BooksBarbecue
Back The Ring of Wind Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. CHRIS BRADFORD
  2. Contents
  3. Map: The Japans – 17th Century
  4. The Letter
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. Notes on the Sources
  69. Ninja Pirate Ship Competition
  70. Japanese Glossary
  71. Acknowledgements

Perhaps Dragon Eye had landed upon a lower roof? Or used a grappling rope to halt his descent? Maybe a sakura tree had broken his fall? Whatever had happened, there was no denying the fact that his nemesis was back and very much alive.

As Jack returned the ninja’s cold pitiless stare, he felt the old wounds open up again. His heart bled with sorrows he’d once thought healed, or at least subdued. Grief for his dead father flooded through him in a fresh wave of loss. Visions of Dragon Eye thrusting the blade into his father’s chest flashed before his eyes and he began to sob. All his struggles to overcome the ninja had been in vain. Justice had never been carried out. His father was dead, he and his sister orphaned, while his murderer still lived. Yamato, his friend and brother-in-arms, had sacrificed himself to save Jack and Akiko. Now it appeared Yamato had died for nothing …

Jack was struck by a startling revelation. If Dragon Eye had survived, then so too might Yamato!

A burst of unimaginable hope filled his heart. Even now, Yamato could be reunited with his father Masamoto, or roaming Japan searching for him. Jack tried to calm himself and temper his expectations. He knew the odds were stacked against such a possibility – otherwise Akiko, Yori or Saburo would surely have got word of their friend’s survival. But there was still a slim chance and Jack wasn’t willing to give up on his newfound hope. He used it to ignite a renewed determination to survive.

Jack had no idea how he could escape. Tied to a mast, guarded by samurai and watched by Dragon Eye, the situation was hopeless. He couldn’t depend upon his friends to save him this time; they were relying upon him to free them. Still, he had no intention of letting them down.

A realization slowly dawned on Jack. He’d been warned of Dragon Eye’s return – not once but twice.

First, the warrior spirit of Taira Masamori, the Great Pirate Queller – or whoever the man was – had given him a lesson in the Ring of Wind ‘for when an old enemy returns anew’. Jack recalled the unyielding oak on the cliff top that had lost its fight against the wind, and the flexible feather that had survived.

And, second, the Wind Witch had foreseen: ‘Pain will nourish your courage when the dragon returns …’

It was so obvious now. Both had tried to prepare him for this encounter with Dragon Eye.

Jack decided to follow their advice. He would ‘go where the wind blows’, letting the memory of his father burn like a fire within him.

49

Image Missing
Flying Fan

The Sea Samurai ship was still in sight of the barren island when there was a commotion on deck.

‘What’s the problem?’ demanded Dragon Eye.

‘One of my lookouts saw something,’ replied the ship’s captain, peering astern into the darkness.