Title: "The Winding Path"
Ch. Title:"Winding Circle"
Author: Peonyqt1004
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of Tamora Pierce's characters. However, any character I create are mine.
A/N: Based on the reviews I got, I think I'll make this B/T. =) Hope you guys will be satisfied. Remember to Read and Review- and tell me what you think! Hey- Lots of Thanks to Time-stitch and Mage Gurl 05~ Hope you will finish reading this story! O, btw, you were right, it's Keth not Kent. It was a mistake. A mistake I won't make again. -.-;
-Peonyqt1004
-----------------
Meanings:
*...* For emphasize.
~...~ Indicates the character we are exploring.
-...- Is used when Briar, Tris, Sandry, and Daja speak telepathically.
'...' Thought.
"..." What they are saying.
... Where they are.
/.../ Indicates place.
------------------
A tall blonde haired man in his young twenties was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. His left fingers, the pinky and the ring finger, still slightly curled up from the last lightning attack, twitched slightly as he was deep in thought. He didn't get enough sleep and lightening twitch about his body.
'Should I stay? My life is good here so far, with my skill with seeing the future, I think it would be no need to actually go with her.¡¯
Then he sighed. Something didn't feel right about leaving Tris. It's only been 4 months and he was bonding with her. 'Pirates...' He thought scornfully. He heard a slight sniffle and he turned and looked at Glaki. She was crying. Worry filled his blue eyes as he came over to her to hug her. Her two dolls were put aside carelessly.
"What's the matter Glaki?" He asked, soothingly. "She's leaving me." Glaki said with a thin tiny voice. Her large brown eyes were a sea of tears. "Like how Ma left me... and aunt Yali..." "Shush." Keth said sharply. "She isn't leaving you. She's worried for you." Glaki shook her head, her curls bouncing from side to side as her little full lips were pursed out into a sad frown.
"She's leaving me..."
"No I'm not." A sharp voice said suddenly, surprising both Keth and Glaki.
The short chubby mage with her stern gray eyes looked at them. "Glaki, I would never leave you..." Her voice had softened. "But this situation... it's just not worth your life and Keth's." Glaki wiped her tears with her small hands. "I'll go with you!" The child cried out. "I'll help you battle those pirate and.. and..." Tris gave her a reprimanding look. "Your life won't be snuffed out because of my bad decision." She replied. Glaki's chin stuck out stubbornly, but no word escaped from her lips as she stared at Tris with longing in her eyes.
Tris turned around and swallowed hard. Looking at Glaki reminded her of her past too much for comfort. She understood the girl£§s need for someone constant in her life. Tris hated to break the vow she had made with herself but from the looks of it... The pirates were very deadly... They would probably use Glaki and make her a slave. She didn't want that. She faced Keth, she tried to tamp down her sadness as she looked at her "Student".
"Did you make your decision?" She asked softly. "You can return home, your skills are very... toned... And you can become what you want to be--."
"I'm going with you." Keth said suddenly, his eyes were steady. Tris glared at him. "I won't be responsible for your death!" Tris cried out. "I don't want to feel guilty if you die." Keth retorted. "Glaki should come." He said abruptly. Glaki's eyes brightened. Tris groaned. "You are making the worse decision of your life." Tris muttered. "I'm leaving now anyways." Tris said softly. "I don't have much to pack... The ships leaving in a few minutes..."
"I don't have much to pack either, and neither does Glaki." Keth said stubbornly. His blue eyes glinted dangerously. "Your matter is my matter, if you want to fight them, I'll do it by your side." Tris gave up, which was quite unusual of her. "Fine." She said wearily. "But Glaki--." Glaki lept up, a bag under her arm. "I already packed up." She said cheerfully, holding her two dolls carefully under each arm. "I was ready." Tris looked at her wearily. "Fine." Tris whispered, and she left.
/Winding Circle/
Briar and Eevy were the first to arrive.
They arrived by boat a few days before the pirates actually got into the ports... and they just barely managed to escape the pirates clutches.
Briar was in much pain... Fire still burned everywhere. In the woodshop and with his plants. He forced his green magic into the plants to help them regenerate, but the pain itself was almost unbearable. Eevy's eyes were wide open. "Oh Briar!" The usually sassy girl said fearfully. "They're coming in..." Briar grinned as the flames faded off. The water mages were dealing with the fire at the wood shop.
"They won't get far." He said darkly. He removed packets soaked with some evil smelling potion, and trotted towards the shore of their island. The boats were just a few miles away, Eevy and the guards holding the gate looked nervous.
"Hurry." Eevy urged. Briar threw the packets into the soil and dabbed some of his earthy magic into them.
Thorns sprang to life and covered the shores... It's spikes long and lethal.
"Oh no boy, not without me!" A voice said from behind him. It was Rosethorn. Cackling, she drew the plants power around her, sending her magic scurrying so that the kelp in their waters grew with great speed, to clog the ships.
"Good idea." Briar said after a moments pause, Rosethorn smiled, but it was strained. Then they all heard a strange haunting melody. There were no words, just a voice singing a wordless tune... The kelp seemed to part under the influence. Rosethorn shut her eyes quickly and tried to shove the kelp back, but the kelp were entranced by the song and wouldn¡¯t budge. Briar sensed the struggle and sent his power roaring back into the kelp. The kelp hesitated as Briars command struggled with the haunting melody, but the melody stopped as Briar gained control of the kelp, which grew with more intensity and clogged the oars.
But the fight was hard. He was dragged into a pool of darkness.
'If only the girls were here.' He thought as he was hindered unconscious.
/Boat/
It has been a few nights since they had left. Winds flew about her and brought images of no real importance to her.
'I won't go mad.' Tris thought passionately as she scryed the wind for any news from Winding Circle. Driving her magical hooks into a pattern, an image blossomed before her. Little bits of black and white... and blue...
She saw a girl resting on a boat... Magic glowed from her and she looked exhausted. Her face was partially hidden by a large hood poncho. Tris observed the magic shimmering around her weakly... There was something strange about--.
"Tris!"
Someone stepped through the image. In a spiral of color, the image departed. Tris was enraged. "WHAT?!" She yelled angrily. She wanted to look at that one image, but it was lost as Keth walked towards her, a look of concern on his face. "Relax." He said as he brought to her a cup of water, which she drank thirstily with. "You're so tense." He said softly. "Are you wind Scrying?" He asked softly. "I was." She said angrily. "Next time I'll put up a protection shield to keep people like you OUT of my space." However, when she got up, her legs wobbled. Keth looked up into the horizon.
"Niko told me to tell you... We arrived at Summerport, but we can't get in."
"What do you mean?" Tris demanded.
"The pirates are within the gates, they're already attacking."
~Pirates~
A girl rested on a ship, looking exhausted and pale. "Come on girl!" A tall dark man snapped. "Paint! Music! Anything! We're losing!" The girl shook her head, leaning limply against the wall. The dark man seemed frustrated. "You better get better quick girl." He said with a threatening voice. "Or your sorry liasu family are going to go to hell!" The girl stifled a sob. "Please don't!" She said pleadingly. "I don't know why but it's not working!" The pirate growled. "Go to Mage Witherspoon, He'll teach you better." The dark man grabbed the girl by the back of her hood and dragged her upwards and shoved her. The girl collapsed after a few seconds of swaying on her feet. The pirate cursed. "Tell our boss to pull back!" He yelled. The message spread like wildfire as they pulled back away from the raging mages.
~Tris~
"Look they're pulling back!" Tris said with excited frenzy as she pointed at the pirate ships. Niko told her to hush. He had put an invisibility spell on the boat so they might try to get into the place unseen. Tris was impatient. Lightning fizzled around her face. Keth was a sickly color of green. "I want to hurt them!" Tris growled, fingering her braids.
-Briar!-
She tried to call her brother with her magical link.
'Tris!- Came a very surprised voice.
-I didn't even sense you were here!- Briar said, his voice feeling like moss, smelling like the sweet smell of plants and greens.
-I can sense your magic.- Tris said bluntly. -Your magic is waning a bit and you ARE preoccupied.-
She heard a snort.
-Where are you now? We need help, quick!-
-They're pulling back Briar, give it a rest.- Tris answered quickly.
-Are the others with you?- He asked?
-What do YOU think?- A faint voice asked with a tint of sarcasm. It was Daja.
-Daja?!- Both Briar and Tris chorused.
The metallic taste of her magic and the faint metallic ring to her voice made it evident. It was their adopted sister, the metal mage.
-Who else? Is Sandry there? I'm just outside the gate... The links of magic were smashed to bits.- There was a hint of fear in her voice.
-I'm not near Winding circle yet.- Came a sweet but very faint voice. It was Sandry. Her magic felt like silk and smelled like warm cotton.
-Well, I don't think I can get in yet.- Tris said with disappointment in your voice.
"Tris!" Came an urgent whisper. Tris turned around and frowned. It was Keth. "Oh." Tris said out loud. "What are you doing?" Keth asked, question in his eye. "Talking to my brothers and sisters." She replied. Keth turned white. "They're coming?" He asked with a squeak. "I warned you before didn't I?" Tris said.
~Daja~
Daja stared at the links in shock. These shattered pieces of magic and metal were what both Frostpine and she had worked on. It was broken.
"How did they get past the illusions?" Daja asked, amazed.
"I have no idea." Frostpine replied, his dark face looking tense as he touched a fragment of it. The metal cried out in pain.
"Whatever it was." Daja said as she made the sign of the all-protecting goddess with her hands, "I don't want to find out."
"Well you have no choice." Frostpine said with a soft voice. "Because we're here."
~Briar~
Tris's voice sounded like the wind, water, lightning, and rocks grating. Almost like Evvey. Evvey looked at her teacher expectantly. "Briar! They're heading back!" "I know." Briar replied. "Tell Rosethorn that the girls are here." Evvey nodded. "Sure!" She replied as she scampered off.
Tris held Chime in her arms while stroking Little Bears head.
-Briar.- She called.
-What?- He replied.
-How are we going in?-
-Go to the back of the Winding circle, we will find a way to let you in. Actually, I think Niko is onto something. He'll know. Just rest. Our teachers know everything.-
-Not everything.- Tris replied sleepily.
-Don't be a worry wart.- He snapped.
-How can I not be? I was a merchant£§s daughter.- She replied testily. She could feel him smile.
-Whatever Tris, just make it in safely. Daja is coming in.-
~Pirate~
A broad shouldered man with a large built and overly large bottom lip stood at the tip of his ship. 'Soon Winding Circles riches will be mine.' He thought with a sneer. 'My little Roilana will be my way through.' He smiled. He had the child in his grasp. The child who will help him get whatever he wanted.
'Those legendary children with outstanding power will be my slaves.' He thought as a smile graced his unseemly face. On his finger was a ring. It glowed a demonic shade of red before blinking out.
'I have her word and her bond. I have her family and her life at my hands. ' He touched the ring lightly. A glimmer of red light shone on all the magical string floating around him... They were bonds with the other slave mages he had in his boat. But none were as precious as his little Roilana. A smile grew on his lips.
'And Niko.' He added, addressing his old friend.
'We will meet again and we'll talk face to face this time.'
-----To be continued....--------
A/N: Please remember to read and review! =) I hope I brought a smile to your faces~! This is definetly B/T. Poor Keth...
-Peonyqt1004
R AND R!
Ch. Title:"Winding Circle"
Author: Peonyqt1004
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of Tamora Pierce's characters. However, any character I create are mine.
A/N: Based on the reviews I got, I think I'll make this B/T. =) Hope you guys will be satisfied. Remember to Read and Review- and tell me what you think! Hey- Lots of Thanks to Time-stitch and Mage Gurl 05~ Hope you will finish reading this story! O, btw, you were right, it's Keth not Kent. It was a mistake. A mistake I won't make again. -.-;
-Peonyqt1004
-----------------
Meanings:
*...* For emphasize.
~...~ Indicates the character we are exploring.
-...- Is used when Briar, Tris, Sandry, and Daja speak telepathically.
'...' Thought.
"..." What they are saying.
... Where they are.
/.../ Indicates place.
------------------
A tall blonde haired man in his young twenties was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling. His left fingers, the pinky and the ring finger, still slightly curled up from the last lightning attack, twitched slightly as he was deep in thought. He didn't get enough sleep and lightening twitch about his body.
'Should I stay? My life is good here so far, with my skill with seeing the future, I think it would be no need to actually go with her.¡¯
Then he sighed. Something didn't feel right about leaving Tris. It's only been 4 months and he was bonding with her. 'Pirates...' He thought scornfully. He heard a slight sniffle and he turned and looked at Glaki. She was crying. Worry filled his blue eyes as he came over to her to hug her. Her two dolls were put aside carelessly.
"What's the matter Glaki?" He asked, soothingly. "She's leaving me." Glaki said with a thin tiny voice. Her large brown eyes were a sea of tears. "Like how Ma left me... and aunt Yali..." "Shush." Keth said sharply. "She isn't leaving you. She's worried for you." Glaki shook her head, her curls bouncing from side to side as her little full lips were pursed out into a sad frown.
"She's leaving me..."
"No I'm not." A sharp voice said suddenly, surprising both Keth and Glaki.
The short chubby mage with her stern gray eyes looked at them. "Glaki, I would never leave you..." Her voice had softened. "But this situation... it's just not worth your life and Keth's." Glaki wiped her tears with her small hands. "I'll go with you!" The child cried out. "I'll help you battle those pirate and.. and..." Tris gave her a reprimanding look. "Your life won't be snuffed out because of my bad decision." She replied. Glaki's chin stuck out stubbornly, but no word escaped from her lips as she stared at Tris with longing in her eyes.
Tris turned around and swallowed hard. Looking at Glaki reminded her of her past too much for comfort. She understood the girl£§s need for someone constant in her life. Tris hated to break the vow she had made with herself but from the looks of it... The pirates were very deadly... They would probably use Glaki and make her a slave. She didn't want that. She faced Keth, she tried to tamp down her sadness as she looked at her "Student".
"Did you make your decision?" She asked softly. "You can return home, your skills are very... toned... And you can become what you want to be--."
"I'm going with you." Keth said suddenly, his eyes were steady. Tris glared at him. "I won't be responsible for your death!" Tris cried out. "I don't want to feel guilty if you die." Keth retorted. "Glaki should come." He said abruptly. Glaki's eyes brightened. Tris groaned. "You are making the worse decision of your life." Tris muttered. "I'm leaving now anyways." Tris said softly. "I don't have much to pack... The ships leaving in a few minutes..."
"I don't have much to pack either, and neither does Glaki." Keth said stubbornly. His blue eyes glinted dangerously. "Your matter is my matter, if you want to fight them, I'll do it by your side." Tris gave up, which was quite unusual of her. "Fine." She said wearily. "But Glaki--." Glaki lept up, a bag under her arm. "I already packed up." She said cheerfully, holding her two dolls carefully under each arm. "I was ready." Tris looked at her wearily. "Fine." Tris whispered, and she left.
/Winding Circle/
Briar and Eevy were the first to arrive.
They arrived by boat a few days before the pirates actually got into the ports... and they just barely managed to escape the pirates clutches.
Briar was in much pain... Fire still burned everywhere. In the woodshop and with his plants. He forced his green magic into the plants to help them regenerate, but the pain itself was almost unbearable. Eevy's eyes were wide open. "Oh Briar!" The usually sassy girl said fearfully. "They're coming in..." Briar grinned as the flames faded off. The water mages were dealing with the fire at the wood shop.
"They won't get far." He said darkly. He removed packets soaked with some evil smelling potion, and trotted towards the shore of their island. The boats were just a few miles away, Eevy and the guards holding the gate looked nervous.
"Hurry." Eevy urged. Briar threw the packets into the soil and dabbed some of his earthy magic into them.
Thorns sprang to life and covered the shores... It's spikes long and lethal.
"Oh no boy, not without me!" A voice said from behind him. It was Rosethorn. Cackling, she drew the plants power around her, sending her magic scurrying so that the kelp in their waters grew with great speed, to clog the ships.
"Good idea." Briar said after a moments pause, Rosethorn smiled, but it was strained. Then they all heard a strange haunting melody. There were no words, just a voice singing a wordless tune... The kelp seemed to part under the influence. Rosethorn shut her eyes quickly and tried to shove the kelp back, but the kelp were entranced by the song and wouldn¡¯t budge. Briar sensed the struggle and sent his power roaring back into the kelp. The kelp hesitated as Briars command struggled with the haunting melody, but the melody stopped as Briar gained control of the kelp, which grew with more intensity and clogged the oars.
But the fight was hard. He was dragged into a pool of darkness.
'If only the girls were here.' He thought as he was hindered unconscious.
/Boat/
It has been a few nights since they had left. Winds flew about her and brought images of no real importance to her.
'I won't go mad.' Tris thought passionately as she scryed the wind for any news from Winding Circle. Driving her magical hooks into a pattern, an image blossomed before her. Little bits of black and white... and blue...
She saw a girl resting on a boat... Magic glowed from her and she looked exhausted. Her face was partially hidden by a large hood poncho. Tris observed the magic shimmering around her weakly... There was something strange about--.
"Tris!"
Someone stepped through the image. In a spiral of color, the image departed. Tris was enraged. "WHAT?!" She yelled angrily. She wanted to look at that one image, but it was lost as Keth walked towards her, a look of concern on his face. "Relax." He said as he brought to her a cup of water, which she drank thirstily with. "You're so tense." He said softly. "Are you wind Scrying?" He asked softly. "I was." She said angrily. "Next time I'll put up a protection shield to keep people like you OUT of my space." However, when she got up, her legs wobbled. Keth looked up into the horizon.
"Niko told me to tell you... We arrived at Summerport, but we can't get in."
"What do you mean?" Tris demanded.
"The pirates are within the gates, they're already attacking."
~Pirates~
A girl rested on a ship, looking exhausted and pale. "Come on girl!" A tall dark man snapped. "Paint! Music! Anything! We're losing!" The girl shook her head, leaning limply against the wall. The dark man seemed frustrated. "You better get better quick girl." He said with a threatening voice. "Or your sorry liasu family are going to go to hell!" The girl stifled a sob. "Please don't!" She said pleadingly. "I don't know why but it's not working!" The pirate growled. "Go to Mage Witherspoon, He'll teach you better." The dark man grabbed the girl by the back of her hood and dragged her upwards and shoved her. The girl collapsed after a few seconds of swaying on her feet. The pirate cursed. "Tell our boss to pull back!" He yelled. The message spread like wildfire as they pulled back away from the raging mages.
~Tris~
"Look they're pulling back!" Tris said with excited frenzy as she pointed at the pirate ships. Niko told her to hush. He had put an invisibility spell on the boat so they might try to get into the place unseen. Tris was impatient. Lightning fizzled around her face. Keth was a sickly color of green. "I want to hurt them!" Tris growled, fingering her braids.
-Briar!-
She tried to call her brother with her magical link.
'Tris!- Came a very surprised voice.
-I didn't even sense you were here!- Briar said, his voice feeling like moss, smelling like the sweet smell of plants and greens.
-I can sense your magic.- Tris said bluntly. -Your magic is waning a bit and you ARE preoccupied.-
She heard a snort.
-Where are you now? We need help, quick!-
-They're pulling back Briar, give it a rest.- Tris answered quickly.
-Are the others with you?- He asked?
-What do YOU think?- A faint voice asked with a tint of sarcasm. It was Daja.
-Daja?!- Both Briar and Tris chorused.
The metallic taste of her magic and the faint metallic ring to her voice made it evident. It was their adopted sister, the metal mage.
-Who else? Is Sandry there? I'm just outside the gate... The links of magic were smashed to bits.- There was a hint of fear in her voice.
-I'm not near Winding circle yet.- Came a sweet but very faint voice. It was Sandry. Her magic felt like silk and smelled like warm cotton.
-Well, I don't think I can get in yet.- Tris said with disappointment in your voice.
"Tris!" Came an urgent whisper. Tris turned around and frowned. It was Keth. "Oh." Tris said out loud. "What are you doing?" Keth asked, question in his eye. "Talking to my brothers and sisters." She replied. Keth turned white. "They're coming?" He asked with a squeak. "I warned you before didn't I?" Tris said.
~Daja~
Daja stared at the links in shock. These shattered pieces of magic and metal were what both Frostpine and she had worked on. It was broken.
"How did they get past the illusions?" Daja asked, amazed.
"I have no idea." Frostpine replied, his dark face looking tense as he touched a fragment of it. The metal cried out in pain.
"Whatever it was." Daja said as she made the sign of the all-protecting goddess with her hands, "I don't want to find out."
"Well you have no choice." Frostpine said with a soft voice. "Because we're here."
~Briar~
Tris's voice sounded like the wind, water, lightning, and rocks grating. Almost like Evvey. Evvey looked at her teacher expectantly. "Briar! They're heading back!" "I know." Briar replied. "Tell Rosethorn that the girls are here." Evvey nodded. "Sure!" She replied as she scampered off.
Tris held Chime in her arms while stroking Little Bears head.
-Briar.- She called.
-What?- He replied.
-How are we going in?-
-Go to the back of the Winding circle, we will find a way to let you in. Actually, I think Niko is onto something. He'll know. Just rest. Our teachers know everything.-
-Not everything.- Tris replied sleepily.
-Don't be a worry wart.- He snapped.
-How can I not be? I was a merchant£§s daughter.- She replied testily. She could feel him smile.
-Whatever Tris, just make it in safely. Daja is coming in.-
~Pirate~
A broad shouldered man with a large built and overly large bottom lip stood at the tip of his ship. 'Soon Winding Circles riches will be mine.' He thought with a sneer. 'My little Roilana will be my way through.' He smiled. He had the child in his grasp. The child who will help him get whatever he wanted.
'Those legendary children with outstanding power will be my slaves.' He thought as a smile graced his unseemly face. On his finger was a ring. It glowed a demonic shade of red before blinking out.
'I have her word and her bond. I have her family and her life at my hands. ' He touched the ring lightly. A glimmer of red light shone on all the magical string floating around him... They were bonds with the other slave mages he had in his boat. But none were as precious as his little Roilana. A smile grew on his lips.
'And Niko.' He added, addressing his old friend.
'We will meet again and we'll talk face to face this time.'
-----To be continued....--------
A/N: Please remember to read and review! =) I hope I brought a smile to your faces~! This is definetly B/T. Poor Keth...
-Peonyqt1004
R AND R!