[OOC: This is just a short post, to fill in that scene with Natasha that I forgot to write. I'm so sorry. ^_^;]

It was mid-afternoon and still, the air was as ice. Namame would have been cold, if not for his furs; the temptation to use his chi to drive the temperature away was almost overwhelming, but logic prevented him from doing so. After all, his chi would be a beacon for anyone who might want to reach the miko. And he and the others, as seishi, would also be targets for the followers of the new 'religion'...

He knew all to well the intensity of their so-called faith... Back in Ara, it had only been his family's influence that had stopped the persecution from reaching him. Only a few had been aware of his marking when he was a child, but that information had spread once the zealots had become more numerous and hostile.

Genbu, why couldn't they be more reasonable? He could sense the walls around their minds from across the town. It wasn't even worth the effort to argue with them.

Thankfully, his escort did not follow the new religion. They were not very fond of the old either, but at least they were willing to accept him for who he was, rather than simply label him as something inferior because of his religious practices. Of course, he still carried the label of "boss", "leader", and so on, but... that was better than the alternatives.

Namame leaned back against the doorframe with a sigh, his gaze trailing along the snowdrifts to the gates. They had been left partially open in preparation for Natasha's arrival, but he could not see through the opening from where he stood. Not that he couldn't tell what was going on, regardless - just a few moments ago, he had seen the guards pass the signal to Kori that someone was approaching, and that could only be one person. If it had been an enemy, things would be far more... exciting.

Just as he thought, Natasha's form slipped through the gates a few minutes later, distinctive thanks to his unusual shade of hair. The guards immediately secured the entrance as he had ordered, hardly giving the gypsy enough time to move out of the way before they began pushing the massive gates shut and setting up the security system that Kori had devised their first night at the temple. It looked like a tangle of ropes from his vantage point, but it wouldn't be the first idea his captain had come up with that turned out to be more effective than it looked.

Well, time to grit his teeth and play the part of host; he still wasn't particularly fond of his new guest, but maybe that would change in time. For now, he couldn't be rude... They would have to be able to get along if they were going to protect their miko.

"Welcome," Namame said softly as Natasha clamped up the steps to meet him at the door. He didn't seem to be carrying much, aside from a bundle of cloth under one arm that he assumed was something for Kiyuki, but no matter. He had enough supplies to last until Tolan and beyond, if necessary.

Natasha nodded to him, his expression neutral. "Are the others inside?" he asked, glancing toward the doors.

"Yes. But before you go..." His companion paused, and Namame straightened, pushing away from the wall with one hand. "Something seems to be bothering you. You had a few qualms about your role as a seishi; I don't mean to pry, but if you are not ready to take on this responsibility, we should know about it. I'm sure you understand."

It was as close as he would go to asking Natasha about what he had sensed back in the wagon... he did not know the other well enough yet to be blunt. And perhaps he didn't have any right to ask such a thing, but if something was going to interfere with Natasha's dedication to his task, they might as well know. Namame himself intended to make his situation very clear to the others, so there wouldn't be any surprises. He expected the others to do the same.

"I'll be fine," was Natasha's curt response. "I will not let my problems interfere with Kiyuki as long as she's under my protection. You don't have anything to worry about."

Namame said nothing as he watched the other seishi go in, noting with interest the tightness around his eyes. So he hated leaving the caravan, did he? It was understandable... surely he had family there. But he wondered... Kita was hiding something, but whatever it was, it seemed to be superceded by his feelings for Kiyuki at the moment. It looked as if Natasha might end up being the weak link of the group... with misgivings about traveling to Tolan and leaving his family, how much could he really be trusted?

//Then again,// Namame thought to himself... //What reason do they have to trust me...?//

He was probably just being paranoid again. With a slight shrug, Namame turned and slipped through the doors. Time to return to the others. Natasha and Kita could be dealt with later.