The Day of Thunder

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"I've no doubt you'll do well, ma'am," Akutou says, recalling the previous evening's excursions. "How d' you think t' go about that kinda mastery, though? I'll admit I ain't thought o' dreams as somethin' that c'n be much mastered, but, well, diff'rent folks've got diff'rent strengths."

"I have no idea," Ayako admitted. "Fighting in dreams isn't something they taught in sword school; the closest thing to that is maybe meditation. I suppose mastering your own thoughts is a place to start, anyway."

She shrugged. "I was hoping the revered teacher would be able to give us some advice, too. But I'm not sure we can wait for the Nine Champions of the World to be announced before we start doing stuff."

[Otomo Akutou]

"I have no idea," Ayako admitted. "Fighting in dreams isn't something they taught in sword school; the closest thing to that is maybe meditation. I suppose mastering your own thoughts is a place to start, anyway."

She shrugged. "I was hoping the revered teacher would be able to give us some advice, too. But I'm not sure we can wait for the Nine Champions of the World to be announced before we start doing stuff."

"'Deed not," Akutou agrees.

"Never did catch th' knack o' meditatin'," he continues. "Not part o' th' curriculum f'r me. How's it work?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Never did catch th' knack o' meditatin'," he continues. "Not part o' th' curriculum f'r me. How's it work?"

"Oh, well, anyone can do it ... it just takes some practice," Ayako said. "It's a matter of breathing right, and focusing your thoughts. I can try to show you, if you like?"

[Otomo Akutou]

"Oh, well, anyone can do it ... it just takes some practice," Ayako said. "It's a matter of breathing right, and focusing your thoughts. I can try to show you, if you like?"

"I'd be obliged," Akutou says. "How d' we start?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"I'd be obliged," Akutou says. "How d' we start?"

"Well, first, let's sit down." Ayako sat down cross-legged to demonstrate.

"Then, take a few deep breaths...." Her voice became calm and even, her words spoken more slowly.

[Otomo Akutou]

"Well, first, let's sit down." Ayako sat down cross-legged to demonstrate.

"Then, take a few deep breaths...." Her voice became calm and even, her words spoken more slowly.

Akutou does as instructed, taking a seat and slowing his breathing.

Ain't unlike quietin' f'r huntin', he thinks.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Akutou does as instructed, taking a seat and slowing his breathing.

Ain't unlike quietin' f'r huntin', he thinks.

"Breathe deeply - with your belly, not your upper chest," Ayako instructed. "Breathe innnnnn....... breathe outtttt....." The cadence of her words slowed even more, to match the deep breaths they were taking.

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou follows suit

He says slightly, getting a bit light-headed.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"No need to think of anything ... just focus on your breathing ...." Ayako droned on in a soothing voice. "Innnnnn ..... outttt .... innnnn ....... outttt....."

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou continues.

So does the light-headedness.

Akutou catches himself losing balance.

"Whoa, there."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Ayako opened her eyes and said, "It's okay. Maybe that's enough for now; just go back to sitting normally." So saying, she changed her position, unfolding her legs and stretching her arms a bit.

"If you have that happen again, you can think about your body's balance and what you need to do to get back to center," she said in an encouraging voice. "But anyway, that's the basic idea behind meditation. Not everyone likes doing it, but I find it helps me a lot when I get, uhhh, unfocused."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Just a little dizzy, there," Akutou says. "Don't know what happened."

He resumes a more normal position. "I guess it ain't normal, though, given how you reacted t' it."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"No, it's alright," Ayako said. "I've had more practice at this, and everyone's a bit different. Don't think about it as 'not normal', it's just... just what your body and mind does. You can think about how it feels, why you feel that way, and how to adjust it. Maybe you're sitting in a way that's cutting off your blood, or maybe you needed to eat first, or something else that you can control."

[Otomo Akutou]

"Well, ma'am, I did eat," Akutou says. "Not sure 'bout th' sittin', though; it's a possibility."

More like y' had it comin', botherin' people, he thinks.

"Don't know as it'll be helpful, though."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Don't worry if it doesn't come right away. It takes some practice," Ayako said encouragingly. "Meditation is one of those things that gets harder if you try to force it, so just accept that the conditions aren't right, and we can try again later, or somewhere else."

"For a hunter like you, maybe a garden isn't ideal; maybe somewhere out in the wilderness would be a more peaceful place for contemplation."

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou nods.

"'Preciate you takin' th' time t' talk t' me," he says with a wry grin. "Ain't always been th' case that folks're happy t' do so."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Oh, it's nothing," Ayako said. "Are you the only Stag here, then? I've been lucky to have a lot of clan folk here. I guess it's a long journey from ... uh ... where your clan is living now."

[Otomo Akutou]

"I ain't," Akutou replies. "Th' Young Lord's here--Hantei Genji. Also another Hantei, Akito, though I ain't seen much sign of 'im."

He takes a deep breath. "I came up sep'rate fr'm 'em. I ain't one t' rub shoulders with th' high an' mighty, really. Still ain't sure my purpose here, either. Had some ideas 'bout it, started lookin' inta things, but I ain't got real far in 'em yet." He shrugs. "But then, I'm one outsider among a lot of 'em, s' I c'n un'erstan' locals bein' wary 'bout me."

Akutou looks at her. "Gotta be some comfort in havin' family with you, though, ain't there?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Y-yes," Ayako said, looking down awkwardly. "I'm really glad they're here. To be honest, I would be lost without them. It's hard to imagine crossing the whole breadth of the Empire all alone, like you did. Was it hard?"

[Otomo Akutou]

Akutou notes the hesitation, but he does not remark on it.

Instead, he shrugs a touch. "Took some doin'," he says, "crossin' up. Was able t' ride on a river boat f'r a fair bit o' it, s' that helped. Had a good long walk, though, an' saw some purty country. Huntin' could've been better 'long th' way, but th' season's what it is."

He shakes his head. "Foragin' was worse. But, ag'in, th' season's what it is.

"But one thing in favor o' goin' cross th' back-country is there're fewer folks t' make trouble. An' there's been 'nough o' that t' go 'round, an' no doubt 'bout it. Damn shame, too; s'me good folks got got as oughtn't've."