Market Day (D1-LA)

[Iuchi Batul]

Batul walked among the market goods as she ventured into the city of the Unicorn. Little could she had expected when she was little that the Unicorn would have a permanent settlement, yet here were the foundations of it.

[Ichiro Daisuke]

Daisuke wasn't really sure if you could count this as a Unicorn Village, not quite yet at least. After all this land had been in the hands of the Lion for many years. Still it would be interesting to see how things might be different the the norm. He had seen more then one Lion Village in his travels after all.

Eyes roaming over his surrounding they landed eventually on the figure of a young woman in the distance, and after a moments hesitation he started to make his way over. "Good afternoon." He offered with a polite bow. "I hope I'm not disturbing you Unicorn-san, but I was wondering if I could have a few moments of your time?"

[Iuchi Batul]

The samurai-ko turned to the samurai that had called to her, leaaving to the side some kimono that she had been looking at on a market stall. She looked at the mon, it was strange, not like any that she had heard of or learned about on the Sands, so it must have been of one of the clans born after the departure of the Ki-Rin.

"Konichi wa, samurai-sama." She started with a bow, her voice carried a strong exotic accent that made the words more fluid than they should "what is it that I, Iuchi Batul, can helb you with?"

[Ichiro Daisuke]

He shouldn't of been surprised that she didn't recognize his mons. So with a smile he introduced himself. "I'm Ichiro Daisuke of the Badger and I was curious. I don't know much about your Clan. But could you tell me if most of the day our markets were like this? Or were they somehow different?"

[Iuchi Batul]

"Badger? This means you are neighbor, neh?" She asked as she realized the origin of the samurai. She did not know much about them, just that they were famous for their strength, and that guarded the northwestern part of the Empire. "We hobe to be as good neighbor as were the Lion, Daisuke-san."

Around them the heimin kept to their work, avoiding contact with the samurai. Most of them were a mix of the descendants of those that had followed Shinjo and those who had served the Lion before the Unicorn returned. Batul could tell the difference between one and the others, specially because the way the Unicorn dealt with the heimin was different from that which the Lion did to their own. She would smile to the children heimin that passed by as they spoke.

"Back in the sands, market day was different. We had tents for commerce, but mainly was for exchanging with other tribes, among ourselves we had no need for exchange since we shared what we had for our survival, distributed by Ide samurai."

[Ichiro Daisuke]

He wasn't exactly sure the Lion were the best of neighbors but then, they really didn't interact much at all. "I hope so as well, though my family mainly keeps to itself. Such things may change in the future though." After all a Badger now held a important role in the empire.

Being addressed by his name was a bit surprising, and honestly a bit more intimate then what he was expecting, and he had to fight down a embarrassed blush before continuing. "Market day? You mean you only had one day with the markets open?"

[Iuchi Batul]

Batul understood that it was the new neighbor that would bring a more open relation of the Badger with the exterior. The Unicorn was not aware of the political situation of the Empire, she barely could remember mons and family names. "I am sure the Unicorn will be good neighbors." She added with a smile on her young face.

"Market day, one day, yes. Why would we need more days? When we were on the deserts, we wandered, we cannot stop every day to make exchange, we would not advance." She laughed at the idea of the Unicorn stopping just so that they could welcome other tribes to trade with, most of the time it was a mere meeting with the Ide daimyo and then back to continuing on the way when they met other nations. Sometimes they would meet a settlement and dedicate the day to recover goods and all. "Now is different, yes. We have reached our home and have no more need of travelling. Now we will settle and can come and go to our cities, our first in centuries."

[Ichiro Daisuke]

Daisuke nodded along as he listened to her talk. "I suppose that makes sense, It's hard to spend much time to set up when you are always traveling." Though he would of thought they would have made stops at least at some points in their journey. "It is a bit different then here though, shops are open just about every day of the year. and people will go shopping each day as well."

"There is no way to get the freshest ingredients otherwise."

[Iuchi Batul]

"When you are roaming the desert, freshness is not the basic thing, but to find enough to last for as long as bossible. Sometimes we not know when we will find food again, so you have to have extra, and learn to breserve the food and water as long as bossible." Batul walked away from the stand indicating the Ichiro to follow so that they could talk at the same time as they could look at the goods. "I also think the ingredients of the desert are known for lasting longer, since they already have to deal with the harsh weather there.

How is life in the Badger lands, Daisuke-san?" She questioned.

[Ichiro Daisuke]

He listened intently as she described what she knew of dessert life, it was a bit hard understanding her accent at times, but in the end her managed well enough.

"I suppose the best way to describe it would be isolated." He replied easily as he fell into step beside Batul. "Not many people have a reason to travel through the Pass of Woe, and we don't get many visitors otherwise. So most everyone you see is the same people you've seen for years. It's nice in a way, but it also has it's downsides."

[Iuchi Batul]

"All the time... in the same sbot? Without much to do?" That sounded very much like a boring life. Her voice indicated that it seemed like a most annoying way of life. Specially for her being trapped in one spot, having been born to travel and move. "Do the Ichiro have magic among them?" She asked, mainly because of the need to perpetuate the magic among her Iuchi family.

[Ichiro Daisuke]

"We have some magic,but it's rare." He conceded after a moment. "We are bushi for the most part, and most of my clan rely on their strength more then anything else."

"And I didn't say there was nothing to do, most Badger will make anything into a contest, mountain climbing, wrestling, boulder tossing, and many other things. And there is also always work to be done as well, so there isn't much time to feel bored. Everything is just done among the people from your fortress for the most part, so if you do something to embarrass your self you can bet everyone will know it by the next day."

[Iuchi Batul]

So there was some magic, at least if needed, the Iuchi magic could be reinstalled if married to an Ichiro, although because of clan status, they would have to go to the Unicorn instead of the other way around. But such value of Strength was strange among the Iuchi. Endurance is nobler than strength and patience than beauty. She remembered hearing from his father when she gazed at a handsome Shinjo samurai upon his horse, with strong arms, and long black hair flowing under the mercy of the air.

"Games are always fun" She concluded to say "It keeps the mind busy, agile. Also works to build the body." She added as she gazed at the samurai. "What brings Daisuke-san to the Miai? What is it that he looks for?" She questioned, looking for more than a simple wife as an answer.

[Ichiro Daisuke]

"Well, to be honest it's practical." He admitted after a moment. "You are our new neighbors to the south, and having a connection even a small one could help improve relations between our clans."

"Added to that there is also chance to learn. Recently my clan has been fighting barbarians from the north mounted on giant lizards, and as your clan has spent the last several centuries beyond our empires borders, there is a chance you've encountered something similar. Or if not maybe there is some tactics you would advise that we haven't considered."

"If you are asking what I'm looking for in a wife though." He frowned. "I'd have to admit I haven't quite put that together. I returned home from my gempukku expecting to be on the battlefield soon after, but instead I am here. It was well.. A bit unexpected."

"Looks don't really matter, though I'd prefer if they weren't too tall. They'd have to want a big family as well. I had six sibling's and I've always liked the sounds of a full house. Other then that, I'm pretty open."

[Iuchi Batul]

"I understand." She replied, and in a sense it did make sense to find in the Unicorn the bride, or at least a source of strategy for battling the gaijin. They had battled and had encountered most of the nations outside of the Empire that were within the limits of the Sea of Amateratsu. The Unicorn had not ventured out to sea, so out there they did not know if there was something more. "Well, I know of any of my fellow to know of battle strategy at all, but there must be one among the Shinjo, the Moto or the Otaku. They are our bushi families. But most likely Daisuke-san would have to join the Unicorn if he is to wed, neh?"