Junseo understood the frustration waiting to heal might cause so changed the subject by offering to teach the boys the trick he had used to pull up a twister. San Jin looked skeptical but Me Yan bounced with excitement. Junseo grinned at San Jin who was shaking his head at his younger brother.

"It was just so cool the way that pair bullies didn't know what hit them." Me Yan enthused.

"Right. Well to start we need calm minds and a clear space." Junseo then explained the general principles and sequence of moves while they walked toward the gardens.

As soon as they were on the grounds Me Yan wanted a demonstration. But Junseo was cautious so asked, "What would your mother say if we uprooted all her beautiful roses?" 

"The small courtyard then?" Me Yan looked at his brother.

"Okay but let's not take too long." San Jin advised as he led them through a side gate. He put his finger to his lips as he pointed to the open screens on his father's study. The other boys nodded and made their way to the opposite corner of the courtyard.

Junseo had the brothers stand back and warned them any winds that were not properly anchored could easily run out of control. He demonstrated the sequences for anchoring and extinguishing the small twisters. He walked the brothers through the positions slowly and then demonstrated what they looked like at speed. After that he moved to the centre of the courtyard and danced a dust-devil over to Me Yan and put the boy in control. When he saw Me Yan starting to tire, he stood beside him and talked him through setting the lively breeze down.

He repeated the process with San Jin but the twister got away for a moment and rattled the screens in Minster Go's study. Junseo stepped in and settled things down then walked San Jin through the process step-by-step.

From his office Minister Go puzzled over the moves.

"A variation on an old Dervish trick," Knight-Master Lie grinned as he watched Junseo work with the other boys until they could bring up their own swirl of dust and set it down without mishap.

"He must have a knack, not with just the tricks but with making the other boys comfortable. Wouldn't you say?"

Minister Go had just put into words what Knight-Master Lie had been thinking so he smiled and nodded. He thanked his host again adding, "Junseo was thrilled by San Jin's invitation to spar."

"I dare say it will do my boys good to come up against someone who hasn't drilled with the same instructors so the favor goes both ways." Minister Go paused, "I prefer them to drill at my brother-in-law's training courts. It is easier to the guards out of sight there."

Knight-Master Lie pursed his lips, "Itis getting that bad?"

"Thefactions around the Crown Prince are restless and he has done nothing to checkthem nor is his ambitious step-brother. So far there has been nothing overt, but with myplace in the King's court there is always a threat." Minster Go shook his headthen brightened. "Of course, you and your associates are welcome to make use of GeneralTan's yard. San Jin hinted he would like a training agreement but we are walking a delicate line. With my position it would be all to easy for someone to cry nepotism if he goes to any of our leading academies. My wife won't condone him studying abroad and my brother-in-law has grave concerns about cadet training. Concerns, I gather from you new endeavor, you probably share."

"My friends talked me into this. I would like to bring along some of the trainees who might need a lighter hand to help develop their potential. Given them a chance to try out different skills instead of pushing them into a corner. Makers, scholars, poets, you name it, they should work from their passions and then apply their talents strategically. Does this sound like nonsense?"

"No. It reminds me of the old stories about the Flower Knights. Just let me know how you are getting on."

"A lot will depend on how Junseo does in the next round of qualifiers and whether he can stay under our banner now hat the Royal Medical Academy has him in their sights."

Minister Go blushed before admitting Professor Yip was a family friend and the closest healer to their home. He could also very persistent.

His guest noticed his discomfort and quickly added, '"Don't worry. The guild was bound to take notice sooner or later. The boy just can't stop himself when someone needs help. I don't think he even remembers the first time we met but since then the Court Healers were on the look out for the boy."

Minister Go gestured for Knight-Master Lie to continue. "He helped me get through the Western Gate and I thought he just did an energy adjustment to calm the pain. My physicians were all over me to find out who manage to breakup the scars that were putting me so off balance. They had been at if for months and the boy took care of it in a matter of minutes."

Knight-Master Lie paused when he saw the look Minister Go had given him. "I wasn't trying to hide him. Not at all, but when I told him about the healers, he said all he did was ask the dragon to take care of her own. What could I say if he would make up such a tale to avoid the guild?"

"It seems a bit out of character, don't you think?"

"I don't know. He said his father is a physician and it seems like he put Junseo under a lot of pressure."

Minister Go nodded and poured them another drink. It was a familiar enough story for the senior civil service with officials wanting their sons to inherit positions regardless of their boy's inclinations. This was something Minister Go tried to guard against for his own family but would not pass judgement on when he saw it happening around him. His boys could not help being tied to his standing at court. They were the ones who first alerted him to the way the Choi family behaved. This put him on guard enough to discredit some of the worst whisper campaigns before they had time to flourish.

It was sad how rivalries spread from one generation to the next. His sons were always having to weigh whether a potential friend wanted to take advantage of their potential influence or score points against them. Yet, here was a boy from the provinces sharing techniques that had probably taken months of devoted practice to learn.

Here too was one of his brother-in-law's close comrades trying to recover from the attacks that had laid him low. Placement at an independent training yard might help solve some of the immediate difficulties preparing for the senior tournaments presented for his eldest son. He had doubts it would satisfy his youngest's eager mind. There was no real hurry to change the current training regimes for the boys but he was happy to get a chance learn more about their new friend.