By the time Daichi had untangled himself from the situation and exited the tea house to pursue his sister, she was already well on her way towards the edge of the village; staying in one place for too long wasn't their thing, so this was to be expected especially when considering the ruckus Daichi had just caused. Besides, they enjoyed camping out much more than crashing at local inns.

Daichi ran to catch up with Amaya. "Thanks for covering the bill" he acknowledged with a sheepish grin. Amaya smirked, the gesture visible through her mask "You owe me for that" Daichi was about to respond when he noticed someone approaching from the side. "Hey, isn't that the kid you just lectured?" Amaya inquired with raised brow. "It would seem so" Daichi responded with confusion.

Brian

As the waitress set his food on the table Brian noticed the the female samurai glance at him, nothing inviting or flirty but the glance of a master swordsman sizing up a possible threat. "good day madem." he said as politely and unthreataing as a diplomat. "I'm sorry for the commotion with the boy, I was afraid he might do something rash." he explained.

Hikaru stopped a little ways off from the two brothers and attempted to catch his breath as he leaned over and huffed.

What you said, it was right. You know so much more than I do. And just by looking at you I can tell that you are a master swordsmen. So please, take me on as your apprentice.

He said to Daichi. With hopeful eyes he looked at the man. His heart raced, not just from running but from the excitement of possibly being taken on as an apprentice.

Sheena briefly smirked at the man calling her Madam. It was something she felt didn't apply to herself in the least, and most would agree with her on that. Her sharp gaze rested obviously on the man now.

Perhaps your apology would be better directed to the owner of this establishment.

She said simply then turned away.

Daichi and Amaya both exchanged glances, the former rather surprised while the latter displayed a look of flummoxed wariness. Sure the kid was young but who knew what he was really up to? Plus, neither of the two had ever taught anyone before. Although Daichi was willing to do it -why not?- he knew his sister was much more of a suspicious cynic than he was and would likely object to him taking the youngster under his wing. However, the more he thought about it the more reason he was given to accept the boy's request. After all had it not been for his mentor's kindness, neither himself nor his sister would be standing here where they were today. Daichi looked to the boy before him and began to answer.

"Call me Kyō" he gestured to his sister with a jerk of his chin, referring to her by her alter ego too "and this is my brother, Kōen." He would stick with their aliases while around him, both for their own safety and for that of the boy's. At least until they got to know him better. Daichi crossed his arms, his face turning stern and all the more serious -if that was even possible- to get his message across. "I expect no less than your best. Slow us down and we won't hesitate to leave you behind."

While this went on, to Daichi's suprise, his sister made no signs of objection.

Brian

"well that's not the response I expected." he thought to himself as he smiled. "OK then, let me approach this from another angle. You just used the last of your money, by the way you move and handle yourself you have exceptional sword skills and I have a job I need help with that pays... A lot!" He said remaining at his table and started eating.

Bending at the waist Hikaru bowed to show respect. "If I ever do anything but my best than I will gladly remove myself from your presents. Because a student who doesn't put their whole heart into what they are learning is a useless student who will never learn." Hikaru rambled on for a moment. His youthful eyes filled with passion darted between the two brothers.

The truth of what he had said to her was undeniable, and more, unavoidable. Gracefully she stood, picked up her sword, then moved to the seat across from Brian. "Tell me more about this job." she spoke softly. While Sheena's eyes focused on Brian she never allowed her guard to the rest of the room drop.

Brian

Good I have her attention now I need to not piss her off! "there's a village about three days from here that has been taken over by pirates, big deal nobody cares about one little fishing village right? Well this village happens to be of importance to a particularly rich man, why I don't know but he's willing to paypay well to clear them out. I'm willing to do a seventy thirty split." John said somewhat cautiously. He knew she'd refuse the offer and probably demand 50/50 but his was the standard starting offer.

Smart boy, the siblings thought in unison. "Right, well... We best on our way now" Kōen piped up as she began to feel irritated in their delay. She turned around and continued walking but Kyō stayed put. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head "Do you have any idea on how to survive off the land?" he asked. It wouldn't be too hard to teach Hikaru how to hunt for food or find shelter, but it would probably be a good thing to know beforehand if Hikaru had never done anything like this before.

Hikaru followed after the two brothers. "I've spent a lot of my life in the mountains. So I know enough to get by. My father tried to teach us how to live off the land but he wasn't around for very long. " Hikaru replied. The thought of being a burden, slowing them down, didn't set well with him. So he set his mind to be the best he could. He had never wanted to be a burden on anyone, nor be helpless in any way. There are limitations, though, to what he can do. It was his wish that soon enough he would learn how to be a great swordsman. A warm breeze swept across the fields as they passed by. Looking around at the village Hikaru worried he wouldn't see it again for some time.

A mildly insulted and surprised look briefly passed across Sheena's face. "Are you trying to disrespect or are you simply greedy?" She asked plainly. While it was not her goal in life to become rich, or even well off, she didn't respond well to being taken advantage of. In fact it was one of the things that bothered her most, men thinking they could treat her worse just because she is a woman. If she was going to put forth the effort and take the risk of this job, it had better be worth her time.

John was taken aback by her anger, this was not a pretence for a better bargaining position, she was truly offended by the offer.

John laid his chop sticks down, bowed slightly and very calmly said "please, accept my deepest apologies! I meant you no offense, truly! I'm a custom to everyone haggling for a better cut, if I offer 50 percent then they want 70 or 75. I believe a 50/50 split is fair, you are undoubtedly the superior swordsman but I'll more than carry my weight of the fighting and I've already done all the work of tracking down and setting up the job. If this is unacceptable I understand but please know I meant no offense!"

Kōen promptly began ignoring the two, keeping quietly to herself as she continued down the road with Kyō and the kid in tow. Speaking of which, she suddenly realized that their new apprentice never introduced himself. She spoke up without bothering to stop or look over her shoulder. "So, what should we call you?" she inquired aloud, addressing her question to Hikaru.

---

Kyō strolled alongside Hikaru, his gaze constantly changing from the boy to the road ahead as he attempted to evenly distribute his attention between listening and walking. This was good. Besides the fact that it meant one less task on their checklist of things-to-do, it also meant that if for some reason the group ever got separated he wouldn't have to worry about Hikaru succumbing to the elements or starving to death. Kyō was about to open his mouth to ask about Hikaru's hometown when his sister interrupted. He suddenly realized how right she was.

Sheena was a bit surprised by his quick and tactful reaction. "I will only request half. As you said, you were the one to arrange the job." She said reasonably. Though she usually tried to avoid fighting she recognized that it was her greatest strength. She is best with sword in hand, a true warrior.

Hikaru quietly chuckled. "I apologize, I have failed to properly introduce myself." He said politely. He walked along with the brothers, his steps making only a little noise on the dusty road. " My name is Hikaru Konishi." He introduced himself. His name brought him both pride and sadness. The pride of his village, and the sadness of loosing his family.

OK so she actually a reasonable person, that's why I was pissing her off, I was treating her like the rest of the people I have to deal with.
John thought to himself then said. "excellent, then we have a deal! When can you be ready to travel?" He asked as he finished his food and slide it to the side.

Sheena leaned back slightly. "I am ready to travel immediately." She said with a nod. There was nothing tying her to this town, thankfully. Though she did have a past full of connections and ties she now has left that behind, the best she ever could at least. The things she has done, the people she knows, the places she has been, it's all like a ghost of her past.