Ranger's Apprentice 10: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja (27 page)

Evanlyn glanced over the side of the boat as they glided in towards the shore. The water was clear and pristine and looked to be no more than twenty centimetres deep. But she had learned in the past five days how deceptive this could be. The third day, thinking the water was shallow, she had stepped clear of the boat to find herself floundering wildly in waist-deep water. It was only by an enormous effort that she had avoided falling and immersing herself completely.

Her clothes had dried that night in front of the blazing fire they built. Since the encounter with the wolves, it had become their standard procedure to keep a fire burning all night and take turns keeping watch. It meant they each got less sleep each night, but at least when they did sleep, they did so soundly, each secure in the knowledge that her companion was keeping watch and making sure that the fire was maintained through the dark hours.

Whether because of the fire or not, there had been no further disturbances since that second night. Of course, Evanlyn thought, it may have simply been the case that there were no wolves on any of the other islands.

Now, she reached down with her paddle, satisfying herself that the water was barely knee deep. She swung her legs over the side and stood up quickly, then guided the prow of the kayak towards the shingle beach. They had learned to beach the little boat unoccupied. On the third night, letting the bow grate into the sand and rock of the shore, they had torn a hole in the oilskin covering.

Alyss had watched Evanlyn sew a patch over the hole with a piece of spare oilcloth, then cover the seam with melted wax to seal it.

‘Very neat,’ she had said approvingly. Evanlyn smiled and brandished her needle.

‘Needlepoint is one of the skills that are deemed fitting for a princess,’ she replied. ‘I never thought it would come in handy.’

Alyss’s eyes were on her now as she tested the water depth, then dismounted from the boat. Alyss was developing a reluctant admiration for the princess’s ability to adapt and learn. Alyss had been tough on her while she was learning the techniques of handling a small boat. Some of this was due to the lingering antipathy that Alyss seemed to feel for Evanlyn, but in the main it had been a practical choice.

Alyss knew, from conversations with Will and Lady Pauline, and from her own observations, that Evanlyn, courageous and resourceful as she was, did have a petulant side to her character. Unavoidable, perhaps, in one raised as a princess, in an environment where there were scores of people ready to leap to and do one’s slightest bidding, and attend to the smallest wants. But on this trip, there could be no servants and no passengers. Alyss had sensed that if she had shown sympathy for Evanlyn’s aching muscles, or laughed off her clumsy attempts at paddling, Evanlyn could be inclined to take advantage of her good nature. Instead, Alyss’s repeated, sardonic
thank you for that
at each mistake had acted as a goad to Evanlyn, urging her to do better, to try harder, to show her tall, self-satisfied travelling companion that, princess or not, she could do the job she had been set.

With these thoughts in mind, Alyss nearly left it too late to step out of the boat herself. Knowing this would result in a tart comment, for she knew Evanlyn wanted nothing more than an opportunity to reply in kind, she swung her own legs clear and helped the princess lift the boat as they slid it up the beach, out of the water.

They set it down and both stretched to ease their cramping back muscles. Alyss took a few paces inland, looking around the little beach, and into the thickly growing trees beyond.

‘So this is it,’ she said.

They had finally reached the far side of the massive lake. This was the province where Lord Nimatsu ruled over the mysterious and fabled Hasanu. There was snow on the ground here but not in the quantities they had seen at Ran-Koshi. The altitude was lower, and the area was sheltered from the weather systems that blew in from the sea and drove snow and rain clouds onto the mountains behind them.

Here, in an area shielded by those same mountains, the wind was more gentle, more temperate. And it sighed softly through the needles of the spruce trees that towered above them.

‘There doesn’t seem to be anyone around,’ Evanlyn murmured.

‘Doesn’t mean there’s no one here, of course.’

‘Of course.’

A knot of apprehension had formed in Evanlyn’s stomach as she stood on this quiet, seemingly deserted spot. They had quizzed Shigeru and his senior advisers at some length about the Hasanu but, in truth, they had learned little.

Some held the Hasanu to be remnants of an ancient race of semi-human apes who had survived in this remote territory. Other, more frightening, theories held that the Hasanu were tree or forest spirits and the reclusive Lord Nimatsu was a sorcerer who had bent them to his will.

Other ‘facts’ they had gleaned seemed to contradict each other. Some said that the Hasanu were shy and nervous of contact with strangers, while others maintained they were fierce and merciless killers. Old legends about them certainly lent credence to this last. Numerous tales were told of their ferocity in battle. It was said that they had never been defeated. These tales, of course, were centuries old and nobody could actually admit to having seen a Hasanu, or to knowing someone who had. Although there were those who claimed to know someone who knew someone else who had seen one.

At the end of a long and confusing briefing session, Shigeru had dismissed his advisers and sat quietly with the two girls to give them a more balanced opinion on these strange people.

‘Much is said about the Hasanu,’ he had told them. ‘And much of it is wild exaggeration. Here is what I know, stripped of rumour, conjecture and hysteria.

‘They are said to be a tall and powerful race and reports from the past held them to be covered with long, reddish hair all over their bodies. This could be true. They live in a cold climate and their bodies may well have adapted in this way over the years. But the key point I know, and on which all legends and tales about them are agreed, is that they are fearless in battle and that they have an intense loyalty to their lord. At this time, that is Lord Nimatsu.

‘These qualities would seem to indicate positive elements to their character, which give the lie to those wild stories about their bloodthirsty behaviour with regard to strangers. Loyal and fearless do not, to me, equate with bloodthirsty and savage.

‘Lord Nimatsu has, on many occasions, confirmed his allegiance to me. That, I believe, will be the key to your dealings with the Hasanu. They are loyal to Nimatsu so, by extension, they are loyal to me – or at least, to the concept of an Emperor. When you reach Nimatsu’s province, be patient. Wait for the Hasanu to make contact. They will do so – and they will do so at Nimatsu’s bidding. When he knows that you are acting in my name, you will be safe.’

Shigeru had removed his signet ring and handed it to Evanlyn.

‘Take this with you. When Nimatsu sees it, he will know you come from me. This will ensure your safety. Once you have made contact with him, I rely on your eloquence, Ev-an-in-san, to convince him to help us. I will send a letter with you, of course. But in my experience, it is the spoken word and the integrity of the messenger that holds most sway in these matters.’

Evanlyn had taken the ring, slipping it onto her first finger.

‘I wish I could advise you more fully on this matter,’ Shigeru said, sighing deeply. ‘But the success or failure of your mission will rest on your own abilities and resources.’ He had smiled at them both then and added: ‘And I cannot think of two more worthy or resourceful messengers.’

‘So,’ Alyss said, looking round the silent trees. ‘How do we find the Hasanu?’

‘Don’t worry about that. Remember what Shigeru said. The Hasanu will find us.’

They unpacked their gear from the kayak and set about making camp. Alyss pitched their small tent while Evanlyn gathered stones for a fireplace, then a good supply of firewood. She was using her saxe knife – a gift from Halt some years previously – to cut one long piece of deadfall into manageable lengths when she had the sensation of eyes upon her.

Somewhere in the shadows among the trees, someone, or something, was watching her. She was sure of it. She paused for a moment in her work, then resumed, resisting the almost overpowering urge to turn and look into the trees. She glanced sideways, to see if Alyss had sensed anything. Apparently not. The tall girl was tightening the guy ropes on the tent, testing the tension to make sure that the canvas was evenly positioned.

Evanlyn gathered up the wood and walked casually back to place it by the circle of stones she had arranged as a fireplace.

‘We’re being watched,’ she said softly.

Alyss froze for a second, then tugged the guy rope one last time, dusted her hands in satisfaction and moved to help Evanlyn sort the kindling from the heavier firewood. As they knelt together, she said, ‘You saw someone?’

‘No. It was more a sensation than anything. But I’m sure someone’s there.’

She half expected a sardonic reply from her companion. But Alyss was never one to deny the value of instinct.

‘Then we just keep doing what we’re doing,’ Alyss said. ‘Let’s brew some tea. And keep acting casually.’

All the same, Evanlyn noticed, she stole a quick glance to where her sword was resting on top of her pack at the entrance to the tent.

Some minutes later, they sat facing each other across the fire, sipping the warming tea. Alyss had positioned herself so that she faced the lake, leaving Evanlyn looking towards the trees behind them. Evanlyn had sensed the presence of the watcher, she reasoned, so there was a better chance of her seeing whoever it might be. Or whatever it might be, she amended.

As she sipped her tea, Evanlyn’s eyes darted from side to side above the teacup. Her head never moved. From a few metres away, there was no indication that she was scanning the dark shadows beneath the spruces.

She gave a satisfied sigh and set her cup down.

‘Something moved,’ she said in a conversational tone.

A fleeting, shadowy movement had caught her eye. It was all she could do not to suddenly stare in the direction from which it had come but she managed it by an enormous effort of will.

‘Can you see him now?’ Alyss asked, maintaining the same casual tone.

‘No. He’s gone to ground. Wait. There he goes again. Can’t make out any detail. It’s just movement in the ferns under the trees. Whatever it is, it’s moving closer to the edge of the tree line.’

They waited, nerves tensed. But there was no further sign of movement.

‘I think he’s gone,’ Evanlyn said after several minutes.

Alyss shrugged. ‘Or he’s not moving, just watching us. Well, we can’t sit here all afternoon. Any ideas?’

Evanlyn rose to her feet, avoiding any sudden movement, and crossed to her pack. Rummaging in it, she found what she was looking for – one of the few food items that the wolves had missed when they ransacked the camp several days before. It was a small twist of greased paper, containing a handful of candied fruit pieces – apples and apricots. They were a confectionery much favoured among the Kikori and Evanlyn had developed a taste for them herself. There were about a dozen pieces left. She hoped that would be enough. She strode back to where Alyss was watching her curiously.

‘I’ve got a thought,’ she said. ‘Our unseen friend might be a bit more willing to show himself if there weren’t two of us.’

She saw Alyss begin to object and held up a hand to stop her. ‘No! Hear me out. I’m suggesting that you take the kayak and paddle offshore about a hundred metres and wait there. I’ll sit over there, closer to the trees, and see if the Hasanu are willing to make contact.’ She held up the small package of candied fruit. ‘I’ll use this to get the conversation going.’

Alyss frowned thoughtfully. ‘One thing most people agreed on,’ she said, ‘is that the Hasanu like sweet things.’

‘And these fit the bill. Look, if you leave – although you’ll be seen to stay in the general area – and I sit closer to where they are, it’s a pretty unmistakable message, isn’t it? We want to make contact. There’s a good chance that our friend in the trees will be encouraged to come out into the open.’

‘There’s also a chance that he’ll be encouraged to tear you limb from limb,’ Alyss said and Evanlyn nodded uncomfortably.

‘That’s the part of my plan that I’m not totally delighted with. But I think we have to take the chance and force things along. Otherwise, we could be sitting here for days. And let’s face it,’ she added, ‘if they want to tear us limb from limb, your presence here is hardly going to stop them.’

‘Well, thank you for that vote of confidence,’ Alyss replied. ‘One thing,’ she added. ‘Just consider my position. It’s going to be awfully awkward for me to return to Araluen and tell your father I watched a Nihon-Jan monster dismember you. It won’t be good for my career.’

Sensing a new note of comradeship behind the banter, Evanlyn managed a faint smile.

‘And after all, your career is important to all of us,’ she said. ‘I’ll try to bear it in mind. Now get going.’