A provisional magistrate of the Unicorn had not heard that a battle had been fought on his lord's border. The war is not being reported to the people it is happening to.
A Lion Clan shugenja came to Shiba Midori with a problem of observance: the people are not tending the kami properly and she wants that fixed. Shiba Midori won the shugenja competition at the Topaz Championship, which is why the question came to her. She answered it in the register of a campaign. If it is urgent, treat it as urgent: assign it, resource it, work it. She proposed exchanges between the clans' shrines, and proposed reframing the tending of a shrine as a tribute owed to victorious ancestors rather than a chore of piety. The Lion had not expected a Phoenix to talk that way, and the reframing landed, because it is a Lion argument made about a Phoenix subject.
In the courtyard the other conversation was going worse. Lion Clan samurai had Bayushi Monban with blades out. A Monk walked into it with the Dragon teaching — neither shall I — and offered to take one blow for every blow they gave, which put the Lion in a position where continuing meant beating a monk who had done nothing to anybody. Shiba Midori stepped in beside him. The samurai stalled on the arithmetic. The code that had them drawing swords was the same code that would not let them swing.
Then Shinjo Mono arrived: young, swarthy, foreign blood in him, curly hair pulled to a topknot, a thin trimmed beard, and a provisional magistrate's authority. Doji Setsuna rode Kogarashi across his line of sight to be noticed, and was. She asked whose man he was. A Shinjo, he said — the uncle of Shinjo Harunobu. She observed that his lord holds border security for a stretch of country that has just had a battle fought across it. Shinjo Mono had not heard about the battle.
He asked about the horse. She told him it was a wedding gift from her husband, Shinjo Harunobu, and advised him to be careful what he asked and of whom. Then the party turned for the Castle of the Swift Sword.
Setsuna
Shinjo Mono's lord is Shinjo Harunobu's uncle. That is the first connection to her husband's family she has met in person rather than written to, and he is an Emerald Magistrate's provisional — Imperial service, not clan service, which means he can be spoken to without it being a Crane approaching a Unicorn.
He also did not know a battle had been fought on his own lord's border. Word is not reaching the Unicorn officers on the ground. When she asks the Unicorn about the prisoners, silence will more likely mean ignorance than refusal.
Timeline
Shrine Duty and Intervention - A Lion Clan shugenja asked Shiba Midori, winner of the Topaz Championship shugenja competition, to help ensure people properly tended to the kami. Shiba Midori argued for a pragmatic, urgent approach, used a military metaphor, suggested cultural exchanges, and reframed shrine-tending as honoring victorious ancestors. Later, A Monk intervened on behalf of Bayushi Monban as samurai assaulted him, invoking the Dragon teaching 'Neither shall I,' offering to take blows in Monban's stead; Shiba Midori joined and a Lion Clan samurai reacted with confusion.
Shugenja Petition to Midori - A Lion Clan shugenja woman asked Shiba Midori to help ensure people properly tended to the kami. Midori argued the Lion Clan needed a pragmatic, urgent approach, used a military metaphor, suggested cultural exchanges, and reframed shrine-tending as honoring victorious ancestors.
- Lion Clan Shugenja Petition - A Lion Clan shugenja woman asked Shiba Midori, winner of the Topaz Championship shugenja competition, to help ensure people properly tended to the kami.
Monk Intervenes for Monban - A Monk approached samurai assaulting Bayushi Monban, invoked the Dragon teaching 'Neither shall I,' and offered to take a blow for each blow Monban received. Shiba Midori joined the intervention and a Lion Clan samurai reacted with confusion.
- Midori’s Pragmatic Appeal - Shiba Midori argued the Lion Clan needed a pragmatic, urgent approach to attend the kami, used a military metaphor that surprised the Lion Clan shugenja, suggested cultural exchanges, and reframed shrine-tending as honoring victorious ancestors.
Shinjo Mono and Doji Setsuna - Shinjo Mono, a young swarthy Unicorn Clan with foreign blood, approached Doji Setsuna while mounted on Kogarashi, a conspicuous courser, apparently to draw Setsuna to her. Doji Setsuna identified Mono's rank as a provisional magistrate and asked his lord; Mono stated his lord was a Shinjo who was Shinjo Harunobu's uncle. Setsuna noted that Mono's lord handled border security in a particular area; Mono was surprised by her knowledge and appeared unaware of a recent battle there. Mono remarked on Kogarashi and questioned Setsuna's familiarity; Setsuna said the horse was a wedding gift, identified her spouse as Shinjo Harunobu, and advised Mono to exercise discretion in his questioning.
Mono's Approach and Identification - Shinjo Mono approached Doji Setsuna, mounted on Kogarashi, to draw him to her. Doji Setsuna recognized Mono as a provisional magistrate and asked which lord he served; Mono said his lord was a Shinjo who was Shinjo Harunobu's uncle.
- Monk Intervenes on Behalf of Monban - A Monk approached samurai assaulting Bayushi Monban, a Scorpion Clan samurai, invoked the Dragon teaching “Neither shall I,” offered to take a blow for each blow Monban received, and Shiba Midori joined as a Lion Clan samurai reacted with confusion.
- Mono’s Arrival and Approach - Shinjo Mono, a young swarthy Unicorn Clan with some foreign blood, curly hair forced into a topknot and a thin trimmed beard, approached as Doji Setsuna, a former provisional magistrate, conspicuously mounted Kogarashi, a white Crane Clan-bred courser with a silver mane and tail, to draw him to her.
Border Security and Marriage - Doji Setsuna noted that Mono's stated lord handled border security in a specific area; Mono appeared surprised by her knowledge and unaware a battle had recently been fought and lost there. Mono asked about Setsuna's familiarity with Kogarashi; Setsuna said the horse was a wedding gift, identified her spouse as Shinjo Harunobu, and advised Mono to exercise discretion in his questioning.
- Setsuna Identifies Rank and Lord - Doji Setsuna recognized Shinjo Mono as a provisional magistrate and asked his lord; Shinjo Mono stated his lord was a Shinjo who was Shinjo Harunobu’s uncle.
- Border Security Gap Revealed - Doji Setsuna noted that Shinjo Mono’s stated lord handled border security in a specific area; Shinjo Mono was surprised by her knowledge and appeared unaware a battle had recently been fought and lost there.
- Marriage Connection Disclosed - Shinjo Mono remarked on Kogarashi and questioned Doji Setsuna’s familiarity; Doji Setsuna said the horse was a wedding gift, identified her spouse as Shinjo Harunobu, and then advised Shinjo Mono to exercise discretion in his questioning.