Head in the Clouds

Chapter 27: Water Berries

The training grounds were bustling with warriors pushing gasoline and flint rock. Clyde stood at the top of the steps with his brother and cousin overlooking it all. Biting his lip, his heart raced as he combed through the faces hoping to find a distinct one.

"She isn't here, Clyde," Paul stated picking at his rough nails. Clyde opened his mouth in protest but shut it. There was no point in lying to Paul especially when it came to Deidre.

"Where do you think she went?" Clyde asked as inconspicuously as he could, but there was still too much concern in his shaky voice.

"To her parents probably," Paul said with a shrug, "She's just that kind of person- the kind that checks up on her parents when something goes wrong," he turned to Carter, "the kind that wouldn't hurt someone unless absolutely necessary."

Carter turned to Paul with a blank face, "Again with this?"

"Yes, 'again with this'," Paul insisted a bit harshly.

"Am I missing something?" Clyde interjected.

Carter faced front again, "Nothing of importance."

For some reason, Carter's words didn't roll of his younger brother's back they way he hoped they would. Clyde could see the way Paul's usually unphased eyes shifted in every direction but at him. He narrowed his eyebrows.

"What's happening with Deidre?" Clyde questioned his relatives.

Carter glanced over, never turning his head, just those cold eyes, "Aside from the usual?" Clyde frowned, "Nothing I know of."

Clyde turned to his older cousin, "Paul?"

Paul glanced to Clyde. His eyes eyebrows knoted together in a way they did when he was confused. Paul looked to Carter, who simply shook his head just the slightest bit.

"I gotta go find Henry," Paul mumbled descending the stairs.

He ignored Clyde's calls and found the oldest of the group shouting instructions to those carrying barrels full of flammable material. Paul pulled him to a corner by the crook of his elbow. When alone, Paul folded his arms one over the other. Andrew, seeing this followed them.

"What is it?" Henry whispered as Andrew tucked into their corner.

Paul looked up at the steps, Carter and Clyde were looking out at them.

"She'll know," Paul said.

Henry dropped his folded arms and nodded, "Yeah, probably," he agreed, "but we have to do this to help her."

"Wait, how would she know?" Andrew interjected quietly.

Henry shook his head, "She always knows."

"You know that phrase 'it's like finding a needle in a haystack?" Paul asked. Andrew nodded, "Well, she'd find the needle and turn the hay into gold."

Andrew didn't object but felt a tight pull on his chest. Paul tapped his foot against the ground as he looked up at Carter.

"Can we be sure trusting Carter is the right thing?" Paul asked.

Andrew narrowed his brows, "I mean, he's the prince. He has to be noble."

"Yeah, well, I'm a prince too and I can say a lot of my actions aren't exactly noble," Paul scoffed.

"What are you saying, Paul?" Henry asked.

Paul turned back to them, his voice low and his eyes serious, "When we were younger, Carter tried to drive a sword through Deidre's throat."