Rune eyed the shield doubtfully. "It's only about three feet wide. All three of us behind it?"

"This is why I said it will be challenging." Hyun Woo lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "You must stay directly behind Wolfinsky-gui as you enter, otherwise the shield will not cover you. Also, you must always line up in this order: Wolfinsky-gui, Tran-gui, and Rune-xian." As an afterthought, he amended, "Unless Man Fei Lei-xian is with you, in which case he will go before Rune-xian. The reason for this is simple: order."

Wolf had been following just fine up until this point, but the man had lost him. "Order?"

"When you have engaged the enemy, you must peel off and go to specific sides in order to fight effectively without hampering each other," Hyun Woo explained patiently. "Tran-gui will always go to the left, because he is armed with short swords, and he can use his swords to block your broadsword in case a swing goes too wide."

Wolf had better control over the broadsword than that, but he privately admitted to himself that fighting was unpredictable enough that putting Tran on his left was probably a wise move.

"Rune-xian, because he fights hand-to-hand, must stay on your right. Partially because this way, he can take advantage of your shield when he needs it."

That also made complete sense.

"We will engage in a mock battle so that you may practice this." Hyun Woo lifted a finger, tone low in warning. "Remember, you are each other's defense. Do not stray too far from the other's side. You want to stay within two arm's lengths of each other at all times."

Far enough away that they could fight, but close enough that they wouldn't leave each other's backs unprotected. Got it.

"You understand me? Good." Hyun Woo half-turned and called out several names as well instructions in his native tongue that went completely over Wolf's head. Then he directed them to a specific spot in the field, lining them up as he had taught them to do. "You will break into formation the moment Wolfinsky-gui reaches the first opponent," he told them. "Again, do not fight so hard as to cause injuries. Rune-xian, if you feel pressed enough by your opponent that you feel old instincts kick in, raise both your hands high over your head and the other man will stop. If this is not possible, drop completely to the ground on your knees and he will stop. This is an old signal with us, all will understand it."

Rune expression relaxed when he realized he had breathing room. He was still nervous after what had happened and Wolf didn't blame him. "I understand."

Satisfied they were all more or less prepared, Hyun Woo lifted a hand in signal and boomed out, "Hame!"

Where in sweet mercy had her guild disappeared to?

Siobhan had been in a meeting most of the morning with the council, going over the exact situation that Orin was in and figuring out precisely which experts they needed to unravel the mess before it exploded. Sylvie had joined the meeting for the last hour, helping to explain what Siobhan didn't know. Somehow, during those three hours, their entire guild disappeared without a trace. No one was in their guest house. After walking all the way through, she gave up and joined Sylvie back on the front porch, arms set akimbo on her hips. "Where did they all go?"

"Wolf was invited to go to the main field last night by the master strategist," Sylvie answered, half-turning to look behind her. "Which is over there, somewhere. I think Rune, Tran and Fei are with them. I heard Wolf mention it last night."

Well that accounted for four of them. "And the rest?"

Sylvie spread her hands, shrugging. "Who knows? Who are you needing, anyway?"

"Markl," Siobhan answered, exasperated. "He's the one with all of the numbers written down. I can remember some of them, but not all. Oh Jae Pyo needs precise information to make any sort of plans."

Sylvie looked away, her face becoming unnaturally still and expressionless. "You want to find Markl in this place? Good luck with that. He could be anywhere."

True. But that didn't explain that almost belligerent expression on Sylvie's face.

Siobhan rocked back on her heels, debating on whether to say anything or not. She wasn't blind-Markl was absolutely infatuated with Sylvie. From what she could see, Sylvie was charmed and attracted to him as well. And yet, for the past six months, the two of them had stayed in this awkward limbo of not-quite-courting, and for the life of her she couldn't figure out why. Siobhan firmly believed that a third party trying to get in between a couple usually made the situation worse rather than better, but at this rate, they'd all be grey-headed by the time anything became official.

Deciding on a middle ground, she said instead, "You can usually find him, though. You seem to understand him better than anyone else."

Sylvie very carefully didn't look at her as she responded, "I know his habits. I don't know him well at all."

Uh-oh. That was not a good tone. Sylvie's voice had sounded strained saying that. No, she couldn't just leave this alone anymore. The time for that had apparently passed. Siobhan slid an arm around the other woman's shoulders and pulled her in for a half-hug. "Talk to me, Sylvie."

"Siobhan, what are we doing?" Sylvie looked lost, eyes bright with unshed tears. "I don't know anymore. I thought at first that he was attracted to me, then I thought maybe it was more than attraction, but he doesn't do or say anything. I don't know how to react around him anymore."

Hence that strange, unnatural tension between them? Siobhan had thought Markl had done something stupid. Men were prone to foot-in-mouth disease from time to time. "I'm just as confused, that's why I'm asking. None of us can figure out what's holding the two of you back. I actually had a bet going with Beirly that the two of you would become a couple before Rune finished his journeyman training."

Sylvie gave a bitter snort. "You lost that bet."

"Well, no, Beirly actually did. He didn't think it would be that long. He bet on less than three months."

Instead of consoling her, this seemed to enhance Sylvie's anger. "So it's not just me being overly hopeful?"

"Nope."

Sucking in a breath, the brunette let it out between clenched teeth, like a teapot whistling out steam. "So what do I do?"

Trying to jostle her out of that foul mood, Siobhan tsked her with a wagging finger. "You know my love advice doesn't come free."

Sylvie's trading instincts sparked to life and she eyed her guildmaster sideways. "The pewter hair clasp you like."

Siobhan let go of her and held out a hand, which Sylvie promptly took, sealing the deal. The tension broke enough that Sylvie's brow unknotted and Siobhan fought back a smile. "Markl strikes me as the type that has little confidence in himself where women are concerned. Don't try to make him jealous, that will backfire. He'll think he has no chance with you and give up. Instead, make it very clear to him that he has your interest. It will give him the courage to close the gap."

Running a hand roughly through her hair, Sylvie took in a breath, puffing out her cheeks. Her eyes were fixed off in the distance as she turned this advice over in her head. "Yes," she finally agreed with a slow nod. "Yes, that might be the problem. I've never done or said anything outright to him. But truly? You think that it's just a lack of confidence on his part?"

"From what I've seen. Even after all of this time with us, he still hesitates before offering his opinion, unless someone has asked for it." Markl was charming, in his own quiet way, but not particularly handsome. He was an illegitimate child from a wealthy family, and from the beginning had been an unwanted burden. In spite of how his family loved him, that stigma would have still attached itself to his skin as permanently as a tattoo. All of that would affect his own opinion of how desirable he was to other people. Siobhan firmly believed that the reason why he had changed cities and guilds was for a fresh slate.

But if she tried to explain this to Sylvie, her trader would smack her outright. To her, Markl was nothing short of amazing, and she wouldn't hear a detrimental word said against him.

Siobhan wisely bit her tongue and said instead, "I will now teach you the magic phrase to win his attention."

"There's a magic phrase?" Sylvie repeated dubiously.

"It actually works on almost every man," Siobhan admitted cheerfully. "Beirly taught it to me ages ago. It goes something like this: 'Markl, I need you.'"

"That's it?!" Sylvie demanded, spluttering.

Giving a careless shrug, she grinned. "That's it. Men, you see, need to be needed. Telling them that you need them, even if it's for a simple thing, sets an emotional connection with them. Make it a habit with Markl. Have him help you, tell him that you need him, on a daily basis. Nothing hard, and things that involve direct contact with him would be best. He's too nervous to touch you except a brush of the hand here or there. Get past that."

Sylvie opened her mouth to protest, paused, and her eyes went unfocused as she thought. "Mercy above...you're right, he hardly ever comes that close to me. He always keeps a set distance between us. No wonder I was struggling to connect with him!"

Satisfied she had gotten the girl on the right path, Siobhan made shooing motions with her hands. "You can get me the clasp later. For now, go. Find. Seduce."

"On it!" Sylvie assured her, already leaping lightly off the porch.

Belatedly remembering what had started this conversation, she called after her, "Wait! When you find him, make sure he talks to Oh Jae Pyo!"

Sylvie waved a hand in acknowledgement but didn't pause or look back.

Chuckling evilly to herself, Siobhan said to the empty air, "Brace yourself, Markl. A woman on a mission is heading straight for you."

That night they had dinner with Fei's family. From the way Fei issued the invitation to them, it was clear that his mother would not take 'no' for an answer.

Siobhan was not a parent, but she'd filled the role of mother before for people, and felt she had a grasp on what Fei's parents must feel after seeing their son for the first time in nearly eight years. She also understood that she would be laying a lot of unease and fears to rest if she could show his family what the guild was like. So with no hesitation whatsoever, she accepted the invitation.

Fei came and gathered them up that evening, escorting them to his house. Siobhan admired it as they walked in through the garden gate. The place was larger than she'd mentally pictured. It seemed to expand in every direction. There was a nice sized garden in front that seemed to wrap around the sides of the house as well, every bush and tree immaculately trimmed. The house itself was in the usual style for this area, and all the doors and windows were open, no doubt letting the evening air inside. It was a beautiful night, so no need to keep the house shut up.

A slightly stooped man with white hair and a cane in his hand was standing in front door. Upon seeing them, he turned and called into the house. Playing watchman, was he?

Fei went directly to the old man and grabbed one hand with both of his. In the most tender voice she'd ever heard from him, he greeted, "Harupachi."

The old man gripped the hand in return, beaming up at Fei. His reply was too fast for Siobhan to be able to detect any words, but the affection and joy in the tone were clear enough.

From inside the house, people started appearing. Siobhan blinked at the number, not to mention the variety. Everything from a baby to the old man was here. So...it wasn't just Fei's immediate family they would meet today? It was the whole family?

Denney's voice whispered behind her, "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm no good in places like this," Rune responded uneasily. "Best I go."

"You're not going anywhere," Denney assured him firmly. "They won't eat you, Rune."

Rune clearly didn't buy this. "Still...."

"These are the same people that raised and taught Fei everything he knows. You really think it'll be uncomfortable around them?"

Siobhan glanced over her shoulder and found that Rune had a pole-struck face on, as if he hadn't thought of it that way before. Smiling to herself, she let Denney take care of Rune as she stepped forward and gave a bow to the whole family.

Fei extended a hand to her and announced in an unusually loud voice (at least for him), "This is my guildmaster, Siobhan Maley."

Siobhan straightened and gave the whole group a genuine smile. "I am very pleased to meet you. Thank you for the invitation." Turning, she grabbed the basket from Tran's hands and extended it, not quite sure who it should go to. "I brought loquat fruits for everyone to share."

A woman in her middle years came down the steps to accept the basket.

"Siobhan-ajie, this is my mother. Man Hye Ri."

Hye Ri bowed to her. Siobhan's first impression was that this was the most delicate woman she'd ever seen in her life. Even the way she moved was smooth and fluid, like water flowing downstream. "We are very glad you have come," Hye Ri told her, her voice pure and clear. "Please, come in. We will do proper introductions around the table. It is easier there."

She had a table large enough to fit everyone? Siobhan had to see that. Agreeable, the whole guild trooped into the house, following their hosts. The inside was painted in whites and soft greens, almost teal in color. Siobhan liked it, as it felt homey to her. Especially the touches of artwork that were obviously done by the younger children.

There was not a table large enough in the world to fit this many people at once. But they had opened all of the sliding doors, making the connecting rooms into one large dining area, and pushed together several rectangular tables to make it work. Their hosts kindly took each guildmember in and guided them to a padded cushion. Fei was the one that grabbed Denney and Rune, which Siobhan was glad to see. He must have realized from Rune's reaction earlier that leaving him alone between people Rune didn't know would not be wise.

Once seated, Hye Ri made good on her promise and made the introductions all around. The names were foreign, something Siobhan wasn't used to hearing, and there were a good thirty people seated. After memorizing Fei's father's name-Man Ji Sang-Siobhan quickly lost track of everyone else. But this didn't seem to matter after they started eating.

She found herself seated right next to Fei's parents, with him on the other side of them, and both parents asked Siobhan many questions, most of them centered around what the guild did and why they had come. Siobhan answered honestly and ate quick bites between answering questions.

With the plates more or less empty of food, she glanced up and found that people were having animated conversations all around them. Even Rune, as nervous as he had been, had relaxed enough to talk to the children, who were busy firing off questions. The whole dinner had gone off without a hitch. Relieved, she relaxed...or tried to. Her knees were not used to being folded like this under a short table for long stretches of time.

The only complaint she had about Saoleord so far was their lack of chairs.

Maybe her hostess realized this as she turned to Siobhan and asked, "Would you like to go sit by the garden and have some tea?"

No drinks had been served with the meal-they hadn't been last night either, come to think of it-so Siobhan was more than ready to drink something. "That sounds wonderful."

"Then please, this way."

Siobhan followed her hostess out of the room and into an adjoining one that still gave her full view of the dining area. They sat at another short table, but this time there were chairs. Sort of. It looked like a chair, but it didn't have legs to it. It sat squarely on the ground. But at least Siobhan had something to lean back against and she could stretch her legs forward. Just that was a relief.

Hye Ri brought a light green tea pot with two matching cups, neither of which were larger than a child's palm, and sat them on the round table before sitting opposite her. "We are pleased you came tonight. I have long wanted to see the people that my son chose to spend his life with."

"I'm very glad you invited us," Siobhan returned. "I know how nerve-racking it is for parents to not know where your son is or who he's with. Every time I gain a new member of the guild, I make sure to introduce him or her to my parents for that reason. If anything, our visit to you is long overdue. I am sorry for that."

"We are very far from your home and business after all," Hye Ri said in complete understanding.

"It must be hard on you, being so far away from your son," Siobhan said in true sympathy.

"That is so," Hye Ri agreed, but her expression was one of resignation more than anything else. "I cannot complain, however. I realized years ago that my husband and I pushed him into this vocation."

Siobhan blinked. "You did?"

"Unwittingly, yes." She picked up the green tea pot and poured them both a cup as she explained. "We have always been a scholarly family. Most of our ancestors were priests, architects, historians, or something of that ilk. So we encouraged our children to choose occupations similar to what their ancestors did. But Fei Lei..." she let out a soft, lady-like sigh. "His temperament was never suited to such."

Siobhan struggled to picture Fei in some musty library, studying day in and day out, and couldn't. In fact, her eyes crossed at just the attempt. The only time she had ever seen him still and quiet for a stretch of time was when he was sneaking up on someone or spying on them.

"So you feel that because you pressured him to that path, that he rebelled?"

"His master at that time was not surprised at the rebellion." Her nose wrinkled up, a flash of amusement crossing over her face. "None of us anticipated just how far that rebellion would take him."

"I bet."

"If I may ask, how did he become a part of your guild?"

Siobhan took a sip from her cup and was surprised at the fresh taste that exploded in her mouth. "This is excellent. What type of tea is this?"

"Mint," her hostess supplied, pleased she liked it.

Siobhan made a mental note to buy a bundle of the stuff to take home with her. She stole another quick sip before answering. "Fei had hired on with a caravan guard that left here and went down to Channel Pass. You knew how he left? Oh, I see. He's never forthcoming on details like that. Anyway, that caravan had contracted us to take them from Channel Pass to Winziane. I met him through the caravan boss, as he had taken a liking to Fei and wanted him to find a good guild to belong to. When I met him, I saw this quiet young man with the fighting prowess of a tiger." Siobhan smiled at the memory. "Anyone that can fight on par with Wolf and Tran catches my eye. I noticed him for his skills alone. But the quiet personality made me think he didn't go looking for trouble, so I was more than willing to take him on."

Hye Ri cocked her head, not following this last statement. "This is important to you?"

She made a sour face. "Half my guild thinks trouble is fun."

"Ah, I see." Hye Ri was polite enough to not snicker, but she was obviously laughing internally. Her eyes sparkled with it.

"Anyway, we hired him on short term, just feeling out how well he worked with the guild while on a job. He was, of course, excellent. So when we reached Winziane, I asked if he wanted to just stay on with Deepwoods permanently." A realization she had never made before popped into her head. Slowly, she added, "I'm not sure if he would have stayed if we had been a different type of guild. Fei was very hungry to see the world, and experience as much of it as he could. He liked us, I could see that, but if we hadn't been an escorting guild, he might not have stayed with us."

His mother nodded, not surprised. "It was his strong desire to see the world with his own eyes that drove him out of the comfort of his own home."

"He only recently told me why he left." Siobhan shrugged ruefully. "None of my men are really talkers, not when it comes to themselves, but Fei's got them all beat. I thought for years that he had gotten into trouble at home and that's why he left. He finally disabused me of that notion and said simply his family didn't approve of his choice."

"We do not," Hye Ri stated simply. "I wish him closer to home."

No mother would say differently. Siobhan wasn't the least surprised. "Now that I understand that he won't be in trouble if he comes here, we'll try to come up at least once a year."