"Come on," the Captain gestured for Junseo to join him at the mat.

"What form did you want to use?" the boy asked respectfully.

"Are you comfortable using the fifth?" he asked.

"If we start from the western formations." Junseo answered and then did a fast run through the prescribed moves on his own to set them into his mind. The Go brothers stood at the corners of the mat to call the scores. Song-hee climbed on top of a table to get a better view.

Xuiyang looked over at Il-don who had assured him level three was all that could be expected from someone still in school. Il-don was frowning but none of the others seemed surprised by the announced level. Captain Shiro kept to the prescribed moves through the first rotation but then opened into more of a free-form style. Junseo modified his responses but did not break from the moves allowed within the set form. They ended at the third rotation and San Jin declared it a draw.

"Not fair, brother" Me Yan dissented. "You need to discount any touches from moves outside of the fifth form."

Junseo came over and gave his young defender a one-armed hug. "If this were tournament rules he would have been disqualified before the third rotation but we are learning combat skills here," he explained keeping his voice low.

"Why didn't you both just use an open style?" Me Yan asked.

"I still have the qualifiers to get ready for." Junseo said this like it was obvious.

"Is there going to be fifth dan matches at the junior qualifiers?" Xuiyang's voice squeaked.

"Not usually." San Jin assured him. "I don't think they have settled on what level Junseo will have for the competition. Dad handed the decision off to a committee and he says they are taking an unreasonable amount of time."

"It would be nice to have a couple of days to make sure I have the set I need down pat. It would be embarrassing to break form twice in a row." Junseo tried to make light of the situation.

Xuiyang could only stare. There had been only one senior student at their former school who had made it beyond the third dan. Il-don was flabbergasted for a different reason. He had just put the comment about San Jin's father and the last name together to realize they had spent the afternoon practicing with the Minister of Education's sons. These were precisely the types of connections his family wanted him to make when he came to the capital but he had not been at all respectful. He resolved to do better, even if the other boys were younger.

When Il-don's attitude shifted and he was suddenly offering to help, the Go boys shared a cynical smile with each other. They could still see how he interacted with Junseo and Song-hee and figured he was just another status seeker. Xuiyang seemed to be following Il-don's lead so they kept their distance from him as well.

Junseo had to beg off his planned evening with the Go brothers. "I put my foot in it at the academy today so have to spend most of the night studying," he admitted to the boys. As curious as his friends were, they knew he would share the full story when he had more time. They offered to have one of their own guard details accompany Junseo back to the school dormitory.

"Not necessary, I think the palace investigator has me covered today." Junseo looked over to Manager Doak who nodded. Everyone else seemed to understand the situation so there was no way for the new boys to find out what was going on without asking personal questions. This put Il-don out of sorts.

Dinner at the forge was a very simple affair. After the dishes had been cleared Song-hee retreated to the workroom to study the designs he had started earlier. He figured the other boys would appreciate some time on their own to process their first day.

When Il-don started in on his list of complaints Xuiyang wished someone was there to correct him. He worried the older boy was digging in on unhelpful opinions.

"Second-hand armor. We are going to be practicing in second-hand armor," Il-don added this to the list of grievances.

"My family certainly doesn't have the money to get me new armor. You might get yours if you earn a commission but not just to practice in." Xuiyang found the courage to answer back.

"Who are you to say what my family could or could not afford?" Il-don exploded. Xuiyang said nothing. They had lived just two doors apart and had been in and out of each other's homes for their whole lives. He understood Il-don was not used to being on the outside of things. So later he did nothing when Il-don started to make fun of Song-hee's accent and gangster style of fighting.

Song-hee did not let himself respond to the insults. He held his fist behind his back and remembered what his father used to say about rude customers. "Just another fart in the wind -- Not even worth a sniff," became his mantra in the days that followed.

Junseo was furious when he had overheard Il-don teasing Song-hee with an exaggerated accent. He did not know what to do so went to the workshop to talk privately with Knight-Master Lie.

"Song-hee would just be more embarrassed if I stepped in. Besides they would probably just be more careful to do things behind my back."

"Then I guess you need to talk with Song-hee. Let him know you don't like the way the others are behaving and how it makes you feel. He might not want to do anything but he should know you have his back whatever he decides."

Junseo agreed this was the best approach. When he talked with Song-hee they decided to try outshining the newcomers in every aspect of training. The only activity the new boys had a clear advantage in was archery so they approached Manager Doak for extra coaching. He was more than ready to take their side and arranged for the other two to busy at the stables a good part of each day. It did not take long before Junseo and Song-hee were able to match the others shot for shot running over an obstacle course.

When they got word more recruits were coming, Knight-Master Lie moved Il-don and Xuiyang to stay with Manager Doak in the empty barracks by General Tan's training yard. He would have preferred to keep Xuiyang at the forge but could not see Il-don settling in without his young follower.