the next crossing point on this river?’
‘There’s a ford, a few miles to the south,’ Toge replied, pointing towards the paddy fields. ‘That track over there eventually leads to it.’
‘Then that’ll be Akuma’s next route of attack.’
The young samurai trekked across the fields. They followed the network of paths, many only visible as a slight ridge in the snow.
‘Open land is hard to defend,’ muttered Hayato, biting his lip pensively.
‘At least we’ll be able to see them,’ said Jack. ‘And with your bow, you could pick off bandits as they ride in.’
Hayato nodded. ‘But we still need to slow them down. They’ll overrun us otherwise.’
‘We could flood the fields,’ suggested Miyuki.
‘That should work,’ agreed Jack. Such a strategy was part of the ninja’s Ring of Water techniques and he remembered how effective it had been against the army of samurai invading Miyuki’s village.
‘But that won’t stop them,’ argued Hayato. ‘They’ll just use the paths.’
Jack studied the walkways bordering the fields. The ninja would have made them narrow so only one person could pass at a time, and their arrangement would form a maze to slow down intruders. But the farmers’ paths were wide and led directly to the village.
‘How about a ditch?’ suggested Saburo. ‘We could fill it to become a moat.’
‘A far better idea!’ said Hayato, clapping him on the back.
‘It’ll have to encircle the whole village,’ noted Miyuki. ‘That’s a lot of work.’
‘Well, I bet Saburo’s the very man to lead the digging!’ said Hayato, dismissing Miyuki’s objection.
Saburo smiled awkwardly, not sure how he’d volunteered for the task but nonetheless pleased with the praise. Yori saw the frustration on Miyuki’s face at being cold-shouldered again, and stepped forward.
‘Hayato, it may be wise to do both,’ he said.
‘Of course,’ replied Hayato heartily. ‘There can never be enough defences.’
‘Which leaves us with the last approach – the forest to the west,’ said Jack, and led the way.
As they walked out of the paddy fields, Jack felt a tug on his sleeve. Neko was beckoning him to follow her.
‘Hold on!’ said Jack to the others, as she steered him over to the pond.
Once there, she gestured to the ice now covering its surface. Jack wondered what her point was, until she stepped out on to the pond and walked straight across it.
‘Neko’s spotted a problem!’ shouted Jack, waving the others over and giving Neko a thumbs-up in recognition. ‘The bandits could circle the paddy fields and cross here .’
‘Not if the ice breaks,’ said Miyuki.
‘Who says it will?’ countered Hayato, pulling an arrow from his quiver and tapping the surface. ‘It sounds pretty thick to me. And Neko just walked on it.’
‘We weaken the ice first,’ said Miyuki condescendingly. ‘It makes the perfect natural deception.’
‘Are you volunteering to go out there and break the ice?’ challenged Hayato.
As the two of them once again locked horns, Yuudai picked up a nearby rock and hurled it high into the air. It landed in the centre of the pond with an almighty crack, smashing through the icy surface and sinking without trace. Tiny fracture lines spidered out from the hole.
‘That should do it,’ said Yuudai, grinning.
Jack laughed. He liked this boy’s attitude. Yuudai took no sides; he simply wanted to get the job done. With the pond’s threat now turned to a defensive advantage and with three angles of attack covered, Jack was beginning to feel more confident about their chances against Akuma.
That was until they entered the forest.
‘This is our greatest weakness,’ declared Hayato, studying the path before them. ‘Lots of cover, little advance warning and countless gullies to bypass any barricade we build.’
Jack and the others fell silent as they all sought a solution. But none was forthcoming. The forest simply provided too many opportunities for an
‘There’s a ford, a few miles to the south,’ Toge replied, pointing towards the paddy fields. ‘That track over there eventually leads to it.’
‘Then that’ll be Akuma’s next route of attack.’
The young samurai trekked across the fields. They followed the network of paths, many only visible as a slight ridge in the snow.
‘Open land is hard to defend,’ muttered Hayato, biting his lip pensively.
‘At least we’ll be able to see them,’ said Jack. ‘And with your bow, you could pick off bandits as they ride in.’
Hayato nodded. ‘But we still need to slow them down. They’ll overrun us otherwise.’
‘We could flood the fields,’ suggested Miyuki.
‘That should work,’ agreed Jack. Such a strategy was part of the ninja’s Ring of Water techniques and he remembered how effective it had been against the army of samurai invading Miyuki’s village.
‘But that won’t stop them,’ argued Hayato. ‘They’ll just use the paths.’
Jack studied the walkways bordering the fields. The ninja would have made them narrow so only one person could pass at a time, and their arrangement would form a maze to slow down intruders. But the farmers’ paths were wide and led directly to the village.
‘How about a ditch?’ suggested Saburo. ‘We could fill it to become a moat.’
‘A far better idea!’ said Hayato, clapping him on the back.
‘It’ll have to encircle the whole village,’ noted Miyuki. ‘That’s a lot of work.’
‘Well, I bet Saburo’s the very man to lead the digging!’ said Hayato, dismissing Miyuki’s objection.
Saburo smiled awkwardly, not sure how he’d volunteered for the task but nonetheless pleased with the praise. Yori saw the frustration on Miyuki’s face at being cold-shouldered again, and stepped forward.
‘Hayato, it may be wise to do both,’ he said.
‘Of course,’ replied Hayato heartily. ‘There can never be enough defences.’
‘Which leaves us with the last approach – the forest to the west,’ said Jack, and led the way.
As they walked out of the paddy fields, Jack felt a tug on his sleeve. Neko was beckoning him to follow her.
‘Hold on!’ said Jack to the others, as she steered him over to the pond.
Once there, she gestured to the ice now covering its surface. Jack wondered what her point was, until she stepped out on to the pond and walked straight across it.
‘Neko’s spotted a problem!’ shouted Jack, waving the others over and giving Neko a thumbs-up in recognition. ‘The bandits could circle the paddy fields and cross here .’
‘Not if the ice breaks,’ said Miyuki.
‘Who says it will?’ countered Hayato, pulling an arrow from his quiver and tapping the surface. ‘It sounds pretty thick to me. And Neko just walked on it.’
‘We weaken the ice first,’ said Miyuki condescendingly. ‘It makes the perfect natural deception.’
‘Are you volunteering to go out there and break the ice?’ challenged Hayato.
As the two of them once again locked horns, Yuudai picked up a nearby rock and hurled it high into the air. It landed in the centre of the pond with an almighty crack, smashing through the icy surface and sinking without trace. Tiny fracture lines spidered out from the hole.
‘That should do it,’ said Yuudai, grinning.
Jack laughed. He liked this boy’s attitude. Yuudai took no sides; he simply wanted to get the job done. With the pond’s threat now turned to a defensive advantage and with three angles of attack covered, Jack was beginning to feel more confident about their chances against Akuma.
That was until they entered the forest.
‘This is our greatest weakness,’ declared Hayato, studying the path before them. ‘Lots of cover, little advance warning and countless gullies to bypass any barricade we build.’
Jack and the others fell silent as they all sought a solution. But none was forthcoming. The forest simply provided too many opportunities for an
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