. The earth will be scorched black by the time that devil’s finished.’

‘A samurai isn’t fickle like a farmer,’ said Hayato, insulted by the allegation. ‘Our code of
bushido
means
our
loyalties stay constant.’

‘We’re figuring out how to save Yori,’ Jack explained to the abashed Toge.

Toge observed the distance across paddy fields to the pyre. ‘You’re willing to sacrifice
all
your lives for one person?’

‘That’s what it means to be samurai,’ Jack replied, recalling his guardian Masamoto’s core belief – and the one Yamato had followed to his tragic end to save him and Akiko. ‘Besides, Yori’s my friend. I’d willingly give my life for his.’

‘It may not come to that,’ said Hayato, a smile coming to his lips. ‘We still have one hope … Miyuki.’

Jack kept a vigil, watching over Yori from afar. He now realized Akuma’s tactic to take a hostage hadn’t been to force a surrender. The execution was being staged to terrorize and intimidate the young samurai – a show of cruelty designed to break their fighting spirit and poison their morale.

Hayato’s arguments against an immediate rescue attempt had been difficult to accept. But even Jack could see that it would be foolish to run blindly into a trap – particularly one they had no chance of coming out from alive. Still, he felt as if he was betraying his dear friend yet again, breaking his promise to protect him – just as he’d failed to do during the Battle of Osaka Castle. Now all Jack could do was pray Miyuki succeeded in her mission before midnight. Yori’s life depended upon it.

But looking up at the stars, Jack judged she didn’t have long left.

The torch in the paddy field had finally burnt out and Yori was enveloped in darkness. Jack could still picture his friend tied to the stake, the logs at his feet waiting to be ignited. He listened hard for any indication Akuma might have been killed … Nothing.

In the distance, a new flaming torch was lit. The ominous light floated through the dark like the disembodied head of a fiery demon. Then it stopped level with the pyre.

Yori still hung limp from his bindings, his head bowed upon his chest.

Nakamura’s face, both burnt and scarred, appeared fiendish in the red glow of the flames.

‘
GAIJIN!
’ he called, looking for Jack among the farmers who huddled by their sentry fires. When he spied Jack’s blond hair, a malicious grin spread across his blistered lips. ‘Do you surrender?’

Jack stared into the surrounding darkness.
Where are you, Miyuki?

‘I asked you a question,
gaijin
!’ shouted Nakamura, holding the torch aloft.

Against all his natural instincts, Jack gave his defiant reply. ‘WE DO … 
NOT
SURRENDER!’

52

THE BURNING PYRE