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Ume nodded gravely, and recounted the attack. She hoped the damnable fog wouldn't put too much strain on her witness account, but the others in the group should be able to support it before any scrutiny. She recounted the entire incident, leaving nothing out. Her own anger began to rise as she recalled the battle, her cheeks flushing.
Ume's stony face hadn't moved much since departing, and she just wordlessly pointed towards the Crab to explain everything.
Spoiler: Ume's hands rested on her blades. While she hadn't practiced the quick-draw since the tournament, she still remembered how to do it, and she wouldn't want to insult the spirit - but it made her hair stand on edge, and she wanted to give it no opening.
Ume shared similar concerns to Heitachi for the first time. It occurred to her that, had she seen through his ramblings, she might have deciphered some kind of warning off the situation - but then again, she might also have deciphered the true meaning of honor, the lost secrets of Otosan Uchi and any number of great poems.
Ume's group: Spoiler: "If you feel confident to beat any ambush that may lie in wait, we should warn them as swiftly as possible. The two of us should be fine." Ume replied, in a snap reaction. She was eager to get something done, even if by proxy.
Ume cursed under her breath - the river would disrupt any trail, so much even she could tell. Beyond that, she was still not able to provide much.
Ume, in her haste to follow the trail, proved remarkably oblivious to her surroundings.
Ume looked at the Ashigaru, trying to keep her calm against the Crab. Was she the only one who found them grating? "For these acts, he deserves the public shame that awaits all traitors. Bring him before the magistrate, and make sure he understands that confessing is his best choice now. It may be more merciful than I will be if I find him drawing breath again." She announced.
Ume turned her head towards the Hida, and seemed adamant. "Hida-san, I am not going to discuss this. The Tonbo will answer for his crimes, but only after we have finished this. Drag him along if you like, but I will not sit by idle and let others deal with this insult."
Ume moved up with Yukari, ready to once again fight. "Let's go quickly. We can't allow him to get away, not here. This is Lion territory, and we can't allow this to take root". She seemed eager, though convinced. Zealous even, but in control.
Ume moved to her Katika ex-rival, and gave her a short look. It showed her own nerves on edge, her anger at the current situation - and that she had herself well under control regardless. She did not say a word, but her gaze told volumes about keeping face, being controlled and letting vengeance for any insult arrive at the proper time.
"Lets not discuss who allies with whom" Ume snapped, nearly losing her temper. "There have to be some tracks. Where is a tracker when we need one?" She wiped her katana several times, clearing the blood but not even thinking of putting it back.
Ume cursed loudly and none-too gently. "At least they're dead, but..." Impotent rage welled up inside, unable to find an outlet. She hadn't even done anything to defend the horribly-tarnished honor of the lion, merely stumbled around impotently and taken a lucky shot. What could be said to explain or make this better? She felt like that night, about a year ago, when it had all crashed down on her. "No surrender" she had told herself back then, and did so again. Despite her cheeks flushed and fingers trembling, she had to find some way to recover this disaster.
Ume hated the position of witless stumbling about, yearned to actually do something - but slashing at one of her companions was worse than that, so she held herself in check for the moment.
Hai! Never give up. All you can lose is your life, and you gain to stand with your ancestors.
The Kuni's call took Ume's attention from the defeated Shugenja for a moment. She had to make a snap decision, and it was that the lusty Tonbo wasn't going anywhere for a moment. She kept her blade ready, and tried to gauge where the Kuni was standing. A bloodspeaker in her homeland was bad enough - letting him get away wasn't going to make it any better.
Ume's lips pulsed with anger as she kept her blade at the ready to strike at the man one final blow. "Tell me, now, why I should not slay you like the common brigand you proved yourself to be." It seemed she took the assault in her own homeland somewhat personally.
Ume was still a bit unsure about the exact going-ons, but with her blade in hand, and the seeming enemy in her sight, she didn't second guess her instinct to strike out at the enemy. She merely lashed out, and hoped to connect despite the disadvantage of lower ground.
"Tonbo!?" Ume called out, swiftly turning around into the direction she heard the calls from. "I'm coming back" She announced, and strode back towards the center.
GM Spoiler: "I am here!" Ume called out. "I am here!". The stiffling and numbing fog made it hard to even sense where her friends had gone. The thought of attracting an enemy had briefly crossed her mind, but at this time even that was preferrable to the sticky mess of white.
GM Spoiler: With her bearings in regards to Yukari settled, Ume called out to her "I'm good, no sign of enemies over here" while maintaining her careful stance.
Whoever this was, he probably was hoping to catch one of them unprepared. A perimeter with regular reports to each others status was her first idea to counter this strategy. It might just work
Ume slowly moved off from the center of the circle, measuring each step carefully. She retained her guarded stance, ready to defend against a suddent assault - and then retaliate against any ambushers.
Ume's Katana slid into her hand as easily as a whisper, as she too prepared to defend herself against the veiled attacker. The sudden outbreak of mist was worrying, and it forced them to start out in the defense, something that rankled the agressive young Lion.
Ume smiled. "Well, he may be sincere and committed, but he is making a fool of himself. It is sad, but once more testament to love being a danger to duty." Her smile broke into an outright grin just moments after. "But listen to me, it could as well be a competition who among us becomes a greyfaced matron first, without any joy. He may be a fool, but if we spend all evening berating him, even though he's gone - that is one wasted evening we're looking at."
Ume nodded, knowing all too well how bad an unwelcome courtship could be - only that the Asoko had been blessed with an understanding family who put away the prospect at her protest, rather than the uneasy dangling in the air she was experiencing for a long time. "I think in the interest of keeping this evening pleasant, you should not push the matter tonight. Have your request delivered to her family. They will not become more disposed towards granting it by you pushing Asoko-san under pressure."
Ume could not help but smile when the entirely unwanted suitor entered the room. How very much like another young samurai's problems this seemed. This was turning out to be an interesting, or at least entertaining evening.
Ume's initially detached-if-courteous attitude held up only as long as the introductions. As soon as the man began listing his complaints, he became less and less in her eyes until nothing but a dark spot was left. So he thought he could charm Megumi by talking down on his hosts? She did not like the Katika maiden all that much, but she placed her above this, still. "On behalf of the Matsu family, I must express my regret you found our hospitality not to your liking. All too often, I must admit, we concern ourselves chiefly with the protection of our land, service to our lord and duties to the emperor. I must admit, having peasants scent and dry our roads, and samurai spend their days refining their souls to become abstract objects of beauty sometimes gets left on the wayside. Thus, many of us remain less inclined towards these pleasures, too preoccupied with the coarse, regrettably muddy virtues of war." She should not have said that, just like back at the tournament. But while the inspired babble was disconcerting, and the hints of Bloodspeaker activity troubling, this man was either trying to goad her into something, or honestly expecting the Lion to swallow this behaviour.
Ume nodded towards the man as he entered, unsure what to make of him. He seemed like the typical crane - more a songbird than a dog of war. Still, some more noble company among the half-men and merchants was always welcome.
"The cult is... well, we should not speak of such things, but I imagine them like a lingering sickness. The body recovers, but when it grows weak, the symptoms show again" Ume replied to her once-rival in a hushed voice. She herself did not comprehend what drew people to such a vile, unclean practice, but there had to be something.
Ume tried hard not to show the uneasiness the Hitomi monk was causing her. Something about his manner of speaking, his movements, his tatoos. The Dragon were known to be distant, strange even - but this man just was above and beyond what she would accept. Once Megumi began to show an interest in the castle, her own interest was also piqued, so she joined the discussion.
"Certainly a mixed blessing he enjoys" Ume replied, keeping a sharp eye on him. "Or tarnishment, as the matter may be. Either way, leaving him along the road is not a good course of action." Her lips twisted with distaste as she considered several options. "It might be best we convince him to join us willingly."
Ume blinked, startled now. She licked her lips, and tried hard to make up her mind about what had just happened. The man was either blessed in such excess, he would have better staid with his minders - or he had been twisted by the darkness of the lost brother. Either way, he should be in a monastery, not some road. She glanced towards her companions. Further detours wouldn't be possible, she wasn't comfortable with dragging him along with them, but leaving him here wasn't a good option either.
"I am not quite sure either of us is. I think you may have left some time ago." Ume replied, with growing irritation. If his mind was sick, then the man would probably be tainted as well - and that was exactly the clue she had hoped Not to find. Maybe it is a distraction? What else is there to gain from him?
Fuguki ignores Nagatsuna's question, now seeming to focus on Ume. "There is a fire on your head," he tells her. "Did you catch all the sheep?"
Ume looked at the curious person with a mixture of distaste and subdued compassion. Fire on her head? Sheep of all things? It did not make any sense to her. "I am sorry, but I am a Samurai of the Lion Clan. You certainly must mistake me for someone else." she replied, cautiously. She wasn't yet sure if that was some kind of insult or merely rambling, but the figure had not earned any sympathies yet.
Ume smiled when she took a closer look at the dog, and made a funny face at the small creature, hoping to elicit some response from the animal. Quite childish, an inner voice scolded her. But he was just cute, and it was a harmless enough fancy. "More companions? I hope we won't have an army with us before we reach the city. That would be awkward, to say the least." She jokes.
Ume enjoyed Ryoko's outlook immensely, and honored it by showing her the same distanced appreciation she herself upheld. The travel was, curious as it was, growing on her. She hadn't expected that to happen, but even the they stayed outside... she woke up with a smile on her face. Despite not wishing to be controversial, a few sideway remarks here and there escape her into the Hida's direction. Good natured, but the "Mountain" might feel otherwise.
Ume could hardly contain her amusement at Megumi's reaction, but knew better than to taunt too much - despite her previous grandstanding, she know a duel between the two of them really could only have one result. Taking another sip, almost worshipful, she eyed their newest travelling companion. "This will be quite the sight - Any cultists will probably not need to think twice about deciding to not cause problems, judging from numbers alone."
Ume took a sip of her own tea, and a contented smile spread acorss her face, just as Megumi found it not to her liking. "Ah, yes." She whispered, enjoying the bitter-sweet sensation of the brew on her tongue. "I hope you enjoy it as much as I do."
Ume grimassed at the news, but took some solace in the ocurrance being treated with the proper gravity, and proper rewards. "Some peasants can't accept their lot in the celestial order of things, and while the Lion does its utmost to punish those who damn themselves... the darkness can be quite treacherous and deceitful." She took a shallow breath, trying to find the right words. "All the more reason to accompany you. While I think you should not need an escort, if the enemy puts itself into plain view, all the better." She wasn't a politician, but she knew enough (or little enough) to think that any amount of covering up would just damage Lion honor and standing worse than exposing the vileness.
"Absolutely not. IF anything, I am sure the tea house will be glad to have more visitors" Ume replied, and tried her best to not mind the Crab. He was as... irritating as she remembered him, for certain. Gods, had it really been a whole year? She hadn't really clicked well with him then, when she was just a child, and now, after a year of service, felt just the same. "Suspicious activity? Here, in our homeland?" She spoke up, in alarm, and her attention snapped back to the visitors in an instant. "Have you spoken with my Lords about this already?" She sucked in her lips, and bit them from the insides. Quite the embarassing situation, no matter what - she might be able to bring things back onto the proper track soon.
"Ah, Katika-san forgets to mention we never actually competed against each other during the tournament" the young Matsu replied, forcing a joke despite her stomach twisting slightly. She was still ambitious, and the loss, even in a contest so obviously favoring Katika's students, galled her.
The distraction blinded her to any announces of her surroundings she might otherwise have picked up. When faced with the two visitors, she bowed deeply. "Beyond anything a year ago, I am very honored to make your acquaintance here and now."
Tea. Ume could not help but smile at the oh so textbook way of initiating some conversation with her. Well, she could certainly follow suit in the courtly game - even if she was not necessarily good at it, she knew the most important rules. "I will gladly accept your offer. Beware though, some of the Lion's finest teas are acquired tastes, and it takes experience to fully appreciate them." She answered, with a knowing smile. Just like her clan, the brews were easy to dismiss as offputting, but had a charm that could captivate you and make you return almost against better judgment.
Ume nodded to the now-former Topaz champion. "That's quite correct - and it gives us a little more time on the road, as opposed to just waiting things out in the city." She took a measured step towards her, but not enough to invade her personal space. "An added boon, I think"
"I for one am very ready to provide you with an escort. I do not expect any trouble here, in the heart of the Lion provinces, but we would not be good hosts if we left anything to chance" Ume added. This was not some borderland province of the Crab or Unicorn. This was the heart of Rokugan. Besides, the detour might actually be enjoyable with some of her former rivals. Some of them, the Unicorn and (much as it galled her) the Crane seemed like genuinely proud and honorable samurai
Ume watched her lord disappear into the distance, and felt a sting. She hadn't been half as reassured by the prayers and meditations as she'd have hoped she would be, and despite her earnest intention, had not managed to have a more personal conversation with her young clan champion. She looked over to the Hida and Katika, and a thought crossed her mind. What were they going to do, so far from home? Just travel back? Somehow that sounded unlikely.
Ume approached the Shrine, and cast a short glare towards the bickering visitors, but refrained from commenting. Duty was not always pleasant, and it seemed almost fitting to find the shrine represent not only the ultimate rewards of duty, but in some small way also the rocks on that path. She knelt a respectful distance away from her Clan Champion, but still oriented into his general direction. She was no Yojimbo, and probably could not stop an assassin before the deed - but at least she would not be in the wrong room this time.
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