The Hand of Death Ch. 05

"It is a poor assassin who must announce himself, Hiro san."

I smiled and bowed to him. "I am actually very sorry to disturb you, Yoshio sama, but I fear I will not have another chance. I had been saving this until we were leaving. I had hoped it would be under kinder conditions but perhaps this is best."

He saw the gift in my hand. "You do not need to give me a gift, Hiro."

"Well this was more of a thank you for my time and training here."

"That was my responsibility to our House."

"I felt very welcome here and I will miss it. So I made you this."

I handed him the package. He bowed lightly to me and opened it. As he removed the grand kimono from the wrapping his expression changed to one of genuine shock.

"Hiro, this is magnificent." It was a black kimono with the crest of the Shotoku over each breast in red with little gold coins all over it and a gold under-robe. He stared at it intently. "I had heard your mother taught you well but this is very impressive."

I bowed to him. "I was sure that your 'act' would have to end eventually and thought you would be able to wear this when it did."

He nodded his gratitude. "I will miss you Hiro san but I am content in knowing that you will be back again in a few years."

"How do you mean, Yoshio sama?"

"You will have to return to go through the Bei-oshi. It is housed here."

I did not understand any of that. A "bei oshi" is a rice press but it did not sound like that is what he was talking about. "What is the Bei-oshi?" I asked.

He laughed. "Some nightmares are best left as a surprise. I was in the last three months of it when my father died and I still had to finish it. They would not let me leave. My sister Akiko had to come home and run the family until I finished."

We spoke for a time but he would not give me any more than that. Finally I felt it was time for me to leave. It was a good last meeting.

That night we met the six guards who were to escort us. They had stuffed the man into a small cart which was attached to our pony. Grandfather and I rode while they walked, one on each side with two in front and two in back. The trip would be long but at least I had some new people to chat with. The samurai didn't know what to make of us. They had been told who the prisoner was but not anything about us. Sensei wouldn't tell them, and he forbade me to. So I played "Go" with them when we stopped and talked about the new Koga Daimyo. I knew some things about him they didn't know. I got it from having lived there, though I couldn't tell them that. Most of them were friendly and the trip went well. There was only one snag on the way.

On the second day of our travel some archers shot at us from the tree line and our samurai ran after them. While we waited, three bandits popped up out of the bushes to our right. One of them spoke casually.

"Why don't you climb down from the cart and make this easy on yourself, old man?" Sensei looked at him with eyebrows raised.

"Oh, there is an easy way, is there?...Yes! Hiro san?"

"Yes, Grandfather?" I was already easing my right hand down to my obi.

"Kill the one on the left." I threw the dagger and it sunk into the man's right eye before any of them could blink. He stood there for a moment before falling forwards. Sensei went on.

"Perhaps you two should leave now?" We watched them run as hard as they could away from us. Sensei smiled at me. "Well done." I nodded.

"Domo arigato, Grandfather... I suppose I have to get down and get my own knife now?" He looked at me.

"I can remember a time when students respected their sensei."

"Was that back when Goemon still walked in Giapan?"

"Get the knife boy!"

Our guards returned. They had lost the men in the woods. Sensei didn't even mention the ronin, and they couldn't see the body for the shrubs. I saw one of them notice the katana laying across my lap but he never mentioned anything. He just had a confused look as I'm sure he didn't remember me having one before. We continued on our way.