The Midori Road

"I'm Kiara... it's good to meet you, Pana," she said, bowing deeply as is customary, in both introducing herself and being her junior.

Soft footsteps heralded the approach of the lone samurai in darkly lacquered armor and tattered grey clothing approaching down the road from Quying. Black hair, long, wavy and matted, hung with reckless abandon past his shoulders from above his grizzled and middle-aged face. His kabuto helm was held in his left hand, and he did not slow to a stop until right before he passed Kiara and Pana. Yet just as he aligned himself with the other travelers, a couple of delicate females, he stops in his tracks. Eerily, he does not turn his head to face them, but he is close enough to make out a vertical scar across his left eye.

"And who might this be, traveling the wilderness all alone? What are your names?"

His voice is cold, almost emotionless... and yet there is a commanding presence to it.

Just then he is heard approaching.. He speeds up a little when he sees the others. What was going on? He figured he would get a closer look.

Pana began to back away slowly.

"Please, masters," She said meekly, "We don't want any trouble. We're just traveling."

She looks up at yoshitori but is very scared. "I'm kiara..."

"P-Pana..." She said with a wimper.

Ishida wouldn't notice much on Pana other than the backpack. Glints of light reflected off something shiny inside. Possibly something valuable? Money? Jewelry? It was difficult to tell from where he stood. Her nice attire gave her an air of nobility, almost as if she was royalty.

Great. Just what they needed... another person to witness whatever it was the boss was trying to have them do. Even worse, she was headed towards Kiyonai, which was the seat of the local authorities. While he had no intent to cause trouble either, just going along with the plan. Yet he couldn't afford her going off and telling the samurai, because he was sure the boss wasn't ready to just let these travelers go. He stepped in front of Tika, but in a more conversational manner and kept a distance to suggest he wasn't going to attack.
"Hey... cool sword! Where'd you get that? I don't see the other one."

Yoshitori did not respond to the girls' greetings. No, he strode over to the newcomer himself, but trusted in the loyalty of his friends to assure the two girls would not get away. He eyed the delicate flower of a swordswoman with a vulture's scouring avarice, gears in his twisted mind almost tangibly engaging as he decided what to do.
"It is a beautiful... sword," he said in agreement with Muramatsu, looking straight to it... his eyes took in the form of her weapon, as well as the curves of her hips and chest, an animalistic hunger showing in a sudden grin as he determined they had caught a real good one. Yet not once did he look Tika in the eyes, even as he addressed her directly, his chosen words laced with sarcasm, as though he seriously considered what her response might be.

"Do you mind I take a look at it?"