Infantile Behavior -- December 20, 1071

By: Eric Sedlack

A twenty-year-old Thomas Morrisey was walking the corridors of the Manston castle. When he'd awoken this morning, he'd been told that his "baby" sister had finally arrived late last night. He checked with a servant who didn't know where Bronwyn was but directed him to her room. After the hard, long journey from Bremagne, she could easily still have been asleep in her room, but she wasn't.

Well then, there was nothing to it but to go searching to see what the girl had gotten herself into. Mere moments after he resigned himself to the search, William Manston III, the young Baron came walking down the hall. He was tall and robust with the distinctive Manston green eyes. The two had become good friends over the last three years. Admittedly, Thomas hadn't liked William much when he had married Thomas's oldest sister Felicia eleven years ago...but that had been mostly brotherly protectiveness. Three years ago, after the Baron's father died, Felicia had asked Thomas to live with her family and help out with the education of their children and he'd happily agreed, if for no other reason, to get away from the Morrisey family troubles.

The Baron was looking typically besieged that day. Things had been tough for him over the past three years trying to clean up the mess his father had created. In spite of that, he had his usual grin for Thomas. "How are you this morning, my friend?" William boomed.

"Things are not going too badly, Milord." Thomas returned the grin. "I've been so into my studies I was asleep by the time the Morrisey contingent arrived last night. I'm looking for my little sister now. So far, I've no hint as to her location."

"Ah! In that I can help you. Young Bronwyn was eager to see the baby and I heard my beloved give her directions to the nursery but a few moments ago."

Thomas thought to himself that he should have guessed. As the first healer to be born to the Manston family in generations, he was fawned over mercilessly. Thomas wondered if he himself had received so much attention as an infant, and decided it unlikely. The Morrisey family had had at least one healer a generation for the previous four generations.

"Thank you very much Milord," Thomas replied. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go chasing after my sister...it's just like old times." Thomas laughed.

As Thomas entered the nursery, he saw Bronwyn holding baby Trevor. Last he saw her, she had been a six year old girl and now, at nine, she was growing into a beautiful young lady on the cusp of womanhood. When she saw Thomas, she let forth a happy squeal and seemed torn between her desire to jump up to greet her brother and the fact that she was holding a vulnerable infant. She managed to slowly stand and Thomas walked over to her and put his arms around both her and baby.

"How are you little sister!?" Thomas hugged her as tightly as he dared with an infant between them.

"I'm well, Thomas. The journey was long and I am still tired, but I was too excited to sleep past dawn today! And little Trevor is rejuvenating my spirit as well." As if in response, Trevor gurgled.

For the first time, Thomas looked around the room. "Bronwyn, where is the baby's nurse?"

"Well, Felicia was too busy to come with me and I felt awkward with the two of us in the room so I sent the nurse away."

"Bronwyn! I don't think this is likely what Felicia had in mind when she sent you here."

"But I can watch him for a little while!"

"You could get the nurse in trouble you know. It's hardly fair if she is found and chastised for being away from her duties."

"Alright! I'll go get her!"

"Wait a minute," Thomas smiled. "I can smell from here that the little one needs changing...that sounds like a job for his new nurse." His eyes fixed upon her and his smile turned into an evil grin.

Bronwyn's eyes grew wide. "You're not suggesting...you are! But Thomas, that's peasant's work, and it's not even my baby!"

"Bronwyn, you know full well that Felicia has often had to care for her own children...particularly during the leanest of times. It will give you some empathy for the plight of your older sister."

"Oh, all right!" She laid Trevor on the table. Bronwyn was no fool, she examined the dirty wrappings thoroughly to see how they were tied before removing them. Clearly with great effort, she managed to show no distaste and completed the job, duplicating in every detail the application of the fresh swaddlings. She then realized that she had a length of cloth left over and went in search of a knife with which to trim the excess. She quickly found one and returned to Trevor. With a satisfied flourish, she cut the excess cloth, completing the job. But her hand was too quick; the tip of the knife sliced across her left pinky finger, leaving a nasty cut.

"Ow!" she said quickly, probably before the pain even made it's way up her arm. Blood flowed freely and stained Trevor's new swaddling. Thomas was struck by a sudden expression of distress on young Trevor's face. In fact, he seemed on the verge of crying but didn't utter a sound. Bronwyn saw as well and pinched her left thumb to her pinky to staunch the flow of blood and reached out to comfort the baby with her right hand. The baby immediately began to smile, and an odd look came over Bronwyn's face.

Thomas rushed over to check his sister's finger. After he wiped the blood away, he was astonished to find that the cut had completely sealed itself. "Bronwyn!" he exclaimed. "You have the healing gift! You have healed yourself!"

Even more confusion spread across the pretty girl's face. "No, Thomas. You know how much I wanted to have such a gift, but I've tried to learn, and the gift is simply not there. Alas, I am no healer."

Just then their attention was caught by another gurgle. Trevor was smiling happily. Brother and sister met eyes and they both shocked themselves with what they were thinking.

Bronwyn broke the silence first. "Are we both thinking the same thing?" she whispered.

"If so, then you are being as foolish as I," Thomas replied. "Because what I am thinking is just NOT POSSIBLE!" He felt even more stunned the more he thought about it. "I've known that little Trevor would be a healer since before he was born...the talent rang out in him...but this is simply unheard of!" He shook his head. "No, this line of thought is foolish. You probably have some healer blood in you. Perhaps you don't have enough to use it effectively but enough for some sporadic effects." He was trying to convince himself; there was no hint in healer lore of that sort of thing, but neither was there of healer infants.

"Thomas, " she said quietly, "when I touched Trevor, I felt a warmth. It was just like the touch of a healer." Both shook their heads.

"Well, I had best go get his nurse, " Thomas said. "And we mustn't forget to assure her that none of that blood is Trevor's. You watch him until I return with her. Then I'll need to examine your finger more thoroughly to make sure it won't become infected."

As he turned to leave, he caught sight of the baby's face. Trevor was smiling again, but this time his smile showed a hint of something else. For a moment, Thomas was sure that is was...satisfaction.