Disclaimer: Jian's mine, but unless I've suddenly become Tamora Pierce, the rest isn't.
Chapter 4 - Housemates: Jian wasn't a lone boarder for long. The very next morning, an Air dedicate brought a boy to live there. He was tall for being the same age as Jian, with coarse-cut black hair, gold-brown skin, and gray-green eyes. His name was Briar Moss, and he was apparently a former thief. He was also very rude, and told Jian in no uncertain terms to keep away from him. Jian was only too happy to do so. Boys made her nervous.
Another boarder came the following afternoon. A tall black girl, in a crimson tunic and leggings, with an ebony staff. She was obviously a Trader. Daja Kisubo, as she called herself, was nice enough, though quiet. Like most Traders, she was proud, and seemed scornful of those who were not her people. Jian didn't mind her; at least she was easier to get along with than Briar.
The day after Daja's arrival, Jian was sitting outside on the slab of rock that served Discipline as a step, fingering her talisman, when three people came up the road. She recognized the tall man; it was Niko. She waved and he waved back. He'd brought two more girls to live with them. Their names were Trisana (Tris) Chandler, whom Jian recognized from her dormitory, and Lady Sandrilene (Sandry) fa Toren. Briar wasn't happy to see two more girls arrive, and had no problem vocalizing his opinion. Daja, however, didn't seem upset to see more people ; on the contrary, she and Sandry were apparently already acquainted and were happy to see each other. Jian went upstairs and quickly hid in her room when Daja showed Tris around. "You can have one of these two rooms," Daja was telling the redhead, "but the last one's taken."
"That's yours, then?" the redhead wanted to know.
"No, it's Jian's. You probably won't see much of her; she's pretty shy. So which do you want, merchant girl?" Jian, listening at the door, went red. It was true, she was shy, but Daja didn't have to broadcast it! It was pretty obvious.
Soon Lark had called them down for midday. Jian found herself sharing a bench with Tris and Briar. Niko shared with Sandry and Daja while Lark and Rosethorn sat on the stools. The conversation made it apparent that the five children had more in common than their new address; Niko had brought them all there. Sandry asked Briar, Tris, and Jian if that were true, and they all said yes. Briar and Tris seemed annoyed by the noble girl's curiosity; Jian brushed it off and fled upstairs again. Not much later, she overheard a conversation between Sandry and Tris. The noble was trying to give the redhead something, and Tris was being mean to her, asking her how she could forget her place. Jian felt chilled. Tris sounded like the people back home. She wondered where the merchant girl was from.
There was a knock on her own door. "You won't bite my head off for being nice, will you?" Sandry asked. Jian shook her head. Sandry looked relieved.
"Good. Do you want this?" She held out a roll of cream-colored cloth. "I went a bit... crazy over the winter. With embroidery, and such. I have all these hangings, more than I'll ever need. I thought you might like one." Jian took the cloth and mumbled a thank-you. Sandry was way too outgoing for her tastes. "Sure," Sandry said, and she left. Jian could hear her talking to Daja on the stairs. Curious, she unrolled the cloth. It was an embroidered picture of a sunset, or maybe a sunrise, over the ocean. It was hard to tell. But it was beautiful. Touched, Jian hung it from her wall, across from the window so the light would slant over it and so it would be like a second window. After it was hung to her satisfaction, she lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She wasn't sure what life would be like now. She'd been able to avoid Daja and Briar, as well as Lark and Rosethorn; now, with the house filled, avoiding others would be a lot harder. But she was good at it, and would most likely continue to keep back.
A/N: R&R!