Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters originally produced by
Tamora Pierce, nor do I claim anything you may recognize from any of her
books. So there, I wrote a disclaimer and you can't sue me 'cause it all
belongs to Tamora. HA! SUPER HOBBIT WINS AGAIN!
~*~Chapter One: Briar's Return~*~
"Pahan Briar? Pahan Briar? BRIAR!" Briar Moss was started out of a daydream.
'Quite a pleasant one, too,' He thought. He looked over to see an impatient face staring into his own. "Yes, Evvy?" he asked sweetly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Pahan Briar, are we almost there? I'm so tired," his student, Evvy, complained.
"Yes, Evvy, we should arrive within an hour," Briar's former pahan, or teacher, said. There was a scolding edge to Rosethorn's voice. Briar smiled slightly; he had been a victim of Rosethorn's sharp tongue many a time. But he had changed in the four years since he had left The Winding Circle. A former street rat, Briar had been quick tempered, stubborn, rude, and insolent. After many years of living with Rosethorn, he learned to keep himself - and his temper - in check. He gave the reins a small flick, urging the mules pulling their wagon to move faster. Looking at his rolled up sleeves, Briar remembered that the shirt he wore, large on him before he had left, was now too small. He kept the sleeves rolled up so that Rosethorn would not notice. Somehow Briar had trouble parting with the shirt, as it had been made for him by one of his best friends, Sandry.
Thinking about Sandry led his thoughts to The Winding Circle, and to Discipline Cabin. He had lived in Discipline for quite a few years before he left, and he was glad to finally be returning to the place he had learned to call home.
As the walls of The Winding Circle came into view, Briar drew his magic close within him. As a plant mage, his garden would react to his arrival, ruining the surprise of his early arrival. He couldn't have the plants giving him away, now could he?
Finally they pulled up to Discipline. Briar padded inside, his feet making no sound against the wooden floor. 'It's all part of the trade,' he thought, meaning his past as a thief. He heard voices coming from the study and quickly identified them as Sandry and his two other best friends, Daja and Trisana. He leaned against the doorway. "Hello ladies." Briar practically sang the words; he was so excited to be seeing his friends again. The three girls whirled around, startled by the 'newcomer.'
"Briar?" Trisana asked tentatively.
"Hey, Coppercurls!" He replied, referring to his old nickname for Tris. He noticed soon after that she had grown her hair to the small of her back, and it was much less tightly curled.
"What about me plant boy?" Daja demanded with mock insult.
"Aw don't worry, I didn't forget you Trader girl," Briar told her. Daja looked down, her dark hands tightening their grip on her staff. Briar knew she was remembering her exile from the Traders and a trang-shi. The sole survivor of a shipwreck that killed all of her family, Daja was an outcast from the Traders, as they believed that if a single person survived a shipwreck, that person was bad luck and could not speak to or know 'respectable' Traders. Briar hoped she hadn't taken any offence, and was about to apologize when his thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind Sandry.
"Lady Sandry, I am finished," a boy said.
"Oh," Sandry said, suddenly remembering Pasco, "Briar, this is Pasco, my student. He is a dance-mage."
"Pahan Briar," Evvy whined, tugging at Briar's sleeve, "who are your friends?" The girl, a rock mage, must have crept up without him noticing.
"Evvy, this is Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, Daja of the Third Ship Kisubo, and Trisana Chandler," he said patiently.
"It's just Sandry," his friend mumbled. Briar had forgotten that Sandry disliked her position as a noble, and that Evvy disliked nobles as much - if not more - than any other thief. That was what made Briar such an excellent teacher for Evvy, they shared the same past. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as the three girls, as if seeing him for the first time, drowned him in hugs
"All right.ok.that's enough.really.you guys can stop now." Briar protested with a laugh. "Girls," he muttered when they finally released him, "they always gotta make a big deal outta everything."
"Hey! We heard that kaq," Daja joked. Under normal circumstances, kaq was a Trader insult; In Briar's case it was an old nicknames resulting from Daja's former dislike of him, and was used lovingly. Now that he thought about it, everyone had hated Briar from the start with his street-rat attitude, but now the four were as close as siblings.
Ever since the terrible earthquake where Sandry had weaved their magic together, the friends had been able to communicate through their thoughts, an ability that had proved quite useful.
"My goodness, what is all the racket girls?" a familiar voice floated from down the hallway.
"Lark! Briar's back!" Sandry squealed.
"Briar Moss? But where is Rosethorn?" Lark asked.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Rosethorn barked testily. "Briar Moss, you had better be planning on taking care of your things."
"Yes, Rosethorn," Briar droned. He went back out to the front of Discipline and began taking his things from the wagon. He lugged his bags inside and to his old room, which had not changed a bit since he'd left. He flopped onto the bed. "It's good to be back." he murmured softly before dropping into a deep slumber.
~*~Chapter One: Briar's Return~*~
"Pahan Briar? Pahan Briar? BRIAR!" Briar Moss was started out of a daydream.
'Quite a pleasant one, too,' He thought. He looked over to see an impatient face staring into his own. "Yes, Evvy?" he asked sweetly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Pahan Briar, are we almost there? I'm so tired," his student, Evvy, complained.
"Yes, Evvy, we should arrive within an hour," Briar's former pahan, or teacher, said. There was a scolding edge to Rosethorn's voice. Briar smiled slightly; he had been a victim of Rosethorn's sharp tongue many a time. But he had changed in the four years since he had left The Winding Circle. A former street rat, Briar had been quick tempered, stubborn, rude, and insolent. After many years of living with Rosethorn, he learned to keep himself - and his temper - in check. He gave the reins a small flick, urging the mules pulling their wagon to move faster. Looking at his rolled up sleeves, Briar remembered that the shirt he wore, large on him before he had left, was now too small. He kept the sleeves rolled up so that Rosethorn would not notice. Somehow Briar had trouble parting with the shirt, as it had been made for him by one of his best friends, Sandry.
Thinking about Sandry led his thoughts to The Winding Circle, and to Discipline Cabin. He had lived in Discipline for quite a few years before he left, and he was glad to finally be returning to the place he had learned to call home.
As the walls of The Winding Circle came into view, Briar drew his magic close within him. As a plant mage, his garden would react to his arrival, ruining the surprise of his early arrival. He couldn't have the plants giving him away, now could he?
Finally they pulled up to Discipline. Briar padded inside, his feet making no sound against the wooden floor. 'It's all part of the trade,' he thought, meaning his past as a thief. He heard voices coming from the study and quickly identified them as Sandry and his two other best friends, Daja and Trisana. He leaned against the doorway. "Hello ladies." Briar practically sang the words; he was so excited to be seeing his friends again. The three girls whirled around, startled by the 'newcomer.'
"Briar?" Trisana asked tentatively.
"Hey, Coppercurls!" He replied, referring to his old nickname for Tris. He noticed soon after that she had grown her hair to the small of her back, and it was much less tightly curled.
"What about me plant boy?" Daja demanded with mock insult.
"Aw don't worry, I didn't forget you Trader girl," Briar told her. Daja looked down, her dark hands tightening their grip on her staff. Briar knew she was remembering her exile from the Traders and a trang-shi. The sole survivor of a shipwreck that killed all of her family, Daja was an outcast from the Traders, as they believed that if a single person survived a shipwreck, that person was bad luck and could not speak to or know 'respectable' Traders. Briar hoped she hadn't taken any offence, and was about to apologize when his thoughts were interrupted by a voice behind Sandry.
"Lady Sandry, I am finished," a boy said.
"Oh," Sandry said, suddenly remembering Pasco, "Briar, this is Pasco, my student. He is a dance-mage."
"Pahan Briar," Evvy whined, tugging at Briar's sleeve, "who are your friends?" The girl, a rock mage, must have crept up without him noticing.
"Evvy, this is Lady Sandrilene fa Toren, Daja of the Third Ship Kisubo, and Trisana Chandler," he said patiently.
"It's just Sandry," his friend mumbled. Briar had forgotten that Sandry disliked her position as a noble, and that Evvy disliked nobles as much - if not more - than any other thief. That was what made Briar such an excellent teacher for Evvy, they shared the same past. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind as the three girls, as if seeing him for the first time, drowned him in hugs
"All right.ok.that's enough.really.you guys can stop now." Briar protested with a laugh. "Girls," he muttered when they finally released him, "they always gotta make a big deal outta everything."
"Hey! We heard that kaq," Daja joked. Under normal circumstances, kaq was a Trader insult; In Briar's case it was an old nicknames resulting from Daja's former dislike of him, and was used lovingly. Now that he thought about it, everyone had hated Briar from the start with his street-rat attitude, but now the four were as close as siblings.
Ever since the terrible earthquake where Sandry had weaved their magic together, the friends had been able to communicate through their thoughts, an ability that had proved quite useful.
"My goodness, what is all the racket girls?" a familiar voice floated from down the hallway.
"Lark! Briar's back!" Sandry squealed.
"Briar Moss? But where is Rosethorn?" Lark asked.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," Rosethorn barked testily. "Briar Moss, you had better be planning on taking care of your things."
"Yes, Rosethorn," Briar droned. He went back out to the front of Discipline and began taking his things from the wagon. He lugged his bags inside and to his old room, which had not changed a bit since he'd left. He flopped onto the bed. "It's good to be back." he murmured softly before dropping into a deep slumber.