After the freezing adventure of ice fishing, Ayano had made her way to the Temple. It was time again to re-center herself in the comfortable presence of the Fortune of Wealth. She lingered there awhile, but her thoughts strayed to simpler days of travelling with her grandfather. Life had gotten considerably more complicated.

Finally feeling warm, the Lioness stepped back toward the temple grounds proper.

The temple found itself blessed with a second traveler, albeit one that didn't care overly much about its gods. Feet crunching in the snow, Viveki nods to the Lion as she approaches. "Good morning."

Ayano paused to consider the strange woman who now approached her. "Good morning. You are the one who crossed over from the south yes? From beyond the borders of even the Nezumi?"

She kept silent for a second before adding, "Ayano of the Makime family of the clan of Akodo."

"Yes, that is me." Viveki grins, then clasps her hands together and bows. "Viveki Doshi, of the Doshi family, of the Ivory Kingdoms. Clan of Akodo woukd be the large cats, yes? I forget the name."

"The Lion," Ayano responds, "Our lands are just to the north, stretching from a small coastal holding to the plains of the west. Bordering all save the Scorpion and Stag."

She studies the strange woman for a moment, "I do not know the distance from the Nezumi border's to your own...but just from the edge of the Stag lands to here is some distance."

"The Nezumi are not far from the Kingdoms," she admits. "My home is nearer to their lands than many, so that part of the journey did not take long."

She looks the other woman up and down. "Forgive me for asking, but you are not the daughter or wife of a god, yes?"

"My mother is but a follower of Lord Akodo." Ayano responded, then seemed to consider something for a moment before adding, "Though one of his most trusted ones, the Lady Makime, daimyo of the Makime."

Viveki nods at the information. "Good, good. Much of my talks have been with the leaders of this land and their spouses abs direct vassals. I want to know what you think of this empire."

"I am not sure my view is as unbiased as you may hope." Ayano's smile turns wry, "Lady Makime, my mother, is a powerful leader in her own right and controls a considerable amount of land, people, and resources on behalf of Lord Akodo and ultimately his majesty the Emperor. That I am not born of the Kami does little to change the benefit my mother's efforts have provided. Efforts only afforded because of Lord Akodo, before meeting him she was a merchant guard and silk dyer. My grandfather was a simple silk merchant. Now mother controls more then her old village elder and my grandfather is the leading trade envoy of a great many villages. Again all from the coming of the Kami."

Viveki listens to the explanation and nods. "Are your family still merchants, then? Or did they leave that behind to become warriors?"

"My mother is a warrior, but keeps an eye to trade. My grandfather took me with him on his travels when I was younger." Ayano nodded at that, "So yes and no I suppose."