Through the rest of the fall and into the beginning of winter, the household was peaceful. The only fighting was in the practice room between the children and any other students who might be practicing. Whenever the two had a moment of free time, Dee and Manchu would take off into the markets to buy little amusements or rare treats. Often enough they would come home with a large bag of lotus seeds, sugared coconut shreds, and preserved melon rind being shared between the two of them.

{Do you think we can lose them?} Dee asked Manchu on one such outing.

{Of course. They're too big and they'll move slower than us,} he said, grinning around a mouthful of sugary melon rind. He folded the bag with care and tucked it into the pocket of his jacket.

{On the count of three?}

He nodded. {One.}

{Two.}

{Three!}

On three, the children split and ran down different alleyways, dodging the heavy market traffic. Once she reached the end of her alley, Dee jumped ran headlong down the street, ducking and weaving through the steady flow. As she rounded a corner, she took a chance to look behind her. Smiling in glee, she saw her pursuer, a man dressed in dark cotton pants and a heavy tunic following in her wake. Running between the fishmonger booths, she spotted Manchu running toward her, a similar grin on his face.

Catching up with her friend at a wall, he hopped up it, and then pulled her to the top. This was the time when all those hours of practicing on the bamboo poles came in handy. Each booth was covered with a waterproofed cloth, held up by a set of poles, which poked through to support the cloth. These became a point of interest as the children heard a shout from below and saw the two men who were chasing them catch up. Squealing in delight, the two hopped onto the poles and ran across them as if they were level ground.

Ten minutes of hard running found them standing on the wall surrounding Quon Wing's house, giggling in amusement as they watched the two men run from the market place to the house. Leaping to the ground inside the wall, the children ran inside and up the stairs, heading for Manchu's room. Panting breathlessly, they flopped down on Manchu's bed, too out of breath to even laugh for the moment.

"Do they really think we don't know they send guards out with us?" he asked, pulling the packet of sweets from his pocket as he tossed the jacket onto his desk chair.

"If they didn't know before, they do now!" Dee giggled helping herself to a piece of coconut.

A knock at the door made them both sit up and look at each other, both trying not to laugh.

"Busted," Manchu said quietly. {Come in!}

If a storm cloud could walk, it would have been what Quon Wing was now as he entered the room. Shutting the door behind him, he turned to the children and placed his hands on his hips.

{What do you think you two were doing? Do you know how dangerous what you just did is?}

Manchu and Dee both opened their mouths to say something, but were cut off by a swipe of Quon Wing's hand.

{Silence! The men are very upset about losing you. Their job is to keep an eye on you two, something they do not enjoy, as they don't see themselves as babysitters. You two will apologize to them immediately. Once you have, you are both to clean not only the bathing pools and each rock there, but the entire courtyard! I don't want to find a single snowflake on the ground! All the equipment in the practice room, as well as the practice room shall be cleaned thoroughly and put away properly. No excuses. No disagreements. Once you are done with those tasks, I will decide if further punishment is needed.} He pinned each child with an icy stare. {Hopping about on those poles and the walls as if you were a pair of cats! You could've slipped on ice and broken your necks! What would I have told Jiaoshu and the Gotham Elders then? Get to your chores now.}

The children hopped up from the bed, bowed deeply to Quon Wing and hurried off to apologize to the guards.

~ ~ ~ "I've never seen Quon this mad," Manchu said, shoulders slumping sadly.

"I don't see what was wrong with it. We were just playing," Dee said, swiping angrily at a spot of lichen on the edge of some rocks.

"It was the third time we ran off like that, Xiaohu. We were lucky the first two times that we got away with it."

Dee wrinkled her nose at that. "Still, it isn't like we hurt anyone or broke anything."

{But we were worried that you might hurt yourself,} Li Rong said, shuffling silently up in a pair of thick slippers. {Children, Quon Wing and I were worried about your actions and that you weren't thinking of the consequences. Just because you made it back this time doesn't mean that you will always make it back. The first two times we overlooked as childish exuberance. Even then we were worried, but the risks weren't as great. Look around you, children. It's winter. There is ice hidden everywhere. You must be more careful and never do that again.}

Heads hanging in shame, the children bowed to Li Rong. {Yes, Ma'am,} they said in unison.

{Does this mean we can stop now?} Manchu asked gesturing to the courtyard.

Li Rong smiled. {Sorry, children. But just because I came to explain things to you does not mean I will let you off your punishments. You may, however, take a break. Cook has made a fresh batch of steam buns and tea. If you're good and ask nicely, she might share with you.}

The children's faces lighted up at this. Tossing their brushes down, they threw their hands up in the air, shouting, and ran toward the kitchen.

{Walk, children!} Li Rong shouted after them. Shaking her head, she turned and headed back to the house herself. {These children would be the death of me if they were staying for good. I certainly hope Jin has more restraint than these two,} she muttered stepping into the warm house.
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