Ch. 4
(AN: thanks so much for the reviews! Wow, I didn't know how nice they could be!Anyways, here's Ch. 4, as you can see, it's kinda long…I can't believe, with the whole story, I have over 27 pages! Wow! Increable! Please review…I never realized how much it meant to get good reviews till I started writing…so please, take a few minutes and review!)
The food was gone quickly. After the meal, Tris wandered off to feel the wind comng off the water. Daja discovered a vein of metal running through some boulders, and had gone to study them further. Briar and Sandry were left to their own devices at the blanket. Briar, his concentration broken by a large bird overhead, glanced over at Sandry. She looked very peaceful.
"What're ya thinking about Sandry?"
"Erm, I'm not sure…I could trace my thoughts back if you wanted…I think…yes, I believe that at the moment, I was wondering how I came to be here, with you, when a normal girl of my age would be off planning parties."
"Do you miss it? The noble life, I mean."
"No…not anymore than you would miss your life as a theif, I suppose."
"Hmmm."
"Who was that at the door the other night? One of your friends from Sotat?"
"Mmm. Beats. Not sure why he was here…something about needing my help."
"Don't we all need your help, Briar?" Sandry asked in a teasing tone.
"Of course Sandry, just as much as we need your help!" he returned.
"Hmm…" she sighed wistfully. "And how much is that? If I lived with my Uncle, I wouldn't be much help to anyone. If I lived in Namorn, I would be even less help!"
"Sandry, it's not like you to be so…erm, self-critical!"
"I know." She dismissed it with a flick of her wrist. "Just a passing realization of how much I gained by giving up my old life."
"I know what you mean..i think about that a lot. If Niko hadn't showed up at my trial…I'd be dead right now…no one lives in the mines or docks that long."
"Well, maybe we should write Niko a thank-you letter: for saving me from withering away in cold stone palaces, and you from perishing on the docks, a moral-less man."
"Funny, Sandry, very funny." The conversation died from there. Sandry twisted onto her back, closing her eyes against the harsh glare of the sun. Briar watched her for a minute, then joined her.
"Are you asleep Sandry?" Briar inquired, twisting his head towards her, avoiding the harsh glare of the sun against his unaccostomed eyes.
"mhh…" was the only answer he got. He watched for a second, before whisphering, "beautiful." Sandry's reply was to turn her body towards him, still asleep, and rest her head lightly on his chest, her arm stretched over his torso, gripping the cloth of his shirt. He smiled, and drifted back off to sleep.
Tris was the first to return. She spied the two from the crest of a hill. For a moment, she was suddenly distraught at the thought of them together, then rationalized. 'we all knew they would end up together. Besides, they look perfect lying there in each others arms…' it was the most romantic though of Tris' whole life. 'I don't want them to get embarressed…I'll go back to where I was and mind-yell at them…'
True to her word, Tris did just that.
:: SANDRY! BRIAR! IT'S GETTING LATE! WE NEED TO GO BACK! DAJA, GET BACK OVER HERE!:: Sandry and Briar woke up with a start, jumping up. They glanced shyly at each other before moving to pack up the things. Daja arrived shortly, panting from her sprint to the picnic site.
"I found the most amazing metals over there…they were simply incredible! I'd love to work with them sometime!" she gushed, obviously delighted.
"Well, at any rate, it's time to go…Sandry n'me've packed up all the stuff…" Briar glanced shyly over at Sandry. Her cheeks pinked in return.
"Alright, then, let's go." And with that, the foursome set off for Discipline.
That afternoon
The walk home had been rather strange. Throughout the whole journey, Briar and Sandry kept glancing at each other and blushing. Daja sent Tris a questioning look, who, in turn, promised an explination later.
As soon as they arrived back in Discipline, they were back to work. Briar had to, of course, weed, Tris had to dust the main room, Daja needed to sweep the whole downstairs, and Sandry had to do the laundry. As Briar, Tris, and Daja went off to complete their respective chores, Sandry went from room to room, picking up all the dirty soiled clothes. She absent- mindedly tossed them into a basket she and Lark had woven as her thoughts drifted to Briar. 'he's so perfect…I wonder…what would it take for him to…? There is the Mid-Summer Night's Eve festival coming up…will he dance with me? Will he kiss me? I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight, without his arms about me…' Sandry's thoughts trailed off in a similar fashion as she sauntered down to the stream. She carefully washed, scrubbed, and rinsed each piece of clothing. When she came to one of Briar's shirts, she held it close to her nose, and breathed in his smell. 'Bark,' she thought, 'it smells like bark…I love it.' Wondering what she smelled like, she picked up one of her dresses. It smelled distinctly of cotton blossoms (AN: ok, ok, so I
live in the south! Trust me, cotton blossoms smell good). 'Maybe it's a sign…' she wondered.
That night
Nighttime soon came. As dusk settled over the cottage, the six slowly found their ways into their beds. Sandry lay awake, thinking of Briar. She thought she would never sleep. Little did she know that a few feet away, Briar was thinking the same thing. Finally, all the inhabitants of the bungalow were asleep.
"Shut up Beats!" hissed a cruel voice. "Keep it quiet! We don't want them to know we're here!" 5 figures gathered in a bush outside of Discipline. One carried a jug of foul smelling liquid, one a few torn rags, and one a single match. It was all they could find.
Briar woke to quiet voices. 'hmm? Whassat?' Then, the acrid smell of burning gasoline hit his nose.
" FIRE" he shouted, as he tumbled out of his cocoon of bedclothes. He slipped on the wooden floor, grabbing onto Sandry's door jamb.
"FIRE SANDRY! GET OUT! C"MON!" Sandry woke with a start…the smell had reached her nose too. Briar half-stumbled up the stairs, yelling to Daja, Tris, Rosethorn, and Lark.
"FIRE! GET UP! WE HAVE TO HURRY!" as he turned to check on Sandry, a window broke, glass spilling around his bare feet. A burning rag was flung in the gaping void. The inferno quickly moved up to Sandry's beautifully woven curtains, headed for her room. Daja, Tris, Lark, and Rosethorn came stumbling down the stairs, looking at the smoky firestorm. Briar directed them outside, pointing as a sudden cough ripped through his throat. Where was Sandry? He burst into her room.
"SANDRY!"
Tris tried to find her way out of the burning house. She hadn't been able to find her spectacles. She suddenly looked up, just in time to see a beam about to fall on her! She screamed in terror, trying to sheild herself from the falling timber. She crumpled to the floor.
Daja looked around her. She had heard Tris's scream. ::TRIS!:: she called magically. She felt all around her, trying to locate Tris's stormy gray feel. Daja looked 3 feet ahead of her. There was Tris, red hair smoldering, small flames dancing on her night shift. Daja used all of her strangth to pull her up, and proceeded to drag her out of the blazing dwelling.
Rosethorn and Lark saw Daja struggling with Tris's weight. They scrambled to help her, dodging falling rafters in the collapsing house. They needed to get out quickly, or else it would disintegrate with them still inside.
Briar burst into Sandry's room.
"*SANDRY!* Get outside!"
"I can't find it, Briar!"
"What?"
"The thread, our thread!" The two scrambled through her basket of threads….Briar pulled out her green drop spindle, but they couldn't find the circle of thread with the 4 lumps in it.
"It was here when I went to bed…" Sandry said frantically.
"Don't worry, we'll find…" A portion of the ceiling crashed onto Sandry's bed. The flames grew hotter, licking at their backs. As another section right above them threatened to give way, Briar grabbed the basket and her hand, dragging the sobbing Sandry out of the inferno.
"Where's Briar and Sandry?" Lark's voice was worried, she was tending to Tris, who was lying on the ground.
"They'll be out soon…" Rosethorn's voice held a current of doubt…the house was going down rapidly.
Briar tugged Sandry's wrist over to where their friends and mentors were. She cried at the sight of Tris's smoldering hair, and gave the girl a hug. Lark reached out to Sandry. They were safe now. All of them.
That Morning
A few tired dedicates were scattered about the smoldering ruins of Discipline, poking, trying to find any belongings that were still usable.The dedicates had arrived as the fire grew to it's strongest. They had been unable to save the home, although they had tried. Tris was now at another house, getting the burnt ends of her hair cut off. Daja picked her way over to where her room had crashed down. She pushed a still smoldering chunk of wood over. She spied it…her box. With bitter happiness, she pulled it out, amazed that it was not gone.
"I found it." She said. Her voice quivered with strained joy. She had found it, but nothing else. All had been ruined.
"Dedicate Lark! Dedicate Rosethorn!" They could head Dedicate Moonstream's voice flit over the smoke. Lark and Rosethorn hurried to meet her. The three were soon joined by various other dedicates who had been helping with the ruins. They were caught up in a saddened conversation.
Briar went over to where Sandry and Daja sat, ripping through the contents of her workbag, trying to find the circle of thread. Suddenly, Daja sat up with a truimphant cry.
"I found it!" True joy settled on Sandry's face for a moment, before her desolate expression took over.
Lark came back over.
"You're going to have to live in the dormitories again. Until they can fix the house back up." She looked apologetic. Briar's face fell with the news. No doubt, he would get teased again.
"it, it might be fun," Sandry ventured, "as long as it's just temporary."
"Sure thing, saati." Daja patted Sandry's shoulder. Despite her brave words, tears threatened to overflow.
"What about clothes?"
"Well, Sandry, I guess we'll just have to…go raid the stores of fabric." Lark tried her best to be cheerful.
Sandry, Briar, Daja, and the newly shorn Tris stood at the entrance of the cafeteria (AN ??). A few faces turned around to stare at them. True to Lark's word, they had gone through Winding Circle's mounds of cloth, and Lark and Sandry had quickly sewn up several suitable articles. They were now better dressed than they had been before the fire. Almost. The four made their way through unfamiliar tables of faces, choosing one with few occupants. They sat, and began to mindspeak.
::It's crowded.:: Tris's voice was blunt.
::Hmm, sure is. Look, who is that girl? She won't quit staring at me!:: Sandry complained, nodding her head ever-so-slightly in the girls direction. Briar turned around nonchalantly, trying to get a better look at her.
::Know her, Thief Boy?:: Daja asked.
::No, I don't think so…:: Daja turned around at that point.
::She's the one you told to drink her milk like a cat, Sandry…I think so, at least.::
::You're right! She is!:: The girl in question suddenly stood up and strode over to their table. She smirked.
"So, now you're back here with the rest of us…How does it feel to have to mingle with us commoners?" Sandry didn't look up. She was trying to calm her temper down. Briar answered for her.
"Why don't you pack yourself up and leave, stupid bag." (AN stupid, I know.) The girl uttered a small squeak of protest. The snooty girl stalked back to her table with a flounce of her skirts.Sandry siged and shook her head resignedly.
::Some people will never learn…::
::Ain't that the truth, sistah!:: Briar replied with a grin.
Once the meal was over, the four trudged their way to the dormitories. Briar headed straight as the girls turned onto a dirt path.
::Good night Briar!:: Daja said cheerfully.
::night Briar.:: Tris added.
::Sweet dreams, girls. Night, sandry.::
Daja, Tris, and Sandry looked up at the menacing building. It was nothing like the friendly Discipline. Sandry bravely stepped forward and turned the doorknob. Daja and Tris fell into step behind her. A winding staircase greeted them. A few girls were wandering up and down the steps, but most were getting ready for bed. They ran into a dedicate in a pale blue robe.
"Looking for your beds, girls?"
"Yes ma'am…We arne't sure where we're supposed to be…" Daja's voice trailed off uncertainly.
"Follow me, I'll find some space for you," the dedicate said, rather coldy.
Soon, all three grils were settled in. No one had talked to them as of yet. A few had stared at Tris's cut hair, but other than that, most had heard of them, and were wary of their powers.
Bells. Briar heard bells. They reverberated, they tolled, they resounded, they clanged. He clapped his hands over his ears. 'Must be time to get up,' he mused. 'why couldn't I have gotten Sandry to wake me up again?'
The four met up at breakfast. They were discussing who might have burned down Discipline as Lark came over.
"Any of your friends in town, Briar?"
"Umm…why, Lark?"
"Dedicate Blacksand found what we think is a gang sign outside of…Discipline…it's not from around here…" Dedicate Moonstream called Lark back to the table.
"Strange," Sandry commented. "Heard anything, Briar?"
"Beats…"
"What?" Daja didn't understand.
"Beats…he was in…from Sotat…He showed up the other night…mentioned something…maybe that was it…"
Lark had sent Briar and Sandry to collect some supplies for new clothes later that afternoon. Sandry, being very particular about her fabric, took quite a while to barter for a good price on the nice fabric. As the two headed back, both laden with bolts of cloth, night began to fall.
"We'd better hurry, Briar, or we'll be in trouble!"
"I know…c'mon, can't you go any faster?" Briar's voice held a teasing note in it. As they neared Sandry's dormitory, Briar uttered a small gasp of recognition. Standing outside of the front door was…Beats.
Briar pulled Sandry around the back of the house. They could almost feel the others, when two separate pairs of hands locked onto their wrists. Sandry cried out in pain and surprise: they had grabbed her still healing wrist. Briar fought with all of his might; but they somehow knew all of his tricks. Their captors lost their patience, and both fell into darkness as the blunt end of a knife rapped on their heads.
Sandry felt her ears ringing. She tried to reach up to rub the pain out of them, but her hands were tied. Sparks of light, shooting through her still closed eyelids, pricked and pierced, causing her to moan out loud. Briar directed his attention from the road to her.
::Briar?:: She asked groggily.
::They're my gang mates…I think we're going to Sotat.:: Briar's voice was flat, devoid of all emotion.
AN: sorry it took me so long…I have to get good grades…I got an 87 in english this 6 weeks, and I need to get a 94 in chemistry in order to get an A average…idk if that's gonna happen w/o tons of studying…at least, more than I have done…so, it might take me a while to update this anymore…if you have any suggestions, please tell me!
(AN: thanks so much for the reviews! Wow, I didn't know how nice they could be!Anyways, here's Ch. 4, as you can see, it's kinda long…I can't believe, with the whole story, I have over 27 pages! Wow! Increable! Please review…I never realized how much it meant to get good reviews till I started writing…so please, take a few minutes and review!)
The food was gone quickly. After the meal, Tris wandered off to feel the wind comng off the water. Daja discovered a vein of metal running through some boulders, and had gone to study them further. Briar and Sandry were left to their own devices at the blanket. Briar, his concentration broken by a large bird overhead, glanced over at Sandry. She looked very peaceful.
"What're ya thinking about Sandry?"
"Erm, I'm not sure…I could trace my thoughts back if you wanted…I think…yes, I believe that at the moment, I was wondering how I came to be here, with you, when a normal girl of my age would be off planning parties."
"Do you miss it? The noble life, I mean."
"No…not anymore than you would miss your life as a theif, I suppose."
"Hmmm."
"Who was that at the door the other night? One of your friends from Sotat?"
"Mmm. Beats. Not sure why he was here…something about needing my help."
"Don't we all need your help, Briar?" Sandry asked in a teasing tone.
"Of course Sandry, just as much as we need your help!" he returned.
"Hmm…" she sighed wistfully. "And how much is that? If I lived with my Uncle, I wouldn't be much help to anyone. If I lived in Namorn, I would be even less help!"
"Sandry, it's not like you to be so…erm, self-critical!"
"I know." She dismissed it with a flick of her wrist. "Just a passing realization of how much I gained by giving up my old life."
"I know what you mean..i think about that a lot. If Niko hadn't showed up at my trial…I'd be dead right now…no one lives in the mines or docks that long."
"Well, maybe we should write Niko a thank-you letter: for saving me from withering away in cold stone palaces, and you from perishing on the docks, a moral-less man."
"Funny, Sandry, very funny." The conversation died from there. Sandry twisted onto her back, closing her eyes against the harsh glare of the sun. Briar watched her for a minute, then joined her.
"Are you asleep Sandry?" Briar inquired, twisting his head towards her, avoiding the harsh glare of the sun against his unaccostomed eyes.
"mhh…" was the only answer he got. He watched for a second, before whisphering, "beautiful." Sandry's reply was to turn her body towards him, still asleep, and rest her head lightly on his chest, her arm stretched over his torso, gripping the cloth of his shirt. He smiled, and drifted back off to sleep.
Tris was the first to return. She spied the two from the crest of a hill. For a moment, she was suddenly distraught at the thought of them together, then rationalized. 'we all knew they would end up together. Besides, they look perfect lying there in each others arms…' it was the most romantic though of Tris' whole life. 'I don't want them to get embarressed…I'll go back to where I was and mind-yell at them…'
True to her word, Tris did just that.
:: SANDRY! BRIAR! IT'S GETTING LATE! WE NEED TO GO BACK! DAJA, GET BACK OVER HERE!:: Sandry and Briar woke up with a start, jumping up. They glanced shyly at each other before moving to pack up the things. Daja arrived shortly, panting from her sprint to the picnic site.
"I found the most amazing metals over there…they were simply incredible! I'd love to work with them sometime!" she gushed, obviously delighted.
"Well, at any rate, it's time to go…Sandry n'me've packed up all the stuff…" Briar glanced shyly over at Sandry. Her cheeks pinked in return.
"Alright, then, let's go." And with that, the foursome set off for Discipline.
That afternoon
The walk home had been rather strange. Throughout the whole journey, Briar and Sandry kept glancing at each other and blushing. Daja sent Tris a questioning look, who, in turn, promised an explination later.
As soon as they arrived back in Discipline, they were back to work. Briar had to, of course, weed, Tris had to dust the main room, Daja needed to sweep the whole downstairs, and Sandry had to do the laundry. As Briar, Tris, and Daja went off to complete their respective chores, Sandry went from room to room, picking up all the dirty soiled clothes. She absent- mindedly tossed them into a basket she and Lark had woven as her thoughts drifted to Briar. 'he's so perfect…I wonder…what would it take for him to…? There is the Mid-Summer Night's Eve festival coming up…will he dance with me? Will he kiss me? I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight, without his arms about me…' Sandry's thoughts trailed off in a similar fashion as she sauntered down to the stream. She carefully washed, scrubbed, and rinsed each piece of clothing. When she came to one of Briar's shirts, she held it close to her nose, and breathed in his smell. 'Bark,' she thought, 'it smells like bark…I love it.' Wondering what she smelled like, she picked up one of her dresses. It smelled distinctly of cotton blossoms (AN: ok, ok, so I
live in the south! Trust me, cotton blossoms smell good). 'Maybe it's a sign…' she wondered.
That night
Nighttime soon came. As dusk settled over the cottage, the six slowly found their ways into their beds. Sandry lay awake, thinking of Briar. She thought she would never sleep. Little did she know that a few feet away, Briar was thinking the same thing. Finally, all the inhabitants of the bungalow were asleep.
"Shut up Beats!" hissed a cruel voice. "Keep it quiet! We don't want them to know we're here!" 5 figures gathered in a bush outside of Discipline. One carried a jug of foul smelling liquid, one a few torn rags, and one a single match. It was all they could find.
Briar woke to quiet voices. 'hmm? Whassat?' Then, the acrid smell of burning gasoline hit his nose.
" FIRE" he shouted, as he tumbled out of his cocoon of bedclothes. He slipped on the wooden floor, grabbing onto Sandry's door jamb.
"FIRE SANDRY! GET OUT! C"MON!" Sandry woke with a start…the smell had reached her nose too. Briar half-stumbled up the stairs, yelling to Daja, Tris, Rosethorn, and Lark.
"FIRE! GET UP! WE HAVE TO HURRY!" as he turned to check on Sandry, a window broke, glass spilling around his bare feet. A burning rag was flung in the gaping void. The inferno quickly moved up to Sandry's beautifully woven curtains, headed for her room. Daja, Tris, Lark, and Rosethorn came stumbling down the stairs, looking at the smoky firestorm. Briar directed them outside, pointing as a sudden cough ripped through his throat. Where was Sandry? He burst into her room.
"SANDRY!"
Tris tried to find her way out of the burning house. She hadn't been able to find her spectacles. She suddenly looked up, just in time to see a beam about to fall on her! She screamed in terror, trying to sheild herself from the falling timber. She crumpled to the floor.
Daja looked around her. She had heard Tris's scream. ::TRIS!:: she called magically. She felt all around her, trying to locate Tris's stormy gray feel. Daja looked 3 feet ahead of her. There was Tris, red hair smoldering, small flames dancing on her night shift. Daja used all of her strangth to pull her up, and proceeded to drag her out of the blazing dwelling.
Rosethorn and Lark saw Daja struggling with Tris's weight. They scrambled to help her, dodging falling rafters in the collapsing house. They needed to get out quickly, or else it would disintegrate with them still inside.
Briar burst into Sandry's room.
"*SANDRY!* Get outside!"
"I can't find it, Briar!"
"What?"
"The thread, our thread!" The two scrambled through her basket of threads….Briar pulled out her green drop spindle, but they couldn't find the circle of thread with the 4 lumps in it.
"It was here when I went to bed…" Sandry said frantically.
"Don't worry, we'll find…" A portion of the ceiling crashed onto Sandry's bed. The flames grew hotter, licking at their backs. As another section right above them threatened to give way, Briar grabbed the basket and her hand, dragging the sobbing Sandry out of the inferno.
"Where's Briar and Sandry?" Lark's voice was worried, she was tending to Tris, who was lying on the ground.
"They'll be out soon…" Rosethorn's voice held a current of doubt…the house was going down rapidly.
Briar tugged Sandry's wrist over to where their friends and mentors were. She cried at the sight of Tris's smoldering hair, and gave the girl a hug. Lark reached out to Sandry. They were safe now. All of them.
That Morning
A few tired dedicates were scattered about the smoldering ruins of Discipline, poking, trying to find any belongings that were still usable.The dedicates had arrived as the fire grew to it's strongest. They had been unable to save the home, although they had tried. Tris was now at another house, getting the burnt ends of her hair cut off. Daja picked her way over to where her room had crashed down. She pushed a still smoldering chunk of wood over. She spied it…her box. With bitter happiness, she pulled it out, amazed that it was not gone.
"I found it." She said. Her voice quivered with strained joy. She had found it, but nothing else. All had been ruined.
"Dedicate Lark! Dedicate Rosethorn!" They could head Dedicate Moonstream's voice flit over the smoke. Lark and Rosethorn hurried to meet her. The three were soon joined by various other dedicates who had been helping with the ruins. They were caught up in a saddened conversation.
Briar went over to where Sandry and Daja sat, ripping through the contents of her workbag, trying to find the circle of thread. Suddenly, Daja sat up with a truimphant cry.
"I found it!" True joy settled on Sandry's face for a moment, before her desolate expression took over.
Lark came back over.
"You're going to have to live in the dormitories again. Until they can fix the house back up." She looked apologetic. Briar's face fell with the news. No doubt, he would get teased again.
"it, it might be fun," Sandry ventured, "as long as it's just temporary."
"Sure thing, saati." Daja patted Sandry's shoulder. Despite her brave words, tears threatened to overflow.
"What about clothes?"
"Well, Sandry, I guess we'll just have to…go raid the stores of fabric." Lark tried her best to be cheerful.
Sandry, Briar, Daja, and the newly shorn Tris stood at the entrance of the cafeteria (AN ??). A few faces turned around to stare at them. True to Lark's word, they had gone through Winding Circle's mounds of cloth, and Lark and Sandry had quickly sewn up several suitable articles. They were now better dressed than they had been before the fire. Almost. The four made their way through unfamiliar tables of faces, choosing one with few occupants. They sat, and began to mindspeak.
::It's crowded.:: Tris's voice was blunt.
::Hmm, sure is. Look, who is that girl? She won't quit staring at me!:: Sandry complained, nodding her head ever-so-slightly in the girls direction. Briar turned around nonchalantly, trying to get a better look at her.
::Know her, Thief Boy?:: Daja asked.
::No, I don't think so…:: Daja turned around at that point.
::She's the one you told to drink her milk like a cat, Sandry…I think so, at least.::
::You're right! She is!:: The girl in question suddenly stood up and strode over to their table. She smirked.
"So, now you're back here with the rest of us…How does it feel to have to mingle with us commoners?" Sandry didn't look up. She was trying to calm her temper down. Briar answered for her.
"Why don't you pack yourself up and leave, stupid bag." (AN stupid, I know.) The girl uttered a small squeak of protest. The snooty girl stalked back to her table with a flounce of her skirts.Sandry siged and shook her head resignedly.
::Some people will never learn…::
::Ain't that the truth, sistah!:: Briar replied with a grin.
Once the meal was over, the four trudged their way to the dormitories. Briar headed straight as the girls turned onto a dirt path.
::Good night Briar!:: Daja said cheerfully.
::night Briar.:: Tris added.
::Sweet dreams, girls. Night, sandry.::
Daja, Tris, and Sandry looked up at the menacing building. It was nothing like the friendly Discipline. Sandry bravely stepped forward and turned the doorknob. Daja and Tris fell into step behind her. A winding staircase greeted them. A few girls were wandering up and down the steps, but most were getting ready for bed. They ran into a dedicate in a pale blue robe.
"Looking for your beds, girls?"
"Yes ma'am…We arne't sure where we're supposed to be…" Daja's voice trailed off uncertainly.
"Follow me, I'll find some space for you," the dedicate said, rather coldy.
Soon, all three grils were settled in. No one had talked to them as of yet. A few had stared at Tris's cut hair, but other than that, most had heard of them, and were wary of their powers.
Bells. Briar heard bells. They reverberated, they tolled, they resounded, they clanged. He clapped his hands over his ears. 'Must be time to get up,' he mused. 'why couldn't I have gotten Sandry to wake me up again?'
The four met up at breakfast. They were discussing who might have burned down Discipline as Lark came over.
"Any of your friends in town, Briar?"
"Umm…why, Lark?"
"Dedicate Blacksand found what we think is a gang sign outside of…Discipline…it's not from around here…" Dedicate Moonstream called Lark back to the table.
"Strange," Sandry commented. "Heard anything, Briar?"
"Beats…"
"What?" Daja didn't understand.
"Beats…he was in…from Sotat…He showed up the other night…mentioned something…maybe that was it…"
Lark had sent Briar and Sandry to collect some supplies for new clothes later that afternoon. Sandry, being very particular about her fabric, took quite a while to barter for a good price on the nice fabric. As the two headed back, both laden with bolts of cloth, night began to fall.
"We'd better hurry, Briar, or we'll be in trouble!"
"I know…c'mon, can't you go any faster?" Briar's voice held a teasing note in it. As they neared Sandry's dormitory, Briar uttered a small gasp of recognition. Standing outside of the front door was…Beats.
Briar pulled Sandry around the back of the house. They could almost feel the others, when two separate pairs of hands locked onto their wrists. Sandry cried out in pain and surprise: they had grabbed her still healing wrist. Briar fought with all of his might; but they somehow knew all of his tricks. Their captors lost their patience, and both fell into darkness as the blunt end of a knife rapped on their heads.
Sandry felt her ears ringing. She tried to reach up to rub the pain out of them, but her hands were tied. Sparks of light, shooting through her still closed eyelids, pricked and pierced, causing her to moan out loud. Briar directed his attention from the road to her.
::Briar?:: She asked groggily.
::They're my gang mates…I think we're going to Sotat.:: Briar's voice was flat, devoid of all emotion.
AN: sorry it took me so long…I have to get good grades…I got an 87 in english this 6 weeks, and I need to get a 94 in chemistry in order to get an A average…idk if that's gonna happen w/o tons of studying…at least, more than I have done…so, it might take me a while to update this anymore…if you have any suggestions, please tell me!