Cold Blood: A Yamabuki Story

Ever kill a man?" The fencing master's eyes searched hers. "I can see you haven't. That takes cold blood." Sixteen-year-old Taka Yamabuki, royal by birth, but samurai by training, embarks upon her first mission: to deliver important dispatches to the capital. Untested and traveling alone for the first time in her life, Yamabuki encounters a vivid tapestry of natural beauty, unusual characters, unexpected friendships, and indiscriminate brutality and violence. But an unknown assassin dogs her trail. And before she knows it, her life hangs in the balance. A lyrical novella of adventure, young love, and self-discovery, Cold Blood brings alive the experience of a young woman warrior in 12th-century Japan.