Princess Retrieval

[Kabu]

The Great War had come and gone and with it came news, the Toshikane family still had an heir even with the loss of their daughter, or so was the hope. A group of samurai had been claiming to have run in with a woman bearing a close resemblance to the daughter whom had gone missing very long ago. The report did include that the woman had denied any connection but still there was a glimmer of hope. So in hopes of being able to meet the girl and confirm the truth, the family sent word to Konoha requesting for assistance in the matter along with word of her last known location.

---

The woman in question, Toshikane Miyuki, was currently sat in a small inn sipping at some tea, seated near a window with a good view of the village. She had stopped by a small village to rest some days ago and had gotten caught up in a fight with some ruffians harassing the locals. As a reward she had been given free pass to stay in the inn as long as she wished, to which she had gratefully accepted, having been on the road for some time.

She let out a sigh, setting down her cup as she stared out the window. As of late she had found herself distracted by those samurai she had met during the great war. She wasn't a princess, there was no way. At least that's what she thought but she was growing increasingly unsure.

Fishing her pendant out from the depths of her kimono she held it out in front of her. It was rather ornate and there was that strange crest... Her mom had been rather protective of it and had told her to do the same. Was that why? Did she really have some connection to nobles? Well either way the thought was silly. She was 22 years old. If the family had really wanted her around they would have searched her out very long ago. Right? Maybe they simply hadn't known of her existence...

The questions were really beginning to pile up and she had to wonder... Just what was the truth? Maybe it was time for her to go search it out, or maybe the truth would instead come to her. Really... at this point who knew what would happen?

[Izanagi]

Yozei had only begun settling into his new station a few weeks prior, before he had been informed by his mother of an interesting development. Apparently, there were rumors of a woman that bore a striking resemblance to the long thought dead Toshikane Haruka. Yozei’s mother; Harukatsu Megami, had been well acquainted with the woman, as noblewomen naturally became familiar with one another, even between rivaling royal families. The truth was, despite some political differences and petty grudges, the Toshikane and Harukatsu tended to respect one another and understand the need for balance in the centuries old governing system their ancestors had established. Throughout the war several important nobles from either family had been killed, assassinated or fallen in battle when given command over specific operations. There was a need for as many members of royalty as possible to keep their lineages strong and help secure Fire countries new lands, each province demanding some royal representative to maintain order.

The 6th prince of the Harukatsu family was the perfect example of the royal family’s desperation, legitimatizing him and giving him a great deal of responsibilities though also keeping a close eye on his dealings. After all, he was trained as a shinobi, more powerful and dangerous than any of the royal families. They were worried he might attempt to seize greater power. Unbeknownst to Yozei, his newly appointed attendant and bodyguard was placed specifically to keep eyes and ears on him. On this day however she would need to keep vigilant to keep the Prince safe. The whereabouts of this potential princess happened to be in the Land known as Dragon’s Touch, not to be confused with the large region of Dragon’s Breath where the Shitennou-jou Ryu palace was located. Instead, Dragon’s Touch was the name for the portion of Shrimp country that Fire country soldiers had occupied

As it happened, this portion of Shrimp Continent was where Yozei had spent the final years of the war, leading the attack from Dragon Country and storming Shrimp Continent from the western coast. They had fought in the mountains, gulleys and foothills in a series of bloody conflicts that lasted months before pushing in through swamps and surrounding the capitol city of Ximén, putting it under siege as their massive military force was too much to overcome directly. Then Yozei had led forces to the North through the deserts and fighting through countless outposts on and confronting many ambushes passing as civilians in trading camps. All in an effort to eventually overrun the second largest city of the country and eventually cause the leadership of the nation to surrender.

There was perhaps no other country in the world as varied in climate and topography as Dragon’s Touch, or Guólóng as the locals called it. Yozei had learned some of their language, enough to understand some basics and make simple conversation and his studies of the language continued as they remained under Fire country rule and territory governed by the royal family residing in Shitennou-Jou-Ryu. Though they did leave these people more to their own devices than they did on the mainland. With the language barrier and their formidable military and difficult to traverse landscape it was simply too difficult to micromanage the land, instead setting up several guardposts in each region and an embassy and small military detachment in each of the large cities.

But citizens of Fire country were encouraged to be wary in such a place. The population was many times that of the mainland of Dragons Breath despite being much smaller in area and it could be dangerous within the cities and in the outskirts. The town they were to find the woman in however was said to be relatively safe, being that it was part of a main trading route, just below the Northern desert and settled within some of the gentler foothills of the west. When they finally reached the inn after two days of travel, Yozei looked it over. “Well, this is it. Let’s hope she’s still here” he said. He wore Black and red travelling clothes , that were clearly of good quality, enough that it was clear he was wealthy but not necessarily a prince. The people in this region tended to be quite kind and hospitable as long as one was generous to them. Though Yozei still transformed his hair black to fit in a little better, the red hair mixed with fine clothes being well-known traits of the Harukatsu family.

[Willoria]

Revna stood beside Yozei, nearly his own height as she looked down over the area. As was typical for the woman she had remained relatively quiet through the journey, still not quite at ease working beside Yozei. Most moments her job was simply to serve him as part of her duties, but this journey was a bit different. Her job currently was to protect him, not that she'd forgotten she was also to keep an eye on him, it simply was less of a priority when his safety became more important in moments like this. Though admittedly, in the moment she was more than a little annoyed. In his interests to keep a lower profile she was forced to dress down, the same way as she did day to day when working at his home. Typically when she was ready to fight she was dressed like a warrior, like a barbarian, yet today she just looked normal with her hair pulled back and her weapons on her. It left her feeling strange, vulnerable even.

She hated it.

He mentioned hoping the woman was still there and Revna simply shrugged as she glanced around. "Maybe." The woman took a deep breath and sighed, leading the way down though she was careful to keep Yozei both within sight, and within reach. She wouldn't even ask him how he wanted to do things, her job was to protect him, and so she would. Drawing closer to the inn she'd take a careful look around before reaching the door and stepping inside and holding the door open for Yozei to come in after her.

[Kabu]

The cozy little inn in question was sparsely populated at this time of day and really that was how Miyuki liked it, it meant peace and quiet while she got lost in her thoughts. Just as she was now, absentmindedly staring at the ornate pendant in her hands. Her future was now entirely uncertain and she had been plagued with doubt. Quite frankly it was a highly uncomfortable feeling. At times like this I wish you were here mom... You would know what to do. she thought to herself, letting out a sigh. Her mother Haruka had always been strangely good at easing her worries and generally bringing a sense of peace and calm wherever she went, even single-handedly having stopped a small town from warring with itself at one point among other deeds. Almost as if she had grown up being practiced in such dealings. It was one of the many things Miyuki had always admired about the woman.

She had to blink away tears as thoughts of her mother came to mind, looking up at the sound of the door opening. It was then that she noticed the inn's two new occupants, one very clearly wealthy and the other likely an attendant of some kind, though it didn't really look like they got along too well, the woman in fact appearing to be rather annoyed, though Miyuki couldn't be sure of what. Stuffing her pendant back into the depths of her kimono, she chose to watch the two for a moment, some part of her feeling a bit of extra vigilance may be worth her time. She didn't know what these two were capable of but they seemed to be looking for someone or something and while normally she wouldn't mind, having come across many such people in her time as a mercenary, these two looked intriguing enough that she couldn't help but wonder what exactly their purpose in coming to a place like this had been.

She wasn't sure why but somehow she felt the winds beginning to shift in a new direction. Her personal motto had always been to follow the winds wherever they led and so far they hadn't yet led her astray and so she didn't call out to the pair but instead very clearly seemed to be looking in their direction, trying to wordlessly grab their attention.

For now she would simply stay silent and wait. It was time to see what happened, to see if her gut feeling was right.

[Izanagi]

Yozei wasn’t sure why fate had seemed to repeatedly ensure he was guarded by terse and brutish women that seemed to dislike him. But here he was again, on a several-day Journey and enduring the feeling that there was some unspoken resentment and that it was only some sense of duty that bound the woman to his side. Truthfully, he hadn’t cared enough to inquire about it, he didn’t much care what she thought of him and he had been distracted with his own thoughts. He was still struggling with his own conscience and self-identity, coming to terms with his actions during the war and the responsibilities he had. The least of his priorities was being concerned over whether or not a servant liked him. At least she was nice to look at.

He scoffed at her simple answer, “Good talk. Very helpful” he muttered under her breath as she walked up ahead. Communication was clearly a problem, and he worried what might happen if they actually came under attack. They had never fought alongside each other before, only done same basic physical training, enough that he had a good idea of her capabilities, but he doubted she knew much of his talents. As always, he carried his pair of beautifully decorated Katana at his hip, each worth a small fortune, one of which being a priceless family heirloom of the Harukatsu. The people in this region wouldn’t recognize it but anyone of Harukatsu nobility certainly would and it was likely many members of the Toshikane would know of it, though perhaps not recognize it immediately.

Upon entering the inn, Yozei focused for a moment before flooding his senses with chakra and allowing his mind to expand. Suddenly the world seemed to come alive, his eyes darted around the room, picking out every single detail. Right down to the exact number of drops of water on the cups drying behind the bar, the slightest of stains or rips in fabric on every single individual in the room and each whisper or creak of floorboards as individuals shifted their weight in their seats. If there was an ambush he would know, only a truly elite shinobi would be able to remain completely undetected. But even so, if they made a hostile action, he would be able to react instantly. “There” he said softly, so that only Revna would hear him. Gesturing with a slight tilt of his head toward a table where a beautiful young woman sat, gently fingering a particularly ornate pendant. She stuffed it back into her Kimono as his eyes laid on her but even a brief moment was enough to make out enough details to identify it. There was no question, it was an heirloom of the Toshikane family. But that alone was not proof, however it was a promising start.

Yozei would ignore the woman for the moment, moving to the bar. “Sān bēi píjiǔ” he ordered, holding up three fingers for emphasis. His pronunciation wasn’t quite perfect, but it was close enough to be understood. He knew the people in this region could surely speak common tongue, many foreigners came through here after all, but it was still polite and went a long way to show respect to their language and culture. The bartender nodded and smiled, lighting up and seeming somewhat impressed, quickly retrieving three mugs and filling them with a local beer. “Xièxiè” he said simply, waiting to hear how much he was owed, the woman also speaking in the local language. He paid her with a large coin, letting her keep the small tip before gesturing for Revna to grab the drinks and bring them over.

Then he would sit across from the woman, maneuvering his Daisho to rest against his chair as he held the swords in place with his left hand before crossing his right leg over his knee and leaning back. “Beautiful country, isn’t it? So diverse, and the people, the food. It truly is one of the more unique places I’ve been” he started, looking through the window out to the rolling hills and the distant sand dunes on the horizon. "I hear it’s a good place for royalty to simply slip away and enjoy the life of a commoner, wouldn’t you say?” he wondered, looking back at the woman with a slight smirk. His cerulean blue eyes were alert and attentive, noticing every breath, every motion. He could even hear her breathing and heartbeat. He wondered what she would have to say about her situation.

Jutsu TrainedShow

[Skitter Step • Improved Senses Open]
B-Ranked Taijutsu Stance
An advanced version of "Senses Open." The practitioner floods their senses with chakra and significantly increases the sensitivity of those senses. This allows them to see and hear everything, even the most distant of objects, minute of details and quietest of sounds including heart beats, without damage or repercussion due to overstimulation. This allows them to easily see through transformation techniques or stealth jutsu of equal or lesser rank. Remaining in this state for a period greater than 5 posts, however, is dangerous, as this state can induce involuntary hallucinations. This Stance grants a +4 in Strength, +5 in Speed but a -4 in Willpower and -5 in Control. This Stance will remain in effect until deactivated by [Stop].

[Willoria]

If Revna heard his scoff or his mutter that followed, she had given no indication of it. Frankly, the woman didn't much care. His feelings about her or what she did or didn't say really didn't matter to her at all. Within the inn she'd let him resume the lead, so long as she could keep watch of most of the place from where she stood. His use of the local dialect didn't surprise her entirely though it did annoy her a bit. She didn't like that she couldn't understand most of what he said, the only part she really understood was when he thanked the bartender. He motioned for her to take the drinks and of course she did, inclining her head slightly towards the bartender in lieu of a proper thank you before she followed the man. Though inwardly she was rolling her eyes at him. After all, she was supposed to operate as his bodyguard on this journey, not his servant. Yet oddly enough her position also meant it wasn't her job to correct him either. All she could do was bite back the annoyance and follow the man.

He sat down and of course she set a drink in front of the woman first, it was always polite to serve a guest first after all. They might have been the new arrivals, but by buying the drinks Yozei had essentially made her the guest in the situation. Second to serve was Yozei himself, and Revna took the third for herself. But not wanting to crowd the woman or overwhelm her she chose not to sit at the table. Instead, Revna took a step back to lean against the nearby wall where she could get a better view of the room in its entirety, and also still observe the pair. 'If he spooks her with this approach... I swear I might actually laugh... maybe I'll even mock him openly for it...' she thought to herself, hiding her temptation to smirk by taking a slow deliberate slip of her drink.

Of course she'd take her time with it, no refills for the bodyguard. Her job was to stay as alert as possible after all.

[Kabu]

Miyuki rose a brow, head tilting as she continued to watch the pair interact with both each other and those around them. Perhaps unsurprisingly given his station of wealth, the man seemed to have some knowledge of the local dialect but more importantly showed no shame in making use of it. It was admirable to say the least that he would think to be so respectful to these people and their culture. His partner meanwhile seemed much less enthused, she even seemed a bit annoyed at the way he spoke. They were such an interesting contrast to one another, she honestly found herself fascinated. For a moment she even found her gaze drawn to the ornate sword at his hip, her eyes lighting up at the sight. It truly was a work of beauty, much unlike her own blade which if not for very careful maintenance and care would have needed to be replaced a very long time ago.

For a time she felt as if she had failed at grabbing their attention as they seemed to be ignoring her. Soon enough however they finally approached her, Miyuki unable to help a smile as the man sat down across from her. It soon made way for a more puzzled expression however as the bodyguard served the drinks and then went off to lean against the wall. She was admittedly a little concerned and even more curious but she chose not to question it. She knew very well how hard it could to sit at a crowded table and some part of her actually appreciated the thoughtfulness.

She gave the woman a nod and a small smile and turned her attention back to the man, tilting her head as she listened to him speak, question marks practically floating over her head. Clearly he was after something but she had no way of knowing what. She wasn't quite spooked but it would be evident that she was very confused. She had a feeling it was related to the mystery she herself had been wondering over but had no way of knowing for sure. "Hmm? I suppose it would make for a good escape. I've seen a lot of wonderful places over the course of my travels but I must say, this area is one of my favorites. It has the perfect blend of atmosphere and liveliness." she responded, her eyes growing wide as she realized something important she should do before she forgot, as she so often did with her habit of just absentmindedly slipping off into space.

"Oh, excuse me. My name is Miyuki. And you are?" she introduced herself, making it clear the question was aimed towards the both of them as she looked from Yozei to Revna and back.

[Izanagi]

Yozei raised an eyebrow as Revna wordlessly delivered the drinks then stood at the wall, keeping watch. 'So dutiful' he lamented. He could respect one's convictions but more than anything he appreciated those he could simply connect with on a human level. He had thought he had caught a glimpse of that side of the woman during their training shortly before leaving on this trip. But it clear the woman kept clear lines of seperation between the different aspects of her job and her personal life. In that way she was just like everyone else that served him at the palace. "You can sit, drink. You'll only make people uncomfortable staring around at them like that. It's easier to avoid trouble by simply blending in" he insisted. Of course she wouldn't agree. If she was in bodyguard mode surely she was set on her one track mind. Though having spent so much time among these people Yozei was quite adept at picking up on when he might expect trouble.

The Dragon Prince turned his attention back to Miyuki, "I spent a few years here during the war. I'm glad to see the people preserving their ways and continuing to thrive" he stated genuinely. He had went to great lengths to keep civilian casulties minimal and to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. The people had a strong military and he wanted to preserve that and their ways. Using siege tactics and cutting off supply lines ton force a surrender. It took longer but ultimately left minimal impact on their culture as a whole. And even under Fire country rule the only real differences were new outposts, patrols and paying taxes to Fire country, though trade through Fire countries expansive network had increased overall profits dramatically to make up for the tax. Ultimately he hoped to give little reason for revellion and work together with these people for mutual benefits.

The young man smiled as Miyuki introduced herself, and then with some brief wisps of chakra around his face his hair shifted color, changing from black to auburn and extending to its proper length. "A pleasure to meet you Miyuki. I am Harukatsu Yozei, 6th Prince of the Harukatsu" he said, keeping his voice soft. Taking a deep drink of beer he glanced around briefly, noticing some uncomfortable stares and hearing some muttering in the foreign language. It seemed some people had put together who he was but most seemed content to keep to themselves and not cause any trouble. A few even seemed genuinely curious and open minded. It wasn't everyday one saw someone of such status and many of these people were merchants who had been able to capitalize on the new rule. Some also travellers not of this land. "I noticed your pendant. Dont lie to me. Where did you get that from?" He started in, getting somewhat more serious but he still sat back in his chair and leisurely drank at his beer. It was clear by his demeanor at least he had no hostile intent. Though he hoped Revna would be able to keep tensions down, he didn't want the woman to feel too trapped with a bodyguard looming over her after all.

[Willoria]

When Yozei chided Revna about blending in the woman simply gave him a silent, even look for several moments as she sipped her drink and returned to looking around the room. 'I already abandoned my traditional paints and clothing... I feel completely out of place without my tribe's usual warrior garb, what more can I do to blend in?' she thought to herself. She kept to her duties, staying quiet as she listened to the conversation between the pair and to a few others. But her eyes were quickly brought back to Yozei as he suddenly dropped his disguise and transformed fully into himself. Her eyes went wide in shock before her gaze darted about the room, taking in the view of the people staring, even those averting their gaze and she could almost feel herself bristling. 'Didn't he just mention blending in?! What the fuck?!'

Her annoyance would only get worse as he suddenly addressed Miyuki rudely, demanding to know about the pendant she wore. She wasn't sure what made her do it but she finally reached out and just smacked Yozei upside the head. It wasn't as hard as she could muster of course, but it certainly wasn't a light tap as she hissed at him. "Rude-ass." she snarled at him without thinking. "Aren't Princes supposed to know something about manners? Bad enough you abandoned the 'blending in' you so insisted upon." she added, shaking her head roughly. She was already chastising herself for the way she addressed him, even putting hands on him in public. He was her charge, but also her employer, she could face serious consequences for what she did, and not just with him.

Still seething she finally pulled up a chair at the table and sat down in it heavily, taking a much larger swig of her drink before setting it on the table roughly and glaring at Yozei. Oddly enough, she'd pulled up a chair in a place that could easily put her between Yozei and Miyuki if need be though she hadn't really thought of it that way.

[Kabu]

Of course Miyuki had heard of Shinobi and their abilities but she had never imagined getting to see it firsthand, the woman simply staring in amazement as she watched Yozei undo his transformation. She didn't have long to wonder about it however as she let out a shocked gasp, both hands over her mouth as Revna suddenly smacked Yozei right upside the head. She opened her mouth to question what was going on but quickly closed it, finding she didn't even have the words to ask about the situation... In all her time as a mercenary she had never seen an attendant be quite so brazen to their master and she wasn't at all sure what to even think about it...

She silently stared in shock for a moment before recovering, blinking as her mind started to work again. Where they were? Right... Yozei had asked about her pendant, quite rudely at that... but she had never really been the type to get angry at a thing like that. "I got it from my mom when I was very little. It's my only memento of her, the thing I hold closest to my heart." she said, pulling out her pendant and presenting it to the pair. "She said that it was her greatest treasure, that it reminded her of home, of the family she had left behind. I hadn't understood what she meant at the time but it became a lot more clear after she died." she fell silent for a moment, staring almost sadly at her pendant as memories of her mother bubbled to the surface. "She also said it was a precious family heirloom and begged me to keep it safe." she let out a sigh as she finished speaking, taking the time to sip on her drink as she choked back tears that threatened to come as more and more memories began coming to her.

There was also one other mystery... She had heard the name Harukatsu before but where? She thought she had heard it from her mother but when and why? ...And why did she feel like it was something important?

[Izanagi]

Yozei simply blinked for a few moments, completely stunned as Revna reached out to smack him after his rather direct inquiry. His beer sloshed in the mug and spilled a small splash on himself. There was a sudden silence, the entire bar seeming to go quiet, as evidently, they had drawn some attention. And then Yozei laughed, slowly a first and then a hearty rumbling from his chest. “That’s more like it, there’s a little life to you after all” he praised, his smile warm as his bright eyes lit up. He could appreciate someone that wasn’t afraid to put him in his place, even if he was royalty and she was only a servant. They were all still Fire country citizens after all, and his duty was to them as much as theirs was to him.

He took a deep drink as she chastised him further, and he nodded after placing his mug on the table. “Little too much of the shinobi in me still, I suppose. I could do with more tact. My apologies Miyuki” he offered, bowing his head slightly. “Your mom, may I ask what her name is?” he wondered curiously. And then upon closer inspection, he noted the seal of the Toshikane family and the quality of the craftsmanship and materials. Though he had to take a break and release his enhanced skitter step focus, exhaling slowly and blinking as the heightened state of awareness faded away. “Do you know who the Toshikane family are? Did you or your mother ever work for them? That pendant you have there bears their sigil” he said, pointing out the small but intricate engraving. He let the question hang in the air, either she was royalty, or they had stolen from royalty but either way, this woman had much more to her story than she was letting on or that she might have even been aware of.

[Willoria]

Honestly, as Yozei praised her rather than growing upset with her for striking him, Revna only rolled her eyes harder. She was surprised her eyeballs didn't stick at this point, though she tried to cover her own reaction by taking another deep swig of her drink. She didn't even notice she'd managed to drink more than half of it already. When she lost track of what she was doing, it was easy for her to quickly polish off a drink, and the woman had a strong constitution when it came to alcohol though it wasn't something Yozei knew well enough about her yet. She simply shook her head at his amusement over the supposedly life she suddenly showed in front of him. Though she was silently glad when he apologized to Miyuki, nodding in quiet approval as she finally leaned back in her chair slightly. She was still on guard and watching the room, but she was at least looking a bit more relaxed.

She still didn't like having this conversation so in the open, but wasn't sure it could be helped. Going behind closed doors had the look of impropriety, and somewhere more in the open wasn't safe for either of the people in front of her. But the people around them seemed quite nosy, and for a moment she started to wonder if a distraction was needed to get attention off the pair so they could talk with more privacy. '...How the hell do I manage that though? Only things I know how to do is start a brawl... arm wrestling contest... or a drinking contest... not exactly proper behavior and not something I can do while also keeping up with my duties as his bodyguard either. And I really doubt his family is going to like it if I stop paying attention to what he's doing either while he's in the middle of talking to this woman... this is exactly the kind of thing they'll want the details on when we get back...'

[Kabu]

Out of the corner of her eye Miyuki caught Revna beginning to relax and smiled, noting that the woman seemed to be quite the heavy drinker. That was very good, being so tense didn't suit such a beautiful woman. She couldn't say that she didn't understand what it was like to be so fully on guard though, especially while on duty. Being a mercenary meant being on her guard all the time... It was always nice when she had some time to actually relax once in a while.

She turned her attention back towards Yozei, head tilting to the side as he asked his repeated questions. She was honestly a bit confused about where this was heading but she would just have to answer them one at a time, in order. "My mom... her name was Haruka." she began, pausing as she took a long look at the ornate engraving on her pendant. So this really was the sigil of royalty... Slowly things were starting to become more clear about why Yozei and Revna were here... It was related to that meeting during the war. "I have heard of the Toshikane and Harukatsu both but only really through rumor and hearsay. I don't know about mom but I've never met them personally..." she continued, pausing to collect her thoughts, taking a deep breath as she did.

Now seemed to be the best time to tell this part of the story. She needed to say it if she were to ever get any answers about who she was and where she came from. "However, a couple years ago during the war I walked into the midst of a battlefield. I don't recall where it was exactly but I ran into a group of Fire Country samurai..." she paused a moment to take another breath, not at all being used to talking quite this much in one sitting. "They seemed to mistake me for their long lost princess, begged me to come home with them. Of course I rebuked their claims but..." she trailed off, looking down at the table as she clutched her pendant close to her chest, her eyes beginning to water.

"Ever since then I've been so confused. I'm not really sure who or what I am anymore. Am I really royalty? Was mom hiding something from me? There are so many questions and I don't have any answers."

[Izanagi]

Yozei smirked boyishly after taking another deep swig of ale. As much as he enjoyed the fine dining and quality of life of royalty, he preferred the people in places such as this. Surrounded by the common people, traders, simple villagers, even mercenary guards. These people were the heartbeat of any country, as he looked around, he felt inspired by their strength and perseverance. “A round of drinks, on me!” he called out, lifting his glass of ale high as he noticed eyes on them and Revna looking around. “Měi gèrén dōu hē!” he called out energetically. Most of the people in the tavern likely spoke common tongue fluently but there were at least a third of them that were locals and would better understand their own dialect. He would pay the waitress as she came around to ensure he was good for it. She called back to the others and roused a round of cheering and some chuckles. Though there were a handful of better-armed men, mercenary guards for a caravan no doubt that seemed to remain quite focused on them.

The young Prince listened intently as Miyuki answered his questions. Haruka. Yes, that was the name of his mother’s friend that she had spoken of. He chuckled lightly as she claimed to have never met a Harukatsu or Toshikane. “Well, you’re looking at a Harukatsu right now and if I’m right, and I think I am. Then you’re the long thought dead daughter of Toshikane Haruka” he whispered, using the growing rowdiness of the other patrons to mask their conversation. “I believe those Fire country samurai were right. But we should go. You can come back to the Shittenou-ji Ryu Palace with us but it’s not safe here any longer. Let’s go. Quickly” he insisted. Casually he got up, not looking over to the group that was still watching them, though one of their number seemed to have slipped away and the others were beginning to move as well. Whether they were after Yozei, Miyuki, both, or simply they caught the eye of a man with too much gold was uncertain. But there was no question they were about to be targeted and needed to leave.

[Willoria]

Revna had not missed the mercenaries as well, and when Yozei made clear it was time to go after he had managed to create a distraction of his own the woman finished off her own drink quickly. She stood without issue and glanced at Yozei before reaching over to help Miyuki up and put a protective arm around the woman. After training with Yozei previously she knew that while she was his bodyguard she knew that in a fight he was well equipped to protect himself, perhaps better than she could protect him at this point. But she had no idea of what Miyuki was capable of, plus there were a couple of other issues. "I realize this is sudden, My Lady." she said quietly. "But at the least, for your own safety, you should come with us for now." she encouraged.

The entire conversation had moved so quickly that Revna worried the woman might fight against the idea of going with them after all this. But given the special attentions from others and the strong likelihood that this woman was lost royalty herself, she really hoped the woman would have an instinct to trust them and go with it. If she did, she'd keep her arm around the woman's shoulders protectively to help guide her out of the inn and behind Yozei as they walked.