Though the household was in all respects Buddhist, the tradition of Christmas was warmly celebrated. No tree graced the house, but the spirit was there, as were a good many decorations to give the house a festive feel. Dee was just finishing a workout when Li Mei came to the door of the training room to get her.

{There is a special messenger come to see you! Come! Hurry!} the woman said, waving her arms impatiently as the girl toweled her face off.

{A messenger? Did they say what they wanted?}

{I did not ask. I am not nosy like you! Now come! You mustn't keep the messenger waiting!}

Li Mei near pulled Dee into the house and toward the front hall by her collar. Standing at the threshold of the main hall, Li Mei gave the girl a shove into the front reception room. Stumbling in, Dee caught herself and pushed a lock of stray hair back from her face. In front of her stood Elder Shing and Elder Fai. Immediately she dropped her eyes and gave a formal bow and greeting. Her stomach churned and her mind spun as she thought of what she could possibly have done to bring two of the Elders directly to her.

{Relax, young one. We merely come to deliver this note to you. A note which is long overdue and which you have been very patient in waiting for,} Shing said, gesturing for Fai to hand over the envelope.

The first time her hands had not trembled so much. This time, however, she had difficulty taking a hold of the paper, much less opening it. Shaking like a leaf, Dee slid the single slip of paper from the envelope. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she saw that the paper was not blank, but contained the one character she had been wishing to see on her sixteenth birthday. In a random burst of exuberance, she threw her arms around both of the Elders, hugging them as she gulped back tears of joy. Realizing what she had done, she quickly released them and bowed again.

{I thank you from the bottom of my heart, Elder Shing, Elder Fai. This means so much to me to finally be accepted!}

Fai held his hand up, stilling her. {You have been accepted into the Triad, but not as a full member. As much as you have the spirit of a true Triad member, your official status with us will be as an honorary member.}

Dee looked at each Elder before asking, {Does this mean I am excluded from anything?}

A glance passed between the two. Shing answered. {Those boundaries have yet to be set. It has been a long time since anyone was considered an honorary member. This title is almost unheard of in the Triad.}

She nodded her understanding. {I will serve the Triad as faithfully as I am allowed to,} Dee said, standing as straight as she could, chin up and looking proud.

{That is all we care about. Tonight you will receive what you should have received on your birthday. We hope you will find no shame in reporting to Manchu for the first couple weeks of your training?} Shing asked.

Her face lit in a smile. {No, Sir. Will he be in charge of training me then?}

{Merely keeping you in line for your training and introducing you around,} Fai said, reaching out and ruffling her damp hair. {Now if you will excuse us, we have other duties to attend to this day.}

For a long moment, Dee stood in the room after the Elders had gone, staring at the piece of paper. Li Mei came in, unheard, her breath catching in a gasp as she noticed the slip.

{You have been accepted! Quick! You must tell Manchu about it!} she said, giving the girl a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. {He will be so proud of you!}

{He's on duty right now, isn't he?}

{No. He returned a couple hours ago. Tonight he will get to spend a couple hours celebrating before he goes back on watch. He should be in his room. Go!}

Dee's feet didn't seem to touch the ground as she bound up the stairs, clutching the parchment in her hand. She barely stopped to knock at Manchu's door before throwing it open. He was just sitting drowsily up in his bed, rubbing his eyes when she called his name out. The only things the poor boy saw were a blur of white material and a stream of red hair as his friend landed on top of him in the bed.

"Manchu! Manchu! Look!"

Catching his friend's waving arm, Manchu tugged the slip out of her hand. It took a moment to register, but when it did, he gave a whoop of excitement and hugged his friend with all his might.

"They did it! They accepted you!" he said.

"Yes and no. I'm in, but I'm not a full member." She moved to sit on the side of the bed, stretching her ribs out from the massive hug she had just received. "They've officially labeled me as an 'honorary' member."

"What's the difference?" asked Manchu, scrubbing his hand through his hair.

She gave a shrug. "No idea. They didn't seem to know themselves. You know why I'm not a full member."

"It's because you're a girl," he teased.

Frowning, she glared at him. He shook his head, chuckling, and patted her back.

"Anyone with half a brain knows why you weren't accepted as a full member. But if that means you get excluded from anything you should be in, it's their loss."

The frown on his friend's face turned to a smirk as she faced him. "Guess who I have to report in to for the first couple weeks?"

Manchu shrugged. "Shui?"

Dee's smirk grew as she shook her head. "You."

"Me?! Why me? I don't need the trouble!"

"All the Elders told me was that you were to show me around and keep me in line." She snorted. "Like I need to be kept in line."

Manchu choked on whatever it was he was going to say and had to reach for his water glass. He decided that the best way to get past this particular issue was to give his friend another hug before kicking her out so he could sleep. Settling back down in his covers, Manchu smiled, feeling the happiest he had felt since the day he got accepted.

In her own room, Dee tucked the little slip of paper away in the tattered file of her life from the orphanage. One more piece of paper showing an accomplishment that the life at the orphanage would never have allowed her. Stripping her sweaty clothing off, she wrapped herself in a robe and headed for the bath.
Initiation Main / Triad Main /