Death's Sword Book 1: Finding and Seeking

Chapter 5: Day 7, Day 8

Two days later, the trio of assassins were concealed amongst some bushes a short distance from the road. Da-keimin had elected to tag onto a larger party for the next stage of their travels. Their route now passed through the hunting-reserve of the clan Bushiko, so large parties were definitely called for. In the hunting-reserves, it was not always men who did the hunting.... So they waited in the chochin bushes, peering out from behind thin blue-green leaves, looking around the hanging yellow flowers that gave the bushes their name. Waiting for a caravan to join.

Kleymin heard the breath hiss through his leaders' teeth. Coming around the bend in the road, heading towards the reserve, was a large, well-armed party. The retainers wore laced armour of red and gold. Red pennants, trimmed with gold, fluttered from their sashimono. The colours were repeated again in ribbons just below the tips of their yari. A palanquin was being carried in the centre of the party. It, too, was red and gold. Behind the palanquin walked two unarmoured figures in kimonos of blue and gold. "A Grand Inquisitor and two judges of the Lesser Inquisition!" breathed Takata, "That will stir up the tuigrahan on the reserve." Da-keimin nodded his agreement, apparently unangered by his subordinate breaking silence. "We must get ahead of this party without being seen," murmured the older ninja. Kleymin felt a touch of fear, deep inside. The Inquisition was primarily concerned with destroying the College of Death Magic, but many claimed the necromancers and the ninjas were allies. Any ninja brought before an Inquisitor could expect no mercy as a result. Yet ahead of them were the tuigrahan with their Death cults, certain comrades of the College of Death and sworn enemies of the Inquisition. Kleymin and his companions were committed to entering a region soon to be swarming with hostile tuigrahan. It was not an easy prospect to contemplate.

A strange feeling came over Kleymin. His scalp crawled and his mouth went dry. He noticed that the Inquisitors and their entourage had stopped. One of the judges was making some complicated gestures with both arms. A sudden certainty hit the boy. "We must be gone!" he gasped, "That judge is a mage!" Da-keimin and Takata stared at the boy in a mixture of shock, disbelief and horror. Da-keimin turned to Takata, an unspoken question in his face. "H.h..he c.c..could be r..right," stammered the junior assassin. Da-keimin made his decision. "We go. Into the trees, meet where the river enters on the far side." Takata obeyed instantly, with Kleymin a fraction behind him. Da-keimin waited for two heartbeats, watching for any reaction, then he raced after his companions.

Like a covey of partridge, two black-clad figures burst out from the bushes at the roadside. A third appeared an instant later, running after the others. "There!" cried the mage in triumph, "I said death was lying in wait! Those are ninja!" The Grand Inquisitor gazed after the fleeing figures from within the palanquin. "They will reach the woods before our cavalry could catch them, then strike from the trees. I will not waste good men on a pointless mission. It's more important to keep going and share news of the ninja's incursion. It is unlikely that their business affects ours. We need to get to Cheikatomo without further delay." With that, the panel of the palanquin snapped closed and the party moved off again.

Realising that they were not being pursued, the trio stopped sprinting and loped through the trees instead. The trees were a mixture of lowland pine, oak and yew, making the woods cool and dark. Thick leaf mould lay on the ground, deadening the sound of their footfalls. Kleymin was glad of the respite from the heat outside the woods.

The boy ninja gently trailed his fingers through the flowers growing at the side of the trail, then raised his hand to his nose. He sniffed and smiled at the scent; it smelled of Spring, his favourite time of the year. This journey was wonderful. The furthest he had ever travelled before was the distance from his birth-place to the village of the ninja and that had all been in darkness and secrecy. This journey, though, this was a delight and an adventure. More excitement in a couple of days that in either of his previous lives. "What are you doing, boy?" asked Takata, sharply. Guiltily, Kleymin dropped his hand back to his side. "I..I was.. I was just..." he floundered, "just thinking of Spring," he managed. Da-keimin glowered at him. "Just leaving additional marks of our passage is more like it," he snarled. He spat on the ground. "I hate Spring," the older ninja growled, "Everything sprouting, giving birth. Gah!"