Kaede Ryokan

She walked at a slower pace than the other civilians of the city, which might have marked her as a foreigner (if her looks didn't otherwise) were any keen eyes watching. Her curious blue eyes took in the inn's facade and saw right away that it was a little run down, but clean. Who ever owned it took pride in their work and made a modest income.

It was perfect, or so it seemed.

Hustled by a cart going by, she murmured a quiet apology, then slipped toward the doors, stepping inside. The smell of food being cooked caught her nose, but it was more so the warmth that she could feel further inside that called to her. Still, Hina was meeting no friends there and was not one to sit and drink alone by herself, so she need only a room.

She waited at one of the counters for service, in no rush as she instead examined and studied the room she was in. Hina seemed like a placid lake, but then, the saying went that still waters ran deep...

A woman came over to the counter after serving some other customers who were enjoying miso soup and soju. All of them seemed to stare, at least to steal a glance, at the strange looking man who had entered. The lady at the counter, however, spoke with Tsukane first.
"Hello, and welcome to the Kaede. Can I help you?"

Perhaps Asger had indulged in a few too many rice bowls since he had been in Tawakoshi, but he never neglected his morning situps. Immediately struck by Hinawari's graceful mixture of exotic and familiar, Asger was temporarily tongue-tied. Her blue eyes stood out the most, framed by her black hair and fair complexion. Asger admired this woman greatly, especially when he noticed the pair of swords she carried, "So women use swords here as well?" Asger asked. He had not been able to understand that last detail about the bathhouse.

Hina bowed her head to the woman who was signing her in, and then turned her attention back onto Asger when it seemed the foreigner was intent on striking up a conversation. She turned and looked at him, not answering for a moment yet as she studied his face and his clothing. Her examination was not too long -- just enough that the woman understood that he was not fat, as she had once thought, just large, more muscled than the average man found in Tawakoshi.

She also did not miss that he had blue eyes in the way that she also had blue eyes, but she refrained from reaching up to touch her cheek. Hina herself was road-weary, with her cheeks and nose still bitten pink from the chill of the northern climes outside. "Yes, women use swords," Hina answered him in accented Common, far more accented than the Inn Keeper's had been. Hina had no idea that this area had been so influenced by the Common trade language, given the rest of Tawakoshi had been long isolated from the rest of the world. With a moment of clarity, she realized that her work as a translator may not be necessary here, which narrowed her search for honest work.

"What do women use where you are from?"

He entered the establishment, seeming somewhat exhausted from the day. Black armor still clung to his chest and shoulders, swords at his left hip and raggedy black hair tied into a topknot, he was clearly among the warrior class of these lands. A very long day seemed to precede his appearance this evening, and the Kaede was very likely his last stop. He had gone up to the counter to order sake, and stood to the left of the man Asger. Asger presented himself in very strange dress, and his armor and shield seemed to be of a foreign sort of metal smithing. There was no hint of the ancient language within his speech mannerisms. Asger must have made it quite far if he was correct in his assumption that he had arrived from Quying, traveling across the entire length of Tawakoshi and crossing the Great Divide, in order to reach Tokhung.

He overheard Asger's last words, and he felt some inclination to chime in. In a land with unchecked philosophies abound and a culture in which language was often vague and people often did not always mean what they say, it was very very easy as a "westerner" to pick up misunderstandings and misinterpretations.

"What was most likely meant by that..." he said to Asger uninvited, familiar with the fact that there were probably more styles of kenjutsu in Tokhung and Kiyonai alone than there were martial arts Asger had ever encountered, "is that a warrior's death may be considered unsuiting, should one of their blades still be within the scabbard."

Yoshitori's common was excellent, and he had clearly developed some level of comfort engaging with foreigners. He felt no need to mention that his explanation on the swords had absolutely nothing to do with efficiency, training, or martial superiority, or that most kenjutsu was conducted with both hands on the hilt of the single long sword. There were aspects of the warrior class he had learned in his years that foreigners would never seem to be able to understand.

"..Where are you from?"

The interruption struck Asger as being oddly forward. Perhaps he had struck a nerve with his talk of weapons or flirting with @hinawari. The newcomer interested him somewhat. He certainly showed signs of being an experienced warrior. Asger would have liked to discuss swordsmanship further, with both the Tawakoshi, but the lobby of the inn did not seem the place. Besides, that flute was getting annoying.

"I hail from the northern Meridian mountain range." Asger stepped back and positioned himself so he could face both samurai, "Hey, what say the three of us share our meal? I have been hiking your beautiful lands for days and fear that I have journeyed much further than I thought. Some local information would help me along my way. I also have news to tell of the mainland if it has not yet reached here."

She returned to the counter, seeing now that Yoshitori had joined as well. She handed @hinawari a small card identifying her as the current guest of room 3.
"That will be three silver," she said, which was a modest price. If she received her payment, she would thank her. If Hinawari had anything else to order, she'd facilitate that, otherwise she'd turn to Asger and Yoshitori.
"How can I help you?"

"And a room tonight for me." Asger counted seven of his fingers.
"My name is Asger." The mountainous man bowed low.

Rising up, he scratched his beard and wondered whether haiku was from Tawakoshi or old Katashima. Maybe Katashima had been the country Alfher always talked about. This foreign dialect had always confused Asger. Their swords were the same, however. 

Asger would get his room card and follow his new friends to wherever they were sitting. His stomach growled audibly in anticipation for the meal to come.

Yoshitori removed parts of his armor and sat down, setting his belongings to the side. He looked out for Asger, who might have need of some advice in how to sit or what to do with his gear, and he'd help him appropriately should he appear to need it.
"Sake, please. Warmed," he said, more than happy to indulge alone even if Asger had no desire to try the sorts of drinks they had here.