A/N: Wow! Two chapters in one week!! You gotta use your imagination a bit this time, we didn't feel like typing this part. *scoffs* The lazy bums.
"And now… we wait," Crane said as they left the Temple.
"That was the most amazing thing I've ever done in my entire life," Rosethorn said, smelling strongly of incense.
She leaned on Crane as they walked, yawning. The sun had already set and she was exhausted. Crane breathed in deeply and ran his fingers through Rosethorn's hair.
"You smell nice," he murmured, half asleep.
"I wonder why," Rosethorn said, and then added, "you smell the same."
"Is that a compliment?" Crane inquired.
"Maybe," Rosethorn replied with a smile.
Suddenly they found themselves in front of Discipline Cottage. Rosethorn pushed open the door and they stumbled in. She headed straight for her bedroom.
"Good night," she mumbled to Crane and then flopped down on her bed into a dead sleep.
***
"Good morning!" Rosethorn said cheerfully as she walked into the dining room.
Briar and the girls sat at the table playing cards. Briar groaned.
"My one day vacation is over!" he said and threw his cards on the table, "what do I have to do today?"
"Weed the garden," she said, "without me."
Briar stared her, his eyes wide. Rosethorn grinned.
"Kidding."
There was a loud rumble from somewhere. Rosethorn glanced around before realizing it was her stomach. Then she doubled over, clutching her it.
"I am FAMISHED!" she said and sat down in a chair.
Lark put a steaming plate of hash browns, eggs, and bacon in front of her. Rosethorn glared at the plate and growled, "why aren't you aloud to eat during any of these rituals?"
"Oh its just one of those things," Lark said as Rosethorn began to eat, "you fast during a ritual, you use an umbrella when it rains!"
Rosethorn stared at her, ""where did that come from?"
Lark shrugged, "Just popped out."
"Speaking of rain…" Tris said and glanced out the window at the clouding sky.
Later that day….
Music floated around the house, apparently coming from Tris's room.
"I'm only happy when it's complicated, I'm only happy when it rains!"
Rosethorn pushed back her stool and stood up from her workbench storming to Tris's room from her workroom.
"What is that atrocious music?!" She asked standing in the doorway.
Tris looked up, she had been lying on her bed reading a book, and a glowing orb was the source of the music.
She answered shyly, "Um, just some music, I found it in the attic, I think its Lark's."
Rosethorn mumbled under her breath, "Everything in that attic seems to be Lark's old stuff."
"Wanna hear the messed-up version?" she asked and began to sing without waiting for the answer, "I'm happy when I'm constipated, I'm only happy when it pains!"
Rosethorn sighed, "You are one weird girl Tris."
She then turned and said softly, "Don't know why Briar likes you."
Tris though had gone back to her book and of course didn't hear. She did hear the front door open though and Rosethorn say, "Why hello Crane."
And, "Hello Love."
And then some kissing noises, Tris cupped her hand over the ball and the music became a little louder.
That Evening…
Rosethorn sat in her bedroom waiting for Crane to come back; he had to do some caring for his plants.
Suddenly a Briar's head appeared in the doorway.
"Hello Rosethorn," it said brightly.
She let out a yelp, "Great merciful Mila!"
The head floated over to hover next to her, "What's wrong?"
"Where's your body?" she demanded.
Briar's head looked down and put on an expression of surprise, "huh! Its not there! What do ya know?"
Rosethorn glared at him.
"Oh yeah, I remember, I cut it off a few hours ago! Too much of a bother you know, lugging all that around, so much easier being a head!" Briar explained.
A book suddenly floated up from her table and the pages started flipping as if being turned. Realization dawned on Rosethorn and she grabbed at the air under Briar's head. Her hand contacted with invisible flesh and Briar's head yelped.
"Briar. You are the worst liar I know. Now take off that invisibility cloak right away!" Rosethorn demanded.
"Aw shucks Rosethorn! Do I have to?" Briar's head asked and then his body appeared, holding a silvery cloak.
"That's better. You think I've had a nice day?" Rosethorn demanded.
Briar looked uneasy.
"I've been sitting here, waiting here for an omen from the Gods! First Tris's music, and now you're invisibility cloak, what next?!" Rosethorn demanded, losing control.
"You're getting an omen? Oh cool!" Briar said then jumped as a little metal thing flopped into the room, moving as if its muscles couldn't work right, or as if it was having a spasm.
Daja appeared in the doorway about the same time as an owl flew in and perched on the windowsill. Daja looked at the owl. The owl looked at Daja. Then the owl swooped down and picked the metal worm up in its beak and swallowed it. It then flew over and landed on Rosethorn's bed.
Daja gasped, "Mr. Owl ate my metal worm!"
A/N: Mr. Owl ate my metal worm spells the same thing backwards! *Cackles gleefully*
"Mr. Owl?" Rosethorn asked questioningly.
"He's Frostpine's pet owl he raised from a chick, they're bonded!" Daja said eyes wide as suddenly the owl fell to the floor choking.
Daja ran over to it and him up. She shoved it towards Rosethorn, "Do SOMETHING!"
The owl began twitching and Rosethorn took it and studied it carefully. Suddenly it gave a heaving gasp and then went limp in Rosethorn's hand.
Daja, now totally hysterical yelled out, "Mr. Owl's DEAD!"
Rosethorn checked Mr. Owl's pulse then nodded slowly and shoved the bird back at Daja.
She yelped and dropped it, "I can't touch it, it's dead."
Rosethorn sighed, "Daja, number calm down, number two, a dead bird cannot hurt you, number three, I suggest you take the bird back to Frostpine and explain what happened."
Daja nodded solemnly and slowly picked up the dead owl then holding it as far away from her as she could she walked out of the cottage and back to the black-smith.
Rosethorn moaned and put her head in her hands, "This day is not going well."
Briar quietly snuck out figuring Rosethorn wanted to be alone.
Dinner Time…
Rosethorn, Lark, Briar, and the girls all sat eating dinner. Briar and the girls chatted happily while Lark and Rosethorn ate silently, each lost in their own thoughts.
A heavy rain fell outside pattering against the windows. Suddenly their was a loud crash of thunder and the sky outside lit up. They all ran to the door and opened it to look outside.
Another bolt of lightning came zooming down split in two and hit Rosethorn's garden. The other half hit somewhere else. Rosethorn eyes widened.
"My garden!" she gasped clasping her hand over her mouth as Moonstream came running up, Crane behind her.
"Are you alright, I saw the lightning hit over here somewhere," Moonstream glanced at the charred ruins of Rosethorn's garden. Crane looked at it too, "The other bolt hit my greenhouse."
Moonstream nodded and thoughtful look came into her eye and she mumbled, "A lightning bolt splits in two, one half hits Rosethorn's garden, the other half hits Crane's greenhouse."
She looked at Crane and Rosethorn, "I think that was the omen."
"And what does it mean," Crane asked although he already knew the answer.
"No."
A/N: *cackles evilly again* A cliffhanger! Next chapter is the last one, or there might be one more.