Managing Anger, Part II
Sirshi’s head was in a whirl as she made her way to the forge. She could almost hear Ekla chewing her out.
This is what happens when you aren’t responsible. If you were more like me, you’d be better.
“Shut up,” Sirshi growled. “Shut up and leave me alone.”
She didn’t want to think about what might happen after the statue was fixed. It was all Ekla’s fault! Why couldn’t she leave her alone? Sirshi didn’t want anything to do with her. If Ekla had let her be, none of this would be happening.
There were only a few people in the forge, considering how early it was. Sirshi looked around, but couldn’t see Lord Grund.
Instead, a woman walked up to her.
“Can I help you?” she asked in a tone that suggested that she wanted the answer to be “No”.
“I’m looking for Our Lord High Artisan,” Sirshi replied, keeping her anger out of her voice. “Is he here?”
“Whatever it is, I’m sure I can help. And you’ll stand at attention when addressing a master.”
Sirshi didn’t know where she found the restraint not to punch the woman in her stupid face. She’d already had enough of this from Ekla.
“Sirshi?”
Looking past the annoying woman, Sirshi spotted Roshil at one of the furnaces. Roshil gently laid down her work on the anvil in front of her and ran over to them.
“This doesn’t concern you, you little monster,” the woman spat.
Sirshi decided that if there was a person this woman hated more than her, it was Roshil.
“You’re not my master anymore,” Roshil replied. She smiled at Sirshi. “What can I do for you?”
“I’m looking for Our Lord High Artisan. The Temple of the Rising Sun requires his services.”
Roshil’s face lit up. “Those statues are so pretty! Do you know how hard it is to carve those? It must’ve taken them months!”
The more Roshil talked, the worse Sirshi felt, and the angrier she got at her sister.
The other woman opened her mouth, but was cut off by a voice that resonated throughout the forge.
“What do you want?” Lord Grund bellowed.
Roshil and Sirshi both stood at attention when he approached. The other woman did not.
“Master Udra, get back to work.”
She stood at attention when she spoke. “Yes, My Lord.”
“And within this castle, when an officer approaches you, you will stand to attention. Is that clear?”
Udra nodded. “Yes, My Lord.”
She turned and walked back to the furnace at which she’d been working.
“She was a good apprentice,” Lord Grund muttered. He turned his attention to Sirshi. “Temple need something?”
“One of the statues needs to be repaired,” Sirshi said, lowering her voice.
He nodded in a way that told her he understood exactly what had happened. Had other apprentices broken the statues?
Take that, Ekla! It’s not just me, so get off my back!
She also wondered how he knew she was from one of the temples, but chose not to ask.
He turned around and motioned for her and Roshil to follow.
“Not a problem,” he said. “I’ve fixed those statues loads of times. Easiest thing in the world if you know what you’re doing.”
“Why am I coming?” Roshil asked.
“I’m teaching you. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing, isn’t it?”
Roshil exchanged glances with Sirshi, then shrugged. Master Daktra wasn’t always the most hands-on master, but Sirshi liked it better that way. Better a hands-off master than to have someone standing over her every moment.
The three of them went to another section of the forge. This one had bins all across the wall, each one with a label. Lord Grund pointed to bins as Sirshi explained the damage. He asked her a few questions she couldn’t quite answer, but he seemed satisfied with the information she had. As he pointed to each bin, Roshil moved a ladder into place and took something out of the container.
After she’d packed everything into her bag, the three of them set off to the temple.
“Has this happened before?” Sirshi asked as they walked.
“It’s not usually the Temple of the Rising Sun, but people break statues all the time. The Temple of No Cares started making their statues out of cheaper materials after I refused to fix them anymore. As his temple’s name suggests, I don’t think Normtoch cares.”
“But you can fix it?”
“Of course, we can. Wouldn’t be with you if we couldn’t. It’s just the hand, so it’s not that hard to reattach. You didn’t shatter the whole thing. It’s hardly serious. And it’s good practice for Apprentice Roshil here.”
When they reached the temple, they went straight through to the meditation room. Master Daktra was still there. He unlocked the doors for them and let them inside. Sirshi noticed that Master Daktra avoided eye contact with Roshil.
Does everyone do that?
Sirshi looked at the statue with guilt, but it was soon replaced by anger. If Ekla hadn’t been there, none of this would’ve happened. Or if Kurgm hadn’t stayed behind to talk to her. She’d be eating breakfast right now, still excited about being chosen for the Flower Blooming Ceremony. Not that her parents would care. She’d known that when she’d chosen to be a priest, that they’d never be proud of her. No one was. Now not even Master Daktra was. What about Master Moudren? What would she say? She must know by now.
Lord Grund and Roshil inspected the statue. He kept asking Roshil questions, most of which she knew. It made Sirshi realize that he must really trust her. Or was this nothing more than another job to him? Maybe Roshil hadn’t made the mistakes Sirshi had made today.
Roshil took some of the items she’d collected out of her bag. One of them was a card she put on the stump on the statue. After muttering a few words Sirshi couldn’t understand, the card melted into the stump. Lord Grund handed her the broken hand, which Roshil took with great care. She rotated it to the right position, then placed it back on the stump. She muttered a few more words. When she finished, she took her hand away.
The statue looked like it did that morning. There were no cracks, no chips missing, no evidence that anything had happened to it.
“See?” Lord Grund said. “Good as new.”
Master Daktra bowed, and Sirshi followed suit.
“I am grateful, My Lord,” Master Daktra said.
“Don’t mention it. Apprentice Roshil did most of the work. It’s her you should be thanking.”
Daktra’s eyes darted to Roshil. “Yes… I suppose so. Thank you… Apprentice Roshil.”
Sirshi scowled at her master. Why was Master Daktra treating Roshil like that? Roshil radiated a feeling of discomfort, but Sirshi had always assumed the masters ignored it.
“Apprentice Sirshi.” Master Daktra turned to her. “Take today and tomorrow off while we decide what happens next.”
“It’s not like she’s the first one to break this statue,” Lord Grund said as he left with Roshil.
Sirshi bowed to Master Daktra, then to the statue of Olmgra, then left the chamber. She followed Lord Grund and Roshil out of the temple.
“Don’t worry about it,” Lord Grund said. “You’ll be back there in a few days.”
Roshil smiled and nodded at Sirshi.
“Oh! Me, Aonva, and Kurgm are going into the city tomorrow,” she said. “You should come too, since you’ve got the day off too.”
Before Roshil had said anything, Sirshi had been planning to avoid people tomorrow. Maybe it would be better to be away from the castle. Knowing what she did about Roshil, she’d find some way to distract her. The girl certainly wasn’t boring.
“I guess.”
“Great! We’ll all eat breakfast and leave after that! See you then!”
Roshil waved to her as she and Lord Grund headed back to the forge. Sirshi wasn’t sure what she wanted just then, but some time alone felt nice. Besides, she’d be getting her fill of people time tomorrow. With that, she headed to breakfast, hoping tomorrow would be a brighter day than this one had been.