Sosaioka village

The way Ayame had come, was the way she had decided to travel with the group. She was wearing a travel sack on her back with the necessary items along with the book, which had now became even more important to her. She was riding the same chestnut mare that she had came to the hizashi mansion on. She was in no way a good-looking animal, but Ayame trusted she would get her where she needed to go as long as the group didn't push themselves too hard. She had found the well-bred horses at the mansion to be intimidating and full of spirit. She knew the chestnut mare to be a loving and sweet animal who had never bolted in her life, so she had stuck with her.

Over the days that the trip had lasted Ayame had been fine with someone else taking the lead. She just followed. She didn't decide when the group would rest or what they would eat, she let others do that for her. It was easier that way. In every way Ayame had always been more of a follower than a leader anyway. If anyone had cared to ask she would have told them more about the small shrine that she had served and the small shed that she had called home for the last few years. Her family had long perished and she had lived alone for years. In a way she was glad that she was now traveling with a group. Even if she found herself feeling socially awkward among them, she felt less alone then she had for a long while. The gods had still not seemed to have punished her for leaving her shrine and she was glad that they hadn't.

When the village came into view, she would look up. They finally reached a place that wasn't the road and the trees around it. Though her relief was short lived. She spotted the armed guards relatively quickly. In her experience that usually didn't seem like a good thing. Part of her wanted to turn around, but she wouldn't if the others didn't.

Brandalf, who sometimes chose to travel more slowly, was more towards the rear of the group. On the journey, he had enjoyed learning more about Ayame’s temple, though his lack of knowledge of their customs combined with a perhaps not so discrete questioning of the nature of spiritual energies might have made the conversations slightly awkward. With Seijo he discussed his thoughts on how an object would be enchanted to react in a certain location. Very powerful magic could have been used, or, with darker magic, a soul could have been imprisoned within. Either way, Brandalf though he could potentially force the glass dragon to give up its information by masking the magical input that was needed to release the withheld information. But doing such a thing would foolhardy and dangerous. It appealed to the old mage’s curiosity, but he recognized that tampering with an old artifact could break it or release energy in an unexpected way. He forced himself to refrain from any further examination of the glass dragon.

As they stopped on the main street Brandalf mused about the shogunate occupation, "It seems that all the inns will be full of soldiers tonight. We will need to find some other shelter." Brandalf thought it best that they go straight to the location where the glass dragon would reveal the map. He dared not say anything about it within earshot of a soldier, however. Still, it would be interesting to know what the commotion in this village was about. The eyes of the wizards raven staff blinked inquisitively once as Brandalf stepped closer to listen to Seijo and the guard's conversation. 

Brandalf was quick to urge his horse into a walk to block the way to Ayame. It was a gentle motion that could have been the horse’s own volition under the guidance of a frail hand. “You would not disturb a spiritual envoy? We have been tasked to see this miko safe to Kiyonia.” It was basically the truth.

As if an omen a large white bird landed on the peak of a nearby house and chortled in a musical tone. Brandalf paid no attention to the noise, but the beak of the raven on his staff closed imperceptibly. The old man looked at ease, but he was ready to grab Ayame's horse and bolt down the road and through the village if need be.

When the guards started to become aggressive, Seijo did not give up his ground. His gaze of curiosity had turned into a harsh glare as the other man confronted him, and if it weren't for Brandalf's wise words, the onmyoji likely would have had some choice ones. Glancing back at the other guard approached Ayame, his eye narrowed.

"I am bound by my code to defend this woman, it is as the man says." he stated, his tone clipped and just shy of aggressive. "We have no qualms with you or the Shogun. Indeed, it's good I can feel safe in my mission knowing competent men such as yourselves are ridding us of such threats." giving a stiff, shallow bow he hoped his words would be enough to divert the men's attention. They could not allow themselves to become enemies of the Shogan, yet if they were to capture them and find the Glass Dragon it's likely they would be interred. Or worse. 

“It is a benign task, really. I’m unsure if the exact details, but as you know, Miko often serve at different shrines to learn new tasks.” Although the soldier had been talking to Ayama Brandalf thought it best to hold the initiative since the miko was more reserved. It was dangerous for Brandalf to stray too far from the truth since he did not know the customs of Tawakoshi. He weaved into the fabrication what little facts he had, “You see young Ayame here is without family. Wholeheartedly, she has devoted her life to the kami. Now she travels the land as a spiritual example for all.”

Hearing the other guards displeasure at the political scene revealed much to Brandalf. The wizard didn’t know anything about Hizashi spies, but this vigilance seemed unfounded if the Hizashi clan could simply occupy the land without the shogun acknowledging. Rather the soldiers were restless with nothing to do, “Truly, it is a great honor for us to escort Miss Ayame to Kiyonia. Yet we were only hired to protect against the discomforts of travel. If there are spies in the area we would certainly appreciate an extra escort of Jeoncho soldiers. If you can spare a few men of course. I don’t mean to be presumptuous.” The bird on the roof ruffled its wings and let out a sound that rang like mimicking of a choir. It was a large creature but its presence seemed innocuous.

Ayame was about to nod her head towards the soldier when she was asked the question if she served the Xianhai temple when Brandalf stepped in. She had felt so powerless in the situation that the only way out had seemed to lie about where she had come from, even if it would only be half a lie. Every single shrine in Kiyonai had to answer to the Xianhai in some sort of a way, so that made her partly a miko on theirs as well as a part to her own shrine. But she was still glad for Brandalf talking in her stead. He was old and wise, while she was just a young girl trying to chase something that for years she had believed to be a fairytale. He was probably better at keeping his facts straight then she would have been, but she did make a point to listen carefully to his words to make sure she would tell it the same if she was asked later. They couldn't raise any suspision from these guards.

The things that the guards were saying touched Ayame in a different way then it did to the others. They were talking about the state that she was bron and raised in. Kiyonai was in her blood as much as her anciestry was. Hearing them feel desperate about how powerless they were against the Hizashi Clan and how the clan had been taking their lands didn't make her feel good at all. It wasn't her job to be medling in political affairs, in fact it was her job to stay out of it. But she still felt like she should in some way she should offer them some kind of consolence. If they were frustrated enough to question any stranger that crossed their borders, they must be in a tough place. "May the Kami lead your way and ease your worries, soldiers." She said. Her back straight and her head held up higher then she usually did, she was finally looking her part as a Miko. As a woman who has learned the ways of the gods, instead of a young girl who was shy and unsure.

She was however surprised when Brandalf offered that they could use a few guards to travel along with them. Sure it would be a way for them to travel unnoticed and make sure that it wouldn't happen again, but they would also need to keep up the story. Satisfy their curiosity without giving their true purpose away. It was not her place to tell him he couldn't ask however. She just prayed that they would refuse.

Brandalf only nodded as he pulled his horse around, abreast of Ayame’s. He did not think it best for them to stay in the village. They were, after all, on a mission from Lord Hizashi and would probably report this encounter to him at some point… Nope, definitely not spies. Brandalf decided to let Seijo make the call, however.

With a small click, the beak of the raven staff closed the fraction that it had been open. The large bird that had been perched on the roof ruffled its wings and flew away.

Ayame would do what she always do, follow the lead of the others. So as Seijo accepted the offer of the guards, she would stir her horse in their direction. "I would be honored." she answered to the guard when he asked her to take her knowledge to the soldiers. She had never done it before to such a big group, but she was sure she would manage. Her faith and her knowledge from the Kami was one of the things Ayame was confident in.

They would be lead to the inn and their horses would be stabled, fed and watered for them. She enjoyed her meal thouroughly and ate her fill without seeming to not respect the guards hospitality. When Seijo glanced at her she looked up, thinking she might have done something wrong again. But instead of scolding her like he had done before he came with a praise. She immediatly smiled back at him. "Thank you Seijo-san. And thank you for trying to protect us." she said back to him.

After she finished her meal she would refresh herself and bath to cleanse her body. She would come back fully dressed in a clean miko outfit and her hair still wet in a ponytail and let everyone know she would hear the prayer of anyone who would wish to. She set up a small altar with a sweet smelling insence and a few tomes she had brought with her for just such an occasion. She sat in an open space and soon after soldier after soldier got up to her. They told their prayers to her and she prayed with them. She blessed them whenever one requested. She read small verses to them and heard there troubles. She could only hope that this would somehow make them feel less threathened and help them find peace with the Kami.