[Moon16/D1: Morning, Open] Prayers

[Shiba Nozomi]

"L-litany of Ananda. Our B-Brotherhood monks were fond of it. Sh-short, but helped the day g-go by faster wh-when you chanted it d-during your duties."

That particular section was mostly about journeys, and as short as it was, many travelling monks probably knew it.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Ah, I see." he nodded. "We... didn't study that particular scroll that often. "There are so many versions of the Tao... well, you know." the man chuckled. "Same teachings, in different forms."

[Shiba Nozomi]

"So it g-goes. Which did you tend to study the most?" Her eyes trace out little blobs of blue and green on the map in front of her. If she unfocused her eyes, it looked pretty similar to the ocean surface. The small wooden ships on it even enhanced the effect.

One of these days I should really learn how these work...

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"The canonical Shinsei Sutra, as well as some others. The Golden Path and the Divine Vehicle, to name few." he explained, wondering if she had heard of the latter two. Everyone in the Empire agreed that the five sutra that made up so called Shinsei sutra, had been written by the little teacher himself. On the others, there was no clear agreement.

[Shiba Nozomi]

"Mmmm." She brings her eyes down to the level of the table, eyeing the ships and trying to imagine an epic battle taking place. It takes a moment before she realizes that those ships are supposed to represent this ship, and the ones accompanying it, and the imagining immediately changes to serene, blissful waters. With the occasional dolphin pod.

"C-canonical Shinsei is a-always good to go b-back to. I don't have m-much experience w-with many of the others..." Nope. She'd never heard of them.

"D-divine Vehicle?" Her pale eyes flick upwards to him in curiosity.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"it's an old text, from the third century or so." he explained, meeting her eerie gaze. "The Shinsei appears in the text as humble monk, discussing life and the world with the heimin. It's veracity is under some doubt, but I cannot see why little teacher would have taught only the samurai. "

[Shiba Nozomi]

"Oh? Why d-does it have that pu-particular name?" She was half worried the Unicorn had been going to say it was Shinsei's lost teachings to the gaijin...

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Ah, that's because it refers to Shinsei being a divine vehicle of enlightenment." he told her, smiling.

[Shiba Nozomi]

"Oh." That was a simple enough answer.

Suddenly, out of the blue, she asks. "What's it like to ride a horse?" Her small hand makes a similar motion as it did when she had asked him where they had put his horse, two fingers making wiggling/walking motions.

"Does it h-hurt?"

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Oh it's wonderful... you feel the breeze against your skin, bit like you were sanding on the mast, you see the scenery disappearing behind you... it's bit like flying. Not that I have flown ever... but I imagine it would feel like that." he chuckled.

"You can feel the horse alive under you, it's rhythmic movements as it carries you... we have really close bonds with our steeds. We can almost feel the world as they do..." the man waved his hands, trying to explain.

[Shiba Nozomi]

This processes for a moment. She tilts her head a little as it does, and her hair falls to frame her diminuative face. "So... s-sort of like t-talking to the k-kami? Does the h-horse talk back l-like that, t-too?

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Hmm, maybe a bite like that, yeah. Though I wouldn't say 'talk'... but I know that Kumo, my mare, knows when I am upset, or happy."

[Shiba Nozomi]

"Ano...aren't they...M-mostly hungry?" The horses she always saw seemed to love nothing more than nibbling on most everything green in sight.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"When they are grazing, for sure." he nodded. "So, you haven't ridden one before? Not even one of those ponies?"

[Shiba Nozomi]

"Ano... not really. B-been in a cart o-once or t-twice..." Come to think of it, those times they'd always been heading to Kyuden Isawa.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Ah, shame. It's really enjoyable." he told her smiling. "You should try it sometime."

[Shiba Nozomi]

"M-maybe..." She seems a little dubious about it.

After a moment of awkward silence, she casts a few small flickering glances at the door. Finally, she mumbles very shyly and bowing, "Ano...should p-proba...your d-day."

A few hesitant steps are taken in the rough wooden frame's direction, indicating to her conversational partner the parts that her words might have failed to illustrate.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Ah, of course." the man nodded to her, realizing her intentions. "Carry the blessings of the Fortunes, Shiba-san."

[Shiba Nozomi]

"May they treat your destiny gently, Iuchi-sama." The soft shuffle of cotton, and the Unicorn is alone in the maproom.

/exit

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

Xiao Hua observed the map the girl had been looking for few moments, wondering why she had been so drawn to it. The he walked out, to the sunshine.

/scene