the quiet man always had his hands full!

sometimes rio would watch him, pitifully, find tasks for himself. marking, patrol, babysitting — she would believe it if he told her he never slept!
though the girl hardly knew him, he reminded her of her father — he looked the part, and old enough that he could've been. she did not pity him for this, work was good. but she worried she was a drag; if he had sworn duty to lady kaede, he had not sworn it to rio and she was not so conceited to force it upon him.

ah, but she was now lady rio. lady fujiwara. her rank asked if not his loyalty then his duty. it was why she never felt too compelled to assist. it was a lot nicer to sit and learn from kaede than to ruin her pawpads!
today though, she emerges from the wisterias with a fish, clutched tightly in her grip. blood dripped from her chin and it watered her tongue — a deeply unladylike sight but rio hoped she could be forgiven for it.

rio gallops to catch the man's stride, scaly thing flopping with each bounce of her gait and held in a big smile meant for him.