This day, for a change, Isawa O-washi had further subdivided his group by having the word passed along with the morning meal. He'd decided to go by simple alphabet when arranging his meetings and so it was the Crane that would go through his instruction first.

He waited by the Mainmast, clad in even less clothing than usual, which was saying something. His vest was gone and his usual hakama had been replaced with simple jinbei which were cut close to his heavily-muscled thighs, the better to avoid catching in the rigging for the lesson he'd planned. Beside him stood one of the heimen, an older man who's broad grin was mostly lacking in teeth. He, unlike the ashigaru from the two prior lessons, was unarmed, encumbered only with a small hourglass and a large wooden whistle. Comfortable in silence, they simply waited, the Isawa's piercing blue gaze drifting westward now and again.

Daidoji Fuichi arrives, humming pleasantly.

He is dressed in extremely plain robes which have been cut to about knee-length for ease of movement. He found them distasteful and strange, but the Moshi was too foul-mouthed and abusive to combat effectively.

He bows swiftly and elegantly to his superior. "Good-morning, Isawa-gunso."

Mazamichi joins the group comfortably wearing the assigned clothing that isn't much different from his own. He bows formally to the Isawa and the again the the other Crane.

"Ohayou, Daidojis-san, Asahina-san." O-washi's smile was broad and friendly this morning as his gaze swept over one and then the other. "Glad to see you took Moshi-sama's lesson to heart...that'll make this lesson much easier. Today, we're going to go over shipboard scouting, which means a fair bit of climbing."
He pointed upward to the form of the Nest, seemingly tiny from this distance.

"Have either of you had much experience at that sort of thing, be it ships or even trees as a lad?"

Yes Isawa-sama. Four years at sea, but never in the nest as a rule. he says sharply and precisley.

Nodding, O-washi smiled. "Good, that'll make it easier I should hope. Why don't you give it a go, then? Once you're up, scoot around the back so that Daidoji-san and I can follow up after...not much room up there but enough for the three of us. If it's a bit much, we'll just work around it."

{{Athletics/STR (climbing) to get to the top, TN 20}}

Fuichi clearlystruggles with the rigging. Finally he sighs and waves his right hand once in a slow circle, gently rising to the nest on a cushion of air.

He is not pleased by this turn of events.

On the other hand, being in such close quarters with the massive Isawa has its own benefits.

It had been a reasonable means to ascend and so O-washi said nothing, though a frown flew across his features for a moment. Going to have to warn him against that for the Sea bit...

Turning to the Asahina, he smiled in encouragement. "Your turn...I'll head up first, so if you need the rope I can haul...doubt Daidoji-san quite has the muscle for it alone, solid as you are."

Turning to the mast, he climbed up with smooth practiced grace, all that muscle obviously well-earned and not just for show.

With a solid nod, he waits for the gunso to make it up first before following himself.

Once safely atop the spar, O-washi settled himself between the two Crane, one to the North, one to the South, O-washi on the West edge. "Alright. Both of you look out west and tell me what you see."

{{Investigation/PER, raises matter}}

"Only the horizon, Isawa-sama." the Asahina says, squinting.

After the other answered (presumably) O-washi smiled, though little humor was to be found there. "On the very edge of the horizon, for those with far-seeing eyes, is the Sea of Shadows, where we will be sailing in a few days."

Fuichi nodded once. "Hida-san told me as much. He was rather unspecific about what the outcome of that event will be, but I gather it will be bad."

'You've never been to Crab lands, I imagine." There was no censure in the bit Phoenix's voice, only calm certainty...there was no way the Daidoji would be so calm if he had been. "This, then, is going to prove...interesting...for you."

Blue eyes, deep blue of the ocean, came to rest on the graceful features of his fellow priest.

"It is very unsettling to be a priest in the Sea of Shadows. Kansen dwell there and even if you don't try to use your gifts, you will hear them, like a murmur in a room that you can hear but can't quite make out the words."

Fuichi nodded carefully, a delicate frown settling on his features like a jet inlay on a piece of ivory.

"How am I to be of use, then? Is it impossible to call on the kami in that area?"

"Impossible, no. Unwise? Very much so, to the point the Captain forbids it save in matters of life or death." Trying to be reassuring, he said, "But surely you've more mundane ways to help others, neh? At the very least, a good-looking gent parading about tends to raise the mood."

Masamichi seems a bit startled and confused at the Phoenix's ideas of "useful"... he must have served on Crane ships before.

Fuichi doesn't seem entirely convinced, but the compliment earns the gunso a smile and just a hint of a blush. "I have led a very cloistered life, Isawa-sama, but I will endeavor to find a way to be of service in any situation," he says earnestly.

That was the effect he'd wanted and so the big man winked at his fellow priest before pulling the whistle from his belt. "There's a signal language of sorts we use up here. Everyone, even if they aren't a scout, learns it...that way if you hear the signal you can react accordingly. I'll demonstrate them for you now and I will happily school you on them again later if you want a refresher."

He walked them through the nearly three dozen signals, told apart by their meters. He emphasized those that would be most common...man overboard, the patterns for an approach by ship or hazard and the patterns for each of the directions. When he'd done them all at least once, he peered between them, sobering.

"In a battle, a scout is an asset and, thus, a target. If you were being fired upon while doing that duty, how'd you go about getting down?"

The wink induced a full blush, but the questions proved an effective distraction.

I would fly. Or use the wind to protect me from projectiles so that I could remain in service. Fuichi frowns and looks around. "Is there not a quick descent system? Something with pulleys?" He looks to the Asahina, as the other Crane is much more experienced with the earth-bound's manner of getting around on ships.

Maybe I've been abusing the Air Kami? That would be bad.