Young Samurai: The Way of the English
Notes:
Jack is back in more ways than one. For your viewing pleasure, I present Jack Fletcher's adventures in England.
Chapter One: London
The cart trundled along the street. Jack, Akiko and Yori had boarded the transport when they had arrived in England. Several weeks and most of their money later, the horse and cart was finally arriving at their destination: London.
"There it is!" exclaimed Jack, pointing to the city up ahead. Clouds of smoke rose from the thatched roofs of the outer city, creating thick smog above the buildings. Stone walls rapidly approached as the horse pulled the carriage along the dusty road. The carriage ceased to bounce as frequently as the dust trail became a paved road leading directly to London.
Jack shook his head to get the golden hair out of his eyes. He realised he needed a haircut, and knew just the barber to do it once he reached his home. The sight of London approaching filled his heart with joy at the thought of reaching home and his sister, Jess.
"So that's London?" Akiko's soft voice interrupted Jack's musing.
"Yes it is," Jack confirmed with a hint of pride in his voice.
"It looks… smoky," Akiko commented, seemingly displeased.
"That can't be good for the environment," Yori added with similar distaste.
"You get used to it, and it can't possibly be that bad for the environment – the pigeons don't seem to mind," Jack retorted in defence of his home. But truth be told, he wasn't quite so impressed himself. The smoke hadn't been a problem for him in his youth, but now he knew what life was like without it, he wasn't too keen to throw himself back into the suffocating cloud.
"If this is what you want, we'll be glad to stay here with you," Yori said, always wanting to please Jack. Jack, however, knew that Yori was only doing just that: pleasing him.
"Look, if you guys don't like London you can always go home. I only want what's best for you," Jack said. He didn't really want his friends to leave, but he knew he couldn't force them to stay here if they didn't want to.
"No, Jack. We can live anywhere as long as we're with you," Akiko said, smiling to show her sincerity. Jack breathed a sigh of relief at this as Yori nodded in agreement. Akiko and Yori made a silent pact to stop showing their displeasure in front of Jack as the cart finally pulled into the city.
Just as Jack began to will the cart to speed up, it slowed down and came to an eventual halt.
"Alright, everybody off," came the gruff voice of the driver.
"What? We paid you to take us home," Jack said incredulously.
"You paid me to take you to London. This is London," corrected the driver. Jack sighed. Though the man wasn't being entirely fair, Jack realised he had a point that he would stick to.
"Well, could you take us home, then?" He asked patiently.
"Sure, but it'll cost you," the man said, rubbing his thumb and forefinger together repeatedly. Jack pulled out his money pouch and frowned as he felt the smooth inner lining, but no coins. He then realised he had spent the last of the money on food the previous night. Seeing the look on Jack's face, the driver's expression hardened.
"If you haven't got the money, I haven't got the desire to take you anywhere. Pay up or get out!" he demanded coldly.
"You can't kick us out!" Akiko exclaimed.
"Ah, but I can," the man sneered. "Surely you must understand that I can't give free rides to you, or I'd have to give them to everyone."
"You're not giving a free ride to anyone!" Jack exclaimed, frustration burning his throat as he spat out the words. He had paid to go home, and go home he would.
"Exactly, thanks for understanding," the driver said, twisting Jack's words and turning them against him. Then, before they could react, he threw Yori over the side.
"Hey!" Jack and Akiko exclaimed in unison. Akiko drew her katana, but Jack forced himself to stop her.
"That may slide in Japan, but here in England you can get in serious trouble for drawing a sword at someone," he explained hurriedly. But the look on his face showed that he would do anything to change it if it meant he could teach this man what an honest deal was. Akiko reluctantly sheathed her sword and took to glowering at the man.
"That's it, now hop along. I haven't got all day," the man said impatiently. With a resigned sigh, Jack realised they weren't going anywhere anytime soon. He beckoned Akiko to follow and stepped off the cart, throwing the man a dirty look before helping Yori up and starting the journey.
"We're wasting daylight. With no money, we can't afford to stay anywhere overnight and the less time we spend on the streets at night, the better," Jack announced to the others.
"What's wrong with being on the streets at night?" Akiko asked.
"A different sort of crowd takes to the streets at night. Drunkards looking for a fight, mostly," Jack explained. Akiko turned to face him and placed her hands on her hips.
"Jack, after all we've been through do you still doubt my ability to take care of myself?" She accused him.
"What? No, not at all. I know we can handle any amount of drunkards, but I don't particularly feel like trying to keep back a horde of lady-chasers when they see you," Jack explained hurriedly, then trailed off as he realised what he'd implied. Yori gave him a knowing grin as Akiko fell silent.
"And what would they want with me?" she asked teasingly after a moment.
"Oh. Well, you're, um... not the least attractive girl in the city…" he stuttered, his cheeks flushing as he tried to find the right words to say. From the surprised look on Akiko's face, he knew he still hadn't found them. "No! What I meant to say is…"
"It's alright, Jack. I feel the same way about you," Akiko said tenderly, cutting off his hopeless rambling. He stood still for a moment, then realised what Akiko had just said.
"You… you do?" he asked.
"Yes, I do," Akiko whispered, leaning forward to kiss him gently on the cheek. Jack was momentarily stunned, until he regained his composure and gave a forced cough.
"Right, well we'd better get moving. Home's not going to find itself," he managed to say, taking the lead and starting to walk again. Yori caught up and cast him a sly grin as Jack raised his hand to touch the spot where Akiko's lips had graced his skin. Perhaps his return to London wouldn't be as unpleasant as he had thought.
That's all, folks! Sorry the updates haven't been coming very quickly this weekend, I've had some other things to do as well. I should be able to write some more over the coming week, but I can't promise any quick releases like last weekend for a while. Anyway, if you liked this first chapter then please feel free to review it. If you want to keep up to date with Jack's adventures, follow the story or me as an author. That way, you can be among the first to know when I publish a new chapter or, if you follow me as an author, a new story.
If you're a new reader, make sure you check out my other Young Samurai story, "The Way Back Home", which tells the story of the journey leading to Jack's arrival in London. If you're a returning reader, I'd love to hear what you think of this latest instalment in my Young Samurai series. This story isn't about me, or even Jack, it's about you, the reader. If you don't enjoy it, there's no point in writing it.
Thank you for reading, whether you're new to me as an author or a returning reader. See you next time!