Back in Linan, Lon'qu's life finally flourished. Together, he and his mother made enough money to pay the bills and live comfortably. Though he had yet to warm up to the children his age, his mother was very sociable and quickly befriended the neighbors. After all, Lon'qu thought, he was in no hurry to make new friends. His job took up most of his time, and he occasionally practiced his swordplay in his spare moments. No use in letting such a useful skill go to waste, he reasoned.
Lon'qu also quickly discovered that Taifen was a hard taskmaster who did not put up with any dithering. There was always something to do in the armory – whether it was rearranging and restocking the shelves, taking inventory, or cleaning. However, Lon'qu rarely received any criticism from Taifen, as he usually took the initiative to do whatever was necessary. Instead, this observation came from watching the interaction between Taifen and Rinku, Taifen's apprentice. Though Rinku was far from lazy, Taifen demanded a constant attention and focus that Rinku simply did not have. In addition to this, Rinku did not seem to enjoy his apprenticeship – doing only the tasks that he had been explicitly instructed to do.
The tension in the workroom had stretched to a breaking point. And soon, Lon'qu knew, things would have to come to a head.
It happened one late summer morning. The heat had almost reached its peak for the day, and Rinku had yet to arrive at the forge. Taifen had been muttering muted curses all day – something about a 'lazy, misbegotten, apprentice'. Lon'qu had attempted to mollify his anger, suggesting that Rinku might be ill. But Taifen dismissed the idea immediately, claiming that "idiots don't catch colds."
Lon'qu saw no benefit in defending Rinku further, however harsh Taifen's tirade may be. Either way, ten minutes later, a messenger invalidated any defense for Rinku that Lon'qu could have made.
"I have a message for Taifen from Jing-e," the messenger cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to get Taifen's attention. Little did he know – even if Taifen acknowledge the messenger's presence, Lon'qu knew that he could still be paying complete attention.
"Well, go on, what is it?" Taifen asked gruffly, not looking up.
Glancing uncertainly at Lon'qu, the messenger licked his lips nervously and spoke. "Rinku will no longer be serving as your apprentice."
Taifen ceased his work on the anvil. "And why is that?" he asked, voice deadly quiet.
The messenger shifted uncomfortably, and Lon'qu did not blame him. Even though it had not yet reached its full force, Taifen's wrath was a formidable sight. "Rinku has departed Linan. He left a note for his father. Said he'd rather become a mercenary and seek adventures than spend his life getting yelled at doing a boring old job."
Lon'qu winced. Clearly, the messenger did not understand the value of paraphrasing. Taifen's features darkened, but miraculously, the man was able to leave unscathed. The minute the door slammed behind the messenger's quickly retreating back, Taifen turned to Lon'qu.
"Go home," he said. "There is no more work for you to do today. I must…think for a while."
There was no point in arguing, and Lon'qu knew that to question Taifen would be to invite his wrath. He headed home, curious as to how the situation would develop.
The next morning, Taifen met Lon'qu at the door.
"Come with me," he said. Leading Lon'qu to the back, Taifen sat down at the forge and began to talk. "Most of our swords are made from either steel or iron. Today, we'll start small – I'll show you around the forge and teach you how to sharpen our weapons."
Lon'qu blinked. Just like that, it seemed as though he had become Taifen's new apprentice. Still, he had a reservation, and he voiced it now.
"What if Rinku returns?"
Taifen frowned, not appreciating the interruption. "There is no place for him here anymore. I took him on as a favor for his father, but his own selfish ungratefulness has barred him from ever apprenticing here again. If he returns, he will have to find a new apprenticeship on his own."
Terrible as though it may be for Rinku, Lon'qu was reassured. The boy's foolishness had given Lon'qu an opportunity, one that he would hold onto tightly and never let go of.
He couldn't wait to tell Ke'ri.
A/N: Psyched to attend Otakon '14 in almost a week!