The practice routines felt out of balance without Il-don's sharpness. Junseo regretted not having a chance to talk about his choice or even ask if he had heard about Captain Shiro. He was not the only one feeling this lack and the boys were all on edge. Being confined to the compound for more than a week also did not help. When the guards finally relented and let the boys take the horses out for short rides through the hillside parks it was hard to say whether it was the horses or their riders were friskier.

Even a sudden downpour did not quell their mood but it did mean the footing was less secure. The other boys had a good laugh when Rufus tried his usual trick of dumping Junseo in a puddle. The third, and finally successful attempt, was the more result of a sudden slip on the wet grass than the charger's usual antics. Rufus nickered his apologies and nuzzled-in almost like he was trying rub some of the mud off his thoroughly soaked rider.

"Oh, trying to pretend you did not mean that. I don't believe you goofus." Junseo laughingly pushed the horse's head away and then looked around for a step that might help him climb back into the saddle. His soaked trousers stuck to his legs making the reach to the stirrup more difficult. Hae-sung offered a boost and they both couldn't help laughing when the distinctive sound of a seam ripping accompanied Junseo's return to the saddle.

"I guess we won't be taking a stroll around the market, after all." San Jin observed wryly.

"Like that was even in the cards." Chenhui scowled their guards. Song-hee only shrugged. He did not have extra coin to spend now he had sent his family most of what Manager Doak called 'walking-around-money.' The other boys had been surprised when he had trusted local gang that held truce to handle the transfer. They did not understand how tightly criminals clung to their codes of honor. Junseo was the only one who did not seem shocked when Song-hee told them he would trust a street gang over a pack of nobles any day.

His biases were confirmed when they heard the twisted story of ambition and betrayal being reveal by the investigation into the Council of Five. Lord Sun-Gyu had demonstrated no true interest in the welfare of their country and its people. He tried to reduce his own sentence by implicating as many others as he could so cast a shadow over key members of the court without any corroborating evidence. Only after his detailed records of bribes proving his misdirection were found, could the King's most loyal supporters be restored to their regular positions. Confusion spread from the capital to the countryside when the provincial governors were put under closer scrutiny.

The boys naturally worried about Minister Go and his family. San Jin tried to make a bit of a joke saying, "This has to be the first time my mother will be happy about how much time my Dad spent in his office or in counsel meetings. All his contacts have been recorded by clerks and reviewed by the protocol office. Even when if it is just his son's friends dropping by for a visit."

"You're kidding. We are on a list somewhere in the palace records?" Xuiyang stopped in his tracks and looked sideways at San Jin.

"There is nothing new about that. I'm sure our training contracts were registered with both the ministry and the palace. We wouldn't be running freely around the General's place otherwise." Junseo was sure it went further but could see Song-hee and Chenhui looked very uncomfortable.

"Relax. They will be interested in you, not any disreputable relatives you might have. Look at me. Granny Min caused all sorts of scandals in her youth but nobody is worried about me working in the forge." Junseo knew he was always being vetted by the palace so kept a diary of where he went and who he met with. He picked up this idea from San Jin but didn't think suggesting it would make the other boys any less nervous.

"I would just as soon stay away from officialdom. It is all too easy to become a suspect if you're from the lower ranks." Song-hee said very quietly. San Jin looked like he wanted to argue this point but Junseo shook his head. There was no way for them to know what might be behind this comment. Junseo also knew fitting in at a new school was not the only reason Song-hee worked so hard to shift his accent to sound less southern.

He had his own struggles avoid a country boy label. He had wondered if his provincial background was the reason none of the dojos would accept him. When he raised this possibility with Manager Doak he was soon corrected. "It is more likely you are just pinned in the middle of the rivalries between the independent training masters and the Sun Temple," the older man speculated.

"So basically politics," Junseo spit out.

"I'm afraid so," Manager Doak paused, "I don't suppose the Sun Temple would still let you train." His voice petered out when the boy shook his head.

"They have been helpful but also made it clear the higher levels demand higher devotion." Junseo slipped into an impression of the Librarian. Hae-sung overheard the tail end of the conversation and confirmed the only reason why he could still go to the dawn practices was by staying on the lower terraces. "They probably wouldn't allow that except my aunt is highly ranked in their sisterhood," he tried to apologize.

"Their rules are not your fault," Junseo was quick to say. "I'm just not sure how to tune up the prescribed moves for the different levels in the short time left before the competition."

"Drill the patterns," their Knight-Master said from behind them. "Drill them backwards and forwards. Go up all the levels in one direction, and then the next, and the next. Remind your body of the flows then come teach them to me."

"Teach you?" Junseo's voice squeaked.

"Yes. Sorting out how to move with these injuries will make me an interesting sort of beginner don't you think?"

"If you say so," Junseo said slowly. He looked over to Manager Doak for help but glimpsed a satisfied smirk before it was hidden behind a hand.

"Relax. It is pattern work, not combat. I'm not going to break." The heavier set man promised. His plan met its first hurtle when he realized he did not have practice cloths that would fit so he had to find a tailor before the new schedule could start. The next problem was revealed when he tried balancing on one foot without toppling over. This proved almost impossible but at least it identified where he still had to work to gain more strength to make up for the numbness in part of his foot. Junseo made the practical suggestion of using a staff for balance. The boys were all happy the staff they had made under Captain Shiro's guidance was well suited for its new job.