Dark Edge Village

As they day began at the Shrine of the Emerald Champion, Hotaru could be found at space set aside to house the temporary shrine that were meant for each respective Fortune. It was a rather pleasant day, especially joined by the breeze that might do something to cool the tempers around the camp. She fiddled with making new paper charms that will be complementing each newly erected shrine. It seems to have her in rather good spirits, after all, there was a place for prayer now.

Yuki had heard the news, and maybe felt she had some praying to do after last night. Trailing behind the Phoenix maiden was a new acquisition, a puppy that had been given to her by the Moto. Yuki had to constantly turn around and cajole him to follow after her, holding out a closed hand that, presumably, held treats. The puppy would quickly turn and follow Yuki then, or her hand at least.

Looking up from the pup, she smiled at the small renovation to the shrine. "This is wonderful."

From around the counter, a dog with a furry orange mane emerged and gave a few low barks at the other dog who was approaching the temple, probably in some protective gesture.

"No. You don't need to do that!" She ordered the young dog. The other dog paused for a moment and gave another few barks once more. Hotaru frowned and picked up the dog in her arms to reign in on his behaviour.

Hotaru smiled sheepishly at Yuki and dipped down in a bow to greet her. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Asako-san! I'm glad that you think so. As you can see, I've managed to convince the Governor...and then the rest happened!" She giggled. "Of course, hopefully we'll have some continued support...so that this can be more than just temporary!"

The pup stops dead at the sound of barking and tilts her head from side to side. Rei watches the chow for a moment, then in a bound of glee starts to move towards the other dog before Yuki can stop her.

"Ah! Rei-chan, no!" Yuki called out, chasing after the dog and grabbing her before she could make things worse.

Yuki blushed as she picked up the struggling pooch. "Ohayou, Bayushi-sama." She looked around again. "It isn't much yet, but it already looks much better than before. I'm that with time the Unicorn will fix this place up to look proper." She nodded a bit, then looked back to Hotaru. "Is there anything you'd like me to do? I admit, while I did help clean a few shrines when I was younger, I'm certainly no expert."

Batul chased after the small Dibi "Dibi! Dibi!!" She called to the puppy that ran to the other two dogs in the temples.


"Sorry" She apologized to the other two samurai-ko as the dog stopped next to the nearest dog and smelled it's hind. "I didn't think that training would be this hard."

As Rei squirmed, Yuki finally released her to go greet the other puppy.

She turned and looked to the young Iuchi, smiling. "Hai, they are troublesome, but sweet, neh?"

"This one has broven to be a handful." Added the Iuchi to the statement of the samurai-ko. "But I am habby to sbend the day with little Dibi." Hearing his name the puppy turned to the Iuchi, tongue sticking out, and ran towards her jumping up to her knees. The Iuchi brushed him away, not wanting her fine kimono to be dirtied, and crouched before the puppy to caress him behind the ear. "Who's a good boy? Fetch!" The samurai-ko threw a stick away that the little one chased after quickly.

"I believe we have yet to meet. My name is Iuchi Batul." She continued talking to the pair with a greeting bow.

Yuki giggled a little at the puppy's antics. Upon the introduction she startled a bit. "Oh! Of course. I am Asako Yuki, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Rei saw the stick fly and chased off after it as well, grabbing one end as Dibi grabbed the other and started to tug.

"I met one of the Moto in charge of the war dogs a few days ago, he explained some of what they do, but I hadn't expected the Moto to have us play a role in it."

"I find this demonstration of my clans dedication a more delightful one than others from before." The samurai gave a look at the puppy, it would be hard to say good bye by the end of the day, she knew it even though it was still morning and they had just met. "In more than one occasion, trained dog have saved many samurai of the Unicorn from death in the sands. There are many hidden dangers there, and the keen senses of a dog combanion have been of great use. It is only for their dedication that they deserve today's tribute."

Yuki paused for a moment, noticing something about the woman's speech, but decided not to say anything about it, as it would be rude.

"Certainly more cute." Yuki agreed with a grin as she looked back to the puppies at play. "Horses and dogs, are there any animal companions that the Unicorn have not mastered, Iuchi-san?"

"Animals are of great imbortance to our clan." She continued making no attention to the samurai-ko's awareness on her accent. "Not only they allow us to move, but also are source of brotection, food and clothing." Known the repulse of the Rokuganí towards those aspects of the Unicorn, the Iuchi tried to explain. "In the desert the sources are scarce. We cannot find cotton, or silk in the dunes, or fish and nuts on the embty blains. The survival of the Unicorn debended on the milk, and other broducts, of the animals we had with us. The desert night was kept away thanks to the fur of them too."

It was a delicate topic, so Batul tried to draw it to another instead. "What can Asako Yuki-san say about the Fenix clan? I understand you live in north of Embire, near sea, neh?"

Mamoru gave a few low barks from his elevated position in Hotaru's arms as the other dog neared to keep his place over his protectorate. Hotaru smiled sheepishly and rocked her dog a little, much like a baby, to still him. "Oh, well. We do have quite a few shrines now. While they are wondrous for currying the Fortune's favour, they are also good for picking up grass and stray leaves in the wind. It might be good to go around them, checking for anything like that. Also, are you good with your hands by chance? I think the torii could use a new rope to be hung and I can add some new charms!"

"Bayushi Hotaru, honoured shrine maiden of the Shining Retreat. I'm pleased to meet you!" She said with a warm smile, greeting the Iuchi and her ward.

She quietly listened to Batul talk about animals with a smile on her lips... Oh my Kami! Did you hear that, Mamoru-kun? They're going to eat you and turn you into clothing if you don't do well...We'll train extra hard together!

Yuki looked a little lress surprised at the concept of the devouring of a pet and using their skins, but she'd read stories like that in her books. As the Iuchi seemed eager to move off the topic, Yuki acquiesced gladly. Rei, not understanding human words, dropped down into a play bow and barked at the Iuchi's dog.

"The Phoenix clan?" Yuki took a little extra care to pronounce the word without giving any special attention to it. "Where to start... we are the most magically gifted of the clans." Arrogant? Perhaps, but also accurate. "We value peace and wisdom above many other things, overall, though of course we are not all like that. Our lands are... well, most of them are quite beautiful, with a great variety between hills, plains, mountains, forests, and coasts. Our lands are, as such, perhaps the most diverse of all the Great clans."

Batul listened carefully and with interest to the Asako. It was the first phoenix that she had met and she looked powerful. Batul's skin had always been lighter compared to that of her kin, but next to the other two samurai-ko, she felt dark. The samurai-ko pulled her sleeves a bit down to cover as much as she could of her own skin to hide this that was a cause of pride for her, her fair skin.

"Sounds like a wonderful blace to visit, Asako Yuki-sama." She turned to the Scorpion to whom she had not asked, and not wanting to make her feel left out acknowledged the lands of the samurai-ko. "I have heard that the Scorbion lands are also of great beauty and great interest, between the high mountains that are the Sbine of the Embire, and the most mysterious of all Forests in the Embire."

"What about the men of the Unicorn, I wish that Bayushi Hotaru-sama and Asako Yuki-sama have found them honorable ones, and adequate."

Yuki blushed a little. "More than adequate." She admitted, "While some will need some further training in the ways of Rokugan, they have the souls of honorable samurai."