Tsuruchi Yashiro
Yashiro walked down the the bees. He needed to check on them, it had been a little while. His studies of the last beekeepers texts had proved very useful and he was glad to have them, but his hand still needed practice. sniff sniff was that...horse? he looked around and didn't see anything. But he kept his eyes open.
Those were definitely horse prints in the mud... Who the hell would bring a horse here. (19 hunting
Then it hit him. There was only one man that audacious. (8 intelligence)
Utaku Jamukha!
He would deal with this after he took care of the bees. Maybe he could talk to someone and get the unicorn a place to run their horses that wasn't the garden.
after a passable cursory check(16), he returned to the castle to see who he could find to talk about the horses in the gardens.
Shinjo Kurosawa
And Kurosawa is in for the interception, bumping into Yashiro as he makes his exit. But not literally bumping because Rokugan and the bad touch and all that. Naturally he'd bow towards his friend. "Good morning Yashiro-san. Have you had your rice today?"
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"Ah Kurosawa-san, good to see you. I have and have you?" he bowed then continued, "I was actually looking for one of your clan. I think Utaku Jamukha was riding his horse around the garden. I was investigating. Do you think I could convince him to stop if I got the unicorn a practice yard?"
Shinjo Kurosawa
The man paused. Right, the soft lush grass would easily have Shiro's footprints in them. Horse was out of the bag. "You are close, but it was not Utaku-san. He would not do such a thing." He spoke with his chin up. "It was I, who rode Shiro in the garden last night. He had not left his stall since the night of our new enemy's appearance, and I could not let my companion stay distressed. The training fields are full of soldiers training, and he cannot go down the streets in peace, so we came here." The thought of a practice yard sounded interesting though. "Do we have space for such a thing?"
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"I don't know yet. Really the idea occurred to me just as I was walking in the garden, but we ought to. With the influx of samurai of all type, it may be a good thing to diversify some practice ranges for horsemanship some times of the day. After all, shooting down range in a perfectly pristine field is hardly battlefield ready. If you and your horses churned up the turf in the morning, but left the afternoons open to archers in one of our ranges, I think it could be useful as a mixed terrain training for some of our scouts in training."
Shinjo Kurosawa
"We would appreciate such. There are a sizable amount of us now, but as a guest here I did not wish to say anything. Nor do I think I am in a place to say anything." His plan was quite smart, actually. "You've become quite important now, Yashiro-san, since you won that tournament. Does that mean you have the pull to make this a reality?"
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"Important? maybe well known, but I have friends, perhaps I can get them together and we can see that it gets done."
Shinjo Kurosawa
Wasps buzzed together like bees did at times. "Thank you Yashiro-san. Shiro also would send his thanks if he were capable of doing so." That reminded him. "Congratulations on that last round, in the tournament. It was quite a spectacle to observe. You must make your clan proud." Oops the author forgot it was glory not status he attained.
Tsuruchi Yashiro
(if only it was status... hear me GMs I DESIRE STATUS (or blood, blood for the blood gods)) "Thank you, We both did well to get there. I am sure that Jirozame-san's skill with the bow will server him well many years to come."
Shinjo Kurosawa
Ah right, Jirozame-san. "He bested me in the kenjutsu tournament. Very talented; I would dare say I hope to rematch him someday but his duties are as an archer first." He looked at the Tsuruchi. "Have you heard about what is happening around Koeru Mura as of late? There's mention of... beasts, afflicted with some evil." Time to dig up some old memories Yashiro. "When we were interrogating the ronin Jomei, he mentioned worms that were also afflicted. Do you think they are connected?"
((Sorry, had to figure stuff out))
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"Perhaps. I remember out on a scouting mission, i found myself on the ground. When I got up, there were worms on me. I brushed them off, but I was only there for a few moments. I imagine if a creature needed to sleep out there, perhaps it might be infected by them."
Shinjo Kurosawa
He recoiled mentally at the thought. "I certainly hope I'm not assigned to there." (laughter) "Even though I am skilled with animals, I don't believe that would apply to ones afflicted with worms that madden the mind."
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"Probably not. I hope we get to the root of the problem soon though. It can only get worse."
Shinjo Kurosawa
"Well the root of the problem is likely..." He wasn't gonna say the word. "Due to the rise of the Dark Emperor and his influence. I hope the root is not nearly so deep."
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"The local problem. We haven't always had a tainted boar and worm problem.
Shinjo Kurosawa
"What's this about a boar now?"
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"On our first scouting mission, I think we narrowed down the nature of the tainted beasts that had decimated the original scouting group we had to recover."
Shinjo Kurosawa
"Oh." He paused. "They killed a whole scouting group? The cursed beasts must be super strong then. Or numerous. Maybe we should simply try to purify the forest in some way." Like with fire, he would have liked to add.
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"Fire is a dangerous tool used on too wide an area, though it might be easier short term." He was picking up what kuro was laying down. "Most of them, but we rescued one or two."
Shinjo Kurosawa
He peeped the Mantis. "Fire would be too unwieldy yes. And we would surely be cursed by Chikushudo if we tried. No, the right way is to send a force to exterminate them all. But far more difficult, and dangerous. We are stretched quite thinly for resources but perhaps we can save the village and begin to stabilize our food production once more."
Kuzen
(Can another person come join?)
Shinjo Kurosawa
(if you don't mind slowposting from two people at work, I am all for it)
Kuzen
(Hmm, might not work with the time I have available, so another time then)
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"I certainly hope you're right." He nods. (also we are in the past) "I believe in us though. Good steel and men is better than hope I always say anyway. How have you been?"
Shinjo Kurosawa
"And jade. We will need such heavenly countermeasures against such unholiness." He thought about it; maybe he should invite Kairi to this mission. She might know of purification rituals and the like. "I have been well, Yashiro-san. Perhaps bored; like Shiro I too, have an urge to run and stretch my legs. I cannot stay within the walls for so long." He had a slight feeling that that was NOT what Yashiro was talking about but he leaned on the side that this conversation was pleasantries and business, not much more.
Tsuruchi Yashiro
Yashiro gave a slight smile. Barely a quirk of his lips. "Well perhaps we will have more to talk about after the coming battle." He let that hang in the air a moment to emphasize that he'd be bringing it up again, but didn't want to distract kuro now. "Jade has always been rather useful. I am impressed constantly by its abilities."
Shinjo Kurosawa
There would be a lot to talk about indeed. "I wish you luck, Yashiro-san, that the Fortunes find favor with you and that you may return. Otherwise," he gestured to the garden, "who will provide and care for the humble working bees of Kyuden Ashinagabachi if not you?" He nodded in agreement about the jade. "Hai, especially with our enemy being so... darkly influenced, it has served me well. I typically tie whatever piece is provided to me around my neck, so it stays near my heart. It... the sensation of it grants me strength and bravery when I feel as if I may falter."
Tsuruchi Yashiro
"I will see you here after the beasts are dealt with, Kurosawa-san, don't let me down."  He grinned, "Shouldn't be too hard." He bowed and headed off somewhere else to rejoin the main timeline.
Shinjo Kurosawa
"Walk with the winds at your back Yashiro-san." The Unicorn bows to his departing companion, but would continue lingering in the Gardens of the past for now.
(/Scene?)
Tsuruchi Yashiro
(/scene indeed)