[center][h3]--- [i]Walk to the Town Center[/i] ---[/h3][h2][i][b]Akitsugu[/b][/i][/h2]Early Evening
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Once he'd recovered his breath from Darryl's hearty greeting, Akitsugu managed a small smile as they walked back towards the others. He folded his arms in his sleeves, and every so often looked up at the sky just for the view as they talked.

"Fortunately, that girl's words were somewhat exaggerated." he explained to the carpenter. "The smithy is still fixable. I don't know how she managed to put a brand new hole in the [i]roof[/i]," He breathed deeply, controlling his anger, "But so long as the furnace remains intact and she returns my tools, I should be able to get to work as soon as I have a steady supply of fuel." He looked towards the forest and the corner of his mouth dipped a bit. "I was hoping to make another trip for more firewood, but I think too much time has passed. I don't know if we should risk venturing out after dark until we know the area better."

As they approached, it seemed the village had yet again seen the arrival of newcomers. There was another man in a cart, though this one looked more finely dressed than the old merchant and much younger---but, beyond him, from somewhere outside town, came a loud voice calling over the rooftops. 

"...What are they saying about goblins?" he asked Darryl. His hands came out of his sleeves, and once more he gripped Miyusahime's scabbard with one thumb against the tsuba. His brow furrowed and his voice grew more tense, but unlike his spat with MacKinnon there was a calmness to the pressure---a heavy weight ready to drop, not a kettle boiling over. "Are we being attacked?"