Later that day, during rest period, Tris felt compelled to go up on
the roof again. She didn't know why, but she didn't really think about it
all that much. No sense in worrying about something that doesn't even seem
to be a problem. As she gathered up her skirts and sat against the
chimmeny, she closed her eyes and breathed in the slty ocean air. A firm
breeze played with the crumply strands of hair that had come loose from her
braid she had tried to tame it in, and tickled her face. She heard someone
down at the bottom of the ladder, but she decided to keep her eyes closed
and pretend she was sleeping.
As she sensed Briar coming up onto the roof she bit her lip. Then she scowled at herself. He had every right to be up here, just as much as she did. And it didn't bother er at all. Nope. None. She fidgeted, and peeked open one eye. He was looking at her nervously. Apparently he did think she was sleeping, and he hadn't seen her eye open. He reached out tentatively and shook her shoulder.
"Tris," he said loudly, "Hey. Wake up." He shook her shoulder a little more and both her eyes snapped open. "What is it?" she asked, sounding annoyed. Might as well give him a show. "Um.." he looked uncomfortable. "Well.... you see, I was workin' in the gardens today, with Rosethorn, and...there was..a.." she fumbled for words. "Ground tremor, I guess," he finally got out. "Look, and Rosethorn says that it was just natural but it didnt feel natural and all," he rambled, unable to stop himself. "And I looked into it and there was a storm coming. I mean, not like a little storm, but a big one." Tris twitched her lips. "You mean...like...the earthquake?" she asked, with a slight shivier.
Briar shook his head ruefully. "Nope. It's not magic, at least, I think it's not," he added. "But I could tell it was bad, I mean, the earth was...scared," Tris looked bemused. "Scared? The Earth...was scared?" she asked. Briar scowled. "Don't go pokin fun at the Earth, nor me.I know what it felt and that's it." Tris bit her lip, and closed her eyes again. She tilted her head up to the sky and started meditating. Suddenly she was the clouds, the wind, soaring abover her bodily human form. She saored over the lands freely, until she hit something. She buzzed angrily and looked to see what was stopping her.
A great, giant stormcloud hovered over the village, and it was moving swiftly twoards Winding Circle. Something about it didn't feel right.....not in a magic sense, but just....it wasn't the way of nature. She back up and rammed into it again. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't busge that storm. Fearfully she fled back to Discipline, and her body. Opening her eyes she looked at Briar, who looked anxious. She bit her lip again and looked up at the harmless looking sky.
"Well?" Briar demanded, not being able to wait any longer. "Well," she said carefully," It's a big thunderstorm. It's alright...not magic...but not nature, either. Somethings wrong...but...." Brair sighed with releif. "Well, if it's just a thunderstorm, there's nothing t worry about, right? I mean, the Earth was probly just scared of a flood or something...." he trailed off, seeing Tris's serious expression. "Right?" he asked.
She shook her head. "It's ordinary...but it's not. I can't stop it, nor could anyone by themselves. Niko chose just the right time to leave," she added, frustrated. "But let roam freely, it would terrorize the city. It would destroy crops, farms, possibly even kill people."
"Well, then, we just have to warn all the teachers and everyone and they can fix it-" Briar was inntereuppted by Tris snorting. "Won't do any good." she said flatly. "It's too strong. The only person who stands a chance is...." she faltered. Looking up at Briar, she gulped. In a whisper, she finished.
"Me"
As she sensed Briar coming up onto the roof she bit her lip. Then she scowled at herself. He had every right to be up here, just as much as she did. And it didn't bother er at all. Nope. None. She fidgeted, and peeked open one eye. He was looking at her nervously. Apparently he did think she was sleeping, and he hadn't seen her eye open. He reached out tentatively and shook her shoulder.
"Tris," he said loudly, "Hey. Wake up." He shook her shoulder a little more and both her eyes snapped open. "What is it?" she asked, sounding annoyed. Might as well give him a show. "Um.." he looked uncomfortable. "Well.... you see, I was workin' in the gardens today, with Rosethorn, and...there was..a.." she fumbled for words. "Ground tremor, I guess," he finally got out. "Look, and Rosethorn says that it was just natural but it didnt feel natural and all," he rambled, unable to stop himself. "And I looked into it and there was a storm coming. I mean, not like a little storm, but a big one." Tris twitched her lips. "You mean...like...the earthquake?" she asked, with a slight shivier.
Briar shook his head ruefully. "Nope. It's not magic, at least, I think it's not," he added. "But I could tell it was bad, I mean, the earth was...scared," Tris looked bemused. "Scared? The Earth...was scared?" she asked. Briar scowled. "Don't go pokin fun at the Earth, nor me.I know what it felt and that's it." Tris bit her lip, and closed her eyes again. She tilted her head up to the sky and started meditating. Suddenly she was the clouds, the wind, soaring abover her bodily human form. She saored over the lands freely, until she hit something. She buzzed angrily and looked to see what was stopping her.
A great, giant stormcloud hovered over the village, and it was moving swiftly twoards Winding Circle. Something about it didn't feel right.....not in a magic sense, but just....it wasn't the way of nature. She back up and rammed into it again. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't busge that storm. Fearfully she fled back to Discipline, and her body. Opening her eyes she looked at Briar, who looked anxious. She bit her lip again and looked up at the harmless looking sky.
"Well?" Briar demanded, not being able to wait any longer. "Well," she said carefully," It's a big thunderstorm. It's alright...not magic...but not nature, either. Somethings wrong...but...." Brair sighed with releif. "Well, if it's just a thunderstorm, there's nothing t worry about, right? I mean, the Earth was probly just scared of a flood or something...." he trailed off, seeing Tris's serious expression. "Right?" he asked.
She shook her head. "It's ordinary...but it's not. I can't stop it, nor could anyone by themselves. Niko chose just the right time to leave," she added, frustrated. "But let roam freely, it would terrorize the city. It would destroy crops, farms, possibly even kill people."
"Well, then, we just have to warn all the teachers and everyone and they can fix it-" Briar was inntereuppted by Tris snorting. "Won't do any good." she said flatly. "It's too strong. The only person who stands a chance is...." she faltered. Looking up at Briar, she gulped. In a whisper, she finished.
"Me"