The Ring Of Water Part 5

'You have it,' said Ronin, waving the steamed bun away.

Jack didn't argue, but decided to save Ronin's for the following morning. Taking a bite of his, Jack was surprised at the sugary taste of the red-bean manj manj. While it wasn't as filling as the meat one, Jack relished it nonetheless and the sweet dough ball was gone all too soon.

As he finished his paltry meal, Jack felt a p.r.i.c.kling sensation run down the back of his neck. During his ninjutsu ninjutsu training, the Grandmaster had taught him not to ignore such signs. Pretending to make himself more comfortable against the log, Jack took the opportunity to subtly look round. There was no one there, but he thought he caught a slight movement among the bushes. training, the Grandmaster had taught him not to ignore such signs. Pretending to make himself more comfortable against the log, Jack took the opportunity to subtly look round. There was no one there, but he thought he caught a slight movement among the bushes.

Turning to Ronin, Jack whispered gravely, 'Someone's watching us.'

11.

SHADOW IN THE NIGHT.

The forest was pitch-black, the trees blocking out any moonlight. Only the clearing was open to the stars and that made them sitting ducks. Jack and Ronin scanned the undergrowth for further movement, but whoever might be watching was well hidden.

'Are you certain?' breathed Ronin, his hand reaching for his sword.

Nodding gently, Jack clutched his bo bo in readiness to fight. He felt eyes upon him. Someone was definitely out there. in readiness to fight. He felt eyes upon him. Someone was definitely out there. Dos.h.i.+n Dos.h.i.+n? But they didn't seem the type to sneak up on people. More likely they'd charge in and overwhelm with numbers. Could it be bandits? It would be just his luck to be ambushed a second time. Or ninja ninja? For once, Jack hoped it was.

The ninja were no longer his enemy. Soke had shown him a secret hand sign the Dragon Seal that could be used as a signal of friends.h.i.+p. There was no guarantee it would work, however. What ninja would believe a foreigner was one of them?

Besides, Ronin was still a target. And he wouldn't be so welcoming to an a.s.sa.s.sin. Without doubt, there would be a fight.

Ronin stood up.

'Where are you going?' hissed Jack.

'Call of nature,' he replied loudly, raising an eyebrow to indicate it was a ruse.

The samurai disappeared into the darkness, noisily making his way through the undergrowth. Left alone, Jack kept up his vigilance and surveyed the forest for movement. He knew the ninja were able to disguise their presence by a.s.suming the shape of rocks, blending into tree trunks and hiding within long gra.s.s. The forest could conceal any number of a.s.sa.s.sins, and Jack began seeing them in every bulge and fleeting shadow.

All of a sudden, Ronin became silent.

Jack turned in his direction. 'Ronin,' he whispered. 'Are you all right?'

There was no response. Jack tightened his grip on the bo bo. Perhaps the samurai had simply stopped walking and was out of earshot. On the other hand, he could have been seized, possibly even killed. The ninja were experts in silent a.s.sa.s.sination. And if Ronin was dead Jack would be next.

The silence stretched on; even the forest seemed to have stopped breathing.

Judging by their stealth, Jack was now convinced it was a ninja ambush. Clasping both hands together, middle fingers entwined, thumbs and little finger extended in a V-shape, he formed the Dragon Seal and turned slowly in a circle.

Jack waited for a reponse.

Nothing.

'Ronin!' he whispered more urgently.

A branch snapped behind him. Jack whirled round, staff held high to strike. The steel blade of a battleworn katana katana glinted in the moonlight and a fearsome warrior stepped out. glinted in the moonlight and a fearsome warrior stepped out.

'Didn't find anyone,' Ronin grunted.

Jack lowered his staff. 'But I know know I sensed a presence.' I sensed a presence.'

'You should stay on the alert then,' replied Ronin, sheathing his sword and lying down on the ground. should stay on the alert then,' replied Ronin, sheathing his sword and lying down on the ground.

'What are you going to do?' Jack asked.

Ronin didn't bother replying. He just folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, leaving Jack to guard their camp alone.

Jack still had the unnerving feeling of being watched. But after sweeping the bushes he'd found no one and put the sensation down to anxiety at the thought of returning to Kyoto.

Tired as he was, Jack forced himself to perform another self-healing meditation. His swollen eye was already going down and the bruises were fading fast, but it would still be a few more days before he was back to full health. He quietly murmured the words of the Sha Sha mantra to ensure he didn't disturb Ronin. mantra to ensure he didn't disturb Ronin.

At some point, Jack leant back against the fallen log and drifted in and out of sleep.

A soft furred creature emerged from a bush, its bright inquisitive eyes twinkling in the starlight. Its snout twitched, sniffing him out. Jack let the animal approach.

You're a tanuki, thought Jack. tanuki, thought Jack.

Suddenly a swirling tornado of leaves enveloped the tanuki, tanuki, rising to the height of a man. A second later, as if the wind had died, the leaves fell to the ground, revealing a bushy-bearded man in a blood-red robe. rising to the height of a man. A second later, as if the wind had died, the leaves fell to the ground, revealing a bushy-bearded man in a blood-red robe.

'Riddle me this, young samurai! What is greater than G.o.d, more evil than the Devil? Poor people have it, rich people need it, and if you eat it you'll die. Tell me this and I shall give it to you.'

Jack thought he knew the answer, but his mouth wouldn't open. His lips were sealed as tight as a tomb.

The Riddling Monk began to shrink before his eyes, the voice falling away like a pebble down a well. 'What you find is lost... What you give is given back... What you fight is defeated... What you want is sacrificed.'

The monk's robes consumed him until he was no more than a cloth heap. A tanuki tanuki crawled out and sauntered off into the forest, leaves crackling like fresh snow beneath its paws... crawled out and sauntered off into the forest, leaves crackling like fresh snow beneath its paws...

Halfway between sleep and waking, Jack sensed a shadow pa.s.s before his eyes. He caught a whiff of pine needles and saw a hand reach for Ronin's swords. In that instant, Jack became alert. Without hesitating, he leapt upon the shadow crouching beside Ronin. Executing a punis.h.i.+ng shoulder throw, he pinned the shadow to the ground, pressing his staff hard across its throat. Ronin was immediately by his side, a tanto tanto knife in his hand ready to kill the intruder. knife in his hand ready to kill the intruder.

'No... Stop!' spluttered a terrified voice.

Jack stared into the dark eyes of a waif-like girl. She had a bob of knotted black hair that framed a slim impish face with ruddy lips and a pet.i.te nose.

'What sort of ninja are you?' he said, noticing her clothing was tatty and only black because of ingrained dirt.

'What sort of samurai are you you?' she retorted, her eyes wide with alarm at the sight of her blond-haired, blue-eyed attacker.

Jack released the pressure on the girl's throat, but still didn't let her up. 'One who protects his friends from murderers like you.'

'I'm no murderer!'

'So what were you doing?'

'I... I... just wanted to look at his inro inro,' she protested, pointing to the small battered wooden carrying case on the samurai's hip.

'A petty thief!' spat Ronin in disgust, his bloodshot eyes glaring at her.

'No, I'm not!' responded the girl indignantly.

'What are you then?' demanded Ronin.

She considered for a moment, then answered, 'A highly skilful thief.'

'Not that skilful,' Ronin snorted. 'You were caught.'

'Well, I evaded you you in the bushes!' she said, a haughty look in her eyes. 'You pa.s.sed right by me behind the pine tree. I could've taken your in the bushes!' she said, a haughty look in her eyes. 'You pa.s.sed right by me behind the pine tree. I could've taken your inro inro then!' then!'

Ronin stood up, waving Jack aside. 'We'd better check what you do do have.' have.'

Grabbing the girl by the ankles, Ronin held her upside down and roughly shook her.

'Let go!' she cried, struggling in vain.

Three ornate bra.s.s hairpins dropped to the ground, followed by an ivory fan, a tortoisesh.e.l.l comb, a bag of coins and a small blunt knife.

'Not bad takings,' muttered Ronin, dropping the girl and picking up the bag. He emptied its contents into his hand. 'What's this? Your lucky charm?'

A little paper crane sat among the coins in Ronin's palm.

'Don't tell me. Thieves now practise the art of origami origami!'

Jack stared at the bird. 'Let me see that.'

Ronin handed him the crane and Jack lifted its wing. Beneath it, inscribed in tiny kanji kanji characters, was the word: characters, was the word: Senbazuru Senbazuru.

Jack knew this meant 'One Thousand Cranes' according to the legend that said any person who folds a thousand such origami origami birds is granted a wish. His friend Yori had made birds is granted a wish. His friend Yori had made this this paper crane and had wished for Jack's safe journey home. paper crane and had wished for Jack's safe journey home.

'Did you steal this from me?' said Jack to the girl, who'd sat up and was moodily brus.h.i.+ng off leaves.

She glanced up, a flash of defiance in her eyes. 'No.'

'Then where did you get it?' Jack demanded, grabbing her arm for her full attention.

'Some samurai,' she replied, shrugging him off. 'But he doesn't care; he's dead now.'

'What else did you steal?'

The girl became tight-lipped.

'Answer him!' snarled Ronin.

'Nothing...' she murmured, shrinking from the samurai.

Ronin advanced on her, knife in hand.

'Some money... and a black pearl from his friends,' she added quickly.

'A black black pearl!' breathed Ronin, stopping in his tracks. pearl!' breathed Ronin, stopping in his tracks.

'Where is it?' asked Jack, his eyes darting from the coins in Ronin's hand to the spoils on the ground.

She offered him a smug smile. 'I sold it.'

12.

THE THIEF.

'That hurts!' whined the girl thief as Ronin bound her to the fallen log.

'Stop complaining!' said Ronin, tying up her hands with the sageo sageo cord from his cord from his saya saya. 'Or I'll be forced to gag you.'

The girl stuck her tongue out at him, but kept quiet. Having secured her, Ronin withdrew his knife and rested its razor-sharp edge upon her cheek.

'Now you will will tell us who's got the pearl, or...' He left the rest unsaid. tell us who's got the pearl, or...' He left the rest unsaid.

She glared back at Ronin, her eyes daring him to do it.

'Ronin!' Jack interrupted, worried the samurai might carry out his threat. 'Let me try first.'

'Be my guest,' he replied, offering the knife.

Jack politely refused, considering a more friendly approach might loosen the girl's tongue. He knelt down beside the thief.

'What's your name?' asked Jack, smiling.

'Hana.'

'I'm Jack.' He inclined his head respectfully, but was stopped mid-bow by her reply.

'I know. The dos.h.i.+n dos.h.i.+n were talking about you. Some big reward for your head.' were talking about you. Some big reward for your head.'

At this Jack felt Ronin's eyes suddenly upon him.

'Don't know why anyone would pay a whole koban koban for your head?' Hana smirked, eyeing up Jack. 'That amount of gold could keep me in rice for three years!' for your head?' Hana smirked, eyeing up Jack. 'That amount of gold could keep me in rice for three years!'

Jack glanced at Ronin. Had this knowledge changed everything? Had this knowledge changed everything? Surely such a reward was tempting for even the most honourable samurai and Jack was yet to be convinced of Ronin's virtue. The man could literally drown himself in Surely such a reward was tempting for even the most honourable samurai and Jack was yet to be convinced of Ronin's virtue. The man could literally drown himself in sake sake with all that money. But the samurai's expression remained inscrutable. with all that money. But the samurai's expression remained inscrutable.