Dark Edge Village

Waking up early in the morning, Tenzo sought to take a stroll and stretch his legs while Lady Sun was beginning her journey across the sky, and so it was that he found himself wandering to the stables by the edge of the village. He slowed his walk for a time as the many large yurts appeared before him, and he watched as attendants ran to and fro to see to it that the horses had been fed and brushed before their riders would take them out later in the day. Curious to see the famed Unicorn horses for himself, he picked one of the tents out and entered it. The smell of manure was strong, though Tenzo was used to it having spent time around the Miya stables and taking them out on occasion.

What the Otomo was not used to seeing, however, was the massive steeds that stood all around the stable, almost each of them save the youngest and still-maturing larger than even the largest horse he could remember his cousins possessing. And as he looked down the line of them going all the way to the other end of the yurt, he could not help but be slightly in awe at such impressive creatures.

Early it is but not to early for a pair of lions to slip quietly into the stables, Kyra's presence annouced by the nervousness of the horses at the arrival of the large predator but Ryori just smiles "calm my friends my sister has already had her rice today" he smiles and bows low "majestic are they not Otomo sama"

"Good morning, Shimizu-san," Tenzo responded to the newcomer, returning the Lion's bow with one of his own though slightly higher than the one he received. "They most certainly are indeed: even the largest of the Miya's horses that I have had the pleasure to see and even ride before would very well likely fall solely in the shadow cast down upon one of the Unicorn's steeds at the height of Lady Sun's journey."

And it was then that the Otomo caught sight of Ryori's "sister" and in doing so he slowly rose to attention quite a bit, almost appearing a little stiff. "... perhaps it is the haze of the early morning that has come over my vision for I believe now I see two majestic creatures before me," he added.

"Otomo sama, you must remember we are here to find Unicorn brides, do not be flirting with my sister, she might blush" he smiles wide and jovially as he scatches Kyra behind the ear. "I am Shimizu Ryori, and this is Matsu Kyra, we are of course at your service Otomo sama." he makes a hand sign and Kyrie stretches out her front paws and rises her hear haunches, head down in the semblance of a bow.

"Of course, Shimizu-san, yet just as this is the first I see of the Unicorn steeds I might also say that this is the first time eyes have come across one of the famed warcats of the Lion." Seeing that the large cat appeared under a semblance of control, going so far as to offer a bow, the Imperial relaxed a little bit. "I am Otomo Tenzo, scribe and historian for the Imperial Archives. You have come this morning to admire the Unicorn's steeds as well, I take it?"

"Hai, I made friends with some on the road such as Gekkou, but " he frowns " those wounds were not present yesterday" he does not approach the steeds only observing from afar and seeing that they are well bandaged and cleaned easily from here. " have you heard of trouble in the camp Otomo sama?"

"Wounds?" Tenzo looked over to the horses for a moment and it was only just then that he noticed that one of the attendants, rather than filling water troughs, moving manure, or shifting dried grass about the stable, appeared to be checking one of them quite thoroughly, a bandage on the side. "I have heard of no such trouble, Shimizu-san. You suggest that the bandaging is fresh? And is related to some sort of matter that has only now occurred no less?" the Otomo asked, folding his arms before him as he listened for details.

"I know those horses, thier riders gave me a ride here. Two of the Otaku Shitome, and thier horses were not injured yesterday afternoon. They are the same horses, and that means the wounds are fresh." he frowns " I can not say how they gappened or if they happened here but both riders were at dinner last night."

"I see..." the Imperial responded with a nod or two as he looked to the horses and their bandages again. "I have no knowledge of any trouble or oddity around the village, Shimizu-san, and so I have no insight as to why there are fresh coverings on the steeds. Perhaps they were scratched against something accidentally as I have seen sometimes occur with the Miya horses when they are taken out on a long day's journey or even for a hard ride about the grounds and forests. Certainly it happened to one I rode upon once before, a bramble as we traversed a thicket that had become overgrown, and notice it neither horse nor I did until we returned to the stables," the Otomo recalled as he looked up and then down at the immense standing height of the steed nearest him.

"Given the size and stature of these beasts compared to the ones my dear cousins ride, I wonder if they had even noticed that something came about their flank," he reasoned.

"It is possible I guess" he shrugs " so Otomo sama what brings the eyes and ears of the emperor all the way out here?"

"To find a spouse, of course," the Otomo stated the obvious with a nod and a flair of humor. "But this humble servant of the Son of Heaven has been tasked to hear the tales of the Unicorn, to learn of the many events and people involved in their great journey beyond the Empire, to listen to the deeds and names of those current Unicorn among us as well as document ancestries and lineages as best as possible, and to record all of it for submission to the Imperial Archives. Even in but a single day, one has learned much already." He pulled out from among his things a courtly fan, slowly unfurled it, and began to fan himself lightly, partly from the heat and partly to at least waft a little bit of the manure smell away from his nose.

"And I assume that Shimizu-san is participating in the miai as well?"

"Hai, I have brought gifts from the Ikoma of lion records of the Ki Rin from before they left, and am here to help forge an alliance between our two clans"

"Records from so long ago will be of great interest for the Unicorn to read, such is certain. There are many - myself included - that will surely fill the Unicorn in on all that they have missed and all that has occurred in the time since they departed, but a gift of the familiar - stories of the Ki-Rin of old in the earliest days when the Kami still walked among us - would not only also be welcome, it is a subtle reminder that once upon a time they were of the Empire and that what had once been lost to us is now being made whole," Tenzo opined on hearing of the Shimizu's gifts.

"You mentioned that you had met some of the riders of these magnificent creatures yesterday - the Otaku, I might guess? Perhaps you have already met your spouse, then, and do not know it until the day of?"

" I have had extended discourse with three of the Unicorn samurai-ko attending the miai. Otaku Kitakuhime sama is you and very cheerful, quite adept in the ways of bushido, Otaku Chi-pu is older, more experienced, a veteran of many battles and of some military rank. I also sat with Moto Khulun last night, she was, different. Raw and unfiltered, reminded me much of the Matsu or even Hida, but she appears honest, forthright, brave, and valiant even if her, court skills could use some polishing."

He gave but slight nods as the names were rattled off. "Further names for which I must document, to be sure. I did have chance to come across the one called Moto Khulun last evening, by the campfires as a few of us exchanged stories. Your assessment is a fair one, I might say: much like a Hida, of strong will and physique without attentions paid to the more courtly matters... raw, honest, charming in its own way," he trailed off for a moment. "A relation to the Moto daimyo as well, as I have heard and as she herself said. This one hears quite a number of the kuge stock are present for the miai, the Unicorn not only putting their brightest scholars and strongest warriors forward but their most noble of nobles as well," Tenzo added as one of the horses in the background whinnied.

"There are those among them that, despite having been so far and away from our lands for a time, are very much in line with our traditions and very much like us. From what I have witnessed thus far, there are those quite different than us. I am unsure at this point which to prefer in a match, but there is still much time to be concerned with that..."