Chartering Territory (Hiei)

[Nohime]

Lady Wu had left her home in order to take a look at this so-called jewel of the south. This city was indeed beautiful, surprising her slightly. She wandered the streets looking at the little trinkets available at kiosks, observing homes, and watching people go about their daily lives. It was quite interesting to watch. Along with Lady Wu was the newest recruit, Nohime. The two had begun to bond somewhat, finding each other's company rather entertaining. Lady Wu thought it was funny how Nohime teased men, and Nohime thought it was interesting to watch and learn how to be more kind and polite to those that needed to be treated with respect.

Eventually, the two ladies sat on a bench on the side of the road. They continued to watch the life of this bustling city. "So, what do you want to do here?" Nohime asked. "Was there something Sun Jian wanted you to look for?"

Lady Wu simply shook her head. "I'm here by my own will. I simply wanted to see how this city functions. It seems quite nice, if I may say so."

Eventually, both women began to feel a bit uneasy. It felt like someone was approaching them, yet they couldn't tell who it was. They tried to not let their discomfort show on their faces, completely unaware of who was coming.

[Hiei]

Jian Ye, the Jewel of the South.

Such a grand city. Hiei scoffed as he walked down the road, allowing himself to take in the sights and views that the city could offer. He had a cloak over his body, hiding his armor and weapons, and especially his hair, for it was the distinctive part of his appearance. He kept his face visible, though, showing enough to not cause any suspicions, but at the same time, keep his identity secret. He was here to look around, not cause any trouble. True, he was under the payroll of the lord Yuan Shao, but the man had yet to issue Hiei any orders. With that in mind, the assassin figured to go around and look into some of the major cities of China. After all, who knows, sooner or later, Hiei may be fighting against these walls. It would help to know them a bit.

And maybe, fight in these walls. Both could go for Hiei.

And more often than not, Hiei would meet an interesting individual in walks like this. It had happened so frequent that Hiei had come to expect it. However, he never thought that he would actually meet someone of such high social status. At least, someone as high as the one he saw sitting on the bench a few feet in front of him. From his position, he could see her perfectly, and he recognised her too. Being an assassin, Hiei was required to know how the top people looked like. Just with a swing of a bag of gold, after all, he could be going after them.

Keeping his hair covered by the hood of his cloak, he would walk towards their direction, though not so obviously, making himself seem as if he was just going to walk past them. He would slow his pace down, and just when he was going to pass the two of them, he would speak out, a voice soft but audible enough for them to hear.

"Isn't it a bit dangerous for you to walk so openly in a place like this, Lady Wu?"

[Nohime]

Finally, the answers to their questions were answered. It was a man dressed in a dark cloak that they had been feeling was near them. When he inquired about Lady Wu walking out in the open, Nohime suddenly felt slightly defensive while Lady Wu kept her cool. "I feel relatively confident that I'll be okay," she replied as she slowly stood up from the bench. "After all, I have my sword and my good friend here with me."

With that, Nohime stood up as well. She watched this cloaked figure closely. For him to mention danger was a bit disturbing to her. Oh well, if he tried anything, she was not above whipping out her claws in the middle of this town. "Why don't you take down that hood and reveal that pretty face of yours," she suggested with a smirk. Lady Wu rolled her eyes at Nohime's comment, but she too was curious as to what this man looked like.

[Hiei]

"I feel relatively confident that I'll be okay. After all, I have my sword and my good friend here with me."

Understandable, but Hiei was an ace in his field. He was more than aware of the many different ways of killing someone. He could do it both discreetly, with little attention, or totally in the open. True, she did have a sword to defend herself with, and a bodyguard of sorts, but that would not save her from an arrow from her blind angle, nor would it stop a simple and small blow dart from finding its way to her neck. Very little assassin would dare do at a place with so many eyes, though. Unless the client paid a very high price for a public assassination. Then something could be arranged. They were simple like that.

She would stand up, Hiei taking a step back to allow a safe and reasonable space between them. Under his cloak, Hiei's hands itched towards the hilt of his two daggers. Lady Wu emitted an aura of calmness. Hiei doubted that any signs of physical hostility would come from her. The same could not be said for her companion, however, as Hiei allowed his crimson hues to glance towards her. And right at that same moment, she would address him too.

"Why don't you take down that hood and reveal that pretty face of yours,"

Hiei would let out a soft chuckle, before shaking his head. There may be little who knew how he looked like exactly, but many knew of the assassin with red streaks in raven black hair. He was not about to compromise himself and draw attention when he's not even in a mission. Who would believe him, after all? He would lean his head back, however, allowing them to see his face and a bit of his fringe, though none bore the signature crimson streak that would give him away. His red irises might, however, if Lady Wu was that informed.

"I'd rather not. It'll cause a spectacle that would not be beneficial to either of us. But I believe this should be enough to suffice as a... 'Face'?"

Ah, yes, Hiei could be quite cocky when he wants to be. He could be quite anything when he wants to be, actually. That was just the art of deception.

[Nohime]

Nohime watched as Hiei tilted his head back to reveal his face slightly. She then listened to his explanation as to why he wouldn't remove his hood. That alone made her not trust him. She wasn't aware of the red marks of the assassin. She simply wasn't getting a good vibe from him. She then began to get a feeling in the pit of her stomach that something bad would happen soon. She turned briefly to Lady Wu."Don't you think we should take another little trip through town? Maybe we missed something interesting."

Lady Wu shook her head at Nohime. "No, I want to know more about this young man. Those eyes of yours...not exactly of the normal variety, are they?" she asked. She knew what they meant, yet she was not afraid. She held virtually no political ranking. The most that would come from her assassination would be a very angry ruler of Wu and his children's wrath. "No matter, would you mind telling me what brings you here? I'm simply curious." she asked.

[Hiei]

"Don't you think we should take another little trip through town? Maybe we missed something interesting."

Yup, possible hostilities indeed. Hiei would lower his head. It may be a simple act to tilt one's head backwards, but staying too long in that state was not going to be good for the neck. Besides, it'll look awkward if he talked while doing that. And feel awkward too. However, her words let off a little bit more than she would have liked. Missed something interesting? What, were they looking around here too? If so, Wu was certainly taking a risk here with such a scouting party. Did they have intentions of taking over this city? Not like it mattered to Hiei. It was actually the first time he was here.

However, it did look like a potential job offer to him. That is, if Yuan Shao did not mind Hiei earning a little bit of cash off the sides anyway. Hiei would glance towards Lady Wu, wondering if she would listen to her bodyguard, or stay her ground. It was obvious from the aura that she was giving out that she was quite interesting. How much, though, Hiei could not gauge. At least, not yet.

"No, I want to know more about this young man. Those eyes of yours...not exactly of the normal variety, are they?"

Hiei let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head.

"No... They are both a curse and a gift from birth. A defect, if that's the right way to put it."

Now, she may be right there. She held no political value whatsoever, but politics had its way of sliding into personal matters. Let's say Sun Jian had a political rival who held a grudge against him. What better way to hurt the guy, than killing the one that he loved? After all, it was said that losing one's true love is worse than death itself.

"No matter, would you mind telling me what brings you here? I'm simply curious."

"Same reason as you are, mi'lady. I'm just looking around."

Perhaps a little push could get a little information out of her. Perhaps.

[Nohime]

"I suppose one could call it a defect," Lady Wu replied. "Personally, I feel that it is fate's way of setting you apart from everyone else in a rather unique way." Wu was speaking the truth in a sense; she didn't view such things as defects and felt that such characteristics shouldn't be looked down upon. Despite the facts that she already knew. After all, surely there were some people walking around that had the same iris discoloration. She then heard the simple explanation for why he was here in the first place. She shrugged and looked very disappointed. "That's too bad, I was hoping there would be somthing that could make this town a little more exciting." With that, she turned to Nohime. "So, did you see any kiosks that you wanted to visit?"

Nohime was quite surprised. Lady Wu was taking this conversation very calmly. She had expected her friend would feel just as worried as she was, but it seemed quite the opposite. Finally, she snapped back from her thoughts. "Oh well...quite frankly...no," she admitted. "What do you say we leave?" She looked at Hiei again. Maybe she was just being over paranoid? Perhaps this guy wasn't so threatening after all...or maybe Lady Wu was just oblivious. In all honesty, though, Lady Wu knew that Hiei was probably dangerous and wouldn't bat an eyelash to kill her. She simply wanted to see what this man was really about. Would he simply leave after she seemed bored with him or would he try and pursue their conversation further?

After Nohime suggested they leave, Lady Wu turned and smiled to her. "Oh let's go ahead and look around some more," she then looked to Hiei. "You coming?"

[Hiei]

"Personally, I feel that it is fate's way of setting you apart from everyone else in a rather unique way."

Hiei's smile faded away, his eyes slightly widening as he looked at Lady Wu. Well, he certainly had not heard that before. Hiei was never one to actually let others influence his own ideals and perceptions in life, but the calm Lady Wu held upon herself a charisma that calmed others too. And as hard-headed as Hiei was, it was somewhat starting to have an effect on him. Setting him apart from everyone else, huh? Well, Hiei was not sure if that was a good thing, but it was definitely a better term of putting it than how his blood family had. Upon seeing his eyes, Hiei had been labeled as naught but a curse.

"That's too bad, I was hoping there would be somthing that could make this town a little more exciting. So, did you see any kiosks that you wanted to visit?"

Hiei looked at Lady Wu with a neutral expression on his face, but mentally, he was quite amused. He never expected the Lady Wu to be such a danger-seeker as she was now. Was she actually hoping for Hiei to have a job here? That was unusual, to be frank. Lady Wu really was quite different from her countrymen. The bodyguard then spoke once more, suggesting that they leave. Hiei made no reaction, however. He never really had a point to state here, so he kept his mouth shut... That is, until he was addressed by the Lady.

Did she just invite Hiei to walk with them? Someone that could potentially kill her the very moment her back was turned, which would be quite often. Was she even aware that Hiei was an assassin? He could just be a mere wanderer, after all. Was she figuring that? Well, he was probably being rude here. He sighed, before flashing a soft smile. He was not sure why he was doing this, but perhaps it would be beneficial somehow.

"That would be nice, mi'lady. Though, I figure this would be a good time for introductions. My name is Hiei. Masaaki Hiei."

Well, it was time to see if his name was as popular in China as his hair.

[Nohime]

Lady Wu smiled. She knew that name and knew what he could do, but she didn't really care. To her, that was in the past and he hadn't really done anything to make her feel like she should be scared. Instead, she simply bowed her head slightly, smiled and said "It's nice to meet you, Hiei. By the way, you can just call me by my first name, Mei."

With that, she began to walk away slowly. She was sure Hiei would follow them. Her eyes wandered all over the sides of the little pathways. Nothing really looked interesting as of yet, but perhaps Hiei or Nohime had a better idea. Speaking of Nohime, she still couldn't help but be a little apprehensive around him. She didn't recognize the name or know anything of what he had done in the past, but there was just something about him. She then quickly caught up with Lady Wu. She glanced back at Hiei, seeing if he was still following them.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Nohime asked.

"Oh, don't worry yourself, I'm sure he's a nice man once you get to know him," Lady Wu replied.

[Hiei]

"It's nice to meet you, Hiei. By the way, you can just call me by my first name, Mei."

Well, wasn't this an interesting display of hospitality. Hiei was sure by now that Lady Wu knew who he was. She was, after all, the wife of one of China's mightiest lords at the moment. She would have at least known a thing or two about the mercenaries that roamed the lands. And she bowed her head too, a sign of respect. It was certainly a rare sight for the young assassin, his profession mostly shunned by others. Like he cared, anyway. Despite its disapproval from society, it was still a highly sought-after availability by the lords. No lord was too virtuous to not make use of some dark methods at times.

As Lady Wu walked, so would Hiei, keeping himself an arm's length from the lady, lightly sticking out from the side opposite were Nohime was. Yeah, the thought of actually being led to a trap and a capture had occurred to his head, which was why Hiei had somewhat elevated his awareness of the surroundings. He knew that none of his jobs thus far had directly affected the people of Wu, but there was no harm in being too careful. With one eye on his new escort and another on his surroundings, Hiei would follow. Perhaps, he could learn one or two things about Wu that would pay a good price.

"Oh, don't worry yourself, I'm sure he's a nice man once you get to know him,"

But the man would chuckle. He was actually begging to differ, but said nothing, giving Nohime a warm smile, as if reassuring her that Lady Wu spoke truth.

"Don't worry. I mean no harm to you or Lady W-... Mei. My apologies. And I never got your name too."

Well, wasn't he a charmer.

[Nohime]

The warm smile brought Nohime no comfort. There was something about him that simply made her want to avoid him. He gave off the kind of aura that said that he would kill you as soon as look at you. He then asked her name, much to her disappointment. She knew Mei would be disappointed with her and scold her later for her rudeness, so eventually, she answered "My name is Nohime..."

Mei smiled as Nohime intoduced herself. She then couldn't help but laugh as Hiei nearly called her by her formal name. "Do you see now, Nohime?" she began. "He doesn't mean us any harm, now just relax and enjoy the town. Actually, I'm a bit thirsty, would anyone like to go to a tavern and get a drink?" As she spoke she began to walk towards the nearest tavern. It was okay in terms of its condition, though it clearly could look worse. The inside was nice and clean, but was sort of crowded, much to Mei's displeasure. She paused for a moment before turning to the others. "How about we go someplace a little less rowdy, what do you say?" she asked the others.

Less rowdy as in less people? Nohime thought that would be a bad idea in this case. She tried to gesture to Mei that was probably not a good decision, but after a second or two, she knew that Mei would have none of her opinions in this case. She turned to Hiei as well. What was she planning if anything? Or was she simply being very nice? The whole thing frustrated her to no end. What was going on inside Wu Mei's mind?

[Hiei]

"My name is Nohime..."

Hmm? A Japanese? Hiei allowed his eyes to roll in his head as he looked towards Nohime. He never figured that he would meet another Japanese in lands like these, especially so close to one with high social status. After all, foreigners were not really looked well upon by the people in China. They were seen as troublemakers, though Hiei could care less. He was surprised that this woman had made it to where she is. Perhaps there was more to her than Hiei thought. Perhaps.

"He doesn't mean us any harm, now just relax and enjoy the town. Actually, I'm a bit thirsty, would anyone like to go to a tavern and get a drink?"

Hiei could only smile, realising that despite this being their first meeting, Lady Wu was already trusting him. At least, to the extent that she would let down her guard in front of him. Even the assassin could see it. The opening so big only a blind man would miss it. All Hiei had to do was flick his hand, and Death would embed its blade into the back of the woman's neck, literally. And Despair would find its way into Nohime's chest. Literally.

"I wouldn't mind that."
"How about we go someplace a little less rowdy, what do you say?

Less rowdy? Hiei looked towards Lady Wu with furrowed eyebrows. It was obvious that he found the suggestion as strange as Nohime did. This place was not that bad, really. It was crowded, yes, but not to the extent that they would bump into people on their way to the opposite end of the bar. To say the least, Hiei trusted Lady Wu as much as Nohime trusted him. And being led to a place where there was less people did not sound so safe for the master assassin.

"Why, mi'lady? Does the crowd discomfort you?"

He would ask, though not expressing his disapproval of her suggestion through his tone.

[Nohime]

Mei shrugged slightly. "I just thought that one of you might be uncomfortable, but if you'd rather have a drink here, I shall find us a table." With that, she casually made her way through the tavern until she finally found an empty table just large enough for the three of them. Mei slowly sat down and Nohime took the seat next to her. The only other seat, due to the table being against the wall, was across from Mei. The noblewoman of Wu gestured for Hiei to take a seat after she and Nohime were settled.

Then a waitress came by. Nohime and Mei ordered water and some rice then turned to Hiei for him to order next. After the waitress was gone, Mei turned back to Hiei again. "So, who is that you work for again? Or are you simply a wanderer?" Of course she knew that Masaki Hiei served Yuan Shao. Anyone of a higher rank would know that. Still, she felt the need to pretend to be slightly uninformed, perhaps just to make Hiei a bit more comfortable.

Nohime continued to watch Hiei carefully. What was it about him that bothered her so much? Mei clearly trusted him so he apparently didn't seem to pose much threat to them...what was it? Suddenly, Nohime had a thought of what Mei's plan was. Was she really going to...no, she wouldn't...would she?

[Hiei]

"I just thought that one of you might be uncomfortable, but if you'd rather have a drink here, I shall find us a table."

Well, whatever she wanted, Hiei figured, as he followed her into the bar. He would ignore the many curious gazes of the other patrons of the premises, his attention instead trying to focus out anyone that was not looking at him. Yes, despite having being reassured that Lady Wu was not up to anything, Hiei still kept as cautious as he could, his crimson hues subtly glancing around the room and spotting out any irregularities. They would, however, find their place soon enough, as the two ladies proceeded to take their places upon the seat, leaving the last one for Hiei. Without any complains, he would take his seat.

And as soon as he did, he would lift his hands then, proceeding to remove the neck buckle of his cloak, the piece of cloth simply sliding off his shoulders and hair, revealing its true appearance finally. A mass of spiky black, with crimson streaks scattered all over, giving the illusion of blood being splattered onto a black wall. He had his shoulder pads and leather tunic on, his right hand coming up to remove Heikage from the straps that held it in place upon his back, resting the weapon, with its sheathe and all, on the side of his chair, against the wall, Death and Despair staying strapped onto the back of his waist, though.

The moment his hair was made visible, the volume of murmurs within the tavern escalated quite a bit, as glances towards the unusual trio became as frequent and common as the air around them. Hiei sighed. The girls then proceeded to order, which left Hiei his own. He would turn to the man, before ordering himself the same as they had.

"So, who is that you work for again? Or are you simply a wanderer?"
"Currently? I'm a Cadet Officer for Yuan Shao."

[Nohime]

"Oh, well that's interesting," Mei replied with a smile. "It's funny, you didn't strike me as the type to serve him. I figured you'd simply go for somebody else. It's the personality clash that confuses me, but I suppose he pays you well."

The waitress returned with their water and rice. Mei slowly took her glass and bowl and set them on the table and Nohime did the same. Mei took a sip from her glass and waited for Hiei to take his refreshments. Once he had, the waitress left them to continue their conversation. "So, how has Lord Yuan Shao been these days? I hear he is having some trouble with the latest uprisisngs in Nan Pi as well as the rebellion of Dong Zhuo."

She wondered if her knowledge of that much would surprise Hiei. It wasn't often that the wife of a lord was so well-informed but she typically got her information from those that Sun Jian didn't know. She simply didn't want him to know how involved she truly wanted to become in these wars.

Nohime continued to watch the two speak. She was still surprised by how relaxed Mei was. No one could be this relaxed in unclaimed territory with a warrior that didn't work in their kingdom. Clearly, something was at work here, but Nohime didn't dare speak a word.