This chapter has a time span of about a week (?). From the night Briar arrived to the beginning of the Midwinter ball.

REMEMBER TO REVIEW AFTER YOU READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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"Talking outloud"
'Thinking'
*~*Flashback*~*
~~Scene change~~
(Author's Notes)

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Disclaimer: I own nothing except for this pointless plot. All characters used in this fanfic belong to Tamora Pierce. All the places probably belong to her too. Oh, and all the stuff that goes in her books is hers too. Anything else that even remotely relates to the books is Tamora Pierce's. So there. Now you can't sue me.

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Winter Sunshine
By smileypal4eva

Chapter 2: What Do You Think?

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the night Briar arrived, still a week before Midwinter ball...


Briar and Sandry were still catching up after dinner. Both were sipping tea, in her bedroom, lounging on comfortable chairs. They weren't alone. Lark, Rosethorn, Pasco, and Evvy were all there. And Duke Vedris had said he was coming later.

Rosethorn was speaking now. "I was going to go to Yanjing, to Evvy's home province, and drop her off there, but she had nowhere to live." Rosethorn shook her head. "I couldn't just let Evvy live like a street rat again. So I took her with us." She smiled wryly. "I wanted her to see what Winding Circle was like." When Briar started to choke, she turned and glared at him. "That was the ONLY reason!" She stated gruffly. Briar and Evvy both coughed, and gave each other knowing looks. Rosethorn glared more daggers at them.

Next, Lark told Rosethorn, Briar, and Evvy more about Sandry's experience with the unmagic. "Hard as it was, the council knew there was no other way to capture the Dihanurs and their mage. So we devised two plans: the net, and the web. However, everyone was skeptical that the web would work. All of us were sure that the unmagic net would work, and we would meet the Dihanurs on our terms." Sandry wiped away an involuntary tear. "I suppose they deserved what was coming. The Rokats, I mean. And the Dihanurs; it was right to do what I did. The Dihanurs had taken children. And although the Rokats hadn't done any killing in Emelan, they had taken so many other lives in other countries, so..." Sandry just shook her head, upset. She tried to smile.

"Pasco did a good job on the net. He has good body memory, as Yazmin says. That is the truth, even though Pasco almost got himself killed. But I should've known he would try to stay and watch." Sandry smiled; a real smile, one of the first that night. "And it would've worked, except you had to eat that cake." Sandry slapped Pasco playfully on the arm. "I was hungry!" Pasco whined. "Quit your whining." Rosethorn snapped. Pasco's mouth shut in his fright of the Earth dedicate. He had learned quickly to mind Dedicate Rosethorn, because she had a quick temper and a sharp tongue. He shuddered slightly.

"Evvy's already learned all of her alphabet, using that stone kit I got her." Briar finally commented. "Now, she can read very well. Almost better'n me. But not just yet. She loves reading just as much as Tris did. The only difference is that she doesn't snap at people when she's interrupted." Briar grinned; Sandry hid hers behind her handkerchief. "He's a good teacher. That's the only reason I'm learning so quickly." Evvy said. Sandry giggled at the thought of Briar being called 'teacher'; Lark just smiled warmly at him.

~Don't you go laughing at me because I'm a teacher!~ Briar thought-spoke to Sandry, who was laughing at him in her mind. ~But I must! It is fairly funny.~ Sandry said playfully. She became serious again. ~I'm sure you're a great teacher, no matter how funny it seems. Evvy has been taught the basics of magic well, and she has you to thank for it, and many things more.~ Sandry told him warmly.

Briar, listening to the conversation between Duke Vedris, who had just arrived, and Lark and Rosethorn, turned a little red. ~Nah. Not just me. She learns quickly, and isn't like your Pasco, who fidgets more than I ever did.~ He said, a little pleased at the compliment. Sandry gave him a soft, knowing smile before returning to the real world and joining the conversation.

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"-And this is your room here." Sandry opened the door next to the door to her room. Inside was an expanse of green. Nice and comfortable tones of green. Briar looked around. Inside was a comfortable-looking bed, some chairs near the balcony. There was a door, where all his clothes would hang in the closet, and a tall mirror. There were also several pots on the balcony, meaning that in the spring and summer, there would be plants to take care of. There was a painting above the bed, a full-length portrait of a very attractive girl, in a fairly expensive and complementing blue dress. The girl had a dazzling, yet soft, smile.

"I like the choice in color," Briar told her in approval. "Uncle hired someone to repaint some of the rooms, to make them look more cheery. Since he insisted that after you, Daja, and Tris come live at the Duke's Citadel after your trips, I told the painter to paint them green, a crimson red-orange like color, and blue." Sandry nodded at another door, inside the large, green-colored room. "That's the door to the privy and bath. We have to share one, so you better not come in when I'm in there."

Briar nodded absentmindedly; he was still looking at the painting. "Who's that?" The plant-mage asked. Sandry looked at the painting and blushed. "That's me, at one of the social functions earlier this spring." Briar's eyebrows went up. "That's you?!" Sandry nodded again, still red. "Uncle insisted that they have a painting of me in the citadel, after I started living here permanently. At first, he insisted on putting that painting in my room. But, since there was already a portrait of my parents and me hanging in there, we decided to put it here." Sandry's eyes softened at the mention of her own parents.

Briar glanced sidelong at her. She was still looking at the painting of herself. There was a look in Sandry's eyes. Was it - embarrassment? - Or longing, in her eyes? And if it was the latter, was it longing for her parents or for a special someone? Briar pushed aside the disturbing thoughts.

"You look good up there, though. And the dress looks really expensive." Briar commented. The pink tint returned to Sandry's cheeks. Briar raised an eyebrow, amused. "Well, Uncle insisted again. I wanted to wear one of my more regular dresses. However, since it was the first time I'd appeared to the public in formal attire, Uncle wanted me to look extra-nice. Personally, I think the dress is nice, but it shows too much."

After that last comment, Sandry turned red again. "I should get to sleep. You too. I'll see you - tomorrow." Sandry said quietly, not quite meeting Briar's eyes. She opened the door that joined their rooms together, and looked back. Briar was starting to unpack. She quickly walked through and closed the door.

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After Sandry left, Briar backed up and looked at the painting of her again. 'She looks so much more mature...' he thought. Briar looked at the painting and wondered why he didn't recognize Sandry before. 'Probably cause you've never seen her in a dress like that!' he heard a part of his mind argue. And it was true.

The dress sleeves were tight on Sandry's upper arms, then were loose from that point down (like flares, if you will, but not too much, only a little. Barely noticeable). The neckline was rather low, exposing some of her chest, and left quite an amount of shoulders and neck bare. The neutral (not bright, in this case) sky-blue colored bodice was laced tightly with honey-white laces, revealing a thin waist. The rest of the dress, waist down, was just a tone darker, to make her cornflower blue eyes stand out. White and yellow embroidery decorated the entire dress beautifully, and there was a small amount of jewels as well.

Briar gulped.

He had never seen Sandry in a dress like that. Well, honestly, he hadn't seen Sandry for two years (assuming that everyone left when they were fourteen) and now that she was sixteen, she'd grown a little taller, and curved in places she should be, more mature, graceful, and the like. Generally saying, she was more beautiful.

Hastily Briar clapped his hands over his ears, shut his eyes, and tried to think of something else, gasping all the while. 'Something has gotten into me! This is Sandry, one of my best friends! I'm not supposed to be thinking about her like-like this!!!!' Shaking, Briar unpacked everything and put stuff neatly where it belonged, pinching himself when he started thinking about Sandry like that again.

Someone knocked on the door. When Briar opened it, Duke Vedris stood, smiling warmly. Briar tried to smile and failed. "Come in, your grace." Duke Vedris nodded silently, and Briar led him to the couch. "Please, have a seat," Briar said. "Thank you, Briar." A servant came in and put two cups of tea down, then left.

"What brings your Grace here?" Briar asked, trying to sound normal, at least. Duke Vedris smiled warmly again. "I had some matters to settle with you." Briar watched Duke Vedris from the corner of his eye. The duke's tunic glowed with magic; 'Sandry's work,' Briar mused, pretending to look nonchalant. The duke began talking again. "My gardeners care for the plants well enough. But I was hoping to find someone better, who cares about the plants, and who might also have plant magic," the duke explained slowly.

"A gardener with plant magic?" Briar prodded.

"Yes. Specifically, I'd hoped that person would be you, because your magic with plants gives you the uncanny ability of knowing what plants need most, and from the looks of your shakkan on the balcony there, the plants you care for are likely to flourish greatly..."

Briar froze. 'I could be a real gardener! And Duke Vedris himself thinks the plants I take care of flourish!' he thought as Sandry's great-uncle continued talking.

"Your status as my head gardener would be almost as good as a noble. You most likely won't have any land, since you'll be living here, but I'm hoping that won't bother you." Duke Vedris looked at Briar, who was listening in earnest. "I trust this job interests you?"

Briar nodded. "It would mean a great deal to me if you accept me as your head gardener." Briar said carefully, listening to his own words register. 'Almost as good as a noble! A real gardener!' he thought ecstatically.

Duke Vedris smiled. "Then I thank you, for accepting the position. I'll pay you money of course, at the end of every month. You may stay in this room if you like, and Sandry will take you on a tour of the gardens tomorrow. You may start working at the finish of the Midwinter ball, which is the beginning of a new month. I must inform Sandry of your good news. Until I see you again, Briar Moss." And Duke Vedris left, leaving Briar gaping after him.

'Head gardener!' Briar's mind screamed at himself.

A few minutes later, Sandry bounded into Briar's room and hugged him fiercely. Briar almost choked. "Sandry! Haven't you had enough hugs for one day?!" Briar said, face beet-red. "Oh! I'm sorry. But isn't it great news? You're Uncle's new gardener!" Sandry let go and sat across from him, cheeks pink from the crisp night air.

"Yeah, it is good news..." Briar said, smiling widely. The two talked for a little while longer, and then Sandry left, after giving Briar a reminder. "Since you have to go to the Midwinter ball, you might as well have some good clothes. I have some made especially for you, and you'll have to have fittings tomorrow with me!" Sandry clapped her hands together, smiled, and left.

As soon as Briar had crawled under the covers of his bed, his thoughts wandered, from his shakkan, to being head-gardener, to Daja, then Tris, then grouchy ol' Rosethorn, then contrary Evvy, then Lark, Niko, Dedicate Crane, and then Sandry...

'Why can't I stop thinking about her?!' Briar sat straight up in bed, remembering when Sandry had hugged Briar and congratulated him on his good news earlier. He could still feel her body pressed tightly against his...

'Aah! Get a hold of yourself, Briar!' he shouted at himself, letting his head fall back on the pillow. 'Stop thinking about that kind of stuff about Sandry! It's JUST SANDRY!!'

When he'd calmed down a little more, Briar started thinking again. 'But she isn't just Sandry anymore, is she?' he asked himself. Sandry was now a teacher, herself, and a noble. Not just any noble, the great-niece of the Duke of Emelan himself! 'And, I bet every man at court has his eye set on Sandry,' Briar thought glumly.

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*The darkness seeped through her clothes, searching for an opening to creep into her body. Its slimy surface crawled along, to her mouth, to her nose, then through her ears. As she watched, it leaked down through the tent in which she worked the unmagic net, to the Mire. The unmagic would leave people to give up and die.

Perilously close to the circle of thread with four equally spaced lumps in it, the unmagic suddenly sprang through and into the circle, dampening the magic. From there, it leapt into the bodies of her three friends. Sandry watched in horror as the darkness spread, dampening their power, a waiting death...*


Sandry screamed and shot up. She fumbled for her night-light, the crystal ball. The undying and steady light threw shadows to the outskirts of the light, leaving Sandry gasping for air, in the safety of her own bed.

Sandrilene fa Toren started to sob. 'Why do these dreams keep coming back...' She couldn't stop the tears. All she could think about was the darkness, a patient death, waiting for the exact moment to pounce and engulf her...

A door opened, and light flickered from the opening. Sandry blinked her eyes, which were wet with tears. Briar appeared through the darkness, walking towards her. His eyes calmed her unnerved self. "Are you all right? I heard you scream," he said softly, sitting down next to her on the bed. Sandry tried to wipe away her tears and straighten up. "It's - nothing, really." Sandry tried to say. But fresh tears rolled down her cheeks, giving her away.

Briar's dark eyes looked into her bright blue ones, now glazed over in fear. "You're not okay if you're crying, Sandry," he retorted gently. Sandry looked away, down at the steady light in her hands. "It was the unmagic. It came, to drown me in darkness, then went into you and Daja and Tris, to destroy you from within." Sandry whispered, shuddering at the very thought.

Briar reached over and hugged her shoulders. 'It's so comforting, to know he's here for me,' Sandry thought, burying her face in Briar's shirt. Before she knew it, fresh tears had sprung out of her eyes, and she started crying again. Briar began to pull away, and ask what she was crying about now, but Sandry held on tight around his neck, shaking her head. She didn't need comforting with words, just a shoulder to cry on.

As the night drew darker, her sobs slowed, and the tears dried. Sandry finally released Briar. "I - I'm sorry. Now I've made her shirt all wet," Sandry murmured, quietly so. "No, it's okay. You probably haven't had a good cry like that for a while," Briar said simply. Sandry sniffed and nodded. "It's just, you - well, I feel, like - " Sandry heard herself stuttering and cringed inwardly.

'You sound like an absolute fool!' Sandry scolded herself, shutting her mouth. When Sandry sighed, her eyes lowered to the unflickering night-light, Briar wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. "Don't worry. The unmagic will have to go through me and Daj' and Coppercurls to get you." Sandry settled her head at the crook of Briar's neck and inhaled, feeling relaxed by the scent of plants and fresh air.

Consciously aware that one of Briar's arms was curled around the front of her waist and the other around her shoulders, Sandry flushed. 'I shouldn't even be thinking about this kind of stuff about Briar. He's my friend. One of my best friends.' However, before long, exhaustion crept up to her. "Thank you," Sandry whispered before falling asleep, snug in Briar's arms.

When Sandry was sleeping well, her breathing regular and normal, Briar lay her gently on the bed. He watched her chest rise and fall with each breath, and at her face, so innocent and serene. 'Not so innocent when you get to know her,' Briar thought ruefully, brushing away a strand of hair. "Good night," he said quietly. As an afterthought of his conflicting emotions and feelings, Briar bent down and ghosted his lips onto Sandry's, kissing her softly. Then he went silently back to his room.

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Trisana Chandler glowered at her teacher. He had insisted that they leave early. 'It's too early to ride horses.' Tris carefully balanced herself on her pony and took off her spectacles to clean them. She then put them back on and sighed. 'No matter how much I clean my glasses, this is not a dream. This is real, and we're riding, in this sopping wetness of rain.'

She didn't complain out loud, of course. Niko wouldn't really care much about her complaints. He was just that way.

Tris was a bit taller now, and her curly hair had straightened out a bit. She had also grown more mature, with more respect toward Nature. She had also slimmed up a bit.

'I suppose the best news I'm going to get is that I'll get to see Sandry soon. Briar & Daja too. I guess the rainy trip was worth it.' Tris watched the gray rain clouds from under her water-resistant hood and cloak. They were dark, gray, forbidding. She searched the gray clouds above, to see how far the storm went. To her delight, Tris found that the storm clouds would pass by in a couple more hours. 'At least I won't have to keep riding in this mess,' Tris thought.

"We're not heading to Winding Circle, Tris." Niko called at a fork in the path (one led to the temple community, a center of learning and magic; the other path led to the city).

"Then where are we going?" Tris stopped beside her teacher, who suddenly started moving down the path again, to the city.

"We're headed for Duke's Citadel. Duke Vedris insisted that you, Daja, and Briar come live with Sandry at there." Tris trotted her horse to keep up. "The Duke's Citadel? But I'm a merchant girl, not some noble!" She insisted. Niko slowed his horse and looked back at his student. "Duke Vedris is inviting you to live there with Sandry, if for no other reason than the fact that some other mages are already living at Discipline. Unless, of course, you wish to live in the dormitories at Winding Circle again?" Niko raised a brow. Tris just kept silent and rode on.

Finally they arrived. After she was admitted into Duke's Citadel, Tris called to Sandry. Only a few moments later, a blur ran down from the building and hugged Tris.
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"Why aren't we going to Winding Circle?" the dark-skinned girl muttered out loud. Weren't they supposed to go back to Winding Circle when they came back home to Summersea?

Kirel glanced over at Daja Kisubo. "Didn't Frostpine tell you? We're dropping you off at the Duke's Citadel."

"Dropping me off? At the Duke's Citadel?" Daja spurred her horse in surprise and they both cantered down the road. Stopping the horse again, Daja turned to look at her teacher and her teacher's apprentice.

"Yes, we are taking you to the Duke's Citadel. Duke Vedris wrote to me in a letter, insisting that when you come back to Emelan, you live in the citadel with Sandry, Briar, and Tris, who are also going to be living there." Frostpine grinned at his student.

"... I miss everyone." Daja finally said. It was true; she did, however, she enjoy traveling to different places, meeting new people, and learning some of their customs along the way.

"Well, now that we've arrived, perhaps you could tell your friends to come down here and help you? I'm expected back at the temple very soon. I apologize for not being here to help you get settled in, Daja." Frostpine smiled lopsidedly.

"No, it's all right. I'll just ask Sandry to come down and help. You should get going before you're late."

Frostpine and Kirel waved their goodbyes before continuing on to Winding Circle. Daja turned back to the road leading to the citadel. ~Sandry! It's Daja. I'm almost at the Duke's Citadel; do you think you come down and help me?~ Daja called to her saati, or a friend closer than family. ~Daja! Yes, wait a moment. I'll tell the guards you're to be allowed in. I'm coming right down! Briar too!~ Sandry said excitedly.

Daja was admitted into the Citadel, and she unhooked and unstrapped everything off her horse. A blur of red ran out of the building and jumped onto Daja. "You've changed so much!" Sandry squealed, hugging her friend happily. Briar, at a more reasonable pace, stopped in front of the Trader. "Welcome to your home, Trader girl."

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"Yes! Now keep the curtains right there! Don't move them, I have to tie the ropes around the mid- No! The curtains are slipping!" Sandry was watching and helping with the Midwinter ball preparations. They were doing fine, but not going as well as Sandry had hoped.

Duke Vedris watched his great-niece bite her lip to keep from laughing or crying. Or maybe both. "Maybe you should take a rest. You've been doing magic all afternoon," he said in his soft, commanding voice. Sandry glanced at him. "I'm fine. Just a bit frustrated." Sandry smiled and got up. She shooed all the servants away, telling them to eat some lunch first. As soon as the last person was gone, Sandry walked up to one of the huge windows with the just as big curtains. She nodded slightly; the curtains flew open. With a twitch of her wrists, both ropes tied themselves snugly around the curtains. She did the same for each window.

Meanwhile, Briar was getting to know the plants down below. Earlier, he'd helped with the placement of potted plants in the ballroom; now, he was introducing himself to the plants in the gardens. Tris was watching the weather from her new room. It was nice and sunny that day; not a hot kind of sunny, but a mild glow, with a bit of warmth tied in. She watched as little wisps of clouds slowly crawled across the sky with the wind. Daja was helping in the ballroom, checking any metal inside to see if it was holding up. If the metal wasn't, then Daja would strengthen it.

Finally, all the preparations for the Midwinter ball were complete the day before it began. Sandry had fitted Tris, Daja, and Briar with the clothing they were supposed to wear, after insisting to the three of them that they please go, or she would be stuck at the ball by herself with no one sensible to talk to.

After some thought, she also invited Pasco, whose face went ghastly white at her invitation, and Evvy, whose eyes brightened and clearly said 'thank you'. Tris had gotten a green-aqua sort of color with a little gray mixed in, a sort of color that led to her unusual eyes. After a lot of arguing, Daja settled for a darkened orange-red dress that was like a duplicate of Tris' dress except fitted for Daja to wear. Evvy got a duplicate of Tris and Daja's dress, that was a pale ice-blue color, with silver embroidery. Everything was made by Sandry.

For Briar, Sandry found him a clean, stark-white shirt, and sturdy new boots. A green tunic, stitched with silver embroidery and made especially for Briar (more of Sandry's work), a new pair of tan breeches also made by Sandry, and everything was all set (or whatever guys wear to balls or dances; I wouldn't know, I'm a girl!).

When asked what she was wearing to the Midwinter ball, Sandry just blushed and answered mysteriously. "You'll see. It's a surprise!"

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The next evening, Briar was putting on his new clothes as Sandry had instructed. He was the last to leave, because he was tending to a new miniature tree, who kept arguing with him about the placement of a fig. Just as he had finished pulling on his first boot with difficulty, Briar heard a knock at the door and Sandry's soft voice. "Can I come in?" Briar frowned; she sounded ... almost, shy!

"Yeah, go ahead, I'm just trying pull on this -- darned -- boot! Whoa!" Briar toppled over onto his bed as his second boot went on. The door opened, and just as Briar was about to retort something to Sandry about the boots, his voice caught in his throat. She wore white elbow-length gloves, and her hair was let down loose (not in braids!!!). This dress was the same in the painting above his bed, except a different color. It was a beautiful turquoise bluish color. Again, it made her eyes seem paler than they were. Now, those eyes were shy, watching Briar closely for his reaction.

"So... What do you think?" Sandry twirled around to make her point. She kept her eyes trained on Briar's. 'Beautiful...' Briar gulped. "You look... beautiful." He said, awed into oblivion. Sandry blushed a bit more, cheeks red (making this "romantic" scene more so!).

"Come on. We have to go!" Sandry grabbed his arms and pulled him up. Suddenly, their faces were very close. Sandry was afraid to breath as her eyes flicked up into Briar's. What was in them caught her. A small gasp escaped from her lips. Then, carefully, almost timidly, Briar gently eased his lips onto hers. Sandry's eyes fluttered closed, her grip on Briar's arms loosening. He let her go. Sandry stared wide-eyed at Briar. "Come on, Sandry. We have to go." He left the room, pulling a still-shocked Sandry after him.

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ahh! The first "real" romantic scenes! So sweet!

Remember, please review! I thrive off reviews!
One day, I'm going to make 1000 and more reviews my goal (will never happen) but ohwell!!!

smileypal4eva