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They had managed to walk out of the gates without arousing any suspision, as Chiyo looked over her shoulder. "Is something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. Ume shook his head for a moment, shaking flys away from his head. Not waiting to see a response, but hear it, she turned around to look at the dirt road that unfolded in front of them. In the distance, lay the village where she lived; it'd be no more than a day or two walk.

Chiyo bit her lip, looking to the side that they weren't on, looking into the distance. She, of course, was eavesdropping, but she didn't think they were trying to keep what they were saying private. Chiyo felt something eating away at the back of her mind, something nagging her; she knew something was up and that she probably should be talking to these new strangers, but she felt she didn't have the right to yet.
They're... looking for people? she wondered, wondeirng who; it couldn't be THEM, could it? She shook her head; there was no way in the kingdom that was possible. She doubted they even knew themselves, so why would they already be looking... right?

A young woman moved slowly a few paces behind her father, who was doing the shopping today. It was usually her and her mother, but Mother was at home taking care of the new baby. A beautiful little boy they called Tian-ming. She smiled brightly thinking of her little brother. She would have to use some of the money she had saved up to buy him a gift. She turned her head slightly watching the people she passed and her eyes widened in dismay at the sight of a sickly old man sitting in the shadows of a building, she shuffled over to him and knelt nearby.

"Here." was all she said as she fished out her personal money pouch and handed him a few coins. He smiled gratefully and thanked her over and over, she only smiled and stood, telling him to go buy himself food and medicine before hurrying to catch up to her father. They finished their shopping without much incident, the money she had given the old an prevented her from getting a gift for little Tian-ming, but she wouldn't have been able to take it if she had passed that man, withput helping.

A commotion caught her interest and that of her father, "Kuo-hao..." he spoke, watching the strangely dressed couple climb onto a horse, "lte's go home now. Our shopping is done." She didn't want to leave.

"But papa what if." she asked, but her father shook his had.

"If they are, they will find you." he stated simply and began walking, Kuo-hao followed quietly, unsure what to do, she didn't know where they were going and she couldn't keep up with a horse, it was impossible. She sighed as she and her father made their back to the inn that her family owned, the sign on the building proudly proclaimed it as the 'Kong Inn.'

((Gah, sorry, I need to check in more often now. sweatdrop ))

Kuo-hao smiled brightly when she entered the small house connected to the back of the inn. She giggled and greeted her little brother with such joy that one might asume she was the mother. After her brief greeting, she hurried to see to the customers as it time for her 'shift,' so to say.

Upon entering the inn from a back door, she noted that most of the customers already there were being seen to. She smiled brightlyand made her way to the door, where a young brown haired man entered.

"Good day." she greeted cordially, "How may I help you, sir?" A soft smile on her face, as she waited for his response.

Chiyo turned to look at the young boy who had questioned where they were and brought up the word 'cell phone'. What is he talking about? she thought before turning back around to look straight ahead. "We're in Hiken, then capitol of Ounen," she said simply. Ahead of them, Chiyo knew, lay the village where she'd give the strangers clothes; hopefully the wouldn't be stopped before they got there. Why didn't I bring another horse? she thought, thinking they'd have made better timing if she had.

Shinsei smiled. "Oh wait!" She dug it her pocket for a moment, and then whipped out a sleek silver flip phone. "I knew pockets opposed to purse would come in handy!" She grinned and began to dial the number of Tatsuko.

Before she finished, she heard 'Ounen'. The last empire of China. Obaba mentioned it once, and cursed herself for saying anything. I always wondered... "Toshiro! If we're where I think we are, we're in deep deeeeeeeeeeeeep trouble." Her eyes widened, and she had accidentally dropped the cell phone.

Diving off the horse for it, Shinsei hit the ground in a tuft of light. She was completely unharmed, and blinked her dark eyes a few times, surprised that there were no scratches. "That thing cost me a fortune!" She yelled, scrambling on the ground for it. Seeing it near a bush, Shinsei advanced toward it, unaware of anything happening around her.

"Sis!" the younger male cried, gesturing at Ling. She sighed smimply, paying the vendor for the various vegetables she'd been sent by her aunt to get for that evenings dinner. As she was making her way to chatch up to her brother, he began to gesture to the sign reading 'Kong Inn'. "Yes, Peng; I know where it is." she said demurely, nodding slightly before walking through the door way, followed closely by her younger brother.

"Kuo-hao?" she inquired shyly, looking around with a basket tucked under her right arm, separate from her recent purchases. She spotted the other young woman in the main room of their dining section of the inn, and decided to wait, casting her eyes down, and turning her feet inward.

Ling waited for a few seconds before the young woman she was looking for appeared. She returned the smile, before her brother tugged on her arm to remind her of the basket. Upon remembering, she quickly offered the basket to Kuo-hao.

"M-my Aunt asked me to stop by and leave this with you for your mother. It's for the new baby." she said timidly, raising her eyes upward. The basket was filled with a meal, resting ontop of old baby garments.