Brother Kuin greeted Junseo with one of his rare smiles saying, "That was the best demonstration on the importance of anchoring energy work I have ever seen. You honored Master Wu."

"Yes, especially after yesterday's night protocol match, I am certain the Moon Temple would happily to claim you." Knight-Master Lei's compliment also came across as a warning. His eyes narrowed as he looked the boy over and asked, "How bad is that hand now?" Junseo sat on a bench and unwound the bandage. The retired soldier had seen worse, and indeed had fought with worse, but this did not make the situation any better. "We are checking in with the healers, now," he ordered.

Their entourage was stopped twice by the guards, and only Junseo and his Knight-Master allowed into the first-aid tent. A junior healer bustled over, and started scolding, "You were supposed to get cleared before competing. These burns are less of concern than the blast's percussion. Any blurred vision? Ringing in your ears? Gaps in your memory?"

"I know what to look for," Junseo muttered but when he saw the disappointment on his mentor's face sat up and corrected himself. "My only symptoms from the blast are the burns, and maybe some general aches but I can't say I wouldn't have been sore after the work-out the last couple of days have been."

"Well, you opened your hand. We can dress it but you need to go easier. No racing, or hand-to-hand today. I will let you decide which hand might be strong enough to hold your sword but if you go ahead with any matches, I want you back here at the end of the day." The healer was not at all gentle as he re-wrapped Junseo's hands.

Before they left the tent, the pair from the training league went over to check on their companions. Song-hee claimed to be ready to leave but Junseo did not like his color, and said as much.

"Come on, you know I have naturally pale skin," the boy complained.

"Pale, yes. Translucent, no. Just rest up a bit more and you can come back to the forge this afternoon. You know you will hear the results much faster if you stay on the grounds. Besides none of those guards are going to let you wander off," Junseo nodded to the security detail at the door.

"You need to listen to our leader," Hae-sung's voice was not much more than a whisper coming from the next bed over.

"Ok, bro." Song-hee answered quickly while giving Junseo a pleading look. Junseo understood the silent request and carefully checked the older boy. He waived a healer over and together they strung up a privacy blanket. Song-hee looked very worried, so Knight-Master Lei tried to be reassuring.

Scout Jia showed up with the court physician in tow. No matter how the group on the other side of the blanket curtain strained, they could not hear the healer's discussion. Junseo stalked out from behind the blanket sulking over being banished because of his own injuries.

"You know need to rest up for your match," Song-hee tried to reason. "It would suck if those jerks managed to knock you out of the competition, after what you and Student Kwang-jo went through yesterday. How is he doing? Do we know?"

"None of the temple team are here today," Scout Jia said.

"That will sure put another wrench into the schedule," Song-hee scratched his head, "Can you send somebody by with an update on the fencing match ups? The hand-to-hand should be pretty straight forward now they are into the mixed levels."

Chenhui promptly answered with a slate full of information, including the betting odds, as well as the new schedule. "The Go family's master-at-arms said he was certain I would find you all here. He is stationed with San Jin, In-Yeon, and Brother Kuin at the hand-to-hand matches."

The men looked relieved by this news but then Scout Jia noticed the time. "We need to get you changed and warmed up for your match. You are going left-handed, aren't you?"

Junseo nodded, and accepted the good-luck pat from Song-hee, before scurrying off. Their group got halted when they tried to enter the armory tent. "Competitor's only." The guard frowned.

"Oh, so are you going to help me with my buckles?" Junseo held up a bandaged hand.

"Fine. But just one." The guard pointed at Chenhui saying, "You'll do."

Chenhui shrugged an apology toward Scout Jia and the eager boys from Xuiyang's team before shepherded Junseo away. Junseo tried to get all his gear on by himself but his greaves defeated him. "This hand is next to useless," he complained.

"Good thing you don't need to use it for the rest of the day," Chenhui stepped in to finish the task. "Now let's find some place to drill." He picked up a stout looking staff and led Junseo to the warm-up area. They slowly worked through a standard pattern separately, then together. Chenhui pushed him off balance more than once so asked, "Are you going to be okay? It's Bang Sie Woo again."

"Yeah, with any luck he will find this as strange as I do," Junseo said swiping his sword back and forth then in small circles.

"You need to loosen your grip a bit more," San Jin coached from the side-lines. He then took Chenhui's staff and demonstrated a couple more moves. "Try this," he encouraged, before disarming Junseo.

"Wait. Run me through that one again." Junseo's determination was written in the set of his jaw. San Jin obliged before being called away for his own semi-final. Chenhui stored his practice weapon and went over Junseo's kit one more time. They only had time to watch the opening moves in San Jin's bout before Junseo needed to check over his own strip.

When they faced off, Bang Sie Woo, eyed Junseo up and down and nodded with a confident smile that he lost as soon as Junseo switched hands. Junseo advanced boldly and within a couple of minutes pushed the defending champion out of bounds. They returned to the center of the court and crossed swords and seconds later Junseo scored another point. The momentum shifted abruptly with Sie Woo scoring twice in a row and nearly disarming Junseo in the process. The referee called the match in the champion's favor. 

Even though Junseo was disappointed with the final outcome, he saw no reason to dispute the result. "That went better than I expected," he confessed to his younger team-mate.

"Still weird the way things lined up, what with those who injured out and everything," Chenhui said.

"How so?" Junseo didn't understand why the boy was so puzzled.

"Well, even though you lost twice, and that puts you out of the competition, you were really only beaten by one opponent, and he's a returning champion. You kind of have to wonder why he bothered with this tournament if he is already in officer training."

"Practice, prestige, just to get out of the barracks. Who knows." Junseo shrugged.

"Yeah, and maybe to make some coin from the Slack-harbor gang," Chenhui said as he watched the young man with the scarred face approach.

"No more. I'm done," Sie Woo hissed.

"And your father-in-law to-be?" The Slack-harbor leader menaced in a low voice.

"No longer owes you a thing. We had an agreement. Go back on your word and see how fast the news spreads." Sie Woo crossed his arms.

"You covered his old debts. But what about his new ones?" His scar pulled the young man's smile into more of a sneer.

"No longer my problem. I was clear from the start. You should have known better than to take his wagers, even if he had no self-control." Sie Woo pushed passed the man and made his way toward where a course official stood with a palace guard. He sensed the knife coming toward him and shielded himself with his arm. The reflexes he honed for years kicked in and the gang member quickly disarmed. Other Slack-harbor men swarmed in but Sie Woo got his back to the wall and his sword up.

Chenhui put two fingers into his mouth and whistled. This got the guard's attention and they ran toward the disturbance. Before the guards could arrive, Junseo jumped in to help defend the former champion. Chenhui's whistle drew the other members of the team and they formed a defensive ring to stop any more gang members piling into the fray. This made it easier for the guards to get matters under control but not before Sie Woo got a slash on his thigh and blood started seeping throw Junseo's bandage. The pair supported each other on the way to the first-aid tent. A frowning course official followed behind.

"You didn't need to jump in. They would have backed off soon enough." Sie Woo said.

"I'm not going to ask what that was all about but it doesn't look good for the Slack-harbor boys now. Not when they started a fight with the Prince on site. I can't imagine how they weapons past the gate." Junseo's voice trailed off and he shivered.

"I am glad you recognize the gravity of the situation," a man from the protocol office said. He arrived with the junior healer tasked with re-bandaging Junseo's hand. They both frowned at the damage.

"We know there has been some mischief but if there has been match fixing I don't how his majesty will react." The course official flipped through his lists and tapped the papers. "This raises questions. Like how a nobody might hold the reigning champion to points in their first match, and score first in their second."

Junseo flushed and said, "Not so outlandish if you consider I train with the only swordsman to best Champion Bang Sie Woo so far this year."

"I admit I always hold back a bit in the first match but I honestly underestimated Trainee Park. It took me a minute to find my rhythm when he switched hands on me today." The older boy's explanation sounded reasonable enough to earn a nod from the official.

"So why the Slack-harbor's interest?" The protocol officer asked.

"That might be my fault," Chenhui's voice shook as he continued, "Not me directly, but my father is probably into them for quite a bit by now. He never knows when to walk away and the gangs have been sniffing around our team for some time trying to get their hooks into one of us. They just don't understand I have a new family now and make it a rule to never bail my father out of the holes he digs himself." As Chenhui talked, Scout Jia came over to stand behind him. He lightly rubbed Chenhui's back to let the boy know he was not alone.

"Are you taking formal witness statements?" Scout Jia's asked with an angry edge in his voice.

"No. Just determining if the palace needs to be involved," the protocol officer said. An uncomfortable silence followed. After a full minute the man sighed and went on his way.

"You didn't have to," Sie Woo started.

"No, he didn't. But it is safer to have the issue out in the open," Junseo cut him off abruptly. "You might want to think about coming clean yourself. Keeping secrets will give the gang more power."

"If it was just me," Sie Woo stopped speaking when he saw how angry both boys were so raised his hand. "No, you are right. Thank you for getting some of the pressure off me. It should give me a better chance to work things out."

Junseo gave the older boy a curt nod and started gathering his things together. Sie Woo put his hand on his arm, "They were honest matches. You must know they were. Even if it lined up the way the gang wanted, I didn't purposely throw anything. You are good enough to take me. It will just take a bit more tournament experience."

"Thanks," Junseo said. "I can't really wish you luck if you come up against Go San Jin tomorrow but I don't wish you ill, so please be careful."

"Spoken like a true champion," Sie Woo nodded his thanks and went on his way.

The group's consensus was that it was long past time to get Song-hee and Junseo back to the forge. Hae-sung had already been transferred to the palace infirmary and his mother was on her way. In Yeon insisted he and Scout Jia should stay on through the rest of San Jin's matches and see him to his parents with a contingent of the family's guards.

The silence between Song-hee and Chenhui was decidedly chilly during the whole trip back to the forge. Junseo was uncomfortably aware the whole team never had a chance to work things out together. Hae-sung's absolution had not entirely settled the problematic lack of trust. The latest encounters with the Slack-harbor boys exacerbated the situation. When Junseo tried to broach the subject of the marker both boys turned to him and told him he was barking up the wrong tree. "Then tell me what is going on," Junseo ground his teeth and put out his chin.

"You should be asking Song-hee why he tried to get himself killed," Chenhui said.

"It wasn't like that. Not that it would matter. Either way I won't be around much longer." Song-hee's said in a low, even tone.

"Just what are you trying to say?" Chenhui sounded frightened.

"Scout Jia knows. Journeyman Yang probably agrees. I'm not reliable, am I? Don't really fit in. Look at how you guys are doing in school, and at the tournaments." Song-hee shrugged and looked away.

"Nonsense. We need your street smarts and what you can do in the forge." Junseo pointed to the pin he proudly wore on his cloak, "Hae-sung told me how much he is learning from working with you."

"Well, he won't be back at the forge for quite some time, and,"

"It was not your fault," Junseo said before Song-hee could finish. "Look, we have this family gathering thing to get through tonight but then we need to talk things out. You can start by trying to remember what Hae-sung already told you. I am sure he let you know how much you matter to us all."