Hattori rose long before the sun did and went to each of his children's chambers in turn, rousing them from their sleep so they could soon get on their way. Okiku would gain nothing from this trip so she was being left behind, whilst Takēshi was being left out as a form of punishment. Headaches or not he had been slacking behind in his training as of late, barely lifting a paw in effort, and it was unacceptable. After all, if even Kuroki could do it then so could he.

Once the children were gathered and ready to go, the group set out north, to the towering heights of Fenrir's Maw. He did not tell them where they were going, simply asked them to follow and keep up as best as they could. It was colder than it had been the last time he ventured up the mountain, the wind biting and cold as he led the way through the winding paths and narrow crawlspaces that led deeper into the mountains. He periodically checked over his shoulder, intent on making sure no one was left behind and from the slight furrowing of his brow it was clear he visibly concerned Kiyohime would make a misstep and fall to her death.  

He made her walk on the inside and closer to the wall,  just in case.

By the time they arrived it was later morning, edging into the afternoon and just as cold as before. Ahead of them loomed the shadow of the temple, just as grand and scenic as he remembered. Hattori pulled in a long breath as he savoured the fresh mountain air, the briskness of it stirring his senses and sweeping away the faint ache in his limbs.

He padded across the courtyard, his talons clicking against the ancient stone. There was training to be done but he saw no harm in letting them explore for a little while, there was no rush to head back just yet. And besides, today was a testament to their stamina, a reminder they had more strength than they knew. Hattori sat and gestured to the temple with a point of his muzzle.

"You may explore first, if you wish. Stay away from the edges and stick together. I will call for you when it is time to train."

Kuroki was not fond of mornings, nor did he like being dragged out of bed early. He grumbled and groaned, pitching a sulk as he reluctantly set out, following in his sire's footsteps only because he wasn't given much of a choice. Whether it was a punishment or not Takē was lucky, still cosied up in his bed, with a day of trailing after their mother ahead of him. Nothing like the discipline Kuroki received whenever he stepped out of line, go figure. Kuroki spent most of the journey wondering where the hell Hattori was taking them, he'd wandered off alone a time or two but he'd never made a point of climbing a mountain just for the sake of it. No doubt there was a deeper meaning behind this but whenever the prince asked the Shogun would only vaguely tell him he would see in time. Whatever that was supposed to mean. It certainly wasn't a walk in the park and explained why Hattori had been going light on their training in the few days prior, he'd been leading up to this for a while, it seemed. Anyway, Kuroki was fit and strong for his age but sheeesh. His breathing was hard and laboured, his limbs aching up a storm as he squinted against the cold wind. Whatever was waiting at the finishing line better be worth it, or Kuroki would have some edged words. And there it was, standing before them, just like it had sprung out of one of Hattori's old stories of Nippon. Any and all complaints slipped his mind as he stared up at it, mouth agape as the dark of his gaze roved over all the hard lines carved in stone. This place was old...like really, really old. Unlike anything he'd ever seen before. Was everywhere in Nippon like this? And just what laid inside, ready to be sniffed and poked?  For a split second he couldn't believe Hattori was giving them free rein to explore and shot his sire a look, as though to say really? Sure enough there were conditions, as always. Kuroki shoved them aside and bounced on his paws, his former exhaustion waning as anticipation flooded his system. "Yeah yeah."He dismissed Hattori's warning with a wave of a paw and turned to look at his sisters, wearing a face splitting grin. "Last one in stinks of cat shit!"

The little princess was roused long before dawn, and had no trouble bending to her father’s will. Once her eyes were open she was awake. She did as Hattori instructed her and presented herself, ready to go wherever he would lead her. They went up steep and winding mountain paths, and she would have been lying if she didn’t appreciate the way her father stood between her and the cliff. They were both fully aware of how easily she could be tripping over her own paws let alone the treacherous trail here.

Fatigue was beginning to ebb at her when they finally reached their destination, but lifting her dual toned gaze up to the temple washed all of it away. Her expression changed to one of awe as she traced the corners of the structure and the layout of the once gardens. Like they were transported into one of their father’s tales. Stunned for only a moment she followed after her father over the snow dusted courtyard.

Hattori offered them time to explore the great temple before them, then back to training. Ike grinned up at her dad, and flinched at Oki’s crude use of language. She knew he liked to get a rise out of their dad but didn’t he have any respect for this place? He’d shared her look of awe. The princess sighed softly and followed her brother. Usually she loved his rough and tumble games, but not this one.


"Kiyohime Shuriken Ōritsu Abraxas"

Kitsune was awoken by the form of her father in front of her. She yawned sleepily and stretched out a paw to touch his nose, before consciousness reached her and she blinked, withdrawing the paw. “Good morning, Puppa” she said respectfully, and began to get ready.

She assembled with her siblings, and gently flicked her tail at the grumpy, sleepy Kuroki. Kitsune liked her sleep too, but she could hide it better than her brother. Ike was perhaps the most awake of the siblings, and Kit leaned against her sister, hiding a yawn.

Then they were off, and it was quite a hike. Especially to undertake before the sun had even risen. She stumbled a few times, still shaking off the grip of sleep. Despite her sleepiness, like her father, she kept an eye on Ike and kept between her and the cliff.

Then, suddenly, they were there. She bit back a soft gasp, wide eyes taking in the scene. She didn’t get to fully do so before Kuroki’s voice shot out between them. Ever competitive, she let out a yip and put on some speed, tearing across the space between.


"Speech"

Hattori watched his children rouse in excitement. The journey had been long and difficult on their young limbs, but it clearly wasn't enough to hold them back. Good, learning to push on beyond the tiredness was an important skill for a warrior to have. It was important to know one's limits, but it was a fine line to tread, to give enough but not too much. From the looks of it they all had life in them yet, there was no reason to fear they'd keel over from exhaustion. And as long as they stuck together Hattori assumed the girls would be able to keep Kuroki out of trouble. Most likely.

Having told the children all he wished to say for now, Hattori settled down in the stone courtyard. Perhaps he ought to make the most of the peace and quiet and compose a haiku, as he tended to do when he had time to himself.

"speech"