Chapter 1
Takara smelled the flower in her hand before carefully placing it among the others in the vase with a sigh. Nyoko would be back from training soon. Takara could easily predict how the return of her daughter would pass, Nyoko would skip in, happy as usual. Then her father, Pantyhose, would stalk in and begin complaining about how their daughter had no respect for "tradition".
Takara shook her head, she wished her husband had been able to change his name when he was younger. Then, maybe, he would be more open-minded and less hooked on tradition.
There was a slight creak and Takara turned to see the shadowy figure of her daughter standing in the doorway. Nyoko was dressed as usual, a deep blue tunic tied at the waist with a green sash; tan, loose pants tapered at the ankle and gray scaled wrist bands similar to those her father used to wear.
Takara smiled and hugged her daughter, "How did your training with Master Hibiki go today, dear?" Nyoko smiled, her eyes lighting up. They look just like her father's thought Takara,
"It was fine mother! Mr. Sautome came along," Nyoko smiled and pushed her long, braided hair over her shoulder.
"Where's your father?"
Nyoko's face brightened again, "Oh! Arguing with Mr. Sautome again. He's going to take Tasumeka on a training trip and said I could go too! Oh, please, Mom, can I go? Dad doesn't want me to, he says I should study with him, but I really want to!"
Takara considered a moment, "Well," she hesitated,
"Please?"
"I suppose if Ukyou is trusting her son to go, so can you."
Nyoko squealed in joy and hugged her mother again, "Oh! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Now where is this little journey headed?" Takara asked as her daughter started out to spread the good news.
Nyoko turned and winked, "The Quing Hai province in China,"
Chapter 2
"Are you even sure where camp is?" Nyoko asked, pushing through the last of some thick bamboo to join Tasumeka at the edge of a cliff.
Tasumeka scratched at an eyebrow and brushed a stray piece of lack hair out of his eyes, "Of course I can find my way back!"
Nyoko squinted into the distance, "I see a house. We can probably get directions there, are at least find out where we are." she started climbing down the cliff,
"There is a path down," Tasumeka said dryly, following her down. He groaned as his tunic caught on a rock and tore, "Mom won't be happy about that one."
"Oh, worry about Ukyou-San later! We have to find our way back to Mister Sautome first." she hopped down to a thin ledge and motioned for him to follow, "Come on, if we go down this ledge, we hit the path right where is stops being so steep"
