William understood, then, that there were several things he wasn’t being told. Intuition told him that it probably wasn’t just a coincidence that he had never been invited along on Nathaniel and Marcus’ trips to Anwin. He saw a flash across Quinn’s gray eyes, her reaction matching his.
“Anyway, our friends in Anwin, Charles and his wife, Thea, are heavily involved in the resistance. They are quite skilled at moving people across the border without being noticed. We will sleep here tonight. We can rest and regain our strength. In the meantime, Charles is going to contact some friends in Haedley, another town close to the other side of the Philothean border. They will come up with a plan.”
“Did you tell them the situation? About Thomas?” William was growing more anxious with every word, an anxiety that grew as he watched Nathaniel glance over at Marcus before answering.
“They knew already. Members of the resistance – they call themselves Friends of Philip after the first king of Philotheum -- have been working desperately to figure out if he ever made it safely to Lily and Graeme’s. We’re afraid he may not have.”
William swallowed back the bile that rose in his throat, his heart pounding in his chest. Fierce anger filled him too, next to the dark worry. His brother had always been carefree and reckless, but this …
He stood, the plate he’d forgotten was in his lap clattering noisily to the ground, though the sound was muffled by the blood rushing in his ears. He walked as quickly as he could, away from the people, from the discussion, from the situation which had suddenly become entirely too real.
He heard Quinn’s voice behind him, and Nathaniel’s response, but he couldn’t understand them, his brain was past recognizing words. As soon as he hit the trees, his walk turned into a run. The forest flew past him in a blur of green, the rays of afternoon sun bouncing off his face as he ran. His pace grew faster and faster, as he tried to outrun the thoughts and emotions pounding against the inside of his head. He kept going until he could go no further, his legs giving way underneath him.
~ 19 ~
Safe Houses
THE ANGLE OF THE sun had changed when William finally pulled himself up off the forest floor. It was early evening now, and the heat was stifling, even in the shade. The slight breeze that had felt so good earlier was gone, and he was dripping with sweat. His mouth was parched and sour from vomiting earlier, a weakness he didn’t like to admit – yet another reason behind his tendency to be alone when he got upset.
He stood still, listening for the sound of the stream flowing nearby. The water was loud here, rushing over rocks, and he found the river easily. He wasn’t worried about finding his way back. Even upset beyond all reason he wasn’t stupid enough to wander far enough that he wouldn’t be able to follow the river back to the campsite. He could never be as impulsive as his younger brother.
He cleaned himself up in the clear, clean water, and had a long drink before he began making his way back. He’d only gone a few hundred feet, though, when he heard a noise that made him freeze. He wasn’t alone. The clip-clopping of horse’s hooves and the snapping sounds of branches drew closer.
It wouldn’t be Nathaniel. His uncle had long ago learned to give William space when he needed it, to allow him to collect himself. He was pretty sure that Nathaniel would have made certain that the others in the group kept away.
Thoughts of spies and Tolliver’s troops patrolling the areas near the border twisted his stomach. Although he knew he was probably just being paranoid, he walked quickly to the nearest large tree and stepped up onto the lowest branch, concealing himself in the leaves.
He watched the trail, listening as whoever it was came nearer. When Dusk’s head finally appeared between two trees, he found himself irritated. Of course, she would come looking for him. Probably without Nathaniel’s approval.
“What are you doing here, Quinn?” he called from the tree, taking small satisfaction from seeing her jump.
She looked all around, searching for him in the thick trees. Finally, she gave up, and just spoke to the empty air. “Looking for you.”
“Why?”
Her eyes locked onto the tree where he was hiding. She was good; he would give her that. He could feel his irritation dissolving, and he climbed down, walking over to her. Dusk looked nearly as happy to see him as the girl did, and she nuzzled his hand as he stroked her head.
“Why? Has it occurred to you that right now might not be the best time or the best place to go running off on your own?”
His blood ran cold. He hadn’t. Not until about a minute ago, anyway. “Is it the best time for you to come chasing after me on your own?”
She rolled her eyes, though he could tell that his retort had hit its mark. “Let’s go,” she said, hooking her thumb behind her, indicating that he should climb up. “Nathaniel’s friend Thea has come to talk with us.”
Climbing up onto Dusk behind Quinn was awkward; the saddle was really only meant for one person, and he didn’t know where to put his hands. Not for the first time, he wished this sort of thing came as easily to him as it did to Thomas.
He was sure his brother would be laughing hysterically at him if he were here right now – if he wasn’t already on the horse behind the girl, his arms wrapped securely around her waist. That thought made his mouth go dry, but he supposed there wasn’t any other way to do this. He scooted close behind her, and, as casually as possible, put one hand lightly against her rib cage.
The girl stiffened at his touch. He watched, amazed, as goose bumps appeared along her neck and down her arms. Instantly, his hand fell to his leg. Dusk jolted forward through the woods, and the motion nearly knocked him off. His hands automatically caught hold of Quinn’s hips as he struggled to stay upright.
They rode all the way back to camp like this, Quinn straight-backed in front of him, William touching her as little as possible while still managing to keep himself on the horse. It wasn’t a long ride, but his hands were shaky and clammy by the time he dismounted Dusk at the campsite. The girl’s cheeks were a distracting shade of pink.
Nathaniel was the only one who glanced up when they came into the campsite, and he only did so briefly before turning his attention back to an intense conversation that he, Marcus, and Ben were having with a woman he had never seen before.
Quinn didn’t hesitate before walking into the circle and sitting down on a log between Nathaniel and the guest. William followed, trying not to disturb the meeting as he sat down beside her. It didn’t work, of course. As soon as he sat down, every eye turned to him.
Now he regretted being stupid enough to take off like he had. This wasn’t the time. Everyone was here, in the middle of the woods, possibly in danger, in order to find Thomas. This was hard on everyone, and he was the only one who had just thrown a fit like a spoiled child. He silently promised himself it would never happen again.
“William, this is Thea. She and her husband are working with the Philothean resistance.” Nathaniel’s tone held only the tiniest hint of reproof.
“It’s nice to meet you, Thea.” He extended his hand toward her, smiling in the friendliest way he could manage.
“It’s very nice to meet you, too, Prince William.”
“Please, it’s just William.”
She nodded. “That will be easier. I was just telling everyone what we know about the situation in Philotheum. My husband, Charles, and another friend of ours have gone into Estora to see if there is any more news. They should return late tonight or early tomorrow. We will have a better idea how to proceed then.”
“For tonight,” Nathaniel broke in, “Thea has been kind enough to offer her home. We can rest there, and figure out what our next steps are going to be.”
* * *
Quinn was surprised when the path Thea was leading them down opened into a small clearing. A rambling farmhouse and fenced pasture filled the open space. There had been no signs of the town of Anwin, where she had assumed they were going. Thea rode down a hill and followe
d a narrow dirt path around the back of the house, pausing at a closed gate. Ben hopped down from his horse before Thea could, unlatching the gate for her. The tiny woman nodded in appreciation.
The inside of the house seemed larger than it had looked from the outside. The living room was huge, with large windows open to the surrounding fields and trees on both sides. A u-shaped arrangement of comfortable couches faced the massive stone fireplace. Thea led them all into the room.
“Please make yourselves comfortable.”
She disappeared through an arched doorway at the far corner of the room. Quinn could see long counters and could smell a savory aroma drifting from there. Nathaniel, Marcus, and Ben looked surprisingly at ease with the new surroundings. Ben folded himself into a large soft chair, and Nathaniel and Marcus took spots facing each other on the well-worn couches.
William still stood, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as he surveyed the room. Quinn was glad she wasn’t the only one who felt somewhat out of place. She paced uncomfortably for a moment and then ducked into the kitchen.
“Can I help you with anything?”
Thea turned from the giant pot she’d been tending, still holding a long wooden ladle in her right hand. “It’s Quinn, right?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a guest here, Quinn. I can imagine it’s been a long, difficult few days for you. And the days in front of you are likely to be even harder. You should have a seat. Relax while you can.”
Thea appeared to be about the same age as Quinn’s mom, a thought which made a lump rise in her throat before she pushed it away. The woman was small, with delicate features, and short, dark brown curls. Her eyes were a soft, summery blue. Quinn could tell she was stronger than she appeared, though. She watched in awe as the woman chopped vegetables with quick, sure strokes, even though Thea hadn’t taken her eyes off Quinn.
“It doesn’t feel right to make you do all of the work, after you were kind enough to invite us here.”
“I’m not doing all of the work. I’m cooking a meal, providing shelter for the five of you, to support you in the work you’re doing. We all have a role to play in this, and I think you’re doing your part. Now go, sit. Take advantage of what comfort you can find. You never know when you’ll need it to draw back on.”
She pointed toward the doorway with her knife, and Quinn didn’t argue.
They slept that night on comfortable beds, in guest rooms off a long hallway behind the living room. Although Quinn was exhausted, and the bed felt incredible, after only a couple hours of sleep, insomnia crept up on her yet again. She couldn’t remember the last time she had slept until morning.
Tonight, she couldn’t remember having dreamed at all – there wasn’t even the faint disoriented feeling she often woke up to. She felt wide awake.
She lay there in bed, listening to the sounds of the night as she tried, ineffectively, to convince her body to go back to sleep. Gradually, she became aware of a sound she wasn’t expecting. A murmur of low voices was coming from somewhere inside the house.
As far as she knew, everyone had gone to bed at the same time she had. Thea had led them to three separate guest bedrooms; William and Nathaniel had gone into one, Marcus and Ben another, and Quinn, as usual, had a space to herself. She hadn’t yet decided if this was an advantage or a disadvantage to being the only girl. The privacy was nice, but company might have made these strange places feel a little more familiar.
Either way, with her crazy sleeping habits, she was becoming accustomed to being awake and alone in the middle of the night. Nobody else seemed to have any trouble sleeping – they were all too worn out after the long days of traveling. She wondered if she was misjudging the time, and it was closer to morning than she thought, but a peek out the window revealed the tiny sliver of a crescent moon, low and bright in the deep, black sky.
Perhaps someone else was having trouble sleeping, too? She carefully opened the door to her room and crept silently into the hallway. The voices grew louder as she approached the living room. Two voices, she could tell now, both of them male. She recognized Marcus’ deep, resounding bass, but the second voice was unfamiliar.
“Who is the girl?” She was close enough now for the stranger’s words to become clear.
Her heart stopped. She stepped a little closer.
“I don’t know.” It was Marcus’ voice now. “She seems to just show up sometimes with William. Everyone is interested in her. Thomas appears quite taken.”
“Why is she here?”
“From what I hear, she insisted upon coming.”
“And Stephen just allowed that?”
“Alvin showed up with William and the girl. He said that the girl was to be allowed to come if she chose.”
“But why? You don’t think...”
A floorboard squeaked under Quinn’s foot.
“Is someone else awake?” Marcus’ voice interrupted his companion’s.
“Hello?” the stranger called.
Quinn fled back to her room, closing the door behind her as silently as she could, throwing herself into the bed and feigning sleep. Over the pounding of her heart she listened for footsteps in the hallway, voices coming to check, but they never came.
When she woke the next morning, Quinn couldn’t be sure if the conversation she had overheard in the night had been real or a dream. Marcus, Nathaniel, William, and Thea gathered with her at the breakfast table. There was nobody else. She surreptitiously glanced over at Marcus several times while Thea was serving the hot grain cereal and thick pancakes, but he seemed no different this morning than ever.
Once they were all seated, though, it was Marcus who spoke. His words seemed directed at William and Quinn – Nathaniel and Ben appeared to have already heard this.
“Today, we are going to cross the border over into Philotheum, into the village of Estora. There, more Friends of Philip will take us to a safe house, and we can decide what to do from there.”
“Are we going to just walk across the border?” Quinn wondered.
“No. We cannot just all go together. We have no idea what movements are being tracked, nor what Tolliver’s troops or his spies are reporting to him or to the regent.” Nathaniel answered, glancing over at Marcus. “William, Marcus, and I are all too recognizable to go through a regular border crossing in any case. We will ride to a spot a couple hours north of here where the river is passable.”
“Won’t it be guarded?” Quinn asked.
“That’s unlikely,” Marcus said. “It’s an extremely remote area on both sides. The greater danger will be trying to make it back to Estora in such a large group without attracting notice.”
“Which is why, Quinn,” Nathaniel said, “you and Ben are going to cross together on the bridge at the regular border crossing. The two of you are unknown, and will appear to be a young couple. You shouldn’t run into any difficulty. We will meet up with you in Estora late this evening.”
She nodded, glancing first at Ben, who was focused on eating his pancakes, and then at William, who was staring at her, a strange look in his eyes. Although he didn’t say anything, she got the distinct impression he didn’t like the idea.
The idea of being separated from William and Nathaniel made her uncomfortable, but it made sense to her. She just hoped it wouldn’t take too long.
* * *
Less than an hour after they’d finished breakfast, the horses were saddled and ready to go. Ben’s and Quinn’s horses were loaded down more heavily than usual; they had transferred as many supplies as they could, trying to lighten the load on the horses who would be fording the river later today. Thea had taken most of the bigger supplies, promising to have them delivered to the safe house in Estora.
Skittles was whinnying and snorting in expectation; she liked nothing better than a day of riding, and she was thrilled to be free of most of the weight in her packs. William wasn’t feeling as excited.
Being separated from Quinn – even if it would be f
or less than a day – wasn’t sitting well with him. He had considered arguing the point; it couldn’t be that much more dangerous to travel in a group of five rather than three. He swallowed his objection, though, when he realized that no, it wouldn’t be so much more dangerous for the group, but it would be riskier for her.
Quinn and Ben’s ride into Estora would be quick and simple. In under an hour, they would be tucked away in a safe house. He liked the idea of that better than the thought of her traveling with them through unfamiliar remote areas.
He’d looked at the place they’d be crossing on Nathaniel’s map. Calling it passable was optimistic. The wide Philotheos River ran the entire length of the border of the two kingdoms. Many bridges ran between them, but crossing was difficult most anywhere else. William glanced up at the brilliant blue sky, grateful that it hadn’t rained in several weeks.
Nathaniel seemed to be having some difficulty parting with Quinn himself. He watched his uncle carefully check that all of Dusk’s fastenings were secure before he helped the girl climb into the saddle. Once Nathaniel had finally walked away, William went over to her.
“Are you all ready?” He couldn’t help tugging once more on the leather straps that held Dusk’s saddle.
“Sure. It doesn’t sound like it’s that far of a ride.”
He shook his head. “Yours isn’t. We probably won’t be meeting back up with you until dinnertime or later.”
She glanced over at Ben, focused as always on what he was doing. He seemed reliable and nice enough, but William had never seen him really even talk to Quinn. He wondered how she was feeling about spending time alone with him, but he couldn’t think of a good way to ask.
“How far are we now from where Lily and Graeme live, from Harber Village?” She asked.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never come this way before; this area is all unfamiliar to me.” He paused, contemplating his next words before he spoke them. “I’m not sure that’s our destination anymore, anyway. It really sounds like Thomas may never have made it there.”
Roots of Insight (Dusk Gate Chronicles -- Book Two) Page 17