[D6, EA Expecting] Trotting along

[Shiba Haru]

"Oh I'm plenty disappointed, but I'm not going to let the ruin the good moments I am having. It would be a dream come true just to be in the Iaijutsu tournament but as each day passes the likelihood of that goes down so I have to find joy where I can. Fortunately I have people like you to spend time with. Being with you makes all those thoughts fade away."

[Suzume Rin]

"Oh I'm plenty disappointed, but I'm not going to let the ruin the good moments I am having. It would be a dream come true just to be in the Iaijutsu tournament but as each day passes the likelihood of that goes down so I have to find joy where I can. Fortunately I have people like you to spend time with. Being with you makes all those thoughts fade away."

"Well ain't you sweet to say that. I kinda feel like you've got all this energy and knowledge, and if I have questions you'll have a good answer just at the ready. Life's complicated, but you got a lot of it figured out."

Gesturing down the path they'd taken
"Wanna just ride for a bit, clear our heads? Knowing how good you are outdoors I reckon you can blaze the trail and I'll follow."

[Shiba Haru]

"Well ain't you sweet to say that. I kinda feel like you've got all this energy and knowledge, and if I have questions you'll have a good answer just at the ready. Life's complicated, but you got a lot of it figured out."

Gesturing down the path they'd taken
"Wanna just ride for a bit, clear our heads? Knowing how good you are outdoors I reckon you can blaze the trail and I'll follow."

"it would be my pleasure, follow me. HIYA!"

Haru spurred his horse forward at a faster clip, cutting between tree and bush but careful not to lose his companion.

Trailblazing on horseback with Rin | TN: 1 | Success: 4 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 3

Opportunity: (Water) : Remove 2 strife from yourself.

[Suzume Rin]

"it would be my pleasure, follow me. HIYA!"

Haru spurred his horse forward at a faster clip, cutting between tree and bush but careful not to lose his companion.

Trailblazing on horseback with Rin | TN: 1 | Success: 4 / Opportunity: 1 / Strife: 3

Opportunity: (Water) : Remove 2 strife from yourself.

Rin bends down low over Ikki and the two fall in close behind the Phoenix, trees whipping by on either side. As they continue she feels her mind beginning to settle some.

[Shiba Haru]

Rin bends down low over Ikki and the two fall in close behind the Phoenix, trees whipping by on either side. As they continue she feels her mind beginning to settle some.

For his part Haru was having an argument with himself.

You are a terrible person and worse friend, you told Mitsuko that you wouldn't do anything and you have been desperately dropping every hint you can to Rin that you like her.

Is it my fault that she is so kind and relatable and cute and strong and a little innocent?

No but going back on your word when you were the one who told Mitsuko to make a move is your fault. Besides, those are the same words you use to describe Mitsuko.

No shit, I wonder why I could possibly like them both.

Look, Mitsuko is pretty much in love with Rin and Rin is clearly more interested in Mitsuko than she is you so just relax, remember your words about wanting to keep them both as friends, be happy for them, and go take a cold bath.

[Suzume Rin]

For his part Haru was having an argument with himself.

You are a terrible person and worse friend, you told Mitsuko that you wouldn't do anything and you have been desperately dropping every hint you can to Rin that you like her.

Is it my fault that she is so kind and relatable and cute and strong and a little innocent?

No but going back on your word when you were the one who told Mitsuko to make a move is your fault. Besides, those are the same words you use to describe Mitsuko.

No shit, I wonder why I could possibly like them both.

Look, Mitsuko is pretty much in love with Rin and Rin is clearly more interested in Mitsuko than she is you so just relax, remember your words about wanting to keep them both as friends, be happy for them, and go take a cold bath.

Rin is thinking about her folks, were they all getting enough? How was school going...hope mom's cold cleared up, auntie said she was going to drop off some new mats, wonder if that happened.

Given the size of her family the thoughts flow on a bit as she wonders if cousin #52 had finally realised got the courage to ask his wife if they could repaint the house....naw, unlikely.

[Shiba Haru]

Rin is thinking about her folks, were they all getting enough? How was school going...hope mom's cold cleared up, auntie said she was going to drop off some new mats, wonder if that happened.

Given the size of her family the thoughts flow on a bit as she wonders if cousin #52 had finally realised got the courage to ask his wife if they could repaint the house....naw, unlikely.

Haru turned his head so Rin could hear him without needing to shout.

"So yams huh, don't those take a lot of water to grow?"

[Suzume Rin]

Haru turned his head so Rin could hear him without needing to shout.

"So yams huh, don't those take a lot of water to grow?"

"Huh?"
Rin's jerked out of her revelry
"Yams?" Of course Haru knew about yams, he seemed to know everything "Oh yeah, they like moisture in the ground, can't grow them on the hills. But our land ain't just hills, we got some marshes down by the river.... so uh, still bad. But not so bad for yams!"

[Shiba Haru]

"Huh?"
Rin's jerked out of her revelry
"Yams?" Of course Haru knew about yams, he seemed to know everything "Oh yeah, they like moisture in the ground, can't grow them on the hills. But our land ain't just hills, we got some marshes down by the river.... so uh, still bad. But not so bad for yams!"

"What about flowers, what kinds or colors grow in Sparrow lands? I had no idea there were marshes in Sparrow lands, that makes sense since you have mentioned yams a few times."

[Suzume Rin]

"What about flowers, what kinds or colors grow in Sparrow lands? I had no idea there were marshes in Sparrow lands, that makes sense since you have mentioned yams a few times."

"Tree Peonies, mainly. They're hardy, almost like shrubs. Some places you think nothing could survive and then come spring up they come!"

[Shiba Haru]

"So what are the winters like? Oh, watch your head."

His head turned to talk to to Rin, Haru's head brushed a low branch and he had to face forward and pay attention for a moment as he navigated them out of some trees.

[Suzume Rin]

"So what are the winters like? Oh, watch your head."

His head turned to talk to to Rin, Haru's head brushed a low branch and he had to face forward and pay attention for a moment as he navigated them out of some trees.

"Oop!"
Ring hurriedly ducks and nearly eats a face-full of leaves

"Cold! We're a ways inland and in the hills so its frigid. Usually we'll all end up huddled together around the stove. It's a good time for stories and repairing all the wear and tear from the year gone by."

Looking up ahead, now more wary of branches
"I know parts of the Phoenix lands are supposed to be frigid come winter, but your family is a bit more southern?"

[Shiba Haru]

"Oh, yeah. I mean we do get some snow but only lightly, nothing compared to what the Isawa get. Enough to turn everything white and have a couple good snowball fights with. It get's cold at night if you're out on the plain though, no trees around to block the wind coming down the mountains."

Haru decided to share a story with the storyteller.

"Two winters ago, my sparring partner and I had to live out on the plain as a team. For ten days we had to survive alone in the cold on a windswept plain, we weren't allowed anything except some winter clothes, our bokken, a yumi with 10 arrows, a shovel and one blanket. At any time we could leave the plain, we were watched day and night, but we would be failures and I hate failing.

The first day was the hardest, it had snowed the day before and the ground was as hard as rock. Akane foraged for anything she could find, sticks and shrubs, signs of animals anything that could sustain us. In the meantime I dug, or tired to dig. I know I don't have to tell you that when you have no shelter you have to make shelter and a hole in the ground is better than nothing. Neither of us slept that first day and night, we just kept digging. Akane gathered enough to make a very small weak fire and we used that to melt snow into water and our only food was seven berries she found which we decided to crush and add to the water. by the dawning of the second day we had a hole deep enough for one of us the lay in and with the blanket over them it was like a paradise compared to the outside.

From then on we slept in shifts, I took watch at night and slept in the mornings. Less risk of a starving wolf or bear sneaking up in the daylight so Akane would range out a bit and continue foraging, when she returned I wake and go try the same while she dug until I returned and took her place. By the end of day three we had enough of a hole that both of us could fit in the same time but we still slept in shifts. We hadn't eaten since the berries so on that third night she stayed awake and I took the bow and ranged out father then we ever had.

I reached the western edge of the plain where a small wood sits and immediately spotted a sentry, there to make sure I didn't try to gather anything from the trees. He shadowed me as I ranged up and down the tree line, ruining any chance to hunt something on the fringe. At one point, in the early hours of the morning I could have shot a crow but refused, we weren't that desperate that I need kill one of Shinsei's companions. I went back to our "camp" empty handed. Hungry cold and tired Akane and I slept in a tangle under the blanket using each other to stay warm.

When we woke an entire day had passed an we are starving. Akane was the first to peak her head out and she became so still I thought there had to be bear above us. when she motioned with one hand towards where the bow rested I grabbed it and figured whatever it was couldn't be big. I waited with bow and arrow in hand for close to twenty minutes until she finally gave me a signal.

You see, Akane's appearance had scared it stiff, it's gaze locked on her as hers was on it and we had to wait for it to relax and turn it's back to us. One wrong move and it would dart away faster than we could ever catch it. After twenty of the longest minutes of our lives it finally began to dig under the light snow again for grass and I got my signal, a single finger pointing in a direction. Akane took care of the blanket, lifting it up and behind us so my shot was clear and thank the kami I made the shot.

It took us another three hours to get a fire going, with so little wood to scavenge we ended up shaving ribbons of wood off one of the bokken with some arrowheads and then lighting it with the fire plough method. By nightfall we were feasting on a rather large hare, entrails and all.

The following day I ranged south and found the best surprise yet, a rotting log as long as this horse. I dragged that thing back and Akane's shouts sent a distant flock of birds to flight. Now we had a reliable source of firewood and as a bonus the thing was crawling with worms and grubs. After that things became easier, the weather calmed a little and Akane caught another rabbit on the 8th day.

When they came for us at the end of the tenth day our little home was so big they made us fill the hole in before we were allowed to leave. Hardest, longest and coldest time of my life but we had passed. Turns out most groups don't think to sacrifice their bokken to stay warm and we had basically passed the test as soon as we did that, when Akane learned that she flew off the handle asking why they didn't come get us sooner if that was the test.

Our sensei's answer was to make us spend that night outside the dojo as punishment."

[Suzume Rin]

Snip

Rin listens intently, even starting to shiver herself at the story. Once Haru is done:

"Wow!"
A couple moments of silence
"You know Haru-san, you got a real talent for tale telling as well. I could almost feel that from yah words alone. How cold, and hard it was. The two of you struggling on, never giving up even for a moment."
Beaming
"It's a good story, I'm gonna be remembering it."

[Shiba Haru]

Rin listens intently, even starting to shiver herself at the story. Once Haru is done:

"Wow!"
A couple moments of silence
"You know Haru-san, you got a real talent for tale telling as well. I could almost feel that from yah words alone. How cold, and hard it was. The two of you struggling on, never giving up even for a moment."
Beaming
"It's a good story, I'm gonna be remembering it."

Haru was filled with a mixture of embarrassment and pride.

"Thank you Rin-san, to gain the praise of a Sparrow is a great compliment, I am truly honored. I don't know what compelled me to share that, I'm not much of a storyteller but I felt like you might appreciate it. It actually took two days before I could move my hands enough to resume my training but it felt good to pass the test." he chuckled lightly. "If only the tests here were as "easy"."

[Suzume Rin]

Haru was filled with a mixture of embarrassment and pride.

"Thank you Rin-san, to gain the praise of a Sparrow is a great compliment, I am truly honored. I don't know what compelled me to share that, I'm not much of a storyteller but I felt like you might appreciate it. It actually took two days before I could move my hands enough to resume my training but it felt good to pass the test." he chuckled lightly. "If only the tests here were as "easy"."

"Well, you were thinking about friends and hard times and how you worked hard to make do, it makes sense I think. I figure if the tests here were like that we'd only have a couple entrants."
Putting up her sleeve to hide a laugh

"Can't imagine some of these court folk going out to eat grubs."

[Shiba Haru]

"No, I think that story would turn some here green; but we do what we must to survive right?"

[Suzume Rin]

"No, I think that story would turn some here green; but we do what we must to survive right?"

"Of course, no sense lying down and failing in your duty over a matter of pride. Be a little silly to say "I didn't want to eat grubs, so I just laid down and died", not gonna make a good story though."

[Shiba Haru]

"Did your training have anything like that? Anything others would call extreme? Or perhaps something deeper and more meditative?"

[Suzume Rin]

"Did your training have anything like that? Anything others would call extreme? Or perhaps something deeper and more meditative?"

"Oh, well going without is something most Sparrows do at home anyway. Our training was more focused on what it means to be a samurai, so lotsa focus on bushido, duty, honour, that sorta thing. I think a lot of kids found that boring, but for me it was the best part."