by Duncan Lay
She wobbled a little as she stood then led the way back into the house, cringing a little at the thought Sendatsu might make some impassioned plea for her to return with him to Vales. You have to be strong, she told herself. He had come back for her but nothing else had changed — Gaibun would still never let them go. The pain helped, making her focus on that, rather than her pleasure at seeing him.
‘Asami, about our last meeting —’
‘We need to find my maid. Where is she?’ she interrupted.
He led the way down to the bedroom only to find it empty — the maid had taken his advice after all.
‘Good. We should get back to the open air and wait for the priest there,’ Asami said immediately.
‘Why were you here alone? Why wasn’t Gaibun with you?’ Sendatsu blurted.
‘We have been over this already. I have made my choice and I ask you to respect that,’ she said, trying to make her voice sound as cold as possible.
‘You feel nothing that I came back to save you? I have been torturing myself night and day in Vales, thinking about you —’
‘More fool you then,’ Asami snapped. ‘Of course I thank you for helping me. I owe you my life. Gaibun will also be most thankful.’
‘What happened?’ Sendatsu asked, the misery in his voice bringing her almost to tears.
She took a long time to answer, trying to get herself under control so he would never guess what was going on inside.
‘I woke up and realised who you are,’ was all she managed to get out before her voice threatened to betray her.
Sendatsu sighed, a sound that cut through her and made her squeeze her eyes shut to keep them dry.
‘Then I made a mistake coming back here,’ he said sadly.
‘Yes, you did.’ She hurried back into the garden to find Rhiannon and Retsu keeping awkward company, not talking.
‘Has the maid gone to get a priest? Because this damned leg feels like someone is driving a red-hot spike into it,’ Retsu said.
‘She’s gone for help,’ Sendatsu confirmed.
‘Thank Aroaril for that. While we wait, perhaps you can tell us what is going on and what you have discovered.’
Asami refused to look at Sendatsu, although she could feel his eyes on her. She looked at Rhiannon, who shook her head slightly.
‘Sendatsu put it together,’ Rhiannon said. ‘Sumiko has done a deal with the Forlish. She plans to use them to destroy Jaken. Sendatsu thinks she will bring them into Dokuzen somehow.’
‘Impossible! Not even she would dare to do that. Once they were here, we would never get them out again. Our whole city would be destroyed,’ Retsu declared.
‘Not if she just brought in a few dozen, enough to cause mayhem and spread fear that the humans can use magic and could appear anywhere in Dokuzen at any time. In a stroke, Jaken is no longer the city’s protector and Sumiko is the only one who can stop the magical attacks,’ Rhiannon countered.
‘But why kill Asami?’
‘With Asami dead, Sumiko will control all the magic. Nobody will be able to stop her.’
‘That might well be right,’ Asami said.
‘This is monstrous,’ Retsu growled. ‘We shall send a message to Jaken immediately, demanding her arrest!’
‘Won’t work,’ Sendatsu said. ‘My father is under her spell, somehow. You need more evidence.’
‘Well, we can’t sit around waiting for Forlish to start popping up in people’s gardens!’ Retsu snorted.
‘You have two live witnesses. Take them to the Council meeting tomorrow and show the other clan leaders that Sumiko is plotting something. Then post guards around every oak tree in Dokuzen,’ Rhiannon suggested.
‘That would take more warriors than we have. But perhaps we don’t need that many — we could just post them around the oak trees in the park. That is where Oroku disappeared, going to the Forlish, and that is where he will return,’ Asami said.
Rhiannon gasped. ‘You saw Oroku leave to join the Forlish?’
‘I saw him leave Dokuzen,’ Asami corrected. ‘Only now can we put it all together.’
‘But are you sure he will return to the park? It is in the middle of the city and everyone can see it …’
‘Exactly,’ Asami confirmed. ‘What better place? He can be seen by as many as possible and then disappear again before any defence can be mustered. With half-a-dozen oak trees in the park, he can choose all sorts of places to appear.’
Rhiannon looked doubtful.
‘What do you think he will do?’ Asami challenged.
‘I don’t know. But Sumiko has not planned all this to make a small demonstration. She wants everyone to know the Forlish were here.’
‘And that is why they will choose the park. Don’t forget, Sumiko will be planning to betray the Forlish. She doesn’t want them wrecking the city. She wants to take over a Dokuzen that is harmed but whole. And the park can always be regrown in an instant by the Magic-weavers. Believe me, the sight of any Forlish in the city will rock Dokuzen to its core.’
‘We must talk to the Council tomorrow. Sendatsu, will you stay and address them? Your status as Jaken’s son commands respect,’ Retsu suggested.
‘No, he needs to return. We can speak to the Council ourselves. Having Sendatsu there will confuse things,’ Asami said swiftly.
Sendatsu gave a short laugh. ‘Well, I can see we have worn out our welcome,’ he told Rhiannon. ‘We had best return to Vales. Let us know if you need us to come and save your lives once more.’
Rhiannon grabbed his arm. ‘Wait — now is not the time to go. We need to work together to stop Sumiko —’
‘Now is the perfect time to go,’ Sendatsu said bitterly.
‘Thank you for our lives,’ Retsu said into the awkward silence. ‘Should you not wait until the priest gets here, at least?’
No sooner had he spoken than Father Hiroka, accompanied by a pair of Council Guards, hurried out of the house and into the garden.
‘We need to go, before they see you do magic.’ Sendatsu pushed Rhiannon towards the oak tree.
Asami waited until his back was turned before wiping away the tears. She looked up to see Rhiannon watching her but Sendatsu was still hustling her towards the tree.
‘Quick!’ he insisted.
Asami agreed with him. She could not hold on much longer.
‘Does it hurt?’ Retsu asked sympathetically.
‘All the way to my heart,’ Asami sobbed.
Rhiannon opened the gateway and Sendatsu stepped through, going from the warmth of Dokuzen to the chill of Vales in an instant. He took a few steps away from the tree, absently noting there seemed to be several torches burning around it. Had Huw followed them?
He turned to mention this to Rhiannon, only to hear her gasp and see her sprawl on the ground in front of the tree. For a moment he was bewildered, then a figure stepped out from behind the trunk, dropping the branch it had used to strike Rhiannon down.
‘Hello, brother,’ Gaibun said, drawing his sword.
‘Why do we do this?’ Ruttyn asked.
‘Because the king pays us? Because it is our duty?’ Caelin offered.
‘Because otherwise we’d be sitting at home and listening to the wife’s mother whine at me?’ Harald suggested.
Ruttyn sighed. ‘No, why are we the ones always chosen? Does the king have a list of soldiers he wants to see dead before Midwinter? Did we dig the wrong latrine and the king fell head-first into the shit? It’s not like we’re any good. Harald and I are still useless as scouts and the sarge hasn’t stood in the battleline more than once. If we’re the hope of Forland, then the stars above know the country’s in trouble.’
‘We’re chosen because we keep surviving, and they think we are somehow lucky. And being lucky is better than being good.’ Caelin shrugged.
‘So a nice, painful death would have solved all our problems moons ago?’
‘Exactly. A turn of the hourglass filled with agony as your insides slowly dripped out and you’d be
happily avoiding all this.’ Caelin nodded.
‘Well, that makes me feel much better,’ Harald sighed.
‘This is not a death sentence. The elves won’t be expecting us and we’ll be surrounded by the best fighters Captain Wulf has. By the time the elves have woken up to what we’re doing, we’ll have the hostages and be out of there. Then it’s back here for easy duty and to be hailed by everyone as heroes. Think about that. Your wife’s mother will be proud of you, while every maiden in Forland will go weak at the knees as soon as you walk past.’
‘Oh great, tell me that now!’ Harald growled. ‘I can have my pick of any woman in Forland and I’ve already chosen the one with a bad-tempered bulldog for a mother!’
Their laughter died when they saw Captain Edmund approach their fire.
‘Are you ready, lads?’ he asked softly.
‘Of course, sir,’ Caelin answered, before either of the other two could say something else.
‘Get some food into you. We march in one turn of the hourglass. The elven traitor needs to use an oak tree to send us into Dokuzen and the nearest is two miles away.’
Caelin nodded. ‘We’ll be there.’
‘Gaibun? What are you doing here? And why in Aroaril’s name did you hit Rhiannon?’ Sendatsu stared blankly at his friend.
‘This is just between us. Wouldn’t want your human lover to come to your aid,’ Gaibun said slowly. ‘Draw your sword.’
‘Why?’ Sendatsu’s mind was still filled with Asami and how she had turned away from him a second time. ‘Who’s after us?’
Gaibun laughed harshly. ‘You really are a fool. What does Asami see in you? Well, when I bring her your head, she might just tell me.’
Something in his voice penetrated through the fog of despair filling Sendatsu’s mind.
‘What are you talking about?’ he snapped.
‘I shall spell it out for someone as stupid as you. This is the end of it all, brother. I have learned the truth and now you will pay for all the deceptions. Asami will be mine, at last!’
Sendatsu could hear the pain and anger in Gaibun’s voice but was no closer to understanding why. ‘Gaibun, are you possessed? Have you suffered a blow to the head? I have just come from Asami —’
‘I know!’ Gaibun roared and leaped forwards, sword slashing at Sendatsu’s neck.
Instinct took over and Sendatsu’s sword sprang into his hand. He blocked with a ringing clash of steel. Gaibun’s pace took him past Sendatsu and they spun to face each other.
‘Brother, I don’t know what this is about —’
‘Asami and your lies!’ Gaibun raced into the attack.
Sendatsu had no time and barely any breath to reply. They had fought together hundreds of times over the years — they knew each other’s styles almost as well as they knew their own. Their skills were almost equal: Gaibun was a touch stronger; Sendatsu a touch faster. Speed had beaten strength so many times before that Sendatsu had always gone into a fight with Gaibun knowing he was going to win. This time, for the first time, he doubted it.
Then again, he was not trying to hurt Gaibun, for he needed answers. Twice he ignored a chance to get in a wounding thrust. The rest of the time he struggled to survive, even though he knew Gaibun was holding nothing back.
Gaibun had abandoned many of the traditional strokes and cuts, instead using his strength to batter and hack at Sendatsu. Not knowing where or how the blows were arriving made defending them trickier. He caught one just an inch from his heart, ducked under another that sliced a hair off the top of his head and rolled away from a third that would have taken his arm.
‘What are you doing?’ he shouted, coming to his feet, anger beginning to replace his shock and surprise.
‘Finishing what I should have done years ago. My father was right. Your family are evil. I have had enough of being second to you. All your life you thought you were better than me. You always thought I was happy being the follower. Always thought Asami was yours, even when she was mine. You had to take everything that made me happy. It was always about you. Well, no more. It ends here!’
Gaibun flew into the attack and this time Sendatsu came to meet him, their swords ringing as they clashed together and then they both turned.
‘You fool! Asami has chosen you,’ Sendatsu spat, feeling the pain of those words.
‘Still you lie. Even when you face death you cannot tell the truth. Just like your father!’
‘I am not my father!’ Sendatsu howled and threw himself at Gaibun.
Back and forth across the clearing they fought. Gaibun’s frenzy of earlier had died and now he returned to a more traditional fighting style.
Sendatsu was holding nothing back, losing himself in the movement of the swords, trying to see Gaibun’s next attack in his former friend’s eyes but they seemed strangely flat.
Gaibun tried to use the zigzag style but Sendatsu blocked and flowed into the overhand waterwheel stroke, aiming at Gaibun’s shoulder. Gaibun pivoted away and swung low, using the wide, flat-bladed cartwheel cut but Sendatsu jumped over the top and tried a tiger-claw that turned into a dragon-tail cut when Gaibun parried smoothly.
Soon the attacks were coming so fast that neither could really tell what they were blocking or using; instead they relied on their training, their instincts and their intimate knowledge of the other to save themselves. Blades flashed for eyes, lunged for stomachs and throats, cut at legs and arms or hacked at chests and heads. Sendatsu only partially blocked one slice, which opened up a thin wound across his collarbone, while a few moments later Gaibun was a touch late with his parry and a red line appeared across his chest.
They could not keep up the pace — nobody could — and they broke apart, circling around, sucking in air frantically.
‘Why now?’ Sendatsu asked, to give himself time. If Rhiannon woke up or a handful of dragons came riding to investigate what was going on, then he had won — and could get some answers out of Gaibun.
‘Because someone told me the truth about you and Asami!’ Gaibun howled and jumped across the gap between them, sword swinging once more for Sendatsu’s head.
Sendatsu spun away and dropped under the reverse cut aimed at his throat, kicking out at Gaibun’s ankles. Gaibun stepped over the kick and stabbed down, forcing Sendatsu to jump back. He slashed furiously at Gaibun’s face, keeping the pressure on, using his speed to drive his friend backwards.
He let Gaibun keep backpedalling and stopped — a moment before Gaibun’s sword arced up, a short blow that would have disembowelled Sendatsu if he had kept advancing.
‘What truth?’
‘That you are together, that you have been lying behind my back and have been plotting to kill me!’
‘Who told you that?’ Sendatsu demanded.
‘Asami is mine. You will never touch her again!’ Gaibun spat, then sprang again.
Sendatsu raced to meet him. Thoughts of dragons coming to his rescue, of Rhiannon waking up, were forgotten.
Across the clearing they battled, slashing, cutting, ducking and spinning. Gaibun’s left arm and right calf were cut, while Sendatsu took a wound along his ribs. Finally they broke apart, gasping for air once more.
‘Why now?’ Sendatsu paced around, eyes fixed on Gaibun. ‘Why not years ago? Why did you not let my father kill me?’
‘Because I didn’t know then that you plotted to kill me so you could be with Asami.’ Gaibun hawked and spat.
‘That is a lie! Who told you that?’
‘And I suppose the fact Asami is pregnant with your child, not mine, is also a lie?’ Gaibun shouted as he attacked.
This time Sendatsu barely moved, the shock of Gaibun’s words bursting in his mind. Asami was pregnant? It could not be his. But why had she not told him — unless it was to protect him from a furious Gaibun …
Slowed by his thoughts, Sendatsu was barely able to keep Gaibun’s blade out of his flesh. His mind felt somehow separate from his body. He felt sick at the thought of Asami carrying
Gaibun’s child, of rejecting him for that. Or was it to save him?
‘I didn’t know — it’s not mine!’ he cried.
‘After all your lies, did you think I would believe you now?’ Gaibun brushed aside Sendatsu’s block and kicked him in the chest, sending him sprawling backwards.
‘Gaibun — look at my eyes! You know I have never been able to lie!’ Sendatsu cried.
But Gaibun was standing over him a moment later, sword at his throat.
‘Sumiko was right, you have been fooling me all these years,’ he hissed.
‘Sumiko? Wait, Gaibun — you are possessed! Stop this, listen to me, I have just returned from saving Asami’s life!’ Sendatsu cried.
‘Too late,’ Gaibun said, then thrust downwards.
‘What do we say to the Council tomorrow?’ Asami asked.
‘You should be doing nothing tomorrow. You have both lost too much blood. All you can do tomorrow is sleep, rest and eat. Plenty of fish and green vegetables, less rice,’ Father Hiroka advised.
‘There are some things too important. We have to bring our attackers before the Council and pin this on Sumiko,’ Retsu said. ‘We do not have time to sit around pouring food down our throats!’
Hiroka stood and sighed. ‘Then you are a pair of fools. I have sealed the wounds but the body needs time to heal itself from trauma. Blood does not just reappear in your body. Do too much tomorrow and you will end up on your backs. Rest and eat well and it will be as if nothing ever happened within a couple of days.’
‘Thank you, father.’ Asami laid a hand on his arm. ‘But you saw what you had to step over when you walked in here. It was a miracle we both survived. If we give Sumiko a couple of days to learn she has failed, next time we shall not be so lucky.’
Hiroka shook his head. ‘I still find it hard to believe that a member of the Council would do such a thing!’
‘She will not be a member of the Council for much longer,’ Retsu said grimly. ‘Not when we bring the two survivors before the Council and have them tell their story. We shall need Archbishop Fushimi to be there. He can determine if they are speaking the truth.’
‘I shall speak to him myself,’ Hiroka promised.
Retsu stretched his leg and stood gingerly.