The tight muscles in her forehead relaxed. "In that case, you guys can cook them, too."

They both laughed.

"Agreed," William nodded.

Quinn and William followed Ben a short distance downriver from where the horses were drinking and cooling themselves in the water. Although it was slightly cooler here than it had been at the lower elevations, the heat of the day was still uncomfortable. This part of the river was ideal for fly-fishing. As soon as he found a good boulder to climb up on, William opened one of the cases and began assembling a complicated-looking pole.

She glanced over at Ben, who was already wading through the water, seeking out a fishing spot. He hadn't talked a lot so far on their journey, although she had a feeling he listened to everything, taking it in. She didn't know much about him, other than he and his father were both guards at the castle. Stephen and Nathaniel clearly trusted both of them implicitly. Still, she wondered what someone like Ben must think of all the fancy equipment Nathaniel and William carried the tents and the fishing poles bought at a sporting goods store in her world. Were they in on the secret? She would have to remember to ask William later.

"Can I help you with those?" she asked, shimmying up the tall rock to sit beside William.

She saw his eyebrow begin to creep up for a fraction of a second before he thought better of it, shrugged, and handed her a case. "Sure, thanks."

As she carefully twisted the sections of the pole together, she watched Ben wade through the water, and listened to William working beside her. A hot lump rose in her throat. It should have been Thomas here with them, his booming laugh and teasing gestures lightening the mood. Tears stinging the corners of her eyes, she stole a glance over at William. She jumped, startled, when her eyes met his. He was staring at her intently, and she could see her own grief echoed in his expression.

They sat there on that rock, at the edge of the river, for a moment that was fleeting and eternal at the same time, each one's eyes locked on the other's, a snarl of inexplicable feelings hanging heavy in the summer air. He nodded, and she knew he understood, even before he squeezed her hand.

"It will be good to eat a hot meal," he said. "We're going to need the strength."

After less than an hour of fishing, they had caught eight fat ruskas. Quinn had snagged three of them.

Although he knew it was likely that she would be perfectly capable of helping him and Ben clean and cook the fish the girl was full of surprises -- William thought she could do with a break. It couldn't be easy for a teenage girl to travel for this long in the wilderness with four men. The only privacy she had was inside the small, one-person tent they'd set up for her last night, and it wasn't even tall enough inside for her to stand upright.

As soon as they had enough fish to fill them, William told Quinn to take advantage of the calm break and the smaller group to bathe herself in the river and change. It also gave him a chance to spend some time with Ben.

Ben had been around for as long as William could remember, although he had never known him very well. Ben had always lived in the castle; his father, Marcus, had worked as a guard there before he'd ever married and had Ben. He was several cycles older than William, though closer to Simon's age than his own, and so while they had always been friendly, they'd never been friends.

The two worked together amiably, Ben slicing and cleaning the fish with quick, sure strokes, finishing with six in the time it took for William to do two.

"Nice," William said.

Ben shrugged. "We should find something to season them with. There's miloseed growing everywhere around here."

"Sure." William jumped up and followed Ben into the forest, noticing that the older boy seemed sure about where he was going.

"You know this area?"

Ben raised his eyebrows slightly, giving William an impression that the question surprised him, as if he thought William knew the answer already. "Yes, good friends of both my father and Nathaniel live in Anwin. We've traveled here together many times."

Now it was William's turn to be surprised. He spent nearly all of his time when he was home traveling all over Eirentheos and Philotheum with Nathaniel, but they had never been to this area before, William was certain. He didn't know anything about the village of Anwin he'd seen the name only on maps, and these hills were unfamiliar to him. He didn't know what to say, whether he should disclose this to Ben.

"Here we are." Ben saved him from responding, as he walked around a tree and into a patch of small miloseed plants. He bent down and began searching through them the fully-grown plants with the largest leaves made the best seasoning for food. The seasoning would give the fish a savory, smoky flavor, with a hint of spice.

Before Quinn returned from the river, William and Ben had taken several of the small plants and crushed the red and green leaves into tiny flakes and then they sprinkled them generously on top of the meat in a little, square pan that could withstand the heat of the fire. William felt a sense of satisfaction over the impressed glance she threw at the simmering meal.

Nathaniel and Marcus returned just as William removed the pan from the fire. Quinn had retrieved the dishes from one of the bags, and Ben was filling a large water container from the stream.

Everyone was starving by the time they all sat down to eat, finding a spot in the shade as far as they could manage from the heat of the dying fire. The fish looked and smelled amazing, and the meal was doubly impressive when they added a few fresh vegetables that Nathaniel and Marcus had brought with them from Anwin.

"Thank you all. This will be a welcome change," Marcus said, surveying his small, metal plate.

Nathaniel's expression was somber. Quinn and William exchanged a wary look.

"What's the news?" William asked.

Nathaniel sighed. "Things appear to be getting very tense between Tolliver, his troops, and many of the people in Philotheum." He took a bite of his food and swallowed before continuing. "Of course, being Tolliver, not much of what he is doing is straightforward. Technically, the border is still open, and relations between our two kingdoms are friendly. There are many rumors floating around, however, and the people are becoming unsure of whom to trust."

"There have been disappearances," Marcus added. "In the village of Estora, just across the border, eight people are gone, including one family of five. Nobody knows where they are."

"Taken?" Ben asked, shock in his voice.

Nathaniel shrugged. "Perhaps some have been secretly arrested by Tolliver's troops. Others may be working as spies, or they have just decided to leave."

"Many believe that Eirentheos is behind their troubles, that Stephen is responsible for some of the disappearances."

William watched Quinn's eyes pop open as wide as his own. "That's impossible! Why would they think that?"

Nathaniel's eyes stayed on his plate as he spoke. "Tolliver and his father, the Prince Regent, have long undertaken a campaign to undermine the influence Eirentheos exerts over its people and political structure. They're trying to force Stephen's hand, or perhaps to start a war."

William tried to spear a piece of fish with his fork, but his hand was trembling so hard he missed twice. Quinn edged closer to him, and he managed on the third try.

"So, while the border is open, and people are permitted to cross either way, many are afraid to, and we can assume that all border crossings are being carefully monitored and reported to Tolliver and his troops." Marcus set his empty plate on the ground in front of him.

"We're not going to just be able to ride across," Quinn said. William's heart sank. What did all of this mean for Thomas?

"No, we aren't." Nathaniel's expression was grave.

"Then what do we do?" Again, Quinn was jumping right into the fray. William didn't understand why she was so deeply involved with this, so willing to put herself in danger. He wondered if the kiss between her and Thomas had been more than his brother just trying to distract her, to get her through the gate before she could rat him out.

He had decided not to think about that, though, not to worry about it until after Thomas was safe. He had already hurt Quinn enough trying to push her away and keep her out of this. She had made her choice to come here for Thomas, and it couldn't be changed now. Continuing to alienate her wouldn't accomplish anything.

Besides, he had to admit that it was nice having her here. She often thought differently than anyone else, quickly seeing a solution that nobody else had come up with. And it was clear that she cared about Thomas, that she wanted him back as badly as he did. William was fairly certain that if it came down to it, if the group was forced to choose between the safety of all of them and a chance at finding Thomas, that Nathaniel, Marcus, and Ben would be practical. Quinn, though, would be with him.

"Well," Nathaniel answered, "despite Tolliver's attempts to convince his people that Eirentheos is evil, his actions among his own people are stirring up resistance."

Marcus raised his eyebrows. "That's nothing new. There's been resistance to the regent and his son ever since..." He stopped suddenly when Nathaniel directed a look of warning toward him. "Ever since Prince Samuel died," he finished.

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 followed 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.