All trademarked items in this fanfiction is owned by their respective copyright holders (A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio by Ark Performance, etc). The ones owned by me are past and future OCs, plot, and author's thoughts. This fanfiction is made solely for entertainment purposes and not intended for any material gain.

A Capriccio of Winds and Earths

Kobushi 2

Loras Tyrell yawned. All his luggage are packed and ready to go. He had been standing there by the main gate of the Whitesword Tower, hating to take the first step. He reminisced about his father, who had talked about trying to endear the house to The Baratheons… I guess we saw The Mountain broken and he changed his tune, Loras thought.

His brother Garlan had helped trimming down his luggage to the barest essentials. No more silken shirts save for one, no armor because you'll get a refitted one from the armory anyway, just one sword because you'll probably use practice ones… he could hear the Garlan in his mind prattle on and on and on. Who knew, that an ordained knight can be such a mother hen.

Loras' wait suddenly was broken by the sound of the door's locking mechanism opening. A man, probably a squire like himself, opened the door.

"… are you Loras Tyrell?" the man asked. The yellow flowers probably gave it away, Loras thought.

"That I am," Loras replied after a short sigh. "I am here to report for squiring, to… Ser Yahagi Kirino."

The pause is still there. Loras cannot yet reconcile his prejudices about knighthood and women, even when he witnessed said woman breaking through Gregor Clegane's armor. It was confirmed that Gregor died later that day. Maybe her spear is poisoned… like the Viper of Dorne whom father must contend against to get this squiring, Loras thought.

"Ah, then you are expected. Ser Kirino will meet you after hi-… I mean, her morning patrols are concluded," the man said, beckoning Loras into the building. "I am Garse, squire to Ser Mandon Moore. Let's get you situated."

"Well met, Garse," Loras said as he is being led deeper and higher into the tower, perhaps to his eventual quarters. "Are you a Reacher? Garse is a common Reacher name."

"Eh, maybe," Garse replied to the small talk. "Was born in Duskendale. Dunno where Da' got my name, probably one of his drinking buddies."

"Is that so… quite interesting, that," Loras said, more to himself than to Garse.

"You'll get a room with Graeme Crakehall, Ser Kirino's page," Garse said. "Breakfast is served at sunrise but it is expected that you rise before that. Lunch is on midday, supper around sundown. You with me so far?"

"Yes my good man," Loras replied half-heartedly.

"I see. Experienced, aren't you?" Garse asked, a hint of a chuckle in his voice.

"I was my uncle's page until a few days ago… Ser Humfrey Hightower, he is one of the commanders of the Oldtown City Guard," Loras said. The climb to the stairs finally gave way to a level floor. Must have been a floor of kitchens and storage there, Loras thought. "Just shy of three years."

"Oh… keeping it in the family, huh," Garse noted before he stopped and knocked on a door. "Crakehall, you in there?"

"Yes!" the lad said as he opened the door, a slight sheen of sweat on his brow. "Might I help you gentlemen?"

"This is Loras Tyrell, Ser Kirino's new squire. Help him settle down will you?" Garse said.

"Sure will!" Graeme replied, all smiles tinted with a little exhaustion. As soon as Garse closed the door, a tint of apprehension crept into his voice as he greeted Loras. "Lord… Tyrell, I welcome you to this humble abode."

"…Thank you," Loras said as he put his single bag in the corner of the room. The room was fairly spacious, with simple but well-made furnitures. A four-poster bed that is a mite too low sat to the side of the small room, a shelf of drawers beside it. "And that lord thing is not necessary… Graeme. Please, just Loras."

"Alright Loras," the westerman boy said, quite relieved. "Do you want the upper or lower bed?"

"… huh. I never quite seen a bed like that," Loras said, finally putting two and two together. That's why the four-poster was so low… he thought.

"Ser Sword-… I mean Ser Kirino had it made," Graeme said. "She said it's to save on sleeping quarters. The open space can be used for storage or more beds."

"I suppose," Loras acquiesced. "I think I will take the upper bunk then. It looks interesting."

"Please be careful in the night, tried sleeping up there and almost fell," Graeme said, scratching the back of his head. "Oh, and the drawers over there is for our clothes. Mine is in the bottom drawer, but the middle and top drawers are empty."

"Is that so," Loras said, smiling. "Thank you, Page Crakehall."

"You're welcome, Squire Tyrell," Graeme replied.

…

"You may enter," A feminine voice said from behind the door a few moments after Loras knocked. He obliged, and the sight of a room even more sparsely furnished than his shared room. A cupboard can be seen at the far end of the room, and an armor stand across it. The far middle of the room is dominated by a sword stand atop a low table and a rather empty wall tapestry.

"Loras Tyrell, reporting for duty Ser Kirino," Loras said and bowed.

"At ease, Squire Tyrell," Yahagi said as she gestured for him to have a seat on a cushion across what looks to be hers. She then brought a tray and two glasses to the space between them. "Have a drink before we converse."

"Thank you, Ser," Loras said as he took his seat.

"Drink slowly, it's a little bitter and still quite hot," Yahagi said after she poured the steaming brew.

"I will… Ser," Loras replied. The taste of the brew was watery with a hint of bitter, but it seemed to calm his nerves.

"As you know, I am a foreigner from afar. Have you seen our ships at the bay?" she asked.

"Yes, Ser," Loras replied. "Garlan and I climbed up the city wall the day before the tourney started to see them. It's… quite a sight."

"I see. Mine would be delivered in a few days, we'll have a look up close," Yahagi said, her own glass in her hands. "I understand that you spent some years as a page in Oldtown?"

"I have. I was a page to my nuncle Ser Humfrey Hightower," Loras answered the question.

"Then have you seen a ship like ours in the three years you were there?" Yahagi asked, again. "I understand that Oldtown is one of the largest port in Westeros."

"No, ser," Loras said, answering the question. "I have some experience with small sailboats and river-barges, but… I can't make heads or tails of the ships of your house. They seem to be more like towers on water than actual sailing ships."

"To tell you the truth, most of us cannot either," Yahagi said, as the twinkle in her eyes suggested that it was a great secret. "Lady Hyuuga, the most learned of us all, has all the secrets of our ships. Secrets dark and terrible. Like how that one gear in the second engine jams up when I turn the rudder too vigorously."

Loras must have snorted through his nose, because the knight opposed to him smiled in concert. There was giggles and laughter for a precious few moments, before they mastered themselves.

"So, did I impress you so far?" Yahagi said, the ends of her lips still forming the beginnings of a smile.

"You are certainly unlike knights I see daily in Oldtown, Ser," Loras said, sipping the last of the tea he was served. There was a belated realization in him that the floor was not as hard as it seemed. "Your quarters are… very simple indeed. As expected from one of the Kingsguards…?"

"I suppose, yes," Yahagi replied to the hanging, unsure question. "But this is actually quite luxurious. For instance, my cousin made the flooring from weaved reeds."

"She… did?" Loras said, patting the reed flooring.

"She did," Yahagi replied to the question. "A prototype of a sort. One of many crafts of Old Nihon Lady Yamato will introduce to Westeros at large."

"I… can't think of any who will have it in their house…" Loras said in an unsure tone.

"Diversification is good," Yahagi started an explanation. "Well, about your duties… I don't quite know what a squire and a page does, to be honest. Graeme had done well assisting me in my work so far, but an additional person… I don't quite get it. I suppose this will give us leeway in more training, but we'll see. We shall all learn, the three of us."

"I understand, Ser Kirino," Loras said as he nodded.

"Good," Yahagi, said, before pausing to rub her chin. "What sort of knight do you want to be, Loras?"

"Why… does it matter, Ser Kirino?" Loras countered the question.

"It matters to what sort of education you will seek," Yahagi explained. "For instance, If you want to be a weapon-master, you must learn from a variety of weapon-masters like my sister. If you wished to be a general or leader of men, your hours will be best spent with experienced war-leaders and maesters with a link of iron. If you would want to be a bodyguard, that one I can teach you."

"Your sister is a weapon-master, Ser Kirino?" Loras blurted out.

"She is. Sword, spear, glaive, bow, even thrown weapons," Yahagi replied, her smile turned fond. "The best amongst us four in terms of force of arms. An embodiment of Gaou-kishi Takehaya Susano'o no Mikoto… that's the god of storm and war in Nihon culture, and one of the ten foremost gods amongst the Eight Million."

"Eight Million… gods?" Loras said. "That's…"

"A lot, I know," Yahagi said with a sigh.

"I think I… will have to think of this, Ser," Loras said after a short pause.

"Indeed you have to. You may take all the time you need to deliberate," Yahagi said, her tone sage. "For now, let us chat in a language we know, shall we? A few spars will be good for our spirits. Collect Crakehall from your room as you go."

"At once, Ser," Loras said, a smile on his lips.

A/N: A bit later for my liking and a little disjointed, but I hope it'll be a fair chapter.