Mud Slide Meetings.

With casual flicks of the blade, Rin rid it of blood and filth before taking a cloth gently to it's length in what looked to be an entirely instinctive ritual. One could imagine her true eyes behind the gruesome mask she affected never left the forms of the downed bandits. "Now were I to trust the village's authorities to be better than the bandits we just fought I would bring them there for questioning but sadly such is not an option and I doubt they are privy to the greater breadth of the criminal organizations here..."

Within moments of the "ambush" all of the trio's foes lay on the ground dead or dieing.

Chiyo's widened eyes were still upon the dead bandits, the look in her eyes difficult to discern when she suddenly spoke up, clearly addressing the Ratling and the Soshi Magistrate.
"Thank you."
The Kitsune's words were genuine, even though at first, she did not avert her eyes from the dying ronin.
Once she did, her first concern were her clearly rather skilled companions, but she could not find any injury on them nor did she remember either of them being struck.
Her own arm stung slightly, but upon close inspection - the wound proved to be little more than a nasty gash. Nothing she could not deal with nor something which might hamper their movements.

The young Kitsune once again looked at her assailants - or rather, her former assailants. Her on barely held as she studied the men, never having gotten truly comfortable around slain or dying people.
However, in this case, the woman forced herself to face the dead and dying ronin.
She had wanted to inquire as to why these ronin had so haplessly attacked them. If they even had an ulterior motive other than greed and whatever other ill motives inspired their ilk.
Still, the Scorpion's words puzzled the woman and once again made her wonder about their experiences in this area.

"These... Ronin," the Kitsune quietly started. "Are... Were they allies of the one you seek?"

"It is entirely possible. It wouldn't be the first time one of my fugitives has hired men to end my life before I could fulfill my duty." the Magistrate replied with only a slight incline of head in recognition of the expressed thanks. "In either case, I only need one to live if I am to question them. Rabble like this do not tend to keep secrets with any appreciable skill." the Magistrate concluded as she knelt by one of the downed men and be searching for some clue to suggest their alleigance. The possibility that her words and actions to the leader of the Village's enforcers placing him as a suspect with little surprise to Rin's mind.

Investigation/Perception (49)

A moment to look, makes them far more likely simple bandits then even Ronin

Each man wore a rough brown sash (Far to crude to be called an obi) but hanging from it was a carved symbol in wood. 山羊, yagi, that of a mountain goat. One actualy had a crude carving of somehting that mightlook like a goat (2)

Chiyo followed the example of the Soshi Magistrate. That was, she too, knelt down near the bandits and studied them quietly, looking for anything of interest.

Medicine/Intelligence (34)

Not much else was of note on the men, all of their gear is crude at best.

As the others examine the bodies, the Nezumi takes the time to wipe his mouth out on a scrap of fabric and waits by the side of the trail for the others to finish. He had enjoyed the brief workout, but it had left him agitated and full of energy so it was all he could do to keep from pacing impatiently. He also really needed to get a waterskin at some point--he enjoyed the taste of blood and that bothered him on occasion. "So, will any of them survive?"

"This fine upstanding member of the breed will get to live to answer my questions. Assuming that Kitsune-san might be able to do something for him." the Scorpion woman replied with a certain cold dispassion that reminded many of why a Magistrate of the Scorpion was a thing to be feared and avoided. It was one of their fold, after all, that had penned the laws of the Empire and then spent the last decades of his life teaching the clan of secrets how to subvert them.

Knowing he was far out of his element again now that combat was over, Chitter simply waits for the others to share information about their aggressors. "Well, Kitsune-san?" His tail twitches more rapidly than normal revealing his discomposure, but he did at least manage to keep it out of his voice. Maintaining On in the constant presence of non-Crab samurai is more demanding than I had thought possible.