[D10 EN] No regrets

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"The judges seemed impressed, though." he shrugged, having been too busy retching his guts out to actually see what had happened to Tomoe. "I was impressed when I heard how well you had done. I messed up with the herbs... and well, the rest of my evening wasn't too pleasant." Dong-Ha let out a soft cough.

[Usagi Tomoe]

She leaned forward a little so her breath could be felt against the skin on his neck. "Sounds like another thing I can teach you then," she spoke with a soft giggle. And it allowed her the opportunity to gloss over how she had ended up after the spirit-trip.

"I was surprised we'd have to work with beans today though. I mean... I don't think any of the Meishodo charms I've seen have been made of beans. Maybe they didn't want us to risk any more valuable material?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Mhmhm, I am sure you can teach me a lot." He smiled, shivering ever so slightly, but didn't try to turn, afraid that he'd knock her down if he did so. "I hope I can teach you something in return."

"Well, the details are about the same. Beans are just harder to carve... even if you can figure out how to do it." he added, sounding a little sad about the fact. He had failed miserably after all. "I might not make a good Iuchi after all... but maybe I'll make a decent Hare one day."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"I'm sure you can," she said with a slight tease in the tone of her voice.

"As for the bean-carving, don't worry about it. It seems they tried to make it as inclusive as possible for us who are not Meishodo-mystics, so it didn't allow for much room for the specific traditions of the Iuchi. I think I did rather well, but I suspect my steady calligraphy-hand was my winning strength."

Tomoe couldn't help but to chuckle as a thought crossed her mind. "You make it sound like we're quite the pair; me not being a decent Hare, but maybe with a talent for being an Iuchi. And you saying you're not a good Iuchi, but might make a decent Hare."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"I think you did really well..." the awe was clear in his voice as Dong-Ha complimented Tomow. "I ought to have better but.. meh. Well, it's done now, anyway. All we can do is to wait... and make sure there are no regrets."

He laughed at her assessment. "That could be it, neh. That's why the Fortunes saw it appropriate get us together." Holding the reins, Dong-Ha patted the back of her hand with his. "Couldn't be happier with you, really."

The dark night hid his flushed expression.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Hai... no regrets," she murmured happily against his back, feeling the touch of his hand. Please, Fortunes. Allow me this happiness. I will be a good wife to him.

Tomoe's cheeks were warm as he spoke, and she suspected warm enough that Dong-Ha probably felt it too through his clothes. "You make me happy, ishi-ouji. When I came here, I didn't want to leave me clan behind, but now that it seems likely I'll remain a Hare... I think I would rather like to join you and your Family. Maybe, just maybe, it's fate that I would do so well in your Family's tests."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"It had to be, neh." he carefully squeezed one of her hands while pointing ahead. "That hill... that ought to do." The small cope he had selected had a small, tangled tree growing on it. "Should be... quiet enough." If one were to look back and quint eyes, they could almost see the lantern by the road that led to the village.

Pulling the reins more firmly, he brought Poppy into a slow gait, letting her climb the slope as she best could. "I've blankets, but we should probably make a fire. It'll get cold later."

[Usagi Tomoe]

Damn, I didn't think of that much... she frowned briefly, as she had only brought blanket and a few other things, but nothing like flint and steel to start a fire with. "Seems you thought ahead much more than I did. But I guess you're more used to this kind of thing?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"You could say so." he chuckled. "We didn't have the time to set up the tents every time we stopped. "Sometime we'd just find a some shelter, trees or something. Sleep under then, and then be on our way as the sun rose." Dong-Ha explained calmly as Poppy slowly made her way up. "it's ok... as long as it doesn't rain. Then it gets really cold." his tone revealed just how much he disliked rain. "Hard to sleep when you're wet and cold."

"Can't count the nights I spent watching the stars, wondering where I'd be the next night, or if I'd be alive." he added quietly as Poppy came to a halt by the tree. "You think you can hop down?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Sure," she chuckled and released her hold on him, before proceeding to hop down from the saddle. She felt more sure in her step now than she had the first time riding Poppy.

"Sleeping under the stars sound nice, on occassion," Tomoe tried to ease the conversation away from the darkness of Unicorn's journey. "When we'd be out in the forest as children to learn to survive in it, even when sleeping outdoors at night, most of the nightsky would be hidden behind the thick branches and foliage of the Kitsune Mori. We'd see the light of some stars, and of course the light of Lord Moon through the leaves... but on the bright side, if it rained, the forest would shelter us from the worst of it."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Most of the time it is." he replied, dismounting after her. As much as he wanted to reach and hold Tomoe right there and right know, Dong-Ha felt she deserved something nicer. "Sleeping in the forest, among all the animals... weren't you scared?" the young man asked, reaching to grab the mattress from the saddle, glad that the night hid his flushed features. "I might have been."

"Care to spread this?" he offered the mattress to Tomoe, his gaze averted. The audacity of their action was simply too much for the young Iuchi. "I'll go grab some fire wood. You can help if you want."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Sometimes?" she chuckled. "I mean, there are bears and other dangerous animals in the forest, but I also learned that more often than not, the animals are more afraid of you than you are of them. Still, there would always be someone on guard, and the light of a fire tends to keep most animals away."

Luckily for her too, the darkness and the mattress hid some of her own blushing. "Ah... of course." A small cough to clear her throat before she set out the mattress.

"Sure. I'll come along. Maybe best not to go out in the dark on your own, neh? Might be scary animals out there, after all," she grinned confidently as she thought about something else instead.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"When it doesn't rain... or you don't have to sleep one eye open." Dong-Ha chuckled softly. "I guess fire'd to that.." he broke a dry branch from the tree with an audible snap. "Though, I don't know if that goes for the spirits. But I guess your people would." Another snap, and another twig was added to his collection.

"Hush now. the only animal here's Poppy." he smirked at her, bemused. "But sure, four hand's better than two." Dong-Ha moved to the side, reaching to the think undergrowth for the thinner, drier branches.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Poppy can be pretty fearsome, I imagine," she giggled and joined his side to help with the firewood. "... The more I think about what you and yours have been through... it must almost seem like you have reached a Promised Land of sorts, coming here. Sure, it's not perfect here, I know. Or does it feel strange, to have reached the goal and not having a specific place to reach anymore?"

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Well, I guess she could? I wouldn't want to get kicked by her... but she's pretty docile." he explained matter of factually, kneeling to tug off a particularly stubborn small branch. "Well, not sure about promised land. I mean, the lands where we used to roam and live before turning south were not all that bad. Then again, you weren't there." Dong-Ha muttered shyly.

"Uh... yeah. That feel strange. That's something we all have to get used to. Luckily, I'll have you to help me." Seeing her perform so well the last two days had given him renewed hope about their future. "Not really sure where to go now."