The sky began to grow dark, spotting with silvery stars. The air chilled inside the woven shield, making its worried inhabitant's shiver.

"Guys?" Daja's small voice came out from the shadows. Calling up a speck of lightning, Tris illuminated the small area. "We better get some rest."

"Yeah," Briar added. "How 'bout we have shifts, you know, to guard?"

"Good idea," Tris replied. "But..." she added hesitantly. "I think we should keep the light on otherwise we can't see anything around us."

Kethan yawned expansively. "How can we sleep with this bright strip glowing?" He extended his hand out to the writhing light, drawing back when his hand tingled. "Although its simply amazing."

Sandry sighed. "Here." Waving her fine-boned hand, she drew up a small sheet of glowing cloth. "If you want to hide, you can." Putting Daja and Kethan behind the barrier, she sealed it off from light and sound.

Turning back to Briar and Sandry, Tris smiled. "Well, we got this shift, then me and Kethan and Daja will have it, and then Kethan and Daja again, then you and Briar again...Hows that?" she asked Sandry. "Like change every few hours? This magical storm seems to be taking its time..."

"Sure." Briar said. "Sounds great."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daja and Kethan stared at the glowing barrier. "Sandry didn't even ask!" Kethan muttered under his breath. "Stars would have been nice to see before our instant death."

Tapping on the solid glow, Daja called out. "Sandry? Sandry!"

A small hole appeared. "What?" the noble asked waspishly.

"Can we have another shift?" Daja asked plaintively. "Not quite tired yet."

Sandry sighed. "Tris? They want another time." An impatient growl came out from behind her. "Sorry guys, no can do. Tris would have to rearrange all her plans." The girl winked at her friend then sealed off the small room.

Snuggling up, the two went to sleep while their friends watched over the turbulent sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Rosethorn shrieked in agony. "We still can't reach them?" She stomped over to the window, staring out at the gate. Bits of wood and leaves flew by as the wind speed increased. "We can't do anything?"

Niko shook his head sadly. "They can't even come in. The wind is too fast, and any breaching of that shield Sandry put up would have them killed by flying objects."

Lark gasped and pointed to the window. "What's that?" Her finger traced the globes of fiery magic decending on Sandry's woven net of sparkles. "What...? That madman! He placed the most outrageous spells in those winds."

Moonstream looked out the window. "Wasting spells? Lightning spells?" her mouth dropped. "Flood!?"

Lark felt her eyes filling with tears of dread. Covering her mouth with her hands, she bit her lip as the shining waves of the power of their students battled the magic gone wrong.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Waking Daja and Kethan, the five threw their power into the net. The spheres, composed of pent up wind magic and stone power (or so Tris said) were voracious and were coming at a very high velocity, ripping gashes in the barrier.

Sandry, struggling with her threads, slammed a thick braid of power into an enormous orange orb. It exploded, and the mage children cheered.

Until they saw the rolling winds loaded with mist and sparks swirling in.

"There's something wrong with that one," Kethan whispered. The air smelt like...shriveling...pain...emptiness...death...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

arrr! i dont know where the plot is going anymore!