Young Samurai: The Ring of Wind

by Chris Bradford

  ‘Load the stern cannon!’ ordered Skullface.

  Tiger and Snakehead went below, just as a hail of steel-tipped arrows peppered the deck. The seki-bune had drawn into firing range and the Wind Demons were forced to take cover. Jack had a bird’s-eye view of the Sea Samurai priming muskets and preparing to launch a second volley of arrows. Then a heavy boom resounded from within the shuinsen. It was followed by the splinter and crack of wood and the cries of injured men. But no Sea Samurai on the upper deck were hurt. Tiger and Snakehead’s aim had been purposefully low, the shot destroying the oars along the enemy’s port side. Disabled, the seki-bune rapidly fell behind.

  The Wind Demons gave an almighty roar of defiance. Nothing could stop them now. They’d stolen the Shogun’s Red Seal ship! Then Jack caught a flicker of a sail on the horizon. He looked harder and five more sails emerged from behind the shadow of an island, the pale moonlight reflecting off a golden shell on their white canvas.

  ‘SUIGUN TO THE SOUTH!’ cried Jack, realizing the beacon’s call had been answered.

  Dawn broke and the Sea Samurai patrol were closer than ever. Following Jack’s warning, Skullface had grabbed the tiller and immediately altered course west. But a short while later, across the waters, came a deep resonating tone like the call of a primeval bird. Jack, who’d been ordered down from the rigging, shuddered at the unnerving noise.

  ‘It’s a horagai, a conch-shell trumpet,’ Li Ling had explained, still nursing the unconscious Captain Kurogumo. ‘The seki-bune must be signalling our position to the patrol.’

  With the benefit of both sail and oar, it hadn’t taken long for the Sea Samurai to find them.

  ‘We’ll never escape now,’ growled Tiger, eyeing their relentless pursuers.

  The day not yet begun, a chill rose up from the cold sea, but the wind blew warm and moist. Jack had experienced such conditions countless times before and began to search for further signs. He smiled to himself when he spotted the haze on the horizon.

  ‘Head north,’ said Jack to Skullface.

  ‘That way lies land,’ replied Skullface, ignoring his suggestion.

  ‘And sea fog.’

  Skullface laughed mockingly. ‘I thought you knew how to navigate, gaijin. We won’t be able to see a thing!’

  ‘Exactly,’ replied Jack. ‘And nor will the Sea Samurai.’

  Skullface instantly understood, but didn’t like the idea one bit. ‘We could run aground or hull ourselves on rocks.’

  ‘There must be charts in the captain’s cabin,’ said Jack. ‘If you can pinpoint where we are, I can pilot you safely through the fog.’

  Skullface glanced back at the ever-advancing samurai fleet and cursed. He turned to Tiger. ‘Get the gaijin what he needs.’

  The ninja pirate returned with both chart and compass. Having calculated their position and studied the chart, Jack instructed Skullface to take a bearing north-north-west.

  The Sea Samurai fleet altered their course accordingly and the race was on.

  The bank of sea fog seemed impossibly far away, its presence too indistinct to judge their distance from it. But the closing gap between the shuinsen and Sea Samurai was all too easy to gauge. The drums beat faster, the oars dug deeper, and distance grew shorter as the Sea Samurai realized the Wind Demons’ intention and tried to stop them.

  ‘We’re not going to make it,’ said Snakehead.

  The Sea Samurai bore down on the shuinsen in a final burst of power.

  Then a sudden gust of wind wafted a billowing cloud of fog towards the Wind Demons and they were enveloped within its whiteness. The bewildering fog was so thick that the ninja pirates could not see from bow to stern.

  ‘Head east,’ said Jack, holding the compass before Skullface’s eyes.

  Skullface leant upon the tiller and the Wind Demons trimmed the sails. Unable to see the white canvas, they pulled on the sheets until they could no longer hear the luffing of the sails. Jack counted time in his head. When he thought the shuinsen had gone far enough, he instructed, ‘Lower the sails, drop anchor and silence your men.’

  ‘What?’ said Skullface, incredulous.

  ‘Just do it!’ hissed Jack.

  Grudgingly, Skullface gave the order. The sails were furled and the shuinsen came to a halt. Blinded by the fog, the Wind Demons had only their ears to rely upon to warn them of the Sea Samurai’s approach.

  At first, all that could be heard was the lapping of the waves. Then, in the foggy distance, there came the creak of a ship and the splash of oars. The drums had been silenced, no doubt so that the samurai captains could detect the shuinsen. Other ships could be heard further off, but this one was close enough to hear the hushed voices of the samurai on deck.

  ‘We were right on their tail!’ rasped a voice in annoyance.

  Jack held his breath, terrified of making even the slightest sound as the Sea Samurai ship rowed directly towards them. Skullface glowered at Jack, convinced that he’d doomed them to die.

  The faintest of silhouettes passed perpendicular to their stern, then disappeared again in the fog. The sound of paddling receded into the distance. The Wind Demon crew gave a collective sigh of relief.

  ‘Raise the foresail only,’ whispered Jack. ‘Continue on an easterly course, but slowly.’

  ‘But we’re behind the enemy, why not just head south?’ said Tiger.

  ‘We can’t leave the fog bank yet. They’re bound to have left one or two lookout ships to attack us as we emerge. We have to put some distance between us and them first.’

  On Skullface’s command, the crew quietly went about raising the anchor and sail. The shuinsen crept through the fog, playing a fraught cat-and-mouse game with the Sea Samurai. When they heard a ship ahead, Jack had to alter course. He studied the chart, but for the most part had to navigate by instinct, guessing their progress and praying he was right. The shuinsen wove between hidden islands and rocky outcrops, the deadly obstacles looming out of the fog like monsters of the deep before diving back into the white swirling mist.

  Muffled by fog and distance, they heard the crunch of wood, followed by shouts of anger.

  Skullface grinned. ‘That’s one less ship to worry about.’

  Jack scrutinized the chart again. ‘If I’m right, we should be far enough away from any lookout ship now and can use this island as cover, before heading south.’

  Leaning on the tiller, Skullface let the shuinsen’s bow turn until the compass point hit its mark. Gradually, like a veil of smoke, the fog lifted and they left the Sea Samurai patrol behind to continue its futile search.

  41

  A Pirate’s Share

  ‘The Sea Samurai were so close I could have spat on them!’ boasted Skullface as he described their miraculous escape to Tatsumaki. The other pirate captains rolled their eyes at his bragging, but nonetheless were delighted to see their prize intact.

  The shuinsen was safely docked within the lagoon after sailing a circuitous route back to Pirate Island. The surviving crewmembers of the Great White, the Jade Serpent and the Killer Whale crowded on to the jetty, noisily celebrating its unexpected arrival. Having won the battle against the Hikari Sea Samurai, they had returned a day earlier and believed the Red Seal ship lost.

  Tatsumaki regarded Skullface sternly. ‘And what made you decide to enter the fog? That was reckless …’

  ‘The gaijin’s to blame,’ said Skullface, quick to avoid criticism.

  ‘… and brilliant,’ she added, much to the ninja pirate’s dismay.

  Tatsumaki turned to Jack, a smile curling the corner of her lips. ‘Another trick you learnt from your father?’

  ‘No,’ Jack admitted. ‘I got the idea from the Ring of Wind – evasion is far better than engagement,’ he explained, remembering his Five Rings lesson with the Grandmaster. ‘I was taught that the best move is simply not to be there.’

  Tatsumaki studied him intently, her dark eyes seeming to search his soul. ‘You certainly didn’t learn that as a samurai. That
’s ninja thinking!’

  The Pirate Queen stopped two pirates, who were unloading one of the treasure chests, and summoned them over. For a moment, Jack thought that she was going to have him thrown overboard. Then she opened the lid of the chest and took out a generous handful of silver coin.

  ‘In recognition of saving the ship and Captain Kurogumo’s crew, I declare you an official Wind Demon,’ said Tatsumaki with due ceremony. ‘And as a real pirate on your first raid, you’ve earned your share.’

  The Pirate Queen filled Jack’s hands with the treasure. Skullface scowled at seeing Jack get the reward. But Jack let the coins fall through his fingers and tumble to the deck.

  ‘I don’t want your blood money. I just want freedom for me and my friends.’

  Tatsumaki gave a laugh like a peal of bells. ‘Of course,’ she said agreeably, leaving the coins where they lay. ‘Just as soon as you’ve deciphered the rutter.’

  ‘Why should I believe you ever will?’ said Jack. ‘You lied to me about the rice.’

  Tatsumaki looked offended. ‘Are you telling me there wasn’t any?’

  She turned to her pirate captains for confirmation. They all shook their heads in an act of unified regret.

  ‘I’m sorry I misled you, Jack,’ said Tatsumaki, her tone seemingly earnest. ‘But I promise, on my honour, some of the Shogun’s coin will go to the local villages – including your share, if that’s your wish.’

  Jack was totally disarmed by the Pirate Queen’s apparent sincerity. Although he guessed she used her charm to manipulate people, he found it hard to resist and nodded his appreciation that his share would be given away.

  ‘Now on to more important matters,’ said Tatsumaki. ‘How was Captain Kurogumo injured?’

  Upon their return to Pirate Island the captain had regained consciousness, but was still too weak to give an account himself.

  ‘One of the samurai guards wasn’t dead and sounded the alarm,’ explained Skullface gravely. ‘Captain Kurogumo dealt with him but was shot in the process.’

  ‘You left a guard alive!’ exclaimed Captain Hebi. ‘That would never have occurred with my men.’

  ‘Nor Captain Kurogumo’s,’ asserted Skullface. ‘Usually.’ He glared at Jack, his suspicions left unspoken.

  Jack averted his gaze to the deck, knowing that it had been his fault the alarm was raised.

  ‘One thing’s for certain,’ remarked Captain Kujira, noticing the exchange, but misreading Skullface’s angry look. ‘Without Jack’s intervention and expert seamanship, we would never have got our prize.’

  Skullface opened his mouth in silent outrage at Captain Kujira’s praise of Jack.

  ‘We need more pirates like this boy!’ agreed Captain Wanizame, clapping a hand on Jack’s shoulder.

  ‘Perhaps we can persuade Jack to stay?’ said Tatsumaki, turning to him. ‘It’s obvious you’re more than welcome.’

  Jack was led away, albeit reluctantly, by the Pirate Queen and her captains to celebrate their victory, leaving a seething and embittered Skullface to carry on unloading the shuinsen.

  ‘We thought you’d been thrown overboard,’ said Yori, when Jack was finally returned to their guarded room in the citadel.

  Jack smiled reassuringly at his friends. ‘You know I’d never leave you like this.’

  ‘What happened to you?’ asked Saburo, his expression a mixture of concern and relief.

  Jack recounted the pirates’ raid on Hikari Harbour and their narrow escape from the Sea Samurai patrol. When he’d finished, Miyuki exclaimed in disbelief, ‘You’ve been made a Wind Demon!’

  Jack nodded sheepishly. ‘But it does have its advantages,’ he said, pulling a roll of paper from the trouser leg of his shinobi shozoku.

  ‘A sea chart!’ she gasped, her eyes widening in amazement.

  ‘I used it to navigate the shuinsen out of the fog. Once clear, Skullface forced me to go below deck so I wouldn’t see the final approach to Pirate Island. But he forgot that I had the chart. Although I might not know exactly where we are, I’ve a good enough idea which direction we need to sail in to reach landfall.’

  ‘Is it far?’ asked Miyuki.

  ‘In a small boat, perhaps two or three days’ sailing.’

  ‘We’ve been saving food for the voyage,’ said Yori eagerly. He picked up a silk cushion from the corner of the room. Inside, the stuffing had been replaced with small balls of rice. ‘I realize there’s not much, but at least it’s a start.’

  ‘What about water?’ asked Jack.

  Saburo shook his head. ‘We haven’t been allowed to keep any water jugs,’ he explained. ‘But I thought we could use the bucket from the ofuro and … fill it with the bathwater.’

  Jack couldn’t stop himself grimacing at the idea. Then he remembered that he’d sucked fish eyes. Surely Saburo’s bathwater couldn’t be any worse than that!

  ‘Our main problem is escaping from this room,’ said Miyuki. ‘The guards check on us regularly and rotate every few hours to stay sharp. We’re not even given hashi to eat with, in case we use them as weapons.’

  ‘There must be another way out of here,’ said Jack.

  ‘Without a knife, the bamboo is simply too tough to break through,’ she explained. ‘I did manage to loosen a floorboard, though. But that’s no help.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘See for yourself.’

  Miyuki pulled back one of the tatami mats and lifted the floorboard. Through the narrow gap, Jack had a giddy view of the lagoon far below.

  ‘There’s nothing to hold on to,’ said Miyuki. ‘We’d plunge straight to our deaths.’

  42

  Target Practice

  ‘There’s no land whatsoever?’ questioned Tatsumaki, as she studied the blank hand-drawn map of the Pacific Ocean.

  The rutter was laid out on a table in one of the citadel’s antechambers. In response to the Pirate Queen’s question, Jack pointed a finger to a couple of specks in the middle of the page. ‘My father discovered fertile islands here, directly east by south of Japan. He’s written down the course we took. Any ship would need to use them as a stepping-stone to the Americas.’

  Captains Hebi, Wanizame and Kujira knelt opposite, scrutinizing the information Jack had given them so far. It was enough to whet their appetites, but not so they could act effectively upon their newfound knowledge – Jack had been careful to leave out crucial facts every so often.

  ‘If we set up a pirate base on these islands,’ mused Captain Hebi, his eyes narrowing deviously, ‘we’d have a stranglehold on trade passing through the Pacific.’

  Captain Wanizame and Captain Kujira nodded their agreement.

  ‘Excellent work, Jack,’ said Tatsumaki, closing the logbook and caressing its leather cover. ‘Keep this up and you and your friends will be on your way in no time at all.’ The Pirate Queen stood, beckoning for an attendant to collect the rutter for her. ‘We’ll meet again tomorrow.’

  The pirate captains and Jack bowed her farewell as she strode out of the room, the attendant following in her wake. Saru, who’d been perched on Jack’s shoulder like a faithful parrot, leapt down and raced after her mistress. Jack’s eyes followed the three of them through the open door into the citadel’s inner sanctum. He hoped to discover where the rutter was kept, but the shoji slid shut before he could find out.

  ‘Come with me, Jack,’ said Captain Kujira, walking stiffly with the help of his trident in the direction of the main gate.

  Jack looked over in surprise. He was usually shepherded straight back to the guarded room after the rutter meetings, or else forced to translate more of his father’s notes to a scribe. Watched like a hawk at all times, he’d been unable to acquire a knife, or any other tool as yet, to help facilitate their breakout. Trapped in a prison within a prison, he and his friends were frustrated by the lack of progress in their escape plans. Miyuki now paced the floor like a caged tiger and even Saburo was going off his food. Only Yori remained patient at their prolonged co
nfinement, continuing to methodically stockpile rice.

  ‘Where are we going?’ Jack asked.

  ‘On-board my ship, the Killer Whale,’ replied the captain. ‘Tatsumaki wants you to observe its firepower first-hand.’

  They entered the bamboo lift and descended to the lagoon. While Jack had taken every opportunity to memorize the citadel’s layout, this was his first chance to explore the jetty. The lagoon was bustling with pirates repairing ships, loading supplies and unloading booty. Fish of all kinds were being bartered for stolen goods and raucous shouts burst from dark dens stinking of stale sweat and spilt saké. Those pirates not at work were involved in gambling, arm wrestling, or else groggily recovering from the previous night’s hangover. The atmosphere along the jetty was one of a tinderbox waiting to explode.

  Captain Kujira led the way through the chaotic rabble, his trident thudding on the wooden dock with each step, its sound parting the pirates. As they headed towards the Killer Whale, they passed the Shogun’s stolen Red Seal ship. Jack was amazed to see that it had been stripped of all its sails, rigging and any other useful items, and now appeared as empty as a beggar’s purse.

  ‘A shuinsen’s of no use to us,’ explained Captain Kujira, upon noticing Jack’s surprise. ‘It’s too easily recognizable. We need everyday cargo boats or, even better, Sea Samurai ships.’

  Jack was momentarily taken aback to see a seki-bune moored at the jetty. The ship was in a poor state, its mast and rigging destroyed, but the hull appeared intact.

  ‘I captured it during the battle,’ said Captain Kujira proudly. ‘A ship like this will allow us to pass samurai checkpoints unopposed – no one would ever suspect pirates to be on-board!’

  Jack now saw that the shuinsen’s main mast was being transferred to the seki-bune, along with other spare parts, to restore the ship to seaworthiness.