Chapter 10
It had been a last minute decision to spend the day at Winding Circle, but Tris wanted to check something in the library and Briar had a question for Rosethorn regarding one of his shakkans and a mixture he'd accidentally discovered the week before. Breakfast was eaten in the cart as the donkey pulled them along through quiet city streets , and they arrived just as breakfast was ending at Discipline Cottage.
The inhabitants welcomed them with open arms, and Glaki was in heaven, even if she now knew the truth about the marriage. Lark and Rosethorn allowed her to accompany Tris to the library, and the two spent most of the morning among the shelves, picking volumes at random and reading them together, once the weather witch had finished her own research.
Briar's time with Rosethorn was equally well-spent, she had not seen the mixture before, but it worked as he thought it did and she congratulated him on the find. The shakkan was less successful, she had no answer for why it would only grow in a spiral despite the shape being wrong. Evvy then took him to her room where she showed him all the new specimens of stone her teacher had brought her to study, and how she was learning to mold stone without needing to heat it up.
It was fascinating, watching the stone move like water, but also a little disconcerting as he mind kept insisting it must just be a trick. It couldn't do that, and if it could then it wasn't stone. But as soon as she stopped, he picked up the piece of quartz she had formed into an wavy line. It felt solid and heavy enough in his hands, until she took it and started forming it again. Eventually, he had to stop watching.
Lunch was taken together at the kitchen table, and Tris and Briar sat with them and talked and laughed and remembered old times.
Afterwards, Glaki asked if she and Tris could visit Little Bear, and Lark agreed so long as they stayed within the fence. Her teacher would be arriving soon, and she should not keep him waiting.
Briar went out to the garden with Rosethorn, intending to help her finish the weeding for the day. It was still hours before they had to leave in time to get back for dinner with Daja.
Glaki led the way to the stone marker Evvy kept polished and clean, kneeling beside it and petting it as though it were alive. Knowing Evvy, that was a possibility.
Little Bear had lived a long life for a dog born on the streets. The animal healer they had taken him to when he'd sickened the year before had said it was likely something he'd picked up as a pup and never quite gotten over. Good food and a warm place to sleep had added years to his life, but he could not repair what was already damaged. If they tried, they might keep him alive for a time, but it would be painful and hard. They had made him as comfortable as they could, called in everyone to say goodbye, and kindly put him to sleep with a draft in his favorite evening meal. It had been Rosethorn's suggestion, much to everyone's surprise, to bury him among the flowers in the front of the cottage.
Tris had surreptitiously removed her glasses as they walked outside, pretending to clean the lenses though she was really putting off seeing the polished white stone. It always made her tear up, and she felt a child for still grieving an animal that had been gone more than a year.
She replaced her spectacles in time to see Glaki's eyes widen. That was all the warning she had before a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and lifted her feet from the ground. Her hand reached for her lightning braid even as she checked to be sure it wasn't Briar. It wasn't, but there was a likeness...
"Kethlun Warder, put me down!"
The man laughed, a sound she didn't know she had missed until it was ringing through the air, but obeyed. Glaki didn't wait for her to move out of the way, launching herself at the man and holding tight as he swung her high. The girl's feet came no lower than his waist for several moments, and when he finally set her down, they both collapsed to the ground in a dizzy heap.
"Keth, I can't believe you're here!" Glaki crowed with joy as she sprawled next to him. Tris was fixing her dress, giving them both dark looks by turns but unable to completely suppress her smile.
"Coppercurls?" Briar called carefully as he rounded the corner of the small cottage. His hands were held in a way that suggested he was reaching for a knife. "Are you alright? I felt-" He stopped when he saw the still giggling Glaki on the ground with a tall man he recognized, even if they'd never met. "Oh, you're-"
Keth's face immediately lit up as he scrambled back to his feet. "And you're- you don't know how much Tris talked about you. About all three of you. I feel like I know you already." He stepped forward, hand extended eagerly.
Briar's smile widened as he came up beside Tris, accepting the taller man's firm grasp before putting an easy arm around her. He couldn't say why it was important, but his gut told him it was. "You don't say. Coppercurls told us about you too. What brings you to Emelan?" Tris gave him a glance of surprise but didn't protest and looked back to Keth as she waited for his answer.
Keth paused as he glanced between them, eyes finally catching on the glass collar around Tris' neck. "You're married," he said, the words tumbling from his mouth before he could stop them. "I mean- congratulations."
Tris and Briar traded surprised looks at his less than pleased tone. Briar, at least, was happy to see she was as confused as he. Tris was just confused. "Yes," she replied after a moment's hesitation. "It was recent...I would have written, but you said you were traveling in your last letter. I wasn't sure where to send one in reply."
"I suppose it makes sense," Keth said, his tone unusually quiet as Glaki did cartwheels in the background, having not quite caught on to the sudden tension between the adults. "You always did talk about him the most..." Tris flushed as Briar looked at her inquiringly, grin growing smugly.
"That I want to hear more about later," the ex-thief said with a laugh. "But really, why are you here? Tris never said you were coming to visit."
"Oh, she didn't know I was coming," Keth admitted with a rueful laugh. "It was supposed to be a surprise. I came to propose to Tris."
-090-
The tea had been Briar's idea, he thought they all needed it after the complete and utter silence that had followed Keth's announcement. In a rare moment of good timing, Glaki's teacher had arrived to whisk her off to lessons, and she had poutingly gone after promises that Keth would come visit again soon.
The nice thing about tea, he observed to himself as he watched everyone gather around the table, is it takes time. You have to heat the water, add the leaves, let it set for awhile. And even then, you have to doctor it up however you like it. His had honey and a touch of cream. The time that it took was time you weren't fighting or yelling or getting more upset. You had to be calm to pour tea or drink from a mug without spilling. And no one liked spilled tea.
Introductions were made by Briar, and everyone took a seat as they received their cups and began to prepare them. Lark was as inviting as ever, and Rosethorn kept to herself as usual. Both sat at the table with the group, listening carefully despite having projects of their own upon which they worked. Keth was invited to catch them up on how he had come to the errand he had proclaimed outside, and what followed was more than Briar had bargained for.
Keth started his explanation not long after parting company with Tris and Glaki some three years before. His presence had been requested at home, and he had gone, despite the apprehension that he might be in for a scolding for his unusual involvement in Tharian law-keeping over the last year or so.
He could not have been more wrong. His welcome had been lavish and loud, with parties to celebrate his successes and a huge ceremony to have the title 'Master' officially conferred on him after he demonstrated his new abilities with lightning and glass. He was named the official successor of the family glass shop, and he had been given fine rooms in the family house with his own set of servants to see to his needs. He had been the envy of his peers, a welcome change from the scorn and pity he had encountered when he had left.
And of course, as he had settled into his new role, his family had begun to bother him about marriage. He had a gift, one they hoped would be passed to another generation. He had to be wed. If nothing else, being wed was what one did, if one wished to be seen as respectable. His father had implied that if it was a matter of gender, he had no objections to a son-in-law instead, and Keth had assured him that no, he still preferred women.
Finding a wife, however, proved to be a problem. His betrothed, as Tris had mentioned before, had not waited for him. Given that he had not even bothered to keep a correspondence with her during his time in Tharios, he had not been surprised. She had married one of his cousins, and Keth was once more on the hunt. At first, it seemed he would have no end of choice. A famous glass mage who could also wield lightning? Surely, he would be destined for a great things, for riches and glory and everything a man wished for his daughter. Until Keth had lost his temper.
The man refused to say what it was he had lost his temper over, only explaining that the result had been instantaneous. Lightning had sparked in his eyes in his anger, and suddenly, his prospects were gone. Fathers no longer approached to casually mention their daughter's large dowry; mothers no longer sang the praises of their offspring in his hearing. Young women no longer flirted from across the room. He was still invited to such assemblages, of course; he was too important to completely ignore. But it was made clear that he was no longer considered an eligible match for any of the suitable young women who attended.
It had been Keth's father who had thought of the scheme to find him a foreign wife. From some place where, if she weren't quite as suitable as would usually be the case, it could not be easily ascertained when they gave her a higher pedigree that she truly deserved.
"So being sent off to find a wife," Keth finished in a jovial tone that wasn't as convincing as he'd like, "I came to visit my old teacher and see if she'd like the job." His laugh at his own joke was strained, and no one else joined him.
"Why?" Tris asked when he fell silent once more. "I'm not...we're not..." The flush that rose in her cheeks was clearly from embarrassment and made Keth feel even worse.
"I know we don't love each other like that," he said quickly, trying to give her a reassuring smile as he did. "But a good marriage can come from friendship and respect. And I thought, if I were supporting you, you wouldn't have to worry about money without resorting to war magic. You and I and Glaki could stay together, and that would be enough for me. You took care of us, I was just trying to return the favor."
"She's good at that," Briar interjected proudly, his arm still around her like before. Tris flushed more. The sense that her husband was also holding something else back vibrated restlessly through their bond, and between that distraction and her raging embarrassment, she couldn't quite seem to find her center.
"I also thought your family might approve since they already know me," the glassmaker added in an off hand way.
"Well, most of us only know of you," the plant mage pointed out, giving the older man a strange look. "Though Niko and Glaki have spoken highly of you to all of us."
"Oh, I didn't mean her adopted family," Keth said, taking another drink of his tea. "I meant the Chandlers. I met them, and they aren't quite what I expected them to be. Speaking of which, I know this might be a shock but...you have a little brother named Thomas, and he's my apprentice."
"I have another brother, and they never said anything?" Tris replied, unable to stop the words from tumbling out.
"Wait, another brother?" Briar replied in puzzlement. "You mean you actually have other siblings?"
"I mean, I did," she said, feeling like she was babbling as she went on. The confusion and faint hurt she sensed from him was enough to keep her further off balance as more words spilled from her mouth. "There were two born before me and one after, but I haven't seen them since...since I was four or five, I think...I can hardly even remember what they looked like."
"Why would they have told you?" Keth asked, even more confused than they are. "You haven't seen or spoken to them in years."
"They're here, now," Rosethorn said, her voice unusually sharp as she eyed the visitor suspiciously.
"What? But, they aren't supposed to come for another year." The words were spoken with the confidence of one who should know. That made most of the table frown.
"What are you talking about, another year?" Tris asked carefully, a sliver of dread working its way into her chest.
"They came about the contract with the temple, right? But you don't turn 20 for another year." Keth looked annoyed now, as though a trick had been played on him. "Of course, your father would not be content to wait, though. When he makes up his mind, he forges ahead without thought, much like someone else I know."
"Oh no, Keth..."
"I mean, I encouraged them to reach out," the man plowed on, completely ignoring the furious glare growing on Tris' face as he was absorbed by his own train of thought. "You need to reconcile them. They're good people. But I thought they were going to wait until a few months before your 20th birthday."
Tris hissed between clenched teeth, her eyes ablaze as lightning began to twine through her braids. "Kethlun Warder...you...!"
Keth paused, finally paying attention to someone else other than himself. The glare Tris leveled at him made him lean back slightly, and he frowned in response.
"What? Even if they did come a year early, they can't do anything for the next year," he grumbled loudly. "Not until...not until..." His words stumbled to a halt as the realization of his mistake finally hit home. "You turn 20 this year, don't you?"
"This is your fault," she said so coldly he was surprised ice didn't form on the table. "You encouraged them...would they have even come, if not for you?"
"Probably not," he admitted in a quiet voice, clearing his throat before going on. "They were afraid...that you would be mad. Or possessed. Or dead. As long as they didn't ask, they could pretend that you were happy and safe, better off away from them. Asking meant they had to face whatever the answer was and could no longer hide. You father is not a coward, but he feared seeing you broken as most fear death."
"You wouldn't know it from the way they've been acting," Briar grumbled as Tris covered her face with both hands and sighed. The anger left as quickly as it had come. Her temper was always quick to flare and equally quick to burn out.
"Tris...?" Keth asked, worried now as the enormity of his mistake began to settle in.
His teacher raised a single finger, and he immediately went quiet. "No," she said as she dropped her other hand and looked at him flatly. "Not right now. I am very tempted to actually show you how upset I am as you would probably survive it. Maybe. Stay here with Briar. I'm not done talking to you, but I need to meditate first."
"I don't understand," the glassmaker protested once she had disappeared up the stairs, hunching his shoulder defensively. "It's not like it's that big of a deal. She's married now, and they can't do anything about it, right?"
"I think it's time for a story," Lark said as she poured him more tea from the pot and patted his hand comfortingly.
"Is this really the time?" he asked, rolling his eyes.
"Yes." Something about the way the single word was said gave Keth pause, and he glanced over at the slight, willowy woman with her short hair and heart-shaped face. The look she returned was one he recognized from Tris. He could choose not to listen, but there would be consequences. In the end, he would still do as asked. Carefully, he nodded, and she went on with a smile. "Has Tris ever told you about the time she tried to stop the tides?"
"Only a little," he admitted after a moment of thought. "It was mentioned, once, and she refused to talk about it after that. Was Master Niko being serious, or was it just-?"
"No, she did." Lark's smile was fond and a little exasperated at the memory. "Miraculously, she survived. But it left her very weak for a time, and that first night, it took Rosethorn and I working together to get her from her dress to a nightgown. We knew she was shy, she preferred to bathe and dress alone, but until then, we didn't know why."
"The scars began high on her back, and descended almost to her legs. Whip marks, I think. And a burn. And some...others. And there was more. Eventually, she told us how she got them. Some of them. Others she refused to speak of. All of them were inflicted on her by her family."
"Not her parents, they aren't like that." The protest this time was weak, as though he wasn't quite sure that was the truth.
"No, not them," Lark agreed softly. "She was very clear on that point. They never laid a hand on her. They also never raised a hand to defend her either. That, and that they gave her to the temple, was all that we knew of them."
"Until Amery," Briar broke in darkly.
"Until Amery," Lark agreed. "He was her cousin, supposedly one of the nice ones, and he betrayed her and the temple. That only made things worse. Now imagine that you find out these people are coming, and you know what they did to her once, and they want to take her away..."
Keth's head was bowed as he said, "You had to protect her. Why didn't you run?"
"We tried, but she wouldn't go," Briar said simply. "It would have broken faith with the contract and gotten our teachers in trouble. She refused to cause trouble for anyone else. She was going to sacrifice herself, go alone like a lamb to the slaughter..."
"They aren't like that!" It was almost a shout, and the glassmaker had the grace to look ashamed as he said in a moderated tone, "Maybe...maybe, it would have been hard, but they would have tried to make things right."
"We didn't know that," Briar said, and there was no argument against that. He didn't say, you should have warned us. Should have written Tris. Should have told her about her brother and her parents and how they were. He didn't have to. Keth avoided the young man's gaze and moved on.
"So you asked her to marry you."
Briar nodded and said, "It was the only option we could see to keep our family together."
"How did you convince her to say yes?" Keth's self-deprecating shrug brought a faint grin to Briar's face, the unspoken 'she obviously didn't just accept' hanging between them.
"I am very persuasive," the plant mage said in his best mock-defensive voice.
The lightning mage nodded, the tension from before bleeding away as they moved to a safer topic. "Big wedding?"
Briar's groan of disgust was very convincing. "Huge. Sandry invited every boot-licking toady she could round up for the occasional." Rosethorn nudged her student less than gently, and he shrugged when a pointed glare was added a moment later. "Ok, ok, so not every single one, but it was big. The Duke officiated, and there was a banquet in the gardens afterward."
"You probably had to wear something horribly uncomfortable." Keth winced in sympathy, but it was Lark who shifted this time with a self-satisfied grin.
"No, that part wasn't too bad," his companion said with a shake of his head. " Sandry is a stitch-witch you know, and she learned from Lark, which pretty much means she learned from the best. They were fancy but not uncomfortable." His foster-mother gave him a winning smile, and he smiled back. At least some women appreciated his flattery.
Keth hesitated before asking slowly, "How did Tris look?"
Briar didn't immediately answer. He could still remember that moment, seeing her walk down the middle of the crowd, and it was like he'd yanked her lightning braid on accident. In the end, he could only say one word.
"Beautiful." Eventually, the young man came back to himself and noticed the speculative look his foster-mother was giving him over her tea. A glance at Rosethorn showed the same. He cleared his throat and asked roughly, "Shouldn't...don't you have to get to the temple for your shift, Lark?"
"Come, dear," Lark said as she rose to her feet. "The boys want to talk alone." Rosethorn got up as well, and Lark followed her into her workroom where they shut the door firmly behind them. Briar waited until he was as certain as he could be that they weren't being listened to any longer.
Turning to Keth, he said firmly, "I need to know how you really feel about me marrying Tris,"
"Oh, it changes my plans, but I never really thought she would accept." The words were not completely honest, but Briar allowed it to pass. His conversation with Tris about 'options' came back, and it was likely Keth had heard the same. With Briar's reputation, no wonder the tall glassmaker had been surprised to find them married. "I like her, she's kind and honest and she really cares about people. I don't know if...she'd ever want to..." Skin flushing and shifting with discomfort, Keth cleared his throat and went on quickly, "Well, not having children would be fine with me. We'd have Glaki, and we could adopt more, if she liked. Mostly, though...mostly I wanted to protect her. I was there one of the times she had a job offer. It sounded like a dream come to life, but Tris saw the trap before I did."
"War magic." The words were leaden and fell heavily between them.
"Yeah. It was underhanded too, the way it was hidden in the contract," his companion went on slowly. "I suppose I am lucky in some ways. I have lightning, but not the way she does. It's tangled in my magic, and I have to make allowances for it. It allows me to use it with my magic, when I handle it properly. I can absorb it without harm, if I am careful. But I can't simply produce it the way she does. I'm not able to cast it out of a clear sky, or use it as a weapon. So I'm not offered great contracts for work, but I'm also not expected to slaughter cities on the whim of some high-handed master."
"And her other gifts she might use to make money..." Keth shrugged, and Briar understood. Shifting mountains or rivers didn't need to be done very often. "She won't tamper with the weather without serious cause, and her wind scrying doesn't give her enough warning to accurately predict the future, unless something has changed. She's more powerful than almost any four mages combined, and she has to count coppers to make ends meet. I could, at least, give her financial security. I'm a Master Glassmaker now; after this trip, I'm settling permanently at the family shop. I won't ever be rich like a lord, but we'd be more than comfortable. She could read to her heart's content and be with Glaki."
"You're a good man, Keth," Briar said grudgingly, the words dragging with reluctance for some reason. "But you know she wouldn't be happy living a life of luxury and idleness." The last was added with a slight barb, one the older man ignored completely even as he nodded.
"I know, I just wanted to give back for what she gave me. I thought lightning was a curse, and she turned it into a blessing." The plant mage couldn't argue with that.
Briar contemplated his quiet visitor for a moment, then made up his mind. "Why don't you go...where are you staying again?" He frowned, wondering if the glass mage had even thought that far in advance. They could house the pair if need be, or Niko. Niko would probably be better...
"In a decent inn, the Mariner's March." The answer was quickly given, and Keth shrugged. "The family is footing the bill for the trip, so I'm not staying anywhere with fleas or questionable food."
"That is a decent inn" Briar agreed, and he understood the sentiment. There was nothing like waking up from itching bites to ruin your rest, and a poor breakfast to follow just made it worse. "Ask for the gooseberry pie with your dinner. Go back there, and we'll send for you tomorrow."
Keth nodded after a moment's thought, rising to his feet as he said, "I am sorry about this."
"It's...well, it is your fault, but we'll muddle through." The younger man tried to smile, but it didn't have the same easiness of before. "I feel a little terrible for having to say this, but you will keep our secret, won't you?"
"I would do anything for Tris," the older man said simply. "And I don't see how there is a secret. You married Tris because you love her. Anything beyond that isn't anyone else's business."
"I suppose I did," Briar admitted after a moment's thought. "We'll see you tomorrow."
The plant mage saw their guest out, hesitating outside Rosethorn's workroom door before heading up the stairs. He wasn't ready to face them yet and speaking with Tris seemed more important anyhow.
He knew Tris could feel him as he came closer, the prickly feeling of her anger in the back of his mind had receded, and she was, hopefully, in a mood not to strike him with lightning.
The trapdoor to the roof was open, which he took as a good sign, and he carefully proceeded up the ladder. She was laying in her old spot among the clean thatch, eyes watching the sky as soft white clouds were born against a brilliant blue backdrop.
"No storm?" he asked as he lay beside her, their arms touching.
"I'm upset," she replied flatly. "Not out of control." Grey met grey-green, and she sighed as his brows lifted slightly. "The weather conditions aren't right, and it could seriously harm the young crops. But I was tempted, I truly was."
"That's my girl," he replied, and she could feel the smile in his voice. She ignored how pleased that made her feel and sat up instead.
"I suppose I should go talk to him," she said with reluctance. "I can't keep him waiting forever."
"We'll see him tomorrow, when we've had more time to let you sort things out," Briar told her as he sat up as well, absently pulling a loose piece of straw from her hair. "He told me where he's staying in the city."
"Where?" she replied, turning towards him in surprise.
"No, we'll see him tomorrow," he told her with infuriating calmness, adding as an afterthought, "And probably your new brother too."
Tris ignored the jab, glaring as she told him hotly, "I didn't ask you to stick your neb in my business."
"Nope." Briar's grin disarmed her anger, but she maintained a slight frown even as it drained away. "I decided to stick it in all on my own."
"Sandry would be proud of you," she told him in an attempted riposte, but it lacked her usual venom. He grinned all the more.
"You can tell her tonight at dinner, then," he told her lightly before pausing. His lips involuntarily twisted, as though tasting something sour, before he said, "He really did mean well, Tris, even if he made an absolute mess of things." Briar couldn't have kept all the spite out of the last part. Giving Keth even as much credit as he had was hard for some reason, deserve it though he might. The ex-thief stuffed those thoughts aside and focused on the pale woman beside him.
"I know," Tris agreed, shaking her head slightly as her eyes closed. "I still can't believe...I need to marry someone, and he shows up not two months later ready and willing."
"Perhaps, it's a good thing he didn't." The words were out before Briar realized what he was saying, and he immediately regretted them as hurt blossomed on Tris' face.
"Why?" The word was spoken in a small voice before she added with forced laughter, "I would think you would have preferred it that way."
Again, the plant mage's mouth was off before his mind had fully engaged, and he heard himself saying candidly, "Despite your constant attempts to convince me otherwise, I don't mind being married to you in the least. Aside from one relatively minor hang-up, I could easily do this for the rest of my life. I am unlikely to find anyone else who makes such good cookies and gives such good head scratches and is pleasant to sleep next to every night. Do you know how many women snore? Far more than admit to it, that's for sure." He looked away as he felt his face heat slightly, but it was true, mostly. He didn't mind being married to Tris, and it did have many advantages he enjoyed.
Her snort of disbelief was loud, and he glanced over to see her eyes equally unconvinced. "And that's what's most important in life?" she asked flatly. "Cookies and scratches and sleeping well versus the...hang up?"
"Eventually, the hang up stops happening for most people anyway, but cookies and scratches and sleeping well don't," he told her honestly, somehow aware that levity would not make things better in this instance. "I'm taking the long view here and concerning myself with that, which pretty much makes you the perfect wife."
She flushed bright red, eyes dropping to her lap, and he smiled, pleased with himself. "I don't believe you," she told him in a small voice, refusing to look up. "But I'm too tired to argue right now. Why shouldn't I have married Keth?"
Briar held up a finger as he said, "First, his age."
"Immaterial," Tris replied, settling in for a good debate. "It would be an arrangement like ours, so age wouldn't matter."
The comparison was not one the plant mage liked. "It's still strange," he said stubbornly. "He was literally twice your age when you met, which was nearly old enough to be your father, and he's still half your age now older than you. In ten or fifteen years it may not matter, but right now it does." Quickly, before she could reply, he went on to, "Number two, you wouldn't live here anymore."
"Briar, there is a chance we're not all going to stay in Emelan," his companion pointed out mildly. "Any of us may choose to travel again, or move somewhere else for a time for learning or obligation. We'll still be a circle, regardless of where we go."
He nodded slowly. "You're right, but just because we can doesn't mean we should. Besides, that brings me to three: he wants to be the Empresses' royal glassmaker, you told me that was his goal from the beginning. Now that he's got lightning to play with, I'd say he has good odds. Or better than before at any rate. So either you'd have to ask him to give up that dream or put yourself back in her reach without the rest of us to help. She's already tripped you down one flight of stairs-" He stopped himself from saying more, but the conclusion wasn't difficult to follow. Keth wouldn't be able to protect her, not with his own magic or his family name, not if the empress decided to attack.
Tris grew very still for a time, mulling it over as she considered his words. Finally, she answered grudgingly, "Ok, that is a valid point. Any other objections?"
"I think he's a little afraid of you," Briar said gently, "And I don't think that's a good trait in a husband."
"What do you mean?" she asked, the flatness of her words meant to hide the hurt underneath.
Briar wasn't fooled but went on carefully, "I don't think he'd stand up to you, if you were really angry or upset. Your student/teacher relationship means you aren't equals, which is how it it should be, but you wouldn't be equals in marriage either. I don't think that's healthy."
"Lots of people are afraid of me," Tris said with a complacency he did not believe. "Even you said watching me play with my braids makes you nervous."
"It makes me nervous for you, not of you," he corrected her firmly. "That's different."
Her chin thrust forward defensively, arms hugged to her middle. "I'm in control," she insisted stubbornly.
"I know you are," Briar said as he gently took one arm and pulled her closer to him. She didn't fight, even as she refused to look at his face. "You have better control of your abilities than anyone I know. But I still worry about you. I don't know what I- what we would do, if we lost you." His hand traced down her arm as he spoke, lacing his fingers with hers when he reached her hand. The thought of not having that hand to hold for some reason made his heart ache, and he squeezed it gently in response to the pain in his chest.
It was amazing, Tris thought, how good Briar was at derailing her. His hand squeezing hers made warmth blossom in her chest and cheeks, and she kept her eyes firmly to the side as she could find nothing to say.
"He meant well," the plant mage repeated softly when the silence began to stretch. "But I still think it's better this way." Obviously, because Briar would be able to let go when the need for marriage was past and would actually help Tris find someone, if she wanted. He was just a better choice than Keth, that was all. And since he had been the one to marry Tris, he had nothing to be jealous about, at all. He wished someone would tell the roiling knot of thorns in his gut that. "Are you ready to go home?" he asked eventually, unable to think of anything else to say.
"Yes, I'm ready," she agreed, and together they went downstairs.
-090-
Lark watched Rosethorn carefully as the dedicate laboriously labeled the infusions that had strained overnight.
"You knew," she said when her partner finally glanced in her direction with a quizzical look. "You knew and you said nothing."
"I suspected," Rosethorn replied evenly with a slight shrug. "That there might be a possibility. I didn't know anything, and I didn't want to say anything, in case I was mistaken."
The pause that followed was punctuated by the sound of Rosethorn's quill back at work. "Do you think she loves him too?" Lark finally asked, sitting on one of the stools as she watched the master plant mage at work.
"I suspect that it is also possible." The words were spoken absently, and Lark patiently waited until her lover had finished the work to finish her thought. Pen set down and ink bottle stoppered, her companion finally added, "We discussed this when they were younger."
"Yes, but then he came back from his travels with an appetite for company," the other cottage mother said unhappily. "And not a healthy one, either. I hadn't expected..."
"Maybe we should have. His mother was a prostitute, and then, he lived on the streets for half a decade," Rosethorn said as though stating the obvious. "His views on sexual relations would have been formed at an early age in that environment."
"A fair point," Lark sighed.
"And I think Yanjing probably had a great deal to do with that as well." The words were spoken quietly, with a faint tremor underneath. Lark laid a hand on Rosethorn's shoulder, and the shorter woman shook her head slightly. "No, I'm...I'm alright. But you are right, I thought it unlikely after our return as well. They were both so very different."
"And all four refused to rejoin their bond." That had been one of the hardest blows to bear for the teachers and foster mothers. Oh, the joining had made raising the four from child to adulthood a trial, at times. Unable to say something to one without the other three finding out (except for Tris, and then only sometimes) and never knowing what trouble they were cooking up together in their minds. Sending them to separate rooms was not a punishment when they could speak across the length of the city, if need be. But it had also been the best support and seeing them refuse to use it, as though it would make them less of an adult, had been a hard thing to watch.
"I regretted deciding to travel, then," Rosethorn admitted softly. "Maybe, it would have been better to stay home, to keep them safe."
"We needed to separate them," Lark replied, her usual response to an old argument. "The healer said the bond could cause problems if we kept them together during that time of growth. They may not have been able to keep their minds separate, even with the weavings Sandry worked to block off their magic. They needed the time apart to grow as individuals."
"I know." The sigh that came with those words was heavy with regret. "Are you angry with me, love?" Rosethorn finally asked, looking up at her partner of many years.
"No, only disappointed." Lark's smile was genuine, and the corners of her companion's lips rose slightly in response. "I do hope it works out. If they had children, it would be like having grandchildren for us." The way the stitch witch's eyes sparkled at the thought only made Rosethorn smile all the more.
"Yes," she agreed as they embraced. "I suppose it would."
-090-
Valden and Darra spent their day in the most productive manner, pursuing merchant business. The head of the Chandler clan had multiple contacts and contracts with people in Emelan, but he had never met most of them in person and those that he had had been in Ninver. Visiting those contacts here gave him additional insights into some and helped strengthen ties with others. It had also terminated a contract he hadn't realized was price-gouging him, and he had been quick to set up a replacement with the competitor down the road. There would hardly be a bump in his scheduled deliveries, and he would be saving several silver astrals a year, if he was any judge. A cousin had set up the contract initially, and the family head already had made a note to have a meeting with the man when they returned home.
The housekeeper met them at the front door like usual, but instead of simply a bow and inquiry of what they required, she informed them they had visitors waiting in the garden. Master Goldeye had already received them earlier, before leaving on an errand. No, he would not be joining them for dinner, but the guests had been invited to remain as the Master imagined they would have a great deal to discuss.
Valden's curiosity grew with each step as they approached the doors to the garden, though he was certain there was nothing that could truly surprise him after all they had seen and heard these last two weeks or so. Rounding the corner to discover his youngest son and his son's teacher seated on the veranda, he found he was wrong.
"Thomas!" he cried as he grinned broadly, the boy jumping to his feet to meet his parents halfway. "What in Mila's name are you doing here?" His embrace was gruff as he squeezed his son tightly for a moment before passing the lad on to his mother. "And Master Warder, it is a pleasure to see you, even if it is unexpected." Keth accepted the hand thrust enthusiastically in his direction, clasping it firmly, though he did not respond with his usual exuberance. Valden was too pleased to see his son to give it much notice. "What has brought you and our son all the way out to Emelan? We weren't expecting to see either of you for at least another year!"
"Master Keth came to propose to someone," Thomas popped in with a chuckle. "But she's already married, and he's been a complete bear to be around ever since." Keth glared at the boy half-heartedly but shrugged and nodded when Valden glanced his way.
"Be nice," Darra said as she gripped her son's ear warningly. "You may be old enough to be an apprentice, but I will still tan your hide for disrespect young man!"
The young man winced and immediately replied, "Yes, ma. Sorry, Master Warder."
Valden couldn't quite hide his chuckle as the glassmaker flushed with embarrassment and mumbled his acceptance of the apology. "It is true," Keth admitted grudgingly. "Although, I'm more upset that I didn't see it coming than that it happened. She would always talk about him, my teacher, so I shouldn't be surprised."
"Your teacher? She's here in the city?" Darra asked, interest lighting her eyes. "Isn't she also a lightning mage? I wonder if she knows Trisana, lightning mages are likely similar to weather mages, correct?"
"In this case, they are, in fact, one and the same," Keth replied weakly. "Including my teacher and your daughter. I was coming to propose to Tris."
The silence that followed was like being hit with a lightning bolt. Everything seemed to freeze as all three stared at him. It was Thomas who finally broke the spell.
"Your teacher is my sister?" he cried in excitement. "But-...but you said she can scry on the wind! And handle molten rock! And fly!" He paused on for a quick breath before adding hopefully, "Do you think she would take me for a ride?"
His parents' reaction was less pleased. After exchanging a single, dark glance, the pair were in agreement.
"Thomas, I think you should go talk with your mother," Master Chandler said as his wife gripped their son's arm in a way that brooked no protests. "Tell her about your trip here, and what the ship was like. She likes ships, for some unfathomable reason."
The boy considered protesting (he had a great many questions ready to burst forth), until he saw the look in his father's eyes. Then, he gladly turned and left the gardens with his mother.
"You," Valden Chandler said as he turned slowly towards the mage as soon as his wife and son were out of sight. "Explain yourself. Now." The last word was just short of a snarl.
And so Keth did. In his head, he had it all planned out, but somehow, it didn't come out that way. His mouth began with when he first met Tris and accidentally created a glass dragon named Chime who later became her pet. He then jumped to the reason he had lightning in the first place, the storm that had caught him on the edge of the Sith and struck him with lightning as he tried to flee. Then he moved to his first experience with lightning after that fact, and how he had realized it was no longer a danger to him, well, not in the same way it was to everyone else. Somewhere in there, he explained bits and pieces of meeting Tris, Niko, and Little Bear, and how Tris had taken in Glaki when her foster-mother was also murdered. Oh, and there was the hunt for the murderer, and Tharios and it's ridiculous customs involving death and magic. And Tris caught the murderer, but that it was his lightning balls that predicted the future that made it possible for him to be caught in the first place. And he had made other things with lightning and glass too, but that without Tris, who had taught him to untangle the lightning inside himself, he never could have been a Master glassmaker at all.
Valden finally stopped him, shaking his head slowly as he tried to sort through the deluge of facts and bit of information that had spewed forth from Keth's mouth.
"Let me get this straight," he said carefully as he began ticked points off on his fingers. "You were struck by lightning and lived, but it messed up your magic and glassmaking skills." That he had learned before, so it seemed a safe place to start.
"Yes." Keth's reply was immediate and showed his attention had finally snapped back into place.
"You...went to Tharios?" This Valden also knew, but it seemed prudent to keep events as linear as possible. It was obvious the glassmaker was still nervous, and he wanted to keep the tall man on track.
"Yes," his son's master agreed quickly, adding, "It was that or be demoted from Journeyman, when my skills did not recover from the lightning strike."
That the merchant had not known, and his brows rose in surprise. It was rare to hear of someone being stripped of a rank in their craft, once it had been earned. "Alright. There you...made a glass dragon and met Tris?" This, he was less certain of, but it seemed the best fit, after the mad mess that had spewed from his companion earlier.
"Yes." Again, a prompt response, and Valden was encouraged. Then Keth said, "It wasn't a good first meeting, but we got past it. Eventually. I was...I wasn't quite myself."
"And Tris helped you." It was all the weather witch's father could think to say.
"Oh, yes. I was desperate at that point, and Niko said she was the only one who could help." His grimace was not feigned, and as he went on, his companion could see why. "Believe me, it was hard trusting in a fourteen year old girl."
"She was fourteen?" Valden cried in disbelief. "Children can't be teachers, can they?"
Keth's wry grin was full of understanding. "Yes and yes. And what's more, she'd been an accredited mage for almost a year at that point."
"Shurri Firesword defend me..." Valden rubbed his face with his hands for a moment before continuing. "They said they earned their medallions young, I suppose I just didn't quite believe them. Where was I...right. She helped you."
"Taught me and, through that, helped me," the tall man qualified carefully. "I was her first student. Glaki kind of became her second, though she was technically too young to actually begin training."
"Did she teach you well?" The question stemmed more from curiosity than relevance.
"When I was willing to listen." The grin turned rueful as Keth recalled their first days together. "I was a hard-headed student, sometimes. I was very sure that she couldn't always be right, being so young. I, eventually, learned better. And technically, she still is my teacher. The relationship in the mage community is different from a usual master and apprentice, even though I am now an accredited mage myself and subject to the laws of the mage council."
With some difficulty, Valden turned his thoughts back to the story. "And during all this there was someone murdering people, I gather."
The glassmaker nodded, explaining, "A man, killing specific women with knotted yellow scarves around the neck. He was using the practices of the Tharian people to hide his tracks and doing it well. We would not have caught him so soon without Tris. If he had ever been caught at all."
"How did she catch him?" the merchant asked hoarsely, his mouth going dry at the thought.
"She went hunting for him, using her winds," Keth said calmly, adding, "Oh, and Little Bear was with her."
The name was familiar, but a specific person did not come to mind. "Who is Little Bear, again?"
"A dog. He's passed away since then."
"Oh. Right." Valden couldn't help the razor wit that came through his words. "She went hunting a murderer, alone, except for a dog." Keth laughed, and the merchant had to fight the urge not to deck him between the eyes. His companion seemed to sense it and immediately grew quiet.
"Trust me, sir; she was fine," he said in what was meant to be a reassuring tone. "It was the murderer we ran to save. She might have killed him, otherwise, and Master Niko said they would have had to try her for murder, if she had."
"Was she...careless?" The older man wasn't sure how to frame the question he was trying to ask, but Keth seemed to understand. He shook his head.
"Oh, no, in fact, I would say she was in complete control of the situation..." He said with a wry smile. "She had him caught in a blind alley and buried him up past his waist in the road. We got there before she hit him with a bolt of lightning. He deserved it; I personally knew two of the women he had killed, but it wouldn't have been justice."
The silence that followed remained for some time. Keth seemed to have finally run out of words with the end of the story, and Valden too busy trying to digest them to supply his own. Eventually, the merchant did speak, his voice low as he eyed the taller, younger man.
"Did you know that she was our daughter?"
The master glassmaker looked away but said, "At first, I only suspected. It was Gareth who tipped me off, when I visited with my father. I was looking at a portrait the second time we dined with you and wondered who the little redheaded girl who wasn't around was. He told me she was gone, and that her name was Tris."
"And you still said nothing." The words were heavy with accusation, and Keth flushed under the merchant's steady gaze.
"Tris only mentioned you once," he said carefully. "It was...she said you weren't good with broken things. And the implication was that she was broken. I...admired her greatly, by the end of our travels together two years before. Not admiration like a suitor, but...I was very proud to be her student. She was smart and creative and able to do so many amazing things. I knew we had a contract with a Chandler family in Capchen, but I had no idea if it was hers. Business is business, though, so when my father insisted we meet, I obeyed. You were...not what I was expecting."
Valden's lips thinned as he said almost to himself, "You were expecting monsters."
"No, but unpleasant people, yes." The admission came slowly, and the man hurried to add, "You weren't. Unpleasant, I mean, but you were ignorant in the ways of magic. The little that I could do astounded your family, and it became obvious that it is rarely seen in your bloodline. Which, in turn, explained how Tris' gifts were...misinterpreted. For a long time, I didn't want to like you. Taking Thomas as my apprentice is what really changed my mind, though. He is so much like his sister. So...good, and honest and hardworking. And I thought that if you made a daughter and a son who ended up being so wonderful, how could you possibly be bad people?"
"Tris needed to know that too; she needed to reconcile with her family, and I think you needed to know that she wasn't mad or possessed. That she was safe and happy and respected and admired by people."
Valden nodded his understanding, saying, "So you encouraged us to go get her. I thought you were nosing in a bit where you weren't wanted, when you gave your opinion so freely." The last was said with a raised brow, but Keth only grinned.
"I know," he admitted simply. "Do you wish that I had not?"
"No, I do not." The sigh that came was full of frustration. "But now I find myself in a quandary," he said as he fixed Keth with a piercing look before asking softly. "Why did Briar marry Tris so suddenly?"
"Because he loves her, and she him." The answer was immediate and firm, more so than Master Chandler had expected.
"And that's the truth," he said, keeping his eyes firmly on the glass mage's.
"Yes," Keth replied steadily. And it was.
"Hm," Valden snorted, shaking his head as he turned away. "I wish I were as convinced as you." He paused, then turned back towards his visitor as he said, "I would not have been displeased to have you has a son-in-law Master Warder, even if you were using dishonesty of a kind against me. I can see why you did. She helped you, and you acted out of gratitude for that help."
"She saved me," Keth replied quietly. "And I really would do anything to help her."
"Then we will speak no more of this, either the past or the present predicament." Or, Valden added to himself, ask who you would support between us and her. It was obvious who the man would choose, if he did. Who he had already chosen.
"Thank you." The reply was full of relief, and Keth straightened as though having shed a heavy burden from his back.
"How long will you and Thomas be here?" Master Chandler asked, deciding it was time to speak of something else.
"A week, maybe two. We will tour the local glassmakers and learn from their techniques. I am fairly certain ours are superior, but..." He shrugged with a crooked grin. "After seeing a fourteen year old redhead boss around people three times her age and be listened to because she's right, you learn to have an open mind."
"A wise lesson learned."
"Are we still invited to stay for dinner?" The question was asked hesitantly, but Valden could hear the offer behind it. Keth would leave if asked, if the Chandlers needed time away from him in the wake of his news.
"Of course," Valden said with an honest smile. He would not treat his son's Master so. "This is Master Goldeye's home, and he invited you. I could no more uninvite you than I could add to the guest list. Besides, we haven't seen our son in almost six months. I'm sure he has stories to tell, and we will want a full report on his progress." He turned towards the door that lead inside, and Master Warder followed with a quick step.
"It will be my honor."
-090-
Briar drove on the way back, and they spoke little until they reached the walls of the city once more.
"I won't press it, if you don't want me to," he said softly as he glanced at his silent companion. "But you never said you had siblings, and you know it's going to come up once the girls hear Keth brought his apprentice, and he's your brother."
The statement was open-ended, not exactly a question or a request for an explanation but simply an opening that Tris could respond to however she liked. He thought that what she had chosen the option to not respond when silence continued to reign between them. But he never betrayed his shock when she suddenly spoke up.
"There isn't much to tell," she said as she rubbed at the bridge of her nose under her glasses. "I was sent away around my fifth birthday, and I can't even really remember what they looked like, let alone what they were like as children. And I didn't want to remember them. They had what I wanted, and sometimes, I hated them for that. It wasn't fair. They couldn't control it anymore than I, but I still did. Beyond that...Gareth, I think, is the name of the oldest. Leigh was the youngest. And the girl...was Ellana? Elsie? Ell-...Ellwyn. Gareth and Ellwyn and Leigh and Thomas." The names felt strange in her mouth, and Tris tried not to grimace as she avoided Briar's glance.
Casually, he slung an arm about her shoulders and pulled her close. Usually, she grumbled at him for doing so when he didn't have to for appearance's sake, but today she just sighed and let him. "I think, if you tell the girls that, they'll understand," he said simply, leaning his head against hers for a moment. "I know I do."
Acceptance. It flowed along the bond between them, and Tris let it wash over her as she leaned against his embrace. Nothing more was said until they reached the house to find Niko waiting for them in the front with his carriage.
"This is unexpected," Briar said as he hopped down before walking around to help Tris from her seat.
"So was Kethlun Warder's arrival," the great mage said dryly. "He is at my house, waiting to speak with your parents. I wanted to remain, but it is likely they would have asked me to leave the room anyways that they might speak privately...how certain are you that he'll keep the truth to himself? He told me you told him, Briar."
"Niko," Tris said, clearly annoyed as her feet touched the ground. "This is Keth, and you of all people would have known if he was lying."
"He wasn't," the thin mage admitted with a frown as he stroked his mustache, "but things have been going so well, and I don't want anything to happen that might mess them up."
"Well, he's the reason we're putting on this show," Briar said dryly. "The least he can do is help."
"That is true, I suppose..."
"He can be trusted, Niko," Tris said simply, meeting her teacher's gaze with her own. "You wouldn't have let him travel with us, if he hadn't been."
"Did he tell you about his apprentice?" The great mage asked the question absently, as though it were of no great import. His student didn't miss the way he watched her out of the corner of his eye, though.
"Yes, he did." Tris replied dryly. "It is so nice of my parents to tell me about my new siblings, to go with the ones I already had that haven't been mentioned either." She paused afterwards, a faint flush creeping up her cheeks. Finally, she added, "I suppose that isn't fair, given how things have gone so far, but I don't feel particularly fair today."
"I don't think anyone will blame you for that," Niko said with an understanding smile.
"I suppose I shall have to meet him," the weather witch went on reluctantly, frowning to herself. "Eventually. It would be rude not to, wouldn't it?
"As he is your student's student, yes, I should think so," her teacher replied, stroking his mustache. "However reluctant you might feel about it, you should speak to Thomas and get to know him. Befriend him if you can, even." Niko's words were more serious than his student expected, and she gave the older man a blank look. "Especially you, Briar. Things have been going fairly well, but there were enough unknown variables in this before Keth arrived. Do not underestimate the power of the youngest child in persuading their parents. They are usually the best at it." His grin that followed said there was a story attached to those words. Briar wished he had time to hear it; the grin also promised it was a good one.
"We could invite them over tomorrow," he said instead, handing the reins to Rod as the man finally appeared, and giving the donkey a pat to send it on its way. "Your parents, Keth and Thomas, I mean. It's our home, so we'd run the show. And if your cookies fresh out of the oven don't win over your brother, he's a lost cause."
Tris rolled her eyes at that, but there was a smile creeping up at the edge of her mouth. "We'll need to speak to Daja first," she reminded him, and he nodded.
"Right, but I don't think she'll mind. We can send a note over after dinner, if she's ok with it." And by his stance, it was already a foregone conclusion that she would be.
"Good, let me know if you require anything further from me. Hopefully, Keth and Thomas will be on their way again soon, perhaps taking the Chandlers with them. Wouldn't that be a happy turn of events!" Master Goldeye ended on a note of sarcasm, but he kissed Tris on the cheek with a smile, patted Briar on the shoulder and ascended into his carriage without delay. The horses were in motion before either could wave goodbye.
The pair walked inside together, though Briar didn't protest when Tris let go of his arm as soon as the door closed behind him. He didn't have a reason to feel like it was wrong, he told himself as the dust of the road was washed off and brushed away. Daja was waiting for them in the dining room, and as soon as they were seated, Sandry came in from the back.
It was Briar who brought up Keth's arrival as they settled into the meal and then revealed Tris' siblings. She hadn't asked him to do so, but he hadn't needed her ask to know how difficult it would be for her to broach the topic herself. And he was right; after Tris explained, they understood. The scheme for visitors the next day was agreed to by Daja, though she admitted she would be unable to attend herself. She had promised a delivery to a noble just outside of town.
Also in accordance with Tris' wishes, Briar did not bring up the thwarted marriage proposal. The fact that it still made his stomach roil to think of Keth's declaration had nothing to do with it. He was just happy to spare her feelings as a good husband should be.
A note was dispatched after dinner, and the reply received soon afterwards. The Chandlers were coming to visit with their son Thomas and his teacher, Master Warder, right after the 10th bell. It was going to be a busy day.
-090-
Author's Notes:
Hey guys! Hope everyone is having a good summer thus far.
The Bargain: This is the last chapter I am offering the Bargain for right now. The fact is, reviews are not coming in. Like, this chapter go 2. And technically, it only got 1 because the second review was for an earlier chapter. So, the bargain stands at 20 reviews to immediately receive the next chapter. If we don't hit it this week, or at least come close, I will be doing something different in the next chapter. It is something I really don't want to do, but I kind of feel like you guys have backed me into a corner on this. We'll see what happens next week.
Thanks for the few of you who are actually reviewing, you are awesome :)
Until next time,
~CB~