The New Winds

Sakura hummed a happy tune as she entered the Forge with a tray that had tea and some food on. She placed it on the table near the guards at the hole, smiling at them and bowing.

"Please continue to do a great job mina-sama! Thank you for protecting us against the hole!"

The guards smiled but left her to it as she went back to collect her jade weapon and resume the work. It was so close to being completed...


D6 Hare weaponsmith/Strength+vp. TN20: 7d10o10k4 31 Exceptional success. 6th roll passed

"Its really coming along." Zashi does his best to pop up to surprise Sakura, but be out of range of any danger.

"Wha?!" Sakura did indeed jump, dropping the chisel in her hand. From where Zashi was standing, it looks like it landed square on her foot.

"Um... Sakura-chan...did you just...Pierce yourself?"

"Zashi-kun! You startled me!" Sakura picked up the chisel and turned round, bowing "no, it just missed my foot. Landed in front of it."

Zashi's eyes started watering and he immediately bows. "I'm so sorry. I didn't think about you hurting yourself"

Sakura looked confused, and she peeked at the guards a moment before approaching Zashi and wrapping her arms around him. Hugging him.

"It's ok Zashi-kun, I'm not hurt. I'm not mad either, really" she said in a comforting voice "it always makes me happy to see you."

Zashi sweeps the girl into an embrace. "I'm sorry." Then as he realizes that there are guards still, he backs away. "Ahem. So...the work is going well?"

"Eh..." Sakura took a moment to recover from the sweeping embrace, her face slightly red, before she spoke.

"A-ano...I think this time tomorrow I'll be done. I'm almost tempted to work all night but senseis will be angry I think."

Zashi brushes her chin. "Are the visits to the rooftop that forgettable?"

"A-ano..." Sakura tried not to look down at the floor "t-that's different. It's not chiseling or grinding away at a weapon, it's...spending time with you...w-which is much better."

Zashi raises an eyebrow. "It's better than your work? But you revel in forge time! I don't want to stop you."

"I can revel in both!" Sakura replied quickly and without thinking. Then after a few moments she went even more red.

"A-ano...I mean...I enjoy both in equal measures, and want to spend time with both."

Zashi Pat's Sakura on the head. "You're adorable. I'm happy to give you both at the same time" Zashi looks over to the forge. "You think that you'll finish tomorrow?"

"Hai" Sakura grabbed Zashis sleeve, pulling him over with surprising strength to where the weapon was. Zashi could see that the shape was roughly there now on the tanto, and the light in the room glimmered off the jade.

"I just need to finish with shaping the blade parts here and it's done."