Year of the Crow, First Month, Day 3.

The House has not been very active this past sevenday or two. Everyone is still tired from the festivities and not a great deal has been happening. I did, belatedly, find a note on my desk. I imagine one of the merchants brought it and somehow it found its way to my room but I do not know whether Haru brought it or if someone else did. It does not matter. 

Aoki's brisk, spiky hand told me little of use. He has not seen a bird for some weeks either, and he does not know why. Now that he knows they have disappeared, he says he will send notes to the members of my network he can reach to let them know and to tell them to send any correspondence to him. He also confirms that he too, is still being paid. 

It is not the news I really wanted but at least I have an answer of sorts. It will likely take weeks, if not months to discover what has actually happened to the birds but I think I can live with that. So long as Kaede makes good on her promise to help me reach Purple Lightning, I do not need my network for a while at least. Once I have decided where I will settle permanently, I can put some energy into either having more birds trained or create another way for my network to communicate.

The weather is not what I would call warm but the chill is certainly bearable so I am determined to leave Silent Thunder as soon as I can reasonably do so without offending Kaede. Aoki has given me some gossip from three of the other Houses which in the grand scheme of things, is inconsequential but it may be enough to placate Kaede's sudden thirst for intelligence. 

Suzuyo and her baby are doing well. There are rumours that Yuika has fled the House and disappeared into the mountains although these are unsubstantiated and probably nonsense. Perhaps the most interesting snippet is that Shigeru's former wife is to wed one of Taira Crying Orchid's minor cousins. Apparently it is a love match and there are rumours that they were carrying on an affair while she was married to Shigeru. Again, unsubstantiated but what poetic justice if it is true!