Okay, to begin with, Disclaimer: None of these characters, or at least very few of them, are mine—and if you recognize them, they don't belong to me. They're the property of Tamora Pierce and her representatives.

This story is set in Emelan, mainly at Duke's Citadel, Summersea. The story opens after Daja has returned and settled in the palace with Sandry.

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Sitting peacefully with her embroidery in the sunny room, Sandy listened to Pasco recite the four ways to create a square over and over again while she concentrated on a difficult stitch.

"Milady?"

"Yes, Dreda, what is it?"

"There's a caravan here…the man in charge asked to see you."

"A—caravan?" Sandy asked absentmindedly, still concentrating on the stitch. "Did he give his name?"

"Yes, m'lady. He said to tell you, Briar Vinespun."

"Bri—"she jumped up, her Namornese loop ruined by being dropped headlong onto the floor. Taking off down the long hallway, she mentally shrieked, Briar Moss, how COULD you do that to me?

Bewildered, Pasco took off after her. "Lady Sandry? Who's—" Then he, too, broke into a run. He had to see this, he had to…

Finally arriving in the courtyard, Sandry hurled herself at the tall, olive-skinned boy standing easily beside a camel.

"You dreadful boy!" she said, muffled against him. "Don't you EVER do that again."

Briar grinned down at her. "You're getting my shirt wet, crying on it."

She pulled away, laughing and wiping her eyes. "It seems to me we've had this conversation before."

"Rosethorn," she turned to embrace the older woman, "I've missed you so much." Pulling back, she grabbed a hand from each of them. "Oh, it's WONDERFUL to see you two again."

"But," she added, craning her neck to see her foster-brother's face, "how did you get so high up?"

"He grew," Rosethorn said dryly. "He seems to have a talent for it. You haven't exactly stayed the same yourself, you know."

"Yes. Dreadful, isn't it? But you, Rosethorn, haven't changed a—"

A girl, standing half-behind a mewling basket, caught her attention. Recovering her composure, Sandy moved forward, hand outstretched. "And you must be Evvy."

"Oh, sorry, Sandry." Briar hastily interjected. "Evvy, allow me to present Mistress Sandrilene Spindlespun. Pahani Sandry. Sandry, Evumeimei Dingzai, of Yanjing, my student."

"And you must meet…"she looked around for him, then beckoned him forward, "my student, Pasco Acalon. Pasco, this is Dedicate Rosethorn, one of my first and among my dearest teachers. Master Briar, who you've already heard so much about from Mistress Daja and me, and Evumeimei Dingzai, Master Briar's student in stone magic."

"Pleased to meet you," Pasco murmured, making an elegant bow over Evvy's hand. Standing face to face, they studied each other. A chord of recognition sounded in the boy, as he watched Evvy carefully not watch her teacher.

"Now, you will stay here with me, won't you, Briar? I know Rosie wants to get back to Discipline—has Lark even seen you two yet?—but I want you and Evvy here with me."

"I have seen her, but Briar and Evvy stayed behind with the baggage. And I suspect she will be relieved, not to have to live with so many cats—she's allergic, you know."

"Good. Then that's settled. Furaji, will you take Master Vinespun's things to—let me see—the ebony suite in the north wing, and Mistress Dingzai's to the green rooms on my floor of the west wing.

"Now, you all must come with me to the forge, and see Daja. By the time we get back, your rooms will be ready."

Chatting merrily, Sandry linked an arm each with Rosethorn and Briar, and began pulling them to the left, where the smiths were working. Daja, put down whatever you're working on and come meet us, she called. Briar and Rosethorn and Evvy are here.

Still watching Evvy closely, Pasco noticed a slight rise and fall in her chest. Silently, he offered her his arm and began to walk her after the others. Awkward conversation ensued. As they discussed her trip, her room, he saw her eyes drinking in the familiar grace of Lady Sandry's movements and the way the sun glinted in her hair.

More hugs and hands were being offered when they arrived at the entrance to the forges. "Evvy, come meet Mistress Forgespun."

Introduction over, Sandry suggested that Daja walk with them to settle Briar and Evvy in. The students once again trailed behind their teachers, Evvy wistfully tracing Sandry's well-known shape and familiar flitty gestures.

"You don't have to worry," Pasco assured Evvy gravely, his voice pitched low.

"What?" she asked, startled.

"You don't need to worry. There's nothing like that between them. They're brother and sister, that's all."

"Oh—really?" her hope in her eyes…

"Really. Neither of them thinks of the other that way."

"How do you know—I mean, how did you—guess?"

"Same answer to both questions. I've—been studying the question for some time myself."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

"Well, it's impossible. Just another dream…but what I was wanting to tell you is—I don't think yours is hopeless."

"You don't?"

"Nope. I mean—Lady Sandry's a noble, heiress to a fortune, years older than I am…but you—you're the same class, the same background, and he's fond of you already."

"I know, but—"

"No, listen. I've heard his letters to Lady Sandry, they're full of you…and she'll help, I know she will, she wants to see him taken care of…and she likes what she knows of you."

"Oh, I couldn't—"

"I'll ask her."

"But—"

"Look…it's something I can do for someone in the same boat. All right?"