The Day of Thunder

[Anjing]

The sun was beginning to set as the Crab contingent reached the outskirts of Blue Lotus Village. The thick fog muffled sound and fellow travellers seemed to simply appear out of the mists before disappearing again.

Needless to say, this was putting Anjing on edge. Other Rokguani were bad enough, but with the evil abroad in the empire who knew what might suddenly appear? Every half-glimpsed shape could be an enemy.

Finally after what feels like hours of walking the dim lights of the village begin to break through the fog ahead, they were close. Anjing held up a hand and signalled for the Crab to step off the road and cluster around a mossy tree leaning dangerously to one side, it's long leaves drooping to the ground.

"Okay, take a minute, centre yourselves. We don't know what we're going to walk into there. Even if it's just who we're expecting, that's dangerous enough." She gives each of the Crab a reassuring look before glancing back at the road and the dark forms of travellers passing by.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Ayako stepped off the road with the rest of the Crab party in deference to Lady Anjing's command, but the younger woman stayed standing and gazed into the fog with great suspicion. After losing several of their number on the long march, it felt like every shadowy shape might be a potential enemy, and Ayako silently vowed to be ready if action was needed.

[Anjing]

Ayako stepped off the road with the rest of the Crab party in deference to Lady Anjing's command, but the younger woman stayed standing and gazed into the fog with great suspicion. After losing several of their number on the long march, it felt like every shadowy shape might be a potential enemy, and Ayako silently vowed to be ready if action was needed.

Anjing cracks her neck audibly and spends a few moments rubbing her right knee, the humidity was doing it no favours. But duty called.

"Ayako." She approaches the young Crab her bronze armour clanking softly as she instinctively inspects the other's gear to make sure her armour and weapons were in proper condition.

"You are well? It was not the journey we would have wanted." She left unsaid the clear concern for young woman's wellbeing after what they had experienced, and what may lay ahead."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Lady Anjing," Ayako said, bowing respectfully. "I-I must admit I'm a little uneasy. After what happened to Dae-Jung, and the others." Her eyes looked troubled.

"I'm not afraid of dying, but ... I don't want to fail you if ... if something happens."

[Anjing]

"Lady Anjing," Ayako said, bowing respectfully. "I-I must admit I'm a little uneasy. After what happened to Dae-Jung, and the others." Her eyes looked troubled.

"I'm not afraid of dying, but ... I don't want to fail you if ... if something happens."

"Tssk. I would not have bought you along if you were not ready. You are young, yes, but you have strength. Your generation has had no choice but to be strong. What happened to our comrades was-" She searches for the words for a moment "- Wrong, in every way. Wrong that they should be taken from us, wrong that they should have to fight such a monster, wrong that they would it be so far from home.

Anjing bangs a hand on her chestplate, the 'clang!' oddly muted in the fog. "That is why we are here, to set right what is wrong. You will not fail, because you will not allow yourself to. Remember your training, remember the Clan, remember those around you. Take strength that the stories will always be with you, and one day, hopefully many years from now, you will become a part of the stories as well."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"That is why we are here, to set right what is wrong. You will not fail, because you will not allow yourself to. Remember your training, remember the Clan, remember those around you. Take strength that the stories will always be with you, and one day, hopefully many years from now, you will become a part of the stories as well."

The younger woman stood up a little straighter at Anjing's words. "I shall strive to make it so," Ayako vowed. "Whatever is in this village, I will be ready for it!"

[Saru Ranmaru]

There was something lurking in the village, a challenge that the Crab contingent may not have ever predicted...

Ranmaru emerged in his full glory, unburdened by anything covering his torso. His curiosity turned to utter dejection after he appraised who was approaching. "You should go back home," he called out. "Barricade the doors, defend the children, that sort of thing." He massaged his forehead; it was better not to scare any women nowadays. As for men, well, they never felt fear.

It didn't help that this was in the Crab lands. He put on a smile for their benefit and said, "I'm sure every here will blow over soon." Especially since he was here!

[Kaiu Tai]

Air filled with water was possibly Tai's least favorite weather. Water wasn't supposed to be sneakily trying to crawl into your lungs like this or soaking your hair and clothing slowly enough that you didn't really notice until your hair is dripping into your eyes. Air was supposed to delight in carrying sounds, not muffling them. This village was supposed to be working on celebrations to drive back the hopelessness and dark moods that the current plague of madness seemed to delight in. Tai was becoming quite suspicious that they had very little idea what they were doing when the whole area was like this.

She leaves the road last, getting a look at the footprints ahead of them before stepping down to hear the last bit of the conversation. "Sure, it might be a trap, but we're at least walkin' in ready for it to be, neh? Keep your eyes high and and don't trust your ears in this fog." She swipes the damp from her face, reflexively looking around the group to be sure they were all there. It felt like the years with small children again. Anytime someone was out of sight, there was that little voice in the back of her head saying there was something wrong; anytime it got quiet she expected that something was about to happen that she'd need to fix or clean up.

It didn't help that this Yoshitsune was Masahiko's age. She thought of what she might say to her son if he were here.

"Not so different from explorin' for new huntin' grounds, right? You might end up fallin' off an unfamiliar trail and end up spread down the mountain's side, but you're also likely to find new sources of game and feed your family better. So you risk it and plan as much as you can...." She trails off at the appearance of some kind of apparition. That's not a real person, right? Not poofing out of the fog looking like that.

Her hand settles agains the sheathed knife at her hip. It doesn't look long enough to be much of a weapon in a fight. "Not headin' back on the road at this hour, fella. You some guard of the village here then?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Ayako looked a little comforted by Tai's words, when the mysterious shirtless man appeared. The young Crab moved quickly to interpose herself between Tai and the stranger.

"Who are you?" Ayako challenged. "I warn you, we're no easy meat."

[Anjing]

The younger woman stood up a little straighter at Anjing's words. "I shall strive to make it so," Ayako vowed. "Whatever is in this village, I will be ready for it!"

"I know, just keep your axe to hand and your wits sharp. Rokugani from other Clans can be...strange, some take offence easily."
Anjing managed to say the above with a completely straight face.

She leaves the road last, getting a look at the footprints ahead of them before stepping down to hear the last bit of the conversation. "Sure, it might be a trap, but we're at least walkin' in ready for it to be, neh? Keep your eyes high and and don't trust your ears in this fog." She swipes the damp from her face, reflexively looking around the group to be sure they were all there. It felt like the years with small children again. Anytime someone was out of sight, there was that little voice in the back of her head saying there was something wrong; anytime it got quiet she expected that something was about to happen that she'd need to fix or clean up.

Anjing nodes at the wise woman's council "I have barely trusted my own senses since that valley. Part of me is more worried about what we'll see if he fog recedes..." But before she can continue a very impressive torso emerged out of the darkness, then it told her to go home and look after the children.

Ranmaru emerged in his full glory, unburdened by anything covering his torso. His curiosity turned to utter dejection after he appraised who was approaching. "You should go back home," he called out. "Barricade the doors, defend the children, that sort of thing." He massaged his forehead; it was better not to scare any women nowadays. As for men, well, they never felt fear.

It didn't help that this was in the Crab lands. He put on a smile for their benefit and said, "I'm sure every here will blow over soon." Especially since he was here!

"No sense, no feeling." Anjing offers a very annoyed grunt, trying to work out who the newcomer was. Half clothed, approaching a group of women... "Are you a follower of Shinsei?"

She nods with satisfaction that Ayako immediately moved to shield Tai if needs be.

[Saru Ranmaru]

Based on their movements, Ranmaru could only assume that he had indeed struck fear into them. The knife of the eldest barely even registered in his mind, given the fog and how feeble he believed her to be.

His shoulders sagged for a moment before he held up his hands. A moot point, considering his hands were so fast that they could tug on a sword quite quickly. "I always forget women can be so jumpy," he said. He proceeded to chuckle in hopes that that would put them at ease.

It was also like a woman to not know who he was... not that many men had come to know his great teachings yet either. "I, Saru Ranmaru, am a defender of all the Empire!" he declared, jabbing a thumb at his grinning face. "And are we not all followers of Shinsei in some form?" His brow furrowed. "But I cannot claim to be a Monk, if that is your question."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Ayako frowned as the stranger called her jumpy, but she refrained from making any further jumpy moves, like accidentally hacking someone down out of jumpiness.

Instead, her eyes flickered momentarily toward Anjing to see what the daimyo's intent towards this man might be.

[Kaiu Tai]

"These knees haven't jumped since Takara was old enough to drop a bucket of mice in the kitchen, boy." Tai says with a dark-toothed grin. "But Saru, eh? From the other side of the mountains then. I'd say we're a bit out of the loop to be followin' that monk. But we're not daft enough to dismiss anyone without listenin' first to see if they know what they're talkin' about."

She frowns a bit. "But did you worry so much at hearin' folks on the road you didn't bother to dress? Oughta cover up before this fog chills you and damps your fire. Good way to end up coughin' for a month."

[Anjing]

"The whole Empire? That's a lot of land, didn't see you there when we walked across it. Might have been before your time though."

Anjing eyes Ranmaru for a moment, considering, before making a small hand gesture for Ayako to not strike the man down, maybe the stranger had information.

"Tai is right, clothes might help with your first impressions. But she's also right that we won't turn someone away if they might have information, so long as they come in good faith."
She takes a breath and centre herself, trying to think what a smart question might.

"Have you been to the village? Have you seen what is occurring?"

[Saru Ranmaru]

"It's... more of a rhetorical thing," he said, scratching the back of his head. "Yes I strive to go where I'm most needed but Rokugan also needs reformations before it goes down the wrong path." Based on their apprehension, he doubted they would be amenable to his lectures.

Ranmaru pressed his lips together. His mother had said similar things about putting on more clothing. However, he was glad to not allow her to coddle him too much. "It's so my fellow warriors can behold my physique," he said, looking away from them sheepishly. "But that will come in due time." He glanced back at his belongings and did consider putting on some more clothing; there had been times when women had gotten the wrong idea.

"As for the village, you're heading the right direction." Somehow, inexplicitly, the man had indeed gotten lost on his way over. But like any true man, he would never admit that. "I'll protect you since I was planning on going to the village myself."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Ayako relaxed her posture a bit at Anjing's signal, but remained close by as Ranmaru spoke.

"It's so my fellow warriors can behold my physique," he said, looking away from them sheepishly.

The young Crab cracked a smile at this. "Well, you certainly made an impression," she said, trying to suppress a chuckle.

"As for the village, you're heading the right direction." Somehow, inexplicitly, the man had indeed gotten lost on his way over. But like any true man, he would never admit that. "I'll protect you since I was planning on going to the village myself."

"Have you any news from the village, O 'Defender of the Empire'?" Ayako asked.

[Kaiu Tai]

Tai lets her gaze run across their retinue again--yep, all there--and looks back to Ranmaru with a raised eyebrow. Well, he could think he was protecting someone if he wanted. Couldn't be older than Ken'ichi and with less sense. She'd heard some of the folks on the other side of the mountains went a bit odd like that.

"Share the road, share the danger. It's all better faced with more hands and wits." She looks to the rest of the Crab again and smirks. "Get a good look at your fellow warrior, neh? I'm too old and too married to appreciate all that sword arm." Her hand stays on her knife, still not entirely trusting the odd fellow from the mists, and it only took a scratch for the earth to answer with jade's purity to pierce this fog. But her smile is genuine. At Ayano's comment, she chuckles. "Not betrothed yet are you, girl? Just think, he's probably an option."

To Anjing, she offers a look and small shrug. Seemed odd but not immediately dangerous.

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Not betrothed yet are you, girl? Just think, he's probably an option."

Ayako's eyes flew wide in shock. "What?! I- uh-" she sputtered, her cheeks burning. Why do the aunties keep trying to match me up with people?!

"Urgh!!" she said definitively, and deliberately looked away from the shirtless Dragon. Looking for other dangers lurking in the fog!! Yes, that was it!

[Anjing]

"Well, good to know we're heading in the right direction and it's not some kind of illusion." Which, she reflected unhappily, wouldn't have been completely impossible.

"And what is the wrong path for Rokugan? Bet all of us could give you some pointers there."
Anjing clearly thinks Tai's teasing and Ayako looking away is hilarious, but a leader must never show too much emotion, even if she does a poor job at hiding a smile and shaking her head.

"We'd welcome your aid, I'm sure. We've already faced more than our share of danger along the road." Her expression turns grim for a moment before she shrugs it away.

"Are other members of your Clan here as well? The Crab do not have much, but we might be able to clothe you all if needed."

[Saru Ranmaru]

"Nothing too specific," he said in regards to the village. "They're organizing a festival for some reason." It wasn't something that really interested him.

What did was getting a good look at the men in their retinue. The topic of a marriage of sorts, however, distracted him. "Hmm... You're a bit young for me to properly assess you for motherhood." He furrowed his brow; in pursuit of a woman to bear his children, he knew he could not be too brash about it. "But who knows? You could be a worthy concubine." The last word was uttered without any intended disrespect. After all, the Emperor himself had selected someone to birth his heirs.

Though his next words certainly weren't going to help him. "Well think about the state of the Empire. By compromising on the natural order of things we have exposed ourselves to this corruption." He let out a soft sigh, bracing himself for their denials. "Look at yourselves. You should be tending to the homes, nurturing the next generation of warriors, instead of marching to battle yourselves."