"Are you alright?" Sandry asked quietly and she half-knocked, half-
pushed at Tris's partly open door. "Come in" was Tris's only reply. Sandry
came in and shut the door behind her, to find tris sitting nezt to her
window, which was open and letting wind into the room, making it chilly.
"Now, if you're feeling ill, you shouldn't have the window open, and you
certainly shouldn't be sitting by it," Sandy said, moving over to shut the
window. "No," Tris said. "I want it open. I'm not sick, you know" Sandry
looked at her for a moment, then sat down on Tris's bed. "Well, then, why
did you say you weren't feeling well? Tris sighed. "Because I wasn't." When
Tris remained silent, Snadry asked, "Well, then, do you want to tell me
what's the metter?" Tris sighed again, softer than before, and rubbed her
necklace, which she always wore now. "Yes....and no" she said finally.
Sandry scooted a chair over by her sea at the window. "We were all
laughing, then suddenly you stood up and announced you weren't feeling
well. I'm sure you have the others worried as well." Sandry folded her
hands across her lap and looked out the window. "Looks like it's going to
storm," she remarked idly. "Thts strange. It was so hot and sunny this
after..noon..." Sandry let her sentance trail off as she looked at her
friend. Tris looked as stormy and clouded over as the sky. She saw that she
was still rubbing at her necklace. She put one hand on her back. Tris
jumped a little, as if she hadn't known Sandry was there.
"It's just that... when Rosethorn was talking about Briar meeting a girl.....I got a little...angry" SHe was not going to say jeaous. Was not. "I mean," she covered for herself quickly, "Why hadn't he told us? He tells us everything. Or at least he used to. I don't want some girl coming and seperating us." Sandry smiled a little, then quickly hid it from Tris. She hugged her unhappy friend, and said, "DOn't worry. I'm sure no silly girl is going to take Briar away from.....us" Tris looked up at Sandry suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?" Sandry smiled the tiniest bit, and Tris looked away, scwling. "I know you better than you do, Trisana Chandler.Thinking you could hide tat from me." she gave Tris a playful little tap on the shoulder. "I'm sure Rosethorn's just gone jumping to conclusions, as usual* Sandry rolled her eyes and reminded Tris so much of Daja that she laughed in spite of herself. "you're probly right," she said after a while. "But that doesn't mean you can go telling everyone what you know." Sandry instantly looked solemn. "I give my word I won't tell a soul. Honest" Tris knew Sandry, and she knew she never broke her promises. She reached over and gave her a quick hug, then stood up and straightened her dress. "Well, supper must almost be over, and someone needs to do the dishes. Poperly" She walked out of the room, holding the door open for Sandry then walking back down the stairs to the table. She saw that everything had mostly all been put away, and that Briar was washing the dishes.
Sandry looked at her, and Tris shooed her along. Snadry stuck her tounge out and gave her a mental, 'Good Luck' before going into Larks office to help with the straightening p from that days work. Tris slid up next to Briar, and started scrubbing at the dishes. She noticed Briar looking at her every now nd then. She sighed. "I'm sorry I was so rude before," she began, but she was cut off by Briar. "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have poked my nose in where it didn't belong." Tris was genuinley shocked. Briar was apologizing? To her? Before she could ave time to comtemplate this, Daja came bounding into te room. "Hey Briar. Tris" she nodded at them. "Um, are you alright Tris? We've been kind of worried about you lately, and I was just wondering if there was anything wrong...." she looked uncomfortable, and Tris had to hold back a laugh. Seeing the big Trader-girl standing there, looking uncomfortable, was enough to make Tris dissolve in a fit of giggles. But she held it back because Daja seemed genuinley worrid. "No, I'm fine Daja. Really" she added, seeing the doubt on the other girl's face. "It was just nerves, I guess, from Niko not being here and all." Daja shrugged. "Well, if you're okay....Briar, want to have another combat lesson tonight?" Daja was eaching Briar some Trader cobat moves, and in return Briar was teaching her how to be graceful and lightfooted, as he leared from living on the streets as a pick-pocket, before he came to live at Winding Circle. Briar grinned. "Sure, why not." "Great," Daja said." We'll be doing physical combat. Meet me in the gardens at 10 o' clock. Oh, you can come too, if you'd like, Tris." Tris shook her head. "I think I'll pass" Daja shrugged again. "Okay. So, see you t ten?" Brian grinned again. "It's a date".
Later that evening, Tris sat, staring out her window at the darkening sky, when voices floated up to her with the wind. They seemed to be coming from somewhere below her, and she tried to make sense of the voices."Shhh! Don't wake anyone! You need to learn to do this, and be quiet abuot it!" That was a familiar voice, a female voice. It was very familiar. As Tris tried to figure it out, another voice came up to her. "Alright, c'mon then, let's do it" There were some shuffles and a grunt, then there was hysterical laughter. SUddenly Tris realized who it was that she was hearing. It was Briar and Daja, working on thier physical combat. She felt a pang of jealousy go through her, then quickly brushed it away, shocked at herself. Where had that come from? She knew Daja was only teaching Briar combat. But still.... the voices came again, and they sounded like they were have loads of fun. 'I should have gone,' she started to think, but then she thought, interupptin herself, 'It would have been worse to see them rolling around together, wouldn't it?' She shuddered invoulentarily, then got into bed, disgusted. How could she think such things? She had never cared what Briar did or who he tumbled with, and Daja was one of her best friends. How could al this have come so suddenly without her realizing it?
"It's just that... when Rosethorn was talking about Briar meeting a girl.....I got a little...angry" SHe was not going to say jeaous. Was not. "I mean," she covered for herself quickly, "Why hadn't he told us? He tells us everything. Or at least he used to. I don't want some girl coming and seperating us." Sandry smiled a little, then quickly hid it from Tris. She hugged her unhappy friend, and said, "DOn't worry. I'm sure no silly girl is going to take Briar away from.....us" Tris looked up at Sandry suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?" Sandry smiled the tiniest bit, and Tris looked away, scwling. "I know you better than you do, Trisana Chandler.Thinking you could hide tat from me." she gave Tris a playful little tap on the shoulder. "I'm sure Rosethorn's just gone jumping to conclusions, as usual* Sandry rolled her eyes and reminded Tris so much of Daja that she laughed in spite of herself. "you're probly right," she said after a while. "But that doesn't mean you can go telling everyone what you know." Sandry instantly looked solemn. "I give my word I won't tell a soul. Honest" Tris knew Sandry, and she knew she never broke her promises. She reached over and gave her a quick hug, then stood up and straightened her dress. "Well, supper must almost be over, and someone needs to do the dishes. Poperly" She walked out of the room, holding the door open for Sandry then walking back down the stairs to the table. She saw that everything had mostly all been put away, and that Briar was washing the dishes.
Sandry looked at her, and Tris shooed her along. Snadry stuck her tounge out and gave her a mental, 'Good Luck' before going into Larks office to help with the straightening p from that days work. Tris slid up next to Briar, and started scrubbing at the dishes. She noticed Briar looking at her every now nd then. She sighed. "I'm sorry I was so rude before," she began, but she was cut off by Briar. "No, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have poked my nose in where it didn't belong." Tris was genuinley shocked. Briar was apologizing? To her? Before she could ave time to comtemplate this, Daja came bounding into te room. "Hey Briar. Tris" she nodded at them. "Um, are you alright Tris? We've been kind of worried about you lately, and I was just wondering if there was anything wrong...." she looked uncomfortable, and Tris had to hold back a laugh. Seeing the big Trader-girl standing there, looking uncomfortable, was enough to make Tris dissolve in a fit of giggles. But she held it back because Daja seemed genuinley worrid. "No, I'm fine Daja. Really" she added, seeing the doubt on the other girl's face. "It was just nerves, I guess, from Niko not being here and all." Daja shrugged. "Well, if you're okay....Briar, want to have another combat lesson tonight?" Daja was eaching Briar some Trader cobat moves, and in return Briar was teaching her how to be graceful and lightfooted, as he leared from living on the streets as a pick-pocket, before he came to live at Winding Circle. Briar grinned. "Sure, why not." "Great," Daja said." We'll be doing physical combat. Meet me in the gardens at 10 o' clock. Oh, you can come too, if you'd like, Tris." Tris shook her head. "I think I'll pass" Daja shrugged again. "Okay. So, see you t ten?" Brian grinned again. "It's a date".
Later that evening, Tris sat, staring out her window at the darkening sky, when voices floated up to her with the wind. They seemed to be coming from somewhere below her, and she tried to make sense of the voices."Shhh! Don't wake anyone! You need to learn to do this, and be quiet abuot it!" That was a familiar voice, a female voice. It was very familiar. As Tris tried to figure it out, another voice came up to her. "Alright, c'mon then, let's do it" There were some shuffles and a grunt, then there was hysterical laughter. SUddenly Tris realized who it was that she was hearing. It was Briar and Daja, working on thier physical combat. She felt a pang of jealousy go through her, then quickly brushed it away, shocked at herself. Where had that come from? She knew Daja was only teaching Briar combat. But still.... the voices came again, and they sounded like they were have loads of fun. 'I should have gone,' she started to think, but then she thought, interupptin herself, 'It would have been worse to see them rolling around together, wouldn't it?' She shuddered invoulentarily, then got into bed, disgusted. How could she think such things? She had never cared what Briar did or who he tumbled with, and Daja was one of her best friends. How could al this have come so suddenly without her realizing it?