The bamboo forest is filled with many clearings, some large, some small, and all of different shapes and sizes, with different terrain within them. Many of these clearings are home to wild animals living in the forest, while others are the result of natural events, or humans and animals clearing areas in various ways.
(This thread is for any RP within the forest that is not intended for traveling out of the forest. Anything a player wishes to do in a forest clearing, that doesn't quite deserve it's own thread, can be done here.)
Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 12:26 pm
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Segare pushed through the thick forest, moving along in what could be called a lazy pace if not for the effort it took to bypass the forest's terrain. It had taken forever to get out of that meeting this morning, and it was well into the afternoon now. His original plan had been to go from the meeting and get an actual inventory of the village supplies made up, but after having spent several hours wading through village business, he felt like he needed to get away for a bit. So, he'd told Luo he was going for a walk, and wandered off into the forest.
If he was honest, he hadn't told the young man just so he could find him if needed. He told him in hopes that he would follow. He was hoping for a chance to have a spar with Luo, and test himself. Luo had been raised as a ninja, a member of a ninja clan, and in line to become the next clan head if he remembered right. He'd been taught from an early age how to fight, how to be a ninja. Segare, who had only started on the path of a ninja a few years ago, wanted to see how he stacked up against the other.
Pushing through one last thicket of bamboo, Segare at last found himself in a small clearing. Not much space, about eight feet across at the widest point, but plenty for his purposes. Loosing the sash holding his sword to his waist, he pulled it off, leaning it gently against a tree before moving to the center of the clearing again. From there, he began a series of simple exercises, warm up routines really, stretching his limbs and torso through a variety of exercises. From there he moved into katas, moving as if he were running through a battle in slow motion, punching and kicking invisible assailants away from himself.
After a short while, he ceased his activities, picking up his sword once more. Unsheathing it, he set the sheath aside and sat down on the ground in the center of the clearing, sitting cross legged with the blade across his lap, one hand on the hilt and the other on the blade, with his eyes closed. He'd call it meditation, but he'd never had the chance to actually learn that particular art properly. Instead he focused on his chakra. He had shortly exercised his body, now he would exercise his chakra, running it through and around his body, out one hand into the sword, and back in through the other. While he'd never practiced proper meditation, he found this to be a good way of testing his control over his chakra, feeling where and how he could move it, control it, twist it even. It was through this method in fact that he'd learned to combine his two natural elements into one, a feat supposedly limited to bloodlines. So, while he wasn't expecting much more, he would continue to "Meditate" in this fashion when he got the chance, just to see what else he might discover hidden in himself.
But mostly, he was waiting. He'd prepared his body, and now he had his chakra flowing strongly. He was ready for a fight, if he got his wish and Luo followed him into the forest.
๑๑๑๑With quite the grace, Luo jumped forward a few feet with each landing, using the wall walking's chakra pads to cushion himself atop the bamboo. While charting most of the area on his own, he found the bamboo was good for one thing in particular, and that was exhausting one's energy. As long as one had the skill to climb the thick stocks to the top and maintain stability, little time or energy was wasted. His pace was light, nothing he'd consider to be more than a jogging pace. The trip he had taken here was out of pure curiosity, something Segare had said earlier after their lengthy meeting had concluded.
Luo knew there was nothing more he needed to say to Segare after the meeting, at least nothing that couldn't wait until they saw each other again. He had wondered why the man had bothered to tell him where he was going at all, since Rin and even himself didn't mention anything about their plans. For some reason, Segare was hinting at something, attempting to bait Luo into going his way. Well, it had certainly worked. Luo's day was particularly free, having been in the village long enough himself to have accomplished most things he needed to ahead of schedule. He was going to spend his time putting his nose to the grindstone so-to-speak, training himself until it was time for dinner. However, this venture seemed a bit more interesting than the former, and it helped that Luo had already punished his body enough earlier in the morning.
He didn't know much about Segare's skills. He knew he was certainly qualified to be a shinobi, however his shinobi record as well as years of experience were both a mystery to the young Ushio. He'd eyed the opulent hilt and guard of Segare's katana, however he'd never seen it unsheathed. It was just as well however, Luo's own weapon wasn't necessarily completely visible and he'd yet to be seen using it as well. Luo wanted to know for sure how Segare stacked up skill wise next to himself and Rin. He could personally attest to her elusiveness, and didn't doubt that with that came combat skill. He himself was born and raised in a ninja clan dedicated to skill in particular. However as for Segare, he had no clue as to what type of shinobi he was, and how good.
Up ahead, he spotted a clearing with a man sitting in the middle. By the looks of it, the clearing was by no means large. It was definitely Segare though, Luo could tell just by the glint of the large bracelet on his wrist. After another three minutes, Luo stopped just short of where the thicket of bamboo stopped and allowed for the clearing, each foot balanced on one tall pole as the ones behind him swayed back and forth from his previous movement. Arms across his chest, Luo offered a gentle yet curt smile, and a nod to go with it. "Good afternoon Segare. Forgive me for being a bit forward, however from what I understand of what you said earlier, you wanted to see me?"
The end of the statement resounded as if it were more rhetorical than actually asking the question. He was astute for his age, and social cues were something ninja were trained to pick up on, and just as well the common villager. Segare didn't divulge his whereabouts for nothing, Luo just came to figure out what it was for.
If Segare was surprised by the sound of Luo's voice coming from above, he didn't show it. Instead, he lazily opened his eyes and leaned back just far enough to look up at the teen with a grin. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping you'd come by." he responded. "C'mon down here so I don't have to strain my neck." The man added, waving his hand loosely at the man in a coaxing gesture.
While he waited for Luo to come down, Segare hopped to his feet again, stepping quickly to the edge of the clearing to retrieve his sheath and sliding the sword back in, before tying it back to his waist and turning again to face Luo, not moving this time from the edge.
"We've been working together for, what, a year or so now? We know our roles and each other's roles, but we don't really know each other. Likes, dislikes, what we hope to gain by this, or even what we're willing to give for it really. Perhaps more importantly, and more to the point, we know nothing about each other's skill, what we're capable of. I'd certainly like to know for sure that our military leader is strong enough to push the front lines of a battle, and I'm sure you'd sleep better knowing nobody's going to waltz into the treasury and make off with all our money, right?" Segare's grin returned in full force as he drew to the close of him impromptu pseudo-speech. Some overly romantic samurai claimed two skilled warriors could learn everything about each other just by crossing their blades. He doubted that, but a duel would certainly make an interesting backdrop for a conversation. His fingers trailed teasingly across his sword's hilt as his excitement and anticipation grew.
"So what do you say kiddo? Humor an old man with a spar?" His grin widened as he intentionally played on the ages of the council, and really, the majority of the village. It was a strange thought, him of all people being one of the oldest in any given group.
๑๑๑๑Lifting his left leg, Luo slowly dissipated the cushion of air under his right foot, allowing gravity to take over. As he did, the bamboo stalk bent forward at an even pace until it met the ground, Luo stepping off of it allowing it snap back upright. Walking towards Segare, he stopped himself short three feet to give the man some room to stand and speak to him. In a quick motion, the man's katana was put away, something Luo hadn't paid attention to until the motion was made. It was at that point Segare began to speak to Luo, the young Ushio's attention pointed mainly in his direction.
As Segare put forth his thoughts, Luo could see what he was getting at after he mentioned not knowing anything of the other council member's skills. And while Luo felt somewhat slighted as his ability was questioned as far as his station was concerned, he felt the statement to be understandable due to the circumstances. Just as well, the man was right to say Luo would have a lot less headaches knowing someone was able to properly protect their coffers. The man grinned, stroking his weapon after he was finished speaking. Luo waited a moment however, it seemed there was more to be said.
Alas, nothing more than the question he'd been expecting by this point. Yet another grin was produced as he waited for an answer, calling himself an old man playfully. Outwardly, the request seemed simple and lighthearted, something Luo had a choice in the matter of. Truthfully and politically however, Luo had a feeling Segare knew to turn down the request on Luo's part was to admit inferiority in skill. As the council member who was to head their military force, it wasn't an option he had.
His calm expression didn't falter, however there was a glimmer in his eyes. He had been itching to test his skill against anyone other than himself, or rather clones of himself. This venture had unfortunately robbed Luo of all of his sparring partners, clan members whose skill rivaled and in some cases even exceeded Luo's own. He found in a village of quite young shinobi, his time was best spent sparring himself. "I see. Well, I'd be lying to say I haven't thought the same thing. I suppose on my part specifically, it is imperative that my skill as a shinobi and tactician be tested if only to prove my capability. I have no qualms doing that here and now, plus it gives me the opportunity to in some fashion test youl as well. I'm sure it'll be an interesting display of skill on both parts."
The young man at this point couldn't help it as a sly grin slowly crept across his face, a sliver of white breaking the muted tones of his lips. His curiosity continued to get the best of him, and he hoped Segare planned on staying on his toes."
"Excellent!" Segare smiled, glad to see Luo was agreeable to the spar. He'd been curious about the man for some time now, and counted just getting the chance to go one on one with him a victory. "I suppose we should have some rules though, huh?" he added, rubbing his chin in thought. "Killing is bad, as Rin so thoughtfully reminded us, and we should certainly avoid anything that prevents us doing our duties... How about this. No attacks that leave lasting damage, victory by 'killshot' or surrender, killshot being defined as an attack making contact with a vital area. And, just to make things fun, during the fight we're not allowed to lie. Loser has to answer one question with the full truth."
Finished speaking, Segare slid his sword from it's sheath, holding it in his right hand and leaning it on his shoulder, his head cocked to the side to wait for Luo's answer to the proposal. The questions were a bit of an afterthought really, but he figured they would make the spar all that much more interesting. Words could, after all, be as viable a weapon as a sword if used to distract the opponent. Particularly if they were distracting him from an actual sword. And it really was a good way to get to know each other too.
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❖ Chakra: [72/72]
Blugh... Short post. Picture is sadly unrelated, but the only one I have that matches the size.
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TheAppleStar
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Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 7:25 am
Rustling from the right hand side of the clearing would alert others to the fact they had a bit of company. A deep groan sounded as Ashllyn stepped through the dense pale green stalks with a large pack on his back, and a satchel at each hip. It was only a few seconds later a flock of three blonde females joined him at his side. He was taller than all three of them, and his black hair was a sharp cry from their angelic coloration. He gave a strained smile as he let the bags find the ground gently.
"I'm going to guess I got the right spot?"
The smallest and youngest of the girls clung to the back of his pants and peaked around at the two men she didn't know. The oldest and tallest of the girls, her hair in a braid draped over one of her shoulders gave a polite wave and smile to the men before bending down and talking to the youngest one about finding something to drink. The second oldest girl ignored the boys completely and just watched over her two sisters with a look of exhaustion. She wasn't exactly used to having to travel by foot.
Ash didn't care either way, and only really wished the girls had carried their own things rather than making him the pack mule like they always did. He looked between the men and then put up his hands in apology.
"Sorry, did I interrupt something?"
Luo1304
Hinote Tosatsu
Posted: Sun Nov 24, 2013 1:41 pm
Enryu || E-rank ||
[Just out of sight and earshot from the growing congregation in the clearing]
Bamboo shivered violently within the forest in tandem with rhythmic blows of a curved short sword against the stalks. A sizable bundle of the bamboo lay at the aggressors feet as he tirelessly swung his blade into the stalks, littering the forest floor with leaves. The man swung the sword with practiced ease, sliding the blade deeper and deeper into the wedge near the base of the bamboo stalk. Each blow released a blast of shards that sprinkled his bare, well defined arms. The tiny pinpricks of pain were ignored and he continued with his task in single-minded determination until at last the sword cut through the entire stalk and it lazily crashed to the ground.
"Whew," exclaimed Enryu, drawing the back of his palm across his sweat strewn brow. The leafy canopy wasn't thick enough to filter the overbearing sun from reaching the forest floor and as a result, the entire ordeal was more strenuous. Tentatively he adjusted the band of fabric that covered his right eye and much of the vertical scar that split the right side of his face. The fabric wasn't exactly comfortable but it kept the light out of the sensitive eye. It was quite long though and rather than cutting it, Enryu arranged into a messy sort of turban that allowed a few tufts of his brown hair to peak out from the folds.
Sheathing his blade, the tall dusky skinned man crouched down to the forest floor to arrange the collections of bamboo into a manageable pile. He had no rope to bind them together but he was able to comfortably slip them under one large arm. He intended to use the stalks to enlarge his tent and further support it. As one of the larger men in the camp he needed more space than the average person and with such an abundant supply of bamboo in the area he took it upon himself to make such upgrades.
When he rose he stood a few inches shy of six and a half feet with a muscled yet streamlined body. While bulkier than most it was not to the point where it looked like it seriously hindered his agility but it was clear he was quite strong. Enryu had the haunted eyes of a veteran and a stoic face that could have been chiseled from a mountain. As a newcomer, he found he was one of the oldest by many years although he looked to be much younger; perhaps twenty two or twenty three. He wasn't very social with the community and developed a habit of completely daily and assigned tasks before sleeping for the rest of the day. In the cover of night he would hunt, effortlessly recalling the manner of an imperial ranger before returning early in the morning with enough food to sustain himself for the day. With winter approaching however the animals grew more sparse and he relied on daily rations, spending his nights training instead. He was still well within his prime and his body was slowly remembering the way of a warrior with every session.
Coincidentally the path he took to return to the camp happened to cut through the clearing and while he would not appear just yet, Enryu would likely come across the clearing within a few minutes.
Statistics Chakra: 15/15 Jutsu Crafter || Combo Wellness: Prime
Equipment:
Short Sword: [<1>] - [] Small Scroll: [<1>] - [< Right pocket>]
๑๑๑๑With Segare's exclamation, the man began to run through a few quick rules. The first was an obvious one, a joke even Luo couldn't help but smile towards once mentioned. Segare proposed that attacks with lasting damage were to be avoided, Luo nodded with the statement. The requirements for victory were fair of course, ensuring previously stated rules were upheld. However, something was then added to the set. An interesting rule, one Luo mulled over for what seemed to him to be a long time. It was a bit confusing however, that the prize be to reveal one absolute truth when only the absolute truth was to be spoken during the duel. Essentially, Luo could ask what he wanted to know off the bat, and the prize became pointless.
"If we are to speak nothing but the truth throughout the spar, wouldn't our end prize become meaningless in nature? How about if...." Luo's sentence was interrupted however, the sound of loud rustling growing closer and closer to the pair until people emerged from the thicket. First, a man carrying enough stuff for three people at least it seemed. Then three women followed not far behind. As he seemed to speak to them, two looked over at Segare and Luo, one waving at the pair. The 8x8 clearing was already cramped with everyone standing in it, Luo backing up a bit causing a slight divide between the newcomers and the pair that were here beforehand.
At last, the newcomer put his hands up apologetically, saying he was sorry and asking if he were intruding. Although annoyance didn't present itself on Luo's face, he exhaled deeply through his nostrils, deciding they'd have to postpone their spar for another time. "That's not important. May I ask your name and where you are coming from?" The village was small yes, but Luo had yet to really meet anyone. In fact, he didn't even know if this man were with their village, or got lost on a hike with his.....friends. He supposed he'd find out soon enough.
Ashllyn removed the final bag from his back and turned back to the older man who had spoken to him. "Ashllyn Akarima. I'm from a town north west of here. Someone came and requested aid from a Medical Personnel at my Hospital, so here I am. Is this the right spot or did I just crash a romantic date?" he teased dryly as his oldest sister tugged at the sleeve of his black hoodie and whispered something to him.
"Ah, right. Is there some place with fresh water near here? We've been walking for over a day."
[gah, consecutive shorties...I'm sorry v.v]
TheAppleStar
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Posted: Mon Nov 25, 2013 12:58 pm
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Segare's grip tightened on his sword as he heard the same sound as Luo did. Someone approaching, and not from the direction of the village. He immediately shifted his position to face halfway in that direction, but besides that didn't change his posture. Until the source was identified there was little reason to. People were still arriving, and they came from many different directions, though the degree of noise implied it was more likely a large animal, possibly one of the pandas or a particularly clumsy tiger. He rather hoped it wasn't the latter.
His caution turned out to be unwarranted as a small group of people tumbled out of the bamboo, rapidly filling their small clearing to a rather uncomfortable degree. Segare backed off as far as he could without leaving the clearing entirely, just to get some breathing room. Luckily the four newcomers didn't seem bothered by the tight quarters, as they all seemed to be clumping to each other anyways. He didn't, however, relax his grip on his sword just yet.
As Luo took the initiative to respond to the man's queries, Segare instead took the time to examine the man himself, quickly dismissing the girls as inconsequential. Their behavior, and really, their builds, didn't mark them a threat, but the man was a bit stronger, and seemed to be the leader of the... Clump. He appeared about the same age as Segare himself, which he took as encouraging, assuming he was coming as a new member of the village, but he didn't really look all that threatening himself either. His statements though caused Segare to finally relax fully, and explained his less... Bulky? Physique.
"Ashllyn? When they sent me the name I expected a woman." Segare cut in, eyebrows raised a bit as surprise tinged his tone. Less than masculine build, less than masculine name. Good thing he had been contacted for a less than masculine job, anyways. "The medical facilities are straight that way." he said, to answer the man's question, pointing his sword directly behind where he and Luo had previously stood, before finally returning to weapon to it's sheath. "I believe there is a barrel of clean water there.
Smiling kindly, Segare stepped forward the half a step required to put himself back within arms reach other the other man, and held out his freed hand to him. "I'm Segare, one of the founders of this little group, and the man with me is Luo, one of the others. I trust any professional meetings we have from now on will be in my capacity, and not your own." he said with a chuckle, stepping back again a moment later, whether the man shook his hand or not.
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❖ Chakra: [72/72]
Should note, Luo is the youngest person in this thread. Well, character. RPC?
Posted: Tue Nov 26, 2013 6:12 pm
Enryu || E-rank ||
Always vigilant, it was no surprise Enryu heard voices carry out of the clearing. He stopped almost abruptly and slowly crouched, his eyes trained in the direction of the voices. As carefully as he could Enryu navigated the straits of bamboo until he could see a figure through the field of emerald rods. The distance between himself and the clearing was a good five meters, enough for him to hear their conversation. Their voices were clear now and he immediately determined there were two separate parties interacting.
Lean young male
Enryu happened to be just out of the left peripheral of the young man wearing a large golden bracelet. He was armed with an masterfully crafted blade and held the weapon tightly. Past this man were four individuals, another young man and three young girls. None of them were visibly armed or very threatening. The nature of their conversation didn't make the confrontation sound like a robbery, an observation quickly confirmed by the armed man identifying himself as a founder of the camp judging by his knowledge of the camp. He also identified another person by the name of Luo who was located behind a collection of bamboo tall enough to obstruct him from Eryu's line of sight.
Rather than move to make his presence known, Enryu resolved to remain still and observe the sequence of events. He was in no hurry to make himself known to either founder especially in such a small space.
Statistics Chakra: 15/15 Jutsu Crafter || Combo Wellness: Prime
Equipment:
Short Sword: [<1>] - [] Small Scroll: [<1>] - [< Right pocket>]
Ashllyn's eyes watched the sword holding man all the while, making sure he wouldn't be a danger to his family. The last thing he wanted was to have them be in danger because of his idiocy. He'd been able to avoid all the dangerous animals on the way there due to the certain ability he had been born with, but with the few feet separating the girls from these men, there would be little to no time in order to get them to safety. The Akarima male's brow furrowed as Segare said he was expecting a woman.
"Yeah, I get that a lot."
The girls behind him were giggling, and he swatted a hand at them to get them to be quiet. Unfortunately, it didn't work and only succeeded in making them laugh at him more. He sighed and gave up. He nodded to the sword-holder as he was pointed in the direction of the Medical area, but didn't seem to relax as the sword was put away. Something was off, and Ashllyn seemed the only one to register it so far. The girls seemed happy about hearing there was water, and began to move in the direction they were pointed to, leaving Ashllyn with the men, and all their bags.
"Ah, well, looks like they are a little eager to get there."
The Medical Shinobi packed on the bags again before looking back and shaking Segare's hand firmly. "I actually have a few questions for you guys when we're all settled in and you have the time. I took this job on a one-sided information basis. Oh, and you have a bit more company other than me." He released the man's hand and pointed to Enryu's position. Ah, he was thankful for his abilities at times like this. It made it extremely difficult for others to sneak up on him.
[Well, he doesn't have a profile up to tell his age so I was just guessing he was older >_>''' Sorry.]
Posted: Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:48 am
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"Well, he wasn't exactly quiet about it." Segare answered, smirking slightly. He wasn't sure if Ashlynn's notice was meant to impress or not, but given that the man hiding nearby had been making quite a lot of noise for the last few minutes, well, it wasn't overly impressive. "Well, I have some things to take care of, so I'll let you and Luo hash out any questions you have. Luo, I guess we'll have to postpone for a bit. Perhaps tomorrow?"
Without waiting for a reply from either individual, Segare stepped back another half a step into the brush, giving a slightly exaggerated bow in parting, and vanished, his body melting away into a passing breeze, ruffling the sparse leaves on the nearby bamboo.
Only to reappear a mere moment later, suspended upside down above the spy's head, legs wrapped lazily around a thick stalk of bamboo to hold himself up, and arms tucked behind his head as his vision panned lazily across the interloper. "It's not nice to spy you know." he spoke, voice a lazy drawl. "Especially not on people who can hear you coming from a mile away, and kill you in an instant. Not wise at all."
Returning to silence for a moment, Segare examined the newcomer. Much older than most of the villagers so far, large masculine build, and, for some reason, carrying cut off pieces of bamboo. He had to guess this was Enryu, a slightly older man who had arrive a few days ago, but not yet introduced himself to the council, not that many seemed to bother do that anyways.
"So, care to tell me why you're hiding in a thicket over here?" He didn't really show it, but Segare was a bit irritated at his private meeting with Luo having been disrupted. Of all the miles of forest, these people had to pick their little area to wander through. And considering the plans he'd had for their little duel, it couldn't exactly be a public event. He was just glad the interruptions came before they started so they didn't have to quit in the middle.
๑๑๑๑As Ashllyn revealed his name and reasons for being in the area, Luo couldn't help the ends of his mouth curling slightly upwards as Segare spoke. It was true, even Luo had been expecting a woman with the name he was given. As he and Segare seemed to get a dialogue going, Luo stood with his arms folded gently over his chest. Unlike Segare, Luo hadn't felt the least threatened by the situation. Cautious, yes. Wary, as always. But on edge, he was not. It was rare for an Ushio to be placed on edge, their demeanor seemed to in general depict a calmness that was at times situationally incorrect. However it was more than that of course, and it was something he was sure Segare had taken note of. He had doubt the three girls were any trouble at all, and with Ashlynn being the only one capable out of the group, it wouldn't have been hard for Segare and Luo to take care of the situation.
The young Ushio's mind began to wander however, his interest waning with every passing second. It wasn't until his name was directly mentioned that Luo checked in mentally. From what he caught and the bits and pieces his ears caught as he retreated into the confines of his own thoughts, Segare was leaving and just as well leaving things here to Luo. With a slight sigh, Luo nodded towards Segare as he took his leave. It wasn't until then that he'd remembered something his ears had picked up earlier about an intruder, solving the mystery for Luo as to why he left so abruptly. Turning his attention to the man in front of him, Luo unfolded his arms and nodded towards the man. Since he was young, Luo had always had a bit of an issue with physical contact, and it mainly had to do with non-family members. It was rare and even a sign of trust for Luo to offer his hand to someone in greeting or in passing, and he found it difficult to keep a comfortable level of personal space when meeting new people in the village every day. As respectful of the elderly as well as seasoned shinobi Luo was, he found people did not take kindly to being denied a hand shake from a teenager with a lofty goal. Still, his station in the village allowed him the luxury of excluding that courtesy from enough people to give him some peace of mind.
"So Ashlynn, you had some questions you needed answered? Depending on what they are, I should be able to help clear most if not all things up for you." Luo's height aided in the fact that he was of course younger than the person standing in front of him, quite possibly the same age as one of the newcomer's sisters. Waiting patiently for a reply, Luo's hair drifted towards his left in a light breeze which brought with it a slight chill. The mountains around them seemed to carry down with them a bite in the air that sometimes passed through the area for quite some time. The nights were by no means unbearable, but they were certainly cold at times, and bound to get colder as the season went on. Hopefully, the village would be prepared enough for what was to come.
