(2025-11-30) The Hidden Master (S18 E7 - White Squad Log)

Details

Author:	Luridel
Summary:	White Squad meets up with Lin Tenderpaw and finds that the Hidden Master is, despite Shun's doubt, real. Gwenivene volunteers everyone for more training. TRAINING MONTAGE! Alysson cooks a banana over a very normal brazier. Iphindra tests a new spell. Estel makes jademoon leaf ointment. The trials just keep getting harder. ANOTHER TRAINING MONTAGE! With clarity and focus, nothing is impossible. ~3.7k words.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Season 18: The Valley and the Jungle

Iphindra appears to be sleeping in the inn's main room between two barrels, next to a giant watermelon.

Shun quietly eats a bit of fruit without removing his mask.

Estel finishes eating lunch and pulls her gloves back on.

Gwen approaches Shun and Estel with a chipper smile. "Hello, squaddies!"

Shun grunts.

Estel bounces up from the bench. "Hey, Gwen. Iphindra's taking a nap over there."

Iphi's head is resting against the barrel. She is in deep slumber.

"Awwww, she looks so cute when she's sleeping," Gwen says.

Estel approaches her and leans a hand against the barrel. "Iphiiindra."

Alysson bounces into the inn, grinning. "Ho there Cobaltians!" he says loudly.

Shun grunts again.

Gwen waves, "Hey, Alysson! Nice to have you back."

Iphi, slowly opens her eyes, then blinks a few times. She yawns, stretches her arms, and gets up. "Hi, sorry, I was traini– AH!" She jumps to her feet, completely woken up by Alysson's loud entrance.

Gwen stifles a giggle.

Alysson jumps as Iphindra startles. "Whoa there!"

"Hey, Alysson." Estel grins at him. "Mission accomplished?"

Alysson gives Estel a thumbs up. "Sure was!"

"Speaking of missions," Gwen waves a scroll in her hand.

Shun looks to Gwen.

Iphindra's heart is racing a little. That was quite the sudden awakening. "Y- yes! The mission! Training's over!"

"We got a message from Loon Mai over at Stoneplow," Gwen continues. "He'd like to speak with us about Lin Tenderpaw."

Shun tilts his head.

"Does he need… advice?" Alysson asks. "If flowers don't work, snacks might."

"Stoneplow!" Iphi nods. "I spen- spent my week helping the farmers defending themselves, there!"

"Yeah, you were a huge help," Estel says. She spent part of her week there too.

Gwen gives Alysson a shrug. "Maybe, but I doubt that's why he's asking for us."

"Everyone ready to head out?" Gwen asks. "Anything you need to take care of first?"

Estel cracks her knuckles and heads on outside. "Alysson, Stoneplow is this farming village to the west that's being attacked by the mantid, who are bug-people."

"Yes!" Iphindra stands at the ready.

"Bug people? Are they cute?" Alysson asks.

Gwen fetches Gethennis, giving his mane a little scritch before mounting up.

"That's a matter of opinion, yeah?" Estel shrugs and climbs up on Menace.

The green dragon turtle outside the Lazy Turnip stares at Alysson.

"I suppose they think they're cute." Gwen shrugs.

Alysson grins and waves at the turtle.

Iphi gets on her polar bear. She tells her a few motivational words before she does. The bear is still terrified of Menace.

The turtle snaps its jaws.

"The mantid a- are invading Pandaren land," Iphi says. "Th- they come with the corruption of the sha…"

"Yo— your sock friend was very helpful to us last time, th- though," Iphi nods. "An inva- valuable team member!"

Gwen giggles!

Alysson beams. "Glad to hear it!"

"Oh! Yeah!" As they pull up in Stoneplow, Estel hops off Menace and takes the pair of socks off her potions bandolier to pass back to Alysson.

Shun just furrows his brow.

Loon Mai stares at the sock exchange. He hasn't asked any questions about it, though.

Iphi bows to Loon Mai.

Alysson accepts the socks eagerly. "Hey there li'l buddy! You have fun? I bet you did."

Gwen bows as well, "Hello, Loon Mai! We got your message."

Shun dips his head at Loon Mai.

Loon Mai nods to them. "Your contributions towards the defense of Stoneplow have been very useful, Cobalt Company." He gives Iphindra a warm look. Not quite a smile, he might not do smiles.

"We're glad we've been able to help," Gwen says.

Loon Mai turns to Gwenivene. "Lin has departed. You seemed familiar with her - I thought you might want to know. After you left, Lin mentioned to me that she is searching for someone she calls ‘the Hidden Master.' I suspect I know who she is talking about. She has gone north, into the bamboo grove."

"I think she di- did mention looking for someone, yes…" Iphi looks up in thought.

Alysson looks mildly relieved as he follows up the word 'departed' with an actual location. Maybe he thought she'd died for a second there.

"Oh, yeah. Back at the farmstead." Estel nods.

Shun grunts and shakes his head.

"She's been terribly eager to find this Hidden Master." Gwen peers around at the others with a wry grin. "Should we check it out? I admit I'm awfully curious."

Shun mutters, "Still think the Hidden Master is not real."

"Sure! I wanna see if she found 'im." Estel gives Gwen a thumbs-up.

"He's gotta be a legend," Alysson says. "A real legend who trains heroes secretly, an' that's why no one's found 'im. He's still waitin' for a hero fellow!"

"Grove to the north." Gwen points off at the trees in the distance.

"Or maybe he's up in the bamboo grove. Let's go find out, yeah?" Estel leaves Menace in Stoneplow. She can fight some mantid or something.

Gwen notes the stone lantern. "This looks promising."

Estel notes the path. "Yep."

Shun looks around warily.

"Don't follow the lights, it's a trap!" Alysson says.

"People live here," Iphi nods. "A hi- hidden village, maybe?"

"A trap?!" Iphi exclaims.

"He's gotta have traps, he's the Hidden Master," Alysson says.

The dense bamboo forest opens into a small clearing, at the center of which is a neat little hut on the shore of a pond. An elderly pandaren man is seated on the front steps, watching Lin Tenderpaw practice punching on a stone.

"Hey, there's Lin! This must be the place." Gwen wiggles excitedly.

Lin stops to smile in breathless relief at the squad as the old man rises to his feet. "You found us!" she exclaims, then glances toward the old man and lowers her voice. "And I thought they were tough at the monastery." She winces and shakes her head.

Iphi raises her hand up, and a flock of glowing bugs gather around it.

Alysson looks disappointed as the lights lead exactly to where they were trying to go.

Gwen approaches the obvious elder and bows deeply.

"Hey, Lin." Estel smiles at her.

Shun eyes the pandaran a little skeptically.

"I am Master Bruised Paw," he says with a bow. "You seek training, as Lin did?"

"Greetings. I am Gwenivene Whittle. These are Estel, Shun, Iphindra, and Alysson. We're from Cobalt Company."

"Hi!" Iphi says.

Shun grunts.

Gwen blinks. "Training? Um…yes! Of course, we would be so honored!"

Alysson tries to look at his paws, but they're wrapped up.

"Very well," says Master Bruised Paw. "We will start with a test: The Trial of Bamboo. Your friend Lin failed this test. Follow me, and listen carefully to my instructions."

Shun raises a brow, then slowly nods.

Estel blinks. She has been volunteered for training and now bamboo is involved.

Master Bruised Paw leads the way over to a bundle of bamboo resting across a pair of stones. "This test is simple. All you need to do is strike the bamboo, until it breaks. 'But it's too thick around!' you might say. That is part of the test. To succeed, you must focus all your energy into one fist… then, STRIKE!" As he explains, Master Bruised Paw sets up more bundles of bamboo for the four others.

Gwen looks down at her small hand, stifling a whimper.

Gwen gasps in surprise when the bamboo breaks. "I…I did it!"

Iphi cheers for Gwen.

Gwen mumbles, "Maybe I learned something from the monastery after all…."

"Nice!" Estel grins at her.

Shun nods.

Gwen rubs her fist. Success or not, that still hurt.

Alysson eagerly sets to his bamboo. "Hidden Master Bamboo….Strike!" he yells as he breaks his bamboo.

Gwen claps excitedly. "Well done, Alysson!"

It takes Estel multiple punches to break through her bamboo bundle.

Iphi closes her eyes in front of her own bamboos. She seems to be remembering some advice. She roars as she strikes, and breaks her bamboo. Iphi is usually not the type to roar.

He steps up and looks over the bundles for a moment before drawing in a deep breath. Shun then strikes the bamboo. Cracks form. He strikes a few more times in the same spot to break through.

Gwen applauds for Estel and Iphindra. "So fierce! Nicely done!" She cheers for Shun. "Amazing!"

One Training Montage Later

Iphi is replanting the exploded watermelon's seed in a corner of the woods.

Master Bruised Paw nods thoughtfully. "You show promise. We will continue. It is time for your first round of training."

"First?!" Estel laughs out loud.

Shun blinks.

Alysson nods. "Hidden Master…" he whispers.

Bruised Paw gestures to the grove around them. "Living outside of society has its advantages. I can focus all my energies on training, without being shackled to conventions of modesty, politics, and basic personal hygiene. Here in the woods, I am free to be myself. But the mist here is a constant nuisance. Strange creatures lurk between these trees, and they must constantly be pushed back. I do have several wards hidden in the woods around us that are effective at dispersing the mist, but they require constant upkeep. Find the wards to the north, the west, and the south, and light them. Kill any mist creatures you meet. Consider this all part of your training."

Absolutely nobody comments on Master Bruised Paw's basic personal hygiene.

"Mist creatures…?" Gwen blinks rapidly.

"Sounds simple enough," Shun utters.

"I guess we'll know 'em when we see 'em." Estel shrugs.

"Ooh, we're good at that," Alysson says. "I can light fires! As long as you don't need the fires back out again."

Iphi nods. "I'm h- happy to help you live peacefully in the woods."

Estel pauses by Lin, whose knuckles are bleeding. "Hey, you good?"

When the group is within range of her, Lin lowers her voice to a whisper. "I was going to go tell Xiao, Kang, and the others that I've found the hidden master, but now he won't let me leave! He says I have to pass that test of bamboo first. How'd you do that, by the way?"

"I hit the bamboo until it broke," Shun deadpans.

"Imagine you're a bear!" Iphi explains, helpfully.

Alysson nods along with Shun.

Estel snorts and then looks apologetic.

"I just remembered the breathing exercises they taught us at the monastery," Gwen adds.

Lin sighs. "It looks like, for the time being, I'm stuck here practicing my punches against this rock. And my knuckles are about to cave in. If you could gather some jademoon leaves in the forest, I could prepare an ointment and at least numb some of this pain."

"Of course, Lin." Gwen nods.

"Oh! Jademoon leaves, okay, we can do that." Estel gives her a thumbs-up.

"Okay!" Gwen claps once. "Let's find those wards and some jademoon leaf."

"Here," Estel says, approaching a plant with very round flat leaves. "They look like this."

Iphi points forward. "There!"

Gwen inspects the plant and nods. "It's quite pretty."

"Just grab a couple leaves from each plant, don't pull the roots out, yeah?" Estel collects some leaves.

Misty figures with long, flowing moss-like hair lurk in the woods. They have one central eyeball.

"Those must be the mist creatures," Shun notes.

"Thank you," Iphi smiles at Estel.

"Eyeball fellows," Alysson comments. "Whoa…"

Gwen's eyes widen. "They're terrifying…"

Iphi tilts her head at the mist incarnation. "They are creepy." She doesn't seem that much phased, weirdly enough.

Estel approaches a brazier. "This is probably one of the things. Gwen, fire?"

Gwen nods, and carefully gestures with precise motions, and a little dart of fire shoots from her fingertip into the ward.

The flame emits a burst of smoke, and when that disperses, so has a good deal of the mist. The creatures have retreated a distance away from it.

Gwen smiles. "I used to be afraid of using fire magic. I had a lot of trouble controlling it."

Estel covers her face with her arm, coughing. "Aw, now you're great."

Gwen gives Estel a blushing smile.

"Fire is scary," Iphi says. "B- but it can also heal, and make land fertile again." Iphi nods.

"I still prefer other magic that isn't so…lethal," Gwen says. "But it's useful…and I'd never make Archmage if I couldn't wield flame."

"Do you still fear flame?" Shun asks.

Estel carefully snips off more jademoon leaves.

"Fear?" Gwenivene considers. "No…I wouldn't say I fear it any more. I guess I learned to respect it."

This time, when they encounter another brazier, Estel stands well back.

Shun nods.

Gwen keeps a distance as well as she launches another fire dart into the brazier.

This one explodes in blue-purple smoke, but it has the same effect on the mist.

Alysson readies a banana. When the brazier is lit, he tries to toast it over the purple flames.

"I had a powerful experience," Gwen explains. "It changed my outlook on things. I think I'm better now at not letting fear control me."

Shun gets swarmed by a billion flies at one point.

Estel tethers a shadowy line to Shun and the flies begin dying in pulses of shadow.

"Here's the last ward." Gwen readies her flame and lights it up!

The final brazier explodes in blue smoke and leaves a blue flame behind.

"They're b- beautiful!" Iphi says, looking at the brazier's flame.

"How's the banana?" Estel asks Alysson.

Alysson is fighting with one hand and snacking with the other, which is totally safe. "Warm and gooey," he answers between bites.

"Awesome." Estel gives him a thumbs-up. Surely nothing has gone wrong with the banana cooking process.

"G- Gwen?" Iphi asks shyly.

Gwenivene smiles warmly, "Yes, Iphi?"

"I've learned a n- new spell today. Can I try it on you?" Iphi looks a little embarrassed to have to ask. "Plan- plants will help me do a spell you can do, and they will help you do a sp- spell I can!"

Estel blinks at Iphindra. "Oh, cool."

"Wow…really?" Gwen's eyes light up with excitement. "Yes, do it! I mean…certainly!"

Alysson stares. "Can they teach me magic, too?"

Iphi beams. She focuses deeply, and pollen flies from the plants on her head. They fly towards Gwen, and new plants grow on both Gwen and Iphi's shoulders, like an exoskeleton.

Gwen gasps in awe at the little plants.

Iphi's hands are pulled by the plants, and help her draw the runes (or however Gwen physically casts) to cast ice block.

Shun tilts his head.

Estel begins absently crushing jademoon leaves into a paste in her mortar while she watches.

Iphi gets out of the ice block, a little shivery. "In- incredible" she says, looking very cold.

"Whoa…" Alysson says. "Cool. An' I mean that in all the ways."

Gwen watches, fascinated. "Okay, plants…do your stuff." She loosens up and gives in to the guidance of the little vines, gesturing toward Iphindra and washing healing energy over her.

Estel whistles. "Niiiiice."

"Oh, WOW." Gwen gawks in amazement.

"Y- you can heal!" Iphi beams.

"Iphindra, that's incredible!" Gwen gushes.

[Shun]: "Damn.."

"I'll try o- on Alysson!" Iphi turns to him. "Since yo- you want to cast spells too!" *The plants disappear from Gwen's shoulders, and the pollen flies towards Alysson, growing on him instead.

The plants on Iphi soften her steps, she moves more sneakily, now.

As they start heading back, Estel watches Alysson for signs of magic.

Alysson tries to focus using the plants. A spectral image of a bear appears in front of him for a split second before vanishing. "Hey, I feel stronger somehow!" he says.

"Oh, awesome." Estel grins at Alysson.

Iphi claps. "I- I love that spell! I need to try it on ev- everyone!"

"Cheese and crackers, druid magic is so impressive," Gwen says in awe.

Lin side-glances at the Hidden Master, then turns to the group. "I smell jademoon leaves."

Shun grunts at Lin.

"Yep." Estel dips a bandage in the paste and carefully wraps Lin's knuckles for her. "I got enough of this for everybody."

"Thank you," Lin says, relieved. "Leave me a couple of leaves for later? Just in case."

Estel discreetly passes her some leaves. "No problem."

The Hidden Master is absolutely watching them, but he does not object. Apparently this is not considered cheating.

Alysson pulls a few leaves out of his pockets. They are a bit crushed. Estel's got it though, so he puts his back in his pocket.

Gwen bows as they approach Master Bruised Paw.

Shun dips his head at him.

The Master only nods mildly. "You have progressed in your training, I think. Come with me, and you may attempt the Trial of Wood." Apparently, he knows they've lit the braziers. That might have been evident to him from here, because the mist has receded.

This time, it is a stack of wooden planks that await them. Master Bruised Paw has piled up five stacks. Pookie does not get any.

Pookie eyes the wood stacks like a mess to be cleaned up.

"I see where this is going," Shun utters.

[Master Bruised Paw]: "This test is simple. All you need to do is strike the wood, until it breaks. 'But it's too hard!', you might say. But it is not too hard. You are ready for this."

(Shun did in fact see where this was going.)

Gwen comes away from the test rubbing her knuckles. "Estel…can I get a few of those leaves?"

Estel takes the time to wrap everybody's knuckles in jademoon leaf ointment after they've broken their planks. "Yeah, 'course."

Iphindra struggles more with this one, but she roars fiercely with every strike she takes.

Master Bruised Paw nods. "You have the gift of focus. Not many of my students make it this far." He glances over at Lin, who pretends to be too focused on her stone to have heard him.

[Master Bruised Paw]: "So. Your training must continue before you perform the final test. As for your task… I need you to fetch me some eggs."

"…Eggs?"

Master Bruised Paw nods. "Yes, eggs. The marshland atop the hills to the east is home to a number of birds, all of which are generally peaceful in nature. You should have no trouble gathering enough eggs to last me several weeks."

"Okay then. Eggs!" Gwen shrugs.

"Eggs!" Alysson cries eagerly.

To the hills!

"Awwww! How beautiful!" Gwen gazes out over the marsh.

Iphi spins around in the marsh water. "Th- theses places are always so full of life!"

Shun cautiously looks around a room filled with hanging scrolls as he approaches an egg.

"What a curious little cave." Gwen muses as they enter the curious little cave filled with scrolls.

"Why's there an egg in here?" Alysson asks.

Estel slips into shadowform just in case. A giant hornbill strider rushes in, screeching.

Shun shrugs.

"Big nest," Estel says.

"I suppose that bird thought this was a good place for a nest. So much for peaceful birds."

"Birds that let you steal their eggs peacefully are pre- pretty rare…" Iphi shakes her head.

The local birds do NOT seem inclined to let anybody steal their eggs peacefully.

"It's a test!" Alysson says excitedly.

"Ah! Right! Like you said… h- he put traps!" Iphi beams.

So many eggs.

Estel sets a bunch of eggs down on the side table.

Gwen places her own eggs beside Estel's. "Those birds were not very happy with us."

Master Bruised Paw smiles serenely. "Now you know why I didn't collect the eggs myself. Are you ready to continue?"

Shun grunts.

"I bet part of the test was makin' sure they don't crack open on the way back," Alysson says.

Gwen stifles a snicker.

Iphi giggles.

Estel gives him a thumbs-up.

Another Training Montage Later

Use your imagination, but this montage involves Master Bruised Paw throwing eggs at everyone.

Master Bruised Paw gives them time to get cleaned up if they so choose and then gathers them up again.

Alysson is covered in egg goop but seems okay with that.

Shun seems mildly irritated.

Iphi looks at Shun worriedly, remembering the snowball incident. "A- are you okay?" she asks him.

[Shun]: "Yes," he grunts, "I would have rather not have had eggs thrown at me, though."

Estel finishes washing her armor off in the river and puts it back on.

"Maybe they're super secret special eggs that give you extra power an' it'll activate when you most need it!" Alysson says.

Iphi stares at Alysson, a little doubtful. She's still not washing the egg she has on her, though.

"…No. They were just eggs. From Terns. That we stole from," Shun says flatly.

"You have accomplished much in your short time here," says Bruised Paw. "I would not normally offer this test so soon, but I think you are ready. It is time you attempted the Trial of Stone."

Gwen smiles at Alysson. "The special power is the lessons we learned."

Alysson smiles back. "I'll put 'em all to good use!"

"Trial of stones…" Iphindra repeats. That sounds like a dwarven thing.

"This test is simple. All you need to do is strike the stone until it breaks. 'But that's impossible!', you might say." He leads them to the blocks of stone. "You would be wrong. With clarity and focus, nothing is impossible." Master Bruised Paw watches them.

Alysson considers for a moment. "Then… I'll name this one… Hidden Master Stoneplow Punch!" He yells it as he strikes the stone.

Gwen steps back from the broken stone, astonished at her own bloodied fists. Pookie starts trying to clean up the shattered rocks.

Shun grunts as he goes to loosen up and get ready for this trial. He strikes the stone again and again in the same exact location. After numerous blows, the stone finally breaks. He hisses through his teeth as he looks down at his fist.

Iphi has an even harder time with this one, repeatedly striking, but not making a dent. "Think like a bear… "she repeats to herself, taking a deep breath, and as she growls, she breaks the stones with a punch.

Estel takes multiple tries, but finally she finds the weak point in the stone to get it to shatter.

Master Bruised Paw is watching with an unmistakable air of satisfaction. "Stone quivers and breaks beneath your fists. You have the power to move mountains, if you so desire. I have nothing more to teach you."

Lin Tenderpaw, who is supposed to be meditating, has come outside to watch. She cheers for them.

Alysson looks around for the nearest mountain.