"Tomorrow then," I rise, bow to him, and make my way to Aruzhan and company.

Hekasu finds the other ronin near the canvas 'inn', accompanying a clearly nervous heimin servant. Yoshi-no-Kaze gives the northerner a quick heads-up on what Aruzhan has told them so far, and indicates that as it happens, they were about to come and look for him.

" How did your negotiations with the Yasuki go, Hekasu-san?" Kenshin asks.

Hekasu glances at Kenshin, "They're progressing. It's a far different manner than handling geisha contracts, certainly. I look forward to growing my skills in this area as well."

He then turns his attention to Yoshi, "I see. How fascinating. Let us see if we can do anything to calm these spirits."

Yoshika leads the ronin along a paved path, wending away from Uimi Mira proper to a small villa set on the edge of the woods, nestling in a bend in what is presumably a very shallow brook most of the year but is starting to swell with autumn rains into quite a fast-flowing stream, making it's way west past the town's southern edge and onward to join with the Golden River. Fortunately the raised stone of the path is, for the moment, avoiding the need for the ronin to trudge through what is rapidly becoming soft clay-like mud on either side.

A grove of carefully tended weeping willow trees is set between the edge gardens of the house and the more chaotic brush that leads down to the brook, with the path running alongside the willows. On the other side of the villa, the gardens stop in a row of low, irregular stones before the forest proper, which is dense enough that it is impossible to see into it with any depth.

The house is smartly built in a traditional style, with much of the woodwork stained a deep blue, and the Hiruma family mon carved prominently on several beams.

To the left of the front door is a tiled awning, sheltering a palanquin. Yoshiki looks distinctly green as he gets gets close enough to see it - it would appear his master has returned, and, to make matters worse, during the doorkeeper's absence.

Hekasu's instinct for beauty causes his feet to turn towards the willows. After a few steps, he pauses, tucks one hand into his obi, and sighs. He then shakes his head, making a mental note to come back when he has a moment. He then rejoins the group, and says to Aruzhan (though loudly enough to easily be overheard), "It appears my discussion with Soji-sama may have delayed my joining you. Certainly we would have arrived sooner had I joined you right away."

Out of the corner of one eye, Hekasu sees a grey-haired woman's head poke suddenly around a window-frame like a startled mouse as he 'apologises'.

There is the sound of hurried movement inside the house before a rather anxious-looking battleaxe of a woman steps into view and kowtows, faintly muttering to herself just within Hekasu's sharp hearing "... the idiot just to get one of the priests, not a damned samurai army ..."

Standing - with a slight creak of elderly knees, she respectfully welcomes you to the home of Hiruma Aoi-sama, and says that " My Lord has only just returned from the north himself, and the household is currently welcoming him home ." There is the tiniest glare flicked at Yoshiki for a moment. " Thank you many rimes over for coming to our assistance. May I ask your names? "

"Would that be the same Hiruma Aoi-sama who passed through the Pleasant Mooring Inn? I do believe we shared a table with him just last night. I am Hekasu of Nanashi Mura. This is Aruzhan, Yoshi, and Kenshin." Hekasu gives her an acknowledging bow.

" Master Aoi-sama certainly did stay at Pleasant Mooring on his journey home, Samurai-sama. Please come in. " The housekeeper steps aside from the door and makes a little shooing gesture to Yoshiki to show you where to go.

" I am certain Master Aoi-sama will be pleased to see you again - and thank you again for coming to our aid !" The doorman says, taking the hint, and trying to take over the job of welcoming you despite arriving at the same time. " You can refresh yourself in the guest hall - if you would care to follow me? " He flicks his muddy shoes into a servant's rack behind one of the door pillars (a rather more pleasant-looking one decorated with the clan mon sits next to the porch step), scurried into some indoor shoes, and gestures in as dignified a fashion as he can manage to a shoji door on the left, watermarked with an artistic forest scene. The door proves to lead to a well-appointed waiting area. Tea is brought to the four ronin, and just within hearing is the sound of Yoshiki being harangued by the housekeeper.

Stepping out of his own shoes, Hekasu enters and follows the doorman. He moves aside at the shoji door to allow the others to enter the room before him so he can enjoy the artwork on the shoji screen. Then he goes in after the last of his companions. Sipping tea as he carries his cup around the waiting area, he begins browsing any pillow books or travel journals on display. The wealth of options easily takes his mind off the soreness in his shoulder as something catches his eye.

I'm going to go with Culture. Water 3 / Culture 1:

, , , . Finally, a roll worth grabbing the icons for.

Keep: , , .

Resolve explosion: [blank]. I'll drop it.

Resolve Strife: 4/8.

Resolve Opp: Spot a unique or identifying quality, aspect, or ability of something that you are identifying.

Resolve success: 2 successes v TN2 (due to lightly wounded). Pass!

Aruzhan takes in the natural beauty of this house and the grounds it's on. with effort she takes small steps, knowing that she must move on, but clearly wishing she could stop here forever. A samurai's eyes should not water, but she doesn't even notice as a tear forms a small bead, barely perceptible perhaps, but within lies an artist's heart. she softly says something about " a cabin in the woods" as if remembering some great work of art, then louder she speaks to her companions. "I have seen Ivory and Jade temples resting quietly in the golden sands. I've seen trees of silver standing proudly in crystal peaks. Why did no one tell me that crab lands held places like this? Why have I only come here by some happy accident? Is this what it means to be a child of the wind? A warrior of the waves? Carry me on, wind. Carry me on, waves."

Slowly the artist comes back to herself "They said Aoi-sama's treasure had been stolen, but what treasure could be as valuable as a mere stroll through these grounds?" and finally able to get her mind away from the simple beauty of this woodland house and back onto the strange behavior of the local kami, the Shugenja makes note of something else. "Hmm.."

Hekasu tilts his head to one side as he runs his eyes along a shelf of books. Some of the titles he recognises from storytelling at the House of Gentle Breezes, others are more obscure. Almost all of them are tales of heros such as Asahina, who enjoyed the favour and aid of the Kami in their endeavours.

Interestingly, some of these look to be very rare or old editions; the Tale of the Old Farmer's Scarecrow is a story Hekasu recognises but would not have had such a comparatively disrespectful title had it been published after Kuebiko had been proclaimed Fortune of Agriculture by the then Emperor, which makes the worn-looking book three or four hundred years old.

Aruzhan - reluctantly- makes her way inside to join the others, passing some small stone lanterns replete with discrete offerings . The former Unicorn notices as she does so several trinkets and symbols displayed in pride of place around the door frames. Most are generic omamori calling the blessings of one fortune or another, or welcoming the spirits, but a few are 'true' Asahina-made talismen and may in part account for the beautiful nature of the gardens. No doubt a lot of hard labour and careful though has been expended on Hiruma Aoi's garden, but the attentions of well-meaning minor water and earth Kami drawn to the house's front door will be no bad thing.

The effect of the villa's decor, for the most part, is one of a minor shrine managed by an absent-minded priest who is devout but has next to no actual ability to sense the desires of the Kami themselves. Offerings and blessings are affixed to walls, window-boxes and doorways in a way that they likely interfere with one another, comparatively garish knick-nacks obscure the odd item that would be far more significant to a true shujenga, and the overall impression Aruzhan senses from the spirits in and around the house is one of confused but happy tolerance.

At the moment, though, there is a second sense from the spirits further in the house, one of significantly more lingering distress and discomfort.

As the shujenga tries to catch the sense of the spirits, a door slides back, and Hiruma Aoi enters the room. His expression is a curious one - as if he cannot decide whether to weep his heart out or grin like a merchant handed a bag of gold, and is trying to retain his composure and avoid doing both at once...

" Aruzhan-san, Hekasu-san, Yoshi-san, Kenshin-san. Welcome to my home! I am glad you were able to join me - I am just sorry I cannot make good on my promise in the way I originally intended. Please; sit. I will have Himari-san bring us some tea and food whilst Eiji-san finishes his work in the next room ."

Sitting, Aruzhan looks around as if seeing the kami themselves. "Pardon me Aoi-sama, but it's obvious the kami are adored here and thrive in this place. What is it that's causing this.. unsteadiness?"

The Hiruma samurai's expression brightens at Aruzhan's suggestion the Kami are normally happy in his home. He takes a seat himself, as Himari - the ferocious-sounding housekeeper amusingly meek now the ronin have turned out to be 'expected guests' - shuffles in with tea and some warm hirata buns.

" I assume the incursion by this mysterious ghostly bushi has unsettled them. Beyond that, I fear you are as well informed as I am." Aoi replies. "I had barely finished changing out of travelling clothes myself when Yoshiki-san returned with you. I gather he told you what has occured? "

He gestures to a connecting door.

" The spirit tore it's way into...my 'reliquary'? No, that won't do. It sounds far too grand. But 'store-room' sounds disrespectful. The room where much of my collection is kept, anyway ."

He shrugs and makes a self-deprecating expression.

" I do recall saying I did not consider myself a fit guardian for some legendary hero's weapon. Evidently the spirits agree with my unworthiness... As I understand it the ghost reclaimed the Ryoshi no Yari, rode off into the forest to a ruined shribe near here, and vanished back into the spirit realms ."

Aoi raises a finger to draw attention to a faint hammering noise, " My gardener is busy doing what repairs he can as we speak. I shall have to engage a carpenter to repair the wall properly, and a priest to bless the repairs, but Eiji-san generously suggested he could rig a straw awning to the side of the house over the broken wall - that will at least ensure that the items that remain do not become sodden, and that we do not have to stand in the rain. He should be done in a very moments, and I thought we could best aid him by not being underfoot as he works - unless, Shujenga-san ," his tone becomes more concerned, " you sense some urgent need for immediate action? "

Taking a moment to compose himself after this unexpected discovery, Hekasu is a moment behind on bowing and greeting Aoi. He thanks Himari for the buns and sets about enjoying one as Aoi and Aruzhan speak.

Sure. Air 3 / Sentiment 1: [blank],

, , . Reroll the blank and : , [blank]. Keeping: , , .

Resolve explosions: . Heck, I'll keep it. Was hoping for an opp, but I'll deal.

Resolve strife: 5/8.

Resolve success: 4 successes v TN2. Pass with flyin' dang colors.

"The Great Kami Shinjo taught us that immediacy is sincerity, though mindfulness is the root of compassion. It would be tragic indeed if the treasures in your reliquary were to become damaged or ruined from exposure. Of course if we were to travel to the old shrine to investigate, we should not be too much in the way of the repairs." The shugenja is trying to subtly stress the word reliquary, noting Aoi-sama's customary humility, but suspecting that Aoi-sama's appreciation of the kami here while neglecting the spirits of the ruined shrine may in fact be causing some needless strife. Perhaps it's actually fair for the samurai to be ashamed of himself given the circumstances.

Aruzhan, forces herself to have some tea and a snack, but doesn't actually finish either, as she is unsettled by the palpable, to her at least, distress of the kami.

" Sound advice, Aruzhan-san ." Hiruma Aoi nods. " Yoshiki-san and Eiji-san followed the trail as far as the old shrine but it would perhaps be best if we did so too, and as you say, it would get us out of the way ."

He gestures for the housekeeper's attention, and Himari steps forwards.

" My apologies - given that I have only just arrived - but please fetch me a hat and rain-cloak. I shall only be a moment. "

" Of course, Hiruma-sama. " She responds, bowing. " Will any of your guests require the same? "

The Crab samurai excuses himself to collect his daisho and a lantern, whilst Himari looks on expectantly at the ronin.

A few moments later, there is an exuberant young voice audible from a new arrival at the front entrance. Yoshiki can be heard, clearly trying to making courteous, supportive and hopefully calming responses but barely getting a word in edgeways as his as-yet-unseen 'young master' can be heard bustling past him.

".... must tell my Uncle! I swear to the Kami, Yoshiki-san, I'll be too excited to sleep tonight! I can't believe she changed her....oh. Hello ."

A door slides open, revealing a boy in a grey tunic stitched with a weeping willow mon, with a pair of bokken tucked under one elbow. He almost starts in shock before catching himself and bowing apologetically.

" Sorry for intruding, Samurai-sama. I didn't realise Uncle Aoi-sama had guests. This one is Hiruma Reo-san, and humbly begs your forgiveness ."

Hekasu immediately takes an instinctive liking to the boy, allowing a small bit of surprise to show on his face. "Greetings, Hiruma-san," he gives the boy a bow. "To the extent any forgiveness is required for a nephew's impromptu visit to his uncle, consider it freely given. I am Hekasu of Nanashi Mura."

" And I am Yoshi-no-Kaze ." Yoshi adds, bowing to the youth from behind Hekasu. " Forgive my curiosity - you were amongst the students in the Kata demonstration today? "

Reo nods.

" A most impressive performance from what we saw - I am sorry I couldn't see the whole performance but we had duties to attend to. Hayai-san, Suki Bakin-sama's nikutai, mentioned your name ."

The boy's grin threatens to spread even wider at the mention of Arban's guard officer.

" Yes! Hayai-sama's always been...I must make sure ..."

" What you must make sure, Hirima Reo-san, " says Hiruma Aoi, re-entering the room with his daisho now slotted in his obi, a shuttered lantern, and a string of prayer beads knotted around the palm of his sworn hand, " is, first, to allow yourself finish one sentence before being overrun by the next. The second is to get changed out of that outfit before you catch a chill - you're soaked to the bone. I've no doubt you did your school and your family honour, and I apologise for not returning to Kimi Mura in time to see it. Now - take a calming breath and tell me what is so urgent. We could use some happy news ."

Hiruma Reo - still babbling slightly with enthusiasm - explains that he has been allowed to participate in the swordsmanship competition for the first time. Yasuki Aki sent a messenger to find him after the Willow Falls school finished their demonstration and told him privately that she felt she had not been fair, that she had changed her mind and she would add his name to the list of competitors for the following day's contest - and she would let him know in the morning whom he had been selected to face.

Hiruma Aoi blinks in surprise before covering it with a supportive smile. Out of the corner of one eye, Aruzhan sees Yoshi wince.

" That's wonderful news ," he says, as Himari bustles in with a cloak and hat, " And we'll celebrate properly when we return. For now, get yourself warm, dry, and fed, and please stay here to guard the house and staff. Himari, please see to Reo-san's needs and explain what happened here ."

He puts on the cloak and gestures.

" Samurai-san? "

As Aoi-sama gestures that it's time to depart, Aruzhan seems slightly disappointed. She once again browses the many offerings around the house, then let's out a sigh. "If only there were more time, so I could make proper offering to take to the spirits of the shrine."

" What would you require, Aruzhan-san? " Aoi asks. " I had thought to take these " - he gestures with the prayer beads - " but would appreciate any insight you can offer. The ruins are a fair walk from here, so if we are going we need to set off promptly if we are to arrive before dark, but it is not so urgent we cannot spare a moment."

"Congratulations, Hiruma-san," Hekasu says with a small smile. Having little useful knowledge in the way of spirits, he listens with interest so he can learn.

" Thank you, Hekasu-san. I've been hoping to compete for what feels like forever now. Yasuki Aki-sama told me at first I wouldn't be allowed this year either; I'm so glad she changed her decision ."

He bows as Himari bustles past and - politely - tries to chivvy the rain-soaked-gi-clad young student into a family room to change, taking a portion of the warm buns as she passes the table.

" That ," mutters Yoshi quietly to Hekasu, " might be bad ."

"Hmm.. without knowing for sure what spirits reside there I can't really know, but if the spirits looked like a samurai than perhaps it is an ancestral shrine? Maybe something that signifies this region, and especially the region's ancient traditions and past events. If you could tell me more about the history of this area along way, and any history that you know about the ruins, perhaps I could come up with a quick, but appropriate design along the way."

" Honestly not much - which sounds lax of me, I know ." Hiruma Aoi says, as he shows the samurai through the villa to a rear door. " I sometimes used to venture up to the ruins as a youth - they might well have been an ancestral shrine to someone but regardless it's been pretty thorougly slighted. There are no identifying mons left on the walls and it's quite a tumbledown wreck; little more than four chest-to-shoulder high walls and about a quarter of a roof. It's certainly more than a few centuries old; Yasuki Onodera-sama's father was a historian and compiled a local history of the province over the last few generations, beginning with the construction of what's called the 'Daidoji Merchant Road' - it was the Kaiu who built it on this side of the border, of course, but the Trading Council paid for it. It was a fairly disused Imperial Highway and the Daidoji decided to subsidise repairs and improvements so their merchants had a way South which the local Yasuki officials couldn't interdict on a whim.....which ," the Crab Samurai says, stepping out onto a path through a manicured garden, " isn't strictly relevant. Anyway, Yasuki Tadataka-sama's history includes a local map, which just marks the shrine as 'Ruined Shrine' - in truth that's about the only reason I know it was a shrine. "

The samurai reach the back edge of the gardens, where a splendidly huge willow sits proudly on its own about halfway between the tree-lined stream-bed and the edge of the forest proper.

" The tracks Eiji-san and Yoshiki-san followed into the forest, I assume ." Hiruma Aoi says, gesturing into the gathering gloom. A horse-track is visible in the clay emerging from the direction of the stream-bed, passes around the tree to the forest-wards side of the tree where they become somewhat indistinct and overlaid, before setting off again in the direction of the forest and disappearing into the trees. Yoshi and Kenshin loosen their swords, but neither draws a blade.

" So...where was I? Oh...the shrine. I know it's more recent than the end of the fourth century, though, because I have an old battle map from Yasuki Tsanumi's campaigns in the Crab-crane war, which doesn't show it. There were a couple of fortified manor houses belonging to a ronin otokodate - one of which still survives because I believe it was where Pleasant Mooring inn is now - but nothing else is marked between Uimi Mura and Hiuchiishi Ganpeki Mura to the north or Fukai Mori Mura to the north-east. With a Hiruma scout cadre - including one of my ancestors - based in the village at the time, if the shrine had been there at the time then it would have appeared on the maps of the area. That still, I'm afraid, leaves about a five hundred year gap within which it was evidently built, abandoned, forgotten and eventually left to fall to ruin . Well ," he says, lighting his lantern, " shall we go? "