Lord had died leading a suicide charge near the end of the battle. His Lord saw the traitors defecting to Ieyasu’sside, and he knew the battle was lost. He took the samurai of Kaze’s clan and plunged into the midst of the traitors, killing many of them before he was cut down himself. Kaze could imagine his Lord at Sekigahara, wearing his best suit of armor, the one with the blue silk cords, leading the doomed charge.
S itting in the ofuro with his eyes closed, Kaze could picture that charge. He told himself that the drops running down his face were sweat, not tears. But they tasted like tears when they reached his lips.
Creak.
One of the floorboards outside the bathhouse made a sound. Kaze remained motionless. If it was someone coming to the bathhouse normally, then it would be easy to hear their steps as they approached. Instead, one or more people were trying to sneak up to the door.
The door was suddenly slid back, and a man charged into the bathhouse, his sword at the ready. Kaze instantly stood, reaching down and drawing his sword as he did so. All in one motion, he extracted his sword from its scabbard and swept it forward. The tip of the sword caught the man in the sternum and his own forward motion drove the blade in.
Surprised, the man crumpled at the edge of the tub, dying, as a second man entered the bathhouse. Kaze rolled out of the tub, landing on his feet with his back to the new assailant. As his feet hit the floor, he pivoted, with his sword cutting a flat arc that came around and caught the second attacker across the neck and shoulder. With a groan of pain, this man hit the floor, to join his companion.
Kaze stood, naked, and facing the door with his sword in the aimed-at-the-eye position. In the doorway, a third man stood, onefoot on the threshold of the bathhouse, with the other still in the hall. He held his sword in one hand, his other hand on the edge of the door.
“Well?” Kaze said.
After a second’s hesitation, the man slammed the door shut and started running down the hall for reinforcements.
B oss Akinari and a dozen of his men burst into the bathhouse a minute later. The two men on the floor were obviously dead, their dark blood covering the wet boards of the bathhouse.
“Where is he?” Akinari asked.
“He was here a minute ago,” the third assassin said.
Akinari quickly looked at the room, his gaze alighting on the stool that had Kaze’s kimono still folded on it, and the sandals next to them.
“He’s run outside,” Akinari said. “Fan out and find him!”
“But what does he look like?” one of his men asked.
“Look! His kimono is still here. He’ll be naked and barefoot. How many naked men are you going to find on the street? Just find him and kill him! Scatter!”
Akinari and his men tumbled down the hallway, looking for a naked man trying to escape them.
In the silent bath, the echoes of their pounding feet dissipated and died. The glow of the paper lanterns cast deep shadows and made wavy orange streaks on the black surface of the water. Suddenly, from the middle of the ofuro, the surface of the water was disturbed. A head of black hair appeared, with the silver ribbon of a sword blade next to it. Kaze surfaced from the black water holding his katana.
He stood in the ofuro and listened, seeing if the hallway was clear.
CHAPTER 10
Look at how he walks.
Is it the walk of a ghost?
Does the toe touch first?
N obu entered his room. The shutters on the window were closed and the single candle he held hardly penetrated the gloomy darkness.
He sighed. He was tired. Like the rest of Boss Akinari’s men, he had spent most of the night looking for the ronin. Unsuccessfully.
His futon was already spread on the floor. He lived in Boss Akinari’s house, just like all the high-ranking members of the gang, and the servants would take out the bedding from a shelf every night and spread it on the floor of the plain room, ready for sleep.
Nobu
S itting in the ofuro with his eyes closed, Kaze could picture that charge. He told himself that the drops running down his face were sweat, not tears. But they tasted like tears when they reached his lips.
Creak.
One of the floorboards outside the bathhouse made a sound. Kaze remained motionless. If it was someone coming to the bathhouse normally, then it would be easy to hear their steps as they approached. Instead, one or more people were trying to sneak up to the door.
The door was suddenly slid back, and a man charged into the bathhouse, his sword at the ready. Kaze instantly stood, reaching down and drawing his sword as he did so. All in one motion, he extracted his sword from its scabbard and swept it forward. The tip of the sword caught the man in the sternum and his own forward motion drove the blade in.
Surprised, the man crumpled at the edge of the tub, dying, as a second man entered the bathhouse. Kaze rolled out of the tub, landing on his feet with his back to the new assailant. As his feet hit the floor, he pivoted, with his sword cutting a flat arc that came around and caught the second attacker across the neck and shoulder. With a groan of pain, this man hit the floor, to join his companion.
Kaze stood, naked, and facing the door with his sword in the aimed-at-the-eye position. In the doorway, a third man stood, onefoot on the threshold of the bathhouse, with the other still in the hall. He held his sword in one hand, his other hand on the edge of the door.
“Well?” Kaze said.
After a second’s hesitation, the man slammed the door shut and started running down the hall for reinforcements.
B oss Akinari and a dozen of his men burst into the bathhouse a minute later. The two men on the floor were obviously dead, their dark blood covering the wet boards of the bathhouse.
“Where is he?” Akinari asked.
“He was here a minute ago,” the third assassin said.
Akinari quickly looked at the room, his gaze alighting on the stool that had Kaze’s kimono still folded on it, and the sandals next to them.
“He’s run outside,” Akinari said. “Fan out and find him!”
“But what does he look like?” one of his men asked.
“Look! His kimono is still here. He’ll be naked and barefoot. How many naked men are you going to find on the street? Just find him and kill him! Scatter!”
Akinari and his men tumbled down the hallway, looking for a naked man trying to escape them.
In the silent bath, the echoes of their pounding feet dissipated and died. The glow of the paper lanterns cast deep shadows and made wavy orange streaks on the black surface of the water. Suddenly, from the middle of the ofuro, the surface of the water was disturbed. A head of black hair appeared, with the silver ribbon of a sword blade next to it. Kaze surfaced from the black water holding his katana.
He stood in the ofuro and listened, seeing if the hallway was clear.
CHAPTER 10
Look at how he walks.
Is it the walk of a ghost?
Does the toe touch first?
N obu entered his room. The shutters on the window were closed and the single candle he held hardly penetrated the gloomy darkness.
He sighed. He was tired. Like the rest of Boss Akinari’s men, he had spent most of the night looking for the ronin. Unsuccessfully.
His futon was already spread on the floor. He lived in Boss Akinari’s house, just like all the high-ranking members of the gang, and the servants would take out the bedding from a shelf every night and spread it on the floor of the plain room, ready for sleep.
Nobu
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