‘One little swordsman,’ someone said, ‘and you all run like frightened rabbits.’ Yu Yu understood the word rabbits and guessed the moment of truth was approaching.
‘I didn’t notice you standing up to him,’ another man pointed out.
‘I was caught up in the rush,’ the first responded. ‘It was like being in a stampede. If I hadn’t run I’d have been crushed to death.’
‘I thought we had our own Chiarze Rajnee,’ put in a third voice. ‘Where in Shem’s balls was he when we needed him?’
Here it comes, thought Yu Yu Liang miserably. He turned his bearded face towards the twelve men in the group and glowered. ‘Well, he ran past me like his arse was on fire,’ someone observed. A ripple of laughter sounded.
Yu Yu rose slowly to his feet, his double-handed sword glinting as he swept it left and right in what he hoped might look a menacing fashion. Plunging the blade into the ground dramatically, he drew himself up to his full height. ‘Any man think me afraid?’ he asked, lowering his voice. ‘Do you?’ he thundered, leaping forward and stabbing his finger at the nearest, who, surprised by the suddenness of the move, fell backwards. ‘Or you?’ No one spoke. Yu Yu breathed an inner sigh of relief. ‘I am Yu Yu Liang!’ he shouted. ‘Feared from Blood River to shores of Jian Seas. I kill you all!’ he bellowed.
In that instant he saw their faces change, from surprise to stark horror. It was very satisfying. Suddenly one of them scrambled to his feet and ran towards the south. Immediately the others followed, leaving behind their meagre possessions. Yu Yu laughed and threw his hands in the air. ‘Rabbits!’ he shouted after them. He expected the men to retreat a little distance, but they carried on running. Surely I cannot have been that terrifying, he thought. Must have been the firelight glinting on the muscles of my arms and shoulders, he reasoned, looking down and clenching his fists. Ten years of ditch-digging had honed his upper body beautifully. This warrior life is really not so hard, thought Yu Yu. Bluff and bravado could achieve wonders.
Even so, their reaction was unusual, to say the least. He squinted into the distance, looking for signs of their return. ‘I am Yu Yu Liang,’ he shouted again, keeping his voice gruff. Then he laughed, and swung back to where he had left his sword.
Standing quietly in the firelight was the little grey-garbed swordsman.
Yu Yu’s heart skipped a beat. He leapt backwards, his heel landing in the fire. He swore and jumped forward, then scrabbled for the sword, yanking it from the ground and waving it furiously back and forth, while at the same time shouting a battle cry. It would have been more impressive, he realized, had it not burst forth in a shrill falsetto.
The Rajnee stood very still, watching him. He had not drawn his sword. Yu Yu, still holding his sword aloft, glared at him. ‘I am Yu Yu Liang . . .’he began, this time in Chiatze.
‘Yes, I heard,’ said the swordsman. ‘Are you left-handed?’
‘Left-handed?’ echoed Yu Yu, bemused. ‘No, I am not left-handed.’
‘Then you are holding the sword incorrectly,’ observed the Rajnee. Moving past Yu Yu he glanced towards the south.
‘Are you going to fight me?’ Yu Yu asked him.
‘Do you wish me to?’
‘Isn’t that why you came here?’
‘No. I came to see if the robbers were planning another attack. Obviously they are not. Where did you find the sword?’
‘It has been in my family for generations,’ said Yu Yu.
‘May I see it?’
Yu Yu was about to hand it to the man. Then he jumped back again, slashing it through the empty air. ‘You seek to trick me?’ he shouted. ‘Very clever!’
The Rajnee shook his head. ‘I am not trying to trick you,’ he said quietly. ‘Farewell.’
As he turned away Yu Yu called out after him. ‘Wait!’ The Rajnee halted and glanced back. ‘I found it after a battle,’ Yu Yu said. ‘So I took it. The owner didn’t care. Most of his head was missing.’