Seeds of Discovery (17 page)

Essie only shook her head, her eyes twinkling kindly at Quinn. “You’ll want to go and take a long shower while you’re here, Quinn. We’ve managed to get clean, running water going in most of the rural clinics now, but electricity for heating it is another story.”

“Yeah, we saved the first shower for you,” Thomas said, coming back into the house from the clinic.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Quinn complained. “You all work harder than I do.”

“But we’re used to it,” Thomas answered easily. “Besides, you’re our guest.”

“How are things going in there?” Quinn asked, tilting her head toward the door to the clinic.

“Okay. We’re getting
Braedan
ready to go home today, and
Alyia’s
color is better. We’re going to try breakfast and some regular juice with her in a little while. Marcus and Olivia seem to be about the same as yesterday - not any worse, anyway.”

“That’s good, I suppose.”

“Yes. Nathaniel and Jacob left about an hour ago to go and get some more supplies from the castle clinic. We’ll leave most of what we brought here with Essie and Jacob when we head out to Cloud Valley later.”

Quinn’s eyes widened, “Wow. They never rest, do they?”

“No. Not ever. Now go enjoy a shower, and then you can come back out and help.”

Relief flowed through her when she walked into the clinic after breakfast and saw
Alyia
sitting up, sipping at a glass of juice, a small plate of eggs on her tray table. She didn’t look quite so ashen, and she was feeling well enough that she’d allowed her mother to brush the tangle of blond hair back into a ponytail.

“How are you feeling today,
Alyia
?” she asked, “Better?”

“A little,” she answered quietly. “My arm hurts, though.”

Quinn studied the rash on the little girl’s arm. It certainly didn’t look any better today. It was raised and red and Quinn thought some of the blisters were new.

“I’m sorry,” Quinn told her. “Maybe we could find something for you to do to help keep your mind off of it. Do you want to play a game or listen to a story?”

“We could read your lessons,” her mother offered from the chair next to the bed. “You don’t want to fall too far behind in your studies.”

Quinn was surprised. Studies in the summer? “That might not be a bad idea. It would keep you busy for a little while.”

“No writing for now, though,” William admonished, walking over to them. “Maybe just read aloud to her for a bit, and talk about it.
Alyia
needs plenty of rest. She still has a low fever. She can worry about catching up on her schoolwork when she’s well.”

“Can’t I just read it myself?”
Alyia
asked.

Her mother chuckled “She doesn’t like it when I read aloud to her anymore.”

“It never sounds the same as it is in my head when you read it,”
Alyia
complained.

William laughed, “I feel the same way sometimes. I like to read to myself, too.”

“I like it sometimes when my father reads, and does the voices. But he went home last night. So can I read it myself?”

“All right,
Alyia
. That would be fine for a little while. As long as you work on finishing that juice, and then take a nap a little later.”

“A nap?”
Alyia
scrunched her face, “I’m too old for a nap!”

“Nobody is too old for a nap when they’re sick. Juice, then nap. All right?”

Alyia
sighed, but nodded.

“Yes, Dr. Rose. Thank you.” Mrs.
Hawken
took
Alyia’s
juice glass and set it on the table before she pulled a thin, paper-covered book from a bag.

A little while later, when they had brought Olivia and Marcus out to the porch for some fresh air, Quinn managed to catch William alone for a moment.

“There’s school in the summer here?” she asked.

“It’s different here than in Bristlecone,” he answered. “Most of our villages are far too small, and the people too spread out to make having the kind of school you’re used to feasible. Also, our education is far more individualized toward particular interests and talents - though of course there are many things taught to everyone.

Most schooling of younger children in our kingdom is done at home with the help of parents. The kingdom provides many of the books and materials, and there are teachers of different disciplines living in the villages
who
can provide support and help in designing programs of study. They distribute books and give advice, or proctor examinations for certain courses.

Children can work on studies year-round. Certainly,
Alyia’s
health takes precedence over a few days of studying.”

“What’s all the secrecy over here?” Thomas wondered, walking up next to them.

“Quinn was just asking about our education here,” William replied.

“Ah. Learning anything interesting?”

“Everything is interesting here,” Quinn answered truthfully.

“Well, I hate to break it up, Will, but
Alyia
is vomiting again. Essie is in there with her now.”

William muttered something under his breath that Quinn didn’t catch, but it sounded like an expletive, and nearly ran back into the clinic.

Quinn’s heart sank as she watched him go. “How can a rash be making kids so sick?” she wondered.

“I don’t know,” Thomas sighed. “Maybe the rash is just a symptom of something else. But there’s a reason nobody’s calling me Dr. Rose.”

They were busy all morning tending to the needs of the families in the clinic; Quinn had no idea how Jacob and Essie ever managed it all on their own.
Braedan
and his father had finally been sent off, and Quinn was in the kitchen slicing vegetables with Essie when Nathaniel and Jacob returned. William cut through the kitchen in his hurry to get outside when he heard them approaching; Quinn and Thomas followed, watching from the porch.

They had taken Jacob’s wagon with them this morning, and now it was packed full of supplies.

William was digging through the supplies before they had even gotten everything unloaded.

“What’s going on?” Nathaniel asked, observing William.

“
Alyia
is vomiting again.”

“Oh, no.”

“Yes, it’s ridiculous. What is going on here? What IS this?” William shoved one box of supplies to the side, and started rooting through the next one.

Nathaniel looked at William for a minute before he reached into a different box and retrieved a small package. He handed it to William without saying anything. William grabbed it out of Nathaniel’s hand and flew back into the clinic.

Quinn turned to Thomas, eyes wide.

“I don’t think he slept last night,” Thomas said. “He must have gone back into the clinic to check on things four times before he ever even came to bed. I don’t know when he got up, but I was awake before the sun, and he’d been sitting in Jacob and Essie’s office reading and making notes for who knows how long.”

Nathaniel walked up on the porch and over to Thomas. “He has until after lunch in that clinic. Then you need to take the horses and get him out of here for a while.”

Thomas nodded.

“And Quinn...” Nathaniel paused.

“Can come. Might be good.” Thomas finished.

Nathaniel looked at Thomas and Quinn for a long time, and then he nodded. “It will be better than hanging around here, certainly. I’ll send a message over to Cloud Valley. We won’t be making it there until tomorrow.”

Quinn turned to Thomas, confused.

“Go help Essie finish making lunch. We’re going for a ride after,” was all he said before he walked off the porch.

*          *          *

Nathaniel walked into the clinic holding a tray with two bowls of food and glasses of ice water. He stopped for a minute, just inside the door, and watched William across the room. The boy was sitting on the edge of
Alyia’s
bed, adjusting a wet cloth on her forehead. The child was asleep, though fitfully. Nathaniel noted the small, empty syringe of anti-nausea medication William had been so desperate to get into her IV.

It had been William who, after hours of study, had figured out a safe way to create the medicine here in Eirentheos a few years ago when Queen Charlotte had been plagued with excessive nausea during her pregnancy with Alice. William was so compassionate, so determined … and so young.

Nathaniel carried the tray over to the small cubicle and set it on the table. “Here, Mrs.
Hawken
,” he said, handing one of the bowls to
Alyia’s
mother, who looked exhausted.

“Thank you, Dr. Rose,” she said. She took one bite, and then just held the bowl in her lap.

“William,” he held out the second bowl to the boy, but William shook his head.

“I’m not hungry.”

“I don’t care if you think you are hungry or not. It’s time to eat.”

William looked up at Nathaniel, his gray eyes hard.

Nathaniel wasn’t deterred. “Outside. Now. Bring your lunch with you.” He headed toward the door. Once on the porch, he leaned against the railing. William was angry right now, but Nathaniel knew he wouldn’t defy him.

A moment later the boy appeared on the porch, bowl in hand. He came to lean on the rail beside Nathaniel, eating in stony silence.

Nathaniel waited until William had placed the empty bowl on the rail next to him.

“You’re going to get out of here for the day. Thomas is readying the horses.”

“I can’t leave, not now.”

“Essie, Jacob, and I are well-equipped to handle things here for an afternoon, William.”

“But...”

“This is hard on everyone. None of us knows what to do; we are all at a loss. You are one person, Will. You are the most talented healer I have ever come across, even when you were small. You are a true fourth-born prince. But you cannot do everything - even if you had reached adulthood, and had completed all of your training - neither of which you have. You cannot do this to yourself.”

“What about Cloud Valley? We need to be getting on the road.”

“I have sent them a message. We are not traveling to Cloud Valley until tomorrow. You, Thomas, and Quinn are taking the afternoon off.”

“Quinn?”

“Would you leave the girl here, to deal with us alone? Besides, her company might just keep you from brooding all day. Quinn is …” he shook his head. “It will be good. Go and find your brother.”

William picked up his bowl and started toward the door, but Nathaniel stopped him.

“Not one foot inside that building,” he said, taking the bowl from William’s hand. “That way.” He pointed down the porch steps.

By the time Quinn had finished helping Essie clean up the kitchen and put together some bundles of food for their ride, Thomas had all three horses saddled and ready to go. Quinn followed him outside after his last trip in for the food.

Thomas was closing up the saddlebags and Quinn was mounting Dusk when William came around the building, stone-faced. Without looking at them, he climbed into Skittles’ saddle and rode off.

Quinn looked at Thomas. “Wow. Is he always like that?”

Thomas shrugged. “Give him some time. We’ll catch up to him when he’s ready.”

“How do you know where he’s going?”

“I don’t.”

She frowned, not feeling right about leaving William alone when he was upset like that, but she didn’t say anything, realizing that Thomas knew his brother better than she did.

Still, she felt bad for William; she’d seen how he’d poured everything he had into that little girl, and there was an odd pang in her chest as she watched him disappear over the horizon.

Thomas led them away from the clinic and past the outskirts of Mistle Village, down into a wide, wild river valley. The day was warm, but a light breeze blew across the river. After the challenging morning in the clinic, being outside, riding, with no real destination in mind felt wonderful.

Quinn soaked in the sunshine and the breathtaking scenery. Everything here was lush and green, the trees, tall waving grasses, the low bushes along the riverbank. It was so different than home, beautiful in an entirely new way.

When they reached a flat, open area, Thomas turned to her and grinned. “Let’s see what they can do.”

Quinn smiled back. A moment later, the horses were galloping through the field. They let them run for several miles, racing at times, but never wanting to put too much distance between themselves. It was exhilarating, and Quinn was laughing by the time they finally slowed and walked the horses down to the riverbank.

They sat in the grass and watched Storm and Dusk drink from the edge of the river. Quinn lay back and watched a few puffy clouds drift slowly across the brilliantly blue sky. They didn’t speak for a long time, but the silence was comfortable. She felt like she had already known Thomas for a long time.

“Where do you suppose William is?” she finally asked.

“If he doesn’t find us soon, we’ll find him,” Thomas answered.

“How?”

Thomas made a chirping sound, and less than a minute later, he pointed to Sirian, circling in the sky over their heads.

“Oh,” Quinn had forgotten about the seekers. “They followed you all the way here?”

“Always.”

“That’s amazing.” Quinn was thoughtful as she watched them, her thoughts drifting again to William, to how hard he’d worked last night, to how upset he’d been when they’d left the clinic.

A soft breeze blew across her forehead, refreshing in the heat, even if her thoughts were turbulent.

“This is really hard on William, isn’t it?”

“Yes. He feels so responsible for everything, all the time. It’s too much sometimes.”

She thought about that. It was a lot of responsibility for a seventeen-year-old boy. It hadn’t taken Quinn very long in this world to realize that, even if William and Thomas had lived more days than she had, and even if they’d had more experiences and more time to learn things, they were still teenagers, with the same emotions and difficulties navigating the transition to adulthood as she and her friends faced at home. “Is he okay, do you think?”

“He will be.”

Quinn watched as Sirian completed several circles overhead, and then swooped down, coming to a landing a few feet from Thomas. He strutted over to Thomas, pecking gently at his hand.

Thomas chuckled. “Alright already! I’ll get something for you.” He reached into the saddlebag he had laid a few feet away, and pulled out a slice of meat. He pulled off pieces, feeding them to Sirian one at a time. Sirian let out a squawk of approval.

“How are you doing?” Thomas asked Quinn. “Is all of this getting to you yet?”

Quinn considered the question. “I don’t know how much I’ve even thought about it,” she answered honestly. “This is all so strange and different, I’m not sure I even believe it’s actually happening. It’s like a dream -- I’m going to wake up at any moment, and none of it will have really happened.”

Thomas laughed, but then nodded. “I guess I can understand that. In a way, that’s somewhat true for you. You’ll go home in a few days, and it will be as if you never left. You’ll go back to your life.”

She was quiet as she thought about that, not sure what was causing the lump that had appeared in her throat. She stared at Sirian, still accepting small strips of meat from Thomas, and then looked over at Dusk and Storm, who had moved up the riverbank a little way and were contentedly grazing in the grass.

She did miss home, when she thought about it, but she had worked hard to keep her mind away from Annie and Owen, her mom... And Zander – she couldn’t bring herself to think about Zander at all.

It hadn’t been quite as hard as she would have expected, though, being away from them for this long. Maybe because she had been so busy – there was always so much going on here. She’d fallen into bed utterly exhausted every night. Maybe even more so because this didn’t feel real. It still felt like a dream.

Besides, if what Thomas had told her was true, she wasn’t missing anything at home, except spending a Saturday alone in her house. But the whole idea that she could just “go back to her life” as if nothing had happened, nothing had changed – she wasn’t sure she could really do that.

What was it going to be like with William at school, now that she knew his secret, now that – she realized – he would be the only one who knew hers. She would never be able to tell anyone at home about this.

She sighed. “Probably better if I don’t think about it too much,” she finally said.

Just then, Aelwyn joined them, swooping gracefully from the sky and snatching the last scrap of meat from Thomas’ hand. Sirian took three steps backward and bowed his head, which made them laugh.

“Who’s in charge here?” Thomas chortled, as they watched Aelwyn swallow the treat before strutting back toward Sirian.

A minute later, they heard the sound of hooves on the grass, and they looked up to see William ride up and dismount
Skittles.They
looked on as he unsaddled her and let her join the others.

Nobody said anything as William walked up to their little spot and sat down beside Thomas.

William looked at both of them; Quinn couldn’t read the expression in his eyes. Was he still mad – or a little sheepish? “Gorgeous day,” he finally said, breaking the tense silence. “A little warm, though.”

Quinn heard Thomas’ quiet sigh of relief. “Yes it is.” He answered. “Want to go for a swim?”

“Sure.” William was actually smiling.

“What? In the river?” Quinn was surprised.

“Where else?” Thomas asked.

“Is it … safe?”

“Definitely...
it’s
wide here, and the current’s not strong at all.”

It was William who caught her concern. “Water’s safe here, Quinn. No pollution in our world. You could drink right out of it. Warmer than Colorado, too.”

She looked down at the brown short-sleeved shirt and woven pants she was wearing. “I don’t have a swimming suit.”

Thomas shrugged, “Wear your clothes. It’s warm enough today, you’ll dry. There’s some extra stuff packed, anyway.”

She still wasn’t sure. “I’ll think about it,” she said.

“Suit yourself.” Thomas stood and pulled off his shirt, then waded into the river. William followed him.

Quinn stayed on the shore and enjoyed the sunshine as the brothers walked out almost to the middle of the river, into water up to their waists. Thomas, always the bolder of the two, was the first to disappear under the surface and bob up a second later, shaking his head and splattering William.

William responded by using his hands to send a huge wave of water rolling toward Thomas, who failed to move to the side quickly enough. Within seconds, it degenerated into a full-blown water fight, both boys laughing and splashing water. Quinn found herself laughing as well.

While Thomas was the more muscular of the two, now that he was shirtless, Quinn could see that William was not at all as lanky as she’d thought. It was clear that he, too, put in plenty of physical work during his stays in Eirentheos. She felt herself blush when she realized she was staring.

The afternoon was growing hotter. The clear water in the river looked more and more inviting as the boys’ friendly war calmed, and they spent time swimming up and down a short, wide span. Finally, she decided she would at least wade in. She took off her shoes and socks, and rolled up her pants legs as far as she could.

Even with only her toes in the river, the water felt incredible. William was right; it was much warmer than the mountain river at home, but it was still cool enough to be refreshing. The riverbed was smooth sand under her feet. She’d never seen such clear water; she could see every grain of sand below her, every rock a little further out where the water was deeper.

The afternoon sun sparkled off the small waves created by the gentle current. Before she realized what she was doing, she was in water up past her knees, and the bottoms of her pants legs were wet. Suddenly, a giant splash completely soaked the front of her.

“Th...” she started to yell, but stopped after she wiped her eyes, surprised to see William standing right in front of her, laughing. “Hey!” she shouted instead.

William laughed. “You were going to get wet anyway,” he teased. “This is too nice to resist.”

He was right, she knew. So she responded by aiming a giant splash at his face, which he neatly avoided by ducking under the water and swimming away, leaving her with no choice but to follow.

An hour later, the three of them climbed back on to the riverbank, exhausted and dripping. Quinn’s cheeks hurt from smiling. Thomas handed her a blanket to wrap herself in, though he and William just went and lay in the grass.

She followed them, and the boys cleared a space for her between them. She sat for a moment, watching them.

“What are the chains for?” she wondered. Both boys wore identical silver chains around their necks, with some kind of silver pendants hanging from them, very visible now against their bare chests, though she had never noticed them when they were fully dressed. She supposed the chains were long enough that they’d stay hidden underneath their shirts.

Neither boy opened his eyes. “They symbolize our gifts,” Thomas answered.

“What?”

“You were there at Hannah’s Naming Ceremony. When a child of the royal bloodline is named, he or she also receives a gift. The pendants we wear symbolize our gifts. Most people wear them all the time. Hannah received her pendant that day. We have to change the chains every once in a while, of course.” Thomas sat up now, leaning toward Quinn and holding out his pendant so she could see.

The pendant was a small silver circle, engraved on one side with the same design she’d seen on the silver bars the princes had worn across their capes and on their hats that night at the dinner party. On the other side was a different design, a delicate heart with an intricate pattern in the middle.

Quinn frowned. “Your gift is love?”

William laughed, sitting up to join them. “A heart isn’t a symbol for love here. Thomas’ gift is grace, or as we like to tease, ‘charm’.”

Thomas grinned widely, clearly affecting his most charming smile. Quinn rolled her eyes. “What’s your gift, William?”

“Can’t you guess?”

Quinn thought she probably could, but she was afraid to embarrass herself with the wrong answer, so instead she just raised her eyebrows.

“Healing,” he finally answered, holding out his pendant which featured some kind of flower she didn’t recognize.

“It suits you,” she said. “So who gets to choose who gets what gift?”

Thomas smiled at her convoluted question. “Nobody chooses. The traditional gifts are given in the order that you’re born. First-born has the gift of leadership, second-born discernment, third, hospitality ... Will is the fourth child, and I’m the fifth.”

“Oh... traditional gifts?”

“Yes,” William finished. “There are twelve ‘traditional’ gifts that have been passed down through the generations. Hannah is the thirteenth child in our family, so her gift is unique.”

“That’s … wow. So, what happens if there aren’t twelve children in the royal family?”

“Nothing happens; the family just doesn’t have a child with that gift.” Thomas lay back down lazily, closing his eyes against the bright sun. “It’s beautiful out here.”

Though her mind was swimming with questions, Quinn lay down with them.

They lay there for a long time, staring into the blue sky, the grasses waving lazily around them. Quinn could hear the twittering of birds in the nearby trees, the buzzing of insects in the grass, and Thomas and William breathing on either side of her. She felt worn out … and wonderful. It felt like they could have stayed there forever, right up until they were interrupted by another sound -- Thomas’ stomach growling.