Northstar Vale I'm a hazard to myself.

The long echoing vale—resplendent in the spring, wreathed in green as it was, now broken up by her agitated silhouette. Lodgepole pines scattered down the nearest hill while various oaks, elms, aspens each fought for their own place. She saw this but continued to scowl. All that was on Hime's mind was the thought of her sister in power; well, whoever had made that decision was utterly wrong to do it, and she would make things right. It was her duty—plus it wasn't like Reiko deserved it. If anything it was Hime's right.

She had not spent long deliberating over her next move. She turned in time to hear a familiar voice carrying over her shoulders, verbally applauding her lithe figure. Hime froze, letting the scowl melt from her face like a switch being flipped. She knew that voice.

Mmmn, Takeshi. He had stopped striding over, and when Hime caught a glimpse of his face she was amused by the look of surprise there; it was so brief, and mutated in to something cold—very different from that split-second where he thought she was Reiko. 

The woman was demure. They had history of course—Takeshi would know of her fickle nature—but she could have changed in the weeks since leaving the clan. Hime was fussy, unimaginative, but not frigid despite the chill to her gaze. She regarded the man with as much interest as was expected of her, even feigning a humiliating sense of submission as his eyes trailed over her.

I was looking for my darling sister.

There was no question about whether or not she should be here, deep within the vale. If she had found the time, the woman would have dropped and rolled in the scents collected here; alas, she was found before that could happen.