Year of the Boar, Ninth Month, Day 25.

Nanami has gone.

Year of the Boar, Ninth Month, Day 24.

I spent some time playing my koto this morning. The weather was dismal; there was no rain but a heavy, dark layer of cloud covered the sky as far as the eye could see. I felt restless but I did not feel like company and I did not feel like going out in the garden; the koto called to me from its corner and after I had dusted it, I picked at the strings for a while before I started an exercise or two. I felt quite pleased at the sounds I was bringing out of the strings so I played a few short tunes before I attempted Hishinuma's concerto... I should not have. I did not play it badly but as I plucked the strings, I could not help but hear his voice telling me that I held my wrist wrong as I used the pick and he did not think much of the string tension... I could not have been more than halfway through the first movement when I felt tears prickling at the back of my eyes and then I could no longer play.
I knelt by the koto weeping for some while before I took to my bed. I had intended to try and talk to Nanami today but instead I have remained in my chamber wishing that I had even the tiniest crumb of opium to soothe my mood...

Year of the Boar, Ninth Month, Day 22.

We have finally arrived back at the House. I have reluctantly allowed myself to accept that the woman is Seira Pale Twilight; she simply knows too much about the intricacies of the Kingdom to be an impostor. She cannot be anything other than of Royal birth and there is really no one else she could be. What I do not understand, is why she would leave home and travel to the other end of the Kingdom on my account. I shall have to make time to speak with her properly but for now, I am content to simply have her watched.
I must deal with Nanami.

Year of the Boar, Ninth Month, Day 17.

This travelling seems endless. What I would not give for a pipe; at least I would not notice the days slipping by as we rode. We have finally crossed the border back into Dying Crane. I have insisted we rest briefly because I tire of walking the horses so slowly that we do not lose Nanami. We will wait a while for her to catch up and when she does, I will insist she gets on a horse or I will slap her senseless enough to put her over the back of one regardless of what she wants. I need to get back to my House.