Captured! Revelations of the Mysterious Tomb..

[Halbarad]

Hikaru looks at the slow guard for a moment. "Yes, please."

'How did this guy make it into the guard?' she wonders to herself.

[Carthrat]

"Uh, ok," he says, helping Hikaru along to the castle..

<->

"Hikaru! You're alive! We feared the worst," says Okina, signalling a Shugenja on standby to heal her wounds. "Are you allright? What happened?"

[Corwin]

Umi grabs at the person who almost ran into her, and asks him, "Where is Hikaru?"

[Carthrat]

"Uh, she's talking to Okina in the main room," replies the servant.

[Corwin]

"Let's go visit Hikaru!" Umi exclaims, releasing the servant and smiling at Fuu, before pulling her friend towards the main room.

[Halbarad]

Hikaru thanks the shugenja, then turns to Okina. "We managed to get into the Matsu camp, but most of their army was gone. Master Toshi went back to question one of the guards we knocked out while I searched the champion's tent. I didn't find much, and when I went to find Toshi he'd been discovered. We tried to split up to escape, but I was run down by a pair of horsemen and captured. When I came to, I was with a fairly large group of bushi headed west; the leader - I think his name was Jonaquel-san - was just starting to question me when he got hit by an arrow from somewhere. I used the opportunity to escape and managed to hide  until the Matsu stopped searching, then came back here."

She sighs. "Has there been any word from Master Toshi? I haven't seen him since I left him in the Matsu camp."

[Carthrat]

"I see," replies Okina. "We've had no word from Toshi, unfortunatley. We were hoping you could tell us.

But.. Jonaquel. Jonaquel. There was a gaijin lord who deserted the city and snuck out by himself earlier.. a party of horsemen went looking for him. Perhaps they are the ones that fired the arrow.

Either way, given what you have just been through, are you fit to travel?"

[Halbarad]

The elf girl shakes her head. "I'm afraid not. All of my supplies were taken, and I'm completely exhausted. I need to rest and eat before I'm good for much of anything."

[Carthrat]

At this point, Umi and Fuu arrive in the audience chamber..

[Corwin]

"Hikaru!" Umi greets her, waving. "I knew you'd make it back alright. How did it go?"

[Halbarad]

Hikaru turns a weary face to Umi. "Not so well, unfortunately."

[Corwin]

"At least we're back together again," Umi says, shrugging. "And we have a lead on Shigen." She looks around. "Say, where's Master Toshi?"

[Ebiris]

"Hikaru-chan, what happened?!" Fuu cries, rushing over to check on her bedraggled friend. "Do you need healing?" she asks worriedly, checking the girl over.

[Halbarad]

"I'm all right, Fuu-chan - the shugenja healed me before you arrived."

"I don't know where Master Toshi is, Umi. The last I saw him was when he was fighting a group of bushi in the Matsu camp."

Hikaru briefly outlines her tale once again for her two friends.

[Corwin]

"Yeah, she looks healthy enough to me, Fuu, just tired," Umi says, as she listens to Hikaru's tale. Once Hikaru is done, the blue-haired elf nods to herself. "It seems that Okina-san's decision to send a team after the gaijin had been most insightful." She frowns, before asking Okina, "Did that team return safely?"