I don't own anything here that belongs, even vaguely to Tamora Pierce.
The Collision
Chapter 6~The Web
"We have to set a trap," Sandry said again, more slowly. "Well, first let's get rid of these
people." Numair knocked them out and they carried the two people outside.
"Let's go back to bed now, and tomorrow we will set a trap," Numair decided. They agreed
and went back to bed.
The next morning, they were up and about at dawn. Alanna and Numair called a meeting of the mages.
"Somehow, we are going to have to set a trap,"
Alanna said.
"How?" Tris asked.
"With truelberries," Daine put in simply.
"Remember what the book said? 'Fight fire with fire'. We'll mash up some truelberries and make a kind of web to trab them in," Sandry suggested. They all agreed on that.
"But how are we going to make a web with truelberries?" Grithia, one of the apprentice mages asked.
"I can weave the magical essence of truelberries," Sandry grinned grimly.
"It will be dangerous," Numair stated, putting his arm around her. "Are you sure?"
She smiled up at him. "I practically live for danger."
After a quick midday, she took a good cleansing shower, with herbs and spices. As she prepared to weave, Lark brought her aside.
"Whatever you do, do not drop the web of essence.
It will fall apart completely," Lark warned. "I won't," Sandry promised.
"Good," Lark smiled. "You know, you're almost like a daughter to me, if I ever had one,"
Sandry sat down on the floor of a clean room. A small tub of truelberry mush lay waiting for her to weave. She took a deep breath, then drew out her magic with magical hands and began weaving. She weaved and weaved. Long hours went by. As she weaved, the essence attempted to attack her mind. Sandry kept them away with thoughts. Her thinking stopped on Briar. He has been nice to me the past few days, she thought. I guess under all that street rat crap, he has a kind and gentle heart. How sentimental. I think you're going crazy, Sandry scolded herself. Of course she like Briar. They were best friends. SHe shook her head. Somehow, life had become very confusing.
Somehow, her hands slipped and the web fell. Quickly, almost automatically, her legs flew to catch it and the web fell safely into her lap. Whew. That was close, she thought.
Finally, it was all complete except for one bit in the web, that had to be done. She looked around for her source of magic and found only one strand left. With all of the force of her mind, she drew it out, forcing it to do her bidding. It was too much for her and then everything was black.
Lark went in to check up on Sandry. Looking at the web, she was delighted to find it finish. Then she looked at Sandry. She was pale and her eyes were closed. Lark put a hand to her neck for a pulse. A faint thump hit her hand. For a second, Sandry opened her eyes.
"Hello," Lark said weakly. Sandry looked at her and looked right through her. A chill went down Lark's spine. Sandry sighed and slept once more.
There was a beautiful tree, standing all alone. Sandry ran up to it. Suddenly, she was under it and there were big, fat truelberries raining down on her, eating her up. Sandry sat up, and saw Briar. He's not that bad looking, she realised as she fell down and slept once more. Sandry flitted in between consciousness and dreams. Sometimes, she didn't know which one was real.
Baird, the palace chief healer visited her one day.
"I'm afraid she's got Truelberry fever," Baird said.
"How did she get it?"Lark said calmly.
"Well, I didn't tell you before, because it's really uncommon," Baird began hesitantly. "But you can only get it if you stay in contact magically with truelberries for a long time. Soon s he will reach the Peak. At that time, she will really have to fight for her life."
Briar sat quietly, besidde Sandry, looking out the window. Tris and the others had already left leaving him to his thoughts. Now that Sandry was close to death, he could really wonder what life would be without her. She was always there, giving a coin to a poor kid or helping a sick animal. Briar didn't really realise how much she meant to him. He didn't know that he loved her.
Sandry was standing in a huge field. It was bright green, with flowers and plants and birds and animals. Briar would love it here, she thought wistfully, Where was Briar? There were many people, rushing around and making noise, spoiling the view. They were rushing even faster, as though put into fast forward. "Where am I?" she asked someone.
"Peak Hill," they replied. "It's where all the victims of Ttruelberry Fever and those going to be victims stay,"
What? She stared at him but he was gone. She wasn't dead. Was she? No! She couldn't be dead! She wanted a life, growing up, learning more about her magic! "NOOOOOO!!!"she screamed. Suddenly, everyone vanished. In their place a black cloud set in, leaving Sandry more afraid than she had ever been. A black hooded figure stalked towards her.
"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! BRIAR!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!" she screamed.
"DO YOU LOVE SANDRILENE FA TOREN?" A voice rumbled in his dreams. Why would a dream ask a question like that? Briar wondered.
"Yes," he said. Suddenly, it was as though something lit in him. He sat up straightaway and headed for Sandry's room. Sandry was crying. Briar grabbed her.
"Briar," she sobbed. It was okay. "Sandry's alive!" Briar bellowed at the top of hs lungs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, sorry to leave you hanging like that but I had to end the chapter somehow. Well, I think that was the longeest chapter I have ever written. Guiness record. Well, stay tuned for the last chapter.
~~~Takarimon
The Collision
Chapter 6~The Web
"We have to set a trap," Sandry said again, more slowly. "Well, first let's get rid of these
people." Numair knocked them out and they carried the two people outside.
"Let's go back to bed now, and tomorrow we will set a trap," Numair decided. They agreed
and went back to bed.
The next morning, they were up and about at dawn. Alanna and Numair called a meeting of the mages.
"Somehow, we are going to have to set a trap,"
Alanna said.
"How?" Tris asked.
"With truelberries," Daine put in simply.
"Remember what the book said? 'Fight fire with fire'. We'll mash up some truelberries and make a kind of web to trab them in," Sandry suggested. They all agreed on that.
"But how are we going to make a web with truelberries?" Grithia, one of the apprentice mages asked.
"I can weave the magical essence of truelberries," Sandry grinned grimly.
"It will be dangerous," Numair stated, putting his arm around her. "Are you sure?"
She smiled up at him. "I practically live for danger."
After a quick midday, she took a good cleansing shower, with herbs and spices. As she prepared to weave, Lark brought her aside.
"Whatever you do, do not drop the web of essence.
It will fall apart completely," Lark warned. "I won't," Sandry promised.
"Good," Lark smiled. "You know, you're almost like a daughter to me, if I ever had one,"
Sandry sat down on the floor of a clean room. A small tub of truelberry mush lay waiting for her to weave. She took a deep breath, then drew out her magic with magical hands and began weaving. She weaved and weaved. Long hours went by. As she weaved, the essence attempted to attack her mind. Sandry kept them away with thoughts. Her thinking stopped on Briar. He has been nice to me the past few days, she thought. I guess under all that street rat crap, he has a kind and gentle heart. How sentimental. I think you're going crazy, Sandry scolded herself. Of course she like Briar. They were best friends. SHe shook her head. Somehow, life had become very confusing.
Somehow, her hands slipped and the web fell. Quickly, almost automatically, her legs flew to catch it and the web fell safely into her lap. Whew. That was close, she thought.
Finally, it was all complete except for one bit in the web, that had to be done. She looked around for her source of magic and found only one strand left. With all of the force of her mind, she drew it out, forcing it to do her bidding. It was too much for her and then everything was black.
Lark went in to check up on Sandry. Looking at the web, she was delighted to find it finish. Then she looked at Sandry. She was pale and her eyes were closed. Lark put a hand to her neck for a pulse. A faint thump hit her hand. For a second, Sandry opened her eyes.
"Hello," Lark said weakly. Sandry looked at her and looked right through her. A chill went down Lark's spine. Sandry sighed and slept once more.
There was a beautiful tree, standing all alone. Sandry ran up to it. Suddenly, she was under it and there were big, fat truelberries raining down on her, eating her up. Sandry sat up, and saw Briar. He's not that bad looking, she realised as she fell down and slept once more. Sandry flitted in between consciousness and dreams. Sometimes, she didn't know which one was real.
Baird, the palace chief healer visited her one day.
"I'm afraid she's got Truelberry fever," Baird said.
"How did she get it?"Lark said calmly.
"Well, I didn't tell you before, because it's really uncommon," Baird began hesitantly. "But you can only get it if you stay in contact magically with truelberries for a long time. Soon s he will reach the Peak. At that time, she will really have to fight for her life."
Briar sat quietly, besidde Sandry, looking out the window. Tris and the others had already left leaving him to his thoughts. Now that Sandry was close to death, he could really wonder what life would be without her. She was always there, giving a coin to a poor kid or helping a sick animal. Briar didn't really realise how much she meant to him. He didn't know that he loved her.
Sandry was standing in a huge field. It was bright green, with flowers and plants and birds and animals. Briar would love it here, she thought wistfully, Where was Briar? There were many people, rushing around and making noise, spoiling the view. They were rushing even faster, as though put into fast forward. "Where am I?" she asked someone.
"Peak Hill," they replied. "It's where all the victims of Ttruelberry Fever and those going to be victims stay,"
What? She stared at him but he was gone. She wasn't dead. Was she? No! She couldn't be dead! She wanted a life, growing up, learning more about her magic! "NOOOOOO!!!"she screamed. Suddenly, everyone vanished. In their place a black cloud set in, leaving Sandry more afraid than she had ever been. A black hooded figure stalked towards her.
"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE! BRIAR!!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!" she screamed.
"DO YOU LOVE SANDRILENE FA TOREN?" A voice rumbled in his dreams. Why would a dream ask a question like that? Briar wondered.
"Yes," he said. Suddenly, it was as though something lit in him. He sat up straightaway and headed for Sandry's room. Sandry was crying. Briar grabbed her.
"Briar," she sobbed. It was okay. "Sandry's alive!" Briar bellowed at the top of hs lungs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Well, sorry to leave you hanging like that but I had to end the chapter somehow. Well, I think that was the longeest chapter I have ever written. Guiness record. Well, stay tuned for the last chapter.
~~~Takarimon
