[x] Seek out Yasuki Goro if he can be found, and if you can get a private moment, raise again your concerns about the Pale Radiance. Perhaps we ought to mention them to the diamyo? It may well be nothing, but if it is not nothing, it would be good to deal with it.
-[x] If he is not available (say, if he is currently in conversation with the diamyo) then seek out your friends instead. It is of course the case that nothing will have gone horribly wrong in your absence. Your companions are surely far to sensible for that sort of thing in a time as serious as this. Still... best to be certain.
-[x] Regardless, remain within the castle and in a place you can be found until Yasuki-sama says otherwise.
Days pass in a quiet rush as the inhabitants of Shiro Kitsuki prepare for battle. There is no clangor, no shouting mass as Bushi gather and train for the conflict that is to come. Instead the Mirumoto are quiet and solemn as they go about the hundred various tasks that must be completed arranging a large force for war.
War… There can be no doubt that is what this is. There are hundreds of Bushi within Shiro Kitsuki, and many of them are coming together to assault these bandit remnants of Moto Shinichiro's army. Once Shinjo Wanli arrives then they will be properly directed, know more completely what they are up against. And from the expression you see on the faces of many of these warriors, they are eager for blood.
It is both familiar and different at the same time. Familiar in that within the lands of the Crab war is a constant. The sight of Bushi training in the courtyard of the castle, fully armored, reminds you of home. Their eagerness is what is different. No proper Crab Samurai would shirk their duty, and some even joke about enjoying a good scrap with the monsters of the Shadowlands, but none are what you would call eager…
You don't linger on the thought for very long. It's not important, and you have other issues to attend to.
"I did not forget your concerns about the teahouse, Sosuke-san," Yasuki Goro tells you during that span of days, finding the time to speak with you. He has been in and out of meetings with various functionaries, which has taken up most of his attention. "And I reported the matter to Kitsuki-sama during one of our meetings."
"Did anything come of it?" you ask.
"Nothing," your superior replies, shaking his head. "A troop of Bushi and some of the Kitsuki Investigators searched the place from top to bottom and found no sign of any disturbing activity, related to the Shadow or otherwise. They even had a Shugenja come in, but no disturbance could be detected."
"I see," you say, not sure exactly what to think. You had been so sure that letter you received was related to all this somehow… "I suppose it was just a waste of time, then."
"Do not feel that way," Yasuki Goro says, his voice stopping just a few steps from recrimination. "In a situation such as this, combating the forces arrayed against us, we must always be vigilant. Your concern was a valid one, Sosuke-san, and so it was looked into. That nothing was found is not something to bemoan, for knowing where your enemy isn't is almost as important as knowing where he is."
You smile. "That sounds like something straight from Akodo-no-Kami's book, Victory."
"Yes, well," Yasuki Goro says, straightening his kimono. "I have been having many conversations these evenings with Ikoma Kagami-san." He smiles. "She's a delight to talk with, especially over tea. The Ikoma Bards truly have a wide breadth of knowledge, and she is quite adept at sharing it."
That makes you blink. You hadn't known your Lord was spending time with one of the other diplomats in anything other than business. "I hope you have been enjoying yourself, Yasuki-sama."
"As much as I'm able, with all the ruckus going about," he replies. "Speaking of which… You're free to go into the city if you wish, Sosuke-san. Kitsuki-sama has mentioned to me that he'll speak with you again when Shinjo Wanli-san arrives, and that he does not require your presence for right now."
"I see. My thanks, Yasuki-sama."
So it is, a day after your conversation with your lord, that you sit with Shirou in one of the eating halls of the castle. You've rice and vegetables aplenty, of course, though little in the way of actual meat aside from some grilled fish. You could have taken some of the goat, but frankly you'd prefer to keep your distance from that until you absolutely have to eat it.
Your friend is the only one of your companions you've had steady contact with the last few days. Hanabi has been as busy as the rest of her Mirumoto comrades, of course, and is preparing for war. That leaves her little time to spend with other matters, though she is always happy and cheerful spending time with you when she can get a few minutes away.
Himawari, meanwhile, has offered whatever service the Daimyo might need of a Shugenja. Mostly she has been walking about the city with the Tamori, communing with the kami to best ensure no intruders remain within the city. A great deal of her time, however, has also been spent performing cleansing rituals for the homes of the peasantry. With recent events the populace has been frightened, but the monks and priests of the city have been quick to allay their fears.
All this has left you and Shirou mostly to your own devices. Your meal has gone mostly in silence, your friend focused on his food. You've not been much for conversation either, instead wondering on recent events. The words of that Togashi Monk, Kohaku, come back to you as to chew on a portion of fish. You recall the pitying expression on his face, how he spoke of fate and your place in it…
You've not been focusing on his words, per se, but every now and then the memory intrudes on your thoughts. You want to dismiss the man's concerns, to write it off as Dragon mysticism. But with everything that has happened to you these last months, can you really afford to brush off Kohaku's insight?
In truth, you're not entirely certain how to feel.
[] Talk with Shirou.
[] Finish your meal and seek something else to do.
[] Write in.
