Ch. 3 (AN not too sure what's gonna happen here…)
"Beats, just leave, ok? I'm not going to help you. You need to get back to Sotat."
"Fine, but, heh, just you whatcher, you'll hear of us soon enough!" Briar couldn't say that he would miss Beats. They had been pretty tight in the gang, at least as tight as gang members get, but time had changed both Briar and Beats. After all, it had been six or 7 years since Briar had seen anyone from his gang. (AN forgot to say, I'm assuming they're 16, and Briar's 17, cos I like guys to be a bit older). Briar trudged up the stairs. It was late, he was tired, and they would have work to do in the morning.
Dans le Matin
Sandry awoke to the sounds of scraping and clattering. 'Who else could be up? I'm always the first one up!' she thought, wonderingly (AN ?! () Sandry quickly hopped out of her soft bed and dressed. She knew there would be a lot of work for her to do today. Moreover, she looked forward to it.
"Good morning, all!" she called cheerfully, as she made her way into the kitchen. Tris was trying to mix some sort of batter as Lark pulled perfectly browned biscuits out of the oven.
"You sure slept late, Sandry," Lark commented.
::Uh-huh, late enough for me to have to mix this batter!:: Obviously, Tris was not pleased at having beaten Sandry to the kitchen.
::Sorry:: Sandry really was sorry. Well, at least a little bit…
"Where's briar?!" Evidently, Rosethorn was not in a good mood, and she needed Briar in order to release her frustration.
"I think he's still asleep." Tris was the first to venture an answer.
"Fine. You, Lazy, Sandry, go get him. Tell him I want to get in some work before breakfast."
"Yes ma'am." Sandry quickly skipped to Briar's room. (AN I'm not sure if it's upstairs or down, but for now, it's down. KO?).
"Briar?" Sandry asked, as she lightly knocked on his door. "Briar! Wake up!" The person in question turned over, protesting the sound. "Bri-" Sandry's voice caught in her throat. He looked so…beautiful, lying there…like a young child, only he wasn't. The sweet smile on his face made her want to reach down and sing him a lullaby, to soothe away any troubles that might eventually bother him, to hold him, and then rest her head in his lap, and kiss him tenderly, and to…
" SANDRY! What the devil are you doing in here?" Briar had woken up.
"Ohh…Rosethorn sent me to wake you up." Sandry blushed slightly. She had been caught in her clandestine reverie.
"Well, I'm awake now.." Briar said, this time more gently, softly, and with a tender half-smile.
"I can see that…I'll go back to the kitchen, you…umm…get dressed." With that, Sandry twirled her skirts and left the room.
::Well, it's nice to see you finally decided to grace us with your presence, Briar::
::You're one to talk, Daja!:: Tris retorted in their minds, ::You only got up a few minutes ago!::
::Yeah, well at least I beat Plant boy down here!::
::Ya know, I don't really care…how long till breakfast?:: Briar's question was answered almost as soon as he had asked it: Sandry flitted into the room, carrying a basket of biscuits.
::Here you are, Plant boy, eat to your hearts content!:: Sandry laughed.
Briar sighed to himself at her silvery chortle.
::Yes ma'am! There's one order I'm glad to follow!:: Sandry beamed across the room at him. He grinned. 'She sure is beautiful…'
The six soon sat down to breakfast. Trivial conversation floated around Sandry as she gazed off somewhere, deep in her contemplation. 'I like his smile. Why haven't I noticed it before? It proliferates over his face, into his eyes…I can even feel his plant-voice in my mind smile sigh. He certainly looks very nice in his green…'
::Why thank you Sandry!:: Briar beamed at her from across the homey table.
::Wha-what? Thank you for what?::
::For complimenting me on my appearance in this color!:: Briar's smile turned to a slight chuckle. He was secretly pleased. It wasn't often he received compliments…not even ones he wasn't supposed to hear.
The rest of the morning passed without much of anything exciting happening. Sandry still could not use her loom: Lark was afraid it would further injure her broken wrist. Most of Sandry's injuries had faded by now, save her wrist and the long knife cut down her arm. On that morning, Lark was showing Sandry a new embroidery pattern, as Tris sat nearby, studying a thick book. Daja was off at Frostpine's, making a new shield for a knight in the far away Tortall (AN ok, so maybe it's not that far away…bear with me here…). Briar was, of course, weeding the garden. The weather had gotten warmer, the days were beginning to stretch longer and longer. That meant it was time to weed more than ever.
::Tris?:: Sandry asked.
::Yes Sandry.::
::It's hot in here…:: Sandry rarely complained of such trivial things, but it was hot in the stuffy room.
::I know.::
::Well, can you do something about that?:: Getting Tris to do anything was like getting Briar to admit he was wrong. In reply, a cool breeze slinked through the open window, feathering the wispy baby curls at the nape of Sandry's neck.
::Thanks Tris.:: She received no reply. Tris was buried in her book again. 'it's not that I'm tired of sewing,' she thought to herself, 'it's just that I'd rather be outside, running around, riding a horse, doing anything instead of just sitting here!' As if she could hear Sandry's restless thoughts, Lark called Briar in from the garden, and pulled Tris from her book.
"Why don't you three go by Frostpine's and get Daja…go for a walk, or hey! A picnic! Why don't you pack a basket and have a picnic! It's nearly lunchtime anyway…." Sandry immidantly picked up on Lark's idea.
"We can go down to the lake!" she said excitedly.
"Sure, sounds like fun," Briar affirmied. Tris also nodded. Within minutes, the three had a lunch packed and were on their way to get Daja. Sandry was too excited to contain herself.
::DAJA!:: she squealed.
::What?:: came an exhausted reply.
::We're going on a picnic!:: Sandry's enthusiasm was infectious. Briar found himself eagerly anticipating the special feast. Tris was beginning to not regret putting her book down.
::Sounds wonderful!:: Daja replied. Her mind voice smiled back at them. ::I could use a rest!::
::Same here! I guess we're all antsy, wanting to get outside!:: Tris was very congenial today.
::At least, outside, away from the weeds!:: Briar groaned.
After Daja had joined the merry band, they soon arrived at the peaceful lake. Sandry and Tris spread out the blanket and Briar and Daja unpacked the foodstuff.
"Beats, just leave, ok? I'm not going to help you. You need to get back to Sotat."
"Fine, but, heh, just you whatcher, you'll hear of us soon enough!" Briar couldn't say that he would miss Beats. They had been pretty tight in the gang, at least as tight as gang members get, but time had changed both Briar and Beats. After all, it had been six or 7 years since Briar had seen anyone from his gang. (AN forgot to say, I'm assuming they're 16, and Briar's 17, cos I like guys to be a bit older). Briar trudged up the stairs. It was late, he was tired, and they would have work to do in the morning.
Dans le Matin
Sandry awoke to the sounds of scraping and clattering. 'Who else could be up? I'm always the first one up!' she thought, wonderingly (AN ?! () Sandry quickly hopped out of her soft bed and dressed. She knew there would be a lot of work for her to do today. Moreover, she looked forward to it.
"Good morning, all!" she called cheerfully, as she made her way into the kitchen. Tris was trying to mix some sort of batter as Lark pulled perfectly browned biscuits out of the oven.
"You sure slept late, Sandry," Lark commented.
::Uh-huh, late enough for me to have to mix this batter!:: Obviously, Tris was not pleased at having beaten Sandry to the kitchen.
::Sorry:: Sandry really was sorry. Well, at least a little bit…
"Where's briar?!" Evidently, Rosethorn was not in a good mood, and she needed Briar in order to release her frustration.
"I think he's still asleep." Tris was the first to venture an answer.
"Fine. You, Lazy, Sandry, go get him. Tell him I want to get in some work before breakfast."
"Yes ma'am." Sandry quickly skipped to Briar's room. (AN I'm not sure if it's upstairs or down, but for now, it's down. KO?).
"Briar?" Sandry asked, as she lightly knocked on his door. "Briar! Wake up!" The person in question turned over, protesting the sound. "Bri-" Sandry's voice caught in her throat. He looked so…beautiful, lying there…like a young child, only he wasn't. The sweet smile on his face made her want to reach down and sing him a lullaby, to soothe away any troubles that might eventually bother him, to hold him, and then rest her head in his lap, and kiss him tenderly, and to…
" SANDRY! What the devil are you doing in here?" Briar had woken up.
"Ohh…Rosethorn sent me to wake you up." Sandry blushed slightly. She had been caught in her clandestine reverie.
"Well, I'm awake now.." Briar said, this time more gently, softly, and with a tender half-smile.
"I can see that…I'll go back to the kitchen, you…umm…get dressed." With that, Sandry twirled her skirts and left the room.
::Well, it's nice to see you finally decided to grace us with your presence, Briar::
::You're one to talk, Daja!:: Tris retorted in their minds, ::You only got up a few minutes ago!::
::Yeah, well at least I beat Plant boy down here!::
::Ya know, I don't really care…how long till breakfast?:: Briar's question was answered almost as soon as he had asked it: Sandry flitted into the room, carrying a basket of biscuits.
::Here you are, Plant boy, eat to your hearts content!:: Sandry laughed.
Briar sighed to himself at her silvery chortle.
::Yes ma'am! There's one order I'm glad to follow!:: Sandry beamed across the room at him. He grinned. 'She sure is beautiful…'
The six soon sat down to breakfast. Trivial conversation floated around Sandry as she gazed off somewhere, deep in her contemplation. 'I like his smile. Why haven't I noticed it before? It proliferates over his face, into his eyes…I can even feel his plant-voice in my mind smile sigh. He certainly looks very nice in his green…'
::Why thank you Sandry!:: Briar beamed at her from across the homey table.
::Wha-what? Thank you for what?::
::For complimenting me on my appearance in this color!:: Briar's smile turned to a slight chuckle. He was secretly pleased. It wasn't often he received compliments…not even ones he wasn't supposed to hear.
The rest of the morning passed without much of anything exciting happening. Sandry still could not use her loom: Lark was afraid it would further injure her broken wrist. Most of Sandry's injuries had faded by now, save her wrist and the long knife cut down her arm. On that morning, Lark was showing Sandry a new embroidery pattern, as Tris sat nearby, studying a thick book. Daja was off at Frostpine's, making a new shield for a knight in the far away Tortall (AN ok, so maybe it's not that far away…bear with me here…). Briar was, of course, weeding the garden. The weather had gotten warmer, the days were beginning to stretch longer and longer. That meant it was time to weed more than ever.
::Tris?:: Sandry asked.
::Yes Sandry.::
::It's hot in here…:: Sandry rarely complained of such trivial things, but it was hot in the stuffy room.
::I know.::
::Well, can you do something about that?:: Getting Tris to do anything was like getting Briar to admit he was wrong. In reply, a cool breeze slinked through the open window, feathering the wispy baby curls at the nape of Sandry's neck.
::Thanks Tris.:: She received no reply. Tris was buried in her book again. 'it's not that I'm tired of sewing,' she thought to herself, 'it's just that I'd rather be outside, running around, riding a horse, doing anything instead of just sitting here!' As if she could hear Sandry's restless thoughts, Lark called Briar in from the garden, and pulled Tris from her book.
"Why don't you three go by Frostpine's and get Daja…go for a walk, or hey! A picnic! Why don't you pack a basket and have a picnic! It's nearly lunchtime anyway…." Sandry immidantly picked up on Lark's idea.
"We can go down to the lake!" she said excitedly.
"Sure, sounds like fun," Briar affirmied. Tris also nodded. Within minutes, the three had a lunch packed and were on their way to get Daja. Sandry was too excited to contain herself.
::DAJA!:: she squealed.
::What?:: came an exhausted reply.
::We're going on a picnic!:: Sandry's enthusiasm was infectious. Briar found himself eagerly anticipating the special feast. Tris was beginning to not regret putting her book down.
::Sounds wonderful!:: Daja replied. Her mind voice smiled back at them. ::I could use a rest!::
::Same here! I guess we're all antsy, wanting to get outside!:: Tris was very congenial today.
::At least, outside, away from the weeds!:: Briar groaned.
After Daja had joined the merry band, they soon arrived at the peaceful lake. Sandry and Tris spread out the blanket and Briar and Daja unpacked the foodstuff.