<div class="floatleft">(http://i51.tinypic.com/vh3jtu.png)</div><div class="floatleft">(http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk8/hornerjs82/albino_beauty-2.jpg)</div><div class="floatleft">(http://i54.tinypic.com/2rm6yv7.png)</div><br/><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Name:</strong> Doji Riel</span><br/><strong>Clan:</strong>Crane Clan, Doji Family<br/><strong>Class:</strong>Shugenja Class,<br/><strong>Honor:</strong>6.5<br/><strong>Sex/Age:</strong>Female, 19<br/><strong>Hair:</strong>Silvery-white<br/><strong>Eyes:</strong>Silver<br/><strong>Height/wight:</strong>4'6 (1.36 m) and 70#  (31.75 kg)<br/><strong>Time:</strong>Arriving at town – Day -3<br/><br/><br/><br/><strong>Tags:<strong> Everyone is mentioned – Kai, Misaki, Hachi, Ichiro, Hida, Akemi spoken to or reacted to<br/><br/></strong></strong><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Character Pictures</div><div class="spoiler_body">(http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff383/Idariel1/Axiomalbinolady2Femio-1.jpg)<br/><br/>(http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/ff383/Idariel1/Axiomalbinonotaltered-1.jpg)<br/></div></div><br/>Suzume Hachi returned Doji Riel's bow with simple grace and walked to stand beside her. When he invited the Dragon to accompany them she was quite pleased. A cheerful Bushi, from the same family that those here looked to, and a well mannered Sparrow seemed an excellent choice for their mission. She smiled up at Hachi, but before she could speak her Yojimbo moved.<br/><br/>It was a subtle thing, a change in stance and expression, then Daidoji Misaki bowed to her. She returned the respectful bow, and listened intently. Her eyes flickered again to the Sparrow Bushi in faint apology; her glance at the Scorpion courtier was more wary, She truly did not think their monk ought to go alone anywhere with the Scorpion, nor did she quite see how anyone whose specialty seemed to be throwing out subtle insults would be good at gathering information from people.<br/><br/>Her gaze returned with a wistful sigh to Misaki; for all her great respect for and deep care of her Yojimbo, still they'd been playing a subtle tug-of-war for two years. And Misaki was winning. It helped that honor and duty were on the Yojimbo's side, of course. She followed Misaki's gaze to the Crab Bushi, then she nodded acknowledgment to her words, but awaiting Matsu Tetsuya's judgment.<br/><br/>She liked how he was willing to listen, and think through the comments given, not mindlessly insist on strict adherence to his first notion. She did not know if it was normal for his Clan, or perhaps something taught to military leadership, but she respected his strength of character for not being threatened by dissenting ideas.<br/><br/>Moto Akemi's distant and toneless reply to her invitation was not entirely unexpected; she was deeply withdrawn and Riel's every attempt to offer friendship seemed to be painful to the Unicorn Shugenja. But she was determined to keep trying; she rather thought they ought to be friends, by now. Riel saw the soft smile as Akemi soothed her horse, and was once more glad that Kei was with her. She'd need a friend, having lost her brother.<br/><br/>Once more Riel made an effort not to respond as the Scorpion addressed Kai-sama so very casually. She was a courtier, right? Trained to politics, courtesy and respect as the Bushi were to battle and the Shugenja to spiritual matters. So why did she seem to enjoy insults so very much? Or was it the subtle aura of hostility, causing her to respond in kind?<br/><br/>Doji Ayano, her cousin, seemed a proper courtier to Riel; lovely, intelligent and courteous. She startled a little at the idea of a … well, a guard for her cousin. A proper Yojimbo would be good; perhaps she would write to her father about that. A Dadaijo or maybe a Shiba?<br/><br/>Mirumoto Ichirou answered the Sparrow Bushi's invitation to travel with them with his ever present good cheer and a ready acceptance. She focused on him and blinked, fairly sure her father had not yet thought to forbid her to be friends with a Dragon. Maybe the thought simply hadn't occurred to him. She bowed to Ichirou, vastly pleased with his courteous words for her cousin.<br/><br/>She would have liked to travel the Saki works with such a pleasant group. They would be well balanced for violence, good company in peace and offer a chance to learn a little more about each of them, but she could not fault the Lion's redistribution. He had many tasks to accomplish at once, and his appointed groups still offered good balance.<br/><br/>At least one Bushi and Shugenja per team, with the only two-man team containing those most able for a desperate fight. She bowed to both of them,<strong>“Hida Yuuji-san, Moto Akemi-san, Farewell.”</strong><br/><br/>She smiled up at Suzume Hachi,<strong>“I thank you deeply for your willingness to watch over my cousin, Suzume Hachi-san. Perhaps another time will permit me to coax a Sparrow story from you.”</strong>She bowed to those in his group.<strong>“Farewell for now; stay safe, all three of you.”</strong><br/><br/>Reil bowed to Ichirou,<strong>“I suspect with your clever words you would swiftly find the answer to any questions you might wish to ask. Farewell, Mirumoto Ichiro-san, Yoritomo Kei-san.”</strong>She bowed to Kei.<br/><br/>She moved then to the monk and returned his bow.<strong>“Kai-sama, we shall follow your wisdom on speaking with the people here. I am eager to see their shrines. Do you know if there are monks nearby? I wonder if it would take longer than we have to make the trip to a monastery.”</strong><br/><br/>She walked with him towards their goal, to the town itself. What would they see, and who would they meet?