Dark Edge Village

Monkhbaatar had sent notes to the two women, hoping to get them together so they could discuss some of the finer points of priestly duties and religion, allowing him to recognize the differences between the Unicorn and Crane. And hopefully mediate if things went poorly. It would be an excellent learning opportunity, and perhaps help him build friendships with both or either.

He sits at the shrine and offers his own silent prayers before they would arrive.

The young Crane found her way through the damp and muck as she approached the shrine; the straw hat she usually wore had been exchanged for a straw cloak, the better to keep the dampness away from her. Nanami gave a polite smile and bow as she approached the shrine and the waiting samurai, a small bottle of spices in her hand.

"Good morning, Shinjo-san."

When she approaches she'll see a bowl of rice sitting at the shrine. "Good morning to you as well Nanami-san," he says with a wide smile. "I'm glad to see you and hope you're in good health."

"As good as can be expected, Shinjo-san. That storm..." she slowly shook her head. "It was difficult to fall asleep. But the change from the heat is... very welcome."

She glanced to the rice, "I see someone has taken this one's advice." There was a slight smile.

"I loved the storm. I got the best sleep I've gotten since the return during the storm. It was quite wonderful to me. But I can understand how it could have kept you awake. Hopefully you'll sleep better tonight if it does not rain and it stays cool."

Peaking to his rice bowl, he nods. "Yes, I wished to share my rice today as an offering and as part of my prayers."

The other recipient of Monkhbataar's note arrives a little while after the first, with her usual faint rattle of amulets and beads. She has a small cloth sack dangling from her left hand but uses the other hand to wave from a distance as she approaches across the open field, and when she gets near enough, she greets the pair verbally as well.

"Good morning, Shinjo-san." She extends her hand for a Unicorn-polite handclasp. "And this I think is the Kakita Nanami you wrote of. Good morning, Kakita-san. I am Iuchi Saksaha." Her voice is light and a little husky, the Rokugani words perfectly fluent but sometimes carrying a faintly archaic accent.

He returns the clasp with a nod and a smile. "Good morning to you as well. This is indeed Kakita Nanami. She's helped me with understanding Rokugani religious customs and rites as they're traditionally practiced here."

He turns to the Kakita still smiling widely. "And this is Iuchi Saksaha, one of our Unicorn priests. I'm glad to have the chance to introduce you two. Nanami-san mentioned she'd be interested in meeting one of the Iuchi the other night when we were speaking. I wanted to make sure she got the chance to do so. I'm sure that she's interested in understanding the differences of how the Unicorn do things versus the rest of the Empire."

"And I admit, it's an excellent opportunity for me to come to understand those differences as well. Theology has been piquing my interest since the return and I'd like to understand it more fully so that I can properly portray my respect and devotion to the heavens."

The Crane nodded politely, giving a bow to the Iuchi as required. A polite smile painted itself on her face, "I am very glad to meet you, Iuchi-san. It's my understanding that your role as a priest and the gifts it bears are somewhat different from our own - that of the shugenja - in Rokugan and was hoping to learn something about it."

"And, of course," she added quickly, "answer any similar questions you might happen to have."

"I see," Saksaha says, reminded by Nanami's bow to make one of her own instead of offering her hand to the Crane woman as she had to Monkhbataar. "I also am interested in these answers. Kakita-san, do you object to waiting until I have left my offering for your ancestor?" She hefts the cloth bag in her left hand a little to make her meaning clearer.

The Kakita gave a polite nod, "Of course not, Iuchi-san." She gestured with the bottle of spice in her hand, "I, too, must make another offering to Lord Kakita. It seems he's keeping an eye over us here."

For now, Monkhbaatar simply kept quiet with a smile, glad that things seemed to be pleasant. Though they weren't getting into the theological part yet. He nodded to them, as he had already left his own offering.

Saksaha nods and squats down on the step to prepare her things. She takes a flattish wooden dish out of her bag, then a white wool cloth, which, unfolded, proves to contain a handful of dried orange berries of some kind. When everything is arranged to her satisfaction--fruit atop cloth atop dish--she carefully carries it up to the top step to present to Kakita.

Mei hums to herself as she walks along the path to the shrine. She has a beautiful smile on her face as she takes on the scenery

When she reaches the group of gathered samurai, she bows.

"Good morning"

While the two priests offered their prayers, the Shinjo greeted the new imperial with a nod and a bow. "Good morning. I'm Shinjo Monkhbaatar. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"And I you. I am Miya Mei. Welcome home, Shinjo-san. How is your morning so far?"