Inspecting the Ponies (D2 EM)

[Akodo Runno]

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Unicorn's return, at least to Runno, was the large breed of horses they had brought back with them. The idea of cavalry had, of course, existed in some fashion in Rokugan before Shinjo's progeny had returned. But the standard stock had been little more then small ponies, suited more for travel then war.

Here though Runno could see these beasts were more terrifying in their application. It was something that had been occupying her mind since the first reports had trickled into the lower orders. A great many of her fellows looked on the use of cavalry as a dubious thing, but enough....Runno included...could already see the opening possibilities. Both in their use and perhaps more relevant to the rest of Rokugan, the means to defend against a mounted foe.

So for now the Lioness studied the morning maneuvers of the would be horse lords, well their morning exercises at any rate.

[Moto Baatar]

A young Unicorn rider was putting his horse through its paces that morning. The horse was not the largest among the herd, but certainly larger than the ponies the Rokugani had brought. At first the rider set his horse to trotting for awhile; then he suddenly turned and galloped back across the field with a fierce whoop of joy.

It wasn't exactly a precise military maneuver, but he certainly seemed to be having fun.

[Akodo Runno]

The display captured the Akodo's attention. Her first thought was that the rider seemed a bit young, more then a little ironic given her own age was only three years his senior, but on further reflection it should be more surprising that even younger Unicorn were not on the field. Then Runno's mind wandered back to her prior thoughts, which still left her attention on the young Moto...or more specifically his horse. It was not to difficult to imagine the beast and rider smashing their way through unprepared infantry, even those well trained and hardened.

[Moto Baatar]

The young rider wheeled his horse around and began another charge back across the field. The Unicorn hunched low in the saddle as his mount's powerful flanks pumped mightily beneath him. The difference between the Unicorn steeds and ordinary Rokugani horses was pronounced.

For a lone, unarmored rider it was just a bit of horseplay; but it was not hard for an observer to imagine how much force a massed cavalry charge might have.

After reaching the far end of the field, the rider turned his horse around once more, and cantered slowly back to the nearer side of the field before dismounting to give his animal a rest. The young Unicorn led his horse to a nearby water trough, where it began drinking voraciously. After a moment, the rider pulled the horse back gently to keep it from overfilling itself, then splashed water from the same trough onto his own face to cool off from the exertion.

[Akodo Runno]

The demonstration was certainly effective. Though the sharing of water, limited as it was, with an animal was certainly pressing Runno's Rokugani sensibilities. The only sign of any discomfort at the action was a small twitch of her nose, as if something horrid had briefly wafted under her nostrils.

For the moment she stood there, tempted to turn back to the other riders. Then a part of her mind pointed out that it was, technically, her duty to meet with the Unicorn. The whole affair still seemed a bit tedious to her. Easier to just be told who she was going to marry and leave it there. So off she went toward the dismounted Unicorn.

"Good morning..." Runno spoke as she bowed, "Moto-san. A fine way to start one's day I assume? The morning ride I mean." And a moment later, "I am Akodo Runno, of the Lion Clan."

[Moto Baatar]

"Oh! Hello," the Unicorn replied, looking up as Runno approached. His face was youthful, with a few drops of water from being splashed earlier. "Yeah, morning is a good time for riding; the air is still cool and fresh. It's going to be hot today, I can tell."

"It's good practice and keeps the horse happy too," he added, patting his horse on the shoulder. "Do you ride, Akodo Runno of the Lion Clan?"

[Akodo Runno]

"Not really," Runno glanced to the horse, "I assume you have seen the native animal? It is....well less inspiring then your own clan's mounts. Perhaps in the future that will change."

She stifled a small frown or was it an amused smile, from the Moto's perspective it would have been only the slightest twitch at the corner of her lips, "My apologies, but I do not recall if you have provided your name."

[Moto Baatar]

"Oh yeah! I'm Moto Baatar," the young Unicorn replied, at Runno's prompting.

"I did see some of the horses that the Rokugani were riding. They seem so small! Are horses not fed properly here?"

[Akodo Runno]

"I am not an expert on the animals," Runno angled her head slightly, "But it probably has more to do with the bloodlines of our native pony."

"Moto? I do not recall there being a follower of Shinjo named such, may I ask where you family originates?"

[Moto Baatar]

"We're wanderers on the Burning Sands, like all Unicorn," the young Moto replied. "Although I suppose we're going to live here now, at least for awhile."

"There was a first Moto once, who swore allegiance to Shinjo ages and ages ago. You haven't heard the tale? I guess that isn't surprising that you wouldn't know, since we haven't been this far east for a long time."

[Akodo Runno]

The Akodo nodded, "I see," She looked back out to the other riders, "Most of my knowledge of your clan is from the Ikoma archives. Which are pretty light on anything past Lady Shinjo's departure."

She looked back to the Moto, "How about an exchange of information? In the spirit of this miai as it were."

[Moto Baatar]

"Su-ure," Baatar replied, a little uncertainly. "Um ... what sort of information shall we exchange?"

[Akodo Runno]

Runno raised an eyebrow at that, "Well the story of how your family came to join the Unicorn. And in return I will try to share similar from my own clan. Of course it wouldn't be the tale of my own family's joining the Lion, as Lord Akodo was Lady Shinjo's sister, a Kami, and the first Champion of the Lion."

[Moto Baatar]

"All right," Baatar agreed. "I'm not a real storyteller, but I'll give it my best shot."

When Lady Shinjo left the land of Rokugan, approximately three and a half trillion years ago, she crossed into the desert of Burning Sands. The Burning Sands are filled with nomad tribes, peoples of every color and every culture. Many of these fought Shinjo because she was a foreigner, and had no place in the desert. The greatest of the nomad chiefs was named Moto."

"Moto was a powerful warrior, who had won ten thousand million battles in his day. But Shinjo defeated Moto, in a mighty duel that lasted a day and a half. Moto and his people realized that Shinjo must be a god, and so they joined her clan. And we Moto have belonged to the Unicorn Clan ever since."

"My turn for a question! But I don't really care how Akodo joined the Lion Clan," Baatar said bluntly. "All that's ancient history. But I do have a riddle I am trying to solve: What makes a poem into a poem, instead of just a bunch of words?"

[Akodo Runno]

"Art isn't something I can claim much knowledge in." Runno sighed, "I am sure there are more than a thousand Crane who could fill a hundred billion pages, and probably have, on the subject."

"However...If I were to answer artistically: a poem conveys emotion from artist to reader, mere words do not. Academically: a poem conforms to a standard of cadence, length, subject, and format that mere words do not."

Runno pauses, "And cynically: because some people who claim expertise says it is."