The Day of Thunder

[Ryoshun Nao]

A girl wearing the dark robes of the Bat approached. She had left her spear beside her tent, but San was with her.

Nao yawned. "Good morning."

[Hisomu Reo]

"Ha!" Reo snorts. "We seem to have that Northern Alliance that Susumu keeps going on about right here." He motions toward the new arrival.

[Enrou]

At long last, the door opens, revealing the bedraggled-looking healer. His hair isn't tied back, framing his face in wild curls, and it looks like he threw a hastily tied normal kimono over what he slept in. He stares at all of them. "Good morning, samurai-samas. Dare I ask why you're all on my doorstep at the Hour of the damned Hare?"

[Ryoshun Nao]

"I was following hm." She looked down at her pig.

[Hiruma Naraku]

Naraku's eyes widen when the Bat arrives, his head going once more to Anjing's words. Was she some kind of witch? He is shaken away from his thoughts when Enrou finally appears but before he can speak the Bat cuts him off.

"I take you are the healer of this village? I apologize for the early arrival, was hoping to come when there were less people," he glances at the Bat. "I am Naraku of the Hiruma and I wanted to talk to you about possibly being allowed to utilize your herbal garden. I find myself low in certain supplies and I believe I'd find what I look for amidst your plants."

[Hisomu Reo]

"I was planning to compare notes on treatment plans like we discussed." Reo looks around. "And a crowd grew. You're a popular man Enrou-san. There are people who want to learn from you."

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki nodded to her cousin, letting her question to the Crab be unanswered for the time being.

"... I was looking to trade for medicinal herbs and supplies, but maybe another time would work better," she offered, realising that the poor man had been roused from his sleep so early in the morning.

[Enrou]

"I was following hm." She looked down at her pig.

He looked down at the pig. They stare at each other for a few moments, then he looks up at Nao. "... Fair."

"I take you are the healer of this village? I apologize for the early arrival, was hoping to come when there were less people," he glances at the Bat. "I am Naraku of the Hiruma and I wanted to talk to you about possibly being allowed to utilize your herbal garden. I find myself low in certain supplies and I believe I'd find what I look for amidst your plants."

"I was planning to compare notes on treatment plans like we discussed." Reo looks around. "And a crowd grew. You're a popular man Enrou-san. There are people who want to learn from you."

Satsuki nodded to her cousin, letting her question to the Crab be unanswered for the time being.

"... I was looking to trade for medicinal herbs and supplies, but maybe another time would work better," she offered, realising that the poor man had been roused from his sleep so early in the morning.

"Apparently samurai are early risers," he grumbled. "All right, you might as well come in. If you just want the herb garden, there's a gate around the back. Take what you need. If you feel the need to give something in return, feel free to come back. If you want to learn from me, come in."

He turned and walked in side, waving at the hearth.

"It's warm over there. Give me a few minutes to get sorted out."

With that, he opened a shoji door at the back of the room and entered, closing it behind him.

[Hiruma Naraku]

"Thank you for your assistance," he lowered his head in gratitude and followed the man.

"I wouldn't know, by the way," Naraku spoke as he walked inside. "I did not travel with the clan here. In fact, I didn't know there was something happening here.."

[Togashi Satsuki]

Satsuki nodded with a warm smile. It seemed more polite to let the poor man get himself decent first before offering him something in return for his hospitality and merchandise.

"Ah, I see," she murmured, hearing Naraku's reply as the walked inside. At the entrance she took care to take off her winter-boots, to show her respect for the healer's home. "Well I heard there's a festival happening here," her voice was quiet now that they were indoors, "but many have come here following Shinsei."

[Hisomu Reo]

Reo heads to the hearth and sits, filling a pot with herbs and water from his skin.

[Ryoshun Nao]

Nao followed the others in. "I heard rumors of rumors that many people were coming here. I wanted to see why."

[Togashi Satsuki]

"You seem to hear a lot, Nao-chan," Satsuki took a seat next to her smaller cousin. "But you're interested in learning about medicine, yeah?"

[Ryoshun Nao]

"Agasha-neesan has been teaching me, but it would be nice to learn more while I am here." she nodded

[Hiruma Naraku]

Naraku makes a mental checklist of which plants he will search as he waits for Enrou to lead them to the garden.

[Hisomu Reo]

Reo pours out the tea and pulls himself up. "To the garden then?"

[Enrou]

The man emerges from his room, now cleaned up and in a proper kimono. He takes a deep breath and bows. "Apologies for earlier. Why don't you all come on back? It's easier to teach with the plants there."

He heads farther into the house, down a narrow hallway to a door in the back. It opens to reveal absolutely beautiful herb garden. It's obviously extremely thoroughly cared for and managed, arranged in an aesthetically pleasing way even by the strictest standards of the artistic families of the Empire. The plants are beginning to turn all sorts of colors with the budding of spring flowers, just waiting to bloom.

"This is the best time to harvest some of the plants for maximum potency, while they're still budding. It's important to leave enough flowers to grow for the bees, though."

The contrast between the tired man standing in the middle and the garden that he clearly cared greatly for was stunning.

[Hisomu Reo]

"It's..." Reo trails off, breath catching in his throat. "It's marvelous." The sheer number and variety of plants was impressive, never mind the aesthetics that Reo would not have cared about when tending to his own.

"You manage all of these yourself?" Reo feels like a small child again as he stoops, investigating what is available.

[Togashi Satsuki]

Following their host, Satsuki marveled openly like the others at the sheer selection. "Wow... it must take a lot of work to maintain all these. I even see plants I don't recognise." And she had the presence of mind to not stray too close to those, as you never knew which ones could be dangerous for various reasons in this state. Often the difference between poison and medicine was the dosage and the preparation.

[Ryoshun Nao]

"This is quite impressive." Nao nodded in agreement with the others.