[D10 EN] No regrets

[Usagi Tomoe]

Her slender hands found their way in the dark to some dry twigs that she could break off.

"I'll help you the best I can," she said warmly, casting a smile to him. "... What were those lands like? Where you were before beginning this journey, if you don't mind me asking."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Uh... there are the sands, or the burning sands, as they call them. Vast desert, nothing but sand as far as eye can see. They say that it used to be a lush, fertile lands before the arrogant men called the wrath of god upon them, desolating the land. In the middle of the desert, where water raises from the ground, stands the Medinat al-Salaam, the jewel of the desert, the largest city ever built." Dong-Ha stoop up, holding a bunch of branches and twigs in his arms. "Then east fro the sands are the Yodotai lands. More fertile, lush... fields, woods, rolling hills. Colder than here. Proud people, but prone to drunken fights. They make.. alcohol out of grapes. Sweet as summer and strong as Hida-kami's head." Pausing, he regarded her efforts for a moment.

"The southern lands of the Yodotai are actually colder than the lands by the sands, with dark woods covering much of the land. Hardy people farm the rough, unforgiving land. They have large, cold streams where they get amber from." he tapped one of his danging amulets. "We'd trade furs of wolves and bears for amber and silver." he explained.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"This desert... doesn't sound like a very nice place," she frowned a little, wondering what was so good about lands like that. "These other lands, the Yodotai? That sounds like a nicer place. And proud people prone to drunken fights? Sounds like the Crab."

Tomoe chuckled and glanced at Dong-Ha. "Colder than here? I don't know, winters can get very chilly, especially in the north."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Some like it. At least it doesn't rain there. Ever." he shrugged. "Not my favorite place, really." Why were they talking continental climate instead of a more pleasant topic, Dong-Ha wondered, even if he could understand her desire to know more. "Well, that's what they told us. The northern Yodotai lands are so fertile and the air so warm that they don't have much else to do, but to enjoy life. Crab lands sound... harsher than that." The young man wrinkled his nose. How the seemingly carefree Yodotai could train the most disciplined army the world had seen was beyond Dong-Ha's understanding.

"Uh, I think so. They said that in winter the snow reaches man to a waist. And the Yodotai are not small people. Though, maybe they were just jesting? It's hard to tell... and their maps are awful" He waved his hand dismissively. "How about Hare lands, do you get much snow in the winter?" he tried to seek out her eyes despite the darkness surrounding them.

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Hm, we do get a fair amount, as we're so close to the Seikitsu Mountains, but the winters in Phoenix lands in my experience were much colder. In general, winter is a season where you do not travel, and since it is boring to be stuck in one place with the same regular people every winter season, people began to hold Winter Courts; where they would send out invitations for other people to come and spend the winter in their castle or palace."

Not that she had ever been invited to a Winter Court yet, as she was fresh out of gempukku.

"So while winter is not a season for travel, it is a season for politics... and for romance. Closed off from the outside world for months on end, with limited company, many find time for more romantic distractions during the season. Which is probably why there are also so many subtle signs and games surrounding romance in the courts."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Hee, I think Doji Fukawa-san mentioned something like that." Dong-Ha noted. "Something about her being a winter person. I like summers much better though." Nomads rarely had the luxury of spending the winter indoors in pleasant company. All they had were their small crowded tents and each other for company. "Uh... you make it sound like people gather just to gossip and.." he gulped. "..eerr.. seek distractions." he was being rather distracted by her presence at the moment.

[Usagi Tomoe]

Tomoe smirked in his direction. "It's not completely off the mark. I mean, most of the important politics and decisions are done in the winter. Winter is indeed the season of courtiers, whose battlefield is the courtroom. But that doesn't mean there aren't chances for others to shine too, as there are usually many competitions and tests of skill to pass the winter with... in addition to more pleasant distractions," her eyes traced the outline of his form.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Mhmhm..." Dong-Ha shivered. "Maybe... maybe we should get that fire going?" he asked carefully, trying to see if Tomoe was holding enough wood for their needs. "So... the winters are for fun and games? I guess I could like that..." the young man sounded hopeful. "As long as no-one expects me to politic anything."

[Usagi Tomoe]

"Probably a good idea," she chuckled and picked the last few twigs she had found nearby before following him.

"Yes, there is a lot of fun and games in the winter time. Competitions in artistry of all sorts; poetry, painting, musical performances, storytelling. And of course many for the bushi too; sumai, hunting, displays of sword skills, and archery. There will occassionally be duels, maybe even one between shugenja - which is a rare sight. But if you were to attend, you would most likely have to learn politics a little too... most likely, if you were sent to represent your clan, you'd have a diplomat from your clan with you to handle it. Though it might be expected of you to learn along the way and assist."

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

Dong-Ha shuffled to the mattress Tomow had laid down, dumping down his load unceremoniously by the cloth. "Uh... though, I don't know if I am any good at any of those." he sounded a little uncertain of himself. "I mean, I can play a flute but that's it. I don't think anyone would actually bother to listen to me." The young man knelt by the wood pile, scratching the back of his neck as he did so.

"I'd love to see all that, just not sure I'd be able to participate." Life of a noman-mystic prepared a man poorly for the winter festivities the Rokugani enjoyed. "Mhmhm... I guess that's what I ought to do then, if I am to don the Hare colors. I wouldn't want to be a burden." he turned to look at her, smiling carefully. "I guess we'll have to figure out what meishojin can do for the Hare, neh."

Turning back to the pile of wood, he began to assemble a campfire with accustomed ease, having done the same dozens of times over. "So.. what's all with the politics? Talking to your friends and making sure the stay your friends?"

[Usagi Tomoe]

"From what I've heard, people tend to give it a try, if for nothing else than to pass the time and entertain others," she chuckled and let him do the assembling of the campfire. In this case, she trusted him to have more experience in that departement, and she knew from her little experience in the matter that two many hands could just clutter things much more.

"Politics... well in broad terms, it's that. Also other boring things like trade routes, exchange of students, support in specific projects," she sighed and took a seat to watch him. At least she kept her hands busy as she began to part her hair into sections to braid it. Long hair and outdoors never really got along, so it was best to at least get it under control for now.

"Not something we have to think about tonight, at least, neh?" she said, perhaps even with a tinge of shyness in her voice.

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Uh.. as long as I don't make a fool of myself." Dong-Ha laughed nervously. "You think they care?" Alas, the poor man had no idea how vicious the courts could be. "That sounds awfully complicated." he added, looking up from his creation and reaching into his pockets. He pulled out a small stone amulet, hovering it above the fire.

"Nar." Dong-Ha muttered a mere single syllable and suddenly, the dry branches were engulfed in flames, the burst of light soon dying away, leaving a small budding fire among the tinder. He laughed happily, turning to Tomoe as he pocketed the amulet. "I didn't know I could do that, actually. It looks like our magic can indeed call the spirits of this land. Just as we expected."

[Usagi Tomoe]

She watched him with some curiosity when she first saw the stone amulet, and even if she had seen shugenja call upon the kami before, it was always a little breathtaking to see the elements answer to their summons. Seeing his reaction, or rather, hearing his happy laughter, Tomoe tilted her head up to look at Dong-Ha as he turned around.

"That was... the kami?" she asked, her hands pausing in their weaving of her hair. The meishodo were not the kami, Tomoe seemed to recall, so that meant he had managed to connect to the kami somehow?

[Iuchi Dong-Ha]

"Yes, and no." Dong-Ha was grinning. "See, the fire... or earth." he pointed at the crackling flames, and then tapped ground between them. "Are just that, fire and earth. However, in Rokugan the spirits of the land are attuned.. tied to these elements." He brought his hands together as if to explain this union. "Your shuganja cannot command the one, without commanding the other. That is, they ask request the spirits and they compel the elements to obey. Our magic, however, bypasses this calling for the elements themselves. We were debating whether it would be possible to call forth pure elements with our trinkets because of their close ties to the spirits." Joy gleamed in Dong-Ha's dark eyes as he explained the fundamentals he had discovered with Saskaha, Nonin and Asakiko. "And I was right. it works. Perfectly."

Realizing he was talking about something she'd might not understand the young man closed his mouth awkwardly. "Uh..sorry. I got carried away."

[Usagi Tomoe]

Seeing him get all excited about confirming his theory, she smiled warmly and nodded. The workings of the kami were a little beyond her comprehension apart from what was written on the subject, but she understood that it was important to him and that alone made her happy for him.

"No, no... no need to apologize," she chuckled and the hands continued the motion of braiding the glossy locks of her hair. "Seeing you happy... it makes me feel happy too. I like the sound of your laughter, and seeing you smile."