This is my first fic, so don't kill me please. I'm not so sure of what I'm
doing, but that's OK. I'll figure it out someday.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this fic. I am not Tamora Pierce, nor will I ever be.
Chapter 1
Briar Moss stepped out of Discipline Cottage. He breathed the fresh spring air, flapping his arms in joy. Spring, he thought joyfully. Spring is here! About time. He reflected on the past winter.
It had been a long one, with the snow piled three feet high. Then rain had come, and all the snow had disappeared. There was flooding in the cellars of some buildings, including the Hub, but Discipline had been untouched. Then Summersea had received a freak blizzard.
The snow was again high-but this time it was five and a half feet instead of three. The residents of Discipline had been snowed in, with a couple of other visitors-Dedicate Frostpine, Niklaren Goldeye, and, unfortunately for Rosethorn, Dedicate Crane. Crane had not been pleased, either, but nothing could be done.
Needless to say, there had been many fights during the three days they were together. Rosethorn and Crane bickered every day, but there were others, too. Tris and Niko weren't speaking-that wasn't good, seeing as Tris was Niko's student. Evvy and Daja were at odds, and Sandry was mad at Briar, who was furious at Lark.
The causes of the arguments were small-so small that they didn't seem like anything now. Lark hadn't let Briar had an extra muffin-they didn't know how many days they had before them-and had soaked him with water. Briar had hidden Sandry's sewing bag, so she had had nothing to do. Evvy had touched one of Daja's half-completed metal-magic boxes, and the normally easy-going Trader had been furious. Tris had wanted to go outside, and when Niko had calmly pointed out that there wasn't any way to exit the cottage, Tris had stormed up to her room and snapped at anyone who had knocked on her door.
They were petty offences, but the tension had been tight. They couldn't go anywhere-they were stuck in Discipline. There had even been injuries- Rosethorn, after a particularly heated argument with her nemesis over what a certain type of perfume was made up of, had cracked a clay jar over his head. Crane ran out of her workshop cursing, grabbed a spoon, and hurled it at Rosethorn, who ducked it, missing that but unfortunately receiving Crane's next missile (Lark's teacup) in the stomach.
The cup hadn't broken, but for the next 15 minutes, the trapped inhabitants of Discipline Cottage had had a hilarious show of Rosethorn chasing a cursing Crane around the whole house. It had ended when Lark had tried to dump a bucket of water on them both, catching Briar instead, which instantly turned his tears of laughter into angry accusations. The fun had ended.
Briar snapped out of his reverie, cursing silently and hoping no one had seen him walk into the fence. Unfortunately, someone had. A boy, sitting on a bench outside the cottage, giggled into his hand.
"What are you laughing at, huh?" snapped Briar. His face red, he turned to go, but something held him back. "Why are you sitting outside of Discipline Cottage," he inquired. The boy stopped laughing and looked around.
"I was told to come here," he replied. "But I don't know my way around here, so I didn't know where to go. But," he added cheerfully, "I guess I found it!"
"Who sent you?"
"Dedicate Crane. He told me to give this to Dedicate Rosethorn." He held out a small vial, wit a note attached.
"Rosethorn's inside," Briar informed him. "But I don't think she'll be pleased to see any messenger from Crane. I'd better go with you."
Briar led the boy in, pausing to snatch a cookie from the cooling batch on the window. He popped it into his mouth, savoring the sweetness of it.
Strolling through the door, he stopped, letting out a bellow of rage. He dived forward and tackled the strange girl who was about to touch his precious shakkan. "What do you think you're doing?" he yelled into her ear. Suddenly he saw stars as a fist rammed into his face.
Vision clearing, he saw a boy his age, one hand curled in a fist, the other holding a triumphantly grinning girl. "Don't you tackle my little sister, you hear?" he growled. The next moment he was yelping in pain as Briar brought his heel down on his foot.
"Briar!"
Lark stamped in, giving him a small slap on the hand. "Don't beat everyone up! Especially newcomers!"
"But she touched my shakkan!" complained Briar. "She could have died of the energy rush!"
"Well, you could have told her!" snapped back Lark. Her temper was short these days, as she had to work long hours to catch up on time lost because of the blizzard.
Briar glared at her, then at the still-wincing boy and the annoying girl. Grabbing his shakkan, he stomped into Rosethorn's workshop, glancing back to see that the boy was still following him. He was, though not looking completely comfortable with what he had just witnessed. Great, thought Briar, some new snobby kids coming to stay. Hope it's not for long.
Rosethorn was in the shop, cleaning and dusting. She looked up, scowling when she saw Briar's bloody nose. "What-" she began, but Briar stopped her by shoving the boy forward. He shyly handed her the note, and scampered out the door. Briar watched him go, and then looked back to Rosethorn, who was growling at the letter.
"Crane," she muttered darkly. "Always had to be better that I do. Smell the vial? Fine! I will." She brought up the vial, took one whiff, and collapsed, unconscious.
"Rosethorn!" cried Briar. He knelt next to her, trying to wake her up. His yell had summoned Tris and Lark, who took one look and, with the help of Daja, carried her into her room. Briar stood helplessly on the side while Lark did everything to wake her up.
Suddenly he got an idea. He grabbed a pail of water, and dumped it on his teacher. She sat up, looked around, saw the vial, and grabbed a piece of paper. She quickly scribbled something on it (it looked like a list), and gave it to Briar. "Give this to Crane-along with a nice whack, will you?" she murmured in his ear. He nodded, grinning back at her. She ruffled his hair and got up. He ran out the door as fast as he could.
Five minutes later, an out of breath Briar burst through the door of Crane's workshop, and ran up to him. He handed the dedicate a small scroll. "Here's Rosethorn's answer," he informed him. "As well as this," and with that, he rammed Crane in the stomach. The dedicate, winded, fell backwards, knocking down a shelf, which dumped its contents on to his head. Briar dodged the dedicates running to help him, and dashed out the door, back to Discipline, laughing all the way.
A/N No, I haven't thought of a plot yet, this was just something I started when I was supposed to be writing an essay on Lord of the Flies. Tell me if you want more, 'cause I'll write more!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this fic. I am not Tamora Pierce, nor will I ever be.
Chapter 1
Briar Moss stepped out of Discipline Cottage. He breathed the fresh spring air, flapping his arms in joy. Spring, he thought joyfully. Spring is here! About time. He reflected on the past winter.
It had been a long one, with the snow piled three feet high. Then rain had come, and all the snow had disappeared. There was flooding in the cellars of some buildings, including the Hub, but Discipline had been untouched. Then Summersea had received a freak blizzard.
The snow was again high-but this time it was five and a half feet instead of three. The residents of Discipline had been snowed in, with a couple of other visitors-Dedicate Frostpine, Niklaren Goldeye, and, unfortunately for Rosethorn, Dedicate Crane. Crane had not been pleased, either, but nothing could be done.
Needless to say, there had been many fights during the three days they were together. Rosethorn and Crane bickered every day, but there were others, too. Tris and Niko weren't speaking-that wasn't good, seeing as Tris was Niko's student. Evvy and Daja were at odds, and Sandry was mad at Briar, who was furious at Lark.
The causes of the arguments were small-so small that they didn't seem like anything now. Lark hadn't let Briar had an extra muffin-they didn't know how many days they had before them-and had soaked him with water. Briar had hidden Sandry's sewing bag, so she had had nothing to do. Evvy had touched one of Daja's half-completed metal-magic boxes, and the normally easy-going Trader had been furious. Tris had wanted to go outside, and when Niko had calmly pointed out that there wasn't any way to exit the cottage, Tris had stormed up to her room and snapped at anyone who had knocked on her door.
They were petty offences, but the tension had been tight. They couldn't go anywhere-they were stuck in Discipline. There had even been injuries- Rosethorn, after a particularly heated argument with her nemesis over what a certain type of perfume was made up of, had cracked a clay jar over his head. Crane ran out of her workshop cursing, grabbed a spoon, and hurled it at Rosethorn, who ducked it, missing that but unfortunately receiving Crane's next missile (Lark's teacup) in the stomach.
The cup hadn't broken, but for the next 15 minutes, the trapped inhabitants of Discipline Cottage had had a hilarious show of Rosethorn chasing a cursing Crane around the whole house. It had ended when Lark had tried to dump a bucket of water on them both, catching Briar instead, which instantly turned his tears of laughter into angry accusations. The fun had ended.
Briar snapped out of his reverie, cursing silently and hoping no one had seen him walk into the fence. Unfortunately, someone had. A boy, sitting on a bench outside the cottage, giggled into his hand.
"What are you laughing at, huh?" snapped Briar. His face red, he turned to go, but something held him back. "Why are you sitting outside of Discipline Cottage," he inquired. The boy stopped laughing and looked around.
"I was told to come here," he replied. "But I don't know my way around here, so I didn't know where to go. But," he added cheerfully, "I guess I found it!"
"Who sent you?"
"Dedicate Crane. He told me to give this to Dedicate Rosethorn." He held out a small vial, wit a note attached.
"Rosethorn's inside," Briar informed him. "But I don't think she'll be pleased to see any messenger from Crane. I'd better go with you."
Briar led the boy in, pausing to snatch a cookie from the cooling batch on the window. He popped it into his mouth, savoring the sweetness of it.
Strolling through the door, he stopped, letting out a bellow of rage. He dived forward and tackled the strange girl who was about to touch his precious shakkan. "What do you think you're doing?" he yelled into her ear. Suddenly he saw stars as a fist rammed into his face.
Vision clearing, he saw a boy his age, one hand curled in a fist, the other holding a triumphantly grinning girl. "Don't you tackle my little sister, you hear?" he growled. The next moment he was yelping in pain as Briar brought his heel down on his foot.
"Briar!"
Lark stamped in, giving him a small slap on the hand. "Don't beat everyone up! Especially newcomers!"
"But she touched my shakkan!" complained Briar. "She could have died of the energy rush!"
"Well, you could have told her!" snapped back Lark. Her temper was short these days, as she had to work long hours to catch up on time lost because of the blizzard.
Briar glared at her, then at the still-wincing boy and the annoying girl. Grabbing his shakkan, he stomped into Rosethorn's workshop, glancing back to see that the boy was still following him. He was, though not looking completely comfortable with what he had just witnessed. Great, thought Briar, some new snobby kids coming to stay. Hope it's not for long.
Rosethorn was in the shop, cleaning and dusting. She looked up, scowling when she saw Briar's bloody nose. "What-" she began, but Briar stopped her by shoving the boy forward. He shyly handed her the note, and scampered out the door. Briar watched him go, and then looked back to Rosethorn, who was growling at the letter.
"Crane," she muttered darkly. "Always had to be better that I do. Smell the vial? Fine! I will." She brought up the vial, took one whiff, and collapsed, unconscious.
"Rosethorn!" cried Briar. He knelt next to her, trying to wake her up. His yell had summoned Tris and Lark, who took one look and, with the help of Daja, carried her into her room. Briar stood helplessly on the side while Lark did everything to wake her up.
Suddenly he got an idea. He grabbed a pail of water, and dumped it on his teacher. She sat up, looked around, saw the vial, and grabbed a piece of paper. She quickly scribbled something on it (it looked like a list), and gave it to Briar. "Give this to Crane-along with a nice whack, will you?" she murmured in his ear. He nodded, grinning back at her. She ruffled his hair and got up. He ran out the door as fast as he could.
Five minutes later, an out of breath Briar burst through the door of Crane's workshop, and ran up to him. He handed the dedicate a small scroll. "Here's Rosethorn's answer," he informed him. "As well as this," and with that, he rammed Crane in the stomach. The dedicate, winded, fell backwards, knocking down a shelf, which dumped its contents on to his head. Briar dodged the dedicates running to help him, and dashed out the door, back to Discipline, laughing all the way.
A/N No, I haven't thought of a plot yet, this was just something I started when I was supposed to be writing an essay on Lord of the Flies. Tell me if you want more, 'cause I'll write more!