Shrouded in the Rain Country [Travel]

Age : 48 Posts : 1036

When most people hear of Rain Country, the less-traveled think of a place where the rain never stops coming down. Those who are better-traveled know that it does not rain constantly but that not a day goes by where you won't get rained on. The rare few who have been to the remotes spots of the small nation or have first-hand accounts (verbal or written) know that it simply rains somewhere in the county every day and that there are spots where it actually rains less than in other nations. One such spot known to those in the last denomination was this area a few hours from the border between the nations of Wind and Rain. Here, in a spur of mountains sheltered a valley where the climate was much closer to what other would consider "normal" in that rain was a regular but not every-day occurrence. Taking advantage of the drier conditions was a forest of pine trees and other plants that found the lower, wetter, areas simple too wet to compete with other species.

It was this sight that greeted two cloaked figures as they completed their trek to this valley that had started so far away at the gates of Konohagakure no Sato. Shrouded in voluminous cloaks of gray and wearing the "coolie hats" common among farm laborers working the rice paddies, the only way for an observer to have told them apart was one figure had nearly two feet of vertical height on the other. It was that taller figure whose raised one sleeve-shrouded arm as if pointing into the valley shrouded in an early-morning mist. At that gesture the shorter figure nodded and the first audible words were exchanged between them were curiously accented as if the figure wasn't quite human. "Not a bad place. Sure beats the heck out of the rest of this rotting country. Less trees and some decent-sized clearings with tall grass and I would almost say it reminds me of the rougher parts of home." Still not moving (at least movements that the the cloak didn't conceal), the taller figures responded in a sardonic tone and as if it had heard that too many times. "You say that about every forest. The only one you haven't groused about is around Konoha" to which came the immediate reply of "well those woods are the only ones tall enough that a guy can spread his wings and not worry about running out of room. Though I still think Grass Country would have been a better choice for this." Now the taller figure chuckled in clear amusement before the sleeved arm came up and a lightly tanned hand covered by black gloves with the fingers cut off reached to push back the brim of it's hat, exposing teal eyes that held an inner smile of mirth mixed wtih exasperation. "You say that because you wanted to get frisky with that peahen summon who tried to seduce you the same why her kunochi summoner tried to get to me. I swear you have no will power at times Tonbi. If I can stay loyal to Kimi after almost three years with two letters in that time why can't you do the same for Kanko?" With that the taller figure began running down the path leading into the valley, the outraged reply of his companion just reaching his ears. "Damn it Toshiro! How many times do I have to tell you she is not my girlfriend!"