It had been twenty minutes already, and the Dragon ambassadors were late.  One might almost suspect a deliberate insult--if they had been Scorpion or even Crane--but these were Dragon, and known for their punctuality and courtesy.  Well, to be fair, Kitsuki Fuji was known for his courtesy; Mirumoto Yamada was mostly known for his his politely monosyllabic responses; and Kitsuki Ryoma was known for his...excessive honesty.  But it was unheard of for them to be late to any meeting, let alone one with a member of their own Clan.

Toshirou struggles to control himself as the pain grows in his legs.  Having spent most of his life far from any court, he is unpracticed in sitting seiza.  His feet, folded underneath him in traditional style, cramp terribly.

"Aki-san," the dragon says to his assigned yojimbo.  Consciously ensuring his words are not meant to disparage his superiors, he asks  "Perhaps my memory is failing me?  We must have been expected to meet with the ambassadors at a later hour than I recall."

“It’s a possibility Toshirou-San,” Aki gracefully raised a plain rice-paper fan and fanned himself,  before continuing in his most polite voice. “Of course they may have been delayed in some way. I’m sure everything is fine.”

"Indeed, the honorable Fuji-sama and Ryoma-sama have many duties more important than greeting a samurai of little note and his yojimbo," Toshirou notes.  "But my distant cousins are both courteous and scrupulous.  Only a dire crisis would keep them from sending a message, if indeed they were delayed.  Kakita-san, I have no wish to impose on the palace staff, but perhaps you might make inquiries as to news of my superiors?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:16, Mon 30 Mar 2009.

Without hesitation Aki stood and looked out into the hallway for any servants, not wanting to get to far away from Toshirou he is hesitant to leave the room entirely.

“If something is wrong Toshirou-San than I don’t think it wise for me to leave your side.” not wishing to disobey him Aki remained silent.

"I cannot join you. It would not do for the ambassadors to arrive to find their guests have left." Toshirou shifts slightly, ostensibly to face his yojimbo but actually to momentarily relieve the pressure on his legs.  "Your concern is much appreciated, Kakita-san.  But the walls are thin here, and the Crane are wealthy and have many servants.  Though you are correct that I cannot hope to match your expertise with a sword, I am capable of defending myself long enough for you to return to my side. So long as you remained close enough to hear me shout, you would not be derelict in your duty to guard me."

Aki closed his fan against his right hand and stuffed it up his sleeve before bowing to Toshirou, This is not wise, he thought to himself as he left the room closing the shoji door behind him. Walking down the hallway a short way looking for a servant or an attendant to quickly ask information from.

Aki quickly espies a servant carrying a tea tray.

"Yes, sama?" the servant replies to Aki's presence, "how may I help you?"

"Yes, I was hoping to enquire about the reabouts of  Fuji-sama and Ryoma-sama." Aki politely asks as he keeps a sidelong watch on the door that leads to Toshirou.

"Kitsuki-sama and Kitsuki-sama left earlier today to visit the rooms of Doji Kusanagi-sama, may the Fortunes rest his soul," the servant replies, "as a favor to Daidoji Sakura-sama."

"Thank you," Aki nodded slightly to the servent before he strode back to the room and entered, "Toshirou-San, Fuji-sama and Ryoma-sama have gone to pay respects to Doji Kusanagi-sama, I don't believe that they will make our meeting."

Toshirou raises and eyebrow.  "Have they now?"

Toshirou is not an experienced courtier, but he is an skilled magistrate, so he makes a fair showing of concealing his emotions. Nonetheless, it is clear he is deep in thought.  "This does not sit well with me.  They were late to a meeting, and did so discourteously. That is something they would not do unless a crisis had arisen."  Toshirou stands and gives a bow of respect to Aki.  "Kakita-san, I deeply apologize for making your task of guarding me more difficult.  But I am a samurai, and a magistrate.  My duty requires me to ensure my lords' wellbeing.  Would you be so kind as to accompany me to Doji-sama's room?"

"It would be my Honor to accompany you Kitsuki-San." Aki returned the bow to Toshirou as he opened the door and allowed him to go through first.

Gathering the gifts he was prepared to offer the diplomats, then checking the position of his Daisho and Magistrate's Jitte, Toshirou moves wiftly towards hsi destination.

Aki trailed behind and to the right of Toshirou, keeping his eyes open for any possible threats.

The halls nearest the recently deceased Doji Kusaragi's rooms look like a battlefield.  Deep gouges in the hardwood floors and holes in the shoji doors show the telltale signs of combat.

OOC:  make a perception/investigation (notice) check or a raw intelligence check whichever you feel like

PM
[Private to Kakita Aki: you vaguely recall that Doji Kasarugi was murdered yesterday, in his rooms--the damages to these walls was much more recent than that]
[Private to Kitsuki Toshirou: these are obviously the signs of a recent skirmish--in fact, you can almost trace the path of the battle away from Doji Kasarugi's rooms towards the rooms of Doji Sotan (a Crane monk who was honored with one of Togashi Yokuni's tatoos some time ago) and Mirumoto Yamada's signature technique (the steel curtain) marking the walls, floors, and even the ceiling
Mirumoto Yamada is Kitsuki Fuji and Kitsuki Ryoma's yojimbo]
This message was last edited by the GM at 04:33, Sat 04 Apr 2009.

Though the battle is likely long past, Toshirou draws his Jitte from it's place at his belt--the situation is not yet so dire he would draw his grandfather's soul.  "The battle moved from here to Doji Sotan-san's room."  His fingers trace slashes through the rice-paper walls. "See how there are twice as many slashes on the left as on the right?  The Steel Curtain style sweeps blows back and forth with bot blades at once, but the off-hand Wakizashi is too short to mark the right-hand wall across the duelist's body."  As he explains, he mimes the appropriate sword technique.  Though Toshirou is not clumsy, it is clear that he is not a master of the style.  "This is Mirumoto Yamada-san's work, no doubt.  But...a fight this severe, yet it did not raise an alarm or attract the guards?"

Ready for anything, Toshirou moves forward. "Sotan-san?"  He calls.

[Private to GM: Right now, my character suspects the involvement of Shugenja, on the theory that a spell of silence is the only explanation for this fight failing to attract attention. Is that assumption warranted? Or is there another reason this skirmish might have gone unnoticed?]
This message was last edited by the player at 04:50, Sat 04 Apr 2009.

"Doji Sotan-san is is not present at the moment, Toshirou-san," Kitsuki Fuji calls out from inside the room, "may I presume you are here regarding our missed appointment?"

[Private to Kitsuki Toshirou: the palace is a pretty big place, so most of it would not have heard a skirmish in the halls.  The other consideration is that a highly enough ranked person could have cleared the halls in preparation of such an ambush.  That being said, there's no particular reason that a shugenja wouldn't have been involved as a matter of security.  That's not particularly helpful, I know, but you should know all the options ^_^

Oh, btw, Doji Sotan's room is several halls down from Kusanagi's rooms--not close enough that he would have heard the commotion--but his are the closest rooms that a Dragon ambassador might seek safety if they were in danger]
This message was last edited by the GM at 05:23, Sat 04 Apr 2009.

Upon seeing the scores and slashes all over the walls and even on the floors Aki stepped between Toshirou and the door, whispering to him, "Doji Kusaragi was murdered yesterday but Kitsuki-San, these cuts on the walls are much more recent then that. Beware."

Aki steadied the sheath of his sword with his left hand and would not stray his right hand far from the hilt. Prepared for the worse.

"They lead to Doji Sotan-san's room...and we had best follow," says the magistrate efore acting on his own advice.

"Yes Kitsuki-Sama" Aki continues to follow him, not removing his left hand from the scabbered of his sword. This whole thing stank of a trap to Aki, having never worked as a Yojimbo before he's not sure how to proceed or how even to voice his concern for the wisdom of Kitsuki-Sama's actions.

A few hallways short of Doji Sotan's quarters the trail of damage peters out--as if whomever were pursuing the ersatz Dragon ceased to do so--though tell tale blood spatter indicates at least one of them is injured--but not likely to be life threatening.  The path leads to the rice paper shoji of Doji Sotan's quarters.

"Sotan-san?  I am a Kitsuki Magistrate.  I humbly apologize for this necessary intrustion."  Toshirou opens the rice-paper door slowly so as not to disturb any evidence, unsure as to what he will see...

"Ah, Toshirou-san," Kitsuki Fuji replies from his seated position at the table, "my apologies for not making our appointment, but as you can see, other things occupied our attention."

The room is small sitting area, with a low table and a stove for the preparation of tea.  Seated around the table are Kitsuki Fuji, Mirumoto Yamada, and a young servant boy.  Kitsuki Ryoma is standing beside Mirumoto Yamada, bandaging his injuries.

Aki Bows deeply to the seated Dragon Clan members. Keeping his sword arm free as he reaches into his sleeve and takes his fan back out, using it to make himself appear nonconcerned as he watched the man being bandaged.

"I had little fear for your safety, my lords, when I recognized the marks of Yamada-san's Curtain of Steel on the walls.  Surely no attacker could have injured you through such sword skill." Toshirou bows deeply as well. "I trust the assailants were slain?"

Aki's ears perked up as the Dragon talked of their sword technique, he stepped further against the wall keeping his eyes on the door leading into the small room.

"Unfortunately, no, Toshirou-san," Kitsuki Fuji frowns, "when it became clear that their skill could not penetrate Yamada-san's defenses, they departed and we moved to the nearest secure area we could find.  Fortunately, Doji-san was willing to provide us a place to recover while he left to inquire about our investigative ally, Daidoji Sakura."
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:13, Tue 14 Apr 2009.

Toshirou nods. "Cowards. As I would expect from those launching such a dastardly assault."  He glances at the bloody bandages.  "Shall we put our meeting off till another day, My Lords?"

"We might as well do it now," Kitsuki Ryoma shrugs, "it might be some time before we have another opportunity, and if this investigation goes the way I think it's going, we may need someone to back stop us for negotiation.  How open do you think the Crane will be to an open ended military alliance?" he asks, keeping an eye on Kakita Aki.

"That..." Toshirou says, "...that is well beyond my area of expertise, Ryoma-sama.  Most of my life I have spend guarding the villages of the Shichibi range."

"Everyone has to start somewhere, Toshirou-san," Kitsuki Fuji replies gently, "and the Crane are about to be involved in what might be a protracted siege here in Toshi Ranbo--meaning we won't be able to get any political support personnel from Hitomi-sama, making us the men on the spot during the siege and Winter Court.  So, in your expert opinion, will the Crane look favorably on a short term military alliance with specific details to be determined at a later date?  Or should we start looking for other Clans that might want allies?"

"My concern, Ryoma-sama," Toshirou says hesitantly, "would not be with the friend we make but rather with the enemies.  The Crane are undoubtedly honorable," he says, nodding to Aki, "and would surely remember and repay out kindness.  However, the memories of the Lion and the Unicorn are even longer, and should either assert a claim to this city..."

"And how do you think the Crane will answer such a response?" Fuji asks, "feel free to respond, Kakita Aki-san, this does, after all concern you and your Clan; and whatever the Dragon response, the Crane have a right to know of it as soon as possible."

OOC:  given Aki's lack of response to PMs, feel free to answer Toshirou
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:47, Sat 09 May 2009.

"Very well," Fuji shrugs, "Toshirou-san, if you would take Akira here to the Governor?  It will be the one place we can be assured is safe until Daidoji Sakura can be located, and you can use the opportunity to sound out the Crane response to an offer of alliance...remember, do not promise anything, but allow the possibility to be known."

Toshirou bows deeply. "Of course, Sama, I shall do so immediately."

Stopping momentarily to check his Daisho and Jitte by his side, Toshirou nods. "By your leave?"

"Of course, of course"

Toshirou nods once more, before returning to his feet, smoothing his robes and thankful again for the opportunity to straighten his legs from seiza.  Swiftly, he turns and begins toward his destination, pausing only to ensure his charge follows