Dark Edge Village

Hirase, thanks to his son, was an early riser. Their breakfast together had been more than enough time for Hirase to realize that something was indeed afoot with the Unicorn, at least if the rumors were to be believed. Thinking back to a conversation a few days ago, he was fairly certain they were.

So it was that, after leaving his son with Ericko for a time, he came to this shrine to pray. He honored the Champions, current and present, first, but then he set himself to praying to whichever fortune it was who oversaw Fate.

He was not eligible.

He was starting to think that was a gift.

The sound of hard hoof steps approach the shrine, Oguro was not stealthy. The Moto sniffed air, something was coming.

Horses at shrines. He knew even as he turned that it would be a Unicorn here; the only question was which one.

Seeing Khulun, the Asako altered what he was about to say even as he bowed. "Ohayou, Moto-san." He looked over her horse. "Steed-san." Moving toward her, in the hopes that perhaps she might be urged a bit back from the holy space by that motion, Hirase continued his greeting. "Have you had rice today?"

“No rice, just jerky, cheese and milk,” she replies and then pats her horse, “This is Oguro.”

“I am glad to see you, actually.”

"Oguro-san, then." He smiled at the introduction...it was an honor among these people, he thought. "The greeting is a traditional one; what your actual meal was doesn't really matter." He paused. "Though I wonder what jer'ki is."

A few more steps brought him to within an arms reach and he looked up at her. "Were you looking for me? If so, I apologize...I did not know I was needed."

“Not so much looking but you were on my mind since… Chi-Pu, I know you did not know her long but I know she was looking forward to learning more of you,” she says.

“I suppose I was just thinking of what could have been.”

Sorrow flickered over the other man's face, though he kept the smile. "Yes. I thought of it, too. And I wondered how you, who seemed to be her closest friend here, were managing the loss. No opportunity for you to be able to assist in my abduction now, I am afraid."

"It is long dagger deep into my bosom," she says honestly.

Sympathy took what sorrow could not, leaving the Asako with a solemn expression. "Have you lost close friends before? Learned a way for yourself to ease it? I know we are very different in our training and experiences, but I would share what I have learned in this if you wanted to know it."

Sympathy took what sorrow could not, leaving the Asako with a solemn expression. "Have you lost close friends before? Learned a way for yourself to ease it? I know we are very different in our training and experiences, but I would share what I have learned in this if you wanted to know it."

“I have lost friends, but still it hurts, to have come so far for such an end,” she says honestly.

“I will listen, Sayyed Hirase.”

"You know that I had a wife and lost her." He actually couldn't recall telling her that, but was certain that Chi-Pu must have mentioned it....wasn't that what women did? "She was a warrior, too, and fell in honorable battle. I was proud of her, but still...it was hard."

Since he was going to have to look up at her no matter what, Hirase decided he might as well be comfortable and, after moving enough steps away from the Shrine to consider himself out of it, sat crosslegged.

"Our marriage wasn't a love match. It was arranged, as most are in my Family. But we'd become great friends over our time and it was as a best friend that I mourned her. I found my comfort for a few days in drink, but it was a hollow comfort and left me unable to do the tasks my Duty required properly. I knew she would have been ashamed of that and so I set about doing the things that I know she would have wanted. After all, she is not lost to me forever...I may see her in the life after this one or even Yomi if I am that fortunate." A small smile rose. "I tried to imagine what she would say, what she'd be pushing me toward, and do that. I used all of the energy I could spare on it, wearying myself until sleep couldn't help but strike me down. There was a peace in that and I cherished it."

"Drinking kumis did not help, fun though," she admits.

"I just want her to be proud."

This Hirase understood all to well and he nodded.

"I know that her Family was important to her, that she wanted desperately to be a shining example they could follow. She wanted her people educated against the dangers of Rokukgan that they could not know I did not have the time with her to learn what her other goals and wishes might be, but perhaps you were able to. Is there anything you can think of that she spoke of hoping to accomplish that you could take up in her stead?"

“Her every thought was with the Clan, their defense was her sole mission but she did have one thing… sadly it can never be made right,” she says.

“She wanted to know the touch of a man, but well… I don’t think that’s going to happen.”