The gates of the capital cast tight shadows under the noon sun and the line waiting to enter Leuso inched along against a brisk wind. Junseo was grateful not to have to dismount at the checkpoint because he was not sure if he would be strong enough to climb back up. The guards were very sharp with his escort when they heard the group was coming from G'sang province. Junseo wanted to ask if there was a problem but his escort waved him back so he would have to wait to get more information. The encounter reminded him that he was not at home where the guards knew him as a respected kite runner.

He needed to be careful here in the capital. When Lady Chen gave him her secret message to deliver, she reminded him their allies would not know who might be watching. He needed to become much more familiar with the city before venturing out to make new connections with the rebels.

He had studied maps before setting out and now tried to orient himself on the crowded streets. It was not until he spotted a sliver of red on the peaked roof of the palace, he figured out which direction they were heading. After an hour of winding roughly eastward on the dusty streets they stopped at a very non-descript gate. The place did not match what he expected for a school renowned for preparing classics scholars. This confused him until he realized they had arrived at the servant's entrance to make it easier to unload his luggage.

The matron, who was almost as wide as she was tall, bustled out the door and greeted him briskly. "We don't often see new boys this late in the term," she sniffed while looking Junseo up and down. "The headmaster will bring over your schedule but we will need to get you settled first."

He was distracted by the groom coming for his horse and had to put up his hand to stop the flow of information pouring at him.

"I appreciate your assistance. Please just give me a minute to thank my escort." Junseo excused himself and shook hands with the men he traveled with, calling each by their given names.

"I will never forget the riding lessons," Junseo said rubbing his behind.

This got a chuckle from even the sour old cart driver.

"I know you work on a company contract but I want to add my personal thanks for your patience and understanding," he deftly handed over small bags of coins.

When the leader of the group wanted to refuse Junseo grasped the man's hand again and insisted, "If not for you, then think of this as a wedding gift for your daughter."

The man's eye crinkled up as he smiled. "Thank you for remembering my girl."

This simple gesture earned Junseo respect from both his escort and the waiting school servants. They were used to being ignored or thrown a few coins now and then but almost always treated with derision. The obvious bond among the group from Ilidan showed in the way the group bid "fair winds" to each other. This brought secret smiles to their audience but the Matron was not pleased with the delay.

She was most put out by having to ready a room for the headmaster's nephew. She felt she had was more than enough on her hands with the boys who had finished their government examinations acting liked they owned the place. She expected a spoiled stranger would only add to the tensions.

She assumed he would be the usual age for the qualifying candidates but he seemed much younger. Sizing him up again, she changed her mind about putting him in with the senior students waiting for exam results. The only other available space was a double room with their youngest boarder.

She led Junseo up two flights of stairs and along the full length of the corridor before knocking on a door. When there was no answer, Matron pulled out a key and opened the door. One side of the room was in complete disarray with a jumble of laundry piled in the middle of the bed. The other side of the room was barren with only an empty desk, a small wardrobe, and a narrow bed tucked under the slope of the roof. Even though the widow appeared to be shut, a cool draft ruffled Junseo's hair.

"This should be fine. Thank you." Junseo easily accepted the spartan accommodations knowing he would not be spending too much time in the dormitory.

"One of the men will bring up your trunk. I expect Jong Tai Yi will be along to change before dinner. You did bring dress robes?"

Junseo nodded and then asked for directions to the nearest baths. "I would really like to get the dust and horse smell off before meeting any more of my colleagues," he said plucking at his sweaty shirt with a grimace.

"Praise be! A teenage boy who doesn't equate stink with strength. Follow me, I will grab you a spare robe to use until you get unpacked. Put your laundry in the basket with your room number on it in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs and it will be returned by the maid the next day." Matron waved her hand to show the general direction and continued a steady stream of instructions the whole way to the baths.

Junseo hoped his roommate would be willing to decode essential information because trying to take everything in at the same time was a bit much. The listing of the rules only stopped when he closed the door to the men's bath.

He did not have combs for his hair nor time to redo it properly so he only rinsed out the ends. He squeezed it out as best he could but still had drip marks down the back of his borrowed robes as he made his way back to the dormitory. The house slippers he had been lent were a bit small and he stubbed his toe going up the stairs. He reminded himself to be patient and made his way to his new room. He knocked to be polite before taking out the key Matron had given him.

"Hey, where do you think you are going?" A boy called from the end of the hallway.

Junseo just held up his key.

The boy turned to someone coming up the stairs, "Looks like squeaker has a new roommate. Want to make bets on how long this one will last?"

Junseo shook his head sadly and entered the room. He had not gone two steps before he banged his shin on his trunk.

"Bugger," he cursed quietly but heard a small chuckle coming from under a pile of cloths. "Sorry about my massive trunk. I will get my things stowed quickly so we can get it out of the way. I'm Park Junseo from Ilidan." He waited a minute to see if his roommate might appear. When he didn't get a response Junseo just set about getting his things squared away.

He laid his dress robes out on the bed and frowned over their wrinkled state. Not the best for first impressions but it could not be helped he sighed to himself. Once he had everything put away in the wardrobe or desk, he flipped the trunk up onto one end and leaned it against the wall in the corridor. It left just enough clearance for the door if they did not open it too widely. Then he studied the breezy window and looked around for something he might use as a shim. He was about to pry away a piece from the top door casing when there was a sharp knock and his uncle entered.

"Headmaster Kim," Junseo bowed twice. Once at the level for a senior administrator and once in the degree for a senior relative.

His roommate scrambled out of the den of cloths and bowed as well. The boy's doe-eyes widened and his mouth hung open before he corrected himself. The Headmaster offered the barest acknowledgement to Jong Tai Yi before turning back to his nephew.

"Welcome to the capital Junseo. I have you slotted in with the Master-at-arms with the other boys waiting for results. Your letter indicated you were interested in brushing up on your sciences so I have you in a senior biology lab. We can add more if there is a need but I have also put you into ethics and conversational Shen." His uncle handed over a customized schedule and a bundle of course outlines.

"You can pick up your uniforms before your training session starts tomorrow. We will have a family welcome on the weekend when your Grandfather can make it."

"Thank you. I will look forward to it," Junseo replied with another bow. This was answered by a crisp nod before his uncle left the room.

Uncle Kim had always been a remote figure to Junseo so he was not surprised by the impersonal greeting.

He could see his roommate was still staring at the door so observed, "I guess my uncle doesn't tour the dormitories very often."

"Uncle?" the boy's voice squeaked a bit, "Never. He never comes here."

"Then I will have to thank him for his warm welcome," Junseo smiled at his own private joke.