CHAPTER SEVEN
The technique for decoding messages from Gakur changed depending on the time of year. But since Ran wasn’t assigned to an outpost, he didn’t have access to the various codes employed by the Nine Daggers clan to keep its messages secure. So as Ran watched, Tanka took the lead and began writing two lines of script beneath the coded message.
“We’re using a special key that Ginjo developed,” said Tanka. “How he comes up with these things is beyond me. I can’t imagine anyone ever being able to break our codes, but he certainly tries to ensure that even we have a tough time of it.”
Ran grinned. “I remember Ginjo’s class on secret inks and how to use them. Who would have thought that urine had so many uses?”
Tanka chuckled. “That was a smelly session, if I recall correctly.”
“You were years ahead of me, but it was pungent to say the least when we used it.” Ran watched Tanka copy down another line of code. “Four lines?”
Tanka nodded. “Ginjo is never complacent. So he builds a false message into the coded transcripts. If someone intercepts this and they’re able to break the code to a certain point, they’ll get a whole lot of misinformation.”
“So once you get something that looks like a real message, it’s not?”
“Exactly. The real message is a further two lines down. You have to keep decoding it. Ginjo thinks that most people are inherently lazy and won’t commit to continuing to decode when it appears they’ve got a legitimate message staring them in the face.”
“It must take real talent to embed a false message within the code.”
Tanka sighed. “Talent? I guess so. But most of us think that old Ginjo might be getting a bit touched in the head in his old age. And frankly, it’s a pain in the backside to have to handle such a decoding. It would be far easier to not make it this complex.”
“But less secure, too,” said Ran. “Seems like Ginjo might know best in this case.”
“I suppose. I’d just like to see him have to decode one of his own messages sometime and let him feel what a delight it is to sit here for the better part of an hour.” Tanka refreshed the ink in his quill and began writing again.
Ran watched as the script continued to flow, recognizing certain characters and not knowing others. As Tanka worked, tiny beads of sweat pooled on his brow. Ran poured him a cup of water and brought it over. Tanka took it with a grin.
“Thanks.”
“You look like you need it.” Ran pulled a chair up again. “Almost done?”
“Not just yet. One more series to go through and I should have it complete.” Tanka nodded at the candle above them, which had burned down low. “It’s already taken far too long as it is. If this was some sort of emergency, imagine trying to decode it. Sometimes the precautions get to be a bit overkill. We need a quicker alternative.”
“Do you have to encode them the same way?”
Tanka sighed. “Thankfully not. We use a simpler method, which helps in the event of a crisis or something urgent. I wonder if Ginjo simply does this to keep all of his former students up to the task of dealing with his codes.” He set the quill down. “There. Finally.”
Ran peered over his shoulder. “Well?”
Tanka read the message and then handed it over. “I’m sorry, Ran. I know how much you wanted to leave with the caravan.”
Ran looked down and read:
Agent hereby ordered to proceed north and fully investigate claims of forthcoming invasion.
Ran frowned and handed the message back. Tanka took it and held the parchment to the candle flame. The fire licked its way up and over the edges, curling the paper up as it did so. Ran watched the ink bubble again and then dissolve into dark ash. Tanka held it until the last possible second before dropping it onto the table, where it burned itself out. Tanka dutifully gathered the ashes, carried them to the window, and sprinkled them upon the breeze.
“Well, so much for that.” He turned away from the window and nodded at Ran. “When will you leave?”
Ran shrugged. “Tomorrow is as good a day as any, I’d expect. Can you set me up with some supplies?”
Tanka nodded. “I’ve got a store of dried-food provisions. You’ll have to acquire any cold-weather gear on the way. It would look a bit suspicious to send you out of town wearing heavy garb and boots.”
“Good point. I’m sure there are towns along the way north I can stop at.”
Tanka went to his shelf and drew out a map of northern Igul. “There’s Kalang-yao, which is about the last outpost of civilization before the Shard Mountains. No doubt you can find what you need there. If I were you, I’d make my trip north as quick as possible. From what I’ve heard, Kalang-yao is not the most hospitable place. The locals are wary and a hard folk to get along with.”
“Why so?”
“The proximity of the mountains makes them hard. Living up there is nothing short of a struggle year round.”
“So why stay?”
“The locals hunt the ice tigers that live in the snowy mountains. Ice tiger pelts are prized by people to the west, and they’re willing to pay a hefty price indeed for the luxury of the skins. As far as I know, the people who live in Kalang-yao are the only ones who have the skill to hunt the big cats without getting killed by them. Definitely a tough way to live life.”
“No doubt they’ll be even more suspicious when I show up. What are the odds someone from Nehon has ever been to the town before?”
“I don’t know,” said Tanka. “It hasn’t really been of interest to the clan, so I know none of our kind have ever there. But a merchant or two from Nehon may have made it that far north. They do trade, after all.”
Ran nodded. “Then that would be my way in, I suppose. A young trader from Nehon looking to import exotic items from the frozen north. It could work.”
“Better than going as a sword-for-hire,” said Tanka. “There’d be no need for that up there.”
“All right then. I’ll have that store of dried food, if you can manage it. Also, a map of the area would be good. I’ll need to study it before I head up there. Try to find the most logical point for an invading army to come through.”
“I’ve heard rumors of a hidden pass so remote and harsh that most don’t even try to travel through it. But I have no idea where it might be. Something tells me that you’ll have to figure that out once you’re there.”
“No doubt,” said Ran. “If I can get the locals to take a liking to me, perhaps they will be kind enough to show me the pass. After all, if they’re hunting tigers in the snow and ice, they ought to know the area well enough.”
Tanka eyed him. “And what will you do when the locals figure out you’re not a trader?”
“Disappear,” said Ran with a grin. “Isn’t that what we’re best at?”
Ran lay awake for a long time that night. The coded message from the clan back in the misty peaks of Gakur had left nothing to question. Ran’s orders were clear: go north, figure out if there was any truth to what Kan-Gul had boasted about. He was being sent away from his planned excursion west and redirected north to investigate what would probably turn out to be nothing but the ravings of a madman he’d already killed.
And what if the rumors did indeed turn out to be true? What then? Ran would no doubt be used in some fashion to try to thwart the invasion. That meant even more time away from his quest and more time away from the promises of a beautiful princess. Ran sighed. This was not shaping up the way he had envisioned things in his mind when Tozawa had first given him the wandering-quest directive.
Not at all.
Still, Ran couldn’t complain that he wasn’t acquiring experience. Nor could he say that things had been dull. He had already surpassed his expectations in that regard. His training had kept him alive, and what his training hadn’t prepared him for, real-world experience had quickly taught him to handle.
But the thought of traveling west on the caravan held such allure. Ran wanted nothing more than to disappear in the night and go with Yasseh’s band of merchants at dawn. Once they left Chulal, there would be no one who would know if Ran had done as the clan directed. He frowned, knowing that was not entirely true. The Nine Daggers clan had eyes everywhere—even in the most unlikely of places. Ran might think that his actions could go unnoticed, but he knew that there were other shadow warriors out there. They had been stationed everywhere across the known lands. Each of them would have a communication link back to Gakur. If Ran went rogue and refused to follow the wishes of the clan, then they would presumably start hunting him down. He might get away with it for a while. Years, even. But eventually, the clan would reach out and get its claws back on him. He would either be taken back or simply killed.
He turned over in the bed and tried to find a more comfortable position. Nothing seemed to give him the rest he craved. He couldn’t still his mind, despite the years of training. It was something he was completely unprepared for. This wasn’t bending some stodgy old rule; this was putting his own desires before the needs of his clan.
When the last bits of night started to dissolve into daybreak, Ran rolled out of bed and prepared himself. Tanka rose soon after and made them a light breakfast of tea, rice, and dried beef. Ran ate without talking.
“You didn’t sleep well last night,” said Tanka.
“Terribly, in fact,” said Ran.
Tanka nodded. “I know what you’re going through.”
Ran looked up. “And what is that?”
Tanka smiled. “You’re thinking that you could go west and no one would know. And if they did find out, you’d be long gone and out of the clan’s grasp.”
Ran said nothing. What was the point?
Tanka held up his hand. “I’m not trying to get you to admit anything. I’m only telling you that I understand how you feel. Imagine graduating and immediately being told to go to this city. I’ve been here since I left Gakur. I’m so homesick, it drives me crazy. There’s nothing I’d like better than to leave this horrible place and go home.”
“Have you asked for reassignment?”
“Three times,” said Tanka. “But the clan’s needs come first. I’ve been told I’ll be replaced at some point. But when that day might come, I have no idea.” He sighed. “So while it’s not the same thing, trust me—I’ve thought about running away. Several times, in fact.”
“What stops you?”
Tanka shrugged. “Maybe I’m not brave enough. There’s a funny thing for one of us to say, huh? A shadow warrior not brave enough to go off on his own. I don’t know. Maybe it’s the thought that the clan would find me some day. Maybe it’s the idea of being loyal to the clan no matter what the cost.”
“And so here you stay.”
“I’m optimistic, though,” said Tanka. “Surely one day they will realize I’ve been here too long, and they’ll bring me home. Perhaps as an instructor.”
“For disguises,” said Ran with a grin. “You’d be marvelous at it.”
“I would,” said Tanka. He stood up then. “Well, enough of that. You’ve got a reconnaissance mission to get on with, and I’ve got things to do.” He paused. “I hope that last bit of conversation will remain strictly between us.”
Ran nodded. “Have no fear. Just two clan members discussing the state of things. Nothing to it.”
Tanka nodded once. “Thank you, Ran. I can’t tell you how nice it’s been to have someone else here from Gakur. It’s going to be tough when you leave, my friend.”
“You never know,” said Ran. “I might need some help up north. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have beside me than you, so be ready.” He belted on his swords and hefted his pack onto his shoulders.
Tanka clapped his hands. “That reminds me. You need a means of getting in touch with me if things are indeed dire.” He vanished into a back room and came back with a falk on his arm. The bird sat still, its eyes roving around the room before settling on Ran.
Ran could see the sharp talons and the knife edge of its hooked beak. Brown and black feathers covered its body. Tanka held it up, and the falk took flight once around the room before coming back to rest on the edge of the table.
“It’s easy enough,” said Tanka. “These have all been trained back in Gakur. This one is trained to return here. All you need to do is put the message in the compartment at the base of its leg and release it with a simple command of ‘ichi.’”
“‘Ichi.’”
Tanka nodded. “The falk will return here as fast as possible. They don’t get excited unless there’s danger nearby, so you don’t need a hood for it.” Tanka clapped his hands once, and the falk took flight again.
“Hold out your arm.”
Ran did so without thinking, and an instant later the falk settled its weight on to his left arm. Ran winced, expecting to feel the sharp talons bite into his skin, but the falk only tightened its grip without piercing Ran’s skin.
“They’re something, aren’t they?” Tanka smiled. “This one is called Ryu.”
Ran smiled. “I’m sure we’ll make quite a team.”
“They look after themselves. Once a day, let him hunt in the early evening. Otherwise, he will follow you everywhere, even when he’s not resting on your arm.”
Ran looked down at the falk, and the bird stared back with unblinking eyes. “I guess I’m as ready as I ever will be.”
Tanka clasped his right hand. “Be careful out there. The way north is a dangerous one. And there’s no guarantee the people in Kalang-yao will be receptive.”
“I’ll just have to win them over with my charm,” said Ran. “Take care of yourself, Tanka. And thank you for the hospitality.”
Tanka showed him to the door. “Good luck.”