This was the moment she had been dreading since she had made her way to the village earlier that day. She had made her way around the village both above and below ground nearly twice over, the pretense of thinking of what to say to her parents fading from her mind with every step she took. Her feet were sore and her muscles ached from the ceaseless pacing down side streets and through market squares. She could no longer put it off any further.
With a deep breath, she passed through the gate that lead into the Oushi-Ouja section of the Toraono Clan home. As to be expected of such a large and prodigious clan, the compound was vast and housed many individuals, the section for the Oushi-Ouja was not as grand. By comparison with their sister branches, the Oushi-Ouja halls were large, yet sparse and utilitarian. The lives the individuals lead here were not grand nor elaborate, but there was a comforting simplicity that helped Suzume's tensions slowly fade as she walked down the interior of the large hallways.
Last she had heard, the clan's numbers were nearly at thirty, and yet their holdings of the land here were as vast as the Byakko, this lead to larger rooms and even longer hallways than most others who frequented the Toraono district. Lit torches illuminated the long halls where no light bulbs were to be found. There were some in the rooms of course, but Suzume had recalled a small bit of comfort knowing she had no chance of shattering torches from their sconces. The thought brought her a chuckle but one that was fleeting. It felt like an eternity ago, even though it had scarcely been a month.
Suzume looked down to her hands, still foreign to her, wondering silently to herself if she even had a home here to come back to...
With a deep breath, she passed through the gate that lead into the Oushi-Ouja section of the Toraono Clan home. As to be expected of such a large and prodigious clan, the compound was vast and housed many individuals, the section for the Oushi-Ouja was not as grand. By comparison with their sister branches, the Oushi-Ouja halls were large, yet sparse and utilitarian. The lives the individuals lead here were not grand nor elaborate, but there was a comforting simplicity that helped Suzume's tensions slowly fade as she walked down the interior of the large hallways.
Last she had heard, the clan's numbers were nearly at thirty, and yet their holdings of the land here were as vast as the Byakko, this lead to larger rooms and even longer hallways than most others who frequented the Toraono district. Lit torches illuminated the long halls where no light bulbs were to be found. There were some in the rooms of course, but Suzume had recalled a small bit of comfort knowing she had no chance of shattering torches from their sconces. The thought brought her a chuckle but one that was fleeting. It felt like an eternity ago, even though it had scarcely been a month.
Suzume looked down to her hands, still foreign to her, wondering silently to herself if she even had a home here to come back to...