Year of the Crow, First Month, Day 17.

 So far, we have managed to make good time. The first day was a very easy ride since the land around Silent Thunder is largely flat and not too taxing for the horses. We managed almost nine leagues before the sun came down and shortly after that, we stopped at our first inn. It transpired that somehow, Kaede had sent word and rooms and baths were ready for us when we arrived and stable boys rubbed down the horses while we ate a hearty meal of pork and cabbage stew with delicious, fresh noodles. 

Not long after that, the commanding officer, Horii, actually ordered me to bed! I almost laughed until he told me quite firmly that we would need to leave at first light and repeated his 'request' that I get as much sleep as I could. It did not seem reasonable to argue with him and I thought that I might write down my thoughts about the day's travelling if I did not feel tired but when I went to my room, I found that the day had caught up with me and I fell asleep very quickly. 

Today we managed another 6 leagues but Horii is concerned about reports of a storm coming in and so we have stopped earlier than we planned but here, too, it seems that Kaede has organised our stay. She has even compensated the inn-keepers on our behalf so my attempts to shed some of the coin she gave me have been in vain. I feel somewhat humiliated by that. I am deeply grateful to her, of course, that I am not reduced to sleeping under bushes and eating whatever I can forage, but I do not know how I will ever pay her back. It feels difficult to accept such extreme generosity as a gift when I have nothing to offer her in return and I like the idea of amassing such extraordinary debt even less. Perhaps I can manage without using any of the coin she gave me and at least return the pouch in tact sometime in the future; then I will only have to worry about paying her back for the inns...

These are small, travellers inns; not built for luxury and so there is no entertainment. To keep ourselves entertained this afternoon, we played cards and chatted which has been rather pleasant. Haru has been a bit quiet but I believe the soldiers have put it down to tiredness from being on the road. I hope they have anyway; I do not really want to have to talk to her about it because then she might behave even more strangely and Horii and his men would certainly know something was afoot then.

I have found out that all four of the soldiers grew up in Silent Thunder; their fathers, grandfathers and great grandfathers all served before them and I expect that if I did some research, I would find that their entire family line were military men.Their mothers and grandmothers all served at the House in some capacity and their loyalty to the House is unquestionable. I idly wondered whether Pale Twilight has ever engendered such loyalty but I suspect not... certainly not in recent history anyway. Perhaps when Grandfather was on the throne... that thought made me sad. It is also a fact that Taiji will not command loyalty like this when he Rules. I feel sick at the thought of him Ruling Pale Twilight and I must think of something else before I overcome with rage about it.

Whether we travel tomorrow or not will depend on Horii's assessment of the weather. He and one of the younger two men, Matsumoto, had a slight disagreement about it earlier. Matsumoto believes we can ride through a small storm and still make a good six or seven leagues tomorrow but Horii is adamant that we will remain here until the skies clear. I must say that while I would be delighted to be a day closer to Purple Lightning, I do not wish to be the reason Haru or one of the soldiers catches a chill and I certainly do not want the horses to suffer. 

What I do not know is how much authority I have in this situation. Has Kaede given her orders and told Horii to follow them come what may? Or has she given him the authority to get us to Purple Lightning in any way he sees fit? Are they to ignore my wishes or defer to them...? It occurs to me that I should probably have asked Kaede these questions before we set out.

In any case, the light grows dim and I hear the inn-keeper coming around to place the night lanterns so very soon, I shall not be able to see enough to continue writing. I shall think on this overnight and perhaps in the morning, I shall ask Haru what Kaede has said.