Disclaimer: John Mayer's sexy. . . oh, yeah, disclaimer. Er, don't own anything. Tammy does. Not making money, so you can't sue me! NANANA!
AUTHOR NOTES (READ BECUASE THEY'RE DAD-GUM IMPORTANT!)--
This story was a crazy diddy that I wrote on a wim. It's gonna be
short, and my other story will be finished, but this was just for fun.
Anyways, the POV switches constantly on this story. . . so be prepared.
Also, big thing, I haven't read COLD FIRE yet. I don't know what
the lovely Daja is doing, so I'm sorry. It's just, our stupid library
doesn't have the book (huh, they don't have ANY book for that matter) and
it's like a cool $16 at the bookstores, and frankly, I'm broke. So
anywho. . . Also, this story take place between Briar's CO book and Daja's
book. So, lets say, Briar, Sandry, and Tris had a small reuinion
at Emelan before heading back off. Anyways, please enjoy.
Tris' POV:
I watched from my window as people passed our apartment in an frantic hoard, pushing and shoving each other into walls, other people. I snorted in disgust. People are so barbaric.
Shifting from one foot to another, I bit my lip and glanced up at the sky. It was a peerless blue, no clouds anywhere to be seen. Sighing, I fiddled with my hands, impatient. Not even clouds to amuse me.
When Sandry had come to me and asked me, in her typical manner, if I would go with her to Nidra Island for "business", she was so annoyingly persistent about it, that I finally gave in.
I think it was about two weeks that she had approached me while I was deeply absorbed in a detailed book, starting off talking casually, but somehow, she evolved the conversation. She started talking about how she had to go off to Nidra Island to do some work for her Uncle. Something political of the sort. Something terribly boring.
That's when she went in for the catch. "Anyways, Tris, I will be the only one there. I'll be all alone. . ." She stared at me longingly, her annoyingly pretty blue eyes glittering with excitement.
I simply stared back at her, managing to tear my eyes from my novel. Lifting an eyebrow, I commented, "Yes, you will be," I looked back down at my book, "That's too bad. Sorry."
She turned towards me further, before blurting out, in one long breath, "And Ill be so terribly bored without someone to go with me, and Tris, oh would you please, please, PLEASE go with me? Please, please, please?!" She had gotten so close to me that her face was so near mine I was afraid that, if I snapped my head up too fast, we might just knock heads.
Of course, I wasn't as overly excited about the little endeavor as Sandry was. In fact, excited wouldn't even be a word that should be used for description. It was more like. . . being stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Looking up at her, I saw her ecstatic face, and sighed. "Couldn't you get Daja to go with you?"
Sandry shook her head, making a piece of hair from her tight braid fall in front of her face. "Daja's not going to be back in Emelan for nearly a month. Her and Frostpine have that important business in the Namorn Empire and that's nearly half across the Pebbled Sea from Nidra Island. Tris. . .?" She glanced at me expectantly, her eyes piercing my forehead.
Frowning, I shook my head. "What about Briar? He's here, just off to get some stuff with Rosethorn. Why don't you ask him?" I sat lower in my seat, and pushed my glasses farther up my nose before staring deeply in my book. "He usually likes to go wherever you go anyways," I muttered quietly, half-hoping that she would hear me.
She didn't. In fact, she listed about forty reasons why Briar couldn't go with her, with only one that actually made some sense, before she threw in the real hooker, "Plus, Tris, I want to go with you. I never get to do fun stuff with you." Sandry peered at me over my book, her eyebrows raised, "Come on Tris, It'll be fun. Just us, girls."
I silently snorted. Just us girls indeed.
I looked up at her and our eyes met. I meant to challenge her there, but unfortunately, they were so terribly pleading, I finally gave in. Sighing, I asked, "When do we leave?"
Sandry let out a large squeal before stammering off all the descriptions and details of our trip. Running over to a large desk that was adjacent to Discipline's kitchen, she pulled out a large flyer. On the front of the piece of paper was a large, rocky coastline that, on the top, was a colorful marketplace.
Pointing her finger to building that I could hardly make out, she explained, "This is the royal embassy. . . a kind of lodging convenience that they allowed my Uncle into. However, my Uncle won't be attending; I will." She stared at me, a slight smile playing on her lips, "That means we'll get to stay here." She bit her lip in excitement. I just looked back at her and managed a droopy smile.
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head, "Come on, Tris! It'll be fun!"
I tried to smile bigger, but Sandry just giggled at my futile attempts. Getting up from her sitting position, she started to head into her room, "I'll be packing Tris. Remember to pack lighter clothes. . . it's supposedly hotter on Nidra Island." With that, she retreated inside her room.
I rolled my eyes and commenced on reading my book.
_______________________
We left nearly a week later. It was raining, and even thundering. It couldn't have been a better way to start out a journey that I was not looking very forward to.
Sandry disagreed. Looking out the bay window and cocking her head from side to side, she moaned, "With all this rain, I hope our boat ride is not delayed." Biting her lip, she looked up at me and raised her eyebrows worriedly.
I caught her worried glance. "Yeah, I sure hope not," I lied, before shrugging. Holding onto a light suitcase, with little more than a few changes of clothes, two books, and a few more feminine products, I looked at the pouring rain. I hoped vainly that the storm was some kind of preliminary of a cyclone that would postpone our trip altogether.
"Oh, quit your bleating," someone casually said behind us, "if this continues, the plants are going to be flooded, and guess who's going to have to reroute the water and clear off the damage?"
Sandry whipped her head around to glance at the other person. I merely peered at him over my shoulder. It was Briar. He had come to wish us good-bye. Right now, he was waiting for an reply from one of us. Most likely from Sandry.
Crossing her arms across her chest, Sandry raised an eyebrow at him. Her expression invited him to answer his own question.
Briar jabbed a thumb towards his chest and lifted his head up in a braggart sort of way. "Me, that's who," He declared, before waggling his eyebrows comically.
Sandry half-frowned, in her cute sort of way, before punching him playfully in the arm. "Complain, complain. Can't you find anything happy about life?"
He bit his lip, "Let's see here," he fakely pondered the question for a few brief seconds, before concluding, "Well, I can think of one." With that, he winked at her flirtatiously and muttered, "Oh, you angel." His voice was teasing and a bit sarcastic. Sandry simply giggled and hit him in the arm again.
I immediately rolled my eyes at their little display and, without meaning to, snorted. Loudly.
Both Sandry and Briar quickly glanced at me before exchanging confused glances. Feeling somewhat awkward, I turned around and faced them, and I was about to say something, but was fortunately was interrupted by Sandry's uncle.
"Sandry, Tris, the boat is ready to leave. They say the storm is just momentary, and should roll over in about twenty minutes. Meanwhile, they're making sure all the passengers are safely aboard." He said all this without looking at us, but looking out the door, as if he was expecting someone. When he glanced up at us, his eyebrows furrowed at our little awkward position. Looking from Sandry and Briar to me and then to Sandry and Briar again, he asked, "Is everything okay?"
Sandry suddenly snapped out of her confused aura and looked cheerfully at her Uncle, "Nope, nothing's wrong. At least," she stared gingerly at me, "I don't think so." Shaking her head, she smiled sweetly, "Ready Tris?"
I half-smiled, "Ready as I'll ever be."
The excitement nearly bubbling out of her, Sandry quickly picked up her two embroidered suitcases, before turning to Briar. Smiling brightly at him, Sandry threw her arms around him, while her suitcases clashed on his back.
Briar stood in shock for a few seconds, before he hesitantly put his arms around her. "Woah there. . . you're not going away forever, ya know."
She giggled before pulling back from him. "Yes, I suppose so." Shrugging her shoulders, she turned to me, bobbed her head and said, "We'd better go. The boat can't wait forever." She gave a parting glance to Briar, before heading towards the door where her Uncle stood.
I stood semi-awkwardly with Briar after she left and then turned to him. Running my tongue across my teeth, I pursed my lips together.
"See ya around, Coppercurls," He finally said, his voice clear and friendly.
I was still half-way irritated with him for his flirtatious nature with Sandry, so I simply nodded my head, "I'll see you around, Briar." I stared at him over the rim of my glasses for a brief second before I headed out the door. I could feel him stare at my back while I left, but I ignored it. I didn't know if I was really mad at Briar, but I'm sure he thought I was.
As I was walking down the long corridor of Duke Verdis' hallway, I heard Briar call after me: "I'll miss you, Tris!"
I stopped in my tracks before I turned around and glanced at him. His face was somewhat pathetic, sorta twisted and handsome at the same time. Smiling back at him, I nodded my head before I turned and headed towards Sandry and the boat.
_____________________________
And so here I was, in Nidra Island. With Sandry. In the Royal Nidra Embassy. And I was bored as Hell.
I let loose a huge sigh before looking back into our small apartment. I couldn't really complain about the room. It was nice. Actually, it was glamorous. The main room, which they had called, "The Reclining Room", had shiny, hardwood floors with the walls adorned with white leather wallpaper. The entire room was richly furnished with something Sandry called cedar, and there were pictures of stiff, rich royals hanging everywhere. Our bedrooms were on either side of the Reclining Room and they weren't any less glamorous. A kitchen was in front of the Reclining Room and there was a long corridor that finally led to our main door. Currently, I was out on our private balcony that overlooked the colorful Nidra Marketplace.
I headed into the Reclining room where Sandry was stitching something on the couch. When she heard me enter from the balcony, she looked up at me, he eyes dull but twinkling, as they always were. Smiling knowingly, she asked quietly, "Bored?"
Blinking at her, I frowned. "What do you think?"
Sandry nodded before putting her embroidery down and stretching. She yawned quietly before shaking her head in an attempt to wake herself up. Finally, after her little ritual, she glanced up at me. "Wanna go do something?" She asked meekly, her lips in a quiet smile.
I diverted my eyes to the window. Still no clouds. "There's nothing better to do."
I heard her giggle and stand up from off the couch. "Well," she started, "I don't have anything to do until dinner, when I have to meet with Earl Heold to discuss trading routes." I rolled my eyes at this. I had gone to one of her dinner parties. It was usually just some simpering snobs who only consented to do what Sandry said because she was pretty. Most of them were old nobles who hadn't had any female attention ever since their wives had children and didn't wish to touch them again. Sometimes Sandry was cold and aloof to them when they tried to flirt with her, but most of the time she was oblivious to their futile attempts.
"Do you want to go to the Marketplace?" She asked finally, her voice hesitant.
We had already been to the Marketplace twice, but once it had been under the protection of Sandry's royal bodyguards, and we couldn't usually head into a large crowd or her bodyguards would throw a royal-panic. The other time, she was hit on by some old merchant who had a pot-belly and smelled like greased bacon. Needless to say, the marketplace didn't sound like a very agreeable to be in.
However: "Sure," I lied, mostly because I could find nothing better to do. I looked back at her, and she smiled sweetly at me.
"I'm going to go change," she said, walking towards her room. As she was half-way there, she turned around and looked at me. "Tris, why don't you change into that dress I made you a few weeks ago. It looks so good with your eyes."
I eyed her for a few seconds. I knew the dress she was talking about, and knew immediately that it wasn't what I usually wore. It was made out of a light, blue linen, and cut just a little above the ankle. Sandry insisted that's how they wore the dresses now, accompanied with lace-up boots. I felt like an alien in it, like I was walking around in a different body. However, it wasn't an ugly dress, and it wasn't like my usual dark wool dress that I owned. And they were so hot to wear
Still smiling, she pleaded, "Come on Tris. . . you look so pretty in it."
I wanted to snort at this comment, but instead I threw up my hands and consented. She smiled at me before retreating inside her chambers.
Huffing, I went inside my room also. I saw my bag on the large bed that was in the dead center of my room. Grunting, I roughly sorted through my luggage. Finding the dress Sandry wanted me to wear, I quickly slipped off my old, dark-gray dress and put on the lighter one. Tying the blue satin sashes that tied just under the bust, I turned around and stole a look at myself in the mirror.
The dress looked pretty nice on me. But, I still felt like I had stole one of Sandry's dresses and was wearing it.
Sighing, I put my other heavier dress inside the bag and shut it. I glanced back in the mirror again. It was the same old me, just with a different dress on. I pulled my hair on top of my head, trying to see what I would look like in Sandry's usual braid-on-the-top-of-the-head. It just looked like Tris in Sandry's usual braid-on-the-top-of-the-head. Frowning, I grabbed my brush off my vanity and went through my hair, trying to calm some of the unruly curls in my hair. It worked. . . somewhat.
I gave up and headed outside the room. Looking down at my dress, I readjusted the dress so it didn't crumple so much at the hips. While I was doing so, I heard Sandry exit her room. She shut her door before shrieking, "Tris, I LOVE that dress on you!"
I looked up at her and crinkled my nose. "I don't know. . . it really isn't me."
She was wearing a lavender dress. In fact, she was wearing the lavender dress. The one that she wore at Midsummers and it was the first (and only) time Briar admitted that she looked, "really pretty." It wasn't really a spectacular dress. It was plain cotton that was died lavender. It cut low on the hips, and the sashes tied on the side of her left-hip. The skirt flowed to her ankles like mine, and she had a pair of light, brown suede boots. It wasn't extraordinary at all. It was just that it looked good on her, with her piled braids and her almost indigo eyes.
Instantly I knew that it wouldn't be the best dress to wear at a public market. Sandry immediately caught my conspicuous glare and asked, "Is there something wrong?" She looked down her dress and asked, "Is there something on my dress?"
Oblivious as ever. I shook her head and lied, "No, nothings on it. It's fine." I managed a fake smile.
She smiled back at me, although hers were now a bit suspicious. "All right then Tris." She stared at me strangely before asking, excitement dripping off her words, "Are you ready?"
I shifted awkwardly in my dress, before nodding me head. "Couldn't be more ready."
Smiling, Sandry headed to our door, and yelled, to no one in particular,
"Marketplace, here we come!"
______________________________
"Hey pretty Ladies!" Some bellowed at us, most likely a jewelry peddler. He screamed at us again, "Pretty Ladies, come look at this necklace. Such pretty faces as yours deserve such a pretty jewel!"
Although I was adamantly against giving into one of these annoying merchants who gave all merchants a bad name, Sandry smiled shyly at me. She obviously wanted to entertain this man into the fact that we would actually buy something. Rolling my eyes, I murmured, "Go if you want to."
Smiling broadly, she grabbed my wrist and literally dragged me to the merchants stall. We nearly came into hard contact with the merchants stall, before Sandry pressed herself against it. She looked at the array of jewelry, her eyes glittering with excited curiosity.
The Merchant laughed at her. "Does the Lady see anything that she likes?"
I was about to say that, No, the lady wants to leave right now, but Sandry interrupted me.
"You have such beautiful jewelry," She breathed, before she delicately touched a necklace. It was had a thin, delicate silver chain that came down into a small jewel that shimmered a deep purple. Sandry was about to pick it up, but looked shyly up at the merchant, "May I try it on?"
The merchant smiled broadly at him, his teeth showing brightly underneath a thick mousy-brown mustache. "Of course, mi'lady. Would you like me to help you put it on?"
Sandry smiled at him and nodded her head. "If you wouldn't mind."
"Not at all, mi'lady." With that, the merchant wrapped the necklace around her neck and clasped it together.
I rolled my eyes. Sandry, too polite as always. Crossing my arms across my chest, I looked as Sandry admired the necklace in the mirror that laid on the merchant's stall.
"Does anything catch your eye, mi'lady." The merchant asked me slyly, trying to sound casual and calm, as if he could care less if I actually bought something.
I simply looked at him with pursed lips, my eyes glowering. "No," I replied tartly, my whole body suggesting that he leave me alone.
He blinked at me before bowing his head curtly. "Very well, but if you need any help. . ."
"I won't." I interjected, still glaring at him. He bowed again before retreating to Sandry, who was more than willing to lead him on to the fact that she might buy something.
Chewing the inside of my cheek impatiently, I glanced around the marketplace. There were a few other screaming merchants, but for the most part, most stayed content at their booths, letting their products speak for themselves. The booth next to me was crammed full of books. Some looked dusty and torn and some looked fresh and new. Suddenly interested, I was about to tell Sandry that I was going to look at them before something caught my eye.
A thread of neon magic flashed in the corner of my vision. Blinking in surprise, I quickly whipped my head towards the source. A man was standing adjacent to the booth, looking curiously at me and Sandry. Seeing me stare at him, he quickly shoved a cloth into his pocket, which was covered in magic. He smiled toothily at me, his smile eerily crooked. His hair was covered by a top hat, but a salt-and-pepper beard framed his bottom jaw. He was dressed respectively, and I quickly knew that he wasn't a merchant. And that made me suspicious.
Raising an eyebrow at me, he tipped his top hat before saying coolly, "Good afternoon, My Lady." Without letting me get in a decent word, he quickly walked away, his back facing the stall, and a large dark blue cape flapping behind him.
I stared at him for awhile, my instincts blaring red. It seemed as if I had seen him before, but I couldn't connect his face with a name. Biting my lip, I turned to tell Sandry about the man, but when I faced her, she was beaming a bright smile at me.
"Do you like it?" She asked, her hand delicately placed over the necklace.
I blinked at her before I looked over her shoulder. A very happy merchant was putting a silver astral in a collection bag behind us. Sighing, I stated wearily, "You actually bought it. Unbelievable."
She frowned at me, and then shook her head, "It was a bit much, but then again, I haven't bought anything here so far." She looked down at it, before smiling pleasurably, "I think it's pretty."
I rolled my eyes before mumbling quietly, "I'm sure Briar will think so too."
Still looking at her necklace, Sandry didn't catch my thought that I had spoken out loud. Finally registering that I had spoken, she looked up at me. "Hm? What did you say, Tris? I didn't quite catch you." She blinked innocently at me, her eyes big and curious.
Sighing, I shook my head. "I don't remember," I said, obviously lying.
Sandry raised an eyebrow at me. I supposed she knew that I was lying, but didn't want to press the subject. "Okay. . . but if you think of it, go ahead and tell me." She looked around the marketplace, before asking, "Where do you want to go now?"
I was about to tell her that the book stand look preferable, but someone pulled at the hem of Sandry dress. Looking down, I saw a young boy, only about four. He came only a little above Sandry's knee, and he looked up at her with large, caramel eyes.
She smiled at him before bending down so that she was face-to-face with him. Sandry bit her lip before saying sweetly, "Is there something wrong, sweetheart?"
The child looked like most locals on Nidra Island: Light cocoa skin, creamy, light-brown eyes, and deep, mahogany hair. It peered innocently at Sandry through his large eyes before mumbling something in the Nidran language. Sandry looked up at me, her eyes questioning.
Realizing she wanted a translation, I slightly back away. "Don't look at me-- I'm just here because you asked me," I said defensively.
Sandry frowned before turning back to the child. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.
The child suddenly pointed behind Sandry and myself, yelling something frantically on top of his little foreign lungs. I blinked at him before quickly turning her head around. Sandry did so also.
Looking around the marketplace, I saw nothing but a crowd of people who were looking at us and the child strangely. Feeling awkward, I was about to yell at them to mind their own business, but was was interrupted by Sandry shrieking.
Turning around sharply, all I saw was the small child running ahead, weaving in and out of the crowd. I blinked at him for a few seconds before averting my attention to Sandry. She was staring blankly at the child in shock.
Then suddenly, as if struck, she grabbed my hand and said, "Come on. . . we're going after him." She picked up the edge of her dress with the other hand before sprinting and dragging me through the crowded city streets.
I had no choice but to follow her, my hair flying in the wind. Running clumsily, I stepped on a man's toe. He turned to me and snarled, his teeth chipped and yellow, "Watch it, ya wrench."
I was about to sneer something equally as biting to the man, but Sandry tugged me along, so that I saw him no longer. I stumbled backwards for awhile before turning myself around and running with legs in front of me. Huffing from exhaustion, I nearly spat, "Sandry, what are we doing?" I nearly tripped on a crack in the walk. "Why are we following him?"
She frowned, her brow creased ahead. The boy was still maneuvering through the hoards of people, and it was becoming increasingly harder to follow him. People were shouting at us left and right, telling us to stop shoving. Biting her lip, she told me over the noise in the marketplace. "That boy just stole my necklace. . . tore it right off my neck."
Hearing this, I rolled my eyes. That necklace was probably fake anyways. "Can't you let the police handle it?" I said in-between pants.
"No," She replied solidly, "The police won't be able to find it among all these people, and they'll probably hurt the boy if they found him."
I stared at her for a few seconds before shaking my head in disbelief. How typical, a street boy, probably stealing his day's worth of goods. Just what we needed. . . especially since Sandry was so attached to it. And since Sandry's so stubborn.
We broke through the crowd's for a few minutes, almost losing the boy, must still seeing catching him in the corner of our eyes.
It wasn't until about five minutes, when I thought I was going to die of asphyxiation, that the boy finally eased into an alleyway.
Sandry smiled evilly before saying, "Now, we've got him. It's a dead end." We rounded into the alleyway before finally stopping.
As soon as she let go of my hand, I bent down and panted heavily. Sandry breathed heavy too, but she was so focused on getting back her necklace, she wasn't as concentrated on getting her lungs to work as usual.
The alleyway was dark. The end of it was covered in crates and wastebaskets. Something moved, its red eyes flashing. I shivered. Stuff like that creeps me out. Looking around, I saw no evidence of the boy we were chasing. Knitting my eyebrows together, I glanced up at Sandry. The confusion on her face mirrored mine.
"Hello?" She called hesitantly. "Hello, little boy. . ." Walking deeper into the alleyway, her eyes darted around. I just kept my eyes glued on the animal that was stirring in the back of the alleyway.
Sandry picked up a crate and looked around. "Where could have he gone?" She asked herself, her voice echoing off the walls. "Maybe he climbed up the wall," She said, her voice steeped in confusion.
I craned my head up and looked at the tall buildings on both sides of us. They were at least five stories high. "Yeah, maybe," I replied sarcastically while rolling my eyes.
Sandry turned around and frowned at me. "Well, he couldn't have just disappeared," she retorted before turning to look around the alleyway.
Shrugging, I looked back at the back of the alleyway. The thing with the red eyes had disappeared. Licking my lips, I stood up in a full-right position. "Sandry, I don't think we're going to find him," I spoke, "maybe we should just go back to. . ."
My words slowly drifted off when I heard footsteps echo through the alleyway. Wrinkling my forehead, I heard them again, coming closer to me. Something beat wildly in my stomach. They came closer until it sounded as if someone was right behind me. Swallowing nervously, I turned sharply around. A tall, dark shadow was in front of me, contrasting with the bright sunlight behind him. My eyes widened.
"Hello, Trisana." He greeted smoothly, his voice sounding oddly familiar. Suddenly, he whipped something out of his coat pocket and it glowed with a neon magic.
Seeing it, I managed to gasp and I tried to back away. However, the man grabbed me by the wrist, pressing the cloth to my face.
The magic overwhelmed me, and my brain was filled with thousands of terrible images. Pain, death, people crying out. I tried to scream, but the images were too overwhelming. I simply feel limply to the ground, writhing in pain.
The last thing I remembered was Sandry's screams, a struggle, and then I slipped into a unconscious, blissful darkness.
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**Reads over what I wrote and winces** Not my best work, yes.
Oh well. It's for fun. What do ya think? Should I continue?
Er, yes? Er, no?