Year of the Boar, Eleventh Month, Day 9.

 As I predicted in my entry yesterday, today's ride was long and extremely tiring but we have at last reached an inn so that I am not faced with the prospect of an uncomfortable night on woodland ground littered with stones and twigs and beset by whichever crawling insects decide to wage war on my sleeping body. I have realised that despite my protestations to the contrary, I am a product of my upbringing; I am too used to the luxuries my status has given me ... I shall be very glad of the hot, scented bathwater into which I am about to sink, but before I retire for the evening, I wanted to at least document the very basics of the day. 

Haru and I part ways with Keita tomorrow as he will make his way back to Golden Harvest; Haru will travel with me as far as she can towards the narrowest part of White Lake's lands and from there, I will be alone again until Kouji can meet me at the border and from there, the fastest route through their lands until we reach the House. I still have no plan in place for my arrival there but I will have plenty of time to discuss it with Kouji while we travel. I say that, of course I only sent the bird to Kouji today and it will be another day or two before his response reaches me so I cannot say with certainty that any of this will actually transpire. 

Today passed without incident other than stopping for a brief respite to take some refreshment and send the message I had scribbled to Kouji. The three of us spent some sticks in companionable silence other than to comment on various wildlife we spotted in the fields but we also spent time joking and laughing. Had we not been on horseback, it would have been absolutely marvellous. The weather is bright and cool as usual for this time of year and it was tempting to get off the horse and walk a while but I cannot be reposnsible for holding Haru and Keita back from their duties or for their loyalty to me being discovered by their Houses, so I remained on horseback and suffered through the discomfort. Once I am alone again, I may take the opportunity to slow my pace a little and enjoy the feeling of not having to ride.

It has occurred to me to wonder about Haru's motives for joining my network; I suppose I could question the motives of the entire network if I thought too deeply about it but since most of them grew up in Pale Twilight before moving elsewhere, I feel that their loyalty is more likely to be ingrained and I have a personal connection with most of them since they were about the House and grounds when I was growing up myself. Haru is one of the only members of the network who has not been recruited from the inside, so to speak... I find this odd and wonder why she would want to work for another House when it is not as if she works for an abusive mistress. If her motives are financial, which is not unlikely, then who is to say that she will not change her allegiance for a House which offers her more, or could she be doing this with Kaede's knowledge and blessing...?

I must stop thinking like this; it will do me no good at all to churn over every decision Aoki makes. I must continue with my plans as if all is well. If something happens in the meantime to make me change my mind, then I can act accordingly but for now, there is no point in dwelling on that which I cannot control. 

I have had no news from any of the other Houses these past few days but that is fairly inconsequential; as they say, no news, is probably not bad news... For now, I will take my bath and then I will join Haru and Keita for an evening meal. I am told there is a lute player in residence for a sevenday or so, so we shall have music and song while we eat. It promises to be an enjoyable evening...