A Message and a Mountain Peak (Zaine)

Moonlight bathes the village hidden in the sand when Raleth Sarutobi unlocks the doors of his teashop, the Monkey's Uncle. The familiar smell, of dark rosewood, fruit, and tea relaxes a tension in his neck and shoulders. The events that played out during their arrival in Sunagakure, the Pale Lady striking Lord First and draining him of his essence, and the subsequent talks of war, playback in his mind as he walks into his shop.  He goes to the light switch, flips it and illuminates the dark-wooded, monkey-accented teashop in warm, candle-like glow. 

The aged monk sighs notes a fine layer of dust on everything. Perplexed, he walks upstairs, to check to see if Ganki is there. He opens the guest room, finding it curiously absent.  He shrugs his shoulders, assuming the boy has moved on to bigger and brighter things. He goes back downstairs and tidys up, wiping down a the tables with a rag and sweeping the floor. When done, he goes into the kitchen. He grabs two bowls of beef stew, a dish he prepared prior to leaving. The slow cooked stew,, cooked with onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes, steams with flavor ad its poured into the bowls. And, unlike his usual self, he grabs two bottles of hot sake, from a cupboard seldom used, a favorite of Mrs. Harushuno, the previous owner of the teashop. As he grabs each bottle, he notices an open compart inside, one he himself had never known existed. 

Wonder what was inside...

He walks back to the tray with the beef broth bowl and, after placing each bottle, squeezes some leechee, a fruit with a sweet and cream flavor, into the sake. 

He leaves the kitchen with a tray of food and drink and walks to a table near the corner of the teashop. He sits and places the food and sake down. He waits for his guest and friend, hoping to catch up and talk.

[[325]]