Disclaimer: Sandry, Briar, and Uncle Vedris don't belong to me, they, of
course, belong to the wonderfully wonderful Tamora Pierce *bows down to her
brilliance* However, Lord Dallin is ALL MINE!!!! Hehe, he's so cute!!
Oh, and all of Dallin's family as well. Mine, I mean.
Crazy Canibalistic Bored Muse: Thank you for reviewing! You're so wonderful!! Hehe, and I'm blonde too; blonde jokes rule!!
White Wolf: I'm definitely writing more. Thanks!!
FlagDiva05: *waves* Hi!!! Do you like my reviews? So far, I've written 33 for you!! Does your wrist hurt? Or is it just me.
Storm Mage: Um, are you sure that you put that review under the right person? If not, I'm not really sure where you got the idea that I said that you were annoying; I would never say that!! I appreciate the fact that you took the time to read my story. I'm really sorry if I made it sound like I was being mean or rude.
* * * *
"You have a funny name."
Briar turned from frowning at Sandry and Dallin to look over at the five-year-old boy on the brown pony. "Well, Cadel," he said shortly, "I happen to like my name."
Cadel crinkled up his nose and turned to his older brother, who was riding beside him. "Alden, do you like his name?"
Eight-year-old Alden gazed solemnly at Briar. "Yes," he said finally with a firm nod of the head. "I do."
Briar felt a slight tug on his left side and he turned to find little Cherlin gazing up at him adoringly. "I like your name, Briar," she said, sticking her tongue out at her cousin. Briar sighed and glanced back over at Sandry.
They had been riding now for only about half-an-hour, but to Briar, it seemed more like forever. From the moment they had left home, Dallin had completely monopolized Sandry's attention, leaving Briar to ride with the children. Well, to watch the children actually, because about fifteen minutes out, Dallin's sisters and their husbands had decided that they wanted to ride off by themselves for a while.
"Dallin, watch the children for a moment," Briar mimicked mockingly in a high falsetto. "We'll be right back." Briar snorted. Yeah, right. "Sure thing, sis," he said, his voice deepening in an impression of Dallin. "I'll watch them."
The moment that his sisters had disappeared over the hill, Dallin pulled ahead of the group, taking a rather all-too-eager-to-comply Sandry along with him.
"Who are you talking to Briar?" asked Alden, gazing at him with wide eyes.
Briar sighed heavily. "No one," he said bitterly.
Cherlin stretched her arm out to pat his hand. "Are you.very sad, Briar?" Briar grinned, unable to help himself.
"How can I be?" he said with a laugh, "When I'm in such good company as you."
To bad it was such a dreary day, he thought, or this picnic might be fun.
* * * *
It was a beautiful spring day, Sandry had to admit. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the grass was green, the sky was blue, the ground was hard..well, okay, maybe that's going a bit too far, but in the mood that Sandry was in, everything seemed wonderful. She heard Briar laugh, and smiled; even Briar was having a good time.
She had been worried at first about bringing Briar along, because at times he could be very protective of her. Almost like a big brother, she thought to herself with a sigh. Dallin looked at her.
"Something wrong?" he asked with concern.
"Hmm?"
"You sighed, so I was just wondering if everything was alright."
Sandry grinned. "Everything is wonderful," she said. She glanced over at Briar, who was laughing and talking happily with the children. "Your nieces and nephews are so cute."
Dallin nodded. "Bunch a little rascals, but yeah, they're cute." He paused, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Do you like kids?"
For some odd reason, Sandry's heart skipped a beat. "Yes," she said. "I do." Especially if they turn out looking like you, she thought, and immediately blushed. What in the world was she thinking?!
* * * *
Lunch was torture. Pure, unending, everlasting, endless torture. Well, for Briar at least. Sandry and Dallin seemed to be having a great time, as did the children and their parents, who had joined with them about twenty minutes ago.
Briar scowled at his sandwich, the only companion he seemed to have at the moment. Sandry and Dallin were talking quietly on a distant blanket, Dallin's sisters and brothers-in-laws were chatting happily amongst themselves, Alden and Cadel were building fortresses out of pebbles, and even little Cherlin had abandoned him in search of butterflies.
Briar fell back onto the blanket, closing his eyes and blocking out the sound of everyone around him. Especially of Sandry and Dallin. Briar sighed. This week was supposed to be perfect; a chance to catch up with an old friend. But from the moment he saw Sandry, his heart had begun to do odd things. Like thump a lot. And his knees couldn't seem to keep straight when she smiled. The fact that Briar felt like shoving Dallin in a trunk and sending him to the opposite end of the earth also said a lot about the way he was feeling.
Briar sat up and hugged his knees. What was he feeling? Opening his eyes, he squinted over at Sandry. He was feeling jealous, of course, he would admit to that. But jealous of what? It was more than the fact that Sandry wasn't spending as much time with him as she would have. In fact, it was more like he was jealous of the way that Sandry looked at Dallin. The way her eyes sparkled and her face glowed with happiness. Briar flopped on his stomach.
Face it, he thought ruefully, you like her.
Crazy Canibalistic Bored Muse: Thank you for reviewing! You're so wonderful!! Hehe, and I'm blonde too; blonde jokes rule!!
White Wolf: I'm definitely writing more. Thanks!!
FlagDiva05: *waves* Hi!!! Do you like my reviews? So far, I've written 33 for you!! Does your wrist hurt? Or is it just me.
Storm Mage: Um, are you sure that you put that review under the right person? If not, I'm not really sure where you got the idea that I said that you were annoying; I would never say that!! I appreciate the fact that you took the time to read my story. I'm really sorry if I made it sound like I was being mean or rude.
* * * *
"You have a funny name."
Briar turned from frowning at Sandry and Dallin to look over at the five-year-old boy on the brown pony. "Well, Cadel," he said shortly, "I happen to like my name."
Cadel crinkled up his nose and turned to his older brother, who was riding beside him. "Alden, do you like his name?"
Eight-year-old Alden gazed solemnly at Briar. "Yes," he said finally with a firm nod of the head. "I do."
Briar felt a slight tug on his left side and he turned to find little Cherlin gazing up at him adoringly. "I like your name, Briar," she said, sticking her tongue out at her cousin. Briar sighed and glanced back over at Sandry.
They had been riding now for only about half-an-hour, but to Briar, it seemed more like forever. From the moment they had left home, Dallin had completely monopolized Sandry's attention, leaving Briar to ride with the children. Well, to watch the children actually, because about fifteen minutes out, Dallin's sisters and their husbands had decided that they wanted to ride off by themselves for a while.
"Dallin, watch the children for a moment," Briar mimicked mockingly in a high falsetto. "We'll be right back." Briar snorted. Yeah, right. "Sure thing, sis," he said, his voice deepening in an impression of Dallin. "I'll watch them."
The moment that his sisters had disappeared over the hill, Dallin pulled ahead of the group, taking a rather all-too-eager-to-comply Sandry along with him.
"Who are you talking to Briar?" asked Alden, gazing at him with wide eyes.
Briar sighed heavily. "No one," he said bitterly.
Cherlin stretched her arm out to pat his hand. "Are you.very sad, Briar?" Briar grinned, unable to help himself.
"How can I be?" he said with a laugh, "When I'm in such good company as you."
To bad it was such a dreary day, he thought, or this picnic might be fun.
* * * *
It was a beautiful spring day, Sandry had to admit. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, the grass was green, the sky was blue, the ground was hard..well, okay, maybe that's going a bit too far, but in the mood that Sandry was in, everything seemed wonderful. She heard Briar laugh, and smiled; even Briar was having a good time.
She had been worried at first about bringing Briar along, because at times he could be very protective of her. Almost like a big brother, she thought to herself with a sigh. Dallin looked at her.
"Something wrong?" he asked with concern.
"Hmm?"
"You sighed, so I was just wondering if everything was alright."
Sandry grinned. "Everything is wonderful," she said. She glanced over at Briar, who was laughing and talking happily with the children. "Your nieces and nephews are so cute."
Dallin nodded. "Bunch a little rascals, but yeah, they're cute." He paused, looking at her out of the corner of his eye. "Do you like kids?"
For some odd reason, Sandry's heart skipped a beat. "Yes," she said. "I do." Especially if they turn out looking like you, she thought, and immediately blushed. What in the world was she thinking?!
* * * *
Lunch was torture. Pure, unending, everlasting, endless torture. Well, for Briar at least. Sandry and Dallin seemed to be having a great time, as did the children and their parents, who had joined with them about twenty minutes ago.
Briar scowled at his sandwich, the only companion he seemed to have at the moment. Sandry and Dallin were talking quietly on a distant blanket, Dallin's sisters and brothers-in-laws were chatting happily amongst themselves, Alden and Cadel were building fortresses out of pebbles, and even little Cherlin had abandoned him in search of butterflies.
Briar fell back onto the blanket, closing his eyes and blocking out the sound of everyone around him. Especially of Sandry and Dallin. Briar sighed. This week was supposed to be perfect; a chance to catch up with an old friend. But from the moment he saw Sandry, his heart had begun to do odd things. Like thump a lot. And his knees couldn't seem to keep straight when she smiled. The fact that Briar felt like shoving Dallin in a trunk and sending him to the opposite end of the earth also said a lot about the way he was feeling.
Briar sat up and hugged his knees. What was he feeling? Opening his eyes, he squinted over at Sandry. He was feeling jealous, of course, he would admit to that. But jealous of what? It was more than the fact that Sandry wasn't spending as much time with him as she would have. In fact, it was more like he was jealous of the way that Sandry looked at Dallin. The way her eyes sparkled and her face glowed with happiness. Briar flopped on his stomach.
Face it, he thought ruefully, you like her.