Dark Edge Village

Kogo sat in front of her yurt on a blanket, enjoying the balmy evening sprawled on Noburu. Noburu lays there grumpily, but mostly content. "I know lovely one. We have been too busy of late. Too much talking, not enough doing." She sips the tea she had acquired and looks at the stars. "Perhaps if I stare long enough, some kind of sign will appear of my path. That's how its supposed to work, right?" Noburu growls grumbily. "You are no help at all."

There was a grumble of sorts... or maybe a small earthquake? thought Batul as she walked through the yurt area. But it was all revealed when she passed another yurt and before her she could see a beautiful golden creature laying next to a samurai-ko of, Batul clenched her eyes and gazed, Lion clan?.

"Good evening, Lion-sama." She ventured as she came closer. "I had no notion of such fascinating creature in the Miai." She dared not come too close, staying at prudencial distance from the lion beast.

Kogo rises at the apprarance of an unknown unicorn maiden. "Konbanwa Unicorn-sama. I am Matsu Kogo and this one is Noburu. She is quite friendly, you need not be concerned. "

Batul reached closer to the Matsu, one of the most famous families of the Empire. "Konba wa, Matsu Kogo-san. I am Iuchi Batul." She bowed to the Matsu, and then faced the Lion "Konba wa, Noburu-san."

Though she came closer, she still kept at a distance. Batul knew how a horse could be dangerous to pass behind, so a lion could be a source of even more danger if it felt uneasy, and the inexperience of the Iuchi with this type of animal could cause this at any moment.

"I hobe Matsu Kogo-san has been enjoying her stay with the Unicorn clan."

Kogo noted her unease, but also her respect of Noburu. She moved between the two, so the Iuchi would not need to step closer to converse, her back still up against Noburu's side. "I have been enjoying it greatly, though it has not been precisely what I thought. Have you been enjoying meeting others of the Empire?"

"I have enjoyed meeting some of the samurai of the Embire, yes." She confirmed in her thick accent of the sands. "I had yet to meet one of the Lion clan, though. Which is why I am most grateful to meeting mighty Matsu-sama." She continued with polite words. "As newcomer of the Embire, I have asked others about their clans, and how they do in the Embire. Yasuki-sama and Kaiu-sama told me of the heavy duty of the Crab, Soshi-sama of the lands of the Scorpion, Ichiro-san of the Badger's customs and ways... what about the Lion, Matsu-sama? I would like to hear from a samurai of the clan to better understand."

Kogo nods, glad that she has enjoyed herself. "The Lion...The Lion are known as the Right Hand of the Empire Iuchi-sama. We are often concerned with the art of War, produce a great deal of generals and tacticians from our families, fuel a good portion of the Imperial Legions and defend the Emperor from all threats." Even internal ones. She adds in her head.

"This is good to know. So the Seppun are the guards of the Emberor, and the Lion is his executive hand, like the Shinjo family to the Chambion of the Unicorn. But this makes many questions to my mind." Batul tapped her finger on her chin as she thought deeply about this. "Why does the Emberor need an army force when all must obey him? Does he also not have one Imberial Army?"

Kogo pondered how to answer this. "The Emperor has the Imperial Legions, which are his primary military force. But many of the Clans keep a military presence. The Lion have the greatest numbers, followed by the Crab, but the Crab's numbers are used more for the defense of the Wall. In times of need, the Lion have the greatest ability to summon up large numbers of troops and lead them into battle at the Emperor's command." Or at their own desires, as the case may be.

Batul took in the information from the Lion, it was rather interesting, maybe it was due to having problems with other nations, or strong forces that attacked the Empire. Otherwise it didn't make sense to build up armies. "I have heard of the Crab's duty, I find it a brave dedication, and do not believe I could do the same. The stories I have heard " there was a shiver that went through the body of the small Unicorn "so brave."

The samurai-ko cleared her voice, and then turned to one side and another, making sure that they were speaking alone. The courtier side of her pulled to her curiosity "Has Matsu Kogo-san made any idea of any suitor that she would be interested in?"

Kogo saw the gesture. Ahhh. Curiosity. She smiles. "I have some ideas. What of Iuchi-san? Any thoughts?"

"There are some that are interesting for me. I have sboken to some of the men, only found interest in one or two, but it is still soon, and some days are to come." She explained with a bit more detail than the Matsu had. "But for someone as delicate as me, I would need to find a brober husband in a safe blace. I will not shun my duty if needed, but would brefer to marry out of the Kaiu Wall, this is the only unsafe area I think exists in the Embire, neh?"

Kogo thinks a moment. "It is...the most consistently unsafe area, I would say. Other areas might be unsafe, but those depend on the times and tides of war. But the Crab are quite skilled at their duty and many do not live directly on the Wall. It is not a place for those without training for it." She looks at Butal, wondering what her skills are. "I have enjoyed meeting a great deal of your clan. Your honesty and sincerity is deeply enjoyable." She says, sincerity evident in her face.

"We are followers of the Bushido, the link to our heritage and our home." She added to her comment "Bushido is very sbecific when it comes to being truthful, so it is only exbected that real samurai would be honest in all moments. His word is binding, and the strength of ones word is bowerful." The samurai-ko smiled and her sincerity was unique, there was no way that the samurai-ko of the Unicorn could ever lie, or at least that was what could be seen on her young idealistic face. "But I shall not occuby more of your time, Matsu Kogo-san. May the blessings of the Fortunes follow you the coming days."

Kogo listens intently, hearing a spirit of kinship in the young Unicorn woman. "It is no imposition Iuchi-san, but I am glad to have met you. I hope the Fortunes bless you in the coming days."