It was a little over a month since Dee and Manchu had returned from their trip to China. The adults had all recognized changes in the two immediately. Manchu held himself with a good deal more restraint, thwarting more of Dee's suggestions for trouble making. They had both initiated tricks and amusements before, but the boy was proving to be focusing on his future in the triad. Still, it didn't always stop Dee from somehow getting him involved in her practical jokes.

During practices, the two were often set together as sparring partners. However, in the time they were gone, a few more students had joined the training sessions. Taking it upon himself, Jiaoshu separated the two often enough to let them get some experience with other fighters. It surprised him to find out that even with some of the more advanced students, they could think of tricks quickly enough to disable their opponent quickly. Only when the two sparred together did the match get long and drawn out.

{Those two, it seems, make a fine team,} Kueng commented one day after watching the practices with the rest of the Elders.

Jiaoshu nodded. {The only problem is Xiaohu is more focused when it comes to sparring with Manchu. The others don't hold her attention long enough for her to fight with them more than a few minutes. She does sometimes humor them and let them get a few swings in.}

Kueng pulled Jiaoshu aside from the rest. {Her fighting is excellent. Please work on her control. I would like to see her enter the triad if it is possible. Though I can't promise anything right now, she has potential. Her biggest problem is her focus and control. She must learn these before we can allow her to be a member.}

{I fully agree and have been working on it. There are a few things I would like to try with her. She has been pressing me since returning from China about learning to handle explosives.}

Kueng's eyebrows shot up at this. {Do you think it's a good idea? Xiaohu can be very unstable at times.}

{True. But she respects dangerous elements and I don't see that she would do anything stupid with it. She is a bright child and needs new activities to keep her mind from wandering.}

For a moment, Kueng thought about this. After a quiet minute, he nodded. {You know her best. I shall send over the one who will teach her and teach her well: Kên Huo. If anyone can contain and focus that spirit of hers, it would be him. He shall teach her well. I shall give her a one-month trial and he shall report to you and I on her progress. No one else.}

Bowing, Jiaoshu thanked the Elder. {I will give her the good news as soon as I meet with Kên Huo. She will appreciate this.}

Rejoining the other Elders, the conversation drifted to the accomplishments of the two live-in students, including their book learning.

~ ~ ~

"Manchu! Manchu!" Dee said, grabbing her friend by the sleeve and pulling him into her room. "Guess what?!"

Extracting him from his friend's overzealous grip, he placed his hands on her shoulder to stop her from bouncing up and down on her toes. "Calm down. You're dancing around like a monkey! What is it?"

She frowned at him. "I'm not a monkey," she said before immediately smiling and returning to a bright tone, "Remember I told you I asked Jiaoshu about learning explosives?"

"Oh no. He didn't!"

"He did!" she squealed excitedly, throwing her arms around the boy's thickening neck.

Manchu shook his head and rolled his eye. "I can't believe they did that. You and explosives? What were they thinking?"

"Ha ha. You know I'd be careful."

He sighed. "Yes, you will be careful. Because I'm not going to be the one to feed you and open things for you should you blow a finger or hand off!" Pausing, he scrubbed his hand through his hair. "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow! This is so cool! Do you think it'll be a good skill for them to consider when the time comes?" Her voice wavered with uncertainty at the last.

"Xiaohu, I don't know. That's up to the Elders and you know that. You can be the best at everything and they could still turn you down." He watched his friend's face fall and quickly hugged her. "You know I believe in you. So do Jiaoshu and Li Mei. But it isn't their decision. If it were, I'm positive you'd get in."

"So it comes down to me being white." She frowned and hugged Manchu tighter. "I'm gonna do everything I can to get in, Manchu. What else would I do with my life? This has been the first opportunity given to me all my life."

"It's a life of crime, Xiaohu-ai. No matter how you look at it, we're being trained for a life of stealing and violence."

"I hate when you start putting things like that." She shook her head and walked to her desk. "It wouldn't be anything different from what I've been doing all my life anyway." She smiled sadly at him. "Besides, the adventure alone is worth it, isn't it?"

A smile lit Manchu's face. Leave it to her to bring up the adventure. His life had been filled with it since becoming friends with her. "Yes, the adventure is well worth it. So is having a friend like you," he said, ruffling her hair, something only he could get away with. His face returned to a serious expression as he added, "Xiaohu, I will help you in any way I can to get into the triad. We have a few years left to work on things. Don't give up hope yet."

She nodded and he left the room, leaving Dee to think about her future. There was nothing more that she wanted in her life at this point than to join the triad. For once she loved the people she was around and enjoyed pleasing them. She knew she was a handful, yet the household truly cared about her. It was nice to be accepted and allowed to be who she was.

There was just one thing that had started bothering her and that was the strange fluttering in her heart. Ever since she came back from China, she had started feeling self conscious about her body. Her breasts had started getting rounder and she had consciously been taking a care about her appearance. When she walked around Chinatown, she found herself looking at the boys; something she had never really cared about before.

Now as she got ready for her afternoon training session, she took great care in plaiting her hair back in the usual braid. Standing in front of her mirror, she smoothed her hands down her body, feeling the curves that were beginning to fill out. Biting her lower lip, she frowned at her reflection. Her limbs were getting longer and she was already a couple inches taller than Manchu. Dee was sincerely beginning to hope that her friend would start his growth spurt soon so she wouldn't be stuck being the odd one out.
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