<div class="floatleft">(http://www.wallpapercase.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Samurai-Girl-in-Kimono-1024x683.jpg)</div><div align="center">Akodo Narumi (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=261269.msg12890740#msg12890740)</div><br/><br/>The warm waters lapped up to her shoulders and neck without hesitation.  Dust from the road would fall away from her and the heat eased the tightness at her shoulders.  Eyes closed to take in the heat, fill her nostrils so that her senses could clear themselves of earlier smells.  Akodo Narumi was a soldier first and dared not complain of the troubles on her trip, dared not complain at all.  Yet she had longed for such a welcoming the entire length of their journey to this city.<br/><br/>Slowly her body slipped even more into the pool of water.  For a time others might surmise she intended to down herself as the water neared the bridge of her nose.  Then she would rise and situated herself back against the edge of the water to recline and relax.  Arms lifted upward to extend over the edge.  Such a gesture exposed the muscles of her shoulders that, while narrow, bore a power born of constant training and exercise.  Breasts that bore the light touch of youth threatened to come above the water’s surface as her chest stretched with her movement.  Narumi seemed not to care.  Instead her thoughts turned toward the introduction made to their host.<br/><br/>Akodo Narumi had performed as expected in turning over her weapon to be properly cleaned after the travels.  Delicately she had removed the peace tie before handing over the soul of her body.  There had only been a slight hesitation before relinquishing the weapon and placing herself entirely at the mercy of her host.  Still those were the rules and those were the expectations.  Just as the gift giving would be.<br/><br/>The present of a shamisen had seemed a bit underwhelming to Narumi and she still felt the sting of her mother’s strike on her cheek.  Her mother was a devil with her seemingly delicate fans at her side.<br/><br/><div align="center"><em>“You know nothing of social graces or games Narumi-ko.  Nothing at all.  You spend your time swinging your sticks in the dojo, learning how to die but you have never learned to rule or live.  Your mother now has her turn to make a proper woman of you.  The gift is just the message.  Do you not think any of us could buy a hundred such things and a hundred more musicians to play them?  No, the importance here is what you will say and what this will mean.”</em></div><br/>So the instrument had been laid before her.  Akodo Narumi relayed the story of the two stringed device and of how her mother had employed this particular one over the first years of marriage.  How she sung to her father while playing the instrument each night when he would return from battle, to soothe the spirit and soul for their bed.  The story was an intimate one but not without truth.  Narumi could remember her mother singing to each of them when they could not sleep and this instrument being used to send them off to sleep.<br/><br/>Of course the implication was also there that the Otomo were allowing their child to marry someone that would need such soothing.  An insult buried beneath the present and a warning to the Otomo that the Crane were watching.  Narumi could appreciate the subtle touch of her mother in such affairs.  There was much to learn and much to consider.  Such considerations almost clouded her mind before she raised a hand to instruct a servant to fetch her other traveling companion, the merchant.<br/><br/>Narumi then let herself slide down into the water again, opening her eyes to see the others gathered as if for the first time.  She would offer no greeting or words to exchange.  Better to observe first and act when necessary.<br/>