Siani slumped to the earth crossways from his brother. His eyes still glared at the exotic flower. Gently, he snatched a scroll and considered it.
"You need persistence, younger brother" Samir said with a slight smile
Siani whisked the scroll to the side in anger. His fists tightened on his knees.
"She…" he snarled taking another irritated look at the flower "Is impossible to educate."
His angry outburst drained him. Exasperated he fell back and rested.
The Desert Flower had made progress. In their studies they had uncovered a language to be spoken with hands. It accompanied an ancient dance that was once performed at every large event. Together, the dance and hands told stories of the past and fables. There were thousands of scrolls so frail that they split as they were unfastened. Each detailed a dance and hand Sign.
The scrolls were so aged they spoke a language that was dead. Before they could begin to study it themselves they had to be deciphered into the modern tongue. This took weeks of writing and discipline. Siani struggled at first. It was hard for him to remain focused and the writing restricted his hands.
His motivation was the guilt of not completing a certain amount of translations and the many that still remained. He did not want to leave the study until he felt that a great number of scrolls had been finished. Often he wore his eyes by straining to copy the detailed dancers from the scrolls in candle light. His dreams were filled with the guilt of never finishing the scrolls and as a consequence not being able to instruct it to the dessert flower.
Samir eventually enlisted the help of a clever girl about the size of the Desert Flower. She took on the mission of translating the scrolls and learning the hand signs under the guise that she was to help bring back this cultural tradition.
She was the daughter of the queens' handmaiden that had died in childbirth. The handmaids' death was traded for two lives that had the honor of being raised in the palace with the favor of the queen. The daughter was ordered not to discuss the secret operation. Her name was the same as her brother. Ich ia non, One of two. Samir began calling her Ano which ironically meant quick
Siani looked again at the Desert Flower. This time, his eyes were weary.
That she was able to learn any of the hand signs at all was a miracle. However all she would learn were the names of the flowers that surrounded her. Only language was the portal in which the brothers would know her origin.
"No one will know what city claims her. This language is foreign to her" Samir thought aloud.
He was tired of teaching the dessert flower as well. Siani stood suddenly and walked away moody. Samir followed to not wanting to be caught by the Flowers maids. Brushing his ivy robes free of dirt he retired to his study. Ano was there alone practicing. She jumped once as the door opened then calmed after seeing who had entered.
Siani wondered the halls in deep thought.