Forged steele

His name is Chihiro Kitagawa; he was sitting cross-legged, as if he was a statue of some ancient deity, on the ridgeline as the sun came up. The amazing vista of the valley below is revealed as the sun pushes back the shadows. The ridge rolled down to the valley floor and stretched away to reveal swathes of grassland dotted with trees and scrub. A ranch house with several outbuildings is nestled at the foot of the ridge, a coral off to one side held several horses. He had spent the night here on this ridge after traveling the twenty-five miles from Red Bluff, where he had confronted the renegade Ninja; Sygo Takagi.
Chihiro had been born into the way of the Ninja and had trained since childhood in the art of the Shinobi. He had been dispatched to the Americas by his Sensei, and clan head ZatoChi Takagi to hunt down his son, for the murder of a fellow clan member. After a year of searching, he had found Sygo mixed up with a group of outlaws, the Long Riders, with the help or some would say hindrance of the English man Lord Kingsley Pugh, a garrulous reprobate, and he caught up with Sygo and dispatched his duty. Now it was time to return home, to the land where the sun rises and the cherry blossoms fall. He had a long journey ahead to reach the east coast and find a ship home.
Chihiro stretched and prepared to pack away his bedroll when a cry from down in the valley arrested his work. He looked down to the Farmhouse to see a woman dragged from the house by a large man dressed all in black, six men came out behind her and her captor. From the distance, he could see she was naked from the waist down. The man threw her down and pulled his .45. A shot echoed up to him and she moved no more.
The seven men mounted horses tethered nearby, and rode off down the valley. Chihiro shook his head, life was cheap in this land he knew, having seen it many times in the year he had been here. He finished packing his bedding and started down the rocky slope leading from the ridge.
Reaching the ranch he ran over to the body of the woman and knelt by her, she had once been pretty but the slug from the .45 had erased her beauty, signs of a vicious beating and possibly more covered her body. From a nearby fence, he took a horse blanket and gently laid it over the woman’s corpse. The sound of horses hooves made him look up. A man of about twenty-five years, dressed in a brown duster and black pants, is riding towards him; he pulled up short and jumped down from the saddle.
"Jenny!" he cried, falling to his knees next to her.
Chihiro stood back as he observed the man clutch her to him. Tears streamed his strong looking face. He looked up as if seeing Chihiro for the first time.
"Did you see what happened China man?" he asked, "I seen you putting the blanket over her, thank you for that."
"I am Japanese, I saw what happened from up on the ridge, I could not get to her in time to save her," Chihiro informed him, "There were seven men, they dragged her out of the house and one shot her."
A gamut of emotions passed over his face as he lay Jenny back down and recovered her.
"Damn Jubal Kane!" he spat on the ground and climbed to his feet.
"Who is Jubal Kane?"
"My wife Jenny and me, we came to Fort Blaine, that’s the town near here, a year ago," he said," We had a little money put by but not enough, Kane loaned us the rest of the money to buy this land, we fell behind with the repayments."
Chihiro understood, Jubal Kane was like the Daimyo in his native land, the Lords who controlled the land and therefore the people who lived and worked on it. Most being power hungry and cruel, Chihiro detested them and had much relished the times he had performed missions against them.
"I understand," Chihiro, said, “This is the work of his men as punishment."
"Your damn straight mister," he held out his hand, “Names Adam Steele."
"I am Chihiro Kitagawa of the Iga Kansetsu Ryu." Chihiro bowed from the waist then shook Steele's hand, “I am sorry for your loss and offer my service to you."
Chihiro had decided to help Steele out, he had a good feeling about the young man and his own sense of justice would not let him walk away.
"Din't understand much of what you said, but I think I got the gist of it," he said.
"I see vengeance in your eyes Steele San; I think this can not be done on your own."
"I do have vengeance in my eyes Chihiro, Jubal Kane just got himself a war but this is my fight," he said, "You don't owe me anything."
"A man who saves a life by inaction is owed a debt by the life saved, “Chihiro said, “You saw me by your wife and could have shot me thinking I had something to do with her death, You did not."
Steele looked at him scratched his head and said, “You are one weird turkey Chihiro."
"Thank you," he said and bowed again.
Steele laughed and walked towards the house, he followed him.
Inside was complete disarray, as if a tornado had blistered through the ranch house. Furniture smashed bits of broken crockery on the floor and clothes strewn all around. Steele picked through the debris, chucking pieces aside and placing others on the table, which was still intact.
The tears started to flow again and he stamped off through a door, coming back carrying a box. He placed it reverently on the table. Chihiro wandered over and watched him quietly.
Steele opened the box to reveal a shiny silver long barreled pistol with a larger than normal cylinder, nestled inside next to a black Buscadero style gun rig. He removed it from the box and showed Chihiro.
"This belonged to my father he had it specially made," he spun the cylinder, listening to the click of its movement, “Normal colts hold six slugs, this one holds ten, he was a sheriff in Tucson till he was ambushed one night." Steele took out the rig and put it on, tying it down to his thigh before holstering the pistol.
"I was fourteen at the time but I took this gun and found every one of those dogs and sent them to hell, my dad had taught me to quick draw since I could walk." He drew the pistol a few times, testing the leather of his holster.
"What are you packing?"
Chihiro drew back his black duster to reveal his Ninja-to sword.
"Mister you're gonna need more than that pig sticker, Jubal Kane and his men are very dangerous."
"So am I Steele San, trust me I do not need one of your guns."
Steele shrugged and walked out side, he retrieved his black Stetson hat from where it had fallen when he jumped off his horse. He turned back to Chihiro.
"I need to bury Jenny but I want to do it alone," he said, "Go into town and meet me at the Blackwood Saloon, we will speak more then." Steele walked over to the coral and took a saddle rig that was draped over the fence.
"Take one of my horses, I take it you can ride?" Steele fixed the saddle onto a black Saddlebred mare.
"I can, we do have horses in Japan."
"Good, this here's Molly; she is a good stead, well mannered."
Chihiro took the reins and mounted the horse. Steele, with a wave of his hand, indicated down the valley.
"Fort Blaine is five miles that away, be careful when you get there, foreign types are treated with suspicion."
Chihiro dug his heels into the horse’s flanks and moved off in the direction of the town.
Fort Blaine was a town, which lay in the shadow of the Shasta Cascade Mountains; it had grown up and around the Fort. Blaine was starting to become a thriving community, with its own Church, Courthouse even a Post Office and Railway Station. The Fort, which was the towns’ namesake, lay in the centre of town, with the buildings built around it in a circular fashion. Blaine had been a Cavalry outpost until some years back when it was handed over to the town.
Chihiro rode into town to the curious stares of its residents. He knew talk would spread of the stranger in town so maybe he would not have to look for Jubal Kane, he would come to him or at least his minions would for a man like Kane would not wish to sully his hands.
The street before him stretched all the way to the hill with the fort perched at its summit. Chihiro guided his stead along the street, taking note of the buildings on either side. The towns people looked the same as would be found in any frontier town but with one difference, they looked scared. He dismounted outside a building with the legend General Store above its doorway. Securing his horse to the hitching rail, he stepped into the shade of the overhang and leaned against the support pole. Chihiro knew if you studied the comings and goings of people on any street in the world it can give you a feel for the type of town the street belonged too. For the next ten minutes, he did just that, watched as people walked or rode past him. Some carrying packages, some just out for a morning stroll, all taking care of their own business. The aroma of tobacco smoke mingled with the smell of horse manure and the dust on the street. The people here seemed better dressed than in other towns, leading Chihiro to believe the people here quite prosperous, many in suits and waistcoats, which were at odds with the fear he saw and could almost taste.
A bell ringing drew his attention up to the Fort. Off to his left he noticed several men with rifles step into the street and formed a line across it. People stopped what they had been doing and began walking towards the Fort. He stayed where he was and waited for the men to reach where he stood.
"Get movin', up to the Fort," one said, gesturing with his rifle. The men were all dressed alike, all in black with red bands around their Stetsons. Chihiro pushed off the post and walked up the street. The mournful sound of the bell filled the air with its urgent call to what ever waited in the Fort. More people came out of the stores and saloons to join the throng on the street. Chihiro followed the crowd, noticing more black clad gunmen had entered the street urging the crowd on wards.
Dust filled the air from the shuffling feet of the crowd who seemed to be gripped with a feeling of dread. Chihiro's curiosity was peaked now as he wondered what kind of spell hung over this town. Rounding the end of the street they came to an open square at the base of the hill, the crowd settled in round the square, which was marked off by more men in black. He looked around to see other gunmen perched on nearby roofs scanning the crowd. In the centre of the square was a contraption that looked like a crucifix attached to a carriage, the head of the cross was held down by tightly wound rope secured to a pegged wheel.
A low murmur came from the crowd, which was silenced by the Fort doors opening, two men in black dragged out a badly beaten youth of about fifteen years. Dragging him down the hill by his arms, they attached him to the cross. He was moaning softly and briefly struggled against his captors.
Chihiro looked back to the Forts entrance, a man of about fifty years emerged, standing at five foot eight, he was not a very imposing figure but something about his posture spoke of power and inner strength. His grey hair was combed back over his head and a neat grey goatee decorated his chin. He walked with a silver-topped Cain in his right hand and something about the way he carried his left arm seemed odd.
So this is Jubal Kane, thought Chihiro.
He was flanked by a huge bear of a man, dressed in black with a red sash around his waist and a Cavalry saber sheathed at his hip. They walked down to a platform that was placed to one side of the carriage. Kane climbed onto it and the big man stayed at the side.
Chihiro pushed through the crowd so he could hear what the man would say.
Kane looked around the gathered throng as if he was looking at each person individually; some shrank back from his gaze.
"Am I not the father of the feast?" he called out, his voice held a lilt from the southern states, saying ah instead of I
"As the Lord our god is my witness, I have given this town life," he leaned forward as if to emphasize his point, “Through my various enterprises I have put food on your tables and money in your pockets."
People in the crowd bowed their heads, not daring to catch any ones eye.
"For the love of money is the root of all evil, it is through this craving some have wandered away," Kane paused for effect, his eyes blazed with righteous indignation, “And pierced them selves with many pangs-Timothy 6-10."
He pointed a finger at the boy on the contraption.
"Brother James is guilty of taking a horse from his neighbor and then trying to sell it on."
A man stepped out from the crowd and said, “He didn't steal it I gave it to him in lieu of payment," one of the black clad gunmen stepped forward and drove the butt of his rifle into the man's stomach.
"Brother Isaiah, this was not cleared with my house so it was an act of evil; I will bring down the house of Sodom one brick at a time!"
With a flick of his wrist, he signaled the men by the carriage who activated the contraption. The cross sprang forward and the youth was catapulted through the air, he flew over the heads of the crowd and smashed into the Fort wall where a grid of sharp spikes had been erected. His body hung there, pierced and bleeding.
A chorus of oohs flew round the assembled people, Kane turned back to them.
"Be sure my anger is righteous and vengeance is swift, obey the law and you shall all be swimming in God's light." With that, he climbed down from the platform and returned to the fort.
Chihiro had all the information he needed, Kane was a religious madman who held all the people in thrall with the bible and a gun. A most dangerous adversary. He watched as the large man stopped by the spikes and licked blood from the end of one before looking back at the crowd, with a wave he disappeared inside.
The crowd was starting to disperse, Chihiro turned away and spied Steele riding towards him.
"I see you have seen one of Jubal's shows," he said as he dismounted.
"Indeed, tell me more of this Jubal Kane."
"I will in the Saloon, consigning my wife to the grave has given me a terrible thirst." Steele nodded to a nearby saloon. They walked over and Steele secured his Horse to the hitching rail.
They found a table in a dark corner of the dimly lit room, it was sparsely occupied, just a couple of cowboys at the bar. Chihiro made sure he was seated where he could see the doorway. Steele purchased a bottle of whiskey and placed it alongside two glasses on the table. He took the proffered glass from Steele and took a sip, the fiery liquid slipped down his throat, it was not Saki but nice all the same.
"So, tell me all you know of this madman."
Steele explained how Jubal had come to town some five years hence, no one knew where from but he had the mannerisms of a firebrand preacher. The town fathers had taken to him and the ideas he brought forth, so much so they more or less handed over the running of the town to him. Indeed the town did begin to prosper, with the arrival of his black cowboys, crime with in the town boundaries dropped to zero, all the Faro games and other gambling emporiums were thrown out and made illegal. Word soon spread of this crime free town and people came to Blaine to settle and the town grew, Kane was very happy to loan money out to help the new residents but the interest rate was high and late payments punished with attacks on person and property. But there was a price for this growth, Kane ruled with an iron fist, he installed one of his own as Sheriff and he him self was the town Judge, there was only one punishment for even the slightest infringement was death. If any of the town residents tried to leave the black cowboys killed them on the trail, fear ruled this town.
Chihiro listened to all this in silence, letting all the information sink in.
"What about county law, the Marshals?" Chihiro asked.
"Kane pays them a hefty sum to stay away from the town," Steele said as he took a hefty slug of his whiskey, "We are so far off the beaten track they don't bother coming round anyway, even before Kane it was rare."
"Something must be done; do you have any friends in this town?"
"Isom Dart, he's a black smith, got a place just off Augusta Street."
"Let us pay Isom a visit."
The sound of the bat wing doors cracking against the saloon walls made them look up. Four of the black cowboys had entered the room, each carrying Billy clubs. The two cowboys at the bar quickly sidled out and the bar man disappeared through a door behind the bar.
Steele began to rise but Chihiro put a hand on his arm.
"It is time for my audition; you need to know I am capable of aiding you on the path you have set for yourself."
The men walked into the middle of the room.
"Steele!" one of the men called out, smacking the club into his palm, "Hope you got the message we left you, Jubal wants his payment."
Kane stood up and walked over to stand in front of them.
"Well looksee here what we got, a Chino man." The man who spoke was at least six foot tall with a hard face, a scar ran from the corner of his left eye into his bushy mustache.
"I'm Japanese you ignorant gaijin, do not step onto this path, leave now or join your ancestors."
The four men looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"This ones mine boys, stand back I gonna brain a chino man." He darted forward, swinging his club at Chihiro's head. He ducked under the swing, sliding to the left. His right hand shot up in a spear strike. Rock hard fingertips slammed in to the mans throat, blood spurted out of his mouth. Chihiro stamped on the cowboys right kneecap, and as he fell, he grabbed his head with both hands and twisted snapping the neck with the sound of a gun shot as his spine snapped. He was dead before he hit the floor.
The other three charged as one, Chihiro evaded their strikes and dispatched them, leaving three more dead bodies on the floor. He turned to a stunned looking Steele and said, “Did I pass the audition?"
"Damn, I ain’t ever seen any one fight like that." He stood up and slapped his thigh as he spoke.
"Come, let us go, we have sent a message."
They left the Saloon and a bemused Steele led him to Isom Dart's Blacksmith shop. Isom was a huge former slave with skin as dark as any Arizona night and muscles that would shame a bear.
"Adam, good to see you," his voice as deep as a gold mine. Isom was working at his anvil, slamming his hammer down onto a horseshoe. It was hot as the desert from the fire constantly burning in his Forge.
He dipped the shoe into a bucket of water causing it to steam as the metal cooled. Isom took it out and dropped it on to a bench along with the tongs holding it. He wiped his hands on a rag and leaned against the bench.
"What can Isom do for you today?"
"They killed Jenny, Isom." The Blacksmiths eyes grew hard.
"Bastard!" He said, “I am sorry Adam she was always nice to me, brought Isom a nice blueberry pie last she in town"
"Me an' my new friend here Chihiro are going after him."
"Thass bad juju Adam, Kane got five hundred men up and around his Fort."
"Make that five hundred minus four, Chihiro just killed four of them back at the Indian."
Isom whistled; he looked at Chihiro for the first time, "Hell to pay in town now, you've started a war."
Chihiro studied the Blacksmith; if they could get this man on their side, he would make one hell of an ally.
"You want Isom's help yes?"
Steele nodded, “You don't have to, but we sure could use the extra hand."
Chihiro stepped forward, "Jubal Kane is a bad man, and he has held this town for far too long."
Isom gripped their shoulders, “By the Lord and all his angels Isom is with you and may mercy fall on all their heads." He turned round and disappeared into the back and returned with a large box, placing it on the bench he opened it and removed what looked like a Winchester rifle, with a few modifications.
"Isom been working on this for a while now," he held it out to show them.
Steele took it and examined the rifle, "I can see it's a rifle but…"
"Isom been reading stories about Robin Hood, I made a rifle cross bow."
Steele handed the device to Chihiro, it was like a normal Winchester rifle but with two prods sticking out both side and a second rear, facing trigger had been added to fire the quarrels or bolts that were held in a loading box on the side.
"It still fires bullets but if you want a silent option, you have the crossbow," he said with a big grin.
Chihiro tested the pull on the trigger and the tightness of the string, this would be a very effective weapon if a little cumbersome, one of the teachings of Ninjutsu is to utilize what is useful and adapt to change; he had trained in the art of Kyu Jutsu, the art of the bow, this was something new to him. He smiled back at the big black man.
"You are very talented Isom, could I borrow this?"
"Of course, let Isom show you how to load it." He took the rifle and loaded the magazine with short bolts.
"These are made of Iron with eagle feathers, strong and they fly true."
Isom handed the rifle/bow back to Chihiro along with a hip bag, which held more bolts.
"I don't wanna break up this party but those bodies will be found soon," Steele said, “We need to come up with a plan."
"I have one of sorts," Chihiro said, “We need to draw the majority of the black cowboys away from town."
"And how do we do that?" Steele asked.
"We spread a rumor round town, a large force of cavalry are on the way here with US Marshals, they are say twenty miles away."
Steele grinned, "I like it, and Kane will send a force out to meet them."
Chihiro nodded, “Hopefully, you too set up a distraction near the front of the Fort and I will enter from the rear to open the gates."
The Blacksmith nodded, “It is good plan, if it works, Isom know where some dynamite is stored; we make boom boom."
"You two spread the rumor; I will go watches the Fort,” Chihiro said, “If all goes to plan make the distraction as soon as it is full dark."
Chihiro located himself on a roof overlooking the front gate of the Fort to watch the comings and goings. Guards walked the walls; he counted thirty men at any one time patrolling up and down. Shadows started to deepen as the day wound on, several towns folk entered and left through the gates; Chihiro wondered why no alarm had gone out over the men he had killed, for now peace seemed to reign over the town. This would shortly change; Jubal Kane had a reckoning coming and fast.
Just as the shadows touched the gates, they opened and out streamed about two hundred black clad men on horseback. Chihiro smiled the ploy seemed to have worked. He dropped down from the roof and used the ever-deepening shadows to make his way round the hill to the rear of the Fort.
The hill was covered in scrub and boulders, using this as cover he crawled up to the wooden walls. With his back to the wall, he waited in the deepest shadow. Shortly there came the sound of several explosions from the town, then the sound of many gunshots. It seemed Steele and Isom had enlisted help. He affixed his shuko climbing claws and began to scale the wall. Soon he was up and over onto the wooden patrol platform. Chihiro crouched and scanned the area. The interior of the Fort consisted of a large L-shaped building and several square bunkhouse type buildings. All the men left in the Fort had assembled at the front, there was about twenty remaining. He hefted the bow rifle and quietly made his way round to the front of the Fort, the men all seemed busy, checking out the area in front of them and did not see Chihiro. Even when the first man fell, a bolt protruding from his neck. Chihiro hit four more before they realized something was wrong. More bolts flew out finding their targets and men fell, Chihiro dropped to one knee and used the rifle to shoot the rest. Bodies fell and blood spurted into the night air and before the final one toppled, he was by the gates opening them for Isom and Steel. They approached up the hill followed by six more people.
"Got us some support," Steele said as he passed through into the Fort. They spread out in the compound, taking cover behind wagons and boxes, all aiming at the l-shaped building. Lights came on within and the sound of smashing glass reached them. Several shots came from the building.
"Jubal come out and fight like a man," Steele called out from behind his hiding place.
Chihiro ran up some wooden steps back to the platform that ringed the walls. He ran round until he was above the building and jumped on to the roof. A chimney with a thin line of smoke emanating from it protruded from the roof. He took a pouch with some powder in it from his pack and dropped it down. The effect was immediate, a massive cloud of white smoke puffed up and he knew the room was now filling with the choking cloud. He ran to the front of the building and flipped down to the ground, drawing his sword in the air. Several men appeared, tumbling through the door of the building, the steel of Chihiro’s blade cut them down.
A roaring sound came from the doorway and the great bear of a man Chihiro had seen earlier charged out and was on him before he could react, knocking him to the ground and sending his sword flying away. They rolled over and over, stopping with the big man on top, his huge bear like paws digging in to Chihiro’s throat. Spittle and foam flew from his mouth as he growled at Chihiro. His mistake was leaving Chihiro's hands free; he unleashed a deadly fusillade of knuckle and sword strikes against various nerve points on the man's arms and upper body. The man fell back, Chihiro cat flipped to his feet and launched a punishing knee strike to the man's chin. He flew back, his hands out. Chihiro unleashed a volley of fist strikes finishing with a two fingered eye strike piercing right through to his brain. Bear fell pole axed to the ground. Dead.
The others approached, weapons still aimed at the building. The coughing and spluttering figure of Jubal Kane emerged from the cloud of smoke billowing out of the door and windows.
"The Lord God almighty shall strike you down for this blasphemy," he bellowed, “I am the father of the feast and ye shall bow down to me."
Chihiro stepped back and turned to Steele, "He is all yours my friend."
Steele approached and stopped about eight feet away from Kane.
"I am gonna give you more of a chance than you gave my wife Kane," he growled, "Throw down old man, skin that smoke stick."
Kane seemed to compose himself and glared at Steele through slitted eyes so he could easily see through the smoke that was still billowing from the building. His hand pushed back his dress coat to reveal his gun. Steele's hand hovered over his, fingers flexing. Kane's left eyed twitched and a bead of sweat ran down his forehead. He took in a breath and his hand moved going for his weapon.
A shot rings out in the night; all those watching held their breath. Kane stumbled back a look of surprise on his face and a hole between his eyes; he fell to the ground and moved no more.
A cheer went up from Isom and the six towns’ folk. Isom did a little dance singing, “Kane he dead, Kane he dead, we safe in our bed."
"Do not celebrate to long, we still got to figure out how to deal with Kane's men who have probably figured out they been had." Chihiro retrieved his sword and sheathed it.
"I wouldn't worry too much 'bout them, we did more than spread rumors," as Steele spoke the sound of explosions came from the edge of town followed by the sound of gunfire and men’s screams.
Isom walked over a big grin on his face.
"We persuaded some other folk who were tired of Kane; Isom gave dynamite ha ha ha."
When the golden orb of the sun rose in the sky the next day, Chihiro and Isom stood watching the towns folk digging graves for the dead. Steele approached and stood with them.
"What are you going to do now?" Steele asked.
Chihiro looked at him, “Continue my journey on wards to New York and then home."
"Always wanted to see New York," Steele said, “Mind if I tag along, nothing for me here now, except memories and ghosts."
"What about your ranch?"
"Old man Turner who owns the Double Deuce near me wants to buy it, think I'll sell now."
"Isom come too, you boys need someone to keep you outta trouble."
Chihiro smiled, how could he refuse, and it would be good to have company on the road.
"Hey maybe you could teach me to fight like you?"
"May be."
The big Blacksmith put his arms round them both and laughed until tears filled his eyes.
THE END.


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Impressum

Texte: Andrew Scorah
Bildmaterialien: Andrew Scorah
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 23.03.2012

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