Chapter 3

"Miss, it would be a lot easier for us all if you would come down!" The man was calling up the chimney again. I had been sitting up here for at least half an hour and hadn't budged an inch.

"Will you at least tell us your name?" That was the other girl on the roof. Her voice was soft and gentle, but I still didn't trust her.

"Why so you can kill me?" I called up to her, "or to become your mindless slave?"

"What?" It was practically in unison, kind of creepy if you ask me.

"Why would we do that?" I heard the boy below me ask.

"Cause you're mages," I said mater of fact-ly, "it's what you do."

"Daja, aren't some Trader groups afraid of mages?" This was the man, Niko. He seemed to be the leader.

"Yes, but this girl isn't a Trader," This was another girl, but her voice was rough. "She's much to pale, and even if she had been adopted, she would have a staff, which we didn't find on the beach."

"I know one way to find out for sure if she's a Trader." This was the boy, I heard him whispering to someone.

"Alright," That was the rough girl, Daja. "Hey, kaq, why don't you come down?"

I picked a small stone off of the wall and threw it down in her direction. I heard it hit the floor and the boy laughing.

"Briar, that doesn't prove anything," said the gentle voiced girl, "I knew Trader talk and I'm not a Trader."

"Very true." The people started to laugh and talk about the past, when they were younger, until someone cleared their throat.

"I believe we are trying to get the young lady down," said Niko.

"Oh right!" I heard footsteps toward the fireplace and scooted closer to the wall. The boy who had been sleeping on the floor poked his head through the fireplace and looked up at me.

"How about this, I'll tell you my name, you tell me yours. Every question we ask you, we will also answer. Then will you answer us?"

I watched him closely, "Perhaps."

"All right, I'll go first." Briar said. "My name is Briar Moss and I am a green mage, dealing with plants."

"I am Niklaren Goldeye, and I can track down magic and young mages."

"I'm Daja Kisubo and I am a smith mage, I work with metals."

"My name is Sandrilene fa Toren, but please call me Sandry, and I am a thread mage."

"I'm Tris, actually Trisana, Chandler and I'm a weather mage, who is loosing her patience."

I smiled slightly at this, she reminded me of my friend's mother.

"Will you tell us your name?" That was Briar.

"Tivoni," I whispered, hoping they wouldn't hear.

"Tivoni? What an unusual name." Said Tris from above me.

"I used to live on the streets in Harja and worked in the Lightning Group for the Thief-Lord. Where are you from?"

"The seas," I answered simply.

"You're not a Trader are you?" inquired Daja.

"No."

"What are you then?"

I fell silent again, fearful that if I told them too much they would be able to capture me.

"Will you please speak to us?" called Sandry from above.

There was silence again as they waited for my answer.

"All right, let's try this." I heard boots being pulled off and saw Briar beneath me again. "If you don't come down, then I'm coming up."

I braced myself against the chimney walls, trying to pull myself into them so he couldn't get me.

"Why do you want me to come down so badly?"

Briar laughed. "I don't know about the others, but I'm hungry and I bet you are too. We were to be graced today by Tris's infamous breakfast, but she needs to light the fire, and we don't dare try that with you up here. So will you please come down?"

I pondered his words for a moment.

"If I'm hungry, I don't know what you are. You haven't eaten in at least a day, probably more; I'm surprised you haven't passed out yet."

I gripped the wall tighter as I fought a wave of dizziness that fell over me.

"Promise you won't make me a mindless slave? Or take my soul?"

I heard him snicker slightly, "Promise, now let me help you down."

Briar pulled himself up into the chimney, just far enough to be able to keep a firm hold on my as I climbed down.

"See, now we aren't so bad, are we?" Briar asked as he pulled me out from the chimney.

I looked down at myself and found I was covered from head to toe in soot. I started to brush some of it off as I stood in the fireplace, but was stopped.

"Don't worry," It was Daja, she was tall and muscular, with bronzed skin and dark hair pulled into braids. "I come home covered in soot from the forge all the time. Ill let you clean up in my room, I have a tub."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After I had been scrubbed clean and dressed in my own clothes, we went down for breakfast. There were two other ladies down there that I hadn't met.

"So this is our chimney sweep," said one, as she came to meet me.

"Tivoni, this is Dedicates Lark and Rosethorn." Daja introduced me as I stood from my chair. "They are the mages in charge of Discipline."

"Nice to meet you." I said, keeping just out of reach as I bowed. It was the traditional bow for meeting adult strangers, but everyone stared at me when I can up.

"What? Please don't steal my soul!" I cried, backing away from them all.

"No, no, it's not that." Said Niko, "I just… I've seen that bow before, but I can't remember where…"

"Niko, not here," reminded Sandry, bringing Niko out of his thoughts. "Let us eat. I am surprised this girl has not fainted from lack of food yet. Come sit, sit."

I sat back down, only to notice that Rosethorn was staring at me oddly. I squirmed under her gaze, suddenly uncomfortable.

"You haven't fainted? How could that be, you haven't had food for at least a day." She questioned me.

"I'm used to not eating much; my aunts are constantly worrying about our rations on the ship. We only get enough to keep us alive and working; it's in case we run into a storm and don't get to port at the time we thought."

"So you live on a ship?" pushed Daja, she seemed eager. "Where are you from?"

"I… I don't really know. The only home I had known was on that ship, I don't even think my uncle knows what country we are from."

"You don't? What do you do for money?"

I paused for a second; surely it would be unwise to say that my family was a gang of pirates. That would be very stupid.

"You could say we're like Traders, we pick up goods from one country and then sell it in another."

"Really? Interesting…" Niko was talking to himself again. "What did you say your last name was?"

"I-I didn't say… but I don't even know what it is…"

"You don't know? Why not?" This was Sandry; I could see she couldn't believe anybody not knowing his or her heritage.

"Well, my parents died when I was three years old. My uncle is only called Captain or Uncle, the same with everyone else except my cousins, which you call by first name. But I wasn't going to risk my life by asking a stupid question, at least that's what Uncle would call it."

"Why where you so scared of us?" asked Tris, her eyes hard under her spectacles.

I fidgeted again. It seemed Tris had asked the question everyone had been thinking, but was too kind to ask.

"I was always told that mages would enslave anyone they saw. If they didn't enslave you, they would kill you or worst."

"What could be worst than death?"

"Lots of things."