Ryoji smiled as he found amusement in his own situation. Poking at dirty corners of the small shrine with a wet cloth on the end of a bo staff trying to clean it up without moving his feet from the newly dirtied floor. Occasionally he would smile and wink to the village children who would peak in the door to quietly giggle at the silly priest.

After an hour or so, the pain in his back, shoulders and arms began to wear on him. Fortunately he was done with all the work that could be done with a rag and stick, the inside of the shrine was looking quite nice all things considered. He sat on the bucket, not moving his feet and took a rice ball and bottle of water out of one of his satchels for an early lunch, hoping Kiku would come soon so he could get more work done.

Kikaku had been avoiding this since yesterday during the accounment that he would be serving under the younger lion.

i suppose i should just get it over with. thinks Kikaku as he heads towards the shrine in the village.

Standing at the entrance of the shrin Kikaku watches the Lion as he works.

"Greetings Lion-sama" says Kikaku in his gruff voice, as he adjusts his eye patch.

Ryoji takes a sip of water to wash down his rice ball as he turns to see Kikaku, greeting him with a friendly smile.

“Good afternoon, I’m afraid we haven’t been introduced, I am Kitsu Ryoji, priest and servant of the Lion Clan and now the Jade Hand Legion.”

He sets the bottle down and stands awkwardly, giving a short bow to the ronin.

Kikaku replies " i am Kikaku, Priest of the Kami."

The young Kitsu studies the man before him for several moments, contemplating his words and appearance, his smile fades and his look becomes very critical, his friendly voice changing to formality.

“You are a wave-man and a priest? Were you never formally trained in speaking to the kami?”

" i have training." Kikakus tone says he will probly not eleborate further. " i have been assinged to assist you with in the Jade Hand."

He scratches his chin with a thoughtful, if slightly displeased frown.

“Very well.”

He paused again, thoughtfully.

“Do you have any particular skills or areas of experience I should be aware of, Kikaku-san?”

"i have some skill with the healing arts." Kikaku says in his ever gruff tone.

Ryoji nods and his smile returns.

“Good, I imagine once we start clearing the town we will be in high demand. How strong are your martial skills?”

"i fight mostly with my bo and magic, although i have skill with my wakizashi, being a wave-man as you have pointed out, it is important to know how to defend ones self." thre is no malice in Kikakus tone, just a simple truth.

He nods and sits again on his cleaning bucket.

“Very good, I’m sure Kiku-hime will be pleased.”

“At this time I have little to ask of you here, I am very hands on and as long as I have the time I am happy to oversee the shrine myself, it is very small and I see no need to bother anyone else with such duty at this time.”

He shifts as he looks around the shrine, pleased with what work he has done.

“We are entrusted with seeing to the welfare of those here, which I feel includes mental and spiritual concerns as well as physical, especially considering the enemy we fight. I simply ask that you make yourself available to the Legion to do so and report any incidents you find important to me. I’m not concerned with a few bumps and bruises from training, but someone staggering into camp with their innards hanging out or speaking of their newfound desire to eat flesh, those should probably me brought to my attention.”

He looks back to the ronin with a strained smile, to both acknowledge his humor and show that it is also a serious concern. He waited for his reaction.

Kikaku smiles, it looks twisted with his runied face and lets out a small laugh. " Hai, i shall inform you in such an instnace." Kikaku quickly adds "i have been asked by the Crane to provide for the heimin that live here, there spiritual needs as well as health. this is a duty that i have taken to heart. i will not let them come to harm." the laughter leaves his voice quickly as he begins to speak of the heimin.

“Very well, sounds like a good idea. They have been very… reluctant towards me I have found, I guess after hundreds of years of viewing the Lion as an enemy, they are slow to warm up to my presence.”

He thinks a moment.

“Things may get difficult for them in the near future. Once the town is cleared though, they should be able to enjoy a time of newfound prosperity as they can return to their ancestral home and have the benefit of the Legion’s presence.”

"they are good people, they mean no harm." Kikaku says. "if you do not need me, i shall return to the village, i have a young boy with a broke arm to check on."

He smiles and nods to the ronin, appreciation his compassion, before turning back to his rice ball and examining his shrine, wishing Kiku would hurry.