Read Online L5r - scroll 03 - The Crane by Ree Soesbee - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ree Soesbee
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moving silently and slowly. The guard bowed and vanished.
"Uji-san." Kuwanan smiled viciously. "Show me the way."
The Daidoji nodded and raised a hand to command his men. Without a word, he stepped in front of Kuwanan, choosing a bare path between flowering vines. Kuwanan followed, trusting the keen vision and knowledge of the Daidoji.
They reached the narrow path that led toward the lake, and it became necessary to step single file. Uji's hand flickered again in the moonlight, and Kuwanan heard a very soft movement to his right. They were not alone; the Daidoji guard paced them. Uji nodded in faint pride. With a curious gesture, he pointed forward and began to move again.
It was slow going along the edge of the lake, placing each foot into the sucking mud and withdrawing it silently, but Kuwanan had studied with Uji and his men, and he made little noise. The drainage ditch lay only a few short paces ahead when suddenly Kuwanan heard a shout of pain.
Leaping forward, he and Uji ran the last few yards through grasping willow branches and thick brush. The two Crane samurai burst out into a narrow ditch that ran downhill, away from the lake. Soft sounds came from just downstream. A thud and splash told them the fight had been as swift as it had been sudden.
They turned the corner again. Uji cut aside the hanging willow branches and saw a man kneeling by the ditch, his clothing spattered with mud. Over him stood a black-garbed figure, his sword cutting the flesh that had once been the Daidoji's neck. The head of the guardsman fell into the ditch with another splash.
Uji's swords leapt into his hands.
Before he could move, Kuwanan leapt atop the black-garbed figure and knocked him to the ground. Rolling swiftly to one side, Kuwanan heard a ninja-to, the blackened sword of the assassin, swing past his torso. The man had been well trained. Kuwanan twisted to his feet like some burly jungle cat.
Daidoji swords flash in the light of the crescent moon. The wakizashi cut into the man's leg, slicing black cloth and the flesh beneath.
It was not a killing blow, and the assassin leaped back onto his hands in a sudden flash of acrobatics. He rolled to his feet. The man was good.
"Don't kill him!" Kuwanan commanded.
Uji paused, lowering his swords into a defensive stance.
Kuwanan drew his own sword in a chopping stroke, wishing he had been taught the single-movement draw and strike of the Kakita Academy. With a battle cry, he thrust his sword toward the assassin's face, hoping to drive the man back into Uji's reach.
The assassin had kept his wits, however. He swiftly shifted so that Kuwanan's blow missed by a hairbreadth. The return assault was only a half-beat behind, cutting at Kuwanan's arm.
The Doji parried, allowing the ninja-to to slide harmlessly down the length of his blade.
Uji struck again. The assassin whirled and blocked. He kept the momentum of his attack and launched a fierce kick that pushed Uji back into the streambed.
Kuwanan swung an overhead blow.
The black-garbed man leaped aside, catching the force of Kuwanan's blade on his own and shifting his weight away from the strike. The tip of Kuwanan's blade crossed his own chest, tearing cloth but narrowly missing skin.
Kuwanan had assumed the assassin was a Scorpion and so had fought with directness, countering thrust with parry rather than moving aside. He had been wrong, and it had nearly cost his life. The assassin fought like a Lion, the con-slant footwork of the Akodo beneath the mask of the Bayushi. Enraged, Kuwanan shouted again and forced his katana past the assassin's thinner blade. He heard a sharp crack as the ninja-to snapped beneath ancient steel.
The assassin leaped back, but his injured leg failed him. As Kuwanan tore away the veiled mask, the assassin's eyes widened in anger and pain.
Kuwanan grimly lifted his katana for another blow. "Surrender, and your death will be swift!"
The assassin's eyes narrowed. Behind him, Daidoji guards
"Uji-san." Kuwanan smiled viciously. "Show me the way."
The Daidoji nodded and raised a hand to command his men. Without a word, he stepped in front of Kuwanan, choosing a bare path between flowering vines. Kuwanan followed, trusting the keen vision and knowledge of the Daidoji.
They reached the narrow path that led toward the lake, and it became necessary to step single file. Uji's hand flickered again in the moonlight, and Kuwanan heard a very soft movement to his right. They were not alone; the Daidoji guard paced them. Uji nodded in faint pride. With a curious gesture, he pointed forward and began to move again.
It was slow going along the edge of the lake, placing each foot into the sucking mud and withdrawing it silently, but Kuwanan had studied with Uji and his men, and he made little noise. The drainage ditch lay only a few short paces ahead when suddenly Kuwanan heard a shout of pain.
Leaping forward, he and Uji ran the last few yards through grasping willow branches and thick brush. The two Crane samurai burst out into a narrow ditch that ran downhill, away from the lake. Soft sounds came from just downstream. A thud and splash told them the fight had been as swift as it had been sudden.
They turned the corner again. Uji cut aside the hanging willow branches and saw a man kneeling by the ditch, his clothing spattered with mud. Over him stood a black-garbed figure, his sword cutting the flesh that had once been the Daidoji's neck. The head of the guardsman fell into the ditch with another splash.
Uji's swords leapt into his hands.
Before he could move, Kuwanan leapt atop the black-garbed figure and knocked him to the ground. Rolling swiftly to one side, Kuwanan heard a ninja-to, the blackened sword of the assassin, swing past his torso. The man had been well trained. Kuwanan twisted to his feet like some burly jungle cat.
Daidoji swords flash in the light of the crescent moon. The wakizashi cut into the man's leg, slicing black cloth and the flesh beneath.
It was not a killing blow, and the assassin leaped back onto his hands in a sudden flash of acrobatics. He rolled to his feet. The man was good.
"Don't kill him!" Kuwanan commanded.
Uji paused, lowering his swords into a defensive stance.
Kuwanan drew his own sword in a chopping stroke, wishing he had been taught the single-movement draw and strike of the Kakita Academy. With a battle cry, he thrust his sword toward the assassin's face, hoping to drive the man back into Uji's reach.
The assassin had kept his wits, however. He swiftly shifted so that Kuwanan's blow missed by a hairbreadth. The return assault was only a half-beat behind, cutting at Kuwanan's arm.
The Doji parried, allowing the ninja-to to slide harmlessly down the length of his blade.
Uji struck again. The assassin whirled and blocked. He kept the momentum of his attack and launched a fierce kick that pushed Uji back into the streambed.
Kuwanan swung an overhead blow.
The black-garbed man leaped aside, catching the force of Kuwanan's blade on his own and shifting his weight away from the strike. The tip of Kuwanan's blade crossed his own chest, tearing cloth but narrowly missing skin.
Kuwanan had assumed the assassin was a Scorpion and so had fought with directness, countering thrust with parry rather than moving aside. He had been wrong, and it had nearly cost his life. The assassin fought like a Lion, the con-slant footwork of the Akodo beneath the mask of the Bayushi. Enraged, Kuwanan shouted again and forced his katana past the assassin's thinner blade. He heard a sharp crack as the ninja-to snapped beneath ancient steel.
The assassin leaped back, but his injured leg failed him. As Kuwanan tore away the veiled mask, the assassin's eyes widened in anger and pain.
Kuwanan grimly lifted his katana for another blow. "Surrender, and your death will be swift!"
The assassin's eyes narrowed. Behind him, Daidoji guards
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