Hana smiled easily as the boy puzzled over the ice. "It's frozen water. When it gets cold, it becomes hard. Hold it in your hand and it turns back into water." Nodding to the ice barrel, she said, "There's more there." She hoped that he would accept the ice without too much worry. 

---

Wheel sparred with lazy purpose. His blade darted as he sought out the gaps in Uban's defense. He didn't break any ribs, and he considered himself lenient. Whether or not Uban would agree, he couldn't say. He noticed that Uban's attention was split, he wasn't striking at as many openings as he normally would. Swinging his blade in a downstroke, he caught Uban's flashing dagger. There was a flash of light, and the next thing he knew, he was on his ass. The curse clamped down, keeping the edge off the pain. His arm felt like it was on fire, and his teeth ached. The dagger had been flung to the side, the cloth hilt wrapping charred at the edges. 

Shaking his head, he said, "What the fuck happened?"