The Ring Of Water Part 27

REDEMPTION.

Jack helped Ronin lie down upon the straw futon futon in the back room of a small farmhouse. As they'd fled through the forest, Ronin had collapsed several times. Jack had doubted they'd find somewhere to shelter in time to save him, when they came across a farmstead. Despite his initial reluctance, the farmer's compa.s.sion had outweighed his fear and he'd ushered them inside. in the back room of a small farmhouse. As they'd fled through the forest, Ronin had collapsed several times. Jack had doubted they'd find somewhere to shelter in time to save him, when they came across a farmstead. Despite his initial reluctance, the farmer's compa.s.sion had outweighed his fear and he'd ushered them inside.

In the main room where the hearth was, his wife busied herself boiling water to clean Ronin's wounds. Jack spoke quietly to the farmer and he nodded, returning a moment later with an old chipped bottle.

'Here,' said Jack, offering it to Ronin. 'To help numb the pain.'

'What is it?' he mumbled.

'Sake.'

Ronin pushed the bottle away. 'No, I don't need it... any more.'

'I won't won't let you die, Ronin,' said Jack, alarmed at his words. let you die, Ronin,' said Jack, alarmed at his words.

Ronin grunted with laughter before grimacing in pain. 'I've suffered far worse in my time. I'll live. But you you must go.' must go.'

Jack shook his head adamantly. 'I can't leave you like this.'

'You must. That Kazuki and his gang will will come after you. You cannot wait for me to heal. Leave now while you have the chance.' come after you. You cannot wait for me to heal. Leave now while you have the chance.'

Jack knew Ronin was speaking sense. There would be other bridges, other crossing points, and Kazuki would never never give up on his hunt for him. Jack had got Ronin to a safe house. There was little more he could do for his friend. Leaving him was possibly the best thing he give up on his hunt for him. Jack had got Ronin to a safe house. There was little more he could do for his friend. Leaving him was possibly the best thing he could could do. He'd draw their pursuers away, allowing Ronin to recover in peace. do. He'd draw their pursuers away, allowing Ronin to recover in peace.

Ronin gripped his hand. 'I just hope... one day... you can find it in your heart to forgive me.'

'I don't don't blame you,' said Jack. 'I now remember everything that happened to me that day. You were never one of Botan's gang. They drugged you too. And blame you,' said Jack. 'I now remember everything that happened to me that day. You were never one of Botan's gang. They drugged you too. And you you tried to stop them killing me. I take back all I said. You're a samurai of true tried to stop them killing me. I take back all I said. You're a samurai of true bus.h.i.+do bus.h.i.+do. If I was a daimyo daimyo, I'd be proud to have you in my service.'

Opening up the folds of his sodden kimono, Jack pulled out the black pearl upon its pin and offered it to Ronin.

'For saving my life,' said Jack.

Ronin looked thoughtfully at the pearl. 'I know how precious this is to you,' he said, and handed it back. 'I appreciate your respect for our agreement, but you've given me something of far greater value.'

Jack stared at him, bemused.

'My honour and dignity.'

He glanced at the bottle of sake sake. 'I've tried to drown my regret for far too long. I've believed myself unworthy to be a samurai, ever since I failed to protect my father from that murderous spy who infiltrated our castle as a monk.'

Ronin groaned as a wave of pain hit him, but he waved off Jack's help.

'I was ashamed that I'd failed in my princ.i.p.al duty. You see... I was the one to blame for letting the a.s.sa.s.sin in... I acted too slowly to save my father from his blade... The a.s.sa.s.sin even got away. That's why I harbour such hatred towards all all monks one of them might be my father's murderer.' monks one of them might be my father's murderer.'

Ronin looked at Jack, his eyes bloodshot, not from sake sake, but from tearful grief.

'I've lived with this guilt of failure ever since. But now I can hold my head up high. I fulfilled my duty as a samurai in aiding and protecting you. I've made good my mistake. In time, I hope my father's spirit will forgive me too.'

Spotting a straw hat upon the floor, Ronin reached for it. With great care, he placed it upon Jack's head and pulled down the brim to cover his face.

'Now you're a true ronin ronin.'

57.

RONIN JACK.

Leaving the farmhouse far behind, Jack strode through the driving rain. In front of him stretched a waterlogged road, winding through countless paddy fields towards a mountain range hidden behind a curtain of low clouds. He was heading west for the plains of Osaka, where he would meet the coast and follow it round and down towards Nagasaki.

No one else dared brave the storm, but Jack kept the straw hat dipped across his face just as a precaution. To the casual observer, he appeared no more than a wandering masterless samurai. Anyone who looked closer would be in for a shock.

At least Jack was able to avoid towns and main byways for the next few days. With the little money Ronin had left, they'd been able to purchase some rice and provisions from the farmer. But his supplies wouldn't last long and, with the onset of winter, there would be far less food to scavenge. Jack was gravely concerned how he'd survive the long journey ahead.

But, thanks to Ronin and Hana, he did did have his swords, Akiko's pearl, Tenzen's have his swords, Akiko's pearl, Tenzen's shuriken shuriken stars, Sensei Yamada's stars, Sensei Yamada's omamori omamori and, most importantly, his father's and, most importantly, his father's rutter rutter.

The Riddling Monk's first prophecy came into his head and Jack now saw a pattern in the monk's mystifying words.

What you find is lost... He'd found the gang who'd taken his money, but the gambler had lost it all. He'd found the gang who'd taken his money, but the gambler had lost it all.

What you give is given back... He'd given Ronin the pearl, only for his friend to return it. He'd given Ronin the pearl, only for his friend to return it.

What you fight is defeated... He'd duelled Araki, Botan, He'd duelled Araki, Botan, daimyo daimyo Sanada and overcome them all though Kazuki was one unfinished fight. Sanada and overcome them all though Kazuki was one unfinished fight.

What you want is sacrificed... What Jack What Jack really really wanted was the companions.h.i.+p of his friends. He missed his loyal brother-in-arms Yamato, wise Yori, the ever-cheerful Saburo, the spirited Miyuki and, most importantly, his best friend, Akiko. But, once again, he found himself alone upon his journey, his friends.h.i.+ps sacrificed through no fault of his own condemned by the Shogun to a life on the run. wanted was the companions.h.i.+p of his friends. He missed his loyal brother-in-arms Yamato, wise Yori, the ever-cheerful Saburo, the spirited Miyuki and, most importantly, his best friend, Akiko. But, once again, he found himself alone upon his journey, his friends.h.i.+ps sacrificed through no fault of his own condemned by the Shogun to a life on the run.

Jack stared at the rain falling upon a nearby paddy field. Rings of water rippled outwards from every raindrop and he heard his father's voice in his head from that first day they'd set sail for the j.a.pans...

Individually we are one drop. Together we are an ocean.

Jack realized that as long as he was fortunate enough to meet friends like Ronin and Hana along the way, he had a good chance of making it to Nagasaki alive.

Find your heart and you'll find your home, the Riddling Monk had said.

Striding onward, Jack knew exactly exactly where his heart was. where his heart was.

NOTES ON THE SOURCES.

The following quotes are referenced within Young Samurai: The Ring of Water Young Samurai: The Ring of Water (with the page numbers in square brackets) and their sources are acknowledged here: (with the page numbers in square brackets) and their sources are acknowledged here: 1.[Page 32] 'What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.' By Oliver Wendell Holmes (American poet and writer, 180994).

2.[Page 33] 'Do not walk in front of me; I may not follow. Do not walk behind me; I may not lead.' By Albert Camus (French novelist, 191360).

3.[Page 248] 'There are many paths but only one journey.' By Naomi Judd Holmes (American singer, b. 1946).

4.[Page 248] 'The only journey is the one within.' By Rainer Maria Rilke (poet, 18751926).

5.[Page 253] 'A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles.' By Tim Cahill (Australian athlete, b. 1979).

6.[Page 262] 'We... would rather die on our feet than live on our knees.' By Franklin D. Roosevelt (US President, 18821945).

7.[Page 270] 'Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.' The Bible, Romans 12:21.

8.[Page 280] 'Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.' By Ryunosuke Satoro (j.a.panese poet, dates of birth/death unknown).

RIDDLE ME THIS...

A Young Samurai challenge!

Can you solve the following brainteasers by the Riddling Monk? Or will you go mad trying to think of the answer?

Riddle 1 Which is heavier: a tonne of gold or a tonne of feathers?

Riddle 2 Where's the bottom at the top?

Riddle 3 If a gra.s.shopper halves the distance to a wall on every jump, how many jumps will he need to reach the wall if he starts from ten feet away?

Riddle 4 Jin is standing behind Kuzo, but Kuzo is standing behind Jin. How can that be?

Riddle 5 I have no voice yet I speak to you.

I tell of all things in the world that people do.

I have leaves, but I am not a tree.

I have pages, but I am not a bride.

I have a spine and hinges, but I am not a man or a door.

I have told you all, I cannot tell you more.

What am I?

Riddle 6 No legs have I to dance, No lungs have I to breathe, No life have I to live or die And yet I do all three.

What am I?

Riddle 7 You are in a room with two doors one leads further into the dungeon, one leads to freedom. There are two guards in the room, one at each door. One always tells the truth. One always lies. What one question can you ask one of the guards that will help you pick the door to freedom?

Answers can be found on the Young Samurai website www.youngsamurai.com

THE GAME OF GO.

History Go is one of the oldest board games in the world. It is believed to have originated in China more than 3,000 years ago. Legend says the Chinese Emperor Yao had his counsellor Shu design the game for his unruly son, Danzhu, to teach him discipline, concentration and balance.

Go was introduced to j.a.pan between the fifth and seventh centuries AD AD and soon gained popularity at the Imperial court. By the thirteenth century, the game had spread to the general population, and in 1612 the Shogun was awarding stipends (a fixed salary) to the four strongest Go players. From this, four great Go schools were founded Honinbo, Hayas.h.i.+, Inoue and Yasui. and soon gained popularity at the Imperial court. By the thirteenth century, the game had spread to the general population, and in 1612 the Shogun was awarding stipends (a fixed salary) to the four strongest Go players. From this, four great Go schools were founded Honinbo, Hayas.h.i.+, Inoue and Yasui.

Over the next 250 years, the intense rivalry between these schools raised the standard of play significantly and a ranking system was established, cla.s.sifying players into nine dans dans (grades) of which the highest was (grades) of which the highest was Meijin Meijin (master). (master).

The game remains popular to this day with some 50 million Go players in the Far East alone.

Five Go Legends and Facts 1.Go has been compared to playing four Chess games at the same time on the same board!

2.A full set of Go stones (gois.h.i.+) typically contains 181 black stones and 180 white ones, since a 19x19 board has 361 liberty points. As Black goes first, that player gets an extra stone. Traditionally, the stones are made of clamsh.e.l.l (white) and slate (black).

3.Legend says the future of Tibet was once decided over a Go board when the Buddhist ruler refused to go into battle; instead he challenged the aggressor to a game of Go!

4.Go Seigen, who was born in China in 1914 but primarily played in j.a.pan, is considered to be the best player in modern Go and perhaps of all time.

5.The Atom Bomb Game is a celebrated Go match that was in progress when the first atomic bomb dropped on Hiros.h.i.+ma, j.a.pan, on 6 August 1945. The immense explosion stopped the game, damaged the building and injured some spectators, but amazingly play was resumed after a lunch break! White won by five points.

Learn how to play the game of Go!

For further information on the game and how to play, visit www.youngsamurai.com or contact the British Go a.s.sociation via their website or contact the British Go a.s.sociation via their website www.britgo.org

Books by Chris Bradford

The Young Samurai series (in reading order)

THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR.

THE WAY OF THE SWORD.

THE WAY OF THE DRAGON.

The RING OF EARTH THE RING OF WATER.

For World Book Day 2010 THE WAY OF FIRE.