In the back yard of the Bamboo School Jayme laid out the tea cups, the pot, the thin strips of cloth on which to sit. Four places for the four senior cadets, those who worked with Master Quo to train the recruits.
It was tradition that after the morning sessions the senior cadets would take tea together and before long Senior Cadets Sonn, Ku and Ogum walked out the doorway into the fresh air. They were laughing, as they often did.
“Thank you Jayme,” Ogum said nodding towards her before all three took their seats. She smiled and bowed.
“Is Senior Cadet Tann not joining you?” she asked, and Ogum shook his head even as Ku poured out three cups of tea, licking his lips.
“He is receiving special instruction from Master Quo, so he may be some time. We’ll start without him.” Ogum said, gracefully taking his place and nodding thanks to Ku.
Sonn straightened his sand coloured shirt and trousers before collapsing into his place. “Well, it’s either very good or very bad for Tann. Quo usually likes to keep us at arm’s length.”
Ogum shot him a glance but grinned, “Master Quo,” he said, emphasising the first word, “prefers not to meddle as long as everything is going smoothly. It’s a sign that he trusts us that he so rarely needs to offer guidance.”
Sonn pursed his lips before gently blowing on his hot tea, gingerly holding the delicate cup in his rough fingers, inhaling the aroma. “How interesting that Quo placing all his trust in us looks exactly the same as Quo not being the slightest bit interested.”
Ku burst out laughing before reining himself in. “Come on Sonn. You’ve got a roof over your head, food in your belly and the unending love and respect of the pupils. What have you got to complain about?”
“I’m pretty sure that that love and respect has an ending.” Sonn said mock seriously, waving his cup at Ku, “Usually after an hour and a half of shield work.”
Jayme silently stepped forwards and took the teapot to refill it. Ogum nodded his thanks again. “You tell him Sonn,” he said, “this ungrateful wretch! No wonder Master Quo isn’t holding you back for a one to one.”
“We don’t know whether that’s a good or a bad thing yet. Tann’s a hard worker but they’re hardly going to be bonding over poetry are they, he can barely read.”
Jayme returned and carefully placed the pot in the centre of their circle once again before beginning to back away to the wall.
“Mind you,” Ku grinned, “I doubt he’ll be discussing poetry with any of us either.”
“Oh!” Jayme spluttered, stepping forward again, “But Ogum writes beautiful poetry, don’t you?”
The three men gaped at her before Ku and Sonn began jeering and pointing at Ogum who flushed bright red.
“But he does!” she complained, “it’s wonderful, it even made me cry!”
“Oh Ogum,” Ku chided, “always making the girls cry. Surely his poetry can’t be that bad can it?”
“No, no, I mean…” she didn’t finish, retreating backwards in embarrassment.
Ogum reached out a hand and pushed Ku, who tipped over in the dust laughing. Sonn helped him up while wagging his finger at Ogum, “this is all very naughty of you, the son of a magistrate reading poetry to a servant? Where’s the decorum in that? I’d understand it of Sonn, his father was a pig farmer or something.”
“A pig actually.” Sonn said, straightening himself with a smirk. “What’s keeping Tann? Perhaps Master Quo has punished him. A thousand laps of the training ground? With the Master on his back perhaps?” A playful look passed over his face and he stood over Ogum wagging his finger, “You’re a very bad boy, getting up to mischief in the servants’ quarters,” Jayme put her hands over her mouth but no one was looking at her, “the only one who gets to ride round here is the Master, come on, come on, up you get!”
With that Sonn and Ku pulled Ogum to his feet and Sonn jumped onto his back. “Gee up! Off we go bad boy!” Ku collapsed on the floor laughing as Ogum began prancing around the yard, Sonn on his back, pretending to whip him.
“I’m Master Quo! Dance piggy, dance!” Sonn shouted over and over again as Ogum paraded around the yard doing his very best to squeal.
The door to the training ground creaked open and Master Quo and Tann appeared, curious as to the noise. Jayme bit her knuckles but did not dare squeak a warning, Ku spotted the pair but couldn’t help himself and laughed all the harder, rolling in the dust.
“Sonn! Ogum!” the older man bellowed, a sound louder than any might predict from someone with his wiry frame and delicate silk robe.
The two Senior Cadets span round, Sonn still firmly sat on Ogum’s back. Their faces were ashen.
All went silent. Master Quo looked them up and down then slowly turned to leave. Ogum breathed a sigh of relief, but Quo’s voice rang out again even as he walked away, “One hundred circuits of the training ground you two. Ku, you do the counting.” Ogum and Ku bowed and all three shouted “Yes, Master Quo!”
As Sonn went to dismount Quo turned his head and said, “No. As pig and rider.” And with that he slipped away.