The attackers rushed at them with a loud cry, charging up the stairs behind the group.
But, when the pursuers got to the top they saw a large a large grey shape appear before them, blocking out the light. At first, they thought their prey had simply closed a door, and began to prepare to crash through it, but then the “door” suddenly seemed to lean forward and came tumbling down at them.
Jiro gave a little smile as he heard the cries of the men behind them in the stairwell, and then turned to follow Masato and the ladies. The bamboo shelves he’d just pushed down the stairway weren’t heavy, but they would keep that bunch from causing any trouble and buy the samurai some time. He just hoped Shiori had other options for them.
“That showed them, sensei!” Masato said proudly as Jiro caught up with them.
“It’s a start,” Jiro said, thinking quickly. “But, there are other ways up. Shiori, which side are the stables on?”
Taking a few more steps, Shiori stopped and pulled open one of the sliding panel doors. “In here”, she said.
The group rushed into an empty room, and dashed across it- when Shiori pulled back the cloth panel door to the outside, she revealed a landing. “This end of this balcony leads to the roof of the stables.”
Jiro stuck his head out and checked around. “Looks clear. Should be a good jump, though. You ready, lad?”
Masato, filled with courage and bravado, announced proudly- “Don’t worry about me, Sensei!”
“You first, then.” Jiro gestured to the landing, and Masato disappeared into the night. Then the elder Samurai turned and looked at their guide, his hard, sharp eyes softening as their gazes met. “You’ll be okay?”
Shiori smiled. “I will be fine. They didn’t see me with you. I doubt they know why you came.” Then a look of worry entered her eyes. “Please, take care of yourself, Jiro.”
For the first time this evening, she had dropped the honorific on his name. That told Jiro all he needed to know.
“I’ll see you next time I’m through.” He said softly.
Then he was gone as well.
* * *
In front of the Inn of a Thousand Lanterns, the bandit leader known as Shinpei the Tengu sat astride his horse and waited patiently. He was not an impulsive man, he was a careful man, and he had earned his seemingly loathsome nickname not because he was long nosed and ugly, but because like a forest goblin he seemed able to perform feats of magic. Of course, what to other men appeared magic was in fact careful planning on Shinpei’s part, and he prided himself on his ability to think ahead of his enemies in any situation.
This is why he was feeling uneasy tonight. The orders to find these samurai and capture them had come so quickly there had been little time to plan. He was lucky to be able to find them, but some of his spotters in the nearby pleasure quarter had seen them pass and relayed the message down the line fast enough. Hastily assembled men and direct assaults were not Shinpei’s preferred approach, but the situation required it as he’d been warned time was of the essence.
He had sent his men in when the moon was just breaching the tops of the trees, and now it was well up into the sky. He knew delay to report to him could only come from one source- they hadn’t found their prey.
Sure enough, when his lieutenant Genma appeared, he confirmed Shinpei’s fears.
“Boss, we’ve searched the place but there’s no sign of them.”
Shinpei frowned. “The men said they saw them, didn’t they?”
Genma hesitated. “They claim so, but…” Then his breath was caught as he saw two fast shapes dart from the far side of the compound and take off down the road. “Look, two men on horses!”
Shinpei swore, and then brought his horse around. “We’ll catch them. Gather the men and meet us later!” He shouted at Genma. Then he kicked his horse in the sides and shot off after the fleeing samurai.
These were his hills at night, and he had almost a dozen riders with him. There was no way these men could escape. They weren’t going to evade him a second time.
* * *
From the shadows, two pairs of eyes watched the riders disappear.
One of them smiled, the other nodded in approval.
“They’re gone, Sensei.”
Jiro had known they’d have men guarding the stables. What their pursers hadn’t expected, however, was for the samurai to tie their own unconscious men on horseback and then send them riding. By the time they’d realized their mistake, the pair would be long gone.
“Wow Sensei, you really know all the tricks.”
“That’s why I’m still alive, lad. Now, let’s go!” He gestured back towards the other horses they’d prepared. “Since their horses are saddled up and ready, it would be a shame to waste them. We should be at the border by sunrise.”
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