Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, blah-de-blah-de-blah, etc., etc.

Aelish: Oh, come on. It's not that boring.

Me: What? You're in this story too!

Aelish: Yes, of course. This is a very good story for what I do. (evil grin)

Me: Oh boy. Umm…yeah, people, this is Aelish, my evil Cupid twin, who writes all the romantic parts in my fics. As I keep telling the characters, she's the one to get mad at, not me.

Aelish: Oh, come on. You know you like those parts.

Me: That's as may be. The fact remains, I do not write them, therefore I am not to blame when…

Rosethorn: Ah, there you are. I was wondering where you'd got to.

Me: OH NO…

Rosethorn: Oh yes. I am now going to hang you in the well. Only I will hang you in your well so that you won't poison mine.

Me: Muahaha! I don't have a well!

Rosethorn: (momentarily deflated) Oh. Well, then…(thinks) Aha! I have it! I'll hang you in Crane's well!

Me: Uh-oh…

Crane: Hey!

Rosethorn: Muahaha!

Me: Enjoythestoryeveryone! (runs away)

Rosethorn: (runs after me)

Crane: Rosethorn! (runs after Rosethorn) You can't hang her in my well! Rosethorn, do you hear me! Rosethorn!

Aelish: (waves hand, movie seat appears) Ah, that's better. (sits, rummages in air and pulls out plastic bag) This time, I brought candy. (settles back in seat, munching comfortably on chocolate-covered raisins)

Chapter 1

"Good morning," said Briar Moss, walking into the kitchen and looking around drowsily at the occupants of the table. "G'morning Lark, Duchess, Coppercurls, Daj', Bear, Niko, Frostpine…Crane?" On the last word he sounded decidedly unwelcoming, and continued this way. "Where's Rosethorn? Did you kill her or something?"

The dedicate in the yellow habit with a black stripe, otherwise known as Crane, scowled down at the boy. "No, I didn't. I came in here looking for her. We couldn't find her, and Lark invited me to breakfast. We were just discussing it when you…" he looked at the boy with distaste, "blundered in here."

Briar raised his eyebrows, but made no comment. Instead he plumped himself down in an empty chair. Lark set a waiting bowl of oatmeal down in front of him.

"Anyway," Crane said, obviously resuming what he had been saying earlier, "I suppose there's no chance of her still being abed?"

Lark's black curls bounced as she shook her head. "I'm afraid not," she said. "I already checked."

"Well, then where is she?" asked Crane impatiently. "I had to ask her about something…"
"Is it really that important?" Lark wanted to know.

The man raised a finger, opened his mouth, and then sighed. "No," he said. "I suppose not."

Lark smiled. "Then I'm sure it can wait until she gets back from wherever she…"

The door opened, and a woman with short auburn hair came in. Her green habit was streaked with dirt, and a scowl was on her face.

"Morning, Rosie," said Lark calmly, as if it were just another day. Crane, on the other hand, jumped up.

"Rosethorn!" he said quickly. "There's a plant in my greenhouse that needs tending. It won't respond to me, and…"

He was cut off by Rosethorn herself, who turned angrily to him.

"Can't I have a moment to breathe before you start jabbering at me?" she said sharply. "You know perfectly well that I am not your plants' nursemaid, and you also know perfectly well what I think of that glass monstrosity you keep them in! Or need I say it again?"

Most people would have shrunk from either her harsh words or the glare she now turned on Crane, or both. He, however, glared right back.

"I told you, it won't respond to me!" he said furiously. "And my greenhouse is not a 'monstrosity!' It is simply a way to grow plants…"

"Out of season!" Rosethorn interrupted. "It's a way to grow plants out of season, against their natural cycle!"

Crane took a breath to speak, and then thought better of it. He let it out in a hiss, and said, as slowly and calmly as he could, "Will you…please…just take a look at the plant!"

She looked quite astonished at the fact that he had said 'please.' She mouthed wordlessly for a few moments, then rolled her eyes. "Yes, Crane," she said at last. "I will look at the plant. But Mila protect you if this keeps happening!"

"Protect him from you?" inquired Frostpine, at the same time as Niko muttered, "Bad mood as usual, I see." Rosethorn picked up on his remark first.

"Well, you would be in a bad mood too," she snapped, turning on him, "if you'd just had a run-in with those Water temple idiots and then you came back, expecting some quiet, and someone wanted you to deal with their…"

"What did the Water people do now?" Frostpine asked with a sigh.

"Oh, some whining about bandages or some such thing. It wasn't important, but Green Man bless us, I'm sick of having to deal with those fussy Water people and their incompetence!"

"Aren't we all," murmured Lark. "Still, that's no reason to skip breakfast. Are you hungry?"

Rosethorn rolled her eyes. If Briar had had a magical connection with her as he had with Sandry, Tris, and Daja, he could have sworn that she would have told him through it, Just like Lark. The sky is falling and here's your breakfast, dear. He heartily agreed, but as he couldn't currently talk to her without speaking out loud, he settled for reading into the eye roll as Rosethorn sat down. Lark ladled out the oatmeal for her and she began to eat.

rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn

Later, Rosethorn (after much coaxing from Lark) did as she had promised and went to look at Crane's plant.

He led her through the greenhouse, ignoring her snorts and eye rolls as she passed various plants growing out of season, to a pansy from Yanjing. (A/N: If this is completely weird somehow—a pansy in Yanjing?—forgive me. It's 3:33 a.m. (hey, 333!) and I picked a random flower.) At first sight it looked normal, but on closer examination Rosethorn could see that it was wilting slightly.

"Oh, is that all it is?" she said. She touched its petals gently and send a pulse of power down her fingers. Nothing happened. Frowning, she tried again. Still nothing.

"See what I mean?" Crane asked, rather sarcastically, she thought. After another minute of nothing, he sighed. "Maybe if we do it together?" He placed his hand over hers, and suddenly froze, staring at her.

Time seemed to stop for both. Rosethorn was painfully aware of the fact that Crane's hand sat on top of hers, and that his face was inches away from hers as he leaned forward over her shoulder. What was going on here? Her first instinct was to move, to pull her hand away, but she didn't seem to be able to. She watched, paralyzed, as he leaned in a little, hesitated, then closed the distance between their faces and pressed his lips gently to hers. The next thing she knew, her arms were around him and she was kissing him back.

"Ahem!" came a voice from the door of the greenhouse. They broke apart, extremely embarrassed, and Crane whirled around. Briar was standing in the doorway, looking rather confused. Rosethorn felt her face go hot, and she was sure it must be at least as red as her tomato plants.

"I…umm…" said the former street rat, looking from Rosethorn to Crane and back again. "Lark wants you," he finally told his teacher.

She watched him for a moment, avoiding looking at Crane. Then she sighed. "If either of you breathes a word of this to anyone, anyone at all, I will personally hang you in the well," she said, and left the greenhouse.

A/N: Well! I'm glad that's over!

Rosethorn: (in high, squeaky voice) I'll be back!

Crane: (comes in panting) What'd you do?

Me: (calmly) I turned her into a ladybug.

Aelish and Crane: (stare)

Me: (shrugs, picks up book and reads)

Aelish and Crane: (look at each other and shake their heads)

Me: (while still reading) Oh yeah, people. Review please. (turns page of book)

Crane: Who does this remind me of?