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“When can I learn to be a silversmith, Father?”
Father’s deep laugh danced along with the tinkling pings of his hammer. After a moment, he set his tools down and held up his hand.
“Let’s see if your hands are big enough yet.”
Tenya put his palm against his father’s and stretched his fingers as far as they could go, but his hand was still dwarfed. Father curled his fingers, clasping them around Tenya’s.
“Almost there. You have to be able to hold your tools.”
“When will that be?”
“Soon.”
The bell above the door clanged announcing Tensei’s arrival. He brought bread and sugar and news of the army’s victory in some distant country. The rest of the memory was a blur of happy chatter and the pounding of metal as Tenya followed his brother and father around the shop that was his whole world.
“Soon,” turned out to not be soon enough as with one spooked horse and crashed carriage, Tenya’s future as a silversmith went up in smoke. The nobleman in the carriage got away without a scratch while the Iida brothers were turned out into the street. The loyal customers their father had always claimed as friends were more interested in salvaging silver spoils than adopting two boys. Tensei was loathe to accept anyone’s charity anyway. Instead of being stuffed into an orphanage or taken in by strangers, he took what money they had, took any silver left over, and led Tenya away in the dead of the night. They used a few of their precious coins to buy passage on a train that ended up in Kiev.
Ironically, the next few years were some of the happiest in Tenya’s life. He and Tensei clung to one another as they fended off starvation and danger. Even if they lived on the streets, Tensei made sure Tenya never forgot the manners their father taught them. They stayed clean and kept the Holy Day.
“Don’t ever give them a reason to look down on you,” Tensei said once.
The people in Kiev were more open-minded and more likely to show compassion for two orphan brothers. They were generous with their alms, so Tensei and Tenya rarely had to steal (when they had to, Tensei never let Tenya steal anything anyway). The Iidas were a prime example of what the people on their soap boxes stood up for anyway: the poor and desperate. Maybe the cries of the people calling for change reached the ears of Hatsume. Maybe that was why he took pity and reached out a hand.
Hatsume was a silversmith like their father with a daughter ready to take over the business and enough spare change to hire an errand boy. Tensei worked diligently and once Hatsume offered to provide them with lodging as well as payment, there was enough money left over to send Tenya to school.
The loft above the shop became theirs, and every day Tenya walked across town to attend the Kiev Academy for Boys. And thus life was predictable and peaceful.
“I want to join the militia.”
The statement came out of nowhere as Tenya and Tensei sat outside enjoying their lunch. Tensei’s face was lifted toward the sky and his eyes were closed. He looked utterly at peace as if he’d simply stated that it was a beautiful day.
Tenya paused with his sandwich halfway to his mouth. “What?”
“I’ve already talked to Hatsume-san about it. He says that we can still stay here. He might have the odd job for me to do every once in a while. It would pay better though.”
The militia was the town night watch and patrol—ordinary citizens protecting even more ordinary citizens. In a city like Kiev, it was government funded, though few made the militia their career. Most of the militia were tradesmen by day who could be called into action in times of trouble. It was different from the army, though they could be drafted to bolster its ranks.
“Why?” Tenya asked.
Tensei smiled at him. “I want to be part of something bigger than myself. I want to protect people. I want them to feel like someone’s looking out for them.”
Tenya folded up his arms and legs, sandwich forgotten as he stared moodily into the street. Surely, Tensei joining the militia would mean seeing less of him.
He jolted as his brother bumped their shoulders together. “Hey, you know you’re one of those people. What kind of hero would I be if I didn’t look after my own brother?”
Tenya laughed. “Hero?”
“Yeah!” Tensei puffed out his chest. “Just watch! I’m going to be a hero someday, and I’m going to make you proud.”
One thing Tenya knew was that Tensei was always true to his word.
…
Tenya turned fifteen, meaning that he could leave school if he chose to. He had no apprenticeship to fall back on and he refused to live the rest of his life skimming off Hatsume’s kindness and his brother’s work. It was his teacher who suggested that he study law. She was happy to recommend him to the university and report what an excellent student he was. Soon enough, Tenya was trekking twice the distance every day to listen to lectures and argue points with his peers. And soon he learned why the impoverished workers were angry and why soldiers prowled the streets like vultures.
…
The pounding on the door startled Tenya out of an uneasy dream. He didn’t remember what was happening, only that felt lost. Tensei was already pulling on his boots and throwing a coat over himself as Tenya blinked sleep out of his eyes. More than that, Tenya realized slowly, he was already dressed.
“Who is it?” Tenya asked thickly.
Their loft had a window that overlooked the front step.
“Soldiers,” Tensei said. He was out the door without another word. Tenya scrambled to follow him.
Something about the tall silhouette and long grey coat sent fear lancing through Tenya’s heart. Tensei faced the soldier with squared shoulders and a determined set to his jaw.
“Iida Tensei?” the soldier said.
“Yes.”
“There’s been a vicious attack on the judicial building. All militia are being summoned to Bartok Square. You are to help us gain control of the situation.”
Tensei nodded. “I’m ready.”
“Wait—” The word stuck in Tenya’s throat. Cold fear was pooling in his gut. He didn’t know why. This was what Tensei signed up for after all.
Tensei turned to him with a smile that was meant to be reassuring, but it had an edge to it that Tenya couldn’t identify.
“Don’t worry,” Tensei said. “I’ll see you in the morning. Get some sleep, okay?”
Tenya couldn’t reply. He just stood there as his brother and the soldier left, the heavy door swinging shut behind them.
He didn’t go back to bed. He stayed, anchored by dread and trying to figure out what to do. He could wake up Hatsume-san. His house was next door. Tenya doubted they’d heard the soldier’s arrival. But what could Hatsume do? What could Tenya do?
He could be there. It took him an age to go. He dashed upstairs and changed into proper clothes then raced out of the shop and toward Bartok Square.
The night was not silent. The closer he got to the square, the more he heard. Shouts and even screams split the night. Other people were running toward the commotion. Only a few were running away. He glimpsed soldiers on parallel streets marching in formation. Tenya didn’t know when it became a race, but something inside of him was thrumming, pushing him to run faster, faster!
As he rounded the final corner, fire stained his eyes. People held their torches aloft alongside their signs and rudimentary weapons. The crowd was massive; it filled the square to bursting. Tenya narrowly avoided getting sucked in and trapped within the mass of bodies. He edged along until he found a window ledge to hop up on. With his new vantage point, he made some sense of the chaos before him.
The judicial building stood proudly behind a wrought iron fence. Its border had not been breached yet. A line of soldiers stood with weapons—guns—poised at the crowd. It took him a moment to realize that the militia wasn’t standing with them. They were in a line before them, standing with the people.
Time slowed. A faceless stranger broke through the militia’s line. The soldier took aim. Someone with dark hair, an easy smile, and a desire to be a hero jumped in front of the stranger. A spurt of red erupted from him and Tensei fell.
Tenya couldn’t hear his own scream over the roar of the crowd. There might have been more gunshots. People might have surged forward to beat the soldiers back. He didn’t really know. He lost track of what was happening as he dove into the crowd to shove his way to Tensei. The people jostling around him slowed his progress. He had the manic idea that if he got to im fast enough, he would be fine. Tensei would be fine because he had to be. He had to be…
Faster! Iida tripped over someone’s leg and would’ve gone sprawling if not for colliding against someone else’s back.
Faster! Someone fell in front of him. He jumped over them.
FASTER! An elbow came out of nowhere and smashed against his skull. His legs gave out and his world went dark.
Not fast enough…
…
The cold was what woke him. It sliced through his bones and jolted him awake. His head pounded. His back ached. He opened his eyes and saw the slate grey sky above him.
He was lying on cobblestones veneered in a thin layer of ice. It took him a long time to register that there were bodies lying around him.
It was the sight of the cart that prompted him to move. Two grubby men were hoisting one body after another and piling them on top of each other in the wagon. They were taking away the dead. They would take away Tensei. No, that wouldn’t happen because Tensei wasn’t… He couldn’t…
Tenya ran. He ignored pain and unsteady footing as he headed toward the place where he’d seen his brother fall. He had to… He had to be…
Tensei smiled up at him. His eyes were open and clear. Tenya could’ve convinced himself that he was alive, if not for the dried blood on his chest and the grey tinge to his skin. The warmth and love and passion that was Tensei was gone. Tenya collapsed next to him. All the pain rushed back to him at once, but it was nothing compared to the crushing in his chest.
Faster. He would never be fast enough.
…
“Iida?”
Tenya started at Yaoyorozu’s voice and the light touch on his shoulder. He tore his eyes away from Tensei’s body (so still and peaceful and so, so wrong) to look at her. Her eyes were hidden behind her veil, but he could see how they brimmed with concern.
His friends had never met Tensei, and yet they still mourned for him. Tenya supposed he’d talked about Tensei enough that they might feel that they’d known him. Aoyama had even worn black with tastefully minimal embellishments in lieu of his normal flamboyant outfits.
“It’s time to go,” Yaoyorozu said.
Tenya nodded and allowed himself to be led away. He was loathe to step out of the embrace of the temple and into the harsh chill outside, but Tensei’s body would be left to the clerics and the undertakers now. It was the next family’s turn to say their prayers and goodbyes.
For a moment, the five people who had attended Tensei’s funeral stood awkwardly outside the doors. Mei suddenly noticed something interesting about the window latch and dragged her father into examining it with her. Tenya almost smiled. He knew exactly what she was doing, giving him a moment alone with his friends. He and Mei didn’t always see eye to eye, but she did have her moments of brilliance.
“Iida,” Yaoyorozu said. “I know your arrangement with Hatsume-san, but I’ve talked it over with my parents and if you wanted to be closer to campus and possibly have some space from all of this, you’re welcome to stay with us. We have plenty of room.”
“Oui, mon ami,” Aoyama said. “You could stay with my family as well. Our chateau is sure to dazzle you.”
A warmth gathered in Tenya’s chest at their generosity, but he shook his head.
“I don’t believe I’ll be going back to school.”
Behind the veil, Yaoyorozu’s eyes widened. “What? You’re such an excellent student! And I thought it was your passion?”
“It is.” He felt a pang of sadness. “But I relied on Tensei’s wages. I won’t ask Hatsume-san to support my studies. Actually, I…” He took a deep breath. “I’d like to leave Kiev.”
Aoyama let out a gasp that was slightly more dramatic than was normal for him. Yaoyorozu just stared.
“Iida…”
“Maybe not forever,” he said, though he wasn’t sure. “But I feel as though there’s something I need to find. I’ve depended on others my whole life and…” He hesitated, unsure how to say it. “A good lawyer examines the evidence, right? My brother died defending people who felt their lives were disposable in the eyes of the government. I need to see for myself if he was right.”
He looked away from them, not sure of what their reactions would be. Yaoyorozu and Aoyama both came from wealthy families favored by the system. Of all the reactions they could have given him, he didn’t expect Yaoyorozu to wrap her arms around him in a fierce hug.
“Can’t you find your evidence here?” she said.
Tenya stuttered. “I…”
“Just… think about it. If you decide you want to leave I’ll respect that,” she said. She lifted her veil to wipe away tears as she stepped away. “But don’t you ever forget that you have people here who love you.”
Aoyama nodded, wiping away his own tears. “It’s true.”
Tenya already knew his decision, but he gave his friends the illusion of deliberating for two weeks. Hatsume-san sent him off with a firm handshake and Tensei’s last payment. Mei gave him enough baked goods to feed him for a month and a drawing of a machine that would supposedly wash windows “just in case you ever meet any investors.”
“I hope you find what you’re looking for,” Yaoyorozu said as the train pulled into the station.
“Mon ami, write to us all about your fabulous travels.”
It was the strangest thing, but to Tenya’s ears the screech of the train’s wheels against the track sounded like a violin.
“I will,” he said, turning back to smile at them. “Thank you for everything.”
He boarded the train and found a compartment where he could wave at them through the window. The violin struck up again as the train pulled away from the station. Tenya leaned back in his seat and let the melody carry him to wherever he went next.