Sisters of the Sword (18 page)

Authors: Maya Snow

BOOK: Sisters of the Sword

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EPILOGUE

I
can move as silently as a ghost, a
kami
spirit walking the earth. I can make my way through a grand celebration at the Shogun's court, rubbing shoulders with nobles and lords.

But they will pass me by, never knowing I am there.

When I move past a shrine in a forest, the few who stand to silently pray do not see me at all.

I walk alone along the waters of the eastern sea, where only the sunset watches me.

Almost alone, but not quite.

Because those who have died on my path walk with me every step.

That day, kneeling in the meditation room with Hana at my side, I knew it was time to leave the safety of the dojo and follow a new path.

I knew that one day my softly treading footsteps would carry me forward to meet Mother and Moriyasuâ¦.

And I hoped that my courage would allow me to
restore the honor of my family. My heart was filled with hope that, once we were together, I would be able to keep them safe.

How could I have known what tragedies awaited us?

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks to Helen Hart

Thanks also to Dr. Phillip Harries
of The Queen's College, Oxford,
for his invaluable advice and expertise

About the Author

Maya Snow
once had an aikido teacher who told her that the best place for a tree to hide is in the forest. Maya decided that the best place for a writer to hide is among her own words.

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Credits

Jacket design by Ray Shappell

Copyright

SISTERS OF THE SWORD
. Copyright Â© 2008 by Working Partners Limited. Series created by Working Partners Limited. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

EPub Â© Edition DECEMBER 2008 ISBN: 9780061985638

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