Rubies and Rumors

Chapter Eleven

     Neither boy expected Park Sen Dou to be waiting at the palace practice court but he was there talking with the training master. "Ah, we hoped you both would make it today. It's been some time since you had a full drill of the northern forms," the man bowed to Jong Tai Yi.

"I guess the word is out about the inspection," the boy muttered. Junseo and Sen Dou struggled to keep straight faces as the training master clenched his jaw.

"You would think they would at least try to pretend they hadn't been reading your messages," Junseo said to his young friend.

"Don't forget we are at the palace and you are cavorting with an enemy hostage." Tai Yi shot back.

"Cavorting. This is cavorting, really? I had no idea." Junseo bounced around on his toes and pretended to strike at the air.

This did not improve the training master's mood one bit. "Proceed," he commanded, pointing to a cadet standing on the sidelines who then took charge.

It was clear the cadet had drilled in the northern forms but he had a very stiff approach. He instructed their small group to repeat each move separately and kept interrupting the natural flow from one move to the next. Tai Yi was clearly getting frustrated with all the interruptions. When they were on the second run through the boy just went ahead and finished the set and then ran through it backwards for good measure. He gave Sen Dou a big grin but the training master just shook his head.

"You are getting too comfortable with each other," he announced before bringing over a couple more sparing partners to join in the set. He gave them all a couple of minutes to get used to the different flow in some of the northern moves before assigning them to matches. "Second level moves only, and I will be watching to see if you break form," he announced. He stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed and frowned anytime their regular group scored a touch point against their new opponents.

It was obvious to all the participants that Sen Dou vastly outclassed the newcomers and his matches did not last long. Junseo was called out for breaking form and apologized his training regime had shifted for the recent finals. "Yes, well it would help if we saw more of you here," the training master grumbled.

"I will mention your request to Knight-Master Lie but don't expect much. He is already unhappy about my clinic hours interfering with my other training. Speaking of which, I really need to go now. I don't mind missing a lecture here and there but there is usually a line-up for the clinic." Junseo looked at Tai Yi and asked, "You're good now, Right?"

"For now, so thanks again." The young boy gave the kind of salute one would normally give to a member of the nobility. Sen Dou frowned at this display but nobody else seemed to notice as they returned to sparing using only the set forms.

Tai Yi only got tagged out once and that was against the oldest of the cadet partners. "I don't think there are any shortcomings with your sparing skills, especially given your age and expected level." The cadet tried to be reassuring.

"I improved with my time here. Having Trainee Sen Dou to practice with makes a huge difference. He must have been in the top ranks at home, just like he is here." Tai Yi also gave a nod to the palace training master but was still a bit annoyed with the way he behaved toward Junseo and Sen Dou. Neither of his friends were directly beholding to the man, yet he seemed to think he had every right to order them around.

Sen Dou put his hand on Tai Yi's shoulder and gave a light squeezed. The boy got the message and calmed himself down enough do proper farewells to the young men who had volunteers to spar with them. He also gave the training-master a very correct salute.

Sen Dou accompanied Tai Yi back to his apartments and listened to the boy's explanation of what an inspection tour, led by a high priestess, might involve. "Don't be surprised if they want to see some kind of demonstration from you since you are registered as one of my training partners."

"And Junseo?"

"He will be inspected again but they already approved him. Not for training but as a companion and extra security. We still can't leave the palace grounds without a full guard detail but he is allowed to come and go from my apartments anytime."

"If you don't mind me saying it seems a bit unusual. I mean for what I know of palace protocols."

Tai Yi shrugged, "I think Junseo has the same privileges at Knight-Master Lie's suites. He runs different errands and sometimes stays over. There was talk about them being related but it seems to have died down."

"Are they related?" Sen Dou tried to put different pieces together.

"I can't say. All I know is all the men at the gates recognize Junseo and waive him through whenever he wants to take the shortcut between the temple and the medical academy. He says being in their good books saves him more than an hour a day."

"I knew he has some skills as healer but I didn't think you could be at a training yard and the academy at the same time."

"He says it is a matter for ongoing negotiation and will probably have change once he is of age. All I know is it can be pretty tricky to try and track him down. I ended up spending half my allowance on couriers yesterday."

"So, was it worth it? Did your, what did you call it, Affairs of State, get settled?"

"Definitely. I mean your company was very welcome and all, but Junseo helped me untangled something I couldn't figure on my own, or share with a southerner."

After they had parted ways, Sen Dou puzzled over their conversation. Seeing Junseo with Jong Tai Yi again left him wondering about their relationship. A healer's son, and the heir from Psyonan province, should normally have nothing in common. There just had to be something other than the opportune rescue he heard about for the first-time last night. Then it hit him. Tai Yi clearly considered Junseo to be a fellow northerner, and one of noble blood. If you put it together with the ruby ring, it made more sense. Sen Dou nodded to himself. It was a better fit for what he had just witnessed. He had just got back to his barracks when he stopped in his tracks remembering the inspection tour would be headed by the High Priestess and just what, or more properly who, she may be looking for.