Ninjagaësia

Teirm

“You.. old hag, I thought you died!”

She scoffed at the man. “That's the first thing you say to me after all these years? Call me a hag?” There was a certain friendliness in her tone regardless.
“It's what you get for leaving me high and dry, playing dead. Couldn't even send a letter.”

“It was too dangerous for me to dare try.” She explained. “Do you know anywhere we could talk in private? You never know who might be listening.” She glanced at the tea shop.
Ronin cast his eyes across the four teens and child, expression briefly unreadable.
“Not here.” He finally decided. “But I know a place. Wait here?”

She nodded and he quickly disappeared into the building, door closed. The Riders shared looks with each other, though refrained from asking. Not yet.
Not long after did Ronin reemerge, wearing a vibrant red bandana around his neck and unusual body armor- copper encasing one arm while attached to sage green hardened leather over his front. He had an odd circular weapon with blades hanging from his belt. He shrugged at the look Misako gave him.

He then started off, heading for the citadel and leaving the teens to guide the horses on foot behind them. “Trustable, the lord here, insists that all businesses keep their headquarters in that castle of his. Even though we don't even use ‘em, he makes us rent out rooms. We do it to keep him from getting his panties in a twist.”
“Ronin!” She reprimanded, though he ignored the retort.
“Anyways, the walls are thick enough to prevent eavesdropping.”

He led them through the main gate, whereupon he gestured to a few rings embedded in the walls. “Go ahead and tie your horses there, no one's messing with them.” He waited as the five of them tethered their animals before unlocking a side door and leading them into a long, empty hallway lined with torches.

Ronin took one and headed down the hall, stopping before one of the doors and waving them inside. There were plush chairs inside, arranged around a bearskin rug with strange artifacts decorating the shelves around them, books taking up the empty spaces. Ronin tossed wood into the nearby fireplace before dropping the torch after it.

As soon as it flared up brightly, he stood up to shoot Misako a look. “You've got some explaining to do, oldie.”
“Oldie?” She gasped. “You did not!”
“I think I did. You look just as ancient as I last saw you. Starting to wonder if you were just born already old.”
“I'll have you know that I looked ravishing in my youth.”

Ronin and Jay had the same idea at that statement: gagging while Lloyd and Cole cringed. Nya just pinched the bridge of her nose.
“Mom, please never say that again.” The boy shuddered.

However, Ronin straightened in surprise. “‘Mom’, huh? When did that happen?”
Misako hesitated, glancing at Lloyd as he looked up with hopeful eyes. Then she sighed, sitting down in one of the chairs. Ronin followed and gestured for the others to sit, all looking forward to an explanation.

“You remember what we were doing in Gil'ead, don't you Ronin?” She began.
The other nodded. “Couldn't forget it for the world. What happened after-” “We got separated?” She finished for him. He paused, eyes flicking to the others before they filled with understanding.
“Yeah.” He sat back in his seat curiously.

“Well I managed to stumble into a rather ordinary storage room and picked through the crates rather impulsively- and miraculously, I found what we were looking for.”
Now the merchant sat bolt upright. “You don't say?”
“Yes. I realized then that I had to leave with them or be discovered. So I disguised myself and ran to.. our friends. They stored them in a vault for safekeeping and had me promise to care for those that would receive the gifts. Until such a time came I needed to vanish. Fortunately I had a way to disappear. I.. realized I was pregnant from.. before, and took the chance to hide in Carvahall and raise my son.” She smiled at Lloyd, who nervously tugged on his hood.