| | 213 | * Ishie's send message to storyteller letting him know his captives have been taken prisoner. |
| | 214 | * Prisoners were to be delivered to Two Birchers village (a day or two to the south). |
| | 215 | * Senbei searches two ronin: |
| | 216 | * decent daysho; daggers; ordinary tanto |
| | 217 | * small quantity of opium. |
| | 218 | * small bag of Jade tea. |
| | 219 | |
| | 220 | * Ichiro's employer extremely displeased with the actions of the person behind this. |
| | 221 | * Ichiro's employer not as high status as head person at Three Heron's. |
| | 222 | * Ichiro can share information with us and possibly some material resources. |
| | 223 | |
| | 224 | * Ichiro's information: |
| | 225 | * people who are spirits have been disappearing in valley for a few weeks (three or four so far). |
| | 226 | * employer believes hunters have spiritual assistance. |
| | 227 | * possibly from another more-low-key organization in the valley. |
| | 228 | * in certain maho rituals a single spirit from another realm is worth ten humans. |
| | 229 | * worried that they can't find / handle enough people to achieve something. |
| | 230 | * the creature that flew can take the forms of other people -- probably impersonated Toki. |
| | 231 | * the creature has powerful allies from south of the Wall -- some have come to visit. |
| | 232 | * the creature was once a samurai. |
| | 233 | |
| | 234 | * Meet at Moonlit River in a few days time. |
| | 235 | * Ichiro leaves. |
| | 236 | * discussion of whether to track Ichiro. |
| | 237 | |
| | 238 | * Wood cutter returns with mushrooms and Chikao. |
| | 239 | * Chikao's tale: |
| | 240 | * Went to Hawthorne tree. |
| | 241 | * Ichiro let Chikao's bonds loose. |
| | 242 | |
| | 243 | * Interviewing ronin: |
| | 244 | * Taro and Jiro. |
| | 245 | * Offered sepukku -- accept but appear to have decide to attempt to flee. |
| | 246 | |
| | 247 | * Discussion of bushido / offering ronin sepukku: |
| | 248 | * Senbei likes that we are offering the ronin sepukku even though it's dangerous -- it's what his previous lord would have done. |
| | 249 | * Riko -- fence sitting, but kind of happy with course of action. |
| | 250 | |
| | 251 | ==== 5 Hare ==== |
| | 252 | |
| | 253 | * Sepukku: |
| | 254 | * Both try and go for weapons. |
| | 255 | * Nagataka takes down Jiro. |
| | 256 | * Kamenosuke cuts down Taro. |
| | 257 | |
| | 258 | * Chikao decides to move on. |
| | 259 | * Chikao gives Senbei some hairs from his head. |
| | 260 | * Gives Kamenosuke a stack of letters to deliver in Ten Plum Blossoms. |
| | 261 | |
| | 262 | ==== 6 Hare ==== |
| | 263 | |
| | 264 | * Return to Ten Plum Blossoms. |
| | 265 | * Give Chikao's letter to Sakura to hand out. |
| | 266 | * Ask Mitsukuni to look after Neko. |
| | 267 | |
| | 268 | ===== 8 Hare ===== |
| | 269 | |
| | 270 | * Arrive at Breeze Through the Long Grass. |
| | 271 | * Kamenosuke given letter from Three Herons by Senbei: |
| | 272 | * From Yaeji: |
| | 273 | * Snow lilies blossom / Travellers brave the spring showers / To witness rebirth. |
| | 274 | |
