Kakita Sayomi remained silent as they walked through the streets of the Imperial city. The young , silver haired maiden had carefully taken a position between both men, letting them flank her on either side.  Her small hands were tucked carefully into the long sleeves of silky blue kimono, the cranes decorating the skirts of the dress garment dancing as she walks. To most it would seem like the pair were her escorts and that’s exactly the way she wanted it to be. She drew less attention that way and people were much less prone to question her ( or make flimsy passes at her).<br/><br/>The young maiden’s silence is only broken when Sabu suddenly steps out in front of her and clears his throat. She cants her head to the left as he speaks and asks of their deeds. A smile flits onto her pale features before Sayomi schools the niggling expression away and nods.“ I think it’s only fair, after all you have told us much of the city and yourself and the sages often say knowledge is everything.”<br/><br/>Despite her acknowledgement that his request is fair the young woman takes her time, sweeping a stray strand of silver hair away from her eyes and behind an ear. What was she to say? How much did she really want to share with the man? Eventually she does decide however,  eyes fixed ahead of her as she spoke with her voice a low whisper. “ I am no story teller, I leave that others among my kin but the people of my land have a story or two of my deeds, I am sure.” Her smile after she teases some insight into herself is far too telling but at least she does deliver. “ I saved a girl from a band of brigands, once.” Sayomi pauses, an absolute look of disgust quickly flashing over her porcelain-like features as she recalled what had happened.<br/><br/>The girl had been absolutely beautiful by her reckoning, kidnapped by bandits for ransom that more than likely would have been her dowry. Sayomi had simply been passing through the village when she heard and  offered to help. “ I  cut every single one of them down.”  Her features quickly organize into something a little more neutral; the only tell being the slight knitting of her eyebrows as she remembered the evening.  They had all been drunk and it was easy, brutal work. In the end she had regretted killing them all but when she saw the woman had been beaten and abused there simply was no choice. “Eventually I got her back to her family and stayed a while to make sure she recovered. She is a bright girl.I am sure she is by now, happily married.”<br/><br/>That thought, among all others wanted to make Sayomi frown. On occasion she still sent the woman paper cranes anonymously. In some ways she was the Samurai’s first infatuation.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>