"Hey, little fox, I'm friendly," Chizu said in a kindly voice as she knelt down next to a line of bushes in the garden. In one hand she held a couple of rice balls which she extended invitingly towards the bush. Chizu tilted her head to peer into the brush that the tiny fox had just darted into; her large frame made the posture rather awkward.

"Come have some rice, it's good!" she coaxed.

Sasori looked at the person in such awkward position. She cleared her throat. "Excuse me sama... what are you doing?"

"Oh--!" the ungainly Crab said, standing up suddenly. "Please excuse my behavior," she said, bowing as politely as she could with a rice ball still in one hand. "I was...just trying to feed a fox that I saw run under that bush. I thought it might be hungry."

"I'm Yoshitsune Chizu," she added.

Sasori moved closer to the bushes. "I am Bayushi Sasori... I don't know if the little fox would like rice balls." She nodded. "I know little about foxes I am more of a cat person." She smiled.

"Hmm, you might be right, Bayushi-san," Chizu mused, pondering the rice balls again. "What do you think the foxes would like more? Maybe I can get some from the kitchen."

Sasori pondered for a second. Her finger on her shin. "I think chicken. They tend to go into the coops back at home and steal the chickens." The girl giggled at the memory.

The tall Crab stashed the rice ball away and grinned as Sasori giggled. "I'll try that," Chizu agreed. "I'm sure the cooks ought to be able to spare some chicken."

"Are there a lot of chickens where you live?" she asked. "I don't know much about that part of the world. Do you come from a farming area?"

Sasori nodded. "We use the chicken eggs as a source of food. Some of the people also make soups. They are part of our diet." She tilted her head. "There is also fishing, lots of fish in out diets as well." Sasori explained. "What about your diet?"

"We have chicken in the Crab lands, too," Chizu said. "My mother likes to fry it up in a wok, and it's delicious." She licked her lips at the thought.

"We have a lot of rice, millet, and buckwheat noodles, too. Not that much fish; we're far from the ocean, I'm afraid. Sometimes hunters will bring in some wild game, though. I know that's not too common here, but...it can be pretty good."

Sasori sighed. "Mother used to bring wild game but it wasn't really appetizing. My father loved more fish than wild game. I prefer fish as well." She shook her head. "There is a long river in the Scorpion lands so fishing is part of everyday life."

"Is that... the River of Gold?" Chizu asked. "I think I might have been on that, when I was very young. My family had to travel a long way north to where the Crab lands are now, and I remember my father saying that we took boats up the River of Gold for part of it. But I was too little to remember anything about it." A regretful expression momentarily crossed the tall woman's face.

"Do you live near the river?" she asked. "What's it like?"

"We live a few hours away from the river. It is relatively close." She remembered some memory again of her father sitting on the river bend trying to catch a fish. "I guess you have never gone fishing."

"Not really," Chizu admitted. "Is it hard to do? There's a pond here, but I'm sure the Imperial gardeners would let us fish there. But I saw there was a river outside the castle?"

The Bayushi girl nodded. "Well my appreciation of fishing is like meditation. One sit with a rod waiting for a bite. I never have gone to fish using a net. Father always used a rod or a spear. Sometimes, he would use his hands." Sasori giggled. "I don't know how to fish but I would be willing to find someone to teach us."

"That could be fun," Chizu agreed. "Do I need to find a fishing rod or a spear? I'm afraid I didn't bring anything like that. I don't think catching fish with our bare hands is going to work for novices."

"A rod might be good start." Sasori nodded. "Spear fishing looks a bit more advanced."

"Yes, you're probably right," Chizu agreed. "I'll see if I can find something like that."

Wiping her hands clean, she added, "Well, I'm thinking I'll head to the kitchens to see if I can find something better for the fox to eat. I'm staying in the Crab guest rooms; perhaps you would let me know if you find someone to show us the proper technique for catching fish?"

Sasori bowed. "I will be around. The Scorpion door will be open if you wish to find me."