"And I believe one of them would be your own son, Hiruma Yoshi-sama. Congratulations on his wedding, lord. I am sure that with his wife, they will strengthen our ties with the Phoenix and lead the Crab into a new age of glory."

"One can hope, one can hope. I worry for my son though, he would heave done well to be born a Phoenix, Crane, or Dragon. He would have brought art, beauty and honor to his family. It is a pity he was born a crab, born to a life of sorrow, and loss. For who hin the empire has lost more than my family."

"Your loss is shared by us all, Hiruma Yoshi-sama. Far be it from me to make light of the Hiruma, but a wedding is a joyous occasion, and at the very least, it guarantees that the line of the Great Hunter will continue. Perhaps maybe his new wife will, in some small way, begin to offset the suffering you have had to bear..."

Saryon rose from his kneeling, still keeping his head tilted downwards.

"Yes, my lord. I, of all people, should know that. I make no excuses for my performance, as you would expect none. I will go about my...other duties."

Saryon then whispered so that only he and his lord could here.

"Upon my entrance, I couldn't help but notice you speaking with the other nobles. If you don't mind, would have happen to have an idea on who might be a good prey for a good Scorpion? For a Scorpion hungers for many things, knowledge being one of it's favorite meals."

"You've been given your task already, complete it and then we'll talk about your next mission."

When his flowery exposition met with no response, Nadare bowed in deference and slowly backed away from the former Hiruma daimyo.

"I shall not disturb you anymore, my lord."

Disengaging from the Hiruma's retinue, Nadare cursed his rotten luck when he turned to see Mutsuye's father watching the intense duel between Hitomi and Noboru. An idea came to Nadare's head, and with as much speed as seemed proper, he made his way to the Phoenix.

"Good evening, Isawa-san. I trust you are enjoying the festivities?"

The isawa bowed to the knealing crab.

"I believe you are the best competition my daughter's yojimbo has."

"Shiba Noboru-san? He seems very good at what he does, although his defensiveness is unusual for someone of his age. Far be it from me to speak poorly of your daughter's guardian, but he seems overly protective of her."

"I'd be more worried if he wasn't protective. Noboru-san has gaurded my daughters very well, I have no ill to speak of him."

"What in particular do you like about him, Isawa-sama?"