[OOC: Picking up where the others left off... Double slashes '//' indicate a flashback or memory. I'm SO SORRY for butchering Seikage and Nishi. ^^;]

//A seishi!// Soune's eyes widened, and her hand flew to her mouth. //A seishi, here? That must mean...// What luck was this? Just as she had been thinking about an old friend, another seishi appeared. Was it Genbu, after all? Was there any truth to those old legends that he had told her about when she was younger?

The symbol disappeared from the woman's arm, but the vision of it seemed to be imprinted in her mind. "You're one of the celestial warriors..." She blurted it out before she could think better of it, something she hadn't done for a long time. A big mouth could get a girl in trouble in the women's quarters. "What is a servant of Byakko doing... here...? No wonder..."

She reached over to touch the faint remnant of light that her captor's symbol had left behind, but the seishi grabbed her wrist. "That isn't a concern of yours, my lady."

Now that was something she didn't like - being told what to do or think. If she had to obey her husband, she certainly would not be ordered about by someone who seemed nearly her own age. "It /is/ my concern if you are going to involve me in... whatever it is you are doing." She tugged at her wrist, biting her lip. "You might as well let go... The guards won't believe me for a moment if we're sitting here like this."

The seishi released her wrist, and Soune turned to the other quickly, curiosity overtaking her apprehension. Did she have two Byakko seishi before her, or was this just a normal boy? And what in the name of Genbu were they doing in the palace?

"Why are you here?" she asked finally, turning back to the woman beside her. Only a few moments had passed, but she had to be quick, or the guards would arrive before she had a chance to gather any information. "You don't seem to have bad intentions..." That was true enough, at least the way she saw it. If they were thieves or worse, she wouldn't be alive right now. And in any case, why would a seishi, even if she was from Sailo, mean any harm to her?

"It doesn't matter, my lady. Please don't concern yourself with us." The seishi's voice was polite, but firm. "Please just ask the guards to leave, and we will be on our way."

"I won't expose you - I am not a supporter of the new religion!" There wasn't much time; she wanted so badly to ask her question, yet if she could not even get a straight answer out of her now... "Please. If you tell me, I can lead you to your destination safely, and make sure the guards do not bother you." She looked to the seishi's companion, and back again. "No one else need be involved. Please."

The seishi leveled a gaze at her that nearly froze Soune's heart, it was so intent. But it was a thoughtful gaze, and a faint ray of hope broke through her nervousness. Faintly, she heard the sound of boots marching on the wooden floors, and she bit her lip again, almost hard enough to draw blood. All she needed was one word - just a simple answer...

"Fine." The seishi didn't seem happy about it, but her words were a welcome sound. "We are here to see Lord Jizen. If you would be kind enough to show us to his rooms, we would be grateful."

Interesting... Couldn't Lord Jizen's guests use the front door like everyone else?

She had no sooner opened her mouth to respond when the door flew open and the palace guard flooded into the room, each with a spear leveled at the two intruders. Mirage's face appeared in the doorway as well, peeking in and looking for all the world like a child who was trying too hard to spy on someone. The seishi tensed beside her, and the boy next to her jumped away from the wall, but they held their ground.

Secretly, Soune was just a tad impressed. The Palace Guard had terrified her during her first few weeks in the capitol... although she was quite a bit smaller than the other two. They could be so intimidating, with how tall and bulky they all seemed to be.

"Stand down." Her voice was small and quiet in the presence of so many people. She slid to the ground and arranged her robes calmly, doing her best to fit into the role she was supposed to play as Lord Liu's wife. "They are guests here in the palace - they mean no harm. Please go back to your posts."

The guard captain blinked at her, his expression disbelieving. "But, my lady..."

"Please leave us." She gestured for Mirage to come out of hiding, and the maid did so reluctantly, casting a suspicious glance at her new 'companions'. "You've done your job admirably, but my maid was mistaken. Please be on your way."

The captain had no choice but to bow and take his leave, and as soon as the door closed behind the last soldier, Soune turned back to the seishi. Mirage hovered behind her as if using her as a shield, and she wondered just what use her maid was supposed to be if she was more fearful than her mistress. Though she guessed that Mirage would be of some use should the boy behind them try anything...

"Lord Jizen is likely housed in the eastern wing. If you follow me there, I can have one of the servants show you to his rooms." The seishi nodded, and Soune started walking back the way she had come, hoping the shrine's caretaker would still be present when she finally got around to making a trip to the temple. She hadn't exactly planned this little sidetrip, but... "Tell me," shse began, turning her head slightly in the direction of the woman at her side. "Have you met any other seishi in your travels? I've been searching for a friend of mine, but I do not know where he has gone since... then."

"I'm afraid not, my lady." The seishi's voice was still cautious, but kinder, or at least softer. Was she finally relaxing? "I have not met any of Byakko, and I'm afraid I would not know a Genbu seishi as easily."

"You know a Genbu seishi?"

Soune halted and turned around to look at the boy - though that wasn't really an accurate description, since he might be older than she is. What had the Byakko seishi called him? "Nishi, right?" He nodded, his eyes lit up with an enthusiasm she hadn't seen in anyone around the palace, not even her maids. "Yes. He used to spend summers near my home, a long time ago, and I haven't been able to find him again."

"Was he strong?" Nishi spoke quickly, seemed even more set on finding this information than she. But that suited her just fine - finally, someone else who at least showed an interest in helping her. "I've sensed others - maybe one of them was him."

She blinked for a moment, silent. Sensed 'others'... "You're a seishi as well?" he hardly had time to nod before she clasped his hands and exclaimed, "That's wonderful! What's your name? No wonder you didn't look like you were very cold - he always did the same thing!"

"My lady!" Mirage's plea went ignored - who cared how proper it was to touch someone she didn't know? It was a seishi; that was different.

"H-Hatsui," he replied hesitantly, looking a little embarassed. "No one really calls me that, though..."

//"Of course there are others - Tomite, Inami, Urumiya, Hatsui..." He smiled, and pointed to the night sky. "That constallation right there is 'tsuki'..."//

Soune smiled sunnily, feeling cheerier than she had in months, if ever. This had definitely been an amazing stroke of luck. "Will you tell him I'm looking for him, if you happen to meet him? I've wanted to find him for so long that I can't just let a chance like this pass... Will you, please?"

Hatsui nodded, seeming to finally get over his surprise, but he still looked as embarassed as ever. She released his hands with a blush as he replied. "What is his name?"

"He is Kouru, from a merchant family - his seishi name is Namame."