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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

Yori clambered over the crates and up a wooden ladder to the stern. The captain grunted his dissatisfaction at the half payment, protesting it was a smear upon his honourable character. Nonetheless, he quickly pocketed the money. They conversed a little longer before Yori fought his way back across the listing deck to sit beside Jack. The captain had informed him the entire voyage could take up to a month, depending upon the tides, winds and weather conditions. He’d also be making a number of stops en route at various islands to deliver and collect goods. Much to Yori’s delight, their first port of call was Omishima Island. They would reach its shores by dusk.

Having been on the run for so long, exhaustion finally took its toll. Stowing the canvas bag out of sight from the crew’s prying eyes, Miyuki and Yori succumbed to the gentle roll of the ship and joined Saburo in sleep. Not far from sleep himself, Jack took one last look in the direction of Imabari. The port was slowly retreating into the distance as their boat sailed north-west through the Kurushima Straits. But the white tower of Mizujiro remained on the horizon like an all-seeing eye. Until that disappeared, Jack wouldn’t believe they had truly escaped.

Sensing a shift in course, Jack roused himself from his slumber. The boat was now bearing directly north. Sitting up, he spied the haze of a mountain peak and presumed this was Omishima Island. But he decided against waking the others, since landfall was still some distance off.

Needing to stretch his legs, Jack made his way to the stern’s upper deck, the only spot on the ship that wasn’t crammed with cargo. Lifting the brim of his hat, he scanned the horizon and was glad to discover Mizujiro’s keep was no longer in sight. Nor could he see any vessels following a similar course to them.

This time they had made it.

With the mountain and several smaller islands surrounding them, it was relatively easy for Jack to judge the boat’s progress. Compared to the vast emptiness of the open ocean, the Seto Sea was blessed with numerous navigational markers. If the southwesterly breeze held, they were little more than an hour’s sail from their first destination.