Black Arrow

PROLOGUE
THE FATAL ARROW

EchigoProvince, Japan:

Leaf-TurningMonth (September), A.D. 981

The evening sun slanted through the branches of tall cedars and splashed across abloodred maple on the other side of the clearing. From the valley below came sounds of horses and shouts of men.

A young woman emerged from thetrees, leading a child-a boy, no more than three years old, in bright blue silkand with his hair childishly parted and tied into loops over his ears. Theyoung woman was slender and beautiful, and dressed in a costly white silk gown embroidered about the hem and full sleeves with nodding golden grasses and purple chrysanthemums. Her long hair, which almost reached the hem of herdress, was fastened with a broad white silk ribbon below her shoulders.

In the middle of the clearingthe child pulled free to chase a butterfly. The young woman called outanxiously, then laughed and ran after him.

From the thicket, Death watched the two with hot eyes, clasping the large bow with his left hand, while theright slowly reached over his shoulder to pull the long, black-feathered arrowfrom the quiver slung across his back.

The boy lost the butterfly andturned toward the woman, who sank to her knees and spread her arms wide toreceive the child.

Death bared his teeth. He was close, his bow powerful, the arrow special. With luck it might take only the one shot. He placed it into its groove, pulled back firmly, and aimed.

With a shout of laughter the boy hurled himself into the waiting arms, and Death released the longsteel-tipped missile. He watched as it found its mark just below the silken ribbon in the woman’s black hair, heard the muffled blow clearly in the sudden silence, and watched as she fell forward, slowly, burying the small figure of the child beneath her. Heavy silken hair slipped aside, and a large red stain appeared on her white silk gown, spreading gradually from the black-featheredarrow like a crimson peony opening its petals in the snow.

Even the birds had fallen silent.

Death remained frozen for a few moments, watching, listening. But there was neither cry nor movement under thewhite silk, and he slowly lowered the bow.

The silence was broken by asmall bird’s voice, then by the humming of insects and distant shouts of the hunting party in the valley. Death quickly left the clearing.