"How is he doing?" Lady Nuo asked.
"Good evening your Ladyship. He's certainly improving, every day that I teach him I can see he has been putting time and effort into the art outside of our lessons." Master Thundering Rhino replied. Lady Nuo smirked "Please call me Nuo. After all, we've known each other for nearly two decades. I'm pleased to hear that he is paying attention to your teachings. He certainly spends most of his time in his chambers." They both watched Shen practicing striking a tree repeatedly with throwing knives.
Master Thundering Rhino announced that the lesson had finished, with that Lady Nuo called to her son "Shen dear, I think it's time you have a wash before dinner. It's a busy day tomorrow and we will all need an early night." The young Lord packed the weapons away and placed them in the crate, Nuo and Shen bid Master Rhino goodnight and they headed to the palace. "Ah Ma told me a storm is blowing in, it certainly feels cold enough.", Lady Nuo placed her wing on Shen's back, he turned to her and smiled for it was nice to have his mothers reassuring touch for once. He cherished these moments as they were rare.
They stood on the steps leading up to the palace and both looked at the setting sun, "You know something Shen, I feel change in the air, this winter will be a harsh one but the spring will bring new things, great things, things to cherish forever." Lady Nuo turned to her son who smiled and replied, "I agree with you Mother, change is imminent."
xXx
"Change. Change. How do I change what they created? How do I get them to notice me?" Shen muttered to himself as he combined the chemical compounds necessary to produce a firework. "You know your parents love you and acknowledge you." Shen jumped, pulled the partitioning curtains shut and turned to face the Soothsayer who was standing in the doorway to his chambers with a smile plastered on her face. "There you are, you Old Goat!" Shen spat "I didn't even hear you walking down the hall." Her smile widened, she entered his room and stood beside him, "I know what you are doing. You have your fathers determination and your mothers wisdom, but most of all you have their love." with that she left.
He pulled the curtains apart, blew out the flames, dusted himself down and headed to the dining hall for dinner whilst thinking over and over that Ah Ma knew what he was up to. He just hoped that she had guessed wrong.
xXx
"So, Shen, how did your Cai Li Fo training go today?" Lord Jiao-Long asked, "It went well, I'm getting better with the throwing knives." Shen replied. "Your father used to lead thousands into battle. Once you're the ruler that will be your duty." Lady Nuo said to which Shen replied with a slight chuckle, "Yes. Amongst many other things.", "I wish I could teach you how to fight son, but unfortunately ever since those bandits climbed the palace walls…" He stopped and remembered how his wing had been broken, he never let on how exactly they had broken his wing but it had never fully healed no matter how many things Ah Ma had tried, "But anyway, I have my utmost faith in Master Thundering Rhino and I trust that he will teach you everything he knows."
Suddenly Lady Nuo stared at Shen's sleeve and noticed a small piece of ash, Lord Jiao-Long noticed it too and picked it off, "What is this? Care to explain?" he asked sternly, Nuo looked at Shen with disappointment, "Have you been in the Barracks again? What's his name? Lang is it?". Jiao-Long turned to her, "Lang? You mean the son of the general?", "Yes thats him dear." He glared at Shen "You know not to befriend any of our employees!" Before Shen could speak, his father had ordered the servants to clear the table, with that he promptly stood up and left, Lady Nuo said "I wasn't expecting him to act like that, but still you should know better." She then left and followed Jiao-Long who had long gone. Shen sighed and retired to his chambers hoping that the next day would bring better things.
xXx
Shen walked out onto the balcony, it was starting to snow, he breathed in the ice cold air and could see the streets of Gongmen City lit up with the lanterns adorning the streets. He wondered who would be at the offering ceremony tomorrow, the majority would be Pandas from the village within the province, the occasional Sheep or Pig, nothing new however, there never is.
He retired to bed, blew out the flame from the torch by his bed and climbed underneath the silk covers hoping of all things that his father wouldn't be still angry with him.
Unbeknownst to him there was someone traveling in this harsh weather who would change his life forever.