Heavenfall

"At least for a while." Taiko agrees. "Until another bird flies past and drops a seed from something or another and the forest sprouts up anew. Might be a dozen generations, but life finds a way."

"We should be considerate to those other beings that we share this place with though, you are right. I mean, have you seen those bipedal rat things? It's clear we're not exactly the only things at the top of the food chain here.."

"I saw one the other day, but that was it. I thought there was a bear in town at first, but nobody was running from it. Got a closer look but it seemed busy so I didn't bother it. Never saw anything like it before and I still have no clue what they really are. Maybe they're what is to the south?"

"I don't know if they're from there, but they're apparently familiar enough with it to be our guides I think." Taiko commented before displaying a touch of the quintessential Rokugani xenophobia.

"Not sure I completely trust them though." He adds in a softer voice. "I think I'll be sleeping with one eye open out on the road."

"Been doing that since I was 12. Not going to change regardless of where I am at this point probably. But if they know the way, they know the way. I'm certainly not going to be able to lead us there," he says with a smirk. "If the people running the show trust them enough to show us the way, they'll get no arguments from me."

"Tribe or Clan, you don't question the decisions of the ones above you too loudly." Taiko agreed as he handed over another dozen arrowheads he'd been working on to the junior assistant to the quartermaster.

"At least not if you want to hang around."

"But then again... do you really want to hang around when the people in charge make a lot of decisions that you want to question?" he replies. "My dad always told me that if you can't trust the people in charge then how can they trust you? There's gotta be some room for a few questions."

"Happy to say that so far, it's not a question I've needed answered. Everyone's got that line they won't cross though, when I reach that line, I guess I'll weigh my options."

"Not sure I'd be able to handle the solo life like you though, sounds tough."

"Well, you get used to it and learn or you don't survive. If you survive long enough eventually you find that happy spot in the middle where you can judge whether you need to fight or flee to make it out of a situation alive."