The Importance Of Rice

[Wade Garrett]

"Tweren't nothing, really." Rumina added, refusing to double over and gasp for breath no matter how much she wanted to. "We did outnumber them one-to-two."

If looks could kill the one she threw at the obnoxiously unwinded Matsu then would have reduced him to fragments where he stood.

 

[The king Chad]

"Hai! Nori-sama even took the head of the bandit leader she struck down and gave it to the Headmen of the Village to Stake out as a warning that THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED!" He gives the Lioness in question a pat on the shoulder to emphasize his point while also calling attention to the lions feat. "We only managed to kill a little over half of them before the rest broke and ran like cowards. I accounted for three myself."

"Tweren't nothing, really." Rumina added, refusing to double over and gasp for breath no matter how much she wanted to. "We did outnumber them one-to-two."

If looks could kill the one she threw at the obnoxiously unwinded Matsu then would have reduced him to fragments where he stood.

Click to shrink...

"Yes, they didn't know what hit them...what with you and Kintaro jumping off a cliff into the middle of them and all."

 

[Wade Garrett]

"Hai! Nori-sama even took the head of the bandit leader she struck down and gave it to the Headmen of the Village to Stake out as a warning that THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED!" He gives the Lioness in question a pat on the shoulder to emphasize his point while also calling attention to the lions feat. "We only managed to kill a little over half of them before the rest broke and ran like cowards. I accounted for three myself."



"Yes, they didn't know what hit them...what with you and Kintaro jumping off a cliff into the middle of them and all."

Click to shrink...

"It was more of a hill, really. The spot where *I* jumped from, that is, Toku-san, now..."

The edges of her lips threatened to pull upwards, but she resolutely pursed her mouth back into a sour line.

 

[The king Chad]

"It was more of a hill, really. The spot where *I* jumped from, Toku-san, now..."

The edges of her lips threatened to pull upwards, but she resolutely pursed her mouth back into a sour line.

Click to shrink...

"My apologies. Akimasa-san, Hisateru-san, and I were busy running them down on the other side of the stream. I just saw you and Kintaro-san fighting at the base of the cliff and thought...'yes...yes they would do that'."

 

[storybookknight]

Matsu Akimasa gives Rumina a look. "We won without casualties. What else do you call that, but outnumbering them one-to-two?"

"Suicidal..... idiocy?" Bayushi Hisateru wheezes, bent nearly double trying to catch his breath.

Toku Kintaro just laughs at the discussion. "It was a good fight, in truth."

 

[Mina]

"Hai! Nori-sama even took the head of the bandit leader she struck down and gave it to the Headmen of the Village to Stake out as a warning that THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED!" He gives the Lioness in question a pat on the shoulder to emphasize his point while also calling attention to the lions feat. "We only managed to kill a little over half of them before the rest broke and ran like cowards. I accounted for three myself."

Click to shrink...

Nori's skin crawled but she simply nodded sharply and stepped to the side to avoid any further Crab hands.

"The scum will think twice before questioning the Emperor's strength when men such as you fall upon them with such mighty blows Kenta-sama. You put fear in their hearts."

She said her piece with solemnity and composure before inching over to where Masatsuko was speaking to the Seppun. When there was a break in the conversation she bowed and murmured apologetically.

"Gunso-dono, this one wishes to add her report if she may."

She waited permission before continuing, producing one of the ruined daisho she had secured and keeping her voice low, "Their weapons and armor were all like this, and the villagers reported they spoke of maho and Bloodspeakers in the Mountains of Regret."

 

[Wade Garrett]

"My apologies. Akimasa-san, Hisateru-san, and I were busy running them down on the other side of the stream. I just saw you and Kintaro-san fighting at the base of the cliff and thought...'yes...yes they would do that'."

Click to shrink...

The snort that emerged from Rumina's throat had suspiciously laugh like qualities, but any mirth Kenta might have moved her to was gone when she turned to face Fifth and Sixth Squads.

@storybookknight
"Hold up a minute, Hida-san, I'm sure these fine samurai got tales to tell too. I mean, we had to deal with those bandits, you all had to drag these old bones around, and we still made it here before them...they must have had to do a lot out there in the wilds, yeah?" She asked, flashing her feral grin.

 

[The king Chad]

The snort that emerged from Rumina's throat had suspiciously laugh like qualities, but any mirth Kenta might have moved her to was gone when she turned to face Fifth and Sixth Squads.

@storybookknight
"Hold up a minute, Hida-san, I'm sure these fine samurai got tales to tell too. I mean, we had to deal with those bandits, you all had to drag these old bones around, and we still made it here before them...they must have had to do a lot out there in the wilds, yeah?" She asked, flashing her feral grin.

Click to shrink...

"Huh, ya...makes sense. I mean, we weren't doing a forced march or anything. They might have run into something worth mentioning." Kenta nods sagely at Rumina's "observation", completely missing the intended undertone in her words.

 

[storybookknight]

The snort that emerged from Rumina's throat had suspiciously laugh like qualities, but any mirth Kenta might have moved her to was gone when she turned to face Fifth and Sixth Squads.

@storybookknight
"Hold up a minute, Hida-san, I'm sure these fine samurai got tales to tell too. I mean, we had to deal with those bandits, you all had to drag these old bones around, and we still made it here before them...they must have had to do a lot out there in the wilds, yeah?" She asked, flashing her feral grin.

Click to shrink...

"Huh, ya...makes sense. I mean, we weren't doing a forced march or anything. They might have run into something worth mentioning." Kenta nods sagely at Rumina's "observation", completely missing the intended undertone in her words.

Click to shrink...

One particularly young-looking samurai of the Phoenix Clan from Fifth is looking at you with wide eyes. "Did you really fight bandits on your way here?"

Their gunso, an older-looking man with the Akodo mon coughs ostentatiously. "We were fortunate or unfortunate enough not to have run into any trouble on the way here, though Western Hub Village was in a bit of a fearful state...."

The gunso of Sixth squad, a young woman of the Moto family, just scoffs. "Apparently the Seppun aren't too afraid to stack the deck in the favor of their relatives, if you all managed to make it here at the same time as my pitiful bunch of laggards." She glances back scornfully over her shoulder, a disproportionate number of which seem to be wearing no armor, and to be wearing kimonos poorly suited to the rigors of a long hike.

Ignoring the byplay, the Seppun at the reception desk spreads a map out in front of Miya Masatsuko. "Since you are the third team to make it to the gate, you do get third choice of locations to camp - one of the two central locations was chosen by First squad, as was one of the two locations furthest from the Emerald Estates, but the camps to the far east and far west are so far unfilled, as are the closest. Where would you like to set up?"

Spoiler: Author's Note

Your choices are North (and far away), South (and very close), East, West (which are largely identical) and Central.

Nori's skin crawled but she simply nodded sharply and stepped to the side to avoid any further Crab hands.

"The scum will think twice before questioning the Emperor's strength when men such as you fall upon them with such mighty blows Kenta-sama. You put fear in their hearts."

She said her piece with solemnity and composure before inching over to where Masatsuko was speaking to the Seppun. When there was a break in the conversation she bowed and murmured apologetically.

"Gunso-dono, this one wishes to add her report if she may."

She waited permission before continuing, producing one of the ruined daisho she had secured and keeping her voice low, "Their weapons and armor were all like this, and the villagers reported they spoke of maho and Bloodspeakers in the Mountains of Regret."

Click to shrink...

The Seppun pales, and nods at Nori with alacrity. "I will pass that information on to my superiors. If there are Bloodspeakers, odds are good that they are far segregated from normal society... but we have some spaces to investigate, just in case."

 

[Wade Garrett]

One particularly young-looking samurai of the Phoenix Clan from Fifth is looking at you with wide eyes. "Did you really fight bandits on your way here?"

Click to shrink...

"Fight bandits? Oh no. No, this weren't no sake house scrap or first blooding, Phoenix-san. This was killing."

@The king Chad
"Hida-san here went to work with that dai ono of his...whew! You ever spit firewood to make camp? Bit like that, lot messier though...."

The gunso of Sixth squad, a young woman of the Moto family, just scoffs. "Apparently the Seppun aren't too afraid to stack the deck in the favor of their relatives, if you all managed to make it here at the same time as my pitiful bunch of laggards." She glances back scornfully over her shoulder, a disproportionate number of which seem to be wearing no armor, and to be wearing kimonos poorly suited to the rigors of a long hike.

Click to shrink...

"Oh?" Rumina's smile only broadened. "Trouble whipping your bunch into shape, Moto-sama? The student is blameless for his ignorance, he only does what his teacher tells him." she quoted piously.

"That is a shame. Tell you what, we're all Legion auxiliary now, you having trouble with that, I don't mind asking my gunso if I can drop by and pitch in whenever I get a free time, we'll have these lads and lasses ready for life in the Emperor's army in no time. How 'bout it?"

 

[storybookknight]

"Uhm... the other central location will be fine, Seppun-san." Miya says, and the Seppun nods, marking a few spaces on her slate with a piece of chalk.

"All right, then. You're going to want to go around the castle and out the back gate, and follow the path up the hill. There's a field bath set up on the way, you can't miss it - I'm sure you'll want to get yourselves cleaned off."

Masatsuko nods, though she looks a bit questioning. "A field bath, Seppun-san? I, uhm..." She looks at the castle, then back to the face of the miharu. "Eh, forget I said anything. I'm sure that will be fine."

The Seppun just nods, and points over to where a stack of wooden crates has been stored. "You'll want to take one of those with you. It has some supplies that you'll be needing for the training camp."

Masatsuko nods at that. "Thank you, Seppun-san. Um... Hida-san, Matsu-san, would the two of you mind?" She says, gesturing to the heavy-looking box. It is clearly designed to be carried by two people, with a handle on each end.

Meanwhile, a few paces away from the table, a certain digression was brewing.

"Fight bandits? Oh no. No, this weren't no sake house scrap or first blooding, Phoenix-san. This was killing."

@The king Chad
"Hida-san here went to work with that dai ono of his...whew! You ever spit firewood to make camp? Bit like that, lot messier though...."

Click to shrink...

The Phoenix looks faintly nauseated. "That's... unnecessarily vivid, Yoritomo-san. Did you not try to take them prisoner? Or negotiate their surrender?" he asks.

"Oh?" Rumina's smile only broadened. "Trouble whipping your bunch into shape, Moto-sama?

Click to shrink...

The student is blameless for his ignorance, he only does what his teacher tells him." she quoted piously.

"That is a shame. Tell you what, we're all Legion auxiliary now, you having trouble with that, I don't mind asking my gunso if I can drop by and pitch in whenever I get a free time, we'll have these lads and lasses ready for life in the Emperor's army in no time. How 'bout it?"

Click to shrink...

The Moto's eyes drop to Rumina's school mon, but she makes no sign of any reaction to it. "If I ever need a courtier's help in instilling military discipline, I am certain that your name will come to mind, Yoritomo-san." Her tone is studiously neutral, but it's not hard to tell that there is some sort of implied insult in her words.

 

[Mina]

The Phoenix looks faintly nauseated. "That's... unnecessarily vivid, Yoritomo-san. Did you not try to take them prisoner? Or negotiate their surrender?"

Click to shrink...

@Wade Garrett

"Why yes Yoritomo-san, that is a good question," Nori had stepped away from the gunso and Seppun once matters turned to their billet and now stood shoulder to shoulder with the Mantis, glaring at the young Phoenix.

"Why-ever didn't we offer a hand to the broken men who flouted the Son of Heaven's law and disgraced the Celestial Order so," Nori drawled in a flat tone. "Perhaps we could have added insult to the dishonor already heaped upon their worthless lives by denying the ronin among them one last chance to die with sword in hand as Phoenix-kun suggests? What do you think Matsu-san, do samurai plead and cajol criminals to come along peacefully?"

Her voice cracked at the end, spitting the word at the boy.

 

[Wade Garrett]

"Why yes Yoritomo-san, that is a good question," Nori had stepped away from the gunso and Seppun once matters turned to their billet and now stood shoulder to shoulder with the Mantis, glaring at the young Phoenix.

"Why-ever didn't we offer a hand to the broken men who flouted the Son of Heaven's law and disgraced the Celestial Order so," Nori drawled in a flat tone. "Perhaps we could have added insult to the dishonor already heaped upon their worthless lives by denying the ronin among them one last chance to die with sword in hand as Phoenix-chan suggests? What do you think Matsu-san, do samurai plead and cajol criminals to come along peacefully?"

Click to shrink...

"Mmmmhmmmm." The older samurai-ko nodded her head in agreement. "You know what the punishment is for playing pirate...land pirate, whatever, on the Emperor's people, Phoenix-san? Execution. 'Zact kind varies, depends on where ya are...but every one of'em's nasty, makes Hida-san here's axe look downright nice. We done'em a kindness, really."

The Moto's eyes drop to Rumina's school mon, but she makes no sign of any reaction to it. "If I ever need a courtier's help in instilling military discipline, I am certain that your name will come to mind, Yoritomo-san." Her tone is studiously neutral, but it's not hard to tell that there is some sort of implied insult in her words.

Click to shrink...

"Thankee kindly, I do appreciate it. We'll show'em all, yeah? All them that say a Mantis off a ship is useless as a Unicorn off their horse...well, ain't no ships around here, but this here Mantis courtier got her a piece of them bandits," and what exactly did you and your bunch do on the way here, Bushi-chan? "and made it to training camp on time," matter of fact, I made you eat my trail dust, "so yeah. Yeah, no matter what anybody else says, I got faith in you, Moto-sama."

 

[storybookknight]

@Wade Garrett

"Why yes Yoritomo-san, that is a good question," Nori had stepped away from the gunso and Seppun once matters turned to their billet and now stood shoulder to shoulder with the Mantis, glaring at the young Phoenix.

"Why-ever didn't we offer a hand to the broken men who flouted the Son of Heaven's law and disgraced the Celestial Order so," Nori drawled in a flat tone. "Perhaps we could have added insult to the dishonor already heaped upon their worthless lives by denying the ronin among them one last chance to die with sword in hand as Phoenix-kun suggests? What do you think Matsu-san, do samurai plead and cajol criminals to come along peacefully?"

Her voice cracked at the end, spitting the word at the boy.

Click to shrink...

The boy frowns at Akodo Nori. "I don't expect you to understand, Akodo-san. After all, 'your way is not my way'. But yes, Akodo-san, they do. If they respond with violence then they must of course be subdued, but peace is worth the effort."

"Mmmmhmmmm." The older samurai-ko nodded her head in agreement. "You know what the punishment is for playing pirate...land pirate, whatever, on the Emperor's people, Phoenix-san? Execution. 'Zact kind varies, depends on where ya are...but every one of'em's nasty, makes Hida-san here's axe look downright nice. We done'em a kindness, really."

Click to shrink...

The Phoenix shakes his head. "Such crimes do indeed warrant death, Yoritomo-san, but the method of such death is surely up to the lord that judges them. Surely true justice would be served best by allowing such men to surrender and then allowing them to commit seppuku in acknowledgement of their previous honorable gesture. Before you say anything, I do realize that such a scenario is unlikely at best... but that does not mean that it is not an ideal to be strived for."

"Thankee kindly, I do appreciate it. We'll show'em all, yeah? All them that say a Mantis off a ship is useless as a Unicorn off their horse...well, ain't no ships around here, but this here Mantis courtier got her a piece of them bandits," and what exactly did you and your bunch do on the way here, Bushi-chan? "and made it to training camp on time," matter of fact, I made you eat my trail dust, "so yeah. Yeah, no matter what anybody else says, I got faith in you, Moto-sama."

Click to shrink...

The Moto's face darkens. "Right. Let's make something perfectly clear. I am Moto Khulan, a shireikan in the armies of the Unicorn. I have proven my worth on the battlefield time and time again. I do not care one iota what a fat, toothless old hag bragging about surviving her first battle when she should be tottering off to a monastery far, far away from anywhere important thinks. Nor do I have the patience to put up with her incessant, irritating needling. Seppun-san! A campsite as far away from this senile, self-important hag as possible, please!"

 

[Alectai]

"... was that entirely necessary?"

Takara was too busy trying not to be noticed with all the verbal shots being fired--getting involved seemed like a good way of being rent limb from limb.

 

[The king Chad]

The Moto's face darkens. "Right. Let's make something perfectly clear. I am Moto Khulan, a shireikan in the armies of the Unicorn. I have proven my worth on the battlefield time and time again. I do not care one iota what a fat, toothless old hag bragging about surviving her first battle when she should be tottering off to a monastery far, far away from anywhere important thinks. Nor do I have the patience to put up with her incessant, irritating needling. Seppun-san! A campsite as far away from this senile, self-important hag as possible, please!"

Click to shrink...

The Seppun just nods, and points over to where a stack of wooden crates has been stored. "You'll want to take one of those with you. It has some supplies that you'll be needing for the training camp."

Masatsuko nods at that. "Thank you, Seppun-san. Um... Hida-san, Matsu-san, would the two of you mind?" She says, gesturing to the heavy-looking box. It is clearly designed to be carried by two people, with a handle on each end.

Click to shrink...

"You were a Shireikan of the Unicorn, and moved up to Gunso...Right. That just bleeds competence. No wonder you blame your squad for your own failure, you don't even know how ranks work. Your squad is mostly non-bushi, yet third, fourth, and fifth nearly finished at the same time. Instead of being happy in your achievement, you'd rather shift the blame. I pity your men, Moto." Kenta shoots at the Moto. Arrogant bastard.

Kenta turns and acknowledges Masatsuko request and turns his back on, and dismisses the Moto.



"Of course, Gunso-dono. Come Arismasa-san! Let us set up the camp and finish this walk!"

 

[Wade Garrett]

The Moto's face darkens. "Right. Let's make something perfectly clear. I am Moto Khulan, a shireikan in the armies of the Unicorn. I have proven my worth on the battlefield time and time again. I do not care one iota what a fat, toothless old hag bragging about surviving her first battle when she should be tottering off to a monastery far, far away from anywhere important thinks. Nor do I have the patience to put up with her incessant, irritating needling. Seppun-san! A campsite as far away from this senile, self-important hag as possible, please!"

Click to shrink...

Rumina just smiled. A wide, toothy, smile. A smile so wide and toothy it gave the impression that she might be about to lunge forward and bite a plug out of the former shireikan.

"You were a Shireikan of the Unicorn, and moved up to Gunso...Right. That just bleeds competence. No wonder you blame your squad for your own failure, you don't even know how ranks work. Your squad is mostly non-bushi, yet third, fourth, and fifth nearly finished at the same time. Instead of being happy in your achievement, you'd rather shift the blame. I pity your men, Moto." Kenta shoots at the Moto. Arrogant bastard.

Kenta turns and acknowledges Masatsuko request and turns his back on, and dismisses the Moto.

"Of course, Gunso-dono. Come Arismasa-san! Let us set up the camp and finish this walk!"

Click to shrink...

Good boy.

"My, my...don't fret, Moto-sama, I reckon you got a perfectly good reason to be a gunso." Rumina said with very little sincerity. "Miya-sama, can camp wait just a second? You see, I've heard the Unicorn got their own way of scrapping with no weapons, barky or something they call it...always been real interested in it...."

She turned towards the Seppun Guardsmen. "Oy! Seppun-sama! Ain't nothing wrong with a little jujitsu demonstration, right? Just a friendly little showing what you know from Gunso Moto-sama here to me? I've curious 'bout this my my whole life, might not get the chance to ask once training starts..."

She turned back to the Moto, still grinning.

"Say, one fall? We could do it right here, wouldn't take long, you being good enough to make shireikan, me being a fat old Courtier...unless you need a rest from the march in? I could wait a spell if you're too tired right this second."

 

[storybookknight]

Miya Masatsuko suddenly barks out an actual order. "Yoritomo-san! Fall. In. You have better things to do than spar with a woman who hasn't yet figured out that the number of courtiers assigned to her reflects her incompetence with basic politeness."

She gives a sweet smile to the Seppun Guardsman. "Good afternoon, Seppun-san."

And with that, you are all of a sudden marching off, heavy box of 'supplies' in tow.

 

[Wade Garrett]

"So.....Miya-dono..."

Rumina had been walking along in silence, her brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Squad Four having just the one Courtier...and it's me...guess that means you're the politest gunso in the whole Sapphire Legion, yeah?" She smiled at the younger woman, and it was a genuine smile, not the feral smirk she'd flashed before.

 

[storybookknight]

"So.....Miya-dono..."

Rumina had been walking along in silence, her brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Squad Four having just the one Courtier...and it's me...guess that means you're the politest gunso in the whole Sapphire Legion, yeah?" She smiled at the younger woman, and it was a genuine smile, not the feral smirk she'd flashed before.

Click to shrink...

Masatsuko blushes prettily. "Yoritomo-san..." she says awkwardly, then lets out a heavy sigh. "Oh, never mind. Come on, we should hurry to the baths so that we can get clean and get our campsite set up before night falls."

The trail to the campsites is wide and firmly packed, with room for two to walk abreast, and steps made out of wood and earth to make rises and falls more easily accomplished. It seems that either it is relatively common for training to take place 'in the woods', or perhaps that Shiro Yogasha is a common destination for delegations larger than its barracks can hold. As you march up the well-maintained trail, you soon come to a station where wooden boards have been set in vertical fences to create a screened-of area for privacy. A clearly visible station says "Bathing Area." Inside is a simple set of barrels of water, standing on a slatted floor of polished boards raised above the ground to prevent standing water from pooling underneath.

Kintaro raises his eyebrows. "So, we are not quite being made welcome guests ... but not quite camping in the wilderness either. I was half-thinking that we would be bathing in the stream."

"We.... already did that... once today," Hisateru says, thoroughly out of breath. "Personally... I'm happy... for the breather."

Akimasa snorts. "Don't worry, Bayushi-san. A few more long marches like this, and you'll be in an actual fighting shape!"

 

[The king Chad]

Masatsuko blushes prettily. "Yoritomo-san..." she says awkwardly, then lets out a heavy sigh. "Oh, never mind. Come on, we should hurry to the baths so that we can get clean and get our campsite set up before night falls."

The trail to the campsites is wide and firmly packed, with room for two to walk abreast, and steps made out of wood and earth to make rises and falls more easily accomplished. It seems that either it is relatively common for training to take place 'in the woods', or perhaps that Shiro Yogasha is a common destination for delegations larger than its barracks can hold. As you march up the well-maintained trail, you soon come to a station where wooden boards have been set in vertical fences to create a screened-of area for privacy. A clearly visible station says "Bathing Area." Inside is a simple set of barrels of water, standing on a slatted floor of polished boards raised above the ground to prevent standing water from pooling underneath.

Kintaro raises his eyebrows. "So, we are not quite being made welcome guests ... but not quite camping in the wilderness either. I was half-thinking that we would be bathing in the stream."

"We.... already did that... once today," Hisateru says, thoroughly out of breath. "Personally... I'm happy... for the breather."

Akimasa snorts. "Don't worry, Bayushi-san. A few more long marches like this, and you'll be in an actual fighting shape!"

Click to shrink...

"Better than I expected, not as good as I'd hoped. Let's get this camp set up so we can all recover from the road."

"Masatsuko-dono, I expect you're going to need to report and get your orders for the next few days, why don't you, Rumina, Nori, and Takara try the baths out while the rest of us set up camp so you can go do that, ya?"

 

[storybookknight]

"Better than I expected, not as good as I'd hoped. Let's get this camp set up so we can all recover from the road."

"Masatsuko-dono, I expect you're going to need to report and get your orders for the next few days, why don't you, Rumina, Nori, and Takara try the baths out while the rest of us set up camp so you can go do that, ya?"

Click to shrink...

Masatsuko looks at the tall divider between the two gendered halves of the bathing area, and bites her lip thoughtfully. "Ehm... I'm sure it will be fine. I expect there are probably written instructions in the box they gave us. Besides, I'm sure that squads five and six will be wanting their turns..."

She pauses as Sixth squad marches by, their Moto commander clearly doing her best not to look at any of you as she marches with a stiff back up the path and to wherever her campsite might be. After they pass, Masatsuko clears her throat. "Well, Squad Five, anyways."

 

[Alectai]

"I did have to pass earlier, so this is fine..." Takara commented. "I'm pretty tired... My training didn't include much in the way of physical pursuits after all..."

 

[Wade Garrett]

"I did have to pass earlier, so this is fine..." Takara commented. "I'm pretty tired... My training didn't include much in the way of physical pursuits after all..."

Click to shrink...

Rumina tsked tsked.

"Well, ain't really my place to what a shujena dojo ought and ought not to do...but."

@A Nation's Virtue
"Strong mind in a weak body's just as bad as a weak mind in a strong body, that's in the Tao, yeah?" She said to the scarred monk.

@Mina
"No worries though, you stick with me, Akodo-san, and Miya-dono, we'll get you whipped into samurai-ko shape, yeah?

 

[A Nation's Virtue]

@A Nation's Virtue
"Strong mind in a weak body's just as bad as a weak mind in a strong body, that's in the Tao, yeah?" She said to the scarred monk.

Click to shrink...

"I am unsure, Yoritomo-san. All I can truly say is that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link." Tendo replies as he ties his travelling bag to his bisento. "If you are aware that you have a weakness and do not remedy it, you do yourself a disservice."