Disclaimer: I own Vinen Snakethread, Mian, and the plot. Everything else is
Tamora's so don't sue me. Thank you very much.
A/N: lalala today I am hyper but no one will humor me. I have a to-do list u want to see? Ok here goes. One- Start a petition to admit Middle Earth and Tortall to the United Nations. Two- Discover the Dark Lord Sauron's Argentinean stronghold. (Yes, SAURON LIVES IN ARGENTINA!) Three- Find out where the heck I can get Lady Knight . . . that book is like NOWHERE in my town! Four- write this chapter before you people all come at me with knives for ranting nonsense. I think number four is most important, how about you?
Lady Sandrilene: uhm.I don't exactly know HOW they found out . . .I just needed them to find out. How they would have done that is beyond me but still it had to happen so I made it happen lol. Anyway, on to the story.
~*~Chapter Five: Snakethread's First Attempt~*~
Tris woke especially early to find that no one else was up. She looked out her window and saw the sun beginning to rise. 'What a beautiful time for a walk,' she thought. She crept down the stairs and out the door. She paused at the gate. Hadn't Niko warned her to be sure that someone knew where she was? Oh well, no one was awake. It wasn't her fault. She slipped through the gate. She decided to walk along a small woodland trail, and set off. Just as she began to think of turning back, Tris heard footsteps. She waited a moment, ready to protect herself if she was attacked. A man of his early forties appeared on the path. As kindly as he looked, Tris felt herself tense. 'Look at me,' she scolded herself, 'Already I am defensive and I don't even know the man.' Still she didn't like the way the air seemed to chill when he neared her. "Can I help you?" she asked him, painfully polite.
"Oh dear," the man wheezed, "I am in need of aid. Would you please come back to my village?" He sounded genuinely troubled, but Tris still didn't quite trust him.
"I really must be going back," she said hurriedly. An odd expression flickered across the man's face, but it was gone before Tris could identify it. There was definitely something she did not like about this old man. Suddenly he spoke, his voice deeper, harsh and cold.
"You selfish girl," it roared, "Not caring for the needs of another." Tris turned, back towards the man. As she set her eyes on him, she noticed that he was flickering and fading. As he did so, he changed. Now the man was in his late twenties with dark hair and black eyes. His face was cruel and unkind. Suddenly realization hit. This was an illusion sent by Vinen Snakethread to lure her out of Emelan. As the magical image of Snakethread died out, she turned and ran back to Discipline as fast as she could. When she dashed into the gate and locked it securely, she rushed inside to see Lark headed towards the door.
"Oh there you are Tris," she said kindly, "I was about to come looking for you."
"Where have you been?" Rosethorn demanded. "Niko told you to make sure your whereabouts were known and here you are running off."
"I went for a walk," Tris explained, "No one was awake so I couldn't very well ask, could I?"
"Then you shouldn't have gone out Trisana. End of discussion," Rosethorn reprimanded. Tris stalked upstairs huffily. A quick check with her magic told her that Daja was in her room, probably asleep, and Sandry was in Briar's room with him. Noticing that Briar's door was open, she took it as an invitation to join them. She walked in and greeted them both.
"Where were you Tris? Rosethorn and Lark were looking for you," Sandry said.
"I was out on a walk," Tris replied stubbornly. She was not about to let herself be scolded again.
"What's the matter Coppercurls?" Briar teased. He didn't seem to realize that Tris was in no mood to be made fun of that morning.
"It's absolutely none of your business, Briar Moss!" Tris shouted. Then she stormed away, dimly aware that it was beginning to thunder. She stopped a moment to hush the storm to a gentle rain, and then slammed into her room. A while later she heard a small, timid knock on her door. "What?" she snapped, not caring who was on the other side.
"Tris, it's Sandry," her friend said softly, "Briar and Daja are with me. Can we come in?"
"Fine," Tris said reluctantly. She let her friends inside.
"Tris, is something wrong?" Daja asked.
"I - I saw him . . ." Tris's told them quietly. Sandry motioned subtly for Briar to close the door. After he had shut it firmly, she continued to question Tris gently.
"Saw who?" she prodded.
"Snakethread." Tris's voice was no more than a frightened whisper.
"What? You saw him? Here?" Briar erupted in a storm of questions.
"In the woods," Tris told them. "He sent an illusion of an old man in trouble to try to lure me out of Emelan. When I didn't do as he said, I saw an image of him before me." Tears began to stream down Tris's face. "I'm sorry I disobeyed Niko, but it was so beautiful out this morning and no one was awake. I couldn't resist going out but I didn't want to wake anyone so I just snuck out." She said through her tears. Sandry shushed her gently while Daja informed her that no one was angry or upset with her. After all, she had seen through Snakethread's trick. That was admirable in the young mages' eyes. After Tris had been comforted, Sandry stole a half-hidden glance at Briar. He was glowering angrily.
~Briar? What is it? ~ She asked him telepathically.
~I'd like to give that Snakethread a taste of I my /I wrath!~ Briar said angrily.
~Briar . . . you know you can't do that.~ Sandry protested.
~That won't stop me from wishing Sandry.~ Briar argued. And with that he closed off the mind-link. Sandry vowed to keep an extra close eye on her rash, temperamental friend.
A/N: lalala today I am hyper but no one will humor me. I have a to-do list u want to see? Ok here goes. One- Start a petition to admit Middle Earth and Tortall to the United Nations. Two- Discover the Dark Lord Sauron's Argentinean stronghold. (Yes, SAURON LIVES IN ARGENTINA!) Three- Find out where the heck I can get Lady Knight . . . that book is like NOWHERE in my town! Four- write this chapter before you people all come at me with knives for ranting nonsense. I think number four is most important, how about you?
Lady Sandrilene: uhm.I don't exactly know HOW they found out . . .I just needed them to find out. How they would have done that is beyond me but still it had to happen so I made it happen lol. Anyway, on to the story.
~*~Chapter Five: Snakethread's First Attempt~*~
Tris woke especially early to find that no one else was up. She looked out her window and saw the sun beginning to rise. 'What a beautiful time for a walk,' she thought. She crept down the stairs and out the door. She paused at the gate. Hadn't Niko warned her to be sure that someone knew where she was? Oh well, no one was awake. It wasn't her fault. She slipped through the gate. She decided to walk along a small woodland trail, and set off. Just as she began to think of turning back, Tris heard footsteps. She waited a moment, ready to protect herself if she was attacked. A man of his early forties appeared on the path. As kindly as he looked, Tris felt herself tense. 'Look at me,' she scolded herself, 'Already I am defensive and I don't even know the man.' Still she didn't like the way the air seemed to chill when he neared her. "Can I help you?" she asked him, painfully polite.
"Oh dear," the man wheezed, "I am in need of aid. Would you please come back to my village?" He sounded genuinely troubled, but Tris still didn't quite trust him.
"I really must be going back," she said hurriedly. An odd expression flickered across the man's face, but it was gone before Tris could identify it. There was definitely something she did not like about this old man. Suddenly he spoke, his voice deeper, harsh and cold.
"You selfish girl," it roared, "Not caring for the needs of another." Tris turned, back towards the man. As she set her eyes on him, she noticed that he was flickering and fading. As he did so, he changed. Now the man was in his late twenties with dark hair and black eyes. His face was cruel and unkind. Suddenly realization hit. This was an illusion sent by Vinen Snakethread to lure her out of Emelan. As the magical image of Snakethread died out, she turned and ran back to Discipline as fast as she could. When she dashed into the gate and locked it securely, she rushed inside to see Lark headed towards the door.
"Oh there you are Tris," she said kindly, "I was about to come looking for you."
"Where have you been?" Rosethorn demanded. "Niko told you to make sure your whereabouts were known and here you are running off."
"I went for a walk," Tris explained, "No one was awake so I couldn't very well ask, could I?"
"Then you shouldn't have gone out Trisana. End of discussion," Rosethorn reprimanded. Tris stalked upstairs huffily. A quick check with her magic told her that Daja was in her room, probably asleep, and Sandry was in Briar's room with him. Noticing that Briar's door was open, she took it as an invitation to join them. She walked in and greeted them both.
"Where were you Tris? Rosethorn and Lark were looking for you," Sandry said.
"I was out on a walk," Tris replied stubbornly. She was not about to let herself be scolded again.
"What's the matter Coppercurls?" Briar teased. He didn't seem to realize that Tris was in no mood to be made fun of that morning.
"It's absolutely none of your business, Briar Moss!" Tris shouted. Then she stormed away, dimly aware that it was beginning to thunder. She stopped a moment to hush the storm to a gentle rain, and then slammed into her room. A while later she heard a small, timid knock on her door. "What?" she snapped, not caring who was on the other side.
"Tris, it's Sandry," her friend said softly, "Briar and Daja are with me. Can we come in?"
"Fine," Tris said reluctantly. She let her friends inside.
"Tris, is something wrong?" Daja asked.
"I - I saw him . . ." Tris's told them quietly. Sandry motioned subtly for Briar to close the door. After he had shut it firmly, she continued to question Tris gently.
"Saw who?" she prodded.
"Snakethread." Tris's voice was no more than a frightened whisper.
"What? You saw him? Here?" Briar erupted in a storm of questions.
"In the woods," Tris told them. "He sent an illusion of an old man in trouble to try to lure me out of Emelan. When I didn't do as he said, I saw an image of him before me." Tears began to stream down Tris's face. "I'm sorry I disobeyed Niko, but it was so beautiful out this morning and no one was awake. I couldn't resist going out but I didn't want to wake anyone so I just snuck out." She said through her tears. Sandry shushed her gently while Daja informed her that no one was angry or upset with her. After all, she had seen through Snakethread's trick. That was admirable in the young mages' eyes. After Tris had been comforted, Sandry stole a half-hidden glance at Briar. He was glowering angrily.
~Briar? What is it? ~ She asked him telepathically.
~I'd like to give that Snakethread a taste of I my /I wrath!~ Briar said angrily.
~Briar . . . you know you can't do that.~ Sandry protested.
~That won't stop me from wishing Sandry.~ Briar argued. And with that he closed off the mind-link. Sandry vowed to keep an extra close eye on her rash, temperamental friend.