The Hida finds himself practicing with a multitude of weapons today. He starts with his tetsubo, then he moves to a bokken, and then from there, picks up anything else he can find that might remotely be used as a weapon.

Once again, Yakusoku was ready for training this morning. Short sleeves and her headband, the ono leaning against her shoulder, the Badger makes her way out onto the deck looking about. Seeing Musasha she smiles slightly and heads toward him, twirling the handle of the massive axe against her.

"Mornin' Ram," she nods at the Crab, crooked smile lingering on her lips as her gaze turns to the assortment of weapons. "'Bout ready for a war I see," she teases, giving the Hida some distance while claiming her own spot for swinging her axe.

He looks a little grim, "Whatever tore apart tha' ship yesterday might still be about. It very well could turn ta war. I ain't gonna be caught unready." He keeps training as he talks, the conversation not really altering his focus from the task at hand.

"Aye," she agrees with a sigh, lifting her ono and bringing it down in the first of several swings. "Good to know people are on guard. Don' need to be being caught with our hakama 'round our ankles. Whatcha 'spose got that ship? Heard anything 'bout it from the gunsos?"

He shakes his head, "Was there when they handed th' captain a piece. He says th' ship was gaijin, but haven't heard what might have caused th' trouble, yet. Likely barbarians killin' barbarians, but one never knows until they face their true enemy."

Yakusoku's head bobs slightly amidst the quick, brutal swings of her axe. "Well if it's savages, we can handle that. Not that I think we'll run into anything we can't handle." That thought was enough to get a quick smile to work its way back onto her lips. No, she didn't want the ship attacked. But she could certainly use the rush of a good fight.

He nods, "Just remember, we're not too terribly far beyond the Sea of Shadows. Don't wish for a fight that we can lose even if we win. Savages are one thing, some kind of ichor blooded servant of Him," Musasha spits over the railing, "are entirely another."

"Yeah," she agrees, that hint of enjoyment gone, "that's the last thing we need. Gimme savages, pirates and the like any day. I'll have fun bustin'em up. But that sorta thing's another matter. Ain't no joy in that at all."

He nods, satisfied that he brought a touch of the direness of their situation to light. "We'll know more today. Th' captain will be bringin' us ta port soon, and we'll either be attacked afore we git there, or not. Either way, I don' know if we're gonna have shore leave. I don' even know if we're still in th' Empire."

"Well I'll keep hopin' for some shore leave," she offers with a smirk. The situation was dire, yes. But she was training and she'd allow herself to enjoy it. "Not sure about the Empire. I think we're still in her and the port's on the edge, but I could be wrong. Best to ask someone who knows their navigatin'." This time the axe slices from side to side, a cut meant to keep an enemy at a distance. "If ya get shore leave, what ya hopin' to do with it?"

He grunts as he pushes a series of attacks, "Bath, fer sure. Then a meal that'll fill my growlin' belly. Somethin' fried and plentiful."

"Ah, bath sounds damn good. Probably join ya," she grunts, bringing turning the axe in her hands for a downward, diagonal strike. "Good meal'd be nice too. That and a nice cup a sake. Got some shochu wit me but that only hits the spot every once in awhile."

He nods, "I wouldn't mind th' company." Letting the end of his kata signal the beginning of a new weapon, he begins again.

"Salt water washes away th' smell, but the stick, only a good bath'll fix that. I'm savin' my bath rations fer after battles, especially th' nasty ones."

"Very pragmatic Hida-san." Kichirou offers with a grin and a bow to the Crab and Badger. Dressed as the other sailors and carrying only a bokken he looks to the two samurai, "I was hoping for a bit of training. Though I'm not at all proficient with weapons the size the tetsubo or ono."

Yakusoku nods in agreement with the Crab's logic. It was certainly sound and not much different from her own when it came to bathing on board. When the Scorpion approaches she offers a quick nod his way and a slight smile. "Just grab yerself a bit of empty deck and get to trainin'," she gestures to a spot that gave each of the samurai a good amount of space. "Ichiro Yakusoku by the way. Pleased to meet ya."

"Bayushi Kichirou. Its a pleasure meeting you formally Ichiro-san." the Scorpion offers with a bow before stepping to the spot indicated and stretching himself out.

Kichirou knew he wasn't nearly as strong or tough as the other two but the Scorpion as a clan had made their name with subterfuge and deceit and as tasteless as those words are when applied to a combat philosophy they can be deadly effective. Kichirou's movements start small. Small steps, small swings, small stabs that gradually get bigger and move faster. Close observation showed that as his steps grew bigger they were worked in between or at the end of swings and followed up almost immediately by the original small and compact and controlled swings and stabs from before. The intent was clear, deceit in combat. A style designed to push and look for your opponents openings and then exploit them mercilessly.

The armored warrior frowns at the thought of pragmatism over honorable action, and he sets the whole conversation aside for a more appropriate moment.

"I see you found time to step away from the arrows. The training will keep your wits from falling victim to monotony."

"Indeed, the mornings are on average left for me to find my own duties. My cousin Bayushi Usan has run of maintenance in the mornings as it turns out so we have collaborated to make both our jobs more efficient." Kichirou says as he finishes his practice. It was anyones guess if he took the expression on the Hida's face as just his normal appearance or if he knew the cause of the frown and decided to move on but move on he did, "I was hoping to receive some further practice with the spear or perhaps my bare hands though."

Qian-Fan was present, but today he was concentrating on learning the distances and solid, immovable fittings of the ship. He paced out several distances and chewed his bottom lip as he committed them to memory.

The armored brute stops and grabs a pair of staves, throwing one to the Bayushi. "Then let's do so." He points to the end on his right, "That's the pointy end. Take your stance."