The Potter's Boy by Tony Mitton

Author:Tony Mitton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.

Three days on from Akio’s address to the company, they were ready to leave. They set off early in the morning, in a gray light streaked with wispy mist. Everyone carried a sparse bundle, much as Unzen and Ryo had on their journey from Cold Mountain to the Hill Camp. The idea was to move swiftly through the landscape and to camp minimally each night with just a small sleeping sack and modest rations. In this way they would demonstrate how effective they might be as a light unit with the ability to travel at speed and attract minimal notice. One of the essential virtues of the Hidden Ones was their ability to impact lightly on the world and yet to wield great force with little display. For that reason, they observed the discipline of traveling in silence. Nobody chattered. Only essential words were used for practical purposes, and these were uttered briefly and quietly. Part of their training had been to develop an aptitude for stillness and silence when words and movement were inessential. So all members had acquired great discipline in this respect. As Ryo traveled with them he marveled at their sure, steady efficiency. This helped him to maintain his edge alongside them, and so to feel that he belonged.

From time to time he was sent up to the side of the group, particularly when there were rises in the land from which the farther landscape could be surveyed. On his return he would report to Akio to tell him what he’d seen. On one occasion he spotted a band of soldiers. Their armor and weapons glinted in the sun, and as the breeze shifted, he could just hear the faint jingling of the horses’ bridles and the clatter of their equipment.

How different, thought Ryo, from our way. They declare themselves from a distance, as if to say, “Keep out of our way. We are coming. Or if you want combat, stay right there in our path …” Whereas we cut a silent swath through the world, barely rustling the grass.

When he mentioned the soldiers to Akio, Akio just nodded once.

“Not our problem,” he said quietly. “If they come too close, we will melt away and let them pass. They won’t have any idea of our presence as they go by.”

But as Akio had surmised from Ryo’s report, they came nowhere near and posed no problem to the company. They were traveling in the opposite direction to the Hidden Ones.

So the journey proceeded smoothly. It was to take several days. On the morning of the last day, Ryo found himself in a state of nervous but eager anticipation. His fellows showed no evidence of sharing his feelings. There was no way of telling whether they too had such emotions but were well enough disciplined to contain them. But he put it down to his own lack of experience and development. He was excited by the prospect of seeing, for the first time in his life, a great city.

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