(D0 EA) A deer garden

[Usogawa Emiko]

Emiko took a moment to catch her breath before speaking.

"Well, we live in the water all the time. No lands after all, so every Otter samurai has to know how to swim, otherwise falling overboard would be really bad ne? We learn to swim from a very young age, and there's some teaching games that senseis use to help people feel confident in the water. Find the bell was my favourite one."

[Kitsu Murato]

He had clapped appreciatively at the end of the song.

"In that case, I'll probably need your help. I've been swimming before, but it is not a great skill of mine. Since there is a chance that we may marry as a result of this miai I think it might be important to improve my swimming ability... if you'd be willing to teach me some of those games."

[Usogawa Emiko]

"Oh, I would be happy to help teach you if you want Kitsu-sama!" Emiko nodded a few times "I've always felt that being able to swim was very important in life, so any that want to learn I would gladly teach."

[Kitsu Murato]

"The maps I've seen of this place show a lake in the forest. Hopefully it's not too far from the castle, though I admittedly have not seen it yet," he says with a nod.

[Usogawa Emiko]

"I can confirm as someone that travelled here via river, that there is a river" Emiko grinned "the Otter travel all the rivers in the Empire. It was a quite nice river too, so it would be good to learn in assuming the weather is nice."

[Kitsu Murato]

"I definitely defer to your wisdom in such matters," he said, smiling and bowing his head. "It's been a long time since I've gone swimming. It's a rare thing to be able to take time from my duties for distractions like that. The river near my home is a few hours away."

[Usogawa Emiko]

"So you have been swimming before" Emiko nodded "not a novice then, just unexperienced?"

[Kitsu Murato]

"I wasn't very good at it, but I had fun," he confirms with a nod. "But it would be worth it to improve if I end up as an Otter in the future."

[Usogawa Emiko]

"I hope to make many friends here. There are a few Otter, and I'm sure any of us would be blessed to welcome you into our clan Kitsu-sama" Emiko offered a bow to that "there are other clans of course that use the water, but none live on the rivers like we do. The ocean is a very different water, harder to swim against the oceans tides of course. Also falling from a Mantis vessel would hurt a lot more, they are rather big."

[Kitsu Murato]

"ive never actually been on any boat. Swimming in a river, but never even on a small river boat. Perhaps someday, but not likely a Mantis boat this far inland I'd guess," he says.