Brazen Wolfe Tabletop

Silent Wanderer

224WeSiWa

The halls were filled with noise, gossip from the families servants and guards all talking about the presumptuous arrival of the Harimasu heiress and the wounded and weary people that travelled with her. Hana didn’t see that, she saw her family and hopeful salvation. As she crept along the hallway, keeping to the shadows and doorways she watched the visitors from a distance away.

Her cousin seemed well, the foreigners she kept around here seemed strong, she even thought the powerful suited them as they walked with no sign of the conflict that she had heard about.

“You’re saying that that princess and her pets defeated a Nat army? Lead by an elder?” She heard muttered from one doorway over, peering across she saw one of the ladies of the house, one of the soldiers wives if she wasn’t mistaken.

“Yeah, we found the bodies on our patrol the day after they got here. Either the Nat’s had a turf war and the Harimasu girl came in and mopped up the fighters after they were tired or she has an army hiding in the woods outside of our lands. Either way we are to keep an eye on them, especially the foreigners.” The man who was leaning against the doorframe next to the gossiper replied, sipping from a cup of warmed alcohol. “Regardless of orders I wouldn’t trust what they have to say. I heard that the horses they brought with them were stolen from Reagent Toshio’s daughters very own escort. I knew the Harimasu family was corrupt.” the man spat onto the ground to emphasise his point.

Hana clenched her teeth at hearing the lies and if it wasn’t for her standing in the family she would correct the gossips right away, but she had learnt over the last few years that she needed to watch what she did, as she didn’t have a voice to stand-up for herself in these walls.

Moving from the doorway she followed the Harimasu party through the halls, carrying a pile of dirty linen as a way of trying to look like she was going about her daily duties. As she turned a corner down a hallway that the people went down she came face to face with the foreigners who greeted her, smiling briefly she bowed and rushed past them hiding her face from Kyoko as she rushed to deposit the dirty laundry.

Hana sighed, about the only noise she could make, as she reached the room and opened the door to the heated room. Metal pipes lead to the hot springs below and through some artifice working a lever would see that hot water enter the room and the steel basins so she could wash the fabric she unceremoniously dumped onto the floor. Looking out a window she could see the stables nearby, the wagon that was once would have been part of a caravan stood near the few horses that were lined up in the stables. She had seen the creature and rough looking people moving around the caravan, and in and out of it over the last day but it appeared that they were ignored by most other people which she found odd. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t hear the door open and close behind her.

“Have these washed for dinner” she heard as she snapped out of her thoughts. Turning she saw one of the heads of staff for the family house. Who sighed “Lost in thoughts again Sasha..” the older lady sighed. Hana, who didn’t understand why everyone had suddenly started to call her Sasha, around the same time her voice disappeared, looking around to make sure there wasn’t someone else here the head of staff sighed. “You, yes you maid. Make sure you wash these clothes for Lady Harimasu and her guest. Lord Toshio’s wife is returning tonight and it’s been requested that everything is ready for dinner for our guests.”

As the lady finished her instructions she left Hana alone in the room to hold Kyoko’s and the parties clothes. Smiling he saw hope, since that woman arrived, her voice disappeared and people forgot who she was Hana had lived in constant fear and worry of that woman. Kyoko visiting gave her an opportunity, one that meant her freedom if she could play her cards right and maybe in some time her voice and her identity would return to her.