Kyuden Shika

Mitsuki had lead her guest through the woods, her riding her horse the guest using their favorite means of getting around, to a clearing that looked exactly like one would expect a clearing of the middle of the woods to look after almost two weeks of rain and only one day of sun: Muddy.

The only oddity was a very long and very soaked scarf of blue sky silk wrapped around a pile of rocks in the middle of it.

"Here you are Shiba-san. The most grandiose shrine to the Sovereigns of Death of all the Deer lands.

Also, the only one."

Raizo had been pleasantly surprised by the invitation, but had hardly been of a mine to say no. Getting out of the Kyuden to see something new in the forest? Oh hell yes.

"Interesting... is there anything we should do to, well... spruce it up? I imagine they like their shrines well cared-for, and it's been a bit of a drenching since we got here..."

"Not sure honestly. First time I've had to deal with a shrine to the Sovereigns in such a rainy region.

In the desert, where shrines have to endure sandstorms, the custom is to not take any special measure to protect them from the winds. If the gods are pleased with the shrine, the shrine will survive the storm. And if they're not, there is no reason to protect it in the first place.

But as for maintenance after such a downpour... Well, the rock pile did not collapse, so the omens are favorable at least."

She picked up an extremity of the scarf that was lying in the mud, cleaned it up with the back of her sleeve, then threw atop of the rocks.

"I should probably offering two khata instead of one for tomorrow's ceremony though. One as a thank for the gods' blessing during my stay, one for their blessings on the road back."

"You'd know better than I..."

He looked at the shrine.

There was something to be said for deities who didn't need to be coddled.

"I do, but Ujik rites are kind of... Do it as you feel? There are nomads, scattered through a desert in the same size range at the whole of Rokugan. Each settlement has therefore its own ways to worship their ancestors and protectors. Only a few elements – the rocks, the flowing scarfs, earth and sky – are really common to all.

In a place that is your home, even temporarily, you also have to light up a fire... But Shika is not our home, just a rest station on our own path."

"For a given value of rest. I felt more serene riding out a blizzard in the Dragon foothills."

Mitsuki laughed:

"We were out of our element for sure... But as I've been told, it was very likely on purpose. Force us to experience new things we may have never experienced as part of our duties to our clan, so we may grow up as persons."

He... snorted at that.

"Or to force us into our shells. I mean, my stress response is more to dig in and hang on. Most of what they proved by these little scenarios of theirs was how bad I am at the things I wasn't doing already."

"And thus that you definitely need a spouse that's good at at least some of them to cover your ass when you will be in a life-of-death... kemari situation?" playfully answered Mitsuki.

"Anyone inviting me to court deserves everything they get, Moto-san."

He grinned.

"And I would hate to burden my prospective spouse with my total dead weight..."

Like I did in the singing event.