Seeking Guidance
24 August 1998
by O'donna Dean

It was good to be with her friends and companions again. She had enjoyed her time home with her family, and being able to attend court this winter, but it felt good to be out in the world exploring again. She was driven to be as good in battle as her sister someday, and being out here was the only way to do that.

She had heard of the monks at the Temple of Osano-Wo, but she had never met any. They seemed in tune with themselves and with their surroundings. Marako and her companions didn't seem to bother them that much, except some of them were giving Ishi strange looks. She wondered if she would ever find out why.

Ishi kept a lot to himself and he was the only one that she had problems figuring out. That was probably because he was a ronin.

"I would like to investigate what is going on in Forest Shadow City." Naoki said.

"I am honor bound to go with Ozaki-san into the Shadowlands to find his family's sword." Jinjiro proclaimed.

"I feel that we should ask the fortunes which way to go." Marako verbalized.

"If we are to ask the fortunes we should come up with a place to go and then ask the fortunes if it is the right place," Ishi articulated, "And I have always wanted to find the Shinsei Shrine."

" I also have wanted to know if it actually exists." Naoki declared.

"I still feel that I am honor bound to go into the Shadowlands but if this is what everyone wants I will agree." Jinjiro stated.

"Takehai, what do you think?" Marako uttered.

"We can learn no matter where we go." Takehai remarked.

"I agree. Shinsei Shrine it is." Marako said.

So Jinjiro sat down to write an epic poem as a gift to the fortunes and then wrote at the bottom were the group had decided to go. When he was through they all signed it and gave it to Takehai so he could pray to the fortunes. No answer came forth. Marako hoped that they had not angered them somehow.