The Blood Sword (Book One of The Blood Sword Series)

Chapter Thirty-Four: Hunter

Hunter stood in silence watching as her target moved out of the forest toward her. He had no idea she was standing there in wait for him. His men were already dead behind her in his fortress. Louis Miller the Australian smuggler had been setting up hunts of endangered species. Rumor had him as one of the most skilled trackers in the world. He proved this by tracking her here. His only problem was she wanted him to find her.

Miller stopped and scanned the thick woods narrowing his eyes. Moving slow, he raised his gun aiming in her direction, but his eyes were to the left of where she stood. She frowned. He was not tracking her, but someone else.

'Anyone near me?' she asked the computer keeping her voice low. The map showed her team on the other side of the fortress doing their part. 'Hunter to Cap, I think someone other than me and Miller are over here. I have him in my sights, but he is tracking someone other than me.'

'This is Jumper,' Came the Irishman's voice 'do you see anything on heat vision?'

'Vid mode two.' Her heat vision came on and she scanned the area. There were four men in trees. The sight of the four filled Hunter with an insane glee. 'It's Jeric's fucking ninja's! Time to show them what a samurai can do in a fair fight.'

'Stand down Hunter!' Came Joe's sharp order. Hunter froze

'But Joe!' she whined 'its ninjas.' Joe chuckled in her earpiece.

'Play later, mission now. Once you get Miller you can take out the ninjas.'

Hunter walked out of the woods startling Miller. He swung the gun at her but she knocked it aside and hit him knocking him out.

'Miller is down. Can I get the ninja's now?' she asked looking back to where the ninja's were still sitting in the trees. They shifted uneasy and Hunter realized they just figured out she knew they were there. She may not have to wait for Joe's permission.

'Just make it quick. We do not want be here too long.' Joe said

'No problem.' She put justice away and motioned for the men in the trees to come forward. The four looked to each other. One of them dropped from the trees and moved toward her. 'Vid mode one.' Her vision went back to normal. A man dressed in a ninja gi came out of the woods. He held up his empty hands. Hunter frowned. This one differed from the last ones that attacked her. He had a red patch with the kanji of the samurai school. Hunter relaxed her fighter stance. The man bow and she returned it.

'I am Hayao of the Nawasaki clan.' He said in Japanese. 'You are the honored Hunter Takeda, head of the Takeda clan of samurai yes?'

'Yes.' She replied after switching on her external speaker so he could hear her. 'You are shinobi with the school.' He nodded

'Yes, Master Isao and the Kataki have sent us to you.' He told her. Isao she was not surprised about. She was the last Takeda and knew sooner or later he would send for her. The Kataki however was something unexpected. The shinobi's leader wanted nothing to do with samurai.

'Hunter, what's happening?' Ty asked worried.

'It's ok guys. They are the shinobi with the school I trained at.' she looked back to Hayao 'How did you find me here?'

'Master Isao told us you would be here.' He said. 'I did not question how he knew. It is not my place.' Hunter nodded knowing the true ninja were much like the Samurai and never questioned their masters. He held out a scroll to her bowing his head. Hunter accepted it. 'Master Isao ordered me to deliver this and the Kataki sent us to inform you that the three rogues of our order who assisted the man Jeric Silver in kidnapping you, were dealt with. Two by the hand of the man William Banks, the last by me. He was made to suffer death by falling upon his own sword. Because he was too much of a coward to do it himself, I assisted and did not show mercy. I hope you do not hold their dishonorable actions against those of us loyal to the order.' Hunter bow

'When I saw you four in the trees, it was the order of my master that stopped me from killing all of you.' His eyes widened 'now I know that those who attacked me were rouge, I am at peace with the shinobi.' Hayao nodded

'It is good. It is never good to have a master samurai angry at you.' He motioned to her 'Especially one with such impressive armor.' Hunter smiled.

'Thank you. I made it myself.' She informed him. He glanced to his right.

'I believe your team is coming. We must not be seen' he bow again. 'It is an honor Hunter Takeda.' He vanished into the woods. Hunter chuckled and put the scroll with her sword. She would read it on the plane. She grabbed Miller and hoisted him over her shoulder as the others came into the clearing.

'You ok?' The Captain asked worried.

'Yes sir. Just messengers from the school.' She patted the scroll. 'I will read it later.' He nodded and they headed out to the checkpoint. Once there, they put Miller in chains and headed for the plane.

After Hunter took her shower, she sat with the others and opened the scroll. She frowned as she read it.

'What is it love?' Ty asked worried.

'I am being called to court.' She told him

'Court?' Joe asked frowning.

'Yeah. Master Isao has called a court of clans.' She told them and looked to Joe. 'As the Takeda of my clan I have to go.' Joe nodded.

'I owe your whole team some down time anyway.' She nodded and looked to Ty.

'He requested that I bring you with me.' She told him frowning 'You ok with that?'

'Yeah,' he replied worried 'Is this what we talked about before?'

'I think so.' She replied

'What is it?' Jumper asked worried.

'I want to marry Hunter.' Ty said. 'But we can't marry until she gets permission from the Samurai court.'

'In the past, marriages used to have to be to another samurai,' Hunter explained 'but now that there are so few of us left, we can chose who we wish, but the father must approve. It's rare that a whole court is called together for a request to marry. However, I am the last of my clan and my father is dead. Who I marry must be able to pass the courts inspection.' She smiled 'I have been working to make sure Ty will pass.'

'Yes,' he chuckled 'she has been having so much fun kicking my ass with a sword and calling it training.' Hunter chuckled leaning against him. He kissed the top of her head. 'Do you think I am ready love?'

'To beat me at sparing, no. To impress the court, yes.' She assured him. 'You are trained in the art of smithing. That alone is a skill most, if not all of the court will approve of. Your sword work is novice, but you have only been at it for a year. I am confident you could beat anyone with equal training. Hand to hand, well you have any samurai I know beat hands down. I think you would even give the order's shinobi a run for their money.' Ty chuckled at that. 'You will be fine love. In fact I think our only problem is keeping Master Isao from adopting you and wanting to keep you for training.' Ty grinned and Hunter closed her eyes. She would love to have Ty as a samurai like herself. Sometimes it was a little lonely not having anyone else in her order to talk with. She then looked up to him frowning. 'You don't know Japanese do you?' he raised an eyebrow.

'Should I?' she shook her head.

'No, but it would help make commutation a little easier. Little english is spoken at the school.' He nodded and moved her head back to his chest.

'I will pick up a Rosetta stone program for my iPad.' She let out alight chuckle and slipped into sleep.