forcing us to step over or around them. Cedar, pine and camphor loomed overhead, crowding out the sky, and the air was heavy and quiet.
As we climbed a flight of mossy stone steps, flanked on both sides by huge shaggy trunks, Yumeko paused.
“Something is wrong,” she muttered, gazing warily into the trees. “It’s too still. The birds have all stopped—”
I jerked back, as an arrow streaked from the trees and struck the trunk behind me.
Raucous laughter echoed around us. Figures emerged from between the trunks, moving to block the steps from above and below—a half dozen rough-looking men with bows and wide, eager smiles. A large man with a bald head and a nose like a spoiled fig appeared at the top of the steps. He carried a large wooden club over one meaty shoulder, and grinned down at us with yellow, uneven teeth.
“Kage-san,” he greeted, as two smaller men came to flank him, pointing arrows in our direction. His voice was slow and gravelly. “How good of you to finally arrive.”
Bloodlust surged through me, Hakaimono waking to eager life, surrounded by so many enemies. The urge to draw the sword was nearly overwhelming; I forced my hand away from the blade and stared at the bandit leader, forcing myself to speak calmly. “Do I know you?”
“Naw.” The big man stumbled a bit, as if drunk, and gestured to someone behind us. “But Okame told us all about you, friend. I feel like we’re practically family.”
“Okame?” Yumeko sounded stunned as she glanced over her shoulder and saw the ronin we’d encountered earlier standing at the bottom of the steps, an arrow nocked to his bow. His face was dark, and he didn’t meet her gaze. “What are you doing?”
“He was scouting the road for targets,” I told Yumeko, observing our situation. Two archers at the top of the steps, and three men behind us, including the traitorous ronin. “As soon as he left us, he went back to tell his friends we were coming.”
Yumeko continued to stare at the ronin, her voice soft. “Is that true, Okame-san?”
A heartbeat of silence, then the ronin raised his head with a defiant smirk. “Never trust filthy ronin dogs, Yumeko-chan.” He grinned, and the men around him snickered. “They have no honor left to their name. Next time, better to let the impatient samurai cut off my head and leave it in the sun to rot.”
The big man chortled. “Well said, dog. And we all know what happens next.” He swung his club into his palm with a meaty thwap and grinned at me. “Samurai, give us everything you have and we’ll let you live. If not, we’ll kill you and take it anyway. Oh, and leave the woman. She can keep me company tonight.”
“What?” Behind us, the ronin took a step forward, scowling up at his leader. “That wasn’t the plan, Noboru!” he called up the steps. “You told me we were going to take the money and let them go.”
“Changed my mind.” The big man ran a fat tongue along his teeth. “That was before I saw what a pretty little servant was with him. I haven’t had a woman in a long time.”
“That’s because they can smell you coming a mile away.” The other ronin’s voice was disgusted now. “I didn’t sign on for this. I might be a filthy ronin dog, but I’m not a rutting pig.”
The bandit leader scowled. “Last I checked,” he drawled, “I was the leader of this operation, and you were the mangy nobody we let join out of pity. You don’t like how we do things, Okame, you can leave. But the woman stays. Boys...” He glanced around at his men, then pointed at me. “Kill the samurai. Bring me the girl.”
15
The Consequences of Crumbs
My stomach dropped as several bows were aimed at Tatsumi. The warrior crouched, hand hovering over his sword hilt, waiting for them. My heart raced, and I felt the surge of fox magic spread to my fingers, making me clench my fists. For a split second, everything held its breath, and the silence drew out like a taut bowstring.
“Ah, the hell with this.”
Abruptly, Okame spun, plunged an arrow into the throat of the bandit beside him, jerked it out then strung it to his bow as the man dropped with a startled gurgle. Raising the weapon, he loosed the string, and one archer at the top of the steps who had been taking aim at Tatsumi toppled backward, an arrow