January 1906
Yao Imperial Estate, Xing
Fu slipped into Lan Fan's room before the break of day on her seventh birthday. She did not stir as the old man appraised her from the shadows. Her hair had slipped from her tie in the night, spread across the pillow like a lacquered fan. She'd snuggled herself securely beneath the warm, heavy quilt Suyin made for her. It was a thing of beauty and skill, not a stitch out of place. When she'd received the parcel she'd untied the twine with care, making sure not to tear the brown paper wrapping. Even in her delight Lan Fan had been cautious as she lovingly smoothed her hand over the dark blue fabric and white embroidered blossoms.
The girl sleeps too deeply.
With a lightning fast flick of his wrist Fu yanked the cover from her, and Lan Fan woke with a start at the sudden chill. She sat up quickly, trying to gather her wits about her,still addled from sleep. Lan Fan shivered and peered out her window into the dark before looking up at Fu.
"Master, it's still nighttime," she mumbled and rubbed her eyes.
"Do you think the enemy will wait politely while you get your beauty sleep?" Fu's voice was the crack of the whip. His granddaughter got to her feet and changed into her winter training attire. Fu eyed her as she hastily gathering her waist length hair into a braid. That would have to go; another lesson to be learned. Lan Fan glanced at the kitchen mournfully as he led her from their home without even a morsel of breakfast, but she dare not complain. Through the bitter cold and snow they trudged to the outer wall of the grand estate. The guards at the gate were expecting them, and allowed master and apprentice through without question.
With each step Lan Fan sunk knee deep in the snow and she cursed her diminutive stature. Fu's longer legs easily outpaced her and he showed no signs of halting. She doubled her speed to avoid falling too far behind. Even with her scarf wrapped around her mouth and nose each breath was a thousand frozen needles in her lungs. It took less than a kilometer before she found herself winded. The passage of time grew sluggish in the cold. To Lan Fan it felt like an eternity before they came to a stop at the edge of a vast icescape. He'd brought her to the lake frozen during the snowstorms of the past few weeks.
Lan Fan couldn't help the gasp of awe that escaped her lips. A sliver of the morning sun glinted at the horizon, and the illumination of the white expanse blinded her momentarily. They stood before the lake in companionable silence a brief while. All too soon Fu pivoted to face Lan Fan with his customary scowl.
"Your endurance is pitiful. Clearly, I've been too soft on you. You will run the circumference of the lake. Should you take shortcuts I will know and you will begin again. Do not walk if you wish to eat today, apprentice," Fu instructed. Lan Fan stared at him wide eyed and unmoving until he spoke again. "Are you as foolish as you are weak? I said run, girl."
Fu flicked his wrist, releasing a kunai into his palm, and flung it at her feet. With a strangled yelp she turned and sprinted along the icy shore. When she glanced over her shoulder the old man was nowhere to be seen.
"Ah!" Lan Fan slipped once again on the slush of the bank. As the morning wore on she'd been thankful for the sun's warmth, but melting snow hindered her progress. She went down hard on her right knee, biting her tongue in the process. Tears sprung to her eyes; she managed to hold them back just barely.
I mustn't cry. Grandfather is watching. Lan Fan sniffled as she pulled her scarf off and tied it around her bloody knee. She stood shakily, spit a glob of crimson at the ground, and forced herself to keep moving. Her muscles burned, legs trembling with every step, and she could no longer feel her feet-whether from the cold or the distance she did not know. The back of her throat was raw from thirst and she hadn't any water. Instead, she ate handfuls of snow and shivered all the more for it. More than once she spied frozen inlets that could've been traversed easily enough, but each time she thought of how far she'd come she resisted the temptation.
Master will not be merciful if I disobey, she reminded herself. On multiple occasions she could've sworn she saw something, perhaps even felt something in her periphery. Each time Lan Fan turned she found nothing but an unrelenting sense something important had escaped her notice. Suddenly, she thought of how very alone she was by the edge of the lake.
What if master isn't watching me? What if a beast is hunting me? She thought of the howl of wolves in the night, and it was no longer the fear of disappointing Fu that drove her footsteps. By the time she burst through the trees into the clearing from which she originated, Lan Fan had worked herself into a frenzied terror. Next to the shore her grandfather sat on a log before a small fire. There was a hole in the ice nearby and over the flames two freshly caught fish were roasting. Lan Fan burst into tears at the sight of him; her body flooded with relief. He hadn't abandoned her in the forest. With the last of her energy she ran to Fu, flinging herself against him, and wrapping her skinny arms around his waist.
Fu placed his hands on her shoulders, prying her from him, then dropped to one knee before his weeping granddaughter. Though his heart wished to pull her into a consoling embrace he refrained. Instead, he tilted her chin up and looked her in the eyes.
"You've done well, Lan Fan," he said, "But no more tears." He waited as her sobs abated. Sniffles and hiccups replaced them, but she'd composed herself. Fu nodded with approval, and set her upon the log with a canteen of water and one of the fish, which she tore into with ravenous appetite. Once she'd eaten he cleaned her hands and face of her meal and carried her home on his back.
They reached home by midday with Lan Fan a limp as a doll. Exhaustion racked Lan Fan's body and to her misfortune feeling returned to her feet. In place of numbness she felt raw pain and an unrelenting throb. Complaining would take energy she no longer had. She remained silent as Fu carried her through the gate and to their small home in the outer sanctum of the estate. Fu built a fire in the brazier and settled her by it while he set about drawing her a bath. The heat of the fire leeched the chill from her bones. Her fingers were stiff and clumsy as she set about removing her shoes. A cry of pain drew Fu back to the main room. Lan Fan clutched the shoe and stared at her feet. Blisters had formed and broken leaving them a bloody mess. This time Fu did not chide her for her tears.
He gathered his granddaughter in his strong arms and tended to her wounds, cleaning them as gently as he was able with his large, callused hands. After her bath he set her on a stool with her feet soaking in a basin of water and sea salt. Clad in a clean robe she sat still while Fu combed her damp hair. She watched in silence as he fetched a pair of scissors from a drawer. Fu cut her hair to her shoulders leaving it long enough to still gather into a bun.
"A bodyguard has no need for vanity. Long hair can be grabbed in close combat. Place value in your strength, speed, and agility." Fu bandaged her injured feet and fed her stew before sending her off to bed early. As she lay in bed daylight still streamed through her window. Despite her weary body Lan Fan could not sleep for many hours. She stared at the ceiling contemplating Fu's words, the pleased tone in his voice when he told her she'd done well.
More than anything she thought of the lightness she felt in her chest when she saw how proud he was of her by the lake. It felt like soaring.
Lan Fan decided she'd meet any challenge he threw at her if only to see that expression on his face once more.
