Disclaimer: If it were mine, there would be more than one book every four bloody years (Stepping Stones doesn't count since it was available on audio cassette and CD in 2005.)

Tris was starting to wonder why Nariss hadn't come to pester her yet today. Not that she wanted him to bother her but she was starting to get used to it. Mila, what was wrong with her? She huffed angrily and snapped her eyes shut.

Nariss chose that moment, of course, to come pester her. "Hi, Mistress Chandler."

Not bothering to open her eyes, she growled, "What do you want now?"

"I wanted to ask you about the dragon creature."

Tris opened her eyes and looked down at him. "Chime?"

"Yeah." He smiled brightly. "I mean, I know she's not a real dragon but how did she come to exist?"

"Bad magic skills."

"Pardon?"

She heaved a sigh. She actually didn't mind explaining this but she had to be careful not to expose herself as one of the four ambient mages that did crazy and impossible things by the time they were eleven and more besides as they grew up. Nariss was probably already suspicious since she'd been taught by the Niklaren Goldeye. Finally she said, "A friend of mine is a glass mage. He had very little control of his power at the time I met him. He was born with so little magic that he found it unnecessary to bother with wards. He didn't know that after he'd been struck by lightning that his power had been amplified as well as being tied together with the lightning magic he'd come to possess. Anyway, he was carelessly pulling magic from everywhere around the shop. When I interrupted, the lightning and magic spilled out of his blow pipe and formed into Chime."

Nariss stared up at her enraptured. That kind of weird power was amazing. He could weave words, they could protect, heal, create emotion but he couldn't make a sensient creature even by accident. "So why do you have him?"

"Her. She likes me more." It was the simplest explanation.

"And what happened to your friend?"

"He went home and I continued traveling."

"I see. So, you're not…involved."

Tris jerked in the saddle. "What in Mila's name would give you that idea?"

Nariss grinned. "So you're not taken then."

She grumbled something distinctly rude in Trader Talk and kicked her horse into a gallop, leaving Nariss and his foolish notions behind.

Briar caught up to him after Tris had vanished over a crest in the road. "What did you do?"

"I asked her if she had a lover, he replied, unabashed.

Briar rolled his eyes. "You're a fool of a bleater, you know that right?"

Nariss nodded brightly as if it was a glowing complement. Green Man, if this was how he behaved with Coppercurls, Briar was surprised Tris hadn't kicked him or something worse. "I'm making progress."

Briar looked away. "Just keep telling yourself that. Keep in mind, we'll reach the next town tomorrow. You won't be coming with us when we leave."

"Oh, but I'm fit as a fiddle." He jogged ahead a bit to demonstrate.

"In that case, I'll be drugging you to keep you in bed all morning."

"Why would you ruin my last shot until she and I are both back at Lightsbridge?"

"Better not try to leave with us then." Briar smiled. He'd give Porter his shot but, from the sparks that flicked along his and Tris's connection, her nerves and patience with the academic mage were fraying very quickly.

"I won't," Nariss muttered, somewhat crestfallen now.

"Good."

Behind the boys, Niko looked on. There was something about Porter that struck him as familiar. He'd noticed it that first morning but he'd been unable to place him. He still couldn't recall why the young mage resembled someone he knew but… Well, in any case, they wouldn't be with him much longer and that would be good since his last view of the future, in the fire as it waned on last night's watch, was very dark indeed.

…

In the early hours of the morning, Tris woke abruptly to the sound of Chime screeching a warning and Niko calling them to wakefulness. She scrambled in her blankets for a moment before simply blasting them off with a stiff puff of wind and getting to her feet.

A few feet away, Briar was also getting to his feet. Tris could see power from his body leaching into the ground and spreading out into every plant, every blade of grass and every tree that surrounded their small clearing just off the road.

"What's going on?" Nariss asked groggily as he sat up. Niko was on his feet as well, looking around but his powers were fairly useless in the field of battle. Not that it mattered. Tris and Briar would take down any group in a matter of moments.

Tris sent out her breezes to find and strangle the people she could feel surrounding the camp. There were at least eight of them. Although she could only see five, she felt three more hiding in the trees. She put windy vice grips around each throat while plant life exploded under the bandits' feet, wrapping them up nicely, much the way they had several days ago. She pulled back her power once the men were either unconscious or tightly bound.

She panted. Between dealing with Nariss, fighting the bandits and just being on the road so long, her power was starting to be sapped. She'd need to draw from stronger forces soon.

But not yet. She refused to suffer any bad effects of using such power until Porter was left behind them and she could go back to using her powers the way she wanted.

"Whoa, that was awesome." Tris cursed silently. She'd forgotten Nariss was observing her. Once again, she questioned what exactly was wrong with her. She was losing it a bit. She took a few deep breaths, allowing her magic to recede back into her core.

"It took too much energy," Briar said. "It's draining." He made it sound like she was less powerful than she actually was, for which, she was grateful. It might deter the academic mage from blabbing about her strength to other students at Lightsbridge.

"Come on," she said gruffly, changing the subject. "We're almost to the village. We'll tell them where they can pick up their troublemakers." She glanced briefly at the middle aged man on the ground in front of her. He was awake and his icy blue eyes glared daggers at her under unruly brown locks. She looked down, catching sight of a flash of magic on a purse that hung from the bandit's belt. She reached down and grabbed it.

She stared at the thing then glanced over at Nariss who'd looked away, focusing on Briar who was checking an unconscious attacker. She pocketed the coin purse and glanced back down at the bound man. Then she lifted her chin in disdain and walked away to get some fresh clothes for the day ahead.

To be continued.

Please review, if only to tell me you think it sucks

Thanks for reading!