John Flanagan - The Emperor of Nihon-Ja

Evanlyn and Alyss had found a freshwater stream a little inland from the beach and had taken the water skins and canteens to fill them with fresh, cold water. While they waited for the girls to return, Will and Selethen set about making a fire. Halt, sitting with his back to a log and studying the map, glanced up as they did so. Will hesitated.

'Are we all right to have a fire, Halt?' he asked.

The older Ranger thought for a moment. 'Why not?' he said. 'As Atsu pointed out, the locals probably know we're here anyway.' He glanced towards the trees, where the two girls were visible, filling the canteens.

'Are you expecting trouble?' Will asked, aware that Halt had been keeping a watchful eye over the girls as they worked.

Again, Halt hesitated before replying. 'I'm always edgy when I'm in a country I don't know,' he said. 'I find it's the best way to be.'

'It's certainly kept you alive so far,' Selethen said, with a hint of a smile.

Halt nodded. 'Yes. So far so good. Plus, I've been thinking…Atsu seems confident that all the Kikori villages will be supporting the Emperor. But there's no iron-clad guarantee that some of them haven't gone over to Arisaka.'

'Do you think that's likely?' Will asked and Halt turned his gaze on his young protege.

'No. But it is possible. We're going a lot on Atsu's word for things and we have no way of knowing how good his judgement is.'

Evanlyn and Alyss returned as they were discussing this. The girls were burdened with filled canteens and two large waterskins and they carried the load between them. Evanlyn glanced around the camp site approvingly.

'What a cheery little home away from home,' she said brightly.

Alyss, who had noticed the sombre expressions on the faces of Selethen and the two Rangers, added, 'And what serious faces you're all wearing. Is something wrong, Halt?'

Halt smiled at her. 'Now that we have water for the coffee, no,' he replied. 'Everything is just as it should be.'

They made coffee, then Will set about preparing an evening meal. The market in Iwanai had supplied them with several chickens and he set about jointing them and preparing the meat in a marinade of oil, honey and the dark salty sauce that was a staple in Nihon-Ja.

Atsu had taught him how to prepare rice, which he had never cooked before, and he set a covered pot steaming in the coals of the fire while he prepared a green salad, using small onions and green leaves that resembled spinach. As ever, he had his cooking kit with him, with his own personal staples that went to create a light, tangy salad dressing.

'Nice to know a man who cooks,' said Alyss, sitting comfortably by the fire, her back against a log and her knees drawn up.

'I've heard you can whip up a pretty good meal too, Halt,' Evanlyn said, gently teasing him.

Halt took another sip of the coffee they had prepared. His eyes smiled at her over the rim of his mug.

'It's part of a Ranger's training,' he said. 'There's no law that says we have to exist on hard tack and cold water when we're in the field. A good meal does a lot to restore the spirits. Some years back, Crowley had Master Chubb prepare a set of recipes and instructions for us. All Ranger apprentices do a three-month course in their third year.'

'So what are you planning to whip up for us?' Selethen asked. He was smiling but he thought such a course was an excellent idea. As Halt said, good, simple food could go a long way towards making a camp more comfortable.

Halt drained the last of his coffee. He looked at the dregs in his mug wistfully. For a moment he was tempted to make a fresh pot. But they couldn't afford to squander their limited supplies.

'I won't be cooking,' he replied. 'Will enjoys doing it and I wouldn't want to spoil his fun.'

Will looked up from where he was threading the marinated chicken meat onto thin skewers of green wood.

'Besides, Halt has been known to burn water when he boiled it,' he said and they all laughed. He was about to add to the tale of Halt's failed cooking attempts when he stopped, his eyes fixed on the shadows at the edge of the trees fringing the beach. He laid down the skewer he'd just prepared and rose to his feet, his hand going to the hilt of his saxe knife.

'We've got company.'

There were figures emerging from the trees. Roughly dressed in fur and sheepskin and all of them carrying weapons – spears and axes, mainly.

The others rose to their feet as well. Halt had his long-bow in his hand and he quickly retrieved his quiver from where it lay on the ground beside him, slinging it over his shoulder. In a continuation of the same fluid movement, he took an arrow from the quiver and laid it on the string. Selethen laid a cautioning hand on his forearm.

'There are too many of them, Halt. This might be a time for talking.'

Selethen was right, the Ranger saw. There were at least twenty men coming towards them.

'Where the hell is Atsu when we need him?' Will said bitterly. He was scanning the trees for some sign of their guide, but with no success. His own bow was close to hand but Selethen was right. There were too many armed men to make resistance worthwhile.

The newcomers formed a half circle around the little group by the camp fire. Their eyes were hard and suspicious. Halt laid down his bow and spread his hands in a gesture of peace. Following his lead, Selethen took his hand away from the hilt of his curved sabre.

One of the men spoke. But Halt couldn't recognise the words.

'Did you get that, Alyss?' he asked. The blonde girl glanced quickly at him, not totally sure of herself.

'It's Nihon-Jan,' she said. 'But it's a pretty strong regional accent. Makes it hard to pick up. I think he's asking who we are.'

'Logical question,' Will said.

The speaker looked at him and spat out a few words. The tone was obvious, even if the meaning wasn't. He was angry.

'Best if Alyss does the talking, Will,' Halt cautioned in a low voice. The Nihon-Jan speaker swung his gaze back to him but as Halt was obviously the leader of this group, he didn't seem to be annoyed that he was talking.

'Ask if he's seen Atsu,' he said and Alyss spoke, choosing her words. The others heard the word 'Atsu' among them. The Nihon-Jan replied dismissively. Obviously he had no idea who Atsu might be. He repeated his original question, more pointedly this time.

'He's still asking who we are,' Alyss said. There was no need to translate the negative reply to her question about Atsu.

'Tell him we're travellers,' Halt said carefully. 'Our ship was damaged and the crew left us here.'

Alyss gathered her thoughts to frame the necessary sentences. The Nihon-Jan spokesman greeted her words with a grunt. Then he fired another question.

'He wants to know where we're going,' Alyss said. She looked at Halt. 'Should I say anything about Shi-' She stopped herself saying the Emperor's name, realising that the Nihon-Jan would probably recognise it. Instead, she changed her question at the last moment. 'About…the Emperor?'

'No,' Halt said quickly. 'We don't know whose side these people are on. Just tell him we're looking for the Kikori.'

It was a tricky situation. The odds were good that these men were opposed to Arisaka. But it was no certainty. If Alyss told them they were looking for Shigeru, they could find themselves made prisoners by the usurper.

Alyss began to translate the statement. But the man had heard the word 'Kikori'. He pounded his own chest repeatedly and shouted at them. The word 'Kikori' was repeated several times.

'I assume you understood that,' Alyss said. 'These are Kikori.'

'The question is, whose side are they on?' Evanlyn asked. But Alyss had no answer for that.

Then the man turned to his followers and made a swift gesture. The Kikori moved in on the camp site, surrounding the five foreigners and making imperious gestures. The meaning was obvious. They were to come along. Will noticed that the Kikori made no attempt to relieve them of their weapons, and they gestured for the Araluans and Selethen to pick up their rucksacks and other gear. Will made a tentative move towards one of the tents but the Kikori closest to him made a negative gesture and shouted at him. He seemed to repeat the same word over again: Damme! Damme!