Time Tunnellers Swords of the Samurai

TIME TUNNELLERS

SWORDS OF THE SAMURAI

A Time Tunnellers Novel

David Ross Wood

Published by David Ross Wood at Smashwords

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world

- Miyamoto Musashi

Miyamoto Musashi lived in Feudal Japan some four hundred years ago. The samurai that he fought and that are mentioned in this book are based on factual characters.

Contents

PROLOGUE

ONE-ANOTHER ADVENTURE

TWO-THE LONE SAMURAI

THREE-THE JOURNEY BEGINS

FOUR-THE FIRST DUEL

FIVE-THE SECOND DUEL

SIX-THE DRAGON BOX

SEVEN-THE THIRD DUEL

EIGHT-THE PHOENIX TEMPLE

NINE-RONIN

TEN-THE BANDIT LORD

ELEVEN-TEMPLE OF THE SPEAR

TWELVE-THE WARRIOR MONKS

THIRTEEN-THE WAY OF THE SPEAR

FOURTEEN-KYUDO, THE WAY OF THE BOW

FIFTEEN-ASSASSINS

SIXTEEN-GOODBYES

SEVENTEEN-ROAD TO NABARI

EIGHTEEN-PLAN OF ATTACK

NINETEEN-ATTACK OF THE NINJA

TWENTY-CAPTURED

TWENTY-ONE-RETURN TO KOFUKU-JI

TWENTY-TWO-AN ARMY GATHERS

TWENTY-THREE-RAID ON MOUNT JUBU

TWENTY-FOUR-A BATTLE FOR SURVIVAL

TWENTY-FIVE-RETURN TO NABARI

TWENTY-SIX-SHISHEDO BAIKEN

TWENTY-SEVEN-THE STREETS OF NABARI

TWENTY-EIGHT-THE SWORD AND THE SICKLE

TWENTY-NINE-A NEW PLAN

THIRTY-THE IGA NINJA

THIRTY-ONE-A NEW DIRECTION

THIRTY-TWO-JOURNEY TO EDO

THIRTY-THREE-THE STORM

THIRTY-FOUR-SURVIVAL AT SEA

THIRTY-FIVE-ON DRY LAND

THIRTY-SIX-EDO

THIRTY-SEVEN-DUEL BY THE RIVER

THIRTY-EIGHT-ROAD TO THE SACRED MOUNTAIN

THIRTY-NINE-AMBUSH

FORTY-HOMECOMING

FROM THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

OTHER BOOKS BY THE AUTHOR

CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR

PROLOGUE

The children stared at their new surroundings in shocked silence. It was immediately obvious that they were not back at home in the safety of their tree house. It was a lot colder than it had been just moments before on the sundrenched battlefield somewhere in Persia. So cold in fact that crisp white snow covered the very ground that they were standing on. Everywhere they looked the fresh blanket of snow covered the scene around them like frosting on a cake, on the stone pathway under their feet, along the twisted dark branches of the cherry trees above their heads, on the bright red railings of the timber bridge that arched over the frozen stream and on the high tile roofs of the magnificent Japanese pagodas that sat majestically above the tall stone walls at the end of the pathway.

Suddenly the children heard voices coming from around a bend in the path, voices that were obviously speaking in Japanese but which the children could understand clearly. Without even speaking to each other, the children hurriedly dashed towards a narrow gap in the high stone wall and hid behind the dark and stunted trunk of a cherry tree. Nervously they waited for the owners of the voices to appear from around the corner, each child hoping in silence that the approaching strangers would not discover them or notice the fresh footprints etched into the white carpet of snow on the pathway. The children squeezed closer and closer together, trying as hard as they could to disappear behind the small tree trunk. The footsteps of the strangers were muffled by the snow on the ground but their voices became louder as they neared. The children remained hidden and waited, wondering what dangers they would be forced to face in this strange new land.

ONE

ANOTHER ADVENTURE

Thomas Young huddled behind the cherry tree, hidden as best he could, his two brothers and little sister close by his side. Timothy, the second eldest, peeked over Tom’s shoulder as two figures appeared from behind a high stone wall. Tim groaned in despair as he realised that the men approaching wore traditional Japanese dress and it confirmed his worst fears, that they had not only travelled to another place but to yet another time. When he had first seen the Japanese Pagodas he had hoped beyond hope that perhaps they had been transported back to their own time, just a different country but the men who stepped slowly through the snow wore clothes that were commonly worn hundreds of years before he was born.

As the strangers approached, Nicholas Young held the hand of his twin sister Kate and gave it a little squeeze as he tried to stop her whimpering. The young boy looked down at the gold piece of treasure hanging from his neck and wished that he had never found it. The children had been playing in a cave near their home when they had stumbled upon a mysterious wooden box, an evil looking dragon carved on the box’s lid. The children had opened the box and discovered a gold medallion broken into four even pieces. Hanging them around their necks they had joined the pieces together one cold morning and had immediately been transported back through time to ancient Greece.

The children had survived many adventures in that dangerous land, eventually getting the opportunity to reunite the pieces of gold in the hope of returning home. But the mystical treasure had clearly not taken them back to the safety of the tree house in their own backyard, instead transporting them here, to another place in time just as perilous as the first.

The two men continued to walk down the path deep in conversation their feet hidden by the long robe called kimono that they wore. Their jet black hair was pulled tightly back away from their faces and bundled on the top of their head in a top knot. One man was clean shaven but the other had a wispy moustache and beard that almost touched his chest. Sticking out from the satin sash of their kimono, two scabbards held two swords, one very long and the other quite short and Nick thought that both men looked as though they would be very good at using both weapons.

Tim sighed in relief as the men walked past their hiding spot, too deep in conversation to notice the children behind the tree. Tom waited a moment to make sure the strangers had gone before he slowly stepped out onto the snow covered path, looking hurriedly in all directions.

Okay you can come out now, said the eldest of the children as he waved a hand encouragingly.

Timothy and Nick joined their brother but Kate hesitated for a moment longer, unwilling to leave her position of safety.

Come on Katie they’re gone, urged Nick, worried that someone else may appear at any moment.

The little girl crept onto the path and looked around nervously with wide frightened eyes.

What do we do now, said Tim in desperation.

Well we can’t stay here, replied Tom quickly, We have to find some shelter and we have to find it fast.

The three other children nodded their heads in agreement as they looked desperately around for somewhere safer to hide. Tom began walking in the direction that the strangers had come, stopping for a moment at the end of the wall as he peered around the corner.

Come on, the coast is clear, he whispered as he hopped from one foot to the other in the biting cold.

Tim, Nick and Kate ran as fast as they dared on the slippery snow, catching up with their brother as he turned the corner, heading for some dwellings in the distance. The pathway that the children walked upon was bordered by two high stone walls, the grey boulders carved so expertly that they fitted next to each other as tightly as the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Two buildings sat on each side of the path above the walls, their magnificent tiered rooves towering high above the frightened children. Snow began to fall, lightly at first then became heavier by the second.

The children were dressed in summer clothing and they began to shiver uncontrollably as the temperature dropped rapidly. Tim looked behind himself and smiled broadly despite the cold for the heavy snowfall was filling in their footsteps even as he watched. Soon the impressions in the snow would be gone completely making sure nobody would find them easily. Tom slowed his pace as they approached a small timber building made up of split logs and branches, the thatch roof bowing slightly under the weight of the snow. There was no door on the entrance and the only window was glassless, just a square hole in the side of the wall.

The four children placed their backs against the rough wood, two each side of the entranceway. Tom took a quick peek inside but it was far too dark to see if anybody lived there. The eldest of the children looked across the entrance to his brother and Tim shrugged his shoulders, unsure of what they should do. Looking braver than he felt, Tom took a nervous step into the building and waited for someone to yell out a challenge or perhaps strike him down for trespassing but no such thing occurred. Hurrying inside, the children gazed around the gloomy interior, satisfied that they were alone.

A cough from behind made them jump and they turned quickly to see who had made the noise. A large black horse with dark eyes and mane stared back at them in silence as though questioning why they were there.

Kate relaxed as she realised that it was only a horse and not the owner of the building that had made the noise as she walked over slowly and patted the animal.

Now what? said Nick worriedly.

Tom stared at Tim as he thought of a reply. Tim was good at school and his favourite subjects were history and geography. He knew things that his brothers and sister did not and Tom was happy to rely on him for any information he could provide.

So where do you think we are Tim? asked Tom.

Tim looked from one brother to the other and kept his voice low so his little sister could not hear. At first I thought maybe China but I’m pretty sure it’s Japan.

And we are not in our own time are we, added Nick.

It sure doesn’t look like it, replied Tim. Those guys that we saw before looked like samurai, you know, Japanese warriors and the last of those were around way back about the same time as cowboys in the American wild west.

So, said Tom, we are really no better off than we were before.

Tim tried to smile. Well we haven’t got an evil wizard trying to kill us which is a change.

Nick nodded in agreement. Not yet at least, he added.

I was so sure that putting the medallion back together would get us home, said Tom."

Yeah I know, agreed Nick. But we can’t afford to do it again in case we Time Tunnel somewhere even more dangerous.

Tim looked at his two brothers, bothered by something in the back of his mind. He was sure that there was something that he was missing, something important that could solve the puzzle and perhaps allow them to control where the mystical treasure would take them. But the thought was clouded and hazy and refused to become clear to him. He knew though that his brothers were right, they could not risk putting the gold pieces together until they could understand how to use them which meant they were once again trapped far from home in another time.

Kate joined her brothers, her mood lightened with the time spent playing with the horse.

Can we go home now? she asked.

Tom looked at his brothers with concern before he turned to face his little sister, worried that she would get upset with the answer.

We can’t yet Katie, he replied, not until we work out how to control the medallions.

Kate bit her bottom lip as she thought about her brother’s answer. So what do we do now?

Tim put a soft hand on her shoulder. Don’t worry Katie, I’m sure we will figure it out soon.

You bet, added Nick with a yawn, but right now I could really do with a nap.

Tom nodded his head in agreement. The children had not slept for a very long time and while the clouds above made it impossible to tell what time of the day it was he was sure that they would all be able to think more clearly once they had had some sleep.

Do you think it is safe to sleep here? asked Tim.

Tom peered into the dark corners of the stable. I don’t see why not Timmy. Who knows what dangers are out there in the snow, we can’t just go wandering around without a plan. Best to stay here where it is dry and not too cold.

Tim nodded his head in agreement as his eyes roamed over the rough floor of the stable. Finding what he was looking for he strode over to the farthest corner of the timber hut gathering clumps of hay as he went.

We can use this to lie on, he said triumphantly, but we will have to snuggle together to keep warm.

Good work, said Nick, for he was more than happy to keep his brothers and sister close by in this unfamiliar place.

The children walked over to the pile of hay and lay down silently, each one of them exhausted from the dangerous situations they had so recently encountered. Tom thought of his own bedroom that he shared with his brothers back at home and how he would give anything to be laying on his own bed staring out the window across Hartley Lane. Thinking about his home led him to thoughts of his parents and he sighed deeply, feeling close to tears for the first time in quite a while. But Tom was the eldest of the children and the leader of the Time Tunnellers and he knew that if he cried it would upset the others greatly. So he lay down in silence and tried to let the sleep come but it was a long time indeed before his eyes eventually closed and he drifted off to sleep.

Nick ignored the thump on his shoe as he tried to get more sleep. Another thump and he groaned in annoyance, keeping his eyes tightly shut as he rolled over onto his side. Still foggy from the lack of sleep he wondered why one of his brothers wanted him to wake up so badly. If there was a problem surely they would say so and not kick his foot every couple of minutes. Another thump, this one slightly harder than the previous two and for a second the youngest of the boys thought that perhaps the horse had managed to escape from its stall.

Leave me alone, you dumb horse, mumbled Nick in his sleep.

Another kick, this time on his bottom and Nick sat bolt upright, ready to give the stallion a stern talking to. As he slowly opened his tired eyes Nick focussed on the figure standing threateningly above him and he elbowed his brother hard in the back. Tim came awake with a start and stared at the figure above with a mixture of awe and fear. The cold steel tip of the samurai sword was only millimetres from his brother’s nose and the man who held it stared back with the darkest eyes the boy had ever seen.

TWO

THE LONE SAMURAI

Stand up! demanded the Samurai.

Tim and Nick glanced at each other in wonder but not surprise for the medals around their necks gave them the power to understand any language that was not their own. It had happened in ancient Greece and it had happened again here, in Feudal Japan although both boys recognised that the Greek that they were once able to speak was now totally forgotten.

What are you doing here? asked the stranger loudly.

We are just resting after a long journey, explained Tim bravely.

Awakened by the noise, Tom and Kate stared around in confusion, the little girl terrified by the sight of the sword carrying Japanese as the pair slowly stood and joined their brothers in front of the menacing samurai.

The man looked slowly at each of the children in turn, fascinated by their clothes and their European features and amazed at their ability to speak Japanese.

There is a white man that advises the Shogun, said the samurai, though I have not seen him with my own eyes. Are you a relative of this man?

What’s a Shogun? whispered Tom into the ear of his brother.

Tim turned quickly and placed his mouth close to the side of Tom’s head. A military leader, kind of like their most important general.

Tom nodded his head in understanding and turned his attention back to the man with the sword.

No we don’t know him, said Tom simply.

Then how do you explain your presence here? replied the samurai, Were you shipwrecked?

The children looked at each other for a moment as they pondered the stranger’s question. They needed a believable excuse as to why they were here in this foreign land and the samurai’s explanation was as good as any.

That’s right, lied Tim, we were shipwrecked and have come in here out of the cold.

The samurai lifted his sword swiftly, sliding it back into the saya or scabbard by his side. The children posed no threat to him and he had no wish to frighten them any further.

It is a long way from the ocean, he remarked with a frown.

Yes we know, replied Tim. We have come all this way under the cover of darkness, that is why you found us asleep.

The samurai looked into the faces of the children one at a time and grunted, deep in thought. Very well, I believe you, at least for now. My name is Miyamoto Musashi and I am on a pilgrimage to be the best swordsman in Japan.

What’s a pilgrimage? asked Kate softly as her fear of the man lessened slightly now that he had put away his sword.

A pilgrimage is an adventure, a journey across the land. My pilgrimage is to find the best warriors in Japan and challenge them to a duel. My success will ensure that I am remembered for all time as the greatest swordsman that ever lived.

Tim stared at Musashi as he spoke, trying to remember if he had ever come across the name in his history books. While the young boy was familiar with some of the things that happened at the time of the Shogun’s he could not remember if he had read about the man that now stood before him.

Tim took a step forward and addressed the samurai alone. Do you mind if I talk to my brothers and sister for a moment?

Musashi raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing, impressed by the young boy’s boldness. Tim held his sisters hand tightly, leading her and his brothers to a far corner of the stable.

I think we should ask him if we can join him on his pilgrimage, said Tim.

Nick looked at his older brother with disbelieving eyes. Are you nuts? We don’t know this man and what he might do.

Yeah, added Tom, going with him would be real risky.

Tim shook his head from side to side as his brothers continued to protest. We have no choice guys, just think about it. If we stay here we may be discovered by someone else that is less friendly. With no food we wouldn’t last more than a couple of days and then what? Musashi looks like he knows how to protect himself.

So? asked Tom.

So if we join him and make friends he will probably protect us as well. Maybe it will give us enough time to work out how to use our medallions and get back home.

Tom glanced at Kate who appeared frightened once again before glancing at Nick who nodded his head in agreement.

Tim’s got a point Tom, said Nick. If we stay here by ourselves who knows what will happen.

Tom considered the opinion of his two brothers as the group of children looked at each other with concern.

"How do we even know if he will