Party for 2 (D3 EE closed - Hideos Yurt)

[Seppun Hideo]

Hideo nodded, understanding. "It seems you have found yourself unwillingly dragged into a traumatic mess. Shall we start with the netsuke? You ask if the one could be a fake, which means you have laid eyes upon one. Who has this trinket, and how did they get it?"

[Ide Amaya]

His question gave her focus, and that bolstered her. She felt so weak, like all the vitality had been sapped from her. She'd expended it all meeting with her sisters. She remembered looking down the red steel of the blade Khulun had drawn upon her and shivered.

"The item is in possession of Moto Khulun-San. If you haven't had the chance to meet her yet, you no doubt have heard about her already. The exact circumstances of what transpired are unknown to me. She was walking late the archery fields when... birds," there was something awkward in her inflection of the word, "spoke to her. They gave her the trinket as a gesture of good faith."

[Seppun Hideo]

"Birds? Hm...There is quite common elemental magic that allows a bird to transfer a message, but to deliver an item...I cannot say I have heard of that before. Did Moto-san say what the birds looked like?" Hideo mused thoughtfully.

[Ide Amaya]

Amaya studied the Imperial for a long moment, "she did." Her heart was thudding and she took a moment to breathe in. "They were dead."

[Seppun Hideo]

"Oh."

Hideo frowned.

"I see. That is something entirely different. So something or someone delivered the netsuke to Moto-san. Why?"

[Ide Amaya]

"Oh indeed," she agreed. She tried to recall Khulun's account, "they said they were heralds, that the trinket was a gift to welcome the Ki-rin home, that their master desired a meeting. They bade that Khulun-San return with a representative of Otaku, Iuchi, Shinjo, and Ide. They spoke of a 'common enemy'."

[Seppun Hideo]

"Undead birds, heralds of...someone, delivered a netsuke that was worn by Lady Shinjo who swore never to remove it, as a gift. Then wants to meet with one member of each family of the Unicorn to speak about a common enemy."

Hideo repeated to make sure he had that correct.

"What enemies could the Unicorn have? And how would this person know?"

[Ide Amaya]

She had nodded at each point as he repeated her words. When his question was asked her head dropped and her shoulders slumped. "An enemy of us all," she whispered.

[Seppun Hideo]

Hideo moved forward, closer to Amaya, placing his hand on her cheek gently and stroking it.

"The things from the Dark Ride?"

[Ide Amaya]

"That and worse." Her breath trembled as she sighed heavily, eyes closing. "You asked two questions, Hideo-San. With those words, I answer both. You asked who might be our enemies and I say: an enemy to us all. You asked how they might know this threat and I say: for they, too, are enemy of all."

She seemed, somehow, to shrink, lessened in someway, "I have been bade to hold my own counsel, but this threat reaches much further than the Unicorn."

[Seppun Hideo]

Hideo moved to wrap his arms round Amaya, pulling her to him and held her close in his arms. "This threat does indeed threaten more than the Unicorn. You are brave Amaya-chan" he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead "and if I can give you any information to assist, you shall have my knowledge at your disposal. This I give you my word on."

He raised her face, and looked her in the eyes.

"You can trust me."

[Ide Amaya]

She was sore, exhausted; she'd been threatened at sword-point; and now stood between the two greatest evils known to her, and her path was concealed from her sight. She pressed against Hideo's body, feeling fragile. She looked into his eyes and her own were dewy, as if threatening tears like clouds threatened rain. "I trust you, watashi no ouji, I would have breathed no word of this if I didn't trust you."

[Seppun Hideo]

"I know" Hideo said quietly, as he gently placed a kiss on the girls lips, stroking her cheek gently with his thumb "and I know you are afraid. Terrified even. However, never doubt that you are stronger than you think, even if you cannot feel it now. I know you are."

He gave her a warm smile.

"I believe in you Amaya."

[Ide Amaya]

Her stomach churned unpleasantly. As much as she tried to enjoy the Imperial's touch, his kiss, this business was still unfinished. "My sisters have asked for jade. Khulun-San seems to believe it will provide her sufficient protection for this meeting. I am not so certain."

[Seppun Hideo]

"This Moto-san seems to know a lot about what affects the ninth" Hideo commented "you say you are not certain. What does your instinct tell you?"