SAMURAI

Chapter 15; Injured

    The sword in my right hand moved quickly to repel the pirate's attack. Two swords in Aya's hand slashed right and left to find a way. Aya's steps led to the detention building. Without asking, I followed in the footsteps of the legend's granddaughter.

    Luckily, the dandy samurai's body wasn't too heavy. Aya, as the opening act, moved forward like a bullet through the grove, continuing to advance leaving the pirates' bodies with gaping wounds as if twigs and branches were broken.

    Like the islanders who knew all about the Oshima island area, Aya moved swiftly down the alley. The pursuers were getting further and further behind. The girl turned left at the fork in the alley, ran straight, turned right, went straight again. The direction she took was not to the detention room. Goemon's powerless body crunched on my shoulders. Human voices were no longer heard except our loud footsteps.

    The farther we ran, the narrower the hallway we were going through. Finally, we came to a hallway where only one body could pass. That too with a bow. The stuffy air replaced the fishy smell of the sea. The waves sounded soft. My eyes caught a thin shadow of the moonlight. I'm sure the end of the hall will end.

    "Stop for a moment," ordered Aya.

    I followed the girl's orders. The room was pitch black. Water dripped from the roof of the hallway wet our bodies. A fragrant smell of flowers emanated from Aya's body covered in underwear. The scent of her body overcame the smell of the ocean. My brain twisted naughty.

    "I don't know the end of this hall. If I'm not mistaken, Jinbo once said that this passage ends on a slope directly adjacent to the sea."

    "You believe in your future husband?" I asked bitterly.

    Aya snorted nasally. I didn’t know what expression on her face.

    “Like it or not we have to believe it. Who knows he's telling the truth. Men who are stunned by love don't lie to their heart,” I said seductively.

    Aya didn't respond to my joke. She groaned. “At times like this, you are still trying to seductive a woman's heart. Huh, all men are the same!”

    "Sorry…." I cursed my chattering. Finding the woman who stole my future made me unable to control myself.

    I lowered Goemon's body. In the dark Aya checked his wound.

    “This samurai's wounds weren't that bad. However, he had lost a lot of blood. Not to mention the broken spear that was still stuck. He must get treatment quickly. "

    "Yes. Blood keeps flowing. "

    "Give me a cover on your head."

    I took off my headgear and gave it to Aya. There was still the spearhead on Goemon's waist. Deftly he stuffed the wound hole that kept bleeding.

    “In my bag there are medicines. But we have to first pull out the spearhead. We need light to illuminate."

    "This room is too dark."

    "Come on, let's move on."

     Without waiting for me, Aya moved first. I lifted Goemon's body again, carried him on my shoulder. The heat of the samurai's body decreased. The biting cold of the late autumn froze even more. A dry, cold sea breeze blew violently into the passageway. The soil that was originally clay turned muddy.

    After seven steps, my feet hit the hard ground. The scent of the sea, the crashing waves, and the screams of the seagulls indicated that our journey was getting closer to our destination. The wind was getting stronger and faster. A ray of morning sunlight lit up the end of the hall. 

    Aya is getting steadily stepped in. Her white trousers turned dark with muddy bloodstains. The thin clothes that wrapped her body were wet with sweat, making her curves form a beautiful silhouette. I tried to look away.

    Our journey came to a halt. Jinbo didn't lie. The end of the passage that ran through the hill stopped in the middle of the hillside in front of us lies the wide sea. The sky looked clear. The strong sea breeze hit. 

    "I'll go down first," said Aya.

    I said yes. I took off the sword and scabbard. To descend the hill’s wall, I have to tie Goemon's body to my back. No rope or cloth. I had to take off my black shirt, tie the dandy samurai's body behind my back with my shirt. Aya’s silhouette was no longer visible.

    I slowly descended the cliff. The morning sun shined. My hands and feet moved slowly. The cliff was about twenty meters high. The rock that was sticking out felt slippery in my hand. I deftly made it down the cliff wall without any difficulty.

    The base of the cliff is inhabited by sharp corals. Slipping slightly, the tip of the pointed rock and coral below would make our bodies become satay.

    Aya helped lower Goemon's body from my back. Her fingers touched my exposed skin. The swish I couldn't understand made my heart beat fast. I bit hard on my molar, throwing away the tingling male desire. I did not want this girl to scold my dirty mind.

    "There's a little hut over there. I will take this young man there. You're looking for clean water."

    Like an anchor-pulling buffalo, I complied with this girl's wishes. At the age of twenty-one, I had never felt my heart rustle when I touched a woman. I was not a boy who was still a virgin. Dozens of beautiful girls from various nations had warmed my bed. 

    However, this time I was suffocating. In front of a girl who hasn't turned twenty years old, I'm like a teenager who has just met a woman.

    Not far from the place Aya meant, there was a small shower and hut. Maybe it belonged to a pirate member who had rested on this beach. We ran quickly towards the hut. The shack was nothing more than a small room with one door and a rickety window. The only utensil inside was a dull bamboo bed.

    After confirming nobody was in it, Aya placed Goemon's body on the bamboo plank. The little shack on the beach is just a temporary place. We couldn't stay here long. Jinbo's men would have been walking up the beach, combing the passage all the way here. Our steps must be detected immediately.

    Aya closed the door of the hut, both with Goemon's unconscious body. There was nothing I could do except let Aya give the dandy samurai first aid. Filling the void, I entered the forest that was separated from the shoreline. Within a few dozen steps, the dark forest swallowed up my swings.

    In order not to run into pirates who might be on patrol, I swung from tree to tree. Hanging on the highest branch.

    My guess was right. After leaving the forest far away and heading back to their nest, dozens of pirates flocked to roam the edge of the forest. They split into five people per group, moving through the forest nearby. Their machetes cut through thickets. Each bush they examined by thrusting a long spear. The pirate's journey led to Aya and Goemon's hut. It didn't take days to arrive and found Aya.

        From the highest tree, I saw the pirates' activity in their nests. The land of hundreds of tents last night had shrunk by two-thirds. The scars of fighting and fires still created smoke. The rancid smell often pierces the nose when the sea breeze blew. Hundreds of pirates, assisted by dozens of male and female slaves, collected corpses near the beach. 

    Mounds of corpses, dressed in the style of a pirate, with golden, red, green, and blue skulls mingle, piled up to form mountains of human bodies. The tree trunk was shaped like a stage. They would carry out the cremation procession as a form of final respect for their friends.

    Unlike the pirate corpses, the corpses of the Hiki clan samurai and the body of Michiyasu's bodyguard were simply thrown into the sea by giving a stone pendulum. The corpses of the revered samurai in their clan would be swept away by the waves into the middle of the sea and became the food of the ferocious sharks.

    A large and luxurious tent stood in the middle of seven small tents. Gold skull flag fluttering fully. The small tents were left open without a human figure in them. I'm sure they were working hand in hand to find our tracks in the forest, the nearest beach, or busy preparing for the cremation procession.

    The door to the largest tent closed. There were only two guards to the right and left of the tent door. They stood tall with long spears in their right hands, and long swords slung around their waists. We needed food, clean clothes, medicine for Goemon's wounds. There was no other place except the large tent that was being guarded.

    Addressing the two guards outside the tent was no big deal. But guessing how many people were in the tent, what they were doing, was a difficult puzzle to solve. There was no other way, I had to step in and knock out whoever was in it. My desire to kill was not at its best, because last night, my sword was covered in blood.

    I came down from the high branch. Settling among the thickets, approaching the big tent with slow steps. I grabbed two stones as big as my thumb. As Moroshige taught me, my concentration was fully on the tendons of the two guards who were being targeted. Quick as a flash, my finger flicked two stones after another. 

    The two guards froze as if they were bitten by a snake. The path of their blood on the neck was punctured by the rock I threw. They would stand until the sun stood above the earth. They stayed conscious. Just like a lump of unreacted meat.

    Good fortune was on my side. The big tent was empty! Hakama pants, thick hiori kimono with the Hiki clan emblem for winter preparation, blankets, dried jerky, smoked fish, and persimmons were available. I wrapped everything I could take in the blanket. I also carried two cold thin futons. I’m sure The Hiki clan samurai haven't had time to spend the night in a tent.

    A large, padlocked rectangular box, caught my eye. With the sharp edge of my sword, I forcefully opened it. My mouth whistled softly. Gold gems in various forms are neatly arranged. I put dozens of coins and a few gold bars in the pocket of the shirt. I didn't need a lot of valuables. This gold was enough to accompany me to continue my journey. Who knew if there were boat owners who asked for payment to take me to our next destination.

    After making sure I had enough items to carry around for a few days, I walked out of the tent carrying a large bundle. The entrance through the back which I made by tearing the tent cloth became the exit. Taking a brief look to make sure that no human was, I exerted all my strength, running fast until my body disappeared in the forest.

    The small hut where Aya took care of Goemon was like a small house. Completed with tasseled roof and doors. Of course, there was no place to bathe and defecate. Aya greeted me at the door. His face is cold. Without saying thank you he accepted the big bundle I shoved. Since last night she never smiled. The sentence came out a word and sounded curt. Not even gratitude for saving her life. I didn’t know what mistake I made.

    She slammed the door in front of me, leaving me stunned outside.

    “We only have all day. I'm sure that early in the morning they'll find our hiding place. I'll make a little hut in the forest. This morning I'll pick you up," I shouted from outside the door.

    There was no answer from within. Goemon's pained groaning sounded sorrowful. The dandy samurai was aware. There's nothing I could do but let Tomoe Aya took care of that poor young man. If only things were reversed, Tomoe Gozen's granddaughter who was injured, I would not have let Goemon took care of her. I snorted loudly. Since met this girl I've turned childish.

    Racing against time, I scoured the forest, looking for an appropriate location to make a temporary shelter. The forest on the island of Oshima was still a virgin. Big snakes, bears, and wild animals were easy to find. For escapees like us, they were not enemies to be eliminated. Wild animals were natural allies that can be used for protection.

    Finally, I found the right place. A python was as big as a coconut tree hanging down. Its tail twisted around a branch, its head stuck out. His tongue was in and out enjoying the licks of the insects that unconsciously landed. He looked at me fiercely. His eyes were yellow-gray. Horror. I stared back. My brain sent a signal that we would be staying here for a while. My gaze implied a condition; make friends or I send you to meet your ancestors. 

    He frowned, licked the tip of his tongue, lined his head over the large branch. I thought the snake accepted the conditions I put forward.

    My next friend was a black bear. The black bear species in Japan was different from the bear in Europe. Not too tall and not big. Their height was only limited to the shoulders and weighs not more than a hundred kilos. However, the short and slender size made the Japanese bear's movements faster and more agile. The claws and fangs that were their main weapons were very deadly when threatened.

    Like the samurai who were tiny compared to the Ilkhanat troops, their small size became a deadly weapon when combined with speed. The black bear included grazing and plant-eating animals. The meat was not their main diet. However, when starved, human flesh could also be a delicious alternative because it was rarely found.

     When I met them, the three black bears were in a group looking for food. The smell of my sweat led them closer. When the signals of peace I sent were not heeded, I served them in a moment. With my bare hands, I smacked their three bodies into a section of the path of blood which was covered with thick flesh. 

    It didn't take long for my punches and kicks to bring the three bears to their knees. The three of them lowered their heads as if greeting peace. Then looked away. They did not leave my temporary residence but joined in on the stand as new allies.

    First, I cleared the area that I would be temporarily living in. I cut off thorns. I thanked a lot to Bokku Shigen, the lesson in using a sword as a substitute for an ax to cut trees and chop them into pieces was very valuable.

    The sword Moroshige gave me was different from the sword Goro gave. The sword that was hundreds of years old was forged with selected steel. Not damaged when I cut the hardness of the wood. The sword was able to split wood as if it were cutting soft meat. Master Masashige taught how to make traps.

    Two months in the care of two ninja rulers made me a traveler who could live in the ferocity of the forest. Conquest with the Ilkhanat troops was limited to exploration in the desert or cities. In every raid, we were always in groups supported by more than enough supplies. There was no word lack of food, lack of clothing, or less weaponry. For a long time, in the war victory made us mentally spoiled conquerors. When the luxurious lifestyle had become a habit of warriors, defeat after defeat would come.

    I have woven the remaining pieces of wood with bamboo in a sharp shape. I put it up in the tree, under the bush. The roots twisted tree trunks and spiky bamboo into traps ready to pounce on wild animals or enemies.

    The weather would soon change into early winter. The night would be biting in the middle of the forest. Not to mention when it snowed. The frost would bleach the shoots and branches. Our bodies would freeze if we slept in the open. I didn’t know how long we would stay in this forest. The sooner we came out the better. It's just that, Goemon's health would be the top priority.

    It took a whole day. At night, I worked solely on instinct and moonlight. Strange noises mingled with the hum of insects. The Japanese still believed in ghosts, wandering spirits, and other astral beings. They required special mantras and ceremonies to exorcise ghosts. Ironically, samurai choose to fight valiantly in battle, sometimes running scampering over to hear voices they consider frightening ghosts. Oni, tengu, wandering spirits that transform into foxes, or raccoons, are often the talk of samurai who are not afraid of swords.

    I didn't care about everything ghosts and spirits roaming around. If they show up, I'll ask them to come to help me with the job. Without any difficulty, I formed two small huts on top of the tree. One hut for Goemon and me, the other for Aya.

    When the horizon broke at the eastern end, my job was complete. Two simple huts on top of two large trees and a ladder to reach them stand quite sturdy. A trap made of sharpened bamboo, two large trees tied to the roots, ready to await unwanted guests.

    I laid on the thick grass under the tree. My eyes stared at the blue sky through the trees. I just felt my body was very tired. My two arms ached. The fishy smell stabbed my nose. The smell of my sweat was mixed with blood that had thickened. I haven't showered for a few days. My body needed clean water and scrubbing soap.

    Could it be that Tomoe Aya is grumpy because of my smell?