Junseo could easily understand why his fellow trainees, instructors, and assigned guards all vetoed him attending the crystal rounds but it did not make him any happier about his confinement at the forge. He might have protested more vehemently if the cumulative impact of his injuries and crack stone were any less. Watching the rest of group get ready in their finer robes reminded him that San Jin had left his team headband in the dormitory so he rushed to be able to send it along. He passed it to Song-hee who handed it to In-Yeon. It was only then Junseo understood he would not be spending the whole day on his own.

"Bro, I have been waiting all week to check my designs with you," Song-hee said with a sly grin.

"Right," Junseo's doubt was obvious but he soon relented and said, "In return, I suppose you could give me a hand setting up the isolation tables."

"Deal," Song-hee said while miming a fist bump. It turned out that Song-hee's project, adding gears to make a grinding stone more efficient, helped with Junseo's tasks and they happily worked together. Song-hee held things steady while Junseo re-shaped the cracked quartz but he nearly dropped everything when the loose chips started shining.

"I was starting to wonder how long it would be for you to start tuning," Junseo said with a broad smile.

"What do you mean?" Song-hee stared down at the stones.

"You have discipline, know the mantras, and help with energy work. If you were at a regular dojo, you would have stones from tournament wins by now but you keep yourself wrapped up so tight here." Junseo's voice faded in the face of Song-hee's scowl. "Not to disrespect, it's just you are so self-sufficient at times" he plunged on more quickly trying to explain the internal door that needed to open to allow stone connections.

"I'm not sure its safe to count on crystals for strength. Look what happened to you. Even a crack can knock you off kilter," Song-hee muttered.

"We train without them for a reason," Junseo added, "Not that fractures are at all common. You are far more likely to break a bone than a crystal." He turned his attention back to the tasks at hand and the pair were soon absorbed in adjusting the gear ratios for the grinder. Junseo was not at all shy about asking for help holding things when the bandages on his hand got in the way but Song-hee could see it was past time for taking a break so dragged the younger boy out of the workshop.

"So how bad is it?" He asked before going on the hunt for some new bandages.

"I have had worse," Junseo shrugged. "Loosing some of my calluses is inconvenient."

"I bet. Especially, since you still went through with your matches," Song-hee set down the supplies and looked around hoping a healer might show up. He was ready to signal for a guard to send for a messenger when he spotted one of the healers who had tended to them at the competition trying to talk their way into the compound.

The healer looked the boys up and down. "Do you want to explain how you got those stains on your robes from resting?"

"We haven't gone any further than the workshop and aren't planning to do more than a couple more patterns today. The guards aren't letting us out for our usual run." Junseo stuck out his chin.

"Yeah. Not ever over to the archery range," Song-hee agreed but winked behind the healer's back.

"You want to go running with those stitches?" The healer shook his head then went ahead to change the dressings on Song-hee's side before turning to Junseo. "I thought with your training you would know the importance of rest."

"Well going stir crazy while you are waiting to hear results is not exactly restful. A bit of tinkering helps pass the time." Junseo answered in a low voice. "Besides we are being careful. The isolation field is almost as good as a cleansing barrier."

"It's not even close. Look at this." The healer pointed to an angry red patch next to a broken blister. He put some alcohol on a rag to dab around the edges of the wound. Junseo winced as the antiseptic mixture burned the open wound. The healer studied the spot from different angles, got out a pair of tweezers and extracted a stone shard from the wound. "I'm not going to cover this up so you just have to find cleaner pursuits until it heals over again."

Junseo was too busy examining the piece the healer extracted to argue. Song-hee had to prompt him to hand over the chit Knight-Master Lei had left to thank the man.

"I can't see how any of the pieces we worked on could have gotten under you bandages," Song-hee observed after the healer had left.

"You're right. They didn't and now we have our own piece of evidence to test. Just not today. Do you think you can get this into a jade jar without touching it?" Junseo's request elicited a sly grin from Song-hee who was always ready to practice controlling the small wind-dogs the other boy called up. "I mean, can you find some silver to use as tongs." Junseo interrupted Song-hee's preparatory spin.

"Alright. If, you are sure. My way would be faster, you know." Song-hee put out his bottom lip.

"I'm sure we are both too tired to manage if anything went astray and I just don't trust the residual energy I am getting from that shard." Junseo knit his brows together and squinted at the offending object. Once the piece was secured the boys left the workshop in pursuit of cleaner activities.

Junseo found himself dozing over the book he was trying to read so took a stroll around the courtyard before settling back down to write letters home. He wanted to make a folding puzzle for his nephew but needed a hand with the origami forms. He didn't realize the others had returned until In-Yeon reached over to put his finger on a tricky fold. Junseo nodded his thanks before actually registering the others were back.

"So how did it go?" Song-hee asked the others.

"Strange. Not exactly what I would call a spectator's sport. Just a bunch of guys standing in a circle, leaning in and out, until one of them fell down." Chenhui shrugged.

"It was a lot more intense down on the field," San Jin said. "I'm glad Junseo gave me the head's up on choosing different stones for the test. The guys who focused on affinities instead of harmonies were the first ones to be knocked out. What made Chenhui so board the group trying to stabilize and energy ball and hold it in the center of our circle. If everyone had cooperated it would have been a piece of cake." San Jin shook his head. "I guess I got spoiled here where you guys all know how to pull together on a task."

Xuiyang smiled at this comment and nodded to his team members. "All we could see was the group moving very slowly until someone fell down and rest rushing to fill the gaps in the circle."

"But with something like that shouldn't it be as much about control as strength?" In-Yeon scratched his head.

"It was. Park Sen Dou took charge in the end but Choi Me San gave him a good run." San Jin couldn't help sounding pleased by the result.

"Don't discount how well you held your own. If that academy boy had not bumped into you." Brother Kuin jumped into their conversation.

"It wouldn't have rattled me if I wasn't already tired." San Jin looked to the other leaders who had just returned from the competition.

"Still your prize was well deserved." Manager Doak gestured for San Jin to show the others the beautiful sword and scabbard he received for coming first in fencing. The boys were equally impressed with the banner awarded to the forge for its first appearance in the finals.

"This should make people take more notice, maybe get us some clients." Junseo said. Xuiyang nodded his approval of this practical observation but the others frowned.

"He's right and that is why once his hands have healed up, he is going to show off his finalist ring every chance he can," Manager Doak grinned broadly as he passed over the silver and jade token. As Junseo held the piece, he could feel its anchoring pull on his other stones.

"Oh. This is special." He said holding it to the light before stringing it onto the chain he wore around his neck. In-Yeon could feel Junseo drifting so leaned in to present the other awards including a set of clear quartz in slightly different hues paired up with onyx beads.

"You better store those for a day or two." Brother Kuin advised. Junseo nodded but then took a match pair out for Song-hee, Chenhui, and Xuiyang.

"I wouldn't have made it through the first day without you guys," he said overriding any objections they might have made. "It's past time for getting your anchor stones ready," he said looking from Brother Kuin to Manager Doak.

"He's right." Knight-Master Lei said. "You have all done very well but our next commission may well uncover your affinities so its best you anchor now." He went on to explain the prince's request. In-Yeon was the only one not surprised by this news.