Lady Sandrilene fa Toren looked up from her loom. She had been weaving for a while now, and it just wasn't coming together right. Her lips came together in a tight line of frustration. Lark walked unnoticed into the room and stood behind her student. "You're not focusing, Sandry. Focus solely on the weaving, and it'll work. Just focus."
Sandry looked up at her teacher. Lark was kind and even tempered and everything a good teacher should be. Lark helped Sandry to finish her weaving. "Wonderful," Lark complimented.
"Sandry, I have to leave for a while. I'll be gone a few weeks. Niko and Tris and myself are going to attend a meeting at Lightsbridge. Don't worry," the teacher added when Sandry frowned. "I promise you won't be left alone. It's only for a little while."
Nodding, Sandry thanked Lark and then sought out Daja. After recounting what Lark had told her, Daja responded sadly. "Saati, I'm leaving too. Frostpine is taking me to Namorn to figure out what's melting the lake. We're leaving tomorrow."
"Can't I come? I mean, why do I have to be stuck her with Briar and Rosethorn?"
"You can't go with me because Frostpine and I will be staying with the T'shaw, and it was already hard enough for Frostpine to get them to let me stay near them. It's going to be tense enough, and the work will be dangerous, so you can't go. I sure wish you could, though, saati." Daja finished.
Sandry's heart dropped. This would be the first time, other than when Rosethorn and Briar were in quarantine, that the four would be separated. When Sandry mentioned this, Daja told her, "Yes, but we can communicate telepathically remember. Anything interesting happens—anything at all—and you tell Tris or me. We might not really be here, but we'll be in your mind. Plus, Briar can keep you company."
Sandry hugged her friend and then sought out Briar. "Briar," she greeted, finding him outside, "Everyone's leaving. It's just going to be me'n you'n Little Bear'n Rosethorn."
"Actually," a strong female voice interrupted, "Dedicate Crane and myself are also leaving. We're going to Gold Ridge Valley. We think we've found a way to help the local foliage replenish itself without causing any more forest fires. At least for a while, anyway." The voice belonged to Rosethorn, and she was always meant to be taken seriously.
Briar questioned her nonetheless. "But why can't I go. I could help, you know. I've gotten stronger. I can help, really I can."
"You're staying here. That's all."
"But why? What good can I possibly do here?"
"You can keep the garden tended, and you can keep Sandry company. We're not going to leave her alone. You're not needed with us, but you are needed here. Now, stop asking questions and finish pruning." When she had finished speaking, Rosethorn turned and walked back into Discepline Cottage, presumably to being packing.
At dawn the next morning, Lark, Niko, and Tris set off for Lightsbridge. Crane came to Discepline not an hour later, and he and Rosethorn departed. Right before noon, Frostpine and Daja left for Namorn. Sandry felt left out, knowing that the latter two would probably be paying a visit to her relative, the Empress of Namorn.
The house was soon empty. Sandry missed her friends, but was glad she had Briar and Little Bear still. However glad she was to have Briar there, those feelings were clouded by Sandry's confusion about their relationship. While they had always been friends, Sandry had always held inside her something more for him.
After everyone had left, Briar had gone to tend the garden for a few hours. At about lunchtime, he went to find Sandry so they could eat together. He wandered into Lark's workroom, and there was Sandry. It was obvious that she was frustrated with her weaving. Realizing that Lark was not there to help her with the loom, Sandry sighed and looked up from it. Briar was standing a few feet in front of her, a sympathetic frown on his face. Not wanting to talk, Sandry told him harshly, "I'll be on the roof."
Following her determinedly, Briar climbed skillfully out his window and onto the roof. Sandry was sitting there just as she had said she would be. As he moved to sit down beside her, Sandry burst into tears, sobbing heavily. Briar sighed and then listened for a moment. Sure enough, she was mumbling something to herself. At first Briar thought it was just nonsensical rambling, but as he listened closer she could be heard saying, "I can't do it. Not all by myself. They've abandoned me. I am so alone…"
"Hey," Briar said as he embraced her. "You're never alone. I'll always be here. Always. You can depend on me. I'll help you the best I can."
Though Briar smiled innocently at first, after a moment of glancing at each other the look turned into a stare. Suddenly, he brought his mouth down to hers to capture her lips in a chaste kiss. Holding the kiss for a few moments, he was surprised to find that she wasn't resisting him, pushing him away. She was kissing him back.
He pulled away slowly, almost afraid to look at her face for fear of seeing regret in her eyes. Instead of waiting for Briar to say something, Sandry took the initiative and inquired, "So, does this mean you… I mean…do you have…you know…how exactly do you feel about me?"
He held her eyes with his, and shakily told her, "I've, well, I've liked you for a long time, Sandry. Not liked as in how I feel about Daja and Tris. With you, there's something different. Something more special. I think I might love you. I guess I always have."
The second he finished speaking she pulled him towards her, almost harshly, and kissed him hard on the mouth. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she deepened the kiss to the point where they had lost their footing on the roof. Grasping to regain their balance, Sandry spoke first. "Well, I'm just glad we feel the same way about each other. Do you want to go inside before we fall and break out necks?"
"Sure," Briar agreed as it began to rain. "We can finish this inside."
They climbed back in through Briar's window. Barely wet as they were, Briar began to shiver. Noticing this, Sandry led him to her room, where she sat down and closed her eyes in concentration. Wondering what she was doing, Briar asked softly, "What are you--?"
"I'm calling the sheets and blankets to form a sort of cocoon to keep us warm. I'm almost done." Sure enough, Sandry's bed sheets and a few blankets Briar noticed had come from all over the house had floated together and settled in a cocoon shape on Sandry's bed.
"Come on," Sandry beckoned, standing up and climbing into the mess of cloth. Briar hesitantly climbed in with her and the fabrics immediately clung to both of their bodies until they were nestled in deeply.
It was comfortable, and they snuggled together, holding each other. "How long have you felt this way, Briar?
"I think, a while ago I felt more than friendly. I just never thought that you might feel the same."
"These past few years have been… interesting to say the least. So many wonderful things have happened, and so many terrible things too. We've all grown up so much."
"I had to grow up fast anyway though; living on the street and having a pickpocket as a profession isn't exactly the best way to have a childhood."
"Neither is royalty. I was always required to be different than everyone else. More sophisticated, as my tutor used to tell me. I wanted to be like everyone else. And then, with my parents' deaths…I was forced into adulthood too early."
"Growing up does have its advantages, though, Sandry." Briar stated, changing the tone of the conversation from somber to flirtatious.
"True," Sandry agreed, kissing Briar sweetly. The embrace turned more passionate for a few minutes until Briar broke away slowly.
"What do you want to do about the others?" he asked.
"I don't know," she replied, pondering it. "I mean, I'm so happy right now I feel like telling all of Winding Circle how I feel, but at the same time I just want to have you all to myself. You know what I mean?"
"I do. But, seeing as Daja and Tris will probably find out somehow anyway, we should just tell them and get it over with."
"Yeah, you're right. They should know. I hope it doesn't change out friendship. I want them to be happy for us."
"And they will be," Briar comforted her with a smile. "But we don't have to tell them now, do we?"
"Oh no, Briar. I want us to enjoy this for a little bit first." She smiled, and pulled him towards her. "We can tell them tomorrow," she said aloud, and the continued telepathically, like this.
Fin.