Hideaway Strath sakazuki

edited to reference nyra, my bad.

there came the sound she waited for—not quite the bear rampaging through the green as before, but heavy enough steps to make her freeze and watch. his massive face emerged from shadow; split in a grin.

satsu does not care for his words, does not care for being here much at all, really. she is here because she must be. because there is nowhere else, and she does not think to prowl beyond the great wall. nor does she wish to turn tail and go back to the han of her father—it is not his now, she would only be dooming herself.

perhaps doom lingered close regardless; certainly if one beast were to embody the dark path it would be this man, kyn-dono, who shrouded his tiger body with shadow.

satsu reaches out and places the fish down between them both. the grass shifts to the weight of the red-bellied fish, and then she draws back.

gomen. i have nowhere else to turn.

she bows, her head level with her shoulders and then she descends so that her belly touches the grass too. she thinks about rolling over in defeat, to expose her belly for him, but that is too much of an insult to both her father's memory and herself; so this is the best she can do.

i, ushiyo satsu, bring to you this offering.
she did not raise her eyes; there was another presence soon enough, one that lingered closer to the daimyo than to herself. satsu did not like being ignorant; but she did not have to wait long for answers to come, as the stranger spoke their name.

—a jodai? no; they spoke with command. perhaps shomyo—

this was not her home and so the formalities might have been too much, however, satsu knew no different. this was how pledges were done. —as well, i offer myself, to serve your han if you will have me.