Warrior's Mind (Book 2 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 33

After getting momentarily flustered at the realisation that all the blood and dirt had been washed from her body while she was unconscious, Leyla dressed quickly. Slipping on the pair of soft blue boots under her flowing white skirts, she moved to the dresser beside the chair where the necklace with Raphael's ring lay beside a silver headband.

Pulling the necklace over her head, she considering the headpiece. It was the symbol of all High-Thinkers;  a symbol of the highest status in the Land of Light. Leyla should not have been given such a thing, but not wearing it was not an option. Lifting it to eye level, she gazed at the unfamiliar stone at its centre: cloudy white with traces of blue and purple in its depths, it was beautiful. The image of Raphael's headpiece floating down into the depths of the Aqua Pond rushed across her mind. Had he managed to replace it? Trying not to feel like too big an imposter, she placed the headband on her dark hair and left the room.   

Diana was waiting for her at the top of a long winding staircase that was surrounded by glass. "You look lovely," she said as Leyla approached.

Not sure how to react to the compliment, Leyla attempted a smile. "The room I was in, is that where you live Consort?"

"Diana. Please, call me Diana," the Consort reminded her as they descended the stairs. 

Leyla's eyes widened as they reached the floor below. The room they were in, if it could be called a room, had no walls. Aside from the intricately carved columns that held up the two floors above their heads, the space was marked only by polished rock on the floor. Rows of desks, chairs and several large blackboards were spread across the carpet of grey stone. Was this a study room? 

Leyla thought of the dark rock chamber where she had been taught the art of war by her military instructors. Studying in the cold to the sounds of clashing steel and iron they had learned how to survive against all odds. But this space filled with the sound of birds and laughter from the surrounding gardens...what was learned here?

"And no, the room you were in is made for visiting High-Thinkers. The apartments above are mine," the Consort continued as she walked out from under the building and into the sunshine.

Visiting High-thinkers? "Then are we very far from the inner keep?" Leyla asked, not liking the idea of being far from where Raphael was.

"The Inner Keep is a little less than half a day's journey away by boat, a little longer by horse." Diana looked over her shoulder to make sure Leyla was following before she continued walking at a leisurely pace. "The Tower and the classroom beneath it are at the centre of our inner garden. Children practice basic skills like reading and writing in the languages of the Four Kingdoms here, then head to the adjacent gardens for literature, arts, music and nature studies."

Leyla tried to place all the information she was being given in an order. A map of the Land of Light was starting to form in her mind. The inner keep which was within the tall outer walls of the kingdom was surrounded by woodlands. Then there was a river that obviously ran from the keep to the White Gardens half a day's distance away...  

"Teacher!" Children stopped and bowed to the Consort as they continued their walk, touching their fingertips to their foreheads. Many smiles were sent her way as well. Leyla forced herself to return them as she followed Diana around an elaborate water fountain with carved statues of jumping deer.

"Do you see that structure, over there?" The Consort pointed at another two floored tower some distance away that was not much smaller than the one they had just left. "That is Chemistry House, where our master of chemical compositions lives and teaches. There are three more houses like that one inside the inner circle which teach the sciences of Math, Astronomy and Biology. The top floor is reserved for the teacher's accommodations and classrooms, while the bottom floors have living quarters for the most able students in the discipline. Children who could well grow to become Higher-Thinkers are moved to the inner keep to be apprentices to the scientists."

Leyla saw several kids making flower garlands beside a smaller fountain ahead. Despite her earlier impatience, she couldn't help being curious about this place, "What about children who are not good at those subjects?"

"Defender of the weak," Diana smiled to herself as if pleased. "You need not worry. Children whose minds are not made for the sciences are not considered any less valuable in our Kingdom."

"I wasn't worried," Leyla protested, but the Consort continued with her explanations as if she had not heard.

"Attached to the inner circle are four larger gardens where families live in individual homes and children study music, art and literature. While the Land of Light is governed by the sciences, its heart lies in protecting those who are furthering our civilisation through self expression and beauty."

So they valued those who were good at the sciences, because that enabled the rest of the population to live freely? Could such a society really exist? Was it sustainable? As far as Leyla knew, they didn't take medicine, food or protection from the other Kingdoms of Gaia. Who was producing their food? Did they grow things in a different place, like the Aschians did in the Aquafarms? Who trained their soldiers? What was their technological ability?

She had so many questions, but she didn't ask. It was not her business. Soon, she would be released from being the Prorex's fiancé, and when that time came, she would leave.

"Teacher!" a little girl with pigtails ran towards them, a bunch of colourful flowers in her hand. She touched her little fingers to her eyebrows in haste. "Did the pretty lady you are walking with really the save our Prorex's life?"

Diana nodded solemnly. "She did, Myra. And soon she will marry the Prorex and become one of us."

Leyla blinked, schooling her features not to reveal her guilt. The little girl thrust her flowers in her direction, giving Leyla a bright toothless smile of excitement. She took the flowers hesitantly, feeling like the worst charlatan.

"I just lost my first tooth," Myra beamed. "That means I'll get to make a wish if I burry it under a pomegranate tree." She looked over to the Consort, her brow furrowed in confusion. "If my wish is for someone else, will it still work, Teacher?"

"Of course," Diana smiled, patting the girl's head. "Selfless wishes are the most powerful."

"Yess!" Myra grinned again. "Then I will wish for Little Teacher's health. I hope she will always have someone to look after her and protect her, so that one day she can look after us and protect us too!"

"Well, that isn't exactly selfless," Diana laughed. "But it's a lovely wish nevertheless, Myra."

Leyla held onto the flowers and watched the girl skip away. Rejoining her friends, she leaned forward to tell them something Leyla couldn't hear. Then all the children were looking in her direction with wide eyes.

"You're in trouble now," the Consort said softly, beside her.

"Sorry?" Leyla asked. She needn't have bothered. A moment later a group of six girls and boys all rushed over, their little hands outstretched with offerings of flowers and warmth.

Uncertainty and guilt warred in her mind, as Leyla bent to allow a particularly young girl to put a flower wreath on her head. The children all spoke at the same time, their little fingers pulling at her skirts as they tried to gain her attention. "Little Teacher look!" "Little Teacher come!" Leyla let herself be carried into their world, her heart feeling strangely warm.