Young Samurai 06 - The Ring of Fire, page 23
Jack felt humbled by his praise. ‘I only wanted to help.’
Stepping down from the veranda, Jack was greeted by Sora, his wife, and his daughter, Miya.
‘Thank you for your faith in us, Jack,’ said Sora, bowing deeply. ‘If it hadn’t been for you, we would never have seen our daughter again.’
Miya stepped forward and presented Jack with a new straw hat.
‘For your journey home,’ she said.
As Jack accepted their gift and bowed his gratitude, Kunio ran into the square shouting, ‘SAMURAI! SAMURAI ARE COMING!’
60
KOBAN
The celebrations came to a swift end. The villagers looked anxiously to Toge, whose expression was especially grave at the news. He issued urgent instructions to hide all the food and prepare for their arrival.
‘Daimyo Ikeda’s samurai only ever visit us to collect his rice tax,’ Sora explained to Jack. ‘But they already have this season’s. I can only think they’re looking for you!’
As the villagers hurriedly cleared away all signs of a celebration, Sora bundled Jack, Miyuki and the other young samurai into the rice store, closing the door behind him. They peered, unseen, through gaps in the wooden wall.
Toge and Yoshi were waiting on the veranda to greet the samurai, while the rest of the farmers gathered round the edges of the square, heads bowed. The sound of horses’ hooves drew nearer. Then ten fully armed samurai rode in. Dismounting, the lead samurai strode on to the veranda. Toge and Yoshi bowed deeply, keeping their eyes lowered to the ground as he approached.
‘What happened to your bridge?’ demanded the samurai.
‘It was destroyed by Akuma,’ Toge replied.
‘Where’s that troublesome bandit now?’
‘Dead.’
The samurai looked surprised. ‘Dead! Who killed him?’
‘Some ronin,’ explained Toge.
‘You hired masterless samurai,’ he said, incredulous. ‘What with?’
‘Rice. It’s all we have.’
Laughing, the samurai glanced at the submissive villagers. ‘No wonder you all look so hungry!’ He turned back to Toge, his hand upon the hilt of his sword. ‘Now, where’s the gaijin samurai?’ he demanded.
Toge swallowed nervously, keeping his eyes fixed on the ground.
‘Come on, I don’t have all day. You told us he was here.’
‘I don’t believe it!’ cried Sora. ‘Toge, of all people, betrayed you.’
Jack was equally shocked. He’d known the farmer was bitter, but hadn’t thought him a traitor.
‘That explains why Toge wasn’t around when you went to look for Akuma’s camp,’ whispered Yori, shaking his head in dismay.
‘Don’t worry, you’ll be paid,’ said the samurai, pulling four koban from a purse.
Toge’s eyes alighted on the glittering gold coins. Then he glanced towards the rice store.
‘He’s about to tell!’ exclaimed Sora.
Saburo drew his sword. ‘We won’t let them take you, Jack.’
‘I’ll distract them, while you three run for the forest,’ said Miyuki, her ninjatō at the ready.
‘No, I won’t let you sacrifice yourselves,’ said Jack. ‘This isn’t your battle.’
Toge looked back down at the ground. ‘The gaijin samurai is … dead.’
Jack and his friends held their ground, stunned by Toge’s reversal.
The samurai studied the farmer with suspicion. ‘Where’s the body then?’
Toge struggled for an answer.
The samurai jingled the coins in his hand. ‘Alive or dead, he’s still worth four koban.’
Yoshi shuffled forward. ‘As much as we want to serve our Shogun, the gaijin was killed by Akuma during the battle. Unfortunately, both their bodies were burnt in the fire.’
The samurai grabbed Toge by the hair and wrenched his head back to face him.
‘I should cut out your tongue for wasting our time.’ He threw the farmer to the floor with disgust. ‘If the gaijin samurai is dead, our job is done. But no body, no reward.’
Turning on his heel, he pocketed the four koban and mounted his horse. The samurai gave one last look around the square. For a moment, he stared directly at the rice store. Then he urged his horse on and the ten samurai warriors rode out of the village.
‘That was close,’ said Saburo, sheathing his sword. ‘At least now the samurai won’t be looking for you, Jack.’
‘I’m afraid you’re wrong,’ said Sora, shaking his head with regret. ‘Samurai never believe us farmers. They’ll be back.’
61
FUGITIVES
Early next morning, Sora helped Jack gather the supplies he needed for the long journey south to Nagasaki. With every chance that daimyo Ikeda’s samurai would return, Jack decided he had to leave as soon as possible.
While the old farmer filled four straw containers with rice, Jack retrieved his pack from beneath the floorboards. Safe inside were Akiko’s black pearl, his four remaining shuriken and, most important of all, his father’s rutter. His thoughts once more turned to home and his sister, Jess.
Neko came over with some water and mochi. Kneeling before Jack, she gazed silently at him with doleful eyes.
I made these for you, she signed, and handed him the rice cakes.
Smiling gratefully, Jack took a bite of one. Filled with red bean paste, it was deliciously sweet.
Very tasty, signed Jack. You’re a good cook.
Neko bowed at the compliment, then signed, Are you coming back?
Jack shook his head.
Neko’s eyes welled with tears. Friends forever?
Jack signed, Yes, friends forever, and she beamed at him.
Getting to her feet, Neko joined Miyuki for another tearful goodbye.
Jack stowed the mochi, water and rice containers Sora had prepared in his pack. Picking up his red-handled samurai swords, he secured them in his obi and felt reassured by their presence on his hip. He was ready to go.
Yori and Saburo entered the farmhouse, their packs already on their backs.
‘You don’t have to come with me,’ said Jack, fearing for his friends. ‘This journey is going to be very dangerous.’
Saburo looked at him and laughed. ‘And fighting a bloodthirsty group of bandits wasn’t dangerous?’
‘But you’ll be fugitives,’ argued Jack.
‘Some roads aren’t meant to be travelled alone,’ said Yori, picking up his shakujō.
Thinking of all the challenges ahead, the treacherous journey seemed impossible. And for that reason Jack would welcome having his friends by his side. Together, they might stand a chance. Shouldering his pack, Jack walked out of the door.
The entire village was waiting to wish them farewell. Familiar faces bowed and offered their thanks for all they had done.
Yuudai stepped up. ‘I trust you understand my reasons for staying. We can’t leave this village completely defenceless.’
‘Of course we understand,’ replied Jack, exchanging a knowing glance with Miyuki as Neko stood proudly at Yuudai’s side. ‘But we’ll miss you, my friend. I’ve come to rely upon your strength and good humour.’
Yuudai smiled broadly. ‘It was an honour to fight alongside you. I hope our paths cross again one day.’
They bowed to one another. Then, as Saburo, Yori and Miyuki were saying their goodbyes, Toge burst through the crowd and threw himself at Jack’s feet.
‘I made a terrible mistake in judgement,’ he confessed. ‘I truly believed that turning you in for the reward was our only chance … How wrong I was … I beg your forgiveness.’
Toge’s forehead touched the ground in abject apology, expecting at any moment to feel the edge of Jack’s sword. Jack realized Toge had brought great shame upon himself and lost all respect among the farmers. But Toge had also redeemed himself at the crucial moment and Jack recognized that the village needed a strong leader at this time, one who could rebuild their community.
‘There’s no such thing as a mistake,’ said Jack, remembering what Sensei Yamada had once said when he himself had needed a second chance. ‘As long as you learn from it, then it’s a lesson.’
Toge humbly bowed his understanding. Forgiven and absolved in the eyes of the villagers, he returned to the veranda to stand beside Yoshi.
His mission to save the village accomplished, Jack put on his new straw hat and waved a final goodbye.
With the rising sun at their backs, Jack and his friends hiked south-west across the glistening snow-clad plain, leaving four sets of footprints where before there had been only one.
NOTES ON THE SOURCES
The following quotes are referenced within Young Samurai: The Ring of Fire and their sources are acknowledged here:
‘Know yourself, know your enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories.’ By Sun Tsu (Chinese military commander).
‘Courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.’ Excerpt from ‘No Peaceful Warriors!’, Gnosis: A Journal of the Western Inner Traditions, © 1991 by Ambrose Hollingworth Redmoon (pseudonym of James Neil Hollingworth, 1933–96).
‘People who fight fire with fire usually end up with ashes.’ By Abigail Van Buren (pen-name of American journalist Pauline Phillips, b.1918).
‘In order to be walked on, you have to be lying down.’ From Brian Weir (original source unknown; no evidence of publication).
‘A child is not a vase to be filled but a fire to be lit.’ By François Rabelais (French writer and doctor, 1494–1553).
CHARACTER NAMES
A Young Samurai website competition was held to suggest the name for the fearsome bandit leader who would be Jack’s enemy in this book.
The winner was:
Rozina Bashir
For her suggestion of Akuma, which means ‘devil’ or ‘demon’ in Japanese, and perfectly complemented the evil nature of my villain.
With so many excellent names entered by Young Samurai fans, the following were also chosen for the book:
Black Moon (Kuro Tsuki) submitted by Miranda Chong – I loved the concept of the black or new moon as a nickname for the bandit leader and the time for him to strike.
Hayato submitted by Rachel Andrews and by Sharuk Rahman – meaning ‘falcon person’, which reflected this character’s skill with the bow.
Yuudai submitted by Andrew Dent – meaning ‘great or large hero’. For obvious reasons, this name was ideal for this towering character.
Neko submitted by Maria Hoffman – meaning ‘cat’. Although the actual suggestion was Bakeneko, meaning ‘black cat’, I was enchanted by the idea of comparing this character to a cat.
Toge submitted by Shray Bhandary – meaning ‘thorn’. As Shray wrote in his entry, he’s got to be a thorn in people’s side.
Nakamura submitted by Carl Petzer – this is the name of a real bandit peasant from the sixteenth century who is rumoured to have killed the famous general Akechi Mitsuhide.
Sayomi submitted by Sharuk Rahman – meaning ‘born in the night’ – was a fantastic suggestion for an evil female bandit and created a character I hadn’t thought of.
Arigatō gozaimasu for your suggestions!
Look out for more competitions and prizes on the Young Samurai Facebook page and www.youngsamurai.com
JAPANESE GLOSSARY
Bushido
Bushido, meaning the ‘Way of the Warrior’, is a Japanese code of conduct similar to the concept of chivalry. Samurai warriors were meant to adhere to the seven moral principles in their martial arts training and in their day-to-day lives.
Virtue 1: Gi – Rectitude
Gi is the ability to make the right decision with moral confidence and to be fair and equal towards all people no matter what colour, race, gender or age.
Virtue 2: Yu – Courage
Yu is the ability to handle any situation with valour and confidence.
Virtue 3: Jin – Benevolence
Jin is a combination of compassion and generosity. This virtue works together with Gi and discourages samurai from using their skills arrogantly or for domination.
Virtue 4: Rei – Respect
Rei is a matter of courtesy and proper behaviour towards others. This virtue means to have respect for all.
Virtue 5: Makoto – Honesty
Makoto is about being honest to oneself as much as to others. It means acting in ways that are morally right and always doing things to the best of your ability.
Virtue 6: Meiyo – Honour
Meiyo is sought with a positive attitude in mind, but will only follow with correct behaviour. Success is an honourable goal to strive for.
Virtue 7: Chungi – Loyalty
Chungi is the foundation of all the virtues; without dedication and loyalty to the task at hand and to one another, one cannot hope to achieve the desired outcome.
A Short Guide to Pronouncing Japanese Words
Vowels are pronounced in the following way:
‘a’ as the ‘a’ in ‘at’
‘e’ as the ‘e’ in ‘bet’
‘i’ as the ‘i’ in ‘police’
‘o’ as the ‘o’ in ‘dot’
‘u’ as the ‘u’ in ‘put’
‘ai’ as in ‘eye’
‘ii’ as in ‘week’
‘ō’ as in ‘go’
‘ū’ as in ‘blue’
Consonants are pronounced in the same way as English:
‘g’ is hard as in ‘get’
‘j’ is soft as in ‘jelly’
‘ch’ as in ‘church’
‘z’ as in ‘zoo’
‘ts’ as in ‘itself’
Each syllable is pronounced separately:
A-ki-ko
Ya-ma-to
Ma-sa-mo-to
Ka-zu-ki
arigatō gozaimasu thank you very much
bōjutsu the Art of the Bō (a wooden fighting staff)
bokken wooden sword
Boshi-ken Finger Sword Fist
bushido the Way of the Warrior – the samurai code
daimyo feudal lord
daishō pair of swords, wakizashi and katana, that are the traditional weapons of the samurai
dojo training hall
futon Japanese bed: flat mattress placed directly on tatami flooring, and folded away during the day
gaijin foreigner, outsider (derogatory term)
geisha a Japanese girl trained to entertain men with conversation, dance and song
gi training uniform
gotonpo the Art of Concealment
hachimaki headbands, sometimes reinforced with metal strips
haiku Japanese short poem
hakama traditional Japanese trousers
hara Japanese martial arts term referring to the stomach, ‘the centre of being’
hatsuhinode the first sunrise of the new year
inro a little case for holding small objects
kajutsu the Art of Fire
katana long sword
kenjutsu the Art of the Sword
kesagiri diagonal cut, or ‘Monk’s Robe’ cut
ki energy flow or life force (Chinese: chi or qi)
kiai a shout; but also used in Go to describe a player’s fighting spirit in the face of adversity
kiaijutsu the Art of the Kiai
kimono traditional Japanese clothing
koban Japanese oval gold coin
kuji-in nine syllable seals – a specialized form of Buddhist and ninja meditation
kyujutsu the Art of the Bow
manriki a short chain weapon with two steel weights on the ends
menpō protective metal mask covering part or all of the face
mochi rice cake
mon family crest
musha shugyō warrior pilgrimage
naginata a long pole weapon with a curved blade on the end
ninja Japanese assassin
ninjatō straight-bladed sword used by ninja
ninjutsu the Art of Stealth
Niten Ichi Ryū the ‘One School of Two Heavens’
nodachi a very large two-handed sword
obi belt
ronin masterless samurai
saké rice wine
samurai Japanese warrior
saya scabbard
sayonara goodbye
sencha green tea
sensei teacher
seoi nage shoulder throw
Sha ninja hand sign, interpreted as healing for ninjutsu purposes
shakujō Buddhist ringed staff used primarily in prayer, and as a weapon
shinobi shadow warrior, another term for ninja
shinobi shozoku the clothing of a ninja
Shogun the military dictator of Japan
shoji Japanese sliding door
shuriken metal throwing stars
sumimasen excuse me; my apologies
taijutsu the Art of the Body (hand-to-hand combat)
tamashiwari Trial by Wood
Taryu-Jiai interschool martial arts competition
tetsu-bishi small sharp iron spike
Tōshiya literally ‘passing arrow’; archery exhibition contest
side-arm short sword
Japanese names usually consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, unlike in the Western world where the given name comes before the surname. In feudal Japan, names reflected a person’s social status and spiritual beliefs. Also, when addressing someone, san is added to that person’s surname (or given names in less formal situations) as a sign of courtesy, in the same way that we use Mr or Mrs in English, and for higher-status people sama is used. In Japan, sensei is usually added after a person’s name if they are a teacher, although in the Young Samurai books a traditional English order has been retained. Boys and girls are usually addressed using kun and chan, respectively.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
