The following day, Nina and Soleil carried on normally as though the day before never happened. Being a pair of girls, the achievement was worthy of all the awe it could receive. Only the power of a god could have possibly arranged for such a miracle and make it somehow work...
For the time it did, at least.
Long did their path to their next destination seem, but it passed them by as quickly as a horse could thunder across a plain. Soleil and Nina were chipper, upbeat, and friendly, especially the former, who constantly cracked jokes or tried to create an activity to pass the time. One such activity had her pick up a stone, toss it up in the air, then kick it down the road with the roof of her foot. Too late did she realize that she wasn't wearing her boots, and too late did she realize that she should have pulled her foot out of the way. The stone did go soaring across their path, but at the expense of a groan at its kicker. She stopped her walking to furiously shake her foot with a chorus of whines, balancing on her better foot. Nina watched the event play out stoically, but she eventually grew a smirk.
Instead of kicking it with the tops of their feet, the two settled with kicking the stone back in forth with the soles of their thongs. When one reached the stone on the ground, they were to push it further, where it fell upon the other to be obligated to hit it next. The pattern continued for a while until they got tired and abandoned it on the side of the road.
It was lucky that they grew tired of the activity in time for noises to come into their ears. It traveled from behind, as if a force maliciously planned to blindside them. Nina was the first to take notice, which made her the first to rotate and see what was coming. Fear momentarily took her heart captive, for the sound was a myriad of other sounds: the clicking of horse hooves on the rocky ground, the squealing wheels of buggies, chatter, and... the picking of humble strings? Nina's fears of an oncoming division of the Hoshidan army dissipated as she motioned for Soleil to pause.
When they both looked, they found a herd prowling their way. It was a surprising group they saw, for it wasn't uniform, yet was. It wasn't hostile, yet they felt threatened. Their fears would be worthless, they soon realized, for the closer the herd drew, the better look they could give it. Their visitor was a long parade of people, humble folk no different than themselves. The majority, such as a few kids, women, and teenagers, were dressed in ragged clothes. Each wagon was drawn by powerful, and rugged, steeds, who released an occasional bray. Some of the steeds tugged their owners, while others hauled tons of supplies. Such supplies contained piles of produce, clothing packed compactly within crates, humble pieces of wearing furniture, sheets of aging lumber, and several bundles of gardening tools.
Based on the way every member of the band, including the women, had calloused hands, peeling (and filthy) skin, and countless tan lines and freckles, it was no difficult task to conclude that what they saw was a migrating village. The parade was a size worth reckoning, for the line seemed to stretch to lengths reminiscent of the army at home. The sight had them marvel with curiosity.
"Good day!" called a voice suddenly, drawing their attention. When they looked, they found a man passing them from the inside of a wagon. He must have been the source of the music that was mingling with all the ruckus, for in his lap was a koto over which he thoughtlessly ran his fingers. Knowing Soleil would follow, Nina trotted up to the starboard side of his cart, where she greeted him with a bow as she walked.
"Good day to you as well." She took the time to study the man now that she was closer. He was middle aged, she'd guess, but still seemed lively. Similar to Soleil, his eyes were wide and bubbly as though nothing in life brought him down. He was a bit more on the heavy side, but a healthy sort of heavy. He was most certainly built like a man. "What's going on here?"
"The war is what's going on," the man replied after a quick riff of his instrument. "Our village has heard of all the dastardly things the Nohrians do to places like ours. Rumor has it their army is just now emerging from Kitsune territory, so they're getting awful close to home. If they found our village along their march, they'll steal all our women, children, and crops for their personal gain. We can't have that happening, so we've packed everything we own, even the wood that made our houses, to take up on Emperor Ryoma's generous offer: he's allowing us common folk within the walls of the capital for protection."
"Praise Emperor Ryoma!" another called in the distance.
"Praise Emperor Ryoma!"
"Praise Emperor Ryoma!"
The sudden chorus had the two jump in surprise, which withdrew a laugh from the musical man.
"My apologies. Our village is deeply fond of our new emperor. He is just, fair, and sympathetic, so we can't help but cheer at the mere mention of his name. Heh. Watch." He lifted his head to overlook his fellow crowd and simply uttered, "Emperor Ryoma."
"Praise Emperor Ryoma!" a voice followed shortly after.
"Praise Emperor Ryoma!"
"Praise Emperor Ryoma!"
Amused, Nina and Soleil allowed their eyes to wander... until the latter released a wolf whistle.
"Yeah, y'all sound like a bunch of fans. I can see why. I've heard Emperor Ryoma is a pretty cool guy."
"Praise Emperor Ryoma!"
"Wielder of the heavenly Raijinto!"
"Seeker of justice!"
"Long may he live!"
Nina felt her eyes narrow.
"Um... They don't do that every time they hear Emperor Ryoma, do they?"
"Emperor Ryoma!"
"Praise our Emperor Ryoma!"
"Okay, I guess so."
"Yes! Emperor Ryoma!"
The cheering drew to a halt when the man, once again, ran his fingers along the strings of his koto, except his playings morphed into what was evidently a song, for he repeated certain chords. Based on the way he looked at them with a charismatic grin, Nina and Soleil were supposed to be familiar with the melody. The unfortunate thing was they didn't know the song, even when the parade's voices, weak, large, deep, and high, gathered to harmonize with lyrics.
"May the reign of the Emperor
continue for a thousand, nay, eight thousand generations
and for the eternity that it takes
for small pebbles to grow into a great rock
and become covered with moss."
Nina and Soleil made pitiful attempts to sing along with them, though stumbling in lyrics. When some words were long and spaced out, they were able to catch on and finish off the note, then go back to being confused. Thankfully, it was a short song, and the voices combined together were loud enough to make it seem that Soleil and Nina were just another tone in the crowd.
At least that was what they thought.
When the song ended with one final chord, the crowd exclaimed,
"Long stand Hoshido, Land of the Divine!"
With a humble chuckle, the man released his strings and eyed the two continuing at the side of his cart. While running a hand over his balding head, he sighed.
"Nothing beats a good round of Hoshido's soul song, except I must say, young lady..." He happened to eye Soleil. "Your singing doesn't quite live up to the expectations your hearty voice would promise. What do you say to a few singing lessons?"
Reddening, Soleil briefly eyed her surroundings.
"Singing lessons?" she echoed. "I tried that once, but it didn't go so well..."
"Even the most awful of voices have fallen to my teachings. My many decades' worth of being a songster should be enough proof."
Questioningly, the two girls then exchanged looks. Soleil was the first to lead her throat and whisper.
"Well?"
"They did say they were headed to the capital..." Nina mused before turning to the man. "By any chance, would your party happen to be passing by Fort Jinya? We've heard rumors that now is a good time for merchants there since the soldiers are desperate for any sort of luxury."
The man lowered a brow.
"Well, if you are a pair of experienced merchants, you should know how to answer that for yourself. This is the main road we're on, and it forks near the fort. One road leads to Fort Jinya, the other to the capital. For you not to know, you two must be on your first outing in the country. What poor time for two beautiful young ladies to be out, illiterate to the terrain! I insist that you two join us until we meet with that fork. I'd hate for anything to happen because you chose to be at the mercy of your own judgement."
Another brief exchange between the two had them silently trade their opinions. Both appeared to think the same thing, which was exactly why Nina turned back to the man with a nod.
"You're kind, sir. We'll take up on the offer."
"What good news!" He lifted his koto from his lap so he could stand. The moment he was on his feet, he offered a hand down to either of them. "Allow me to also offer the comfort of my wagon. You first ma'am... Alley-oop! And you, my new student... Hurg! You're heavier... than I thought you'd be..."
Settling in the man's cart didn't take long, for it was spacious. He did not carry much with him, which would lead them to believe it was all he owned. It was either that or it was what he treasured the most. His treasures weren't noteworthy, as it only consisted of a shoddy desk, a crippling rocking chair, and a few end tables. The rest of his carryings, a mattress of blankets, was where they settled.
They came to learn that the man's name was Takeshi, the village's beloved songster. He had a wife that died two years ago, and the aforementioned rocking chair was all she left behind. The information made the fact that the chair was heavily secured make more sense.
When they were asked, Nina gave their names, but with a few alterations. She was careful not to make the same mistake she made in the Wind Tribe's territory, and it was a stroke of mere luck that they were friendly to Nohrians. A group of patriotic Hoshidan villagers may not be as sparing to their presence. They might even skewer them instead of simply driving them from their parade. Fearing the worst would come from two foreign names, Nina introduced she and Soleil as Mozu and Midori, respectively. It did not seem to tickle the man's suspicions, as he received the information with a smile as he expressed his willingness to welcome them.
For the next few hours, Nina had to put up with the awful session that took place beside her, which would be Soleil and Takeshi's singing. Takeshi had a much gentler voice in comparison to other men she had listened to (which was many), but it wasn't quite as mellow as Shigure's. That didn't mean it wasn't worthy of competition. But no matter how much of a pleasure it was to listen to Takeshi hum and sound his words, Soleil broke the entire experience.
There was no hope for her whatsoever.
Though surrounded by strangers from an opposing country, Nina found that the exhaustion from the night before (which no longer existed) caught up to her. At Soleil's side, she ended up dozing off. She was assured that if anything were to go wrong, Soleil was to make sure nothing would happen to either of them.
Through her sleep, which was light and easily broken, she could hear the two speak.
"Let's try singing 'Land of the Rising Sun', now, why don't we? The higher notes may be easier for you to hit."
"I have no idea how that song goes."
"Oh? You don't? And you're a Hoshidan citizen?"
"My mom and dad were, but they raised me in Izumo."
"Very well. I'd be more than happy to teach you. It goes like this: la, la la, laaaa, la la la, la laaa... Now you try."
"Lo, lo lou, laaaw, lo la le, la looow..."
The cracking of her voice pulled Nina out of her slumber, which was never deep to begin with. Her eyes slid open groggily, and she gave her neighbor a dirty look. Soleil didn't notice it, for she was far more focused on the feedback of her teacher. Takeshi seemed too dazed to give her an immediate response, so he filled the time by violating his ear with a pinky. He blinked awkwardly.
"Well.. um..."
"What'd you think, teacher?"
"I'm starting to believe you might shine in other songs. Don't worry, I'm determined to find that groove you'll fit in. Let's do a different song. How about 'Awakening in Her Shrine'. That is one of the most popular songs in all the nation."
"Funny enough, I don't know that one either."
"Oh. Okay... Let me teach you..."
Every passerby happened to look upon the musical cart strangely before weaving their way further. About midday, one man lingered to lend an ear to a handful of songs, and he most certainly caught Nina's eye. He was a tall young man, no elder than a half a hand's worth of years than herself, and rode by himself on an unburdened steed. What fine hair he had, Nina observed! It was so black, thick, and wavy. She could feel its density without having to run her fingers through its perfect locks. She couldn't help herself from gawking as he came about, rode at their side, and watched. When her observations came to his attention, he awkwardly motioned for his horse to ride elsewhere.
The entire ride was a relaxing shift in their pace. They traveled far quicker than they would have on foot, and the people were quite friendly. They were so friendly, in fact, they had the hospitality to share their food. It was an enjoyable experience, watching the trees pass them by as they munched on a peach. The fruit was exceptionally ripe, almost to the point of being inedible. Luckily, it was just ripe enough to balance on perfection.
Both of them, after interacting with the people, felt guilty before long.
Though highly prejudice and prideful, Hoshidans were gentle people. They uplifted their own kind, stuck up for one another, and always made sure their neighbor was nurtured. In a sense, they were no different than the poorer people of Nohr, who treated each other essentially the same.
Two breeds of people, all so alike, were torn apart by the bitterness of war.
Soleil and Nina were almost ashamed to take part in it.
Nonetheless, their loyalty to those back home, such as their mothers, fathers, and friends, maintained the integrity that was starting to erode. In order to sharpen one another, the two began confiding shortly after Takeshi relieved Soleil of her classes to take a nap (neither said so, but they knew he wanted to take a nap so he could escape the realization that he had found a student not even he could mold into greatness). Nina and Soleil migrated to the back of the cart, where they consistently checked to make sure they did not have an audience. The ruckus of horses, chatting, and singing, they were reassured, covered any sort of whisper exchanged, so much to the point where they had to bring their mouth to the other's ear just so they could hear. What the other had to say most definitely evoked an era of thoughtfulness, as proven by how often a pause roused to occupy their silence.
Soon, they ended up taking turns when it came to resting. One would remain awake while the other drifted to a slight state of slumber against the other, and when an hour or so passed, they exchanged responsibilities. By the time the sun threatened to set, it was Nina's turn for the third time that day... and she promptly fell back asleep. That wasn't solely because she was still groggy from her turn, for Takeshi's koto had its share of blame. With no obvious intentions to tire her further, he played a soft, gentle melody that drug her eyelids shut once again. Against Soleil, she relaxed and joined the sweet oblivion of slumber.
Long did they seem to remain, leaning against one another and breathing softly. They were a calming sight, despite any laughs or cheers in the immediate area. They were tranquil because they had no dreams. Even if they did have dreams, it was uncertain as to what they envisioned, for their faces were stoic and unyielding. There were few to wonder, much less intrude.
Besides Takeshi, of course.
When the moon rose, he crawled up to the pair. Soleil was the first to awaken and receive him almost as soon as he arrived. He saw her eyes glow in the darkness, prejudice at first, but eventually lightening. Gently, the man nodded.
"Good evening," he greeted. "I just came to tell you and your friend it's time to split. We will be passing the fork very soon, so I suggest readying yourselves early." It took little to awaken Nina, especially with the incentive the man just relayed. In the dark, she and Soleil quickly prepared their bags, checking to make sure everything was where it should have been. To their relief, there was nothing wrong... at least as far as they could tell. Takeshi was glad to turn to them one last time when the lantern hanging from the front of his cart lit a branch from the main path. He motioned toward it insistently. "Fort Jinya is just a ways down there. Be careful. Rumor has it they're cautious folk over there."
Muttering words of gratitude, the two didn't hesitate to leap off the slow-moving wagon. Nina hit the ground finely, but Soleil stumbled upon landing. Lucky for her, Nina remained to give her a hand in assisting her to her feet. They exited the parade by weaving through a few floats more and scrambling ahead of a horse, soon emerging to meet the side of the road. Just a ways to their right was their designated path, once unoccupied, but now housing a party of two.
They settled a little ways into the path when they found a nice cluster of bushes that provided a decent spot to hide. Having been filled to the brim with peaches, the two didn't bother discussing, or eating, dinner. It was a fortunate thing, as building a fire would likely attract unwanted investigators from their destination. Almost immediately upon arrival, the two settled and prepared to return to sleeping. The following day, Nina predicted, would have loads of busy work, so energy was a much needed resource.
Unfortunately, Nina was correct.
When the sun rose, she and Soleil continued onward until they came across an interesting landmark: a mighty edifice crafted from stone. Sticks used for torches lined all along its outermost walls, unlit due to the beating rays of the sun. Along the crown of that wall lined many fierce, seemingly seasoned, archers. The thicket hid them from their surveying eyes, but not just their surveying eyes. The thicket also hid them from the squadrons that toured its exterior. Each squadron consisted of either five or six. Some were armed with spears, others hefty clubs and menacing katanas. Their uniform came off to them as strikingly elite.
It was going to be a frightful endeavor, but the confidence that remained on Nina's face was all it took to make them willing to face the challenge head on.
Thus marked day one.
Nina spent the whole day camping in the bushes, doing exactly what she did best: spying. Checking of the pocket watch as time droned on became common place, for each time a squadron passed by the area they were currently scrutinizing, she recorded the hour and headcount. While it was easy for her to sit patiently and wait in between passings, which was ridiculously long, Soleil was a different story. She was energetic, so it was a challenge to keep herself still. Or quiet, for that matter. Once or twice throughout the day in segregated occurrences, Soleil began whistling... only to be shoved into silence when an elbow drove into her gut. The day went well, for it left them with multiple notes, scribbled in Nina's piggish handwriting, within the bindings of a journal. When it came time to eat dinner, they distanced themselves thoroughly from the fort, put an arrow through any creature they could find, and cooked. With neither being talented when it came to cooking, their dinner was as bland as dirt.
Day two and three.
Soleil and Nina ended up repeating the aforementioned process in hopes of finding a consistency in the patterns of the patrols. Lucky for them, there was a daily occurrence to which their enemies abided as if it were a sort of intense religion. At five o'clock in the morning, a group of five came about, Nina recorded. Within the group, two wielded a blade, presumably of silver. Another lugged a spiked club speckled with fading crimson. The other two both had naginatas, but they were two different species. One had an interesting curve to the tip of its blade, and the other had a shield built into its handle. The group toured around the fort three times before lending the shift to a gang of samurai that arrived by ten. Within the group, each wielded the same type of wakizashi. From there, it became apparent that the two parties took turns patrolling for an approximated five hours each. It was a successful outing to finally retrieve such information.
Day four.
Nina led Soleil around the fort at a distance so she could scribble a sketch of the layout. Fort Jinya was complicated in its simplicity on the outside, so she was sure to take note of anything that captured her curiosity. The exterior was shaped in a circle, but its rear was guarded by a maze of levees. The exterior, Nina guesstimated, stretched around sixty cubits wide. The walls, guesstimated again, were most likely twenty cubits tall. It was an intimidating climb (for fall), she noted.
Day five.
Nina spent the day finishing her blueprints of the fort's walls, preparing its insides to be filled with divisions. It was an easy day that did not require much physical activity besides doing a fleeting reexamination to make sure her work was accurate. While carrying on with her business in the midst of the bushes, laying on her belly, Nina ran a stick of charcoal every which way over the pages of her notebook. Soleil, who was supposed to be on the look out, eventually retracted her head from the outside of the bushes, turned to Nina, and released a bored sigh.
"You wouldn't happen to have a spare pencil, would you?" she inquired hopefully, drawing Nina's head from her reports. Almost immediately, she narrowed her eyes.
"A few, yes. What's it to you?"
"I wanna draw something."
"You don't need to."
"I know. That's why I said I want to."
"Why?"
"Because it's boring sitting here staring at nothing all day. Can't I have some down time?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"I said no."
"Pretty, pretty please?" Soleil knew just how to put on the perfect face for the situation. It was pitiful, mirroring a hungry kitten or pup of sorts, for her pupils inflated to a precise radius. The sight had Nina scowl, growl, then shove her hand into one of her satchels. It returned with a lightly used pencil, which she handed to her in addition to a page she ripped from her journal.
"Fine, but that sheet's the only one you're getting. There's no telling how much paper I'll need, and since it's a vital part in getting this information home, we need to conserve it."
Satisfied, Soleil turned back around.
"Thank you," she singsonged.
"Just be sure to check our surroundings every once in a while."
"Mmhm. Okay." It was obvious Soleil stopped listening, for she had already engrossed herself in the art of... well, art. Staying true to Nina's word, she was especially conservative when it came to doodling, for she gave her ramblings pressing apartments. Each doodle was frightfully close to the other, some even overlapping. Such drawings consisted of what was to be expected from Soleil: the faces of kittens she knew how to imitate so frightfully well, mighty swords clashing against one another, several bubbly hearts around puppy dogs and stick figures with lengthy threshes, and her dancing father, who she added in the very corner. The opposite side of the page, however, was where she wasn't so mindful. If anything, she splurged on a single, seemingly ultimate, drawing that she thought deserved the most room she could give it. It didn't take her horribly long to plot it upon the sheet, for it was a simple design that required no more than a handful of strokes from her pencil. Once finished, she withdrew her face, once so close to ensure intricacy, to marvel upon her handiwork. Just moments later, she felt the need to share, not even bothering to bring the opposite, more detailed, side of the page to attention.
When the paper was handed to her, Nina set down her own pencil to look at it. The sight didn't seem to affect her much at first, but that was before crimson suddenly decided to settle across her cheeks.
"What do you think?" asked the artist who sought approval.
"W-Well, it's, um..." Nina cleared her throat. "Definitely not a vague puzzle like one of Shigure's paintings..." It wasn't anything like Shigure's paintings indeed, for the drawing was ridiculously simple. It was of two humans built by boney arms, legs, and torsos, but with chipper expressions. Both characters were female, which was made evident by their long hair. One's was loose and down, spiked at its tips, and the other had hers bound in intricate braids, which were represented by conjoining orbs. Each had an arm extended to the other, where their hands mended into a friendly union. Sprouting between their heads was nothing but a simple, but swollen, heart. Sighing, Nina handed the art back to its creator. "Look, Soleil... I told you I was going to think about this whole relationship thing later, didn't I? Now isn't the time for me to be worrying about it, so it won't be on my mind for a while."
"Oh, no, no. I'm not rushing you to make a decision." Softness in her eyes, Soleil marveled her work once more. "I'm just reminding you that I love you."
"Um... Thanks..."
It was a mystery that Soleil somehow neglected something that seemed so important to her. The drawing, by the end of the day, was forgotten in one of the bushes that surrounded their camp when they packed up and prepared to depart from the presence of Fort Jinya.
Their timing was ill.
Long into the night, after the two settled a ways from the fort to whip up a tasteless dinner, a gang of guards happened to tour a little further from the exterior than usual. A man, leading the squadron with a lantern in his hands, felt his eyes narrow when they happened to pass by the thicket. He raised his hand, which had his followers immediately draw to a halt and unsheathe their weapons. There was no apparent threat to them in the area. Instead of trying to engage with anything, he simply approached a clique of bushes. Its leaves entangled something he didn't recognize. Something white.
"Commander," voiced one of the followers. "Is there an issue?"
"I wouldn't say so..." the commander replied as he drew closer. Upon arrival, he took the article into his hands with prejudice. "This just happened to catch my eye."
One departed from the crowd to position himself at the commander's side, where they both stared at what he held. It was a sheet of paper, so they saw, with many tattoos of charcoal. One side was filled with multiple drawings. Such drawings consisted of the faces of kittens, mighty swords clashing against one another, several bubbly hearts around puppy dogs and stick figures with lengthy threshes, and a man who danced in the very corner. The opposite side depicted two girls, standing hand in hand between a swollen heart.
Upon laying eyes on such a mysterious piece, the two men felt their noses wrinkle.
"Curious," the soldier commented to his superior.
"Curious indeed," the commander grumbled back. He gained a free hand by loaning his lantern to his neighbor. Now that they were free, his fingers gently ran along the etchings. When they departed and returned to the eyes of their master, they were covered in blackness. "It's been written in charcoal."
"A western utensil. I haven't heard of a single Hoshidan that wouldn't use a brush and ink."
"Precisely. Nohrians must have passed through here. The only reason a Nohrian would be in Hoshido would be for military purposes... Spies, most likely. This must be reported as soon as possible so we can make defensive countermeasures sooner."
The man beside him, with a worried expression, turned his gaze to his face.
"Pardon me, commander, but do you truly believe Nohrian spies are responsible for this? Look at these drawings. They're childish. Our enemies are inferior to our intelligence, but they are not fools. They would never send someone so immature to do such an important task."
"Would you rather believe that or have regrets later?" asked the commander as he reclaimed his light. "Little does it matter what the drawings contain. They are proof of the presence of someone who is not friend. Let us make haste."
With no arguments, the group followed the commander back to the secure walls of Fort Jinya.