Dark Edge Village

Butaj has a difficult challenge ahead - to convince Huludai today is a bad day to gallop, with the whole steppe being like a mushy goo after the torrential raining. Butaj is also dispirited by the news of Chi-pu's death last night in a fight against a wyrm. The news that Yobanjin wyrms get this far south is no good indeed. It looks like with the return of the Unicorn old grudges will catch up with them. Rocs may come soon enough.

Butaj tries to bribe Huludai with apples to tone down the letdown.

A squelching sound can be heard first. Then, a voice. "Good morning. Um, do all horses like apples? Are they a regular food, or a special treat? Oh, and I'm Seppun HItako, Jade Sahir."

"It is a treat but it is not special if you like your horse. Huludai spoils Butaj with being fast and furious in riding, Butaj spoils Huludai with apples. Happy men are men at their best!" Butaj laughs patting his bay black steed as he turns to regard the Imperial. "Butaj is Moto Butaj." Then her words dawn on him to the sound of oooh. "Oooh. Are you really a Sahir, Sayyeda? Trained by the Qabal? How can you be both an Easterner and a Sahir? Do you have a jinn?"

"I - I do not know what the Qabal is. I am called a Sahir, because that is what the founder of the school of Shugenja that I attend has named his school. He says it is named for the teaching of his own father, who did come from the Burning Sands. And, I think I have a Jinn, yes, but a very small and weak one. At least, he calls himself a Jinn of Smokeless Fire. That is a Jinn, isn't it?"

Butaj is confused by these facts, especially when he hears the woman speak Mekhem. How can she know things and don't know them at the same time? But he decides to answer before asking. "Qabal are great Sahir of Medinaat as-Salaam, their Duqaq's School of Astronomy is famous across the Burning Sands! They summon great Jinn who grant them many wishes, it is known!" He rubs his stubble where the beard was yesterday. "Butaj thinks the name of your Jinn sounds like Jinn! Maybe he grants wishes too?" He looks at the apple. "Or perhaps when you feed your Jinn better if he is weak and small now?"

"That - is possible. I... I do not know the best way to feed a Jinn. Or, maybe I have a very small Jinn, and it needs time to grow? Do you know how to best feed a Jinn?"

"Maybe it feeds by burning something smokelessly?" Butaj suggests an apple after. Huludai is clearly taking advantage of Butaj being distracted.

"This is what I have been feeding it, but... it grows no bigger so far. Thus, I wonder if it might be young yet, and need time. Ah, how many apples does, uh, Hululudai get in a day?"

As the Moto and the Seppun speak, Mei rides into the stable atop her horse.

Or what the Rokugani pass off for one.

"Oh my"

She lets out a breath as she rides past the massive Otaku warhorses.

"So these are the famous steeds we have heard so much about. Be careful they do not eat you, Ti-Lu. "

Mei dismounts and takes Ti-Lu's lead into her hand, walking with him until they come across the Moto and the Seppun.

Mei bows.

"Good Morning, Seppun-san. Unicorn-San"

"Butaj doesn't know much about jinn..." On Hitako's cue Butaj realises that as they have been chatting Huludai has got his teeth deep in the apple basket. He whisks it away from his steed, laughing. "One or two but as you see he can't get enough!" He then turns to the new arrival, saying nothing about the pony. Small is beautiful and all. "Good morning! Butaj is Moto Butaj." He greets the newcomer with a warm smile.

She bows

"And I am Miya Mei. Do you tend the stables, Moto-san?"

"Butaj is no stable boy." Butaj is not offended, just confused. Maybe the lady with small horse haven't noticed his swords.

Mei looks around for a moment. When she lays her eyes back on Butaj, she realizes the error she made.

"Oh! My deepest apology, um. Unicorn?-san"

She bows and her voice raises in question.

"Miya Mei-san, may I introduce to you Moto Butaj, a most interesting member of the Moto family of the Unicorn clan. Moto Butaj-san, may I make known to you Miya Mei, a" she squints at the mons "Kakita trained member of the Miya family of the Imperial families." She gives a bow to the other Imperial.

Mei returns the bow and then looks at Butaj expectantly to introduce the Seppun.