Dark Edge Village

Great offerings, what does that mean?

The light was fading and Shrine was deserted, silent and solemn. The way the shadows coalesced and pooled about the modest arch sent a shiver down her spine. She took a steadying breath. Numerous tokens and offerings had appeared since she last visited, it made the Shrine seem less imposing and more... what? Desolate... she shivered again.

In her hands she clutched a paper fan. It was her second-most valued possession. A simple thing, inked with elegant calligraphy, a short poem. She knelt before the arch, brow furrowed. After several long minutes of thought, she spoke, "this humble one comes with an offering for the Fortunes, in gratitude for all they have granted, and in hope that they might never turn me from their favour."

She looks at the paper fan, "this one has little to give, and begs that the Fortunes might accept this humble offering, so small as it is." Carefully, she places the fan on the grass before her knees, she ran her fingertips over the calligraphy, the folds. Her breath caught in her throat, tears welling in her eyes, it is all I have to give.

Finally, she takes a flint and steel. She holds it over the paper fan. "In the sight of the Fortunes," and she struck the steel to the flint sharply. Sparks showered down, some of the landed on the fan, many of them simply fizzled out. But a breath of wind sighed around her, and one of the sparks caught and began to burn. She placed her tiny hands around the fledgling tongue of flame and leaned forward.

With soft breaths, she encouraged the little fire to life, and it licked along the paper fan. The paper crisped and blackened, crumbling away as the fire consumed it. And when it was gone, the wind picked up the fragments of ash and began to scatter them. She turned her face heaven-wards. "Thank you."

It had been an interesting week and a half.

Tomonaga approached the shrine, his long stride carrying him quickly, even though he walked without intentional haste. But there was no denying that there was perhaps a little spring in his step, an extra bit of energy that wasn't always there.

Over the course of the week, Tomonaga had gone back and forth over the nature of the Fortunes, luck, math, skill, and action. He had little doubt that it was his taking action that made the difference in the end. However, that didn't mean that the Fortunes weren't perhaps partially to thank. Might as well thank them in return.

He saw the kneeling figure from a distance, recognized Amaya once he got a bit closer. His smile, which had started to grow, faded a bit as he spotted some little clues about her body language. He was there to pray in thanks. He guessed she was there to pray because she needed to.

Tomonaga drew close, to a distance of about ten feet. He cleared his throat softly, so as to draw her attention without startling. His brown eyes were concerned as he looked at her.

It was Satsujin who noticed the approaching samurai first, stirring in the grass next to where she was kneeling. Upturned face bathed in the moonlight, she breathed deeply. The soft clearing of a throat did startle her, but her body didn't betray her. She held out her hand to Satsujin and the weasel quickly scaled her shoulder, perched looking at Tomonaga with bright, black eyes.

She gets lightly to her feet, efficient but unhurried, assuming that it was someone looking to supplicate before the arch, and she is surprised to meet Tomonaga's eyes when she turns. She easily reads the happiness that flows from him, it was the same way she had been feeling for several days now.

"Tomonaga-sama," and she bows.

"Amaya-san." Tomonaga returned the bow with a gentle smile. "Satsujin." He acknowledges the little creature's presence with a flicker of a grin before he turned his full attention back to Amaya.

"Errr... sorry for disturbing you." Tomonaga said. "But I'm glad I got to see you one more time before all this is over. What brings you here tonight? I mean..." He smiled, waving towards the shrine. "That much is obvious, I guess."

She smiles appreciatively at his acknowledgement of her pet. "Moshi-sama suggested that I should make an offering, so here I am. I've never..." she gives a tiny, sheepish shrug. "But she has read my fortune twice now, and both times have referenced offerings. That I cannot ignore."

"She told mine as well. In retrospect... it was entirely accurate." Tomonaga smiled, his eyes bright. "I think it is wise to follow her suggestions."

Tomonaga looked for a moment to the shrine, then back to her. "Offerings weren't mentioned to me, but some very wise people... or maybe just a wise person and an interesting one. Hmmm. Anyway, they reminded me of the role that the Fortunes play in all of this. And so, I came to give me thanks." Again, a smile flashed.

"Please," she smoothed her kimono with tiny hands, "do not allow me to keep you from paying your respects."

In retrospect is usually the only way we recognise our fortunes, but still, I wonder what she said to him. Perhaps it bodes well for me too. A prince about to become king...

"EH." Tomonaga waved a casual hand. "There's no rush. If you're all done with yours, I'd rather chat with you, instead. After all, I wouldn't want to make you wait on me, and I'd like even less if you left before we chatted." He flashed her a charming grin, something he did as naturally as breathing, it seemed.

"Time does seem to have gotten away from us, hasn't it? Just a week ago, it seemed as though the mi-ai would never end, and yet here were are. There were so many I did not even have the chance to meet, and some that I met far too late." She murmurs, happy and wistful, "you seem well today."

"Ah, well." Tomonaga said. Again, he isn't quite able to hide a grin. "I'll just say that things have been going well for me lately. I have high hopes for the end of the miai."

"Which, like you said, is coming very soon." He sighed. "I think I feel the same as you about that."

"I long for my fate to be decided, finally, the uncertainty does not sit so well with me. But I will be sorry to leave behind the people I have only just met. I go to a strange home in a strange land, with no one but my husband to call friend or ally. I confess, it frightens me just a little."

Tomonaga gave Amaya a warm smile. "I'll be sorry when you leave too, Amaya-san." He said, his voice deep and soft.

Some of his excitement faded at the word picture she painted. "Yeah... it does seem like that could be frightening." He said, still smiling, but with a slight crease in his forehead. "But... surely it's all about the right friend and ally, right? I mean, your husband, by all accounts, cares about you a great deal." As always, he spoke as though the matter of who Amaya would marry was already settled.

Now he grinned again. "Besides, hey, you won't be without friends forever. If nothing else, you've invited me to come visit you, right? I believe there was mention of working out a sake trade."

She blushed just a little when he said he would be sorry to see her go, smiling. "I have a great deal of faith in my future husband. Our future might not be so confidently assured as the one you will undertake, but I try not to see that as uncertainty, but hope that I can form and shape it in a way that pleases, not just me, but my husband as well."

"Whatever my future holds, there is a place in it for you, my friend."

As always, Tomonaga could feel the tug of that pretty blush. But, as before, he resisted. "That's a fine way of looking at things, Amaya-san. I like it. And I think you're right about it."

Then it was his turn to flush just a little at her words. "It's kinda funny how the past and present shape the future, too. I met Iuchi Yukarin-san the first day I arrived here." A hint of light in his eyes. "I might not have. It was a pretty random meeting." He chuckled at the memory. "I guess I wonder..." He shrugged.

A small laugh, "after the welcome dinner, I was drawn by the familiar sound of Butaj singing near my yurt. An Imperial who was also listening asked me to sing." A smile blooms across her face. "How strangely these things work out."

A gentleness comes over her, and she reaches for Tomonaga's hand, and her own seem child-like as she holds his delicately, palm down, as if she could divine the future from his knuckles. Earnestly, "I have no regrets, but part of me will always wonder."