[D1 LA] Short Lesson Before Dinner

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

"Yes." The man turned to look at her squarely. "I married shortly after gempukku. My son was scarce walking when his mother fell in battle on our northern border. That was a year and a half ago and my proper mourning for her is done. I miss the comraderie we had, but live goes on. I am still quite young and have a whole life to offer in partnership to the one who becomes my wife."

"Sou desu ka."

Hikazume sensed her master's discomfort and started to neigh. Yue took the moment to reel her horse in, shooing Hirase away. "There, there, girlie. Don't go killing the nice man." She gestured to him. "Friend, friend!"

[Asako Hirase]

He was quick to move as directed, eyeing the horse in wary respect.

"Did he not like the apple?"

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

Yue shook her head. "Hikazume enjoyed the apple, Hirase-san." The woman took a moment to ponder on her words. "I was surprised by your situation, Hirase-san. My horse sensed my surprise and reacted accordingly."

[Asako Hirase]

"Ah. Protective, is he?" This was admirable, even if a bit inconvenient. "Do the Unicorn not allow for second unions?" The Scorpion, he knew, frowned on the practice; if these were the same, he might as well go right home again.

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

The woman smirked. "Hirase-san, if you were not allowed to marry then you would have been sent home." She looked to the sky for a moment to think. "You may be sent home if you do not prove yourself to be a worthy husband." She meant that as a blatant truth, not an insult to his suitability as a spouse.

By now, her horse had calmed. "Hikazume protects me and I protect her, Hirase-san," she stated.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

...

"Alright. Now getting down is like getting up, in reverse except you'll want to have both hands on the saddle, keeping the reigns between one hand and the saddle. Throw your leg over, and be prepared for the short drop when you are over the side," he says, guiding her through it and keeping a hand on Meushi's neck to keep her steady. "Make sure you get that leg high so you clear her hind quarters. If you kick your horse while you're trying to dismount it can take that as an order to run and you won't be in your saddle when it bolts. A good way to end up on the ground with your horse running away."

[Matsu Kogo]

...

"Alright. Now getting down is like getting up, in reverse except you'll want to have both hands on the saddle, keeping the reigns between one hand and the saddle. Throw your leg over, and be prepared for the short drop when you are over the side," he says, guiding her through it and keeping a hand on Meushi's neck to keep her steady. "Make sure you get that leg high so you clear her hind quarters. If you kick your horse while you're trying to dismount it can take that as an order to run and you won't be in your saddle when it bolts. A good way to end up on the ground with your horse running away."

"This seems much higher up when I'm getting down. But it shouldn't be too hard." Kogo throws her leg over, has a short wobble where she seems to be getting her balance, then leaps down and clear. She smiles broadly. "That was lovely! I bet Meushi is swift and fast. She certainly is graceful." She makes a show of checking her sturdy clothing. "Shall we go get that lazy cat of mine and commence this walk?"

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"That she is. None are as swift as the Otaku's warhorses of course, but the rest of the herd does come close," he says with a smile. "Yes, let's go get Noboru."

Taking Meushi by the reigns, he keeps the mare steady in the presence of the lion as he follows along with Kogo.

[Matsu Kogo]

"That she is. None are as swift as the Otaku's warhorses of course, but the rest of the herd does come close," he says with a smile. "Yes, let's go get Noboru."

Taking Meushi by the reigns, he keeps the mare steady in the presence of the lion as he follows along with Kogo.

Kogo walks up to Noburu and looks at her. She gives a soft growl and a little flick of the hand. Noburu rises but swishes her tail. "Oh don't be such a grump. There will be plenty of hours for sun naps. You can't get soft now." Noburu makes some vague growling, mra-ing sounds. "Always a complainer, you. Stay a bit behind, so you don't scare noble Meushi. Poor girl probably thinks you'll eat her."
She turns back to Shinjo-san, her cat conversation complete. "Where to Shinjo-san?"

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

"Well, there aren't really any landmarks out here so I guess just to enjoy the view," he says looking at the Lion with a smile. "Not that it isn't nice here."

He starts moving in out towards the open plains at a light pace. "There's probably some small game like groundhogs and pheasant if Noboru's feeling peckish as well. The way you communicate with your companion is interesting. That's another difference between them I guess. With Meushi it's mostly verbal commands or touch while mounted."

[Asako Hirase]

The woman smirked. "Hirase-san, if you were not allowed to marry then you would have been sent home." She looked to the sky for a moment to think. "You may be sent home if you do not prove yourself to be a worthy husband." She meant that as a blatant truth, not an insult to his suitability as a spouse.

By now, her horse had calmed. "Hikazume protects me and I protect her, Hirase-san," she stated.

"It is fair." Once again, he moved back to the horse, offering another bit of apple. "They need those that will be of a help, not those that will only make reintegration more difficult.I trust in the skills of the nakodo who decided who should come up this point. No one I have met yet has shown themselves to be less than worthy. Suiting like to like, finding harmonious pairings? That is now in part up to us."

One of his rare smiles appeared again, for only a moment.

"I have further to go to prove myself than others, perhaps, but I am determined to do so. "

[Matsu Kogo]

"Well, there aren't really any landmarks out here so I guess just to enjoy the view," he says looking at the Lion with a smile. "Not that it isn't nice here."

He starts moving in out towards the open plains at a light pace. "There's probably some small game like groundhogs and pheasant if Noboru's feeling peckish as well. The way you communicate with your companion is interesting. That's another difference between them I guess. With Meushi it's mostly verbal commands or touch while mounted."

Kogo smiles. "She'd likely like that." She growls briefly at Noburu, giving a swift hand gesture. Noburu ranges out a bit, keeping a circuit around the group. "If I tried to guide her by touch, she wouldn't like that much. When she was a cub, I could, but now that she's grown, she prefers it this way. Some use entirely body language for working with their cats, but I find that sometimes limiting. She doesn't understand all the words, but she does understand tone very well."

[Shinjo Liu Yue]

"It is fair." Once again, he moved back to the horse, offering another bit of apple. "They need those that will be of a help, not those that will only make reintegration more difficult.I trust in the skills of the nakodo who decided who should come up this point. No one I have met yet has shown themselves to be less than worthy. Suiting like to like, finding harmonious pairings? That is now in part up to us."

One of his rare smiles appeared again, for only a moment.

"I have further to go to prove myself than others, perhaps, but I am determined to do so. "

Yue thought on his words. "That is true. At the end of the miai, we are to elect our own spouses. I recall that often times marriages are outside of our control. They are arranged by said nakodo, correct?"

[Soshi Yuuru]

"I'm too smart to get into a fight," she replied with a confident grin.

"So, what do I get when I win?"

"What is it you'd like?" He asked warmly.

[Shinjo Monkhbaatar]

...

"I'm guessing that it's also not as feasible when you're in a fight," he says with a nod. "You'd be too busy with your sword and footwork to be giving her commands physically I imagine. It's probably more like fighting beside a fellow bushi too, able to maneuver tactically and watch each other's backs."