[Foredeck, Moon 8 - Morning] Salty mornings

[Shiba Naomi]

"Have you eaten iron rations more than three days in a row?" she asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Even on a ship, it's nice to get a good and proper meal once in a while... keeps morale up. Besides, I do enjoy the art of cooking. It's fun."

"We had some training in shooting from horseback at the dojo. On ponies, though, not horses as great as the Unicorn ones. I never got the hang of it. My pony was a most stubborn pony too." Naomi grinned as she remembered those childhood days.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"The way the food has been thusfar, I do not think that the legion prioritizes the taste..." he chuckled, mirthfully. "Hmm, you have no need to that when in time you move to our household. We have fine servants for that."

"Hee, do you like riding then?" The question was somewhat hopeful.

[Shiba Naomi]

She didn't admit that she still wanted to be in the kitchen now and then.

"Ehm..." She didn't want to lie. "I never got the hang of it, to be honest. But... perhaps I'll have better luck in the future, neh?" Well, it wasn't lying, but she was being gentle about it. "Horsemanship was never really a focus in our training."

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

Well, I'd rather have you keeping my household once the time comes... Xiao Hua mused to himself. He had no problems with samurai-ko marching to war alongside the men. He just would have preferred his future wife to stay home.

"Hee... I'll teach you to ride one day. If everything goes as our parents planned." He stammered. "Erm... not that I am terribly opposed but... erm..." Poor man was rather lost. "Things happen and I would not want to assume..."

[Shiba Naomi]

"Ah yes... the future is uncertain, and, it would be unwise to tempt fate by acting as if everything would go according to plan, I suppose..."

But, despite that, she smiled. "I'll look forward to such lessons though."

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

The faint smile returned to his lips. "I am happy to hear that. Shiba-san."

"As much as the future is uncertain, there are ways to gaze into it... but most of us are hesitant to do so. There are things men were not meant to know." he explained with somewhat serious tone.

[Shiba Naomi]

"... Apart from guessing the weather that will come judging by the clouds and the sky, I know very little of such things, Iuchi-san." She looked him over a bit. Or rather, looked *up* at him. "Do you happen to practice divination?"

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Sometimes. I can ask the kami to conjure visions of the future. The images are always accurate, but often hard to interpret. Some of us... do not like it. I understand their opinion quite well..." he explained the use of one of his prayers.

[Shiba Naomi]

"Have you used such a ritual before, then? You sound almost as if you speak from experience?"
While not a priest herself, she had some understanding of the workings of prayers.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Yes, few times. It's... in a way... one the most demanding prayers I have. And I do not like to use it, unless I have to. Sometimes it shows things... you might not want to see."

[Shiba Naomi]

She wanted to ask what he had seen, but, it seemed to might have been something unpleasant.
"I hope you won't have to use such a prayer during this voyage then... it sounds very heavy for you."

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Hmm, and it might be somewhat tricky. Finding still water on a rocking ship might not be that easy." he nodded, his look serious. "Still, a topic too grim for a day fine such as this." the man added, smiling carefully as he gazed out to the seas again.

"So... what brought Shiba-san to the ninth?" the question was voiced silently, as if the man had been embarrassed of his own reason.

[Shiba Naomi]

"Uhm well... since my oldest brother now has married, and his wife can look after father's home, I had hoped I'd get my chance to do something. Well, I suppose prove that I could do more than I've been doing since my gempukku... my brothers and father have all fought in the wars. I want to make them proud that I can do the same, you know..."
She shrugged. "So, with help from Shigeru-kun, who knew some in the legion who I got to meet with, I sent my application with them. I didn't find out about our... engagement before after I had given my application."

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Shigeru-san would be?" he asked almost nonchalantly, as if the matter was a mere curiosity. Actually, the man was wondering if she too had actually a sweetheart somewhere, despite of what she had said.

"I see, let's hope you find what you seek here then." the man nodded, approvingly. He didn't want to reiterate his reasons.

[Shiba Naomi]

"Ah, silly me, I shouldn't have taken for granted that you'd remember the names of all my brothers like that. He's my second oldest brother," she said cheerfully. "He was quite eager to help me with this, since he felt that I would probably be useful here."

"What are your sisters like?"

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

Right. Now them felt himself like a fool. Nothing new there though. She had felt himself fool more than once, seeing how his 'outlandish' ways shocked the more traditional samurai.

"Sorry..." he muttered. "I should have remembered. Just... so much. To think" Shy gaze returned to his feet.

Brightening as he heard her question, the man rose his head to look past the woman. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to face her gaze at the moment.

"Kohana-chan is a shugenja, just as I am. 3 years younger than I am... keeps our house with our mother, when she is not with us, travelling. She is a kind, but somewhat stubborn girl. Once she decides upon something, we have problems of convincing her otherwise. "

He smiled as he spoke, the topic being obviously pleasant for him.

"Chang Ei, the youngest, she is 17... she was schooled by the Ide, and works now as a junior aid to our ambassador in Kyuden Mantis. We miss her quite a lot, but, as for all, there is a place for her in this world, and judging by her letters, she might found hers."

[Shiba Naomi]

"They sound wonderful." At least she felt that the conversation was a good one now. "I look forward to meeting them in the future."

"You sound like you've had much trouble with your sister Kohana. It seems like the duty of younger siblings is often to frustrate their elder ones, neh?" Naomi grinned, knowing how she had frustrated her elder brothers, and how her younger had frustrated her.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Kohana-chan you'll most likely meet as soon as... you come to our lands." he assured her. "The next year, if things go... as they should."

Should... I should be marrying Hana...

"Hmm, Shiba-san speaks from experience, neh?" the man chuckled kindly.

[Shiba Naomi]

"Oh, I remember my younger brother taking every opportunity to tease me and bother me," she laughed. It was a bubbly and heartfelt, gentle laughter.

"I think I did much of the same for my elder brothers, so I suppose it was only fair."

She seemed completely unaware of the thoughts that was going through his mind.
I don't think this will be so bad... we seem to get along well alright, no? And he seems nice.

[Iuchi Xiao Hua]

"Hee, I hope that Shiba-san has grown out of it." He teased her, carefully. "So... do you have any dreams? Do you prefer a small or a large family?"

His voice betrayed that fact that he hoped she'd reply the latter.