Disclaimer: "We are the sum of our experiences" and as such, these characters and places belong to Tamora Pierce, for without her I could never have written this.
First Fanfic. Please R & R. Danke.
A New Name
"Wait, what did you say!" Roared Briar. "That I have to GO BACK? Do you have any idea how far we've gone, how close we are to Yanjing?!"
"There's nothing else to do…" Rosethorn weakly replied, words failing her for the first time ever. "We've never had a mage control two separate gifts, although perhaps this is a portion of Tris' magic pulled into you by some extenuating circumstance, actually this explains…"
"I DON'T CARE! I'm not leaving!" Briar roared again. "I can control whatever this is, we're almost out of the desert anyway. And why can't you simply train me in weather, I mean I'm training Evvy in stone!"
"You aren't listening, this is not normal… and weather magic the most variable and dangerous of magics, something I know nothing about. How you managed to acquire a magic so random and at odds with the balance of nature is beyond me!" Rosethorn retorted.
"Since when did my mates and I ever act normally?!" quipped Briar.
"Do you want to hurt anyone?!"
"Rain never hurt nobody!"
Evvy, seeing the intercourse starting to escalate darted to her pack and quickly pulled out two unflattering dark rocks. The insanity of the exchange picked up, threatening to out-roar the thunder outside, a thunder that Evvy evidently thought was quite dangerous and certainly linked to Briar. She thrust the stones into Briar's and Rosethorn's hands, and watched as they both blinked, and fell silent.
"Now I've just given you my happy stones!" Evvy chirped, not put out the least by the two intense glares leveled in her direction. "You both better behave!" Evvy sternly continued, her fingers crossed behind her back. She hopped fervently that Rosethorn wouldn't bite her nose off.
Unfortunately for Evvy, she could not have expected what would happen. She watched solemnly as first Rosethorn, then Briar cracked smilies, grinned, and started laughing outright at a forlornly unhappy Evvy, who was completely taken aback.
Rosethorn patted her back "You teaching manners…" She gasped.
After a while, Briar finally spoke, scratching his head with one hand, patting his apparently pained stomach with the other. "Actually how about I learn in Yanjing?" He inquired. "I was joking when I told Master Stoneslicer that I would be enrolling Evvy at school in her homeland, but now that I think about it, we could both study there together, and it would be extremely safe if something out of ordinary occurred!"
Evvy didn't quite catch the rest of the passage, almost fainting with relief at Briar saying he was joking about leaving Evvy in Yanjing. Her stomach gave a slight lurch, and a bit of her was quite furious at the deception.
"Interesting thought" Rosethorn replied in a restrained voice, "But I will have to warn you that the schools here operate differently, very differently… But they do start mage children a bit later here, even though you'll certainly be the eldest in your class.
"I'd be a kid again, not treated like an adult?" Briar grimaced, suddenly wishing he had flaunted his mage medallion more, a sign that he was a fully fledged graduate.
Rosethorn nodded and pointed to Evvy, "You my dear will probably be regarded as a young prodigy, seeing as how they never let anyone your age in."
Evvy grinned "But they wouldn't dare say no to you Rosethorn!"
"Ahem," Rosethorn continued "… and Briar you will keep that mastery in plant magic medallion hidden" Briar grinned slightly as he filed away that tidbit of information – Rosethorn never told him much about his credentials, apparently he had a mastery! And then he frowned at Evvy's once again, happy countenance. About to ask Rosethorn whether he could use plant magic – he was cut short. "And above all, if you don't want to go back to Discipline Cottage in Emelan" Rosethorn threatened, "Do NOT let out that you have plant magic, you are JUST a new, ignorant student in weather magic, we don't want to end up attracting attention, that we don't want!"
"What! So this means I can't be Briar Moss?!" replied an astonished Briar.
"Exactly, I imagine the stories of you destroying nobles houses, wrecking armies, would make you quite a valuable catch for some Slum Lord in Yanjing. In fact, they might just kidnap Evvy to coerce you into solve some of Yanjing's problems…." Rosethorn thought a bit, "… Yes I think its best you keep a low profile."
"So then who exactly am I now?" Wondered Briar aloud…
