Year of the Boar, Eleventh Month, Day 5.

 I enjoyed a late bath and retired a stick or two after sun down and saw no need to set out as soon as the sun rose so I stayed in bed somewhat late and indulged in an extremely leisurely breakfast before I eventually set off a stick or so before midday. Despite the chill coming in from the sea, the sun was high and the wrap I brought kept me more than warm enough and I found the weather so pleasant that I decided to walk part of the way; it felt wonderful to have the sun on my face and when I arrived at the inn, I was tired but in a good way. The inn is much larger than the others I have stayed in and has its own acting troupe in residence; they provided entertainment late into the evening and much like this morning, I do not feel the need to leave first thing in the morning so I will indulge myself in a late breakfast again before I set out to meet Aoki.

Year of the Boar, Eleventh Month, Day 4.

 I arrived at the inn as planned two sticks or so ago and I have enjoyed a long bath and a surprisingly excellent meal of poached octopus with rice and vegetables. The journey was completely uneventful for which I am incredibly grateful although I am so saddle sore, I do not relish the idea of riding again in the morning... The weather remained pleasant; in fact it was so mild I did not even need to wear the wrap I have brought with me and if it remains so tomorrow, I may even enjoy walking part of the way. I shall see how I feel when I wake. I am no great hurry in any case, so if I leave early or late, as long as I reach the inn on the other side of the border by nightfall, it matters not. I barely met a soul on my way here and certainly no one would who would recognise me and have time to get the House and tell Shirgeru of my presence in his Land before I have left in any case so I feel perfectly safe...

I feel a lightness about me for the first time in a long while; I have written many times about how difficult I found things at Dying Crane and how disappointed I was to discover the reality of the situation but I had not realised until I left just how dark some of my thoughts had become... my face is healed except for the slightest tenderness around the jaw and I feel a positivity I have not felt since Nanami left the House. Perhaps it is simply that life on the open road actually suits me far more than a life closeted inside castle walls... I do not know... I will have to give that some considerable thought though but I shall not, until I have completed my mission to Purple Lightning...

Year of the Boar, Eleventh Month, Day 3.

I have been giving some thought to what luggage I should take on my travels. I have not told a soul that I plan to leave Dying Crane permanently; not even Aoki knows of my intentions and so I must leave most of my things here to maintain the fiction that I am returning. I have also considered the fact that should the Diplomats learn of my permanent departure, they would return to their bad habits and infighting in a heartbeat. No... it is far better that everyone believes that I have merely taken a short holiday... 

The use of a horse and a proper travelling bag will make my travels much easier this time around and although I do not relish being on horseback for any great length of time, it will be far safer and less tiring. Even taking the longer route down the border with the Seventh, I should see Purple Lightning in less than two weeks. I have decided that I will definitely not be carrying my House Silks around; they are far too heavy and although I have planned my journey quite thoroughly, there is no telling what will happen once I am actually on my way. I cannot possibly plan for every eventuality so I will simply have to take what I absolutely need and a significant amount of coin just in case...

I will leave after the midday meal tomorrow which should give me plenty of time for a leisurely arrival at an inn halfway between here and Shimmering Dawn where I will spend the night. Unfortunately, I will have to stay in Fallen Sakura but if I do not advertise my presence there, I cannot think that I will endanger myself. It is not me that interests Shigeru after all... I anticipate that I will need to spend one more day on the road and another night at an inn on the other side of Shimmering Dawn's border before I meet Aoki at a secluded temple in the middle of Shimmering Dawn. He assures me that we are unlikely to be observed there and we can make a camp in one of the outlying buildings which will save us the time of having to travel to an inn to stay before resuming with the birds the next day... What I have yet to understand is how he will train the birds to recognise other members of my network but I suppose I shall have to leave that to him... 

Year of the Boar, Eleventh Month, Day 2.

A note from Aoki arrived this morning confirming that he will meet me so that we can train some more birds. I do not feel particularly good about taking his leave days but I see no other choice; I must have more birds so that I can communicate with my network properly again if only to make sure I avoid mother finding out my whereabouts. I will see that Aoki is well compensated somehow even if he has to wait a while; I hope by now he knows me well enough to know that I can be trusted. I will meet him in five days which means I must be ready to leave the day after tomorrow.

My face feels much better today which I am pleased about because I cannot bear to walk about with this makeup plastered all over me for much longer. I feel much better in myself and have acquired several more knives of different sizes which I plan to carry concealed about my person when I resume my travels; the saddler is creating a set of little straps for me so that I will be able to access any one of them easily should I run into similar trouble in future. Drastic perhaps, but I feel much calmer about the idea of travelling around on my own again now that I have arranged this.