In the Silverberg manor, Eunhyuk and Summer did not see her parents for the rest of the day.  They remained closeted off and out of sight, which was fine by Summer for now as she still had plenty to sort through.  Even though it was her home, Summer wasn’t sure what she was allowed to do or where they could go so they simply returned to the large lounge area in the front and took a seat.  The house was surprisingly quiet as none of the residents were in obvious sight.  Oh, they had additional servants but they were more like ghosts that you saw out of the corner of your eye but were gone when you turned to see what it was.  Before they had much chance to discuss anything, the front door was opened again.

Sage stumbled back inside, disheveled and dirty as he had been thrown off the horses…yet again.  “What?” he grumbled as he saw their surprised expressions.  “You try riding the dumb things,” he muttered before he stomped off to the left towards his room.

                Summer bit her lip to keep from laughing outright and Eunhyuk chuckled softly as her younger brother departed stiffly.  It looked as if more than his pride had been bruised today.  “I wonder what it would be like to ride one though,” Summer murmured when he was out of earshot.

                Eunhyuk shrugged and leaned back in the plush seat he had taken.  It was almost too comfortable for his taste.  They’d never had anything so nice when they lived in the monastery or even when they had visited the inns on the way here.  It almost seemed a waste to him to have such nice things shared by so few.  “Scary if your brother is anything to go by,” he grinned.  He would admit he was curious too but they were such large creatures.  Although, Lute had been pleasant enough when she was pulling the cart for the minstrels.  That would be altogether agreeable.

                “But fast,” she added thoughtfully as her gaze traveled to the front door.

                Eunhyuk’s grin faded and his expression became pensive.  “You’re thinking about heading to the capitol aren’t you?”

                “That is still our goal,” she sighed, looking down at her hands as she picked at imaginary calluses.  “We can’t do anything until we hear back from father though.”  One hand moved up to where she chewed on her nail worriedly.

                Uncomfortably, the wind elementalist leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.  “They have to be alright, Summer.”  He awkwardly clasped and unclasped his hands in front of him and then hung his head, the action hurting the still bound wrist.

                “It’s only been half a day,” she remarked, almost as if to herself.  “It took us a full day to make the road from where we were.”

                “But we were injured and on foot,” he added, his voice slightly muffled as he hadn’t looked up yet.

Quietly, Summer conceded that point and looked around before she threaded a lock of hair needlessly behind her ear.  Nervously, she asked, “What do you think you’ll do when this is all over?”

                “Huh?” he asked as he finally picked his head up to meet her gaze.  “I hadn’t really thought about it,” he admitted wryly, his mouth twisting into a half smile.  “I just want to make it out alive,” he stated, but the expression on his face indicated there was more he had left unsaid.

                Summer laughed at the warm look in his eyes and nodded.  “We’ve made it this far.  So, when we finish this, what’ll you do?”  She knew what she wanted to do and she figured she had a pretty good idea of what he would be inclined towards, but she wanted to hear him say it.

                Shyly, he rubbed the back of his neck and this silly grin spread across his face.  He flipped the blonde bangs out of his face with a toss of his head and his lips nervously.  “I want to travel.  I want to see what else is out there and just take my time.  And…” he laughed to himself, a flush creeping into his cheeks.  “I want Kharin to come with me,” he finally admitted as he looked Summer in her blue eyes.  “I think she would…I hope she would,” he added uncertainly as he started to second guess himself.

                She couldn’t have stopped her laugh even if she wanted to and Eunhyuk looked at her in surprise.  “Of course she’d want to,” Summer assured him warmly.  There was no doubt in her mind whatsoever.  Certainly, she, Kharin and Eleanara had talked enough in the monastery about their crushes and while they hadn’t had much time to speak on it further, except for the inns, it was clear they had all developed deeper feelings.

                Her answer made him almost giddy with this sense of relief and he grinned again.  A sense of elation filled him and he clung to it, wanting and needing that hope right now.  With an effort, he pulled himself back to focus on Summer and his grin dimmed but did not disappear as he inquired, “So what about you?  You must have some thoughts if you’re asking me,” he added with a knowing look in his eyes.

                Immediately, Summer flushed and tried to shrink away from his attention.  Her hands came up in an attempt to hide her blushing cheeks but she failed miserably.  “Oh, I don’t know,” she dissembled, unable to control her revealing smile.

                The reaction made Eunhyuk laugh with amusement and he would have prodded more but was distracted when he saw Sang Kyu and Myung Hee round the corner with their servants in tow.  His amusement faded quickly as he sat up and noted that Summer did the same, though she was still slightly flushed.  Politely, he stood up and bowed to them in greeting as they were approached.

                Sang Kyu nodded in acknowledgement while Myung Hee gave him the barest of warm smiles as she glanced from her daughter to him, which was considerably more than she had given him earlier.  Her father stepped up and opened his hands to encompass the pair.  “Summer.  Eunhyuk.  I wished to invite you to dine with us this evening.”  The older man nodded towards the room in the back right to indicate it was the dining hall.

                Now Summer stood up hastily and offered a small bow.  “Of course, father.  What time?” she asked uncertainly, generally lost in the protocol her family was infinitely more familiar with.

                Myung Hee smiled indulgently, both amused and annoyed by her daughter’s lack of more eloquent speech.  “We were on our way to the dining hall now.  Please,” she gestured with her left hand as she requested they lead the way.  Easily, she shepherded them to the room at the back and Sang Kyu followed along in their wake.  “The children will be along shortly,” she assured the pair as they stepped inside a very elaborate dining hall, replete with a table large enough to seat more than double the current household and set with polished silverware and fine glass plates.  Polished metal goblets sat next to each placemat while three candelabras decorated the center elegantly.

                Above, the ceiling had several small windows to allow light in during the day but at night, well covered wall sconces illuminated the room.  Various paintings alighted on the walls, none of which were familiar to Eunhyuk or Summer.  Uncertainly, they headed around to the other side of the table and took two seats side by side, watching Summer’s parents as they did the same.  It was not long before they were joined by the rest of Summer’s siblings as Amber, dressed in a different gown from earlier and with her hair pinned up prettily, Autumn and Sage, clean and refreshed from his activities earlier, filed in.

                Autumn and surprisingly, Sage as well, threaded around to the other side taking a seat next to Summer and Eunhyuk respectively.  It was clear her younger brother had taken quite a liking to the wind elementalist after the story they told them all earlier.  He had a look akin to hero worship on his face when Eunhyuk smiled hesitantly at him.  Amber took a seat next to Sang Kyu and regarded the newcomers across from her haughtily.  Quite frankly, Summer and Eunhyuk didn’t know whether to be amused on annoyed…

                While they were gracious to be invited to dinner, as the evening meal proved to be as exceptional as their late breakfast had been, it ended up being a rather awkward affair.  Common enough niceties were exchanged over the soup, a light broth based dish, and the salad, with only general inquiries into the well-being of the group.  Over the course of the entrée, Amber whined, apparently an accepted practice lately, about not having anything to do here and lamenting her lack of presence at court.  The latter part made her father uncomfortable as he looked at Summer and Eunhyuk, as if debating something.  Over dessert, she found further reason to make a nuisance of herself as the strawberry mousse was not whipped enough for her delicate palate.  Sage snorted as he shoveled his portion down, quite content.

                Summer had to hide her amusement as Eunhyuk practically danced in his chair.  They all knew strawberries were a favorite food of his and it was a treat they were not often privy to in the monastery.  For all intents and purposes, the mousse was nigh on divine and it showed.  Autumn had to hide her smile behind her napkin as she pretended to wipe and even Myung Hee was not resistant to his charm as her eyes danced with delight.  His reaction served to annoy Amber more and she pouted prettily while Sang Kyu seemingly remained unmoved, though he finished his with no comment.

                At the very end of the meal, new goblets were brought out with a bottle of what appeared to be a blush colored beverage.  “Have you had the experience of trying wine?” Myung Hee asked politely at their mystified expressions.  In tandem, they shook their heads and she nodded at Soon Bok who was carrying the goblets and the wine.  Two were set in front of Summer and Eunhyuk and another two in front of her parents, but the other siblings were left to look on.  Amber continued to pout, an expression she was far too good at.

                While her parents sipped the fruity smelling wine, Eunhyuk took a whiff and tried a sip before declining politely.  Summer looked at him questionably until she tried and then smiled at the flavor.  She didn’t know why he didn’t want it, but she thought it tasted very good.  “It can be an acquired taste,” Sang Kyu conceded to Eunhyuk who was content with water.  After a pause in which his three youngest continued to watch the elders with curiosity, their father cleared his throat.  “Children.  I would speak with your sister and her friend alone,” he stated simply as he continued to study them over the top of his goblet.

                “But father,” Amber started to object as she turned a pout on him.

                “Amber Silverberg,” Sang Kyu spoke softly but his tone was implacable, while his eyes remained on the subjects of his focus.

                It had been a long time since he had used that tone with her and she quailed in response to it.  “Yes, father,” she bowed her head meekly, very much put out by being even moderately chastised.  Quietly, she pushed herself up and exited the room with no further complaint, head still down.  Very quickly, she was followed by a mildly surprised Autumn and Sage.  Amber was father’s little girl and when he refused her anything, it was worth noting.

                Unaware of the significance of his response but fully conscious of the underlying tension in the room, Eunhyuk and Summer exchanged glances surreptitiously and watched as her siblings departed, leaving them alone with her parents.  Seeing him across the table, Summer thought her father looked considerably older than he had earlier this afternoon.  She wasn’t sure if it was because he had spoken to Myung Hee this afternoon or because she had simply missed it earlier, but he looked tired.

                Myung Hee reached out a hand and laid it comfortingly on Sang Kyu’s as he started to stare into the wine goblet, swirling the liquid languidly as the silence lengthened.  Troubled eyes met her gaze and he asked quietly, “Can they really beat him?”

                “Why don’t you ask them?” she suggested softly, her hand tightening slightly on his.  She did not know the answer to that but they would know the extent of their own abilities far better than she.

                Under the table, Summer grabbed Eunhyuk’s hand, mindful that it was his injured one, and pursed her lips.  His fingers curled supportively around hers as his expression turned serious.  They waited for Sang Kyu to look at them before they responded to the query.  “We will defeat him,” Summer assured him while Eunhyuk nodded in silent agreement.  Both were well aware they could not do it alone, but they were counting on the others being found, and soon.  They had already defeated three of his constructs.  Surely, combined they could match his strength.

                Sang Kyu seemed uncertain, not that they could blame him.  He truly hoped the Elementalists could defeat him, but he was also aware that if they could not, more would die.  Still…more would die regardless.  Myung Hee had spoken with him earlier and she had made the valid point that they were in fact merely delaying the inevitable by remaining quiescent.  Enrhyll had no reason to keep them alive save his own pleasure and once that was gone, what chance did they have?  He took a deep breath to calm himself and drained his cup in one gulp, startling the other three.  “How do you plan to defeat him?” he finally asked, his eyes intense but unreadable.

                The two across from him looked at each other, somewhat uncertain.  It was one of those questions they had always pushed to the back to think about later when it actually became necessary to do so.  Apparently now was the time to start making some decisions.  “We had intended to sneak in, if possible and if not, we will fight our way through if we must,” Eunhyuk stated confidently, though he felt anything but just then.

                His bravado was a thin mask indeed and Sang Kyu couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle.  In essence, they had no plan.  “That is not much to go by,” he stated bluntly, his eyes calculating.

                “It’s worked so far,” Summer stated somewhat tersely, flushing when he focused on her in disapproval.

                “We will do what we must,” Eunhyuk reiterated, tightening his grip on Summer’s hand though the action hurt.

                Sang Kyu barked a harsh laugh and Myung Hee removed her hand cautiously.  “We don’t have to decide anything tonight,” she urged, looking between the three with tense eyes.

                “No.  And we shouldn’t,” Sang Kyu agreed with a sigh as he gestured for Soon Bok to refill his glass.  She did so quickly and then removed herself while the others waited in silence.  “I will wait until the scouts return.”  Another sip of wine and he regarded them with a look that made them feel very worried.  “What if they are not found?”

                Both jerked upright as if struck and their jaws clenched tightly.  He had not said it outright but it was a question of if they had survived.  “They’ll be alright,” Eunhyuk stated quietly, his voice thick with emotion.

                “We have no reason to believe otherwise…” Summer added softly.

                Sang Kyu shook his head slightly and took a breath, “We shall see.”  Without another word, he waved the others away as he stared gloomily at his goblet.

                Myung Hee pushed hers away and stood up fluidly, beckoning for the other two to accompany her.  Awkwardly, Summer and Eunhyuk got up before filing out in front of Myung Hee.  “Come on, children,” she murmured softly, slowing her steps to accommodate Eunhyuk’s still stifled pace.

                Summer quietly fumed.  “Is he always so difficult?”

                “Summer,” Myung Hee chided softly.  “Your father is…worried.”

                “So are we,” Summer retorted, earning her a look but she refused to back down.  “We’re all worried, mother,” she stressed pointedly.

                The older Silverberg woman paused and turned to regard the pair.  “Of course you are, dear.  You’ll understand better when you have kids of your own,” she nodded sagely as she looked at the two of them knowingly.

                Confusion washed over their features and then they both flushed.  “It’s not like that.”  “We’re not…” they started to say at the same time, gesturing with their hands to emphasize their point.

                Myung Hee nodded again with a self-assured smile on her face.  “Come.  Things always look better in the morning.”  Before they could say another word, she turned and began leading the way again, escorting them to the guest rooms, and more specifically, the Wind room.  Politely, she held the door open for them and wished them both good night.

                Eunhyuk and Summer watched her leave with some concern, still awkwardly embarrassed by her earlier assumption.  As they looked around the room, they could see that the bed had been made and the dishes from earlier cleared away.  Things had been tidied in their absence and with all of the excitement behind them, the events of the day abruptly caught up to them.

                Summer helped Eunhyuk into bed, mindful he was still somewhat stiff and then settled herself beside him.  The bed was more than large enough that they both had plenty of space, but being left alone and still so unsure of the fate of the others, they were drawn together, needing the assurance and familiar presence.  It only extended as far as holding hands while they curled on their sides, comfortably warm under plush blankets, but the simple contact steadied them without the need of words.  Sleep did not take long to find them.

                A soft knock on the door woke them groggily in the morning, slightly more sprawled out than they had been when they fell asleep.  As she wiped the sleep from her eyes, Summer slid out of the bed and went to open the door.  She wasn’t surprised when she saw that it was Mi Cha at the door, a covered tray and ceramic carafe in her hands.

“Good morning, my lady.  Lady Myung Hee thought you might prefer to dine in the privacy of your room.”  Easily, she slipped inside and deposited the tray and carafe on the same table from the day before, politely averting her eyes from Eunhyuk who was just now getting out of bed, roused by the smell of food.

                Summer placed a hand to her temple and sighed but forced a smile at Mi Cha.  “Thank you.  Tell my mother we are very thankful.

                “Of course, my lady,” Mi Cha smiled and bowed politely, removing herself quickly and quietly from the room and shutting the door behind her.

                Eunhyuk shuffled up to the table, still somewhat sleepy, and promptly lifted the lid to help himself.  Two plates were waiting underneath, filled with strips of crispy fried meat, diced and seasoned potatoes and two firm eggs.  A small basket of biscuits with a jar of butter and another of a strawberry spread accompanied the array.  Two empty mugs were overturned and the carafe was warm tea, to Summer’s relief as she had feared it might be coffee.

                Quietly, they ate their food, gazes intent upon their trays rather than on each other.  It felt odd that no one else was with them and they didn’t quite know where to begin.  They finished up quickly enough and both took the opportunity to see themselves to the washrooms.

                The warm waters felt divine after the past couple days and while Eunhyuk was perturbed by the number of wrappings he had to undo, he very much enjoyed his soaking too.  Halfway through their bath, two new faces surprised them with the offer to assist in bathing, a luxury neither was accustomed to or wanted.  Summer sent hers away and Eunhyuk only accepted his because his range of motion was much reduced.

                Healer Kibum, the Silverberg physician, was able to catch Eunhyuk before he escaped the washroom.  He tsked at the disregard the young man had for his treatment and promptly rewrapped the injured arm snuggly, the not unpleasant scent of a healing balm seeping from the limb.  The rest of the wounds he figured were healing well enough so that they could go without the gauze he had intended to use.  “Next time, ask before you go haring off and doing whatever you please,” Kibum sighed with a patient shake of his head.

                “Sure…” Eunhyuk offered uncertainly as he got used to the feel of the wraps on his arm again.  He wasn’t sure about the young looking healer who couldn’t have been that much older than him, if at all…  If nothing else, he certainly had the persona of an older, more distinguished individual as he ran nimble fingers through thick black locks and watched his patient with intense dark brown eyes.

                Fortunately, it seemed to mollify the slightly miffed healer and Kibum relented, waving for the servant to assist Eunhyuk in finishing dressing and getting back out into the hall.  He was inordinately glad to be out of their company and grinned in relief when he saw Summer, back in another floor length dress of a pale purple color.  This time, she had been coaxed into having her hair done up so that she had few locks that trailed artfully down from the rest of the pinned up mass, held in place by two silver pins.

                Slightly nervous, one of her hands played with the loose threads of hair and she returned his smile.  “She wouldn’t stop pestering me,” she defended herself half-heartedly, annoyed and yet quite pleased with the results.

                “It looks good,” Eunhyuk assured her simply, the easy smile putting her more at ease than anything the servant had said.

                “And you look like you feel a bit better,” she nodded.  He was wearing a similar cut of clothes he had been earlier and the blonde hair had been combed straight, but he’d brushed the bangs out of his eyes enough to see.

                Eunhyuk shrugged and gave her another smile.  Things could be worse, but they could also be infinitely better.  He knew today would be a waiting game and neither he nor Summer were great at those.  He doubted Sang Kyu would give them much of a response before too long and they were both going to be waiting to hear back from the scouts that had gone out.  He tried to imagine how long it would take them on horseback but he had no idea…

                Summer sensed his distraction and took a breath.  There wasn’t much she could do to put him at ease; she was just as wound up as he was with questions and thoughts, but she didn’t particularly care to see either of her parents right now and her siblings weren’t much better.  Well, Autumn and Sage were alright…

                It was actually the latter who found them and convinced them to join him around the house.  Sage was energetic to a fault and easily distracted; likely a good reason why he couldn’t remain on horses for very long.  He coaxed the pair to the training hall where he introduced them to Kangin, the self-defense instructor who had been hired primarily for Sage’s benefit.  The tall, stocky man, who looked to be slightly older but vastly more experienced than either Summer or Eunhyuk, rubbed his mostly shorn head of hair and looked the pair up and down.

                “So you’re an elementalist,” he drawled, still toying with the idea.  It looked apparent that he wanted to test them in some way but he was also quite mindful of at least Eunhyuk’s injuries and Summer was, well…a woman.

                “As far as I’m aware,” Eunhyuk replied mischievously while he watched Kangin.

                “Hah!” he laughed, reaching out to smack his shoulder jovially, an action that still made the smaller man wince even though he hit his good limb.  “Prove it,” he suggested, his gaze still on Eunhyuk.

                Uncertainly, the wind elementalist shrugged and looked between Summer and Sage briefly.  He didn’t see any reason not to and the neutralizer just looked curious.  With an awkward gesture with his good hand, Eunhyuk summoned a gust of wind to Kangin’s side strong enough to pull at his clothes and shift him to the right slightly.  Both his and Sage’s eyes widened in surprise at the evidence of power and the elder of the two coughed into his hand, slightly discomfited.

                “That was amazing!” Sage grinned, staring at Eunhyuk in awe.

                The wind elementalist laughed nervously and waved his hand dismissively.  “Not really,” he insisted shyly.

                “But-!” Sage started before a light tap on the back of his head from Kangin reined him in.

                “It’s not anything you can do, so you should worry about your weapon’s practice,” he chided with his arms crossed in front of his chest.  Sage looked downcast but picked himself up abruptly as he hurried off to the closet in the back to retrieve his practice gear.  “Watch this,” Kangin stated quietly, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he turned to sneak up on the younger boy.  While Sage was still rifling around in the closet, Kangin snuck up and roared, “Rawr!”

                “Ahhh!” Sage screamed, reflexively grabbing the nearest practice weapon, a wooden short sword, before he turned and swung the sword with all his might at his attacker.

                Ready for the reaction, Kangin stepped just out of range and then swept back in to pick the boy up in a massive bear hug, drawing peals of laughter interspersed with half-hearted complaints.  “No fair!” Sage cried as he was set down.

                Kangin placed a hand on his head and ruffled the hair fondly.  “Aye, but you’re getting better,” he grinned.

                The small praise made the younger boy’s face light up and he smiled broadly at Summer and Eunhyuk who nodded, unsure what else they were expected to do.  “You’ll stay and watch, right?” he asked, eager for an audience.

                Summer and Eunhyuk shrugged.  “Sure,” Summer answered for them.  It would be better than just waiting…  Easily, they took a seat and watched as her younger brother sparred with Kangin who was a hard taskmaster, but never cruel.  As the pair seemed to dance the line between teaching and playing, the observers lost track of time and before they knew it, Soon Bok had found them.

                She cleared delicately to get their attention as the sparring partners ground to a halt, winded but amused.  “Master Sang Kyu wishes your company in the study.  The scouts have returned,” she informed them perfunctorily.

(a/n: Huzzah!  I managed to get this one out sooner than hoped despite work being a total pain!  ^_^  I hope you enjoy it and I look forward to hearing what you, my lovely, wonderful readers, might have to say.  Thank you as always to those who continue to follow me, silent and otherwise, and I will do my best to get the next part out as soon as possible.  Take care!)