Heavenfall

Now that his offering to the crow was complete, Hanzou turned his attention to the waterfall. He could see the waters below and they seemed deep enough. Securing his rope to a sturdy tree, the hunter stripped off his robes and lowered them to the bottom of the cliff with his other things and the items he had foraged.

Then, he returned to the falls and lept into the air.
The stone cliff raced past him and he plunged into the cool waters below, remaining beneath the surface for some time, before finally coming up for air.

- - -
[Day 9, LM] Embracing the Elements, Diving off of the falls, Athletics: 5d10o10k3 29

As Hanzou surfaced, there was some quiet clapping from nearby. A woman in armor, with her hair back in a maiden's tail, sat against a tree trunk beside the pool at the bottom of the water. She had a slight smirk on her face. "That was pretty fancy. Glad the water was deep enough you didn't hit any rocks, would have ruined the whole show."

Saruko had had plenty of staring competitons with Karasu over the years, so she felt no great need to do intrude upon the crow's little game with its unsuspecting victims.

She did however want to explore the pool of water by the waterfall, in hopes that it would cool her off in the oppressive morning heat.

"Oh..." she was a little surprised that there were people there already. "Good morning?"

He shrugged. ""It looked safe hrist enough. And, I don't know when I'll have a skeeeks chance to do that again."

He waved to Saruko. "Good morning."

Umano's brow furrowed heavily. "Ah, I... see." She wasn't even going to start guessing. She looked to the side and gave a nod to the other woman that entered the clearing.

"Mornin'. Just missed this one jumpin' off the falls." She pointed with a thumb toward Hanzou.

"I did? Shoot," she kicked an imaginary pebble at having missed a show. "I hope I get to see the next jump, Hanzou!" Saruko waved back cheerfully.

Then she gave a nod to the woman she had seen around camp, but not had the chance to introduce herself to. "Togashi Saruko. I don't think I caught your name...?"

The girl gave a slight smirk. "Hard t' do when we haven't met, and I haven't introduced myself. Bayushi Umeno."

She paused. "Heh... I seem to meet all the spouses on this trip..."

"It's nice to meet krirrr you, Umeno." Hanzou said as he swam closer.

"Oh, you've met Kinsen and Nanzi too?" she smiled happily and looked to Hanzou as he swam closer.

"How are the waters? I was thinking of taking a dip myself..."

"It's nice and sheech cool." He answered. "Very refreshing."

No no, it was going to bug her otherwise. "I have met Nanzi, hai... Hanzou was it? You alright? I think you might've hit the water too hard."

"Great! ... I hope there's some places for me to sit or wade... I don't know how to swim," she said as she carefully considered the water at the edge.

"It's cheest shallow over there." he pointed to an area nearby. It took him a moment to realize what the Scorpion was referring to. "Ah no, that"s just the way I screee speak."

"I did wonder..." she murmured thoughtfully, then looked over to the area that he pointed out.

"Right! Uh... Umeno? Are you going to go swimming too, or are you staying on land?"

"Mm? I mean, I don't mind joining, but I came here to have some lunch and look at the falls, so feel free to go ahead without me." She reached to her bag and pulled out a skin of drink and some dried fish and fruit with a smile.

"Mm... do you mind keeping an eye on my things? I'd hate for some trickster to run off with my clothes."

It takes one to know one.

Hanzou moved over to sit in the shallower water, closer to the two women.

Umeno looked a bit curious before she shrugged and nodded. "Sure. Just keep it by the poolside, and I'll hit anyone that comes close."

"Thank you!" she beamed happily and moving over to a place where she could place her clothes, began to rather unceremoniously strip out of her layers of robes.

"So, uh, if you don't mind me asking, how did you come into service to Bayushi-Kami?"

That brought a sharper, short laugh from Umeno. "Fortunes, seems the number one question I get in this camp. At least I've figured out what to say better by now. Bayushi came through Kuwagaya lands, we met, I challenged him and he won, and I ended up following him until he asked me to join him. A bit more than that, but I'm not at liberty to share the whole story. You'll have to ask your brother in law next time you see him for the rest."