Dark Edge Village

Saksaha ties back the door flap of her yurt and scans the sky. Rain coming? Inside the tent it's cozy enough, though, with a tray of fried dumplings and some fresh farmers' cheese, and a pot of milky tea on the stove.

She's not sure what her relatives will have made of the notes she sent them, but badly hopes they'll come. This isn't a decision she feels she can make alone.

Moments later Dong-Ha appears, his hair braided and chin shaven. "Noon'.." he greeted Saksaha, bobbing her a bow. "I got your missive." There was a hint of curiosity in the young mystic's voice.

"Hello, cousin." She starts to reach out her hand in greeting, but corrects to a bow when he bows first. "Come in. I have many things to tell... but I should wait to see if others will come."

It would save repeating herself too many times!

Dong-Ha followed Saksaha in and sat down on a well worn pillow, seemingly content to wait for the others to arrive. "That's a good idea... you called everyone?"

"I did," she confirms. "This is something all should know of."

The Iuchi looks up to the skies, it's overcast by dark clouds, rain will be coming and Batul had left to the miai without her umbrella. The samurai-ko had chosen for the rain a simple cotton kimono which should be enough for the cold as well as for the rain, covering herself with a straw cloak over it all.

"Konichi wa" She greets her cousins of family as she reaches the yurt.

"Hello, Batul-san." Saksaha reaches out to clasp her younger cousin's hand in greeting (though it's up to Batul to decide whether to reciprocate!). "Come in and have something to eat. Dong-Ha-san is here, but let's wait a little longer. Yukarin may come." She sounds a little uncertain--in her note she'd tried to make it clear this wasn't just mystics' business, but she's not sure whether she succeeded or not.

Batul comes in, taking the hand of her cousin as she greets her. She does it instinctively, as it is a custom of the Unicorn, and doesn't even realize that it is part of the old ways. Only when her hands are together, is that she realizes, and gives a look at the hands with a nostalgic smile. "It is always good to come back home." She added as she went into the yurt looking for a comfortable and warm place to sit in.

"Oh hi. Good to see you." Dong-Ha quipped as Batul entered the tent. "I hope everything's fine with you?" he asked she seated herself.

She arrives super late, bowing to each of her cousins, "Sorry, sorry! It looks like things are just starting though?"

"Oh hi Yukarin-san. Feeling better?" Dong-Ha greeted the late arrival.

Turning to Saksaha, he added. "Look's like everyone's here, then." There was a certain kind of curious gleam in his eyes,

"Welcome," Saksaha says to Yukarin (who after all is only a little late, especially in a society without a lot of clocks), offering her a cousinly handclasp as well. "I have strange news on which I would seek counsel from you all."

After everyone is settled with tea and food, she closes the tent door and gravely proceeds to fill them in with a full account of yesterday's meeting by the old tree.

((Linking/summarizing to save time (especially as I'm writing this on the bus!) but assume that Saksaha will cover all the major points and answer any questions that are within her power. Key facts include:
-Khulun's meeting with the dead birds
-Shinjo's token (supposedly) that she always carried on her, received from the dead birds
-Onyx Champion's somewhat vague claim about a common enemy with the Unicorn and his request for an alliance
-Khulun said she'd bring representatives of the other families to a meeting in two days to discuss this
-Otaku have already said NOPE in the person of Kitakuhime; Khulun is so far undissuadable
-Saksaha has a really bad feeling about this ))

Yukarin frowns deeper and deeper as the story goes on. As it finishes, her chin is in her hand and her face is very concerned indeed.

"Surely the Iuchi cannot be involved in this either; If this so called Onyx Champion truly does serve the Kami Shinjo-no-Kami could not turn back to the light, the same Kami that slew lady Otaku..." she shook her head, "I appreciate Moto-sama's desire to find out more, but the Iuchi are already on tenuous spiritual ground with our Rokugani cousins. To widen that rift or risk any corruption..."

Saksaha listens attentively and nods with a serious air to thank Yukarin for her words. Then she glances at the others, reserving further comment until they've had their say too.

"I am inclined to agree with Yukarin-san here." Dong-Ha nodded carefully. "Were we not called to return to... what was it, Second Day of Thunder? Our oaths to the Empire, as intangible as they might be, require us to stand against what this champion presents, not standing besides them." Shuffling where he sat, he continued. "We cannot stop Moto-san from going, if she's so inclined. But at least we can ensure that our kin is not dealing with an evil eye."