Hiro looked down at it with wide eyes. “Turn around,” Shusaku said to Taro, who was still gripping the older man’s wrist. “Look behind you.”
Taro turned. The sword was now in the ninja’s other hand, and it was so close to the back of his own neck that he could feel it touching the small hairs there.
“You’re fast,” said Shusaku. “You probably were before, but vampires have quicker reflexes, and greater strength, than ordinary humans. Yet you have a lot to learn. Imagine if it were one ofyour father’s killers attacking your friend. You would have saved him from a green branch, not even fit for the fire, and your spine severed for your trouble. You will come to the sacred mountain that is home to my clan. And then we will see about your mother, and your father’s avenging.”
Taro sighed, and sat back, releasing Shusaku’s hand.
“Your home. How far is it?”
Shusaku spread his hands. “If we weren’t hunted, and had supplies, spare clothes? A day or two. As it is we will need to stop. There is a woman I know—she is part of our network, and she is wiser than anyone else I know.” His eyes crinkled with what seemed like humor. “She has two rather pretty girls in her charge. She lives on the way to the sacred mountain. We’ll go to her, rest for a while in a place where the sun can’t reach us. She can give us clothes, too—string for your bow.”
“When we get to your home,” said Taro, “the sacred mountain, what will happen?”
“I hope your skills will be sufficient that you may one day become a full ninja. You’re a vampire already—that’s part of it. But being a ninja isn’t just about being bitten. It’s about clan, discipline, and loyalty.”
Strange , thought Taro. He speaks of ninjas as if they were samurai .
Shusaku grimaced. “There is a small problem,” he went on. “Usually a young acolyte is turned and made a full ninja at the same time, in the same ceremony. That you are already vampire will cause a certain amount of … resentment.”
“Sounds wonderful,” said Hiro.
Taro thought about what Shusaku had said. The ninja spoke as if the choice of where they went was left to him alone—as if he and Taro could decide together where to go and what to do. But surely his employer—whoever had sent him to rescue Taro—had to have a say?
He leaned forward. “You said that you were ordered to save me. Yet you had no instructions at all as to what to do with me once I was saved?”
“None.”
Taro looked at the man’s eyes, and they did not waver—cold, implacable. Taro had no idea whether he was lying or not.
“You also tell me you don’t know who employs you. I don’t believe you.”
The ninja spread his hands. “My orders are sent anonymously. It’s safer that way. As for believing me … that is your own decision to make. But I did save your life.”
Hiro edged forward. “And what about me? The ninjas we fought know me now. If I go back, I might be killed.”
Shusaku nodded to him. “You fought with great skill and bravery. You will come too, should you desire it. And if you are good enough, you too will become a ninja.”
Hiro looked a little pale. “A ninja … yes. But a vampire … I’m not sure.” He glanced down as if ashamed. Then he looked at Taro again. “But I’ll come with you both if you want me.”
“Of course,” said Taro and Shusaku simultaneously.
“The things you will teach me,” said Taro to Shusaku. “They will make me strong? Skilled? Enough to avenge my father?”
“Certainly.”
Taro thought about this. His father was dead—the pain of it blossomed inside him constantly, like a flower that is always opening. And he had been forced to leave his mother behind. Half of him wanted to run, now, while it was light—and return to Shirahama. Another part of him wanted above all to begin a new life somewhere far away, with Hiro—to forget that any of this nightmare had happened.
But he felt too a burning
Taro turned. The sword was now in the ninja’s other hand, and it was so close to the back of his own neck that he could feel it touching the small hairs there.
“You’re fast,” said Shusaku. “You probably were before, but vampires have quicker reflexes, and greater strength, than ordinary humans. Yet you have a lot to learn. Imagine if it were one ofyour father’s killers attacking your friend. You would have saved him from a green branch, not even fit for the fire, and your spine severed for your trouble. You will come to the sacred mountain that is home to my clan. And then we will see about your mother, and your father’s avenging.”
Taro sighed, and sat back, releasing Shusaku’s hand.
“Your home. How far is it?”
Shusaku spread his hands. “If we weren’t hunted, and had supplies, spare clothes? A day or two. As it is we will need to stop. There is a woman I know—she is part of our network, and she is wiser than anyone else I know.” His eyes crinkled with what seemed like humor. “She has two rather pretty girls in her charge. She lives on the way to the sacred mountain. We’ll go to her, rest for a while in a place where the sun can’t reach us. She can give us clothes, too—string for your bow.”
“When we get to your home,” said Taro, “the sacred mountain, what will happen?”
“I hope your skills will be sufficient that you may one day become a full ninja. You’re a vampire already—that’s part of it. But being a ninja isn’t just about being bitten. It’s about clan, discipline, and loyalty.”
Strange , thought Taro. He speaks of ninjas as if they were samurai .
Shusaku grimaced. “There is a small problem,” he went on. “Usually a young acolyte is turned and made a full ninja at the same time, in the same ceremony. That you are already vampire will cause a certain amount of … resentment.”
“Sounds wonderful,” said Hiro.
Taro thought about what Shusaku had said. The ninja spoke as if the choice of where they went was left to him alone—as if he and Taro could decide together where to go and what to do. But surely his employer—whoever had sent him to rescue Taro—had to have a say?
He leaned forward. “You said that you were ordered to save me. Yet you had no instructions at all as to what to do with me once I was saved?”
“None.”
Taro looked at the man’s eyes, and they did not waver—cold, implacable. Taro had no idea whether he was lying or not.
“You also tell me you don’t know who employs you. I don’t believe you.”
The ninja spread his hands. “My orders are sent anonymously. It’s safer that way. As for believing me … that is your own decision to make. But I did save your life.”
Hiro edged forward. “And what about me? The ninjas we fought know me now. If I go back, I might be killed.”
Shusaku nodded to him. “You fought with great skill and bravery. You will come too, should you desire it. And if you are good enough, you too will become a ninja.”
Hiro looked a little pale. “A ninja … yes. But a vampire … I’m not sure.” He glanced down as if ashamed. Then he looked at Taro again. “But I’ll come with you both if you want me.”
“Of course,” said Taro and Shusaku simultaneously.
“The things you will teach me,” said Taro to Shusaku. “They will make me strong? Skilled? Enough to avenge my father?”
“Certainly.”
Taro thought about this. His father was dead—the pain of it blossomed inside him constantly, like a flower that is always opening. And he had been forced to leave his mother behind. Half of him wanted to run, now, while it was light—and return to Shirahama. Another part of him wanted above all to begin a new life somewhere far away, with Hiro—to forget that any of this nightmare had happened.
But he felt too a burning
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