The man was bigger than Groundspider and easily as agile. They were in for a tough, ugly fight. What if it spun out of control? It might be him doing the slaying.
The stranger reached the beam and one of his large hands slid across the top of it, fingers probing for a sound grip. Snowhawk launched up, grabbed his wrist and twisted it quickly into a nerve-stretching lock. From beside her Moon vaulted over the beam, clamping a headlock on their pursuer. The man gave a snarl then pushed off hard with his feet, somersaulting over the beam, dragging his attackers with him until all three of them were upside down. The bold manoeuvre broke their grips and with a muffled clatter the trio tumbled apart down the sloping roof behind the cedar beam.
Just before the edge all three scrambled to their feet. The stranger rounded on Snowhawk, hastily grunting something. But before he could complete even a word, Moonshadow darted in to swing a hard back-fist strike into his jaw. The man's head shuddered, but he recovered fast, hurling Moon away with a flashing sidekick. Impulsively Snowhawk reached for her sword. Seeing that, the big man aimed a powerful front kick at her, forcing her to abandon the draw. Snowhawk sidestepped his blurring foot then snapped a firm hold on his ankle with both hands. The stranger tried to speak once more, but his jaw appeared numbed by Moonshadow's blow and he succeeded only in stuttering. Moon closed with the man again, clawing for his back-mounted straight sword, but the large spy volleyed himself into a powerful, one-legged backflip. The sheer force of his fast, high turn propelled Moon clear. The stranger's free foot whipped Snowhawk in the head. She reeled backwards and teetered on the roof's edge, arms wide and circling, trying to regain her balance. Moon gasped.
If she dropped, her great agility and many climbing tricks might enable her to cut short the fall but how would he capture this powerful spy on his own? With a determined forward sway, Snowhawk reclaimed her balance and thrust away from the edge.
Bounding up from the crouch he had landed in, the stranger stood tall, working his jaw painfully at desperate speed, but still unable to speak. Moon slid on his side, his body flowing with the angle of the tiles, right up to the man's feet. He quickly swung a leg each side of the spy's ankles, trapping his legs. Moon closed the scissors tightly then twisted his hips with force. The agent pitched forwards, snatching wildly for Moonshadow. He missed and fell. Snowhawk rocketed onto the man from behind, wrenching on a forearm choke. Arching his spine, the agent threw his head back and head-butted her in the face, the force of the blow breaking her hold. He rolled down the roof, flicking Snowhawk from his back, and dragged Moon right to the edge.
Moonshadow and the stranger disentangled speedily as they ran out of roof.
Each slid over the edge but managed to claw a grip. They dangled, less than a man's length apart, scrambling to haul themselves up. Snowhawk, shaking her head as if stunned, launched across the tiles and stamped on one of the big agent's hands. He let out a muffled groan. Grinding his teeth, Moon pulled himself up and stood on the roof.
Snowhawk's hand flashed into her jacket. She dropped to one knee, her opposite foot still pinning the man's hand as she pushed a Fuma shuriken to the side of his neck. A curved black blade-point hovered in line with his vital neck artery.
'Here's poetic justice! This is the fitting way for one of you to die!' Snowhawk growled. 'By a shuriken of your own design, in the hand of one you mistreated!'
'Stop,' Moonshadow gasped, his chest heaving. Even in the limited light he could see the manic rage in her every movement. 'This is vengeance! This is wrong!'
'Hah!' Snowhawk snapped at him. 'I need a better reason than that to stop!'
'I'm not Fuma,' the dangling agent said hoarsely, 'I serve the Grey Light!'
Snowhawk and Moonshadow, both stooped now and wheezing, traded startled looks.
'Prove it,' she demanded. 'But if I think you're lying –'
'I can, I can,' the man spluttered, trying to get too many words out fast. 'I'm a freelance agent, but I run messages for the order, so I know the trust-codes.'
'Two butterflies tied by impossible dreams,' Moonshadow said quickly.
'Are like the cold water,' the spy panted, 'that can't brew fragrant tea.'
Again Moon and Snowhawk exchanged glances. 'Test him again,' she snarled.
Moonshadow nodded. 'At the festival of the dead, a paper lantern bursts –'
'And goblins and shape-shifters scurry out,' the man replied without pause.
'Forgive me.' Snowhawk pulled the shuriken away from the fellow's neck, slid her foot off his hand and stood up. 'By all the gods,' she muttered, looking at Moon. 'What has happened to me? I almost murdered one of our own.'
Moonshadow offered his hand to the stranger, leaning backwards hard to offset the big man's weight as he helped him regain the roof.
'Our apologies, Sir. We . . .' He fired a sideways look at Snowhawk. 'We were startled. Your presence was unexpected.'
The large spy sat down heavily on the tiles. 'No harm done.' He blew out a long breath. 'That kind of reception greets us freelance despatch runners from time to time. All shinobi are wary while on the job.' He rubbed his wrist. 'Which is as it should be. I tried to utter a trust-code on arrival –' he half-grinned, nursing his jaw – 'but your skilled blow numbed me awhile, neh?'
Moonshadow hung his head. 'I was impulsive. Please excuse me.'
'Not at all.' The freelance agent waved a hand. 'Resources are stretched thin, out-of-town faces like me have been brought in to help . . . it all makes people jumpy.' He thumbed over his shoulder at the Edo skyline. 'The Grey Light has been steadily forced to deploy so many of its senior agents to distant provinces. And why? To investigate these infernal conspiracies! Rumours of new plots against the Shogun appear with each passing week –'
Snowhawk and Moonshadow looked at one another thoughfully. Moon shook his head. No wonder they were getting so many of these eavesdropping missions! By the sound of it, everybody who served the Order was out lifting tiles on lords and merchants' roofs across the length and breadth of the land.
Something very big and very dangerous was in the wind. Was one man behind it all, Akechi's friend from the west? Moon scowled. Fushimi, the lair of Silver Wolf, lay to the west. Who else's ambitions could send such far-flung ripples through the nation's pond?
It seemed that the need to closely monitor those ripples had now made everything riskier. So a wide web of conspirators was tying up agents to the point where independent spies-for-hire had to make up the manpower shortage. Such things had happened before, from time to time, but never on the scale this man spoke of.
Moonshadow sighed. Brother Eagle, the wise and diplomatic, had ties to certain Iga ninja masters and was highly respected among most of the Clan Koga families. But if those shadow houses were now sending Eagle hirelings that he didn't personally know, could all of them be trusted?
That was the hazard with freelancers; the more of them you had to use, the greater the risk that one would turn out to be an infiltrator . . . a double agent, in this case, perhaps actually serving the conspirators – or worse, the Order's ancient enemy, the House of Fuma.
The agent seemed to read Moonshadow's thoughts. 'These are doubly uncertain times.' He shrugged. 'But every warrior class has its mercenaries, neh? I can be relied upon. I bought my independence from my clan because I wished to marry a non-shinobi. But I honour the furube sutra daily, and live by stringent oaths of service to whomever hires me. Master Eagle can vouch for my character.' His black eyes flicked over the pair. 'And I know who you are. Master Eagle sent me in all haste. I bring word.'
'Master Eagle?' Moon grinned. He hadn't called Eagle that for a long time.
'His formal title, bestowed by the Iga as a mark of respect.' The agent laughed softly. 'But of course, I see you well know how humble he is. He prefers Brother.'
'Clan Iga trained you?' Snowhawk eyed him. That's where you met Eagle?'
'Indeed,' the man said. 'Many years ago.' He stared at Moonshadow. 'I too am schooled in th
e Eye of the Beast, though I sense I'm far less gifted than you.' He glanced over one shoulder. 'As I hunted for Lord Akechi's roof – not easy for a man from out of town, mind you – I saw a strange cat watching my approach. Its markings suggested a kimono cat, yet it had a long tail! I tried to link with it, but it proved impervious to all attempts. Were you already controlling it? At the third level?' Moonshadow nodded and the spy shook his head. 'Impressive. You are so young.'
'Thank you, sir. Now that we're done trying to kill you –' Moon cast a cynical glance at Snowhawk – 'what is your message from Brother Eagle?'
'Have you already achieved your primary objective?' the agent asked. He watched the duo nod. 'Good. There has been a change of plan regarding the rest.'
Snowhawk gave Moon a suspicious look. 'Now what?'
'Master Eagle bids you abandon your visit to Yokohama. I will take over that assignment. He further instructs as follows: since agent Snowhawk has shown herself a particularly skilled and fast rider, you must steal a horse and return to the monastery at once.'
'Why?' they blurted in unison.
'Master Eagle needs you debriefed, briefed and on the road north before dawn.'
'This is unheard of,' Moon frowned. 'What's going on?'
'On the road to where?' Snowhawk asked. 'What is this urgent new mission?'
'Please,' the messenger wearily raised a hand. 'I brought an urgent dispatch to Edo that came through a chain of country agents, by what path exactly, I know not, though I knew the man who handed it to me. Master Eagle took it from my hand, read it, then ordered me to forget my night's sleep and find you quickly.' His eyes flicked earnestly between the young spies. 'I know nothing beyond that already said. I swear it before Lord Hachiman!' Moonshadow gave the freelancer an appreciative nod, but as they made ready to leave, he found himself studying the big stranger warily.
A disturbing question nagged at Moon.
Is this man really known to Eagle, or should I have let Snowhawk kill him?
THREE
Summoned by a sage
It was just before dawn, that time of the human body's lowest ebb when assassins preferred to strike. Reactions were slower, minds more easily confused at this hour.
Snowhawk sat in the monastery's shadowy briefing chamber, part of a circle of agents. A map lay between them, surrounded by candles that cast long shadows up the paper-screen walls. The silent group stared down at the map.
The hand-brushed document had been unrolled on the tatami matting and pinned at the corners and centre with square brass weights. Each weight was stamped with a different character: water, earth, wind, fire, heaven. The map centred on a road meandering north from Edo. It snaked over farmlands, through hills and two remote towns, the second on a river, before climbing into the mountains.
Despite her sleepless night, Snowhawk's mind was as clear as a high country stream, though not solely due to her exceptional fitness and lifelong training. Fear that Moonshadow would report her shameful rage and bad discipline had filled her with dread. But throughout their debriefing, he hadn't said a word about it.
She glanced to where he too sat staring. What did he think of her now?
Hopefully he'd be as forgiving as the rest of the Grey Light Order seemed to be. At each stage of her induction, Snowhawk had compared her new trainers with the brutal instructors back at Clan Fuma. The contrast was like night and day.
Fuma developed their child agents using fear and threats, instilling a cold, arrogant sense of elite pride. The Grey Light Order, despite their varied shinobi backgrounds, behaved somewhat like a family. They encouraged, rewarded and tried to cultivate an earnest pride and the joy of noble service, in their young spies.
What had surprised her most was how often they joked and laughed. Such behaviour earned beatings among the Fuma. The GLO not only acknowledged flaws in a most unthreatened way, but good-naturedly teased each other about them. She had never seen that kind of banter among those of the shadows. So it was possible to be both shinobi and a person. Snowhawk bitterly recalled a saying one of her Fuma coaches had made child agents recite. A punch for cheek, a kick for laziness. She closed her eyes. The oldest of the great shadow clans were nothing more than a pack of bullies.
She sensed Moonshadow turn to watch her. Sooner or later, they would have to discuss these nasty, brooding feelings of hers. It was unavoidable, now that they had started to escape her control. Snowhawk prayed the others would never learn of her fury. These people were strong and kind but she didn't want to test the limits of that kindness.
It was no surprise that Moon had protected her yet again. Young or not, he was as noble-hearted as he was handsome. It hurt to think that she had just failed him with her rooftop outburst.
Feeling his persistent gaze, Snowhawk blushed. Before that discomfort could turn to squirming, she opened her eyes and doggedly stared again at the large map on the floor. An instinct made her look up sharply.
Eagle, Mantis and Groundspider sat mutely on their heels around the map, legs folded in the traditional seiza position. The three stared at her.
Were they just waiting? She hoped none of them could read minds.
Behind the trio, though uninvited, the temple cat lounged and groomed herself.
'Has everyone now memorised this map?' Brother Eagle flicked his long single plait of hair over one shoulder. The circle nodded. 'Good.' Moon, Snow, thank you for so quickly reporting what you heard at Lord Akechi's palace and for answering all my questions. You have served the Shogun well. I am proud.'
Along with Moonshadow, Snowhawk replied with a deep, seated bow.
'I am pleased, Snowhawk, that you feel you've also taken this map in properly. I know our way called passive recall is still somewhat new to you, but I am confident of you mastering it quickly.' He looked around the room, drawing nods from the other teachers. 'We have trusted this Old Country technique many times and found it most reliable. To stare at a diagram or scene until the information sinks deep into the mind, making that knowledge the fly, your will the spider, and your deepest memory the web. I'm sure you'll find this way of ours ensures the strongest recall later.'
Snowhawk nodded humbly. Just after their return journey on horseback, she and Moonshadow had spoken of a web of a different kind, the one the conspirators were weaving, perhaps right across the empire. But who were they about to be sent to eavesdrop on now? There were no castles, garrisons or lords' seasonal palaces on that map!
Eagle sighed, running one hand over his shiny bald head. 'Now let us speak of the reason you cannot yet rest. A message has been received, in verified code, from the White Nun. She has foreseen an imminent attack on her mountain shrine home.'
'Then we must get there in force, now.' Groundspider shook his fist. 'As many –'
'No. Her message says that wise spirits whisper on the wind that the GLO's two youngest agents must be sent to lead her to safety. Only them. It is destined, she says.'
Mantis turned his solemn eyes to Snowhawk. 'Arriving undetected is every bit as important as arriving fast, for she believes this attack will not be instant. Nonetheless, her instructions are that you start out at once. On foot. No horses or litters.'
'It's never straightforward with the White Nun, is it?' Groundspider's face creased. Eagle and Mantis each turned to the young agent.
'Do I sense a complaint coming?' Mantis half-smiled at Groundspider.
The powerfully built spy held up a hand. 'I mean no disrespect. It's just the wording of her order.' He gave Snowhawk a glib ghost of a bow. 'Now don't take offence, Snowy, but you're still on probation, learning our ways with Moon there.'
'None taken.' She smiled coolly. 'But if you ever call me Snowy again, I'll shove Saru-San through the door next time you're in the bathhouse.'
Mantis quickly dropped his chin and covered the bottom half of his face with one hand. His eyes flicked up at Snowhawk. They were warm; he liked her feisty spirit.
Groundspider waved his other hand. It was bandage
d. 'You keep that insane monkey away from me.' He turned to Eagle. 'What I mean is, technically, since Snowhawk is still in training, Moon and I are actually the GLO's youngest agents.'
'He has a point.' Mantis folded his arms quickly, robes swishing. 'The White Nun was instrumental in our decision to train Moonshadow, but she has yet to meet Snowhawk and officially approve her.' Mantis raised his eyebrows at Brother Eagle. 'Having said that, I do think that she and Moon are the ones to send.'
'Nnng.' Eagle gave a thoughtful frown. 'The sage's insight is powerful and accurate, but often hard to fathom. The challenge is always in the details.' He caught Snowhawk's eye. 'Whenever her wishes appear cryptic, I adopt the same stand: go with the most obvious meaning. If there are no hints by which to judge, then take her literally.'
'Fine then.' Groundspider pouted, gesturing at his bandage. 'Leave me here to get ripped apart.' He stared at Moonshadow. 'I don't hear you supporting me. That monkey wants my head, only the gods know why, but Badger protects it.'
Snowhawk stole a look at Moon. His eyes held a glint of . . . slyness? Had he been using his powers to set the monkey on Groundspider? She forced herself not to smile.
Groundspider rounded on Eagle and gave it a final try. 'Maybe she meant the two youngest agents must go, but others could go with them? Like me, for instance?'
'Dear Brother Groundspider,' Eagle said gently. 'Shut up.' Groundspider hung his big head. 'Moonshadow and Snowhawk will go. That is my decision.'
Snowhawk grinned. Despite the way Groundspider often baited her, she liked him. He bragged, told ridiculous lies about his missions, and ate as much as any sumo wrestler. His balance was also imperfect, but his sword cuts so powerful she believed he could cleave a horse in two. His twisted sense of humour was irresistible. She recalled a fine burst of it, only a few days back, out in one of the monastery gardens.
'Oi, you two,' Groundspider had accosted her and Moon excitedly. 'I've been working on my own Old Country mind powers. I can read thoughts now.'
The Wrath of Silver Wolf Page 3
