[D1, MA, Expecting] "When It Comes To Trade, I'm Not Lion"

[Daidoji Sae]

Now that Lady Amaterasu was high in the sky Sae finally felt ready to begin the subtle art of diplomacy, which in her case meant wearing a kimono with no sign of her Emerald Magistrate rank (which seemed a conflict of duties) and bringing a box of her best tea.

Another samurai might have spent days carefully sending letters back and forth to carefully build rapport. But time was short and in her experience being straightforward got you a lot further with a Lion than it did most samurai.

Announcing herself with a clap outside the Lion House Sae politely inquired if there was a Clan representative available she could speak with.

[Akodo Myorin]

"Can I help you Daidoji-sama?" Came a voice from outside the room. Myorin paused in her approach to provide a proper bow to what appeared to be a guest. Rising she added, "Akodo Myorin. Gunso, though one unattached at the moment." She glanced at the box and an eyebrow arched slightly. "Ah I see...shall I have some hot water fetched? And perhaps a person as well, if there is a particular one you have in mind."

[Daidoji Sae]

"Can I help you Daidoji-sama?" Came a voice from outside the room. Myorin paused in her approach to provide a proper bow to what appeared to be a guest. Rising she added, "Akodo Myorin. Gunso, though one unattached at the moment." She glanced at the box and an eyebrow arched slightly. "Ah I see...shall I have some hot water fetched? And perhaps a person as well, if there is a particular one you have in mind."

"Well met, Akodo Myorin-san." She bows politely.

"Sae of the Daidoji, I serve as an Emerald Magistrate, but today I am visiting in my capacity as the Lady of House Miyahara."

"I would welcome the chance to share tea with you but please, gunso-san. I am no courtier by training. If you would be willing, I would prefer to speak with you regarding some potential exchanges between our clans."

Hand over her mon. "I prefer to speak plainly in such matters, and would beg your forgiveness."

[Akodo Myorin]

Myorin's expression remains flat as Sae speaks. "An Emerald Magistrate, well then I suppose I am glad you are not here for a specific person." She says with a disconcertingly sincere tone.

After an awkward second, Myorin smiles and her expression softens. "Tea would be welcome of course, as for the rest I can speak only in my own capacity as a representative of House Nariakira. So plainly enough, especially in my own limits of authority." She extends an arm toward the entrance, "Please make yourself comfortable Daidoji-sama."

Upon entering the Lion house, Myorin signals for a servant to fetch some hot water. "There are of course a number of others who pass through here, I hope such would not be a problem?"

[Daidoji Sae]

Snip

"Tea it is then. I hope dark oaken macha is to your taste, it can be strong but I think that is to the benefit of busy samurai."
She carefully leaves her sandals outside before stepping up into the house with a nod of thanks.

"I have no objections to others joining, I usually find myself outnumbered in my dealings. Perhaps it will be somewhat comforting."
Adding after a moment.
"House Nariakira is known to me, your forces are considerable."

[Akodo Myorin]

"Our forces are formidable, we are a house founded in battle and Uncle has no intention of letting our skills atrophy." Myorin smiled and adjusted the table, stepping to place opposite Sae but waiting to take a seat until after the guest. "Though I would not be upset if such skills were maintained only through rigorous training over actual use."

When both had settled down and the water was brought, Myorin would ask, "Pleasant conversation and then business or business then pleasant conversation, Daidoji-sama?"

[Daidoji Sae]

Snip

Sae settles down, nodding slightly at Myorin's point about rigorous training over use before she begins carefully preparing the tea.

The Crane was clearing working from memory rather than with any great artistic tea ceremony skills (which she had found were best left to her cousins).

"Normally I would say pleasant conversation first, to be polite. But then we will both be sitting here making small-talk until one of us decides to push forward, that's no basis for a real conversation. Perhaps then we can begin and conclude our business and free ourselves to spend sometime discussing more pleasant things?"

She raises an eyebrow as she places a cup of tea in front of the Lion.

[Akodo Myorin]

Snip

Myorin accepts the tea with a small nod, "Thank you Daidoji-sama." She doesn't seemed to concerned with Crane's abbreviated tea making, not every cup of tea needed a ceremony attached to it after all.

"Business then." She sits the cup of tea down, "What does the Crane seek from the Lion?"

[Daidoji Sae]

Myorin accepts the tea with a small nod, "Thank you Daidoji-sama." She doesn't seemed to concerned with Crane's abbreviated tea making, not every cup of tea needed a ceremony attached to it after all.

"Business then." She sits the cup of tea down, "What does the Crane seek from the Lion?"

"You will forgive me with not wanting to be to impolitely blunt in the here and now-" Sae waves a hand as if warding away a noxious smell. "-the particular details are something that can be negotiated when the time and place are appropriate."

She waits until Myorin has drunk some tea before sipping her own cup happily.
"But broadly, we have goods that your Clan does not yet have in abundance, iron, fish, some rarer teas." Sai gestures at the cups in front of them. "And the same is true in reverse, Lion copper has ever supplied the empire, and I understand that Inari-no-fortune blessed your harvests this past year."

[Akodo Myorin]

Snip

Myorin sighs and sets the tea cup down, "As you say...specifics are not something either of us should be doing, let the merchants haggle over the details."

"Iron and tea is certainly of interest to the Lion." She raises an eyebrow, "The copper is unsurprising, but I take it your own harvests have not been as blessed? I would also be remiss if I didn't ask an estimation of your need for our goods and how much you can offer in return."

The Akodo took a sip of the tea, "Only an estimation if possible Daidoji-sama, so I have something to bring to my superiors."

[Daidoji Sae]

Snip

"I would make a disparaging comment about us not being Yasuki, but for all that family's failings there are many within it who hold onto honour. So I will simply agree."

Nodding at Myorin's question. And setting her own cup down carefully.

"Our harvests were certainly not disastrous, but Inari's bounty is ever well received. In addition to rice and copper we would be interested in an exchange of dyes, but that might be something I will have to ask of the Scorpion."

She shoots the Akodo a 'won't that be fun?' look.

[Akodo Myorin]

Snip

Myorin cocked her head to the side, a small smile playing across her lips, "To be fair to the Yasuki, they are having to keep the Hida fed, armed, and armored. A task akin to moving mountains one imagines."

She straightens back up and takes a sip of tea, "Dyes are not something we can help you with, I am afraid. I believe rice should be easy enough to supply and copper as well. At least some measure of both."

"For our part I believe iron is our greatest need of the surpluses you have named." Myorin gently sits the tea cup down, "Though tea is also of strong interest."

[Daidoji Sae]

Snip

"Then I shall organize an exchange along those lines and the particularities can be finalised through letters."
Gesturing at the tea.

"It is from my family's lands. We are not rich, but the climate is at least hospitable, enough rain in the hills."

Allowing the very faintest trace of a smile.

"Is there anything further regarding exchanges? If not I would be most interested to discuss your service."

[Akodo Myorin]

Snip

"Satisfactory as a start at the very least," Myorin nodded, "Though I imagine we may need to discuss it again once the specifics are worked out. Formalization of agreements and all."

Her eyes drop to the tea, she takes another sip letting it linger on her tongue a bit longer before swallowing, "A bit of familiarity to the taste. A variant of an existing mixture or something specific to your family?"

"My service?" An eyebrow arches slightly, "My personal service, my family's, or something more broadly among the Lion? The first is, I am afraid, not particularly exciting. Truthfully I server more as a junior advisor then a proper field commander. The second, well my family has a few trading ventures given our stewardship extends along the road north of Shiro Akodo...but most tend to think of our skill at arms. And the third, well I feel the Lion's expertise is probably well known to the Daidoji, Daidoji-sama."

[Daidoji Sae]

Snip

"It's a variant of the tea that grows on our Clans' mutual border, the same genesis but slightly different. It was brought by those who founded the Miyahara when they moved across the river. Perhaps it is no surprise that it tastes familiar. Perhaps that is even why I picked it?"

She raises her cup as if to salute herself before taking a deep sip.

"Your specific service is of most interest to me, my family is as you say, quite familiar with the general. My duties took me away from the previous...event, but my cousin was well involved. We do not live far enough away not to be."

Sae seems to ponder this for a few moments before continuing on.

"You must be well regarded to be selected for the Winter Court though, doubtless a sign of the confidence your family has in you. Perhaps you have some reading on the role of a field commander you would recommend?" pause. "I have of course, already read Leadership."

[Akodo Myorin]

Snip

"I would have been more surprised if you had not read Leadership, Daidoji-sama. What bushi entrusted with position has not?" Myorin smiled a little at that, "Recommendations? I could give you a list of all the works written by military thinkers in these last few centuries. Indeed just limiting it to commentaries on the Leadership would still be quite the stack."

She took a sip of tea, pausing in her thoughts, "Ah...yes, I believe you are correct Daidoji-sama. Now that I am looking for it, the taste does call to mind a particular Matsu blend. Though only hinting at it."

The Lioness sits the cup back down and continued her original train of thought, "I believe it safe to assume you wish for something relevant to the sort of battles you are mostly likely to fight? Then might I suggest Ikoma Hisakazu's account of hunting bandits who had occupied a section of the Kokoro Nezuban Mori. It's an often overlooked work, bandit hunting isn't the most glorious of duties, but he details several challenges that plagued his campaign. And a few clever solutions to them." She lifted the tea cup once more, "His warriors were, of course, superior to their opponents but often he had trouble actually finding and keeping them in place. The bandits were very well versed in the terrain and were adept at moving unseen and slipping pursuit."

[Daidoji Sae]

Snip

"Akodo-san seems to have a talent for mind-reading as well that is exactly the sort of reading I was hoping for. I have faced similar obstacles in my own duties."
Sae frowns slightly at the memory.

"So Ikoma-san's writings will be invaluable. Tell me, have you ever had the fortune, or perhaps, the misfortune to be on such an expedition? Or have your duties always remained with the bulk of the army?"

[Akodo Myorin]

Snip

"The Nariakira have not seen combat since my grandfather's campaign." Myorin didn't add you know the one where we butchered a venerable Matsu house in a manner so brutal it sparked a scandal, "I was not yet born and my parents were had not yet reached adulthood. Though my uncle fought as a young man barely past gempukku. My battles so far have been limited to the map tables and the practice fields, a far cry from a real field of war but I seem to have some talent for the theory at the very least."

A wry smile tugged at her lips, "I know neither of us are merchants, but I believe we both know information is a commodity in and of itself. Might I ask a question of your own service, Daidoji-sama? Your position as a magistrate does much to explain why you were chosen, but I am curious what drew you to the office."

[Daidoji Sae]

Snip

"I give that your House has enjoyed peace, even if for a warrior that is not always ideal."

Sae nods at the question as she clasps her hands. "That is very fair, here I am badgering you with nothing to offer in return. I only wish my answer was more exciting."

She looks down for half a moment before focusing back on Myorin. "My family was founded amidst strife, when many heimin were forced to flee war and poverty. My grandfather made our name defending them and while I cannot claim his honour I have long sort to follow in his example."

A brief pause.

"I also dislike bullies, and I find that describes many criminals and traitors. Being a magistrate seemed like a way I could honour my family, my clan and the empire all at once. It has had its challenges and I am ever hoping to one day prove worthy of this office, but still, I am glad of it."

Cocking her head in turn. "Actually this has me thinking...but no, I cannot imagine Akodo-san would be interested in assisting should there be a need to hunt ne'er do wells when she has pressing duties already."

[Akodo Myorin]

Snip

"Bullies describes a fair few more then criminals unfortunately." Myorin's expression was steady and her tone more of one stating a simple fact then passing judgment. She took a sip of tea, "I take it your family enjoys a good rapport with the heimen given your origins?"

In answer to the Daidoji's query, Myorin shrugged, "I suppose it depends on how you ask. A Lion helping a Crane they just meet is something more akin to a political statement and requires consideration. Of course an honorable samurai helping an Emerald Magistrate in an investigation is just the duty of all servants of the Empress." She cocked a wry smile and took another sip of tea.