The Day of Thunder

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Several days later, Yoshitsune Ayako returned to the burned farmhouse that she and Han-Hei had narrowly managed to pull Shizuku from before it collapsed. The villagers were undertaking to repair the damaged farmhouses that afternoon, and Ayako had shown up to help however she could.

Ayako wasn't particularly gifted at carpentry, but it was clear even to her untrained eye that some cleanup would be required. She began picking up burned timbers and bits of debris and carrying them to a junk pile.

[Canary]

Shizuku came over, still leaning on her crutch. "Ah, Yoshitsune-sama! I didn't expect to see you here so early."

[Hisomu Reo]

Reo yawns after a bad night of sleep. "I hear people need help building?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Shizuku came over, still leaning on her crutch. "Ah, Yoshitsune-sama! I didn't expect to see you here so early."

"Shizuku!" Ayako's face lit up at seeing the village woman. "Oh, I know the building is supposed to be in the afternoon, but I slept really well last night and had a lot of energy. So I thought I'd come get an early start."

Reo yawns after a bad night of sleep. "I hear people need help building?"

"Oh! Good morning," Ayako said, bowing politely. "I'm just getting started with some cleanup." She indicated the badly damaged farmhouse.

"I think more people are coming to rebuild houses a little later."

[Canary]

Shizuku smiles brightly. "I'm so glad! The last few nights have been rough, haven't they?"

She bowed to Reo. "Good morning, Hisomu-sama!"

She shifted a little on her foot. "Ah, Yoshitsune-sama, I have something I need to tell you... A couple of things, actually."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

She shifted a little on her foot. "Ah, Yoshitsune-sama, I have something I need to tell you... A couple of things, actually."

"Oh~! Of course," Ayako said, looking concerned as she put down her current load. "Uh, is something wrong? How can I help?"

[Canary]

"Oh~! Of course," Ayako said, looking concerned as she put down her current load. "Uh, is something wrong? How can I help?"

"No, nothing's wrong... I just..." she seems to nod to herself, determined. "I like you, Yoshitsune-sama. You're beautiful and strong and heroic."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"I like you, Yoshitsune-sama. You're beautiful and strong and heroic."

Ayako's eyes got really big, then she broke into a huge, foolish grin. "I like you too!" she declared, and reached for Shizuku to try and pull her in for a hug.

[Canary]

Ayako's eyes got really big, then she broke into a huge, foolish grin. "I like you too!" she declared, and reached for Shizuku to try and pull her in for a hug.

Shizuku hugged her back tight, sighing in relief. "I was so nervous...!" She looked up at her in the hug. "I... I'd like... No, I'm ready to leave here. Do you think... it would be possible to come with you?"

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

Shizuku hugged her back tight, sighing in relief. "I was so nervous...!" She looked up at her in the hug. "I... I'd like... No, I'm ready to leave here. Do you think... it would be possible to come with you?"

"Oh~! Uh, sure... I don't see why not," Ayako said, sounding surprised, but pleasantly so. "My clan has been trying to recruit people from the northern mountains, so I don't think it would be a problem."

"But what happened to becoming Enrou's apprentice? I mean, I'd be glad for you to come with me ... I just want to be sure it's what you really want." She gave Shizuku's hand a squeeze.

[Canary]

"I... I do. I really want to learn from him," she admitted with a nod. "He's a genius. And on your part, well... It might come with some... political complications, if the Lion even remember me..."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"I... I do. I really want to learn from him," she admitted with a nod. "He's a genius. And on your part, well... It might come with some... political complications, if the Lion even remember me..."

"Whatever it was, if it was so many years ago, maybe they forgot by now," Ayako said, with uncharacteristic confidence. "And even if not, I'm sure we could work it out. There's not a lot of Lion that get up to these northern mountains, after all."

The young Crab eyed the ruined house speculatively. "I suppose this means it's not all that urgent to rebuild your house, then," she commented with a chuckle. "We can build you a new house once we get back home!"

[Canary]

"Whatever it was, if it was so many years ago, maybe they forgot by now," Ayako said, with uncharacteristic confidence. "And even if not, I'm sure we could work it out. There's not a lot of Lion that get up to these northern mountains, after all."

The young Crab eyed the ruined house speculatively. "I suppose this means it's not all that urgent to rebuild your house, then," she commented with a chuckle. "We can build you a new house once we get back home!"

"Well, I'm sure my parents would appreciate their house back," she giggles. "You make a good point about Enrou, though... I wonder if the Crab would take him? He knows everything there is to know about medicine."

[Yoshitsune Ayako]

"Well, I'm sure my parents would appreciate their house back," she giggles. "You make a good point about Enrou, though... I wonder if the Crab would take him? He knows everything there is to know about medicine."

"I don't know," Ayako admitted. "Enrou seemed great to me, especially how he helped Yukara; but Auntie Tai had her doubts about him. Between the stuff he smokes and his talk of regrowing peoples' arms, she seemed to get a bad impression of him, and her word carries a lot of weight."

"Do you think he'd even want to go?" she wondered doubtfully. "I got the idea he was pretty tied to Blue Lotus Village; I mean, he planted a whole garden here."