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She bowed once more. "That is why I wish to become your student."

He lifted the carved box, turning it slowly in his hands. His finger traced the line of Fenrir's jaw, paused where the curve faltered, where the tension broke just slightly.

"The wolf's spine is too rigid," he said at last. "It lacks breath."

Fae's heart sank.

He opened the tea, inhaled, then closed it again. "The blend is thoughtful," he said. "But there is no restraint. Excess is not depth."

Her stomach tightened as she felt the opportunity slip away.

He lifted the linen, letting it unfurl fully this time. "The pattern is honest," he said. "But it is not yours."

She swallowed.

That was it, then.

She kept her head bowed, face carefully neutral, but disappointment flooded her chest all the same. She had known it—of course she had. Her luck was never going to change.

The master craftsman set the items down. "You may rise."

Fae obeyed, moving carefully, respectfully, coming to sit back on her heels.

"You ask to learn," Masanori continued. "Skill can be taught and discipline can be trained, but it is not going to be easy. If I find you are not worthy, I will not let you continue. You may join the workshop tomorrow."

The words did not register at first.

"We will begin with the basics," Masanori continued calmly. "Much of what you think you know is incorrect. We must undo poor habits before we can build proper ones. This will take time."

Fae's breath caught, and she struggled to hold grateful tears back.

He looked at her fully now.

"If you are patient," he said with an unsmiling, knowing expression on his face, "you may learn. Don't let your pain and your past distract you."

For a heartbeat, she simply stared before understanding bloomed, and with it, a smile—slow, disbelieving, and radiant.

"I won't disappoint you, Takumi*."

Masanori inclined his head, just slightly. "My students call me Haruto-san."

Fae bowed deeply, the movement smooth now, no longer stiff with fear. "Thank you, Haruto-san," she said, imitating the foreign language with a unfamiliar tongue.

She and Aiko rose, backed away respectfully, and slid the door shut behind her.

Only once she was outside, heart hammering and hands shaking, did she allow herself a quiet breath of wonder as Aiko gave her an excited hug.

She had been accepted.

Takumi*--a master who has perfected their skills over many years

Chapter 22

Aiko waited until they were well clear of the house before grabbing her hand like they had known each other forever and jumping up and down like a schoolgirl.

"Come with me," she said, already turning. "We will run."

Fae let her pull her along without question, feeling the lightness in her chest as the pressed earth changed beneath her feet to loose pebbles and grass. They walked through a meadow, into the forest, which was alive with little birds and wild creatures. The forest thinned near the edge of the hunting grounds, the trees spaced wider, giving way to a rock face. Aiko slowed then, just a little, and when she glanced back, there was something wary in her expression.