Briar stood at the gates of Winding Circle Temple, smiling. He stood six feet tall, towering over Rosethorn, his teacher. His green-gray eyes, unexpected in his golden-toned face, scanned the land for his sisters. He now called them his sisters, although they weren't really related. Sandry, Daja, and Tris were his foster sisters, connected to him by their magic. He hadn't seen them since he was fourteen. He had to see them. It had become dangerous to write letters, so he didn't know much about them now.
A young lady sat on a low wall on his left. She had long, straight blonde hair, and pale, creamy skin. She had a workbag slung over her shoulder, and she was spinning yarn. She was half a foot shorter than Briar, and she looked like most of the nobles who were educated at Winding Circle.
"Sandry!" Briar cried, dropping his bags to gather her in a hug.
"It's nice to see you, Briar," she said. Her voice was more musical than he remembered. She was more patient than he remembered, too.
"Where are Tris and Daja?" He asked, letting go.
"You mean Daja and Tris the novice."
Briar's jaw dropped. "Tris, a novice? What is she, the new Rosethorn?"
"She wanted to when she was turned away from Lightsbridge. Daja and I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted on it. She said that she needed something to do because she wasn't going to marry. Actually, she came back with a four-year-old little girl from Tharios, named Glaki. She's very sweet."
"What about you, Sandry? What are you doing?"
"Haven't you heard?" Sandry helped him carry his bags. "Daja and I are running Discipline."
That was a shock. "What of Lark?"
"She is at Wave Circle."
He shook his head. "And Tris is a dedicate here. The world has gone to the dogs. Oh, and how's Little Bear?"
"Bear is puppyish and playful as usual. He spends most of his days playing with Glaki." Sandry slid off the wall and began to walk down the spiral road. "Oh, you have to meet my student. He has dance magic. Actually, Briar," she said, "you're the only one of us that hasn't gotten a student."
"Pahan! Pahan Briar, wait!" A thin eleven-year-old girl was running after them, carrying a bag and three baskets on her back. "Rosethorn says to help her with some rock-killers," she said.
Briar grinned. "Sandry, this is Evvy. Evumeimei Dingzai of Yanjing. She's my student, and she has stone magic."
"Hello," Sandry said, trying not to laugh as Evvy, exasperated, tied a basket to the top of her head. "Here, let me help you with that." She picked up one of her baskets. She nearly dropped it when she heard a loud yowling.
"What -" Sandry cried. A cat poked its head out of the basket top.
Sorry if it wasn't the greatest. First fic.