The boys drank, then argued, drank and argued, made up, then drank some more. By the time they were finished San Jin was not able to navigate the ladder out of the loft so collapsed with the rest of the team. They did not hear the cries of alarm coming from the manor at first dawn but were roused when the grooms came to move all the horses out of the stable block.

Hae-sung and Il-don were the first to be ready to lend a hand but it wasn't long before each of the team had two horses in hand. Junseo was not too steady on his feet so was grateful Rufus let him lean against him on the way to the lower paddock. San Jin stopped near some bushes to be sick and this inspired a few of the others to do the same. Once they were on the path back up to the stables a groom passed along a water jug.

"Bet they didn't warn you about the double proof wine the kitchen uses," he smiled cheerfully.

Chenhui squinted in the morning light and said "Was that it? I thought one of the mules kicked me in the head." One of the Go family guards and the new sword-master approached the group solemnly. When they spotted San Jin, they gestured for the group to gather under the trees.

"We did not expect to find you here. The fire took out a good portion of the second floor, including your suite," the guard explained.

"Oh," San Jin said and his hands started to shake.

"How many people know you stayed in the loft last night?" the sword-master asked.

"I'm not sure. Likely just the grooms we were helping," San Jin gestured toward the paddock.

"It would help the investigation if you could stay out of sight, at least for today," the sword-master made it sound like a request. "And if your friends could look confused and miserable."

"With this hangover? Piece of cake." Il-don said boldly.

San Jin gave him a weak smile then patted him on the shoulder.

"Is the warehouse suitable?" San Jin asked.

"I was just about to suggest it and the team can run their sets on that side to keep an eye out while we do some digging," the guard said.

After that it was only a matter of secreting San Jin into his hiding place and doing what they could to maintain the pretense. The hardest part was deceiving Scout Jia. They didn't want to, but could not risk telling him anything until he was cleared by the guard and they were certain not to be overheard.

Junseo came up with the plan to ask Scout Jia to help with getting the weights adjusted on the practice swords they were using in the warehouse. He was ready to cover up any noise Scout Jia might make when San Jin stepped out of the shadows but he had underestimated the man.

Scout Jia just nodded and said "Good." He didn't miss a beat in his clear instructions for attaching weights to the practice swords. When he finished Scout Jia joined the search for the arsonist. He reported back in the evening about two missing servants and evidence the study had been ransacked before the fire was set.

"I don't know what they were after," he confessed. "It is not clear San Jin was the main target."

"Still, I want him to stay out of sight," the guard insisted.

"What about my family? Has the manager sent out messages? Did he cancel the conclave yet?" San Jin worried about how fast the news might spread. He really did not want to cause his Mother and Father pain or make them think they should recall Me Yan from the science academy.

"The manager thinks you are missing, and perhaps kidnapped but is waiting to notify your family. He said the conclave is even more necessary now." Scout Jia's low opinion of the estate manager was obvious in his tone.

"What should the team do? We can't just stay by the warehouse day after day." Junseo looked to his elders.

"Offer your services to the estate manager. If he lets you into the suite you can search for any clues we might have missed," the guard said.

Junseo turned San Jin for confirmation and then went to inform the others. They quickly agreed to split the night watch duties and scouted spots where they could keep an eye on the warehouse without being spotted.

"Some one should stay inside with San Jin. It can't be me because I am the who they come to first with instructions," Junseo explained.

"Enough people have seen us at odds not to think it strange if I am not hanging around," Il-don shrugged a bit of an apology.

Junseo looked around the group and saw they agreed so he said, "Right, so we need to make a show of getting the horses and then going up to the loft."

Back at the loft they found all their things strewn around.

"Nothing subtle about this search." Song hee said quietly.

"Who did this, and what are the looking for?" Hae-sung voiced the questions they all had.

"Do you think it might be this?" Song hee whispered as he pulled the phrase book out from where he had tucked it.

Junseo gestured for him to hide it away again and then said, "Maybe they suspect we are somehow involved in San Jin's disappearance and are looking for evidence."

"Or trying to plant some," Chenhui said darkly as he uncovered a stash of unfamiliar weapons.

Junseo signaled for silence and then scanned the stable block. Once the last groom left, he climbed down and stood on top of Rufus's stall. He had the boys pass the weapons down one at a time and got them stowed in a corner under a blanket of straw. He gave Rufus a treat for being so calm about this intrusion. He pointed to the pile and whispered, "Guard." He did not know if Rufus understood the command but the horse sidled over to block the corner from view.

Now it was just a matter of watching and waiting to see which enemies might reveal themselves.