A/N: Um, wait, why did I even put a/n, there's nothing we need to say. So why are we blabbing? Well let's just start the story!

"No?" Rosethorn's voice was barely above a whisper.

Moonstream nodded.

"Are you sure?" Crane asked, his face crestfallen.

Once again Moonstream nodded.

Crane looked at Rosethorn, who bit her lip uncertainly.

"Oh." Rosethorn said.

Lark, Briar, and the girls sat staring at their dinner in an uncomfortable silence.

"I think, I think I'll go to bed," Rosethorn said and walked toward her room.

"Wait," Crane said taking her hand.

Rosethorn stopped and looked up at him, then she glanced at everyone then leaned up to whisper in his ear. Crane nodded and Rosethorn pulled him into her bedroom and shut the door.

Urgent hushed whispers could be heard from the room but no one could make out what they were saying.

"No! Are you crazy!?" Crane's voice floated under the door.

Briar and the girls exchanged glances.

"Well, I'd best be going," Moonstream said and quietly slipped out the door.

Lark looked at Briar and the girls, "It's late, go to bed."

Mumbling all four slouched off to bed.

Zoom to bedroom…

"They don't understand!" Rosethorn hissed in a whisper.

"You're talking about the gods Rosethorn! Gods!" Crane hissed back, "They could kill us!"

"So? At least then we'd be together!" Rosethorn said tears in her eyes.

Crane sighed then wrapped his arms around Rosethorn running his hands through her hair murmuring softly, "Rosethorn, I want more than anything else to marry you, but I think visiting the gods is going a bit too far."

"Fine," Rosethorn said, but her eyes told a different story. If Crane had been looking at them he would have noticed, but he wasn't.

"Good night love," he said leaning down to kiss her, "We'll figure things out in the morning.

***

The sun was barely above the horizon when Rosethorn was standing deep in her garden surrounding by plants in a secret little spot. She was standing in a magic circle chanting words of some ancient spell.

Suddenly there was the crack of a stick breaking, Rosethorn spun around to see Crane standing there.

"How did you- what are you doing here?" she demanded, hands on her hips.

"I should ask the same of you," Crane replied with a smile.

"How did you know I would be here?" Rosethorn was clearly very confused.

"You honestly thought I wouldn't realize what you were up to?" Crane asked.

"What am I up to?" Rosethorn asked, trying at the last moment to make up an excuse.

Crane sighed, "Rosethorn, dear, there are only four days in the year when you can visit the gods. Midsummer is one of them."

Crane paused, then added, "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you," she said, then looked at him, "well?"

"I'm coming with you," he stated.

"No you're not!" she retorted.

"You really think I'm going to stand here and let you go visit the gods, by you self? What happens if you get killed and I never see you again? At least if I go with you, we'd be dead together."

Rosethorn opened her mouth to say something, then closed and opened the magic circle to let him in, then closed it behind him.

"You could get killed too," she pointed out.

"Yes, I know," he said, lighting candles for the spell that would take them to the Realms of the Gods, "but I would rather be dead with you then alive without you."

Rosethorn turned and looked up at him, holding some holy water in her hands, "Same here."

"Rosethorn, I love you, more then can be put to words," Crane said, "and although I still think we'd be better off alive, there is no way I'm letting you do this alone."

Rosethorn smiled half-heartedly, "I know, in my heart I knew you'd come. And I shouldn't be glad that you're coming as well, but I am. Ready?"

Crane nodded and together they spoke the last words of the spell and a few seconds after they shimmered and disappeared.

***

Briar stormed in. It was quite a few hours after breakfast, and the day was rapidly getting hotter.

"Where's Rosethorn?" he demanded.

The girls and Lark all looked at him in surprise.

"Isn't she weeding in her garden?" Daja asked.

"I thought she was taking a walk with Crane, she was up earlier then any of us," Lark said.

"No, I've been looking everywhere for her all morning. But the thing is the connection I have with her, it's like 'error, please try again!'" Briar said, "and then it… it just stops!"

Lark looked up, "Error? What connection?"

"Rosethorn tied some of her magic to me, ages ago. I can follow it to her, and she can follow it to me," Briar said.  

"Ah, a two way connection. Most teachers and students have those," Lark said and glanced at Sandry.

Osprey burst in, "Has anyone seen Crane lately? I know he's over here a lot."

Everyone shook there heads.

"Rosethorn and Crane are both missing?" Briar asked, looking horrified.

"They're probably on a walk," Lark said again.

"Error! Error, please try again!!" was all Briar could say.

"Exactly!" Osprey said, pointing at Briar.

"Maybe they're dead!" Daja suggested, looking horrified.

There was a moan from Tris, "I knew I shouldn't have lent Rosethorn Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet! They've killed themselves and they got the idea from my book, so it's all my fault!"

"Tris, calm down. If they were dead, the connection wouldn't just have an error in it, it would be gone," Lark explained, "I have a connection to Rosethorn too, and it has gone all weird."

"I'm going to go check her garden again," Briar said and left, leaving everyone very puzzled.

He touched the plants and asked them were Rosethorn was and they all pointed him in one direction, but as soon as he went there, the plants pointed him in a new direction, back towards a spot that seemed to never be there.

"Argh! Rosethorn must have spelled the cursed thing!" he said in frustration, then looked towards the spot out of the corner of his eye and edged towards it.

Suddenly he found himself pushed through some large plants and in a small cleared area of plain dirt. In the center was a shining, waving magic circle. No one was in it. Briar studied the candles and magic used in it. Crane and Rosethorn's magics were both present. Briar paled. They had gone to the Realms of the Gods.

***

All four elementals stood in a circle in the center of the elemental realm.

"I think we should have let them get married, they're so disappointed now," Air said in a female whispery voice.

Fire crackled some, twitched, and then cackled, "No!" *twitch twitch* "They dedicated themselves to us! Not to each other!"

"Then again we let two dedicates get married not so long ago," Water said calmly, in an oily, slippery voice, as he sat twirling a shell with his fingers.

A/N: He talks kind of like Snape, except Water is nice not mean.

"Actually they're on their way now," Earth said sprouting some leaves out of her head.

Rosethorn and Crane appeared in the center of the meeting place which looked king of like a small Roman Amphitheater.

"Rosethorn and Crane of Winding Circle!" Fire said slyly flames shooting away from him.

Crane backed away from Fire and bumped into Earth who smiled down at him.

"Welcome!" She said spreading her arms, "Don't bother telling us what you're here for, we already know, you've come to ask us personally if you can marry!" Glancing at the other elements she turned back to Crane and Rosethorn, "and if it was my discision alone I would have let you get married, but all four of us have to agree."

Glaring at Fire, Water, and Air she said, "I don't see why they can't get married while those other two could!"

"That was different, besides they both worshipped me!" Fire said twitching, "I tried to kill her, which would have solved the problem, but no, YOU," he pointed at Water, "Had to interfere," he pointed at Air, "and you let Crane save her! If you'd just helped me build up my flames a bit more all our problems would be gone!"

Rosethorn looked shocked at this speech by Fire. Air blew over to them and looked at Fire, "Now, now Fire, calm your sparks."

"I think it should be only Air and I decisions," Earth said, "after all they're our dedicates."

"That does not matter, we all need to agree," Water said still twirling the shell.

"I say let them get married!!" Earth said spreading her arms as little vines leaped out of them landing on the dirt floor of the amphitheater and taking root.

"No!" Fire roared.

Air looked at Fire, "Don't you think… you might want to at least… to give them a chance?"

Fire glared at Wind, then looked at Crane and Rosethorn, eyes red and flaming, like the rest of him, "You will not neglect your duties to your temples, will you?"

"Absolutely not," Crane replied, "our duties are very important to us."

Water turned from his thoughts, "All they want is marriage, its not that big of a deal. Some people pray to us asking for money or power, marriage can only bring good."

"Humph," was all Fire could say, although his voice crackled more then usual when he said it, "Then let them get married, and we shall see… Yes, we shall see…" He smiled evilly at Crane and Rosethorn.

"Right then," Earth said cheerfully, "we put you on probation for a year. You can go home now. And sorry about your gardens, it was Fire's idea. Rather brilliant don't you think?"

"Oh yes," Rosethorn said grimacing as she remember the part of her garden that was charred black from the lightening.

Suddenly they appeared back in the circle. Lark, Briar, Osprey, Frostpine, Niko, and the girls all stood there waiting.

"Rosethorn!" Lark gasped astonished and disbelieving.

"Your alive." Briar stated.

"And you'd be happier if I were dead?" Rosethorn said sarcastically.

"Well, actually you see…" Briar trailed off.

Rosethorn waved her hand the circle disappeared.

"You know this is the third time you've almost died," Lark said walking next to Rosethorn.

***

Crane and Rosethorn stood in the garden as the last rays of sunshine peeked through the trees.

"Crane, I love you, and when this year is over, and if they," Rosethorn paused, "if they say no again, it doesn't matter, we don't need to be married to show our love for each other."

Crane nodded, "I love you too."

Rosethorn suddenly giggled, "I never knew you could be so sentimental until I fell in love with you."

Crane smiled blushing slightly, then opened his mouth as if to say something in return, then closed it apparently deciding on something better.

He leaned down and kissed her passionately.