A/N: I wrote this one day out of complete and utter boredom. So I decided to post it up. It's kind of really short but that's okay. It really doesn't have a point to it. I didn't proofread this, but whatever.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Circle of Magic quartet. Tamora Pierce does and she's a genius.

Rooftops

Circle of Magic

By Chibimoot

Briar yawned loudly as he stretched out on the roof of Discipline. The sun was setting brilliantly over Winding Circle and the mages, novices and dedicates of the temple area where all rushing to get to where they needed to be for the evening. He could just make out Sandry, Tris, Daja, Lark and Rosethorn returning from the baths that evening. Little Bear trotted with them, often getting under foot and almost making Daja trip. Briar snickered as he saw this. It made him glad that he had returned from the baths early that day and Niko hadn't been around to make him wait for the girls.

Folding his arms behind his head, Briar turned his attention back to the sky. He wasn't sure why, but ever since coming to Discipline and Winding Circle he had enjoyed watching the sunset. Normally, Sandry, Daja and Tris would be up here with him, but for some reason they had been late returning from the baths. Turning his attention back to the group heading for the cottage, Briar could see that Sandry, Daja, and Tris were heading back alone. Lark and Rosethorn had been stopped on their way by Frostpine, and were now deep in conversation. Sandry, Daja and Tris went through the gate of Discipline's grounds. Sandry seemed to notice Briar first and waved to him. Briar merely stuck his tongue out at her and she did the same in return as the three girls headed inside.

It was another five minutes or so before the girls climbed up onto the roof with him. They sat on either side of him: Sandry to his left and Daja and Tris to his right. They remained in relative silence, Tris sneezing occasionally. Lark and Rosethorn had entered Discipline by then. Lark called up to them to make sure they were in bed at a good hour for the next morning's lessons. Sandry was the only one to reply, and that with only a simple 'yes'.

"What took you guys so long?" Briar suddenly asked, breaking the silence. The three girls turned their attention to him.

"Some crazy lady in the bath was making a fuss," Tris replied bluntly. Briar snickered.

"Who was she?" he asked, wanting more details.

"Some 'amazing' mage who's visiting us on her way to Summersea," Daja said, picking at some thatch on the roof. "I don't know why, really. She was just going insane there."

"She was freaking out about something," Tris added. "Or someone. We couldn't quite understand what she was saying with all the screaming she did."

"She was flailing a lot," Daja said, grinning. "It was kind of funny." Briar burst into laughter and sat up. Sandry sighed but a smile lingered on her lips. She tugged on one of her braids.

"You guys are mean," she said though her tone said she found it funny too. "You shouldn't make fun of our elders that way."

"Some of our elders are stupid," Briar informed her. "So, it's only right that we make fun of them."

"I'm not going to argue with him there," Daja commented casually. Tris merely nodded in agreement. A squawk came from within the cottage and Rosethorn's voice suddenly vibrated up to them.

"Tris! Feed that bird of yours!"

Tris grumbled darkly under her breath before standing up, brushing her skirts of wrinkles. She mumbled a goodnight to them, which they returned, and she climbed down the ladder back into the cottage. Briar, Sandry and Daja watched her leave before looking back at the sky. It was almost completely dark, telling them how much time they had spent up there already. Once again, the three fell into silence, listening only to the sounds of Tris' bird down in the cottage and Rosethorn telling her to shush it up. Once the sun had completely disappeared below the horizon on the opposite end of Winding Circle, Daja stood up.

"I'm going to bed," she announced. Both the others looked up at her. "I'll see you in the morning. Briar, you better be up early. It's your turn to make breakfast." Briar scowled at her.

"I know that!" he snapped before looking back at the sky. Daja smiled; she had received her desired reaction.

"Well, I see you in the morning." Daja turned around and headed to the ladder, climbing back into the cottage. Sandry called a goodnight after her.

"You going to bed yet?" Briar asked, looking over at her. Sandry glanced at him and tugged on one of her braids.

"I guess so," she murmured. She brushed the wrinkles out of her dress and stood up. She looked down at him as he stared up at her. "What about you? Daja's right; you need to get up early so you can help Lark with breakfast." Briar sighed, annoyed that he was being reminded again.

"I know, I know," he muttered. "I'll go to bed soon."

"Alright. Goodnight, Briar." Sandry headed to the ladder and climbed down into the cottage, much like Daja and Tris had. Voices came up through the opening to the roof; Briar recognized Lark's and Rosethorn's voices easily. They were talking to someone else. Straining his ears a little, he realized that Niko must have entered Discipline without any of them noticing.

'Whatever they're talking about must be important,' he thought to himself, crawling to the ladder. 'I think I'll eavesdrop.'

//END