Dark Edge Village

The evening found her on the Western Fields once more with Satsujin, her tatami, and the box of tiny bite-sized treats. She set herself neatly on the mat, preparing for the first training exercise.

Matsu Kyra is on the prowl, patrolling for bandits. She does not enjoy the smells in the area, between the lake, the weasels that attacked her brother earlier in the week, and any lingering scent of last night. She seems nervous and tense, which means it is a good thing she is not wandering around town.

Her brother watches from a bit away, keeping an eye on his sister, they spent much of the last day, after the disastrous joust, in the wilds further from town, getting thier frustrations out, but sadly with little luck.

Kyra catches the whiff of one of the bandits and begins stalking toward where it seems to be accosting a Unicorn maiden.

Perfectly oblivious to the approaching predator, Amaya plays a little game of tug-of-war with the weasel, letting him pull away, then taking control and drawing him back in, letting him "win" without ever relinquishing control of the ribbon. She knows that if she was always the stronger, Satsujin would grow to dislike the game, but at the same time she must show him that she was dominant.

The stalker grows closer as the strange little bandit keeps fighting the young maiden for her ribbon, just as she is prepared to pounce though a sharp sound is heard across the plains as Ryori has now noticed her intent, and whistled shrilly as he approaches the Ide, Kyra freezes every muscle in place still tensed and ready but not moving a whisker.

Both girl and weasel look up at the whistle. They immediately spot their stalker, but as Amaya's eyes go wide and she freezes, the weasel's eyes narrow and it crouches in a posture similar to Kyra's. Noticing the tiny creature's foolhardiness, she quickly scoops him up and restrains him.

"Ohayou?" she calls to the approaching samurai.

"I am sorry Ide-sama we were out looking for the bandits that attacked the egg festival of the Shinjo, apparently my sister mistook your small doshin for a highwayman." he bows.

She laughs, soft and musical, stroking the weasel's fur to soothe him. Offering a seated bow, "I do not believe we have met Shimizu-sama. I am Ide Amaya, and this is Satsujin."

"I believe you are correct Amaya-san," he bows " I am Shimizu Ryori and this is my sister, Matsu Kyra" he waves to Kyra as he sits she rises from her pouncing position only to lower he front half briefly in Amayas direction then pad over to setyle down next to her brother.

"Your sister is exceptionally well mannered," she says approvingly. "Have you enjoyed the ma-ai thus far?"

He smiles "It has been challenging but no unenjoyable"

"I am gladdened to hear that. I feel that your Clan has possibly had the easiest time adjusting to the Unicorns." She looks at Kyra, "you call her sister, were you cubs together?"

"We keep good records, so we never questioned the validity of your claim or forgot our missing family, unlike others." he looks at Kyra and rubs her head " She was born while I was in training to be a beastmaster, I was there when she was. We have trained together since that day to fight as one. We went through gempukku together, and we will travel together till one gives thier life for the other"

"Forgive me if I'm impudent, but what does a beastmaster, and their sibling, do for their gempukku?"

"We must prove our skills, Primarily in tactics, teamwork, as well as combat both armed and unarmed, and, to a lesser extent , knowledge of law, etiquette, history, physical fitness, and fortitude." he smiles, " what do Ide gempukkus entail?"

"The Ide specialise in mediation and negotiation. For my gempukku I was required to settle a dispute between two merchants. Both had been found to be cheating the other. There was a lot of animosity between them, they were not eager to resolve their differences, much less allow an Ide Emissary intervene."