The Way Of The Dragon (12 page)

‘Sensei, with respect, I think I need to learn to ride first.’

‘I understand,’ she replied. ‘Who would be willing to teach Jack how to ride like a true samurai?’

Jack glanced down the line at Akiko, giving her a hopeful smile, but the new boy, Takuan, had already come forward.

‘I’d be honoured to,’ he said, bowing. ‘I was lead rider at the
Takeda Ryū
in Wakasa.’

‘Thank you, Takuan-kun,’ replied Sensei Yosa. ‘Take the brown mare. She’s got a good nature and should behave well.’

Takuan led the horse over to the treeline, Jack trailing a little behind.

Jack was surprised the boy had offered to help him. They’d barely spoken since his arrival. Not that he’d made a purposeful decision to avoid Takuan. It was just that the boy was constantly surrounded by admirers.

‘It’s a privilege to assist you,’ said Takuan, bowing formally to Jack. ‘I’ve heard so much about you.’

‘Really?’ said Jack, a little taken aback.

‘Yes. Akiko told me how you won the
Taryu-Jiai
against the
Yagyu Ryū
. That was true sacrifice, giving up the Jade Sword to Yamato.’

Takuan began to make adjustments to the saddle, patting the horse reassuringly.

‘And Yori, he praised you to the heavens. He told me how you saved his life during the Circle of Three. You’re quite some samurai for a
gaijin
...’

Jack tensed. For a moment he’d thought Takuan was being friendly and had begun to let his guard down. But the boy had let slip his true feelings.

‘My apologies… I meant to say a foreigner,’ said Takuan hurriedly. ‘It’s just where I come from
your
sort aren’t particularly popular.’

‘My sort?’

‘Yes. Christians. We had a number of Jesuit priests try to convert everyone in our town. They were insisting we obey them and serve Jesus Christ over and above our Emperor. That didn’t please our
daimyo
and his samurai. They saw it as a threat to their authority. Though I’m sure that’s not your intention.’

‘Why should it be?’ said Jack, crossing his arms defensively. ‘I’m not a Jesuit and I’m not Portuguese.’

‘But I thought you were Christian. Isn’t that the same thing?’

‘No, I’m an English Protestant. The Jesuits are Catholic and England’s at war with Portugal. We’re sworn enemies. I have
no
intention of converting anyone.’

‘I’m so sorry. This conversation hasn’t gone at all the way I’d intended.’ Takuan bowed his head low and didn’t look up. ‘Please accept my apologies for my ignorance.’

‘You weren’t to know,’ said Jack.

Jack had come to understand the many intricate formalities of Japanese etiquette. Apologizing was considered a virtue in Japan. When someone said sorry and expressed true remorse, the Japanese were willing to forgive and forget.

‘Thank you, Jack,’ replied Takuan, smiling. He stroked the neck of the mare. ‘Now would you like to mount your horse for your first lesson?’

Jack positioned himself near the saddle, putting his left foot in the stirrup and took a hold. Until now he’d always had the benefit of a guide like Kuma-san to pull him up, so he struggled to get on. The horse kept shifting round every time he attempted to mount her.

Takuan took hold of the horse’s head.

‘Don’t use your arms to pull yourself up,’ he advised. ‘Use the spring of your right leg. And lift your leg high so that you don’t kick the horse or hit your leg on the back of the saddle.’

Jack tried again and to his surprise got on first time.

‘Excellent,’ praised Takuan. ‘Now make sure you’re sitting squarely. Like in martial arts, it’s important to find your balance.’

Jack shifted around trying to get comfortable. He felt very high and vulnerable. Ever since being thrown from Kuma-san’s horse, he’d become nervous of riding.

‘Relax. You’re so stiff,’ said Takuan. ‘The horse will pick up on any tension or fear. You need to show you’re in control.’

He handed Jack the reins and attached a lunge line to the bridle.

‘Better. Now use both lower legs to squeeze the horse lightly. At the same time, push forward slightly in your seat. This is your cue to the horse to walk.’

Jack did as he was instructed and the mare began to move forward.

‘See! There’s nothing to it.’

‘Thanks for your help,’ said Jack. He was beginning to wish he hadn’t been so distrustful of Takuan. He seemed to be genuine in his offer of friendship.

‘My pleasure. We’ll keep going until you get used to the rocking motion. Then I’ll teach you how to stop.’

Takuan led the horse round in a circle using the lunge line.

‘So how’s the Two Heavens training going?’

‘It’s tough,’ replied Jack. ‘It’s like juggling with knives. As soon as you get the right hand working, you forget about the left.’

Takuan nodded sympathetically. ‘I wish I had the sword skills to be chosen to learn the Two Heavens. But what I don’t understand is why Yamato isn’t in your class?’

‘He didn’t get into the Circle of Three,’ explained Jack. ‘But he should be able to train in a couple of years or so.’

‘If it was me, I’d be so frustrated. And a little embarrassed. I mean he’s Masamoto’s son.’

‘Yamato’s brilliant with a
bō
. That makes up for it.’

‘And what about Akiko?’ asked Takuan casually, nodding in her direction.

Akiko was mounting her steed for a first attempt at
Yabusame
.

‘What about her?’ said Jack, surprised at the directness of the question.

‘Tell me what she’s like. She’s so different from all the other girls I’ve met.’

Akiko acknowledged them as she made her way to the head of the course. Takuan immediately bowed back. He seemed to have forgotten Jack completely and cheered Akiko on as she started down the track.

‘Isn’t she a natural on a horse?’ said Takuan, not taking his eyes off her. ‘Most impressive form.’

So this was the real reason for off ering to help
, thought Jack, seeing how entranced Takuan was. Takuan wasn’t interested in teaching him horseriding. He was interested in finding out about Akiko.

Standing up in the saddle, Akiko attempted to nock an arrow, but she’d already passed the first target before she could take aim. As she galloped past them towards the second target, Jack’s mare suddenly picked up speed and began to follow Akiko’s horse.

‘Takuan?’ called Jack nervously, but the boy was so focused on Akiko’s run he didn’t appear to hear him.

Akiko successfully released her second arrow but missed. Off-balance, she tried to keep a grip astride the saddle with her thighs. She reached for another arrow. Takuan let go of the lunge line and began to clap and shout encouragement. At which point Jack’s mare suddenly bolted.

The horse seemed to think it was a race and charged down the track after Akiko. Jack held on for dear life.

‘
How do I stop this horse?
‘ he screamed, almost bouncing out of the saddle.

Takuan, suddenly aware of the problem, shouted, ‘Pull back on the reins!’

In sheer panic, Jack wrenched on the reins.

The mare came to a sudden halt, flinging Jack over its head. He cartwheeled through the air before landing heavily in the dirt, a cloud of dust billowing out around him.

Jack lay there very still, the wind knocked out of him. He felt sick from the shock and ached all over, but he didn’t think anything was broken. As the dust settled, Takuan and Sensei Yosa appeared by his side.

‘Jack-kun, are you hurt?’ asked Sensei Yosa.

‘I’m… fine,’ Jack groaned.

Takuan and Sensei Yosa gently helped Jack to his feet as the rest of the class gathered anxiously round. He saw Kazuki and his gang sniggering.

‘Next time don’t pull back so hard on the reins,’ advised Takuan, brushing the dirt from Jack’s
hakama
.

‘You could have told me that before!’ said Jack.

‘I’m so sorry. I had no idea the mare would bolt like that.’

‘Forget about it,’ Jack wheezed, though he was surprised Takuan had let go of the lunge line in the first place.

Sensei Yosa ushered everyone back to the edge of the track.

‘Jack-kun, I think until you’re more competent riding, you should use my training horse to practise
Yabusame
,’ Sensei Yosa suggested kindly. ‘You’ll find it far more docile.’

‘Thank you, Sensei,’ replied Jack, rubbing his ribs. ‘But isn’t your horse a little big for me?’

A few of the students looked enviously at Jack and then at Sensei Yosa’s magnificent steed.

‘No, not this horse,’ she smiled. ‘That one.’

Sensei Yosa pointed to the corner of the field where a target had been set up. Beside it was a wooden dobbin complete with saddle. The class burst into laughter, while Jack stared in dismay at the model horse.

‘It’s humiliating!’ said Jack as he and the others made their way through the picturesque gardens of the Eikan-Do Temple to their
bōjutsu
class.

Up on the hillside, the spire of the
Tahoto
pagoda poked through the tree canopy like a tiered crown. The leaves surrounding it were still green, but with autumn not far off these would soon turn into a glorious blaze of red, gold, yellow and orange. Then the gardens would fill with people to experience the wonders of
momiji gari
, the maple-leaf viewing ceremony.

‘I have to sit on a wooden toy, while everyone else rides around on real horses!’ he protested.

‘It won’t be forever,’ consoled Yamato.

Suppressing a grin, Saburo added, ‘No, I’m sure Sensei Yosa will put some wheels on it soon.’

Yamato and Saburo convulsed with laughter.

Jack glared at them. ‘Kazuki hasn’t stopped taunting me about it all week. I don’t need you two rubbing salt into the wound!’

‘But Takuan’s still helping you learn to ride, isn’t he?’ asked Akiko, trying to maintain a straight face herself.

‘Yes,’ Jack admitted, glancing ahead to where Takuan was chatting with Emi and her friends, Cho and Kai. The girls were giggling behind their hands at something he’d just said. ‘But I don’t altogether trust him.’

‘Why not?’

‘He let go of the leading rein when my horse bolted.’

‘Why would he do that?’ said Yamato, suddenly serious.

Jack shrugged. ‘To show me up in front of the class. To prove
gaijin
can’t be samurai.’

‘I think you’re being overly suspicious, Jack. He’s been nothing but friendly and courteous towards us,’ insisted Akiko. ‘He actually mentioned to me how responsible he feels.’

‘I’m sure he’d tell
you
anything.’

‘What do you mean?’ asked Akiko.

He immediately regretted his rash comment. He knew Akiko was only trying to help.

‘Oh… nothing really,’ said Jack, quickening his pace to get ahead of his friends.

Yori caught up with him.

‘Are you all right?’ he whispered.

Jack shook his head. ‘Not really,’ he confessed. ‘The
Yabusame
training is making me look a fool in front of everyone.’

‘Everyone’s got to start somewhere,’ said Yori. ‘And you can’t be the hero
all
the time.’

‘I didn’t mean it like that,’ said Jack, sighing. ‘But Takuan’s so good at
Yabusame
. Everyone’s talking about it – he’s even impressed Sensei Yosa. And he seems to be spending a lot of time talking to Akiko.’

‘He spends a lot of time talking to everyone,’ said Yori. Studying Jack with a serious eye, he then pronounced, ‘Beware the tiger that tears not only its prey but also its own heart.’

‘What does
that
mean?’ said Jack, utterly perplexed.

But Yori only raised his eyebrows in an all-knowing Sensei Yamada-like way and walked on.

Sensei Kano rapped his long white staff upon the ground, ending the student’s
bō kata
.

‘Now you’ve warmed up with your staffs, we’ll move on to honing your balancing skills,’ he announced in his booming voice.

Big as a mountain bear, with a short crop of black hair and a fuzzy beard, Sensei Kano was a formidable samurai. He strode over to a wooden jetty at the edge of the Eikan-Do’s central pond. The confident manner in which he walked gave no indication he was blind. Only his eyes hinted at the truth. Misty grey and unfocused, they registered nothing. With his other senses, though, he saw everything.

He tapped the edge of the landing stage with his staff. Several small rowing boats were bobbing gently in the water.

‘I want you to pair off and row these boats to the other shore and back.’

‘How’s that going to help with our balance?’ asked Saburo.

‘One of you will be rowing. The other must stand on the stern,’ explained Sensei Kano. ‘Change over when you reach the far bank. It’s a race, but one not necessarily won by the fastest rowers. If your partner falls in, you have to row in a complete circle before continuing again. Yori-kun, can you ensure everyone observes this rule?’

The class began to pair off and clamber into the boats.

‘Would you join me in my boat?’ asked Takuan of Akiko, stepping in front of Jack in the line.

‘I was intending to row with Kiku,’ she replied, bowing her head in appreciation of the offer.

‘Of course,’ replied Takuan. ‘But wouldn’t it make more sense if Saburo partnered Kiku?’

Saburo’s mouth fell open at the suggestion, while Kiku blinked in surprise.

‘A big strong samurai like you would surely relish the opportunity to race with a light, fast girl like Kiku.’

Saburo stood tall, tightening the
obi
round his ample waist, trying to match up to the praise. ‘Well, if you put it like that…’

‘Excellent,’ said Takuan, as if the decision had been made. ‘Don’t look so put out, Jack. I’d row with you, but it would be an unfair advantage.’

‘What do you mean?’ said Jack, taken off-guard.

‘With you having been a sailor, you stand the best chance of winning,’ explained Takuan, helping Akiko into a boat. ‘It wouldn’t be fair if the girls didn’t have some male strength to even up the competition.’

‘Not that Akiko needs any help,’ Takuan added quickly, noticing her brow furrow slightly at his comment.