A Stronger Circle

by 247Lyricism

After their training at Winding Circle is complete, the four children go their separate ways. However, when they return a few years later, our favorite quartet must grow into adults in the midst of blossoming romances and trouble brewing with the earth.

5. Chapter 4

"Breathe deeply. In, and out. Air is life. Breathe in life. Breathe out impurity. One, two, three, four..." said Niko. The four began breathing as Niko instructed.

"Focus!" he said sharply. "This requires all your concentration. We now venture to the center of the earth. The journey is long and hard. Are you ready? Breathe."

All the mages turned all of their attention to their breathing. In, and out; in, and out. It was a circle, as were their lives. They were a circle! Everything was circular in motion, from the sun's rising and setting to the rebirths of souls. Their world had functioned in a delicate circular cycle. Now, the cycle was disrupted. It was time to bring that back, and restore the circle.

"We're leaving our bodies now. Come with me; I will lead you," a hushed voice said. Niko was quiet as he focused.

The mages slid out of their bodies. The process was always easy. It was like pulling peas gently from a pod. They sprung out and felt themselves floating around the room, their true bodies behind.

Tris glanced back at herself. No matter how many times she did this, she always had the oddest feeling in her gut when she looked back at her body sitting there, eyes closed, mouth parted slightly as she breathed. Tris's magical self shuddered as she turned to the others.

Daja was hard to look at, because she was a glowing red-orange color that hurt the eyes. Tris was a stormy blue, deeper than the sea. Briar's magical self was a greenish color, something between pine and vine. Niko was like a golden sun, colored and glowing like one, as was Sandry. But Sandry had less glow to her, and she was slightly more earthen toned. But all the colors were not solid; they pulsed and glowed in many variations of the hues.

Follow me, said Niko. He sounded/felt like sunshine in one's eyes. I know where to go.

He shot into the earth between a crack in a stone. The mages followed, uncertain of where they were going. Niko slid between layers of earth, his magical body changing shape to fit into the forms of his passage. Tris was right behind him, dovetailing into the cracks of earth. She could sense theearth shifting, the plates moving gently, like sea-tides.

Sandry was behind Tris. She did sense the sea-tides in the earth, but she felt even more the ties and bonds that held the earth together. The ties were like threads, but they were weak, as if they had been poorly made.

Briar followed Sandry, flitting over soil and rock. His felt roots digging into the earth, sucking away its moisture. Daja's red hot self was at the end of the line. Metals were deep down in the earth, and she could feel it. She heard them ringing out.

Niko felt his way through another crack, and then another, and then another. The others followed him. The journey changed, as soil changed to rock, rock changed to fossil. There were many more layers to the earth than the four young mages had realized, and they seemed to go on forever. Briar was impatiently about to ask how much longer it would take when they came to what seemed like a clearing, a void.

A plane of blackness? Is this the core of the earth? It seems so dead! Sandry commented. It's dark. She looked around. They were in something like a room, one that was a sphere in shape. It was black, and Sandry shivered. No matter what, she hated the dark.

This is it, Niko thought to them. But you're behind me. You can't see what I see. Come here, he instructed. The four floated beside him and gasped.

A globe, swirling with a million colors, floated before them. It was huge! It was twelve times as tall as they were, floating in the middle of the blackness. It shed a bright light on them as it glowed. It was somewhat translucent, but it glimmered with so many colors, which mixed on the surface like soap bubbles. Daja grinned.

 
It's beautiful, she thought to the others. Can we get closer?

Yes, but don't touch. You might hurt yourselves if you do. It will suck you in, Niko told them. They floated closer, looking at the multitude of colors.

He went on, See all the colors? Each represents a different type of magic. Green is plants; blue is water. Yellow is sun, air, thread. Gray is stone. Red is fire and metal. Some are more not physical. Purple is unity and strength, while white is purity and love.

But there are so many different shades of each color! commented Sandry.

That's because each color is for, say, a subcategory. Darker greens are for trees; lighter greens are for flowers or vines. And each dark green is a different type of tree, while each light green is a different type of flower, Niko informed them. The colors are so varied, so distinct, that each plant in the world is represented by a different color green.

Fascinating, murmured Tris. So this is the earth's magic.

 
Yes, what's left of it. You see this whole area? The part that's black? Niko asked. This whole area used to be full of magic. So much has been drained.

Gods, gasped Briar. The empty part is huge, bigger than the part that's left. He shook his head.

Any more questions? Niko said patiently. The mages were silent. Niklaren Goldeye nodded his head.

Time to begin, then. Concentrate. Your magical selves are from the earth, and never forget that. You all must return to the earth what it has given you.

Summon your power. Keep it ready for when you need it. First, we must seal the spell with blood. But you must mean it. If you do not, it means nothing. Cut yourselves, and let yourselves bleed, for the sake of the earth. The earth has bled for us. Now, we bleed for it. The earth's magic will suck the blood away. Niko drew his left hand over his right, both palms-down, reciting an ancient poem.

I seal my spell with blood
I seal my spell with a part of me
I seal my spell with myself
I seal myself.

When he turned his hands back up, he had two small slits upon his palms.

Tris gulped. She didn't want to bleed herself. But Niko was right. The earth had bled for her, done so much for her. A few drops of blood on her part would do no harm! She followed the motions that Niko had, reciting the poem as her former master had done. And she meant every word.

I seal my spell with blood
I seal my spell with a part of me
I seal my spell with myself
I seal myself.

 
She could hear her friends doing the same, and she saw Daja look at her palms.

Hesitantly, Tris did the same, and she found she had two slits along her palms. Blue blood trickled into the lifeline of her palm. But she felt no pain. She shivered, turning to Niko for the next step.

When I give the word, we place our hands a small bit away from the magic-globe, but don't touch it. Keep your palms facing the globe, and the blood will be drawn into the globe as you do so. At the same time, feed your magic back whence it came from into the magic of earth. Begin! Niko threw his hands forward. They hovered away from the globe. Golden blood flew from his hands, followed by a thick cord of streaming light which was Niko's magic. Tris and Sandry both placed their hands up quickly, followed by Briar and Daja lastly. They threw forward their magic as their bloods trickled from the wounds. It was like a gentle pull from the globe, but the mages were pulling back to keep the globe from taking too much.

The blood coming off of Sandry's hands made her tremble with delight. It tickled as the blood came with the magic in a steady stream to the center of the globe. Sandry saw it as a rope, a tug-of-war, between the earth and herself. Sandry figured that if the earth had been stronger originally, then the earth would have easily won the contest.

Daja saw the pull of the blood and magic from her hands as wire being drawn. It didn't hurt, but the feeling was very strange. Briar saw it like a sort of growth, like roots sinking into the earth, literally.

All saw the giving of power in the same way: it felt to be an odd release, so strange. Every little thing about the process was familiar, but only in reverse. It was similar to the feeling they each had when they drew upon their power, only backwards. It was tugging out a wire, sinking in roots, threading a needle, one wind feeding a larger one. It was a precious, sacred release of power that had once belonged to the earth; it was giving back a gift. They each were struck with the idea that it was a thank-you, a debt paid to the earth. The process made each mage feel so grateful. The powers surged into the core of the earth. It glowed weakly, but then shone brightly, changing to a lighter and seemingly healthier hue.

 
Tris was starting to feel a little bit weak. Niko had been right; she knew that she was coming to her limit. Niko! a part of her cried. She was suddenly worried. What if she couldn't stop? How do I cut off contact? How? Quickly! Tell me!

Calm down, Tris, said Niko hurriedly. Just close your hands, and cut with your mind. Cut off the contact like you'd cut something with scissors. Niko, feeling himself be slightly drained, closed his hands. With his mind, he took magical scissors and severed his tie to the earth. His magical body sprang back after the release, as if he was a cord pulled taut and then let go.

Tris did the same, closing her hands. I release myself from you, Tris said in her mind. It was like breaking apart a stone. She pulled away from the earth's power. The tie gave, and she was pushed away as a result.

Soon, Briar and Sandry released as well. Daja was the last to do so, being the last to start. They each sprung back in turn as they released. Tris felt very weary, but not as much as Niko. She had noticed during the process that he'd fed more magic to the earth than any of them did at once. He had given off a huge amount of his power.

Tomorrow, we'll come back, he said. I expect the same good work from you tomorrow as you did today, so rest well tonight. Come along. He swished past them, golden fire burning, and headed to the same place where they had entered.

How long will we be doing this? Tris asked as they zipped through the earth up towards the surface.

As long as it takes to make the earth's core fill that entire space again, Niko replied. We won't have to do it all ourselves, though. As I said, there are other mages involved in this project. Also, the earth has its own methods of replenishing itself. The earth's magic and life-force feed off each other, like you know, so it's all not up to us human mages. But, yes, the earth's core must fill that entire space for it to be healthy once more.

 
Well, I hate to say it, but that could take years. I didn't see any change when we were in there, Sandry remarked. She sounded very sad.

Don't fret. You won't see a change until we go tomorrow. By then, the magics worked on it today will have been processed and read by the core, and the size will grow. You'll see. It looks much better than when I went yesterday, Niko remarked.

You're going to have to explain the core to me some, Daja commented. I don't think I really understand it.

No one really understands it, Daja. We are only human. But I will try and give you my best explanation once we reach the surface, and we're almost there, Niko promised.

Don't confuse us, begged Briar. He grinned at them.

With that, the five mages burst through the stone crack in the earth, now floating around the cottage. Each returned to their bodies, like stepping into clothes. Tris was the first to moan when she opened her eyes. She had good reason to.

By saying the spell earlier, Tris had magically sliced open her palms, as had the others. Their physical bodies had done the same, to physically bind the spell. The blood had dripped from their hands to pool into the cup, making a large puddle at the bottom. Tris's head began spinning as the slight pain of the wounds and the sight of her own blood hit her. The heat of the day wasn't helping.

"Steady her," the tall mage commanded as Sandry grabbed her friend's arm. Daja groaned as she clambered over to support Tris, holding her other side. Briar, on the other hand, repeatedly switched looking at the cuts on his hands to the very pale Tris.

Briar said sweetly, "You know, you get to do this tomorrow, too."

Tris growled at him and took the cup of water that Niko had fetched for her. She gulped it down feverishly. "You'll also have to explain that chant we did down there," she gasped after one long swallow. "Why did we cut our hands up here, too?"

Niko smiled. "The spell has four lines. The first one, 'I seal my spell with blood,' is the one that caused you to cut your hands up in this world. The second, 'I seal my spell with a part of me,' causes you to cut your hands in the magical sense. The third, 'I seal my spell with myself,' shows your will for the spell to occur, dedication. The fourth, 'I seal myself,' spells you against contracting anything from the open wound."

"I see," Tris said with a swallow, resisting the urge to hurl at her blood in the cup. "I guess I can't skip lines, can I?" she laughed jokingly.

"Never," said Niko sternly. "Now, about the core. The core is a very complex thing, I must admit, and no mage can fully comprehend it. But in simplest terms, the core is this. Each thing in this world - every single bit of nature - is represented by the core by one color. Each strip of color is made of two things. One is the life-force, what causes this world to exist; one is the magic, the part that makes it grow. There are elements also, such as the common-bond, something which keeps everything united, under control of the core. Another is the anti-magic, the part that lets it die when it's time is through. Those are not important right now, so I'll go on."

"I'm still confused," muttered Briar.

If Niko heard the comment, he ignored it. "The life-force is the one that feeds everything, and gives them the chance to exist. It is the primary 'thread,' shall I say, of each color-beam in the core. When it goes weak, the others try to feed it. They are wrapped around it. When the others go weak, the life-force feeds them. They are involved in a mutually healthy relationship. When both are healthy, they feed and lend one another's power, and their power multiplies, like you do in your daily exercises." Sandry grinned at the mention of threads. She knew she'd sensed them in the earth.

"Now, these days, the life-force is being robbed. Someone is pulling that one thread of power from all the others, and stealing it for their own uses. The life-force is unable to sustain the other magics, so they all dwindle down. That's why everything is so messed up. There is no unity, and there is no growth. Everything is abnormal. But, you all are doing your part. You give back the earth some of its own magic. Thus, the earth's magic is able to feed the life-force, which feeds all of the other things, which makes everything right again. Does that make sense?"

"Yes," said Sandry. "But some people - most people - don't have the earth's magic like we do. Their magic is different. They don't grow and create, like we do. How do they help?"

"Not everyone feeds into the earth's magic. Some feed into the other elements, like anti-magic or common-bond. After all, every person has all the elements the earth does. That's why our bodies work in unity; that's why we die. They're able to channel that magic to the earth instead. No one feeds directly into the life-force, though. That's too dangerous. The earth's life-force is too desperate, and it will drain all of your power off and kill you accidentally, simply out of wild desire." Sandry shivered and made the gods-circle on her chest. That would be a scary way to die, to have all your life drawn out of you.

"Why can't we give other stuff to the earth, 'sides our earth-magic? It would help more," Briar asked. Niko made a serious face at the younger male.

"If you do that, you'll end up like the earth. All you'll have will be your life-forces, basically, and you'll be off-balance without your magics and such. Then, the life-force will try and replace it, and so on and so forth. Everything in you will go awry, and we'll have to do the same to you as we're doing to the earth now. So don't even try it." Niko warned.

Briar nodded. "I won't!" he swore. He wouldn't be stupid now. This was too big to make mistakes about when people were counting on him. "But why do we give earth magic, when we could give other magic? It's because we're the some of only ones who got it, right?"

"Yes," Niko said.

"I thought so," Daja said. She thought a moment. "The core of the earth is kind of like the earth's brain, isn't it?"

"Like that, and many other things. It also makes things, stores things, and does all sorts of other things. For our purposes, that's all you need to know. Any questions?" The others shook their heads. Tris downed another glass of water.

"Fine," Niko stated. "Let's get Tris back to Discipline. If she has to pass out, better there than here."

"This is so undignified," she grumbled as her friends helped her stand. Leaning totally on them, Sandry and Daja helped her walk out of the door. Niko vanished the blood with a flip of his hands, dissolving the crimson fluid. He gathered the knives and bowls to be taken for cleansing, stuck them in an oiled bag, and exited, smiling as his wobbly student staggered to Discipline.

---

"You're really going to have to get used to it," chided Lark as she gave Tris another cup of soothing tea. "You can't go faint every time you see your own blood. You'll be seeing it a lot these next few weeks."

"I don't have to get used to it!" cried Tris weakly. "I don't want to get used to it!"

"You've seen blood before," Sandry asked, bandaging Daja's hand. "Why is this different?" She finished the bandage, smiling triumphantly.

"But this is my blood. It's different!" Tris protested. Sandry started to bandage her hands. This relieved Tris. Now she wouldn't have to look at the ugly red marks on her palms.

"Well, just don't look at it, then," Daja remarked. "And you'll be just fine."

"That's hard when there's a bucket of it looming in front of you," challenged Tris moodily. Sandry wrapped the bandage around Tris's right hand once more and secured it. Tris set down her tea, and Sandry started on the next hand.

"I'm sorry, merchant-girl. I'm just trying to help you!" sighed Daja.

Tris glanced at her. "I don't like blood. Nothing can change that." She muttered her thanks to Sandry after she was finished with her hands.

"Well," Lark said, "I'll just keep plenty of this tea on hand, then."

"Don't tease her," Briar chided mockingly as he entered the room from outside. He'd been fetching more water for tea. "She had a rough day today. She's seen a lot of gore." Briar grinned and set down the water.

Tris reached for something to throw at him. The first thing she grabbed was a spoon. She hurled it at him, missing his head by a foot. "Plug your mouth, pick-pocket!" she yelled furiously. Briar laughed and dodged the spoon, picking it up and setting it back at the edge of the table.

"Oh, stop it," Sandry scolded him. "Get over here. I need to wrap up your hands."

"I'm going soft," muttered Briar as he complied with her wishes. He watched as she wrapped up his hands. "I got to get myself patched up even after a little scratch. I'm living with a bunch of sissy girls. And the worst thing ever thrown at me is a spoon. Life's too easy."

Daja rolled her eyes at him. "Do you want me to throw knives at you, then? Will that be too soft for you?" she asked simply.

"No, I don't want knives thrown at me," Briar huffed.

Daja grinned and rubbed her palms. "I didn't think so."

Tris stretched, finished her tea. "Is it time to make the meal yet?" asked Tris, looking sleepy. The tea was working by calming her down.

"You'd better get to it. You and Daja have that duty tonight, I think," Lark said. Daja nodded and looked at Tris. "What should we make?"

"Something that isn't hot. I don't need more heat than there is," Rosethorn muttered as she staggered in the door. Briar greeted her with a smile and a nod.

"Any suggestions?" Briar asked her.

"Cold sliced meat on bread. We can make sandwiches. They're quick, easy, and not too unhealthy," Rosethorn said. "Plus, it's food. I need some. I'm starving."

"You sound tired, too. What have you been doing today?" Sandry asked.

"I've been in Crane's greenhouse," she grumbled. "He asked me to try and freshen his plants up some with that plant food."

"And you actually did it?" Daja probed, her mouth hanging open in shock. "But you and Crane never work together by choice..."

Rosethorn glowered at them all. "I could care less about Crane. I did it for the plants, not for him. I'm not letting his plants die. Get that much straight."

"Oh," remarked Tris quietly. She turned to Daja. "Let's go to Gorse and get dinner. We'll be back." They made a hasty getaway - Rosethorn was in a particularly unhappy mood, not that Tris had been any better five minutes ago.

Lark smiled at Rosethorn. "Tea, my dear?" she asked.

---

After dinner and clean-up, the four headed to the roof to cool off. The stars were brighter than they'd been earlier that week, so maybe the haze was wearing off. The sky was cloudless and beautiful, the full moon glimmering peacefully. Sandry braided her hair, while Daja stood, gripping the chimney, looking out to sea and smelling the salt. Tris was looking at constellations, while Briar snoozed lazily.

"If he's so tired, he might as well go to bed," murmured Daja.

"We all ought to go to bed. We did really good work today, and we'll be drained in the morning without some extra sleep," Sandry reasoned.

"Then why aren't you in bed?" Tris asked.

"Because it's a pretty night. Because I'm too awake to go to bed. Because I don't want to waste my life sleeping. Because I like staying up here and talking," Sandry answered.

"Well, Briar would probably not agree to the last three," Daja said, "but I think he likes the night also. He just wouldn't admit he likes the view up here. He doesn't want anyone thinking he's gone soft.'"

Tris chuckled. "He wants to be like a man, I bet," she laughed with a bit of scorn.

"In my mind, he's the same little boy that came to us so many years ago. He's still a sneak and a thief, and he's still spunky and rough, like he just came out of jail. He'll never lose the street," Sandry argued promptly.

"I said he wants to be. That doesn't mean he is," responded Tris. He looks more like one, she added.

A voice called from downstairs. "Sandry, you have a visitor." The speaker was Rosie.

Sandry blinked. For me, and only me? I didn't see anyone walking by! But, then again, was
I even looking? she thought.

"Who is it?" she called down.

"Come and see," Rosethorn snapped. Sandry sighed and slid on her bottom to the ladder, where she disappeared down back into the house.

"Wonder who it is," Daja muttered.

"Quiet. I can hear things downstairs on the wind, don't you remember?" Tris said. "Let me concentrate." She grabbed a nearby tuft of air and unrolled it to flow from the kitchen up the stairs right to her ears. She could hear everything in the kitchen perfectly. She only hoped that Sandry wouldn't see the glimmer of magic on the breeze, but that wasn't likely, since magic didn't catch anyone's eye in the spelled kitchen, with its already magicked herbs and symbols for health and purity. To see the silver glimmers was normal, and Sandry probably wouldn't notice it.

Daja silenced as Tris heard Sandry slip down the stairs and into the kitchen. Tris heard her gasp slightly. Tris wished she could slip into Sandry's head and see from her eyes, but Sandry would sense it, and she wouldn't like it.

"Raeldro!" Sandry exclaimed downstairs. "What a pleasant surprise!" Tris bristled. Despite everything, she still didn't like the man. She heard skirts sweeping; Sandry was probably dipping into that elegant curtsy of hers.

Down in the kitchen, Raeldro smiled at Sandry. "How are you?" he asked her with his monotonous voice.

"I'm doing well. Thank you," Sandry answered. She knew any minute, her face would flush a shade of pink in excitement. That was going to be embarrassing, and she considered running off to hide to avoid it, but Raeldro had a request for her.

"Would you join me for a brief walk?" he asked her quietly. "Do you mind?" he added to Rosethorn.

"I'm not her nanny. She can do whatever she wants," Rosethorn stated acidly. She stalked off sulkily to bottle some herbs. That left Sandry and Raeldro alone, since Lark had retired to bed early.

"I'd be more than happy to oblige you," Sandry said with a smile, her manners courteous, hardly betraying her caged excitement. Raeldro nodded to her, and they exited.

Tris stopped listening on the wind. She let the breeze go free to sail into the sky. "I have to see where they're going," said Tris hurriedly, crawling over the thatched roof to peer over the edge.

"Who?" Daja asked. Quickly, Tris explained the conversation. Daja hadn't heard the conversation. Though she had previously been able to hear voices on the wind, that was before Sandry separated their magics. Now, she wasn't able to, though she still could do some things her friends could do.

Daja grinned happily when Tris was done. "Well," she said, seating herself beside Tris on the edge of the roof. "So perhaps the Kin of the Earth has singled out our Lady." She smiled slightly.

"Why are you happy?" Tris hissed. "I don't like that man."

"Why not? He never did anything to you," Daja stated.

"Well, I just don't like strangers in general, even, and Raeldro's no different. He's too powerful. He makes me nervous," Tris admitted. "It makes me shiver to think about the power he's got."

Daja sighed. "Our Niko sees everything, and he'd see Raeldro messing with the power of the earth, if he was doing so."

"I know. I just..." Tris hesitated.

"Look, there they are! I see them," Daja interrupted. "They're at the gate."

"Who?" said a sleepy voice. The voice belonged to Briar.

"Go to bed, Briar. You look worn out," Daja ordered.

"Who's going where?" he said tiredly, ignoring her. "And where's Sandry gone to?"

"Look," Daja said simply, pointing to the two figures walking in the distance.

"It's Sandry," Briar realized. "And is that man Raeldro Earthkin?" He now sounded perfectly awake.

"Sure is. He came to visit her and take a walk with her," Daja said. She couldn't hold back a smirk.

"Good for her," said Briar, though his voice was slurred with tiredness. Tris grunted her disapproval, while Briar and Daja gave her sideways glances.

"What's your problem?" Daja cried, exasperated. "Maybe you don't like Raeldro Earthkin, but Sandry does. Can't you be at least happy that she got what she wanted? She got his attention. It's all she's been thinking about for the last few weeks. She's surely thrilled, and you can't even feel slightly happy for her!"

Tris looked down. "I won't be happy for her. I can't. But I'm not going to show any disapproval," Tris compromised. "How's that?"

"Fair enough," Daja said with a frown.

Briar groaned. "You sniffers can spy and girl-gab all you want. But I don't want to, and I'm going to bed!" He hopped down the ladder, leaving Tris and Daja to spy alone.

---

Sandry and Raeldro were making polite conversation. More and more, Sandry was wondering if there was a specific reason that he had asked her to walk. However, soon enough, Sandry didn't care if there was a reason after all. All in all, she was walking with Raeldro Earthkin, and wasn't that what mattered?

They walked in the dark, their path lit by the stone that Sandry had hanging around her neck. It was the same stone that her friends had given her years ago the aid in her fear of the dark. She smiled as he nodded and spoke in a serene voice, telling her a story about some adventure he'd had on the way to Winding Circle; she laughed along and told him stories about her friends, mentioning the story of the light-globe and her thankfulness to them.

Raeldro was very interested. "You speak very highly of your friends," he murmured. "They must be very important to you."

"They are," Sandry said with a smile. "They're so close to me, sometimes I wonder if we all aren't one person. I can see myself in all of them, like they see themselves in me. It's very confusing, I must admit, but I'm so grateful for them. I don't know where I'd be without them."

"You're very lucky to have them," he said quietly. He looked forlorn. "I have no one to thank for anything. No one has ever done anything for me." He shook his head.

"Does that have something to do with why I'm out here?" Sandry said in a voice equally as soft. She had a feeling where this was headed, and that feeling sent a shiver up her spine all the way to her face, where it bloomed in a pinkish blush.

Raeldro's face did not change. "Yes."

Sandry grinned. "If you're looking for a friend, I'll be here for you. I'll look at you as a person, not as anything more or less," she promised.

Raeldro smiled at her, a small speck of life in his eyes. "I'll do the same for you. Thank you, Sandry."

The rest of the walk was much more natural. The conversation was not strange and quiet; it was now loose, easygoing, relaxed. Sandry discovered many, many things about Raeldro's past, but more importantly, she learned about his personality.

Raeldro was a strange sort of man, she came to realize. Though she didn't know the full extent of his past, it seemed that his past was humble, while his present was not. He did not seem happy, or terribly grateful for his ability; he felt a bit as though he had been chosen.

Sandry liked his sense of humor. He had that sense of humor that was sarcastic and witty like Tris's, but Raeldro's was also more sly and flirty. Sandry didn't dare think his flirting comments were meant to be taken seriously, but she really wondered when Raeldro winked at her.

All in all, Sandry realized, Raeldro was a man. He was a mage, too, but he was very human. He felt love and pain and envy and loss as would any other person would. He wasn't any different, really, except for all the power he possessed. Sandry looked beyond that and saw a man who was quiet, fun, and interesting - and she loved him.

Three hours of playing and laughing had passed before it occurred to Sandry that the others might be worried about her. Little did she know that Tris and Daja were peering into the darkness from Tris's bedroom window, searching for them in the night, panic evident on their faces.

"I do hope you will enjoy me again. I enjoyed myself," said Raeldro with a sideways glance as they walked in the dark towards Discipline cottage.

"As did I," Sandry replied.

"Thank you for coming," said Raeldro.

"There's no need to thank me," Sandry said with a smile. She took his hand in hers. She was slightly trembling. "I'd have done it sooner, had you asked." She paused briefly. "Why did you ask me as opposed to my friends, anyways?"

Raeldro glanced at her slyly, his hazel eyes piercing through the dark. "I had a feeling about you, Sandry. A premonition, shall I call it, came to me. I dreamt that great things would come to me as a result of your affection."

"Affection?" Sandry asked. She touched his arm, and they both paused. Has he realized? Does he know that he makes my heart flutter whenever he walks by? Does he suspect? she asked herself in a worried rush.

"Affection, yes," Raeldro said softly. His voice dropped to the quietest whisper, and he drew close to her ear so she might hear him. "I see great things for you and me, Sandry," he cooed. "Many great things."

Her eyes were wide as he kissed her cheek right by the ear where he'd been talking into. "We've arrived at Discipline. Time to go home. Sweet dreams, Sandry," he said, letting go of her hand.

"Good night, Raeldro," she told him, her face flushed. She pushed through the gate, ignoring the loud banging noise it made as it slammed closed. She kept glancing back at him, her eyes only finding his own in the dark, nothing else. Sandry slipped into the door quietly, and she was gone from Raeldro's sight.

As soon as the door closed, Sandry leaned against it, her back to the wood. She was sighing heavily when two pairs of feet stumbled down the stairs in a mad run to reach her. Daja and Tris were thrown into relief by the light that glimmered from Sandry's stone.

"Where have you been?" hissed Daja in a soft voice.

"Shush, you're being much too loud!" growled Tris. "You'll wake Briar and the dedicates," she added. "But do you realize how long it's been? I thought he'd kidnapped you!"

"You're too distrusting of him, Tris," chided Sandry. "He's a wonderful man, an absolutely wonderful man."

"We never should have let her go," mumbled Daja. "It's nearly midnight, and you're babbling because you're so exhausted. Go to bed."

"No!" Sandry protested. "I'm glad I went. I learned so much about him, Daja. He's so ... well, he's human, Daja, a real human. He isn't a god, and he's not a prophet. He's still a man, only he's got a good amount of power. And he's a good man, too, one who's quiet and gentle and beautiful in heart... and body, too." She was rambling out of excitement.

"Is there a moral to be learned here?" grumbled Tris.

"Yes! You have to understand that we can't be wary of him any more, and that means you, Tris. He's not a bad person, and he isn't going to turn on us. He's in the same fix we're all in. He might die, just like we all might. We have to help him, and he's going to need our help, because we've all got to work together to fix this! Don't you understand? He needs us. He's just one small person with a job much too large, and we can't let him take this job alone!" Sandry gasped.

"Is that what you want, Sandry? For us to try and trust him, to try and understand him?" Daja asked. "Is that what it's about?"

"Exactly," Sandry sighed.

"What a moving speech," said a voice sarcastically. "Now, can you girls stop your chatter and let me get some winks? You're louder than any geese I've ever heard, but just as annoying."

"Briar," snapped Daja, whirling on the boy. He stood in his doorway, leaning against the frame, his eyes glittering wickedly in the shine of Sandry's light. He clutched a large sheet around him.

Daja commanded him to not sneak up on them ever again. Briar smiled evilly and wrapped his sheet around him more tightly. "It's getting colder again, just like it was thought to be," he muttered.

"You shut it, or you'll wake up Rosethorn," Tris growled. "And she won't be pleased with us, so you better not rouse her!"

"Too late," grunted someone from the end of the room. Sandry shrieked and ducked behind Daja as Rosethorn entered the room. "I'm awake now. What are you all doing up?"

"Sandry just got back," Daja said. "We were waiting for her. We went to bed about an hour after she left, but then Tris woke me up an hour later and said that Sandry wasn't back, so we waited in her room and watched for her to come back. We were worried that ... well, we didn't know what had possibly happened, but we were sure it was something."

"Kidnapped. I thought she'd been kidnapped," Tris added, looking fearful of Rosethorn's wrath.

"And then these bleaters started talking and woke me up!" Briar complained, huddling in his sheets. "Can we close the windows? It's freezing."

"It isn't that cold," Sandry protested, but a shivering Rosethorn was already at it, and Briar was right behind her.

You're just being so... so light-headed over Raeldro that you aren't thinking straight. Close these windows with me, and then go to bed. I can see that you're sleepy, Daja advised. Sandry nodded and obeyed, having lofty daydreams about Raeldro.

---

The next day during their visit to the earth's core, they found it to be significantly larger than the day before. All were excited and even more encouraged to work hard in their magic-workings that day.

Niko was pleased even more so that day than the previous one, and he promptly gave them the next day off for him to discuss something with Moonstream. Sandry immediately had a solution.

"What if we had another trustworthy supervisor?" she asked Niko as he escorted them back to Discipline. They all shivered. The day was getting cold. It was amazing to think that yesterday they had all been sweating.

"Do you have someone in mind?" Niko replied with a raised eyebrow. He folded his arms in for warmth.

Sandry grinned up at him. "What about Raeldro Earthkin?"

Tris could have strangled her. Despite all that Sandry had said, about how nice and sweet he was, she wouldn't believe it unless she saw it herself. And until that happened, she didn't like Raeldro any more. Daja was so shocked at Sandry that she stopped in her tracks. Briar understood immediately her intentions. He was no fool.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible. He will be talking with me to Moonstream as well," Niko stated, observing the young mages' odd actions.

"What do you talk about at such meetings anyway?" Tris asked, glaring at Sandry, though she addressed Niko.

"Well, if there are any leads on the culprit, primarily. If any mage finds information on this circumstance in a book, since there are hundreds of researchers on the job, he or she tells
us. So far, there has been nothing. Apparently this is the first time something like this has happened," Niko said.

"Maybe the last," said Briar with a gulp.

"Nonsense. We'll get through, you'll see," Niko told them.

"We will? Have you seen the future?" Sandry said with a gasp.

"I have seen many, many potential futures, Sandry," Niko explained. "I discuss those with Moonstream, too. But they are only potential. Only one will triumph, and that one could be the bleakest of them all."

The group each made their own motions for good luck and protection, chattering as they did so. Niko continued walking with them as he spoke. "So, I'm afraid you'll have to amuse yourselves tomorrow," he said. He grinned crookedly. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all!" Daja said, opening the gate to the house. "Have fun at your meeting tomorrow,
Niko."

"As always, I will," he said grimly, half-sighing.

The rest bid farewell. The moment they burst through the door, Daja and Tris started to bomb Sandry with questions.

"Why did you do that?" snapped Tris after slamming the door closed. "You had no right! It's a group decision, and we didn't ever decide to do that!"

"Raeldro, lead us?" Daja asked. "I don't understand why! I know you want a break, too, so what're you pushing for?"

"I don't even like him," exclaimed Tris, "and you invite him to lead us to the core of the earth! I don't trust him!"

"I see," said Briar quietly, and the house fell still.

"What do you see?" Daja asked. "Tell me!" She sounded anxious.

Briar put an arm around Daja. "You and I both know, Daja, that Sandry's got a little affection for a certain someone," he said softly. "Naturally, she wants to see him whenever she can. So..."

"...You invited him to lead our little journey," said Tris, finishing Briar's statement. "Just because you have a little affection for him?"

"They say love makes you do crazy things," Briar argued with a shrug.

Tris stormed up the stairs to her room. "I don't like him!" she cried, pushing her door closed behind her. It boomed shut. Sandry was stunned downstairs.

"I ... I'm sorry. I was being selfish." She sniffled apologetically, glancing to the staircase.

"Don't worry about her," said Daja with a sigh. "That's just Tris being herself. You made her a little nervous, that's all."

"She's right, though. I didn't have any right," Sandry said. "I just..."

Briar assured her, "You usually know what you're doing when you make decisions for all of us, only this time, Tris isn't agreeing with the rest of us. That's not your fault!"

Sandry sighed. "I won't do it again, though, to be safe."

A few seconds later, a clunking noise came from the stairway. Tris appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking ashamed. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," she grumbled. "Just, next time, could you please ask us before you do things like that?" she added.

"I'll ask you first, from now on," Sandry swore. Tris smiled gratefully.

"Now that that's settled, who's making the meal?" Briar asked. "I'm hungry."

"We are," said Daja, motioning to herself and Briar. Briar groaned his disapproval.

"Why is it that whenever I have to cook, it's always with you? You never like how I cook!" he grumbled. "It isn't my fault that I'm not a great chef. I just eat the food, not make it."

"You'll have to learn how to cook if you want to survive," Sandry said logically.

"I can cook!" protested Briar. "Just not to her satisfaction!" he argued, pointing at Daja. Daja laughed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll give you an easy job, then," she said, picking up a loaf of bread from the counter. She tossed it to Briar. "Cut the bread. Can you handle that?" The girls laughed, while he scowled.

"I can cut the bread, and I can cut your throat, too," he muttered.

---

The next day, the quartet began their chores. The day was hot again, in contrast to the day before. The weather changes had meant trouble for the garden outside of Discipline. Many warm-weather plants had been planted for the hot weather. But with the cold front the previous day, many of the plants looked very ill. Rosie didn't think they could be saved. Daja's metal felt stronger to her, at least. She considered using her afternoon to make a new metal cap for her staff. Tris couldn't predict any weather patterns, which made her cranky. The uneasiness in the air made her uneasy. Sandry's weaving was going better, but it still wasn't as good as it should be.

They were all miserable, especially one redheaded mage.

Tris picked up the rag and thrust it into the bucket, soaking up the soapy water. Falling to her hands and knees, she began to vigorously scrub the floor with the wet mop. She sighed. Floor-scrubbing was certainly her least favorite chore! She despised crawling around on her hands and knees like an animal, with her skirts getting damp and her glasses repeatedly falling off. She wished someone else had this job as opposed to her.

At least she had Briar to chat with as he dusted. There was, however, the fact that he wasn't doing most of the talking. He merely nodded to her or spoke a simple, rough sentence when asked a question. His mind was elsewhere.

What Tris didn't know was that Briar was not trying to ignore her or the like. He had been thinking about love, contrary to his earlier denial of the matter. He had been thinking of Sandry running through the yard, gabbing in her way about Raeldro. In a way, it made him sort of jealous. It wasn't because he felt any sort of feelings for Sandry. But he wondered if any right-minded girl would really feel something for him.

I'm not right-minded. How should I expect a girl to love me and be so? he thought.

Thinking about love made him think about girls. Sandry was beautiful, but she was a bit of a brat, and he knew that Sandry was far too civilized for his liking. On the other hand, Daja might as well have been a boy. She was one of the few girls he knew in Winding Circle that wore pants and could fight like him. Briar knew that he could never feel softly for a girl who wasn't soft herself.

Aside from the fact that they didn't qualify, these girls had always been like family. They were his best friends, housemates, fellow mages. He simply couldn't see them like that.

Tris, then, was the next he thought of. She's mean. She's meaner than I am. And she's no great beauty. But there was the fact that Tris saw some things just like he did. Tris could understand very well a childhood lacking in paternal love. Tris wasn't afraid to say what she felt. And, though she seemed as hard as a seashell, she knew him and the other girls, and she valued them so much. Perhaps it was because she was so afraid to lose them and have no one again.

She's just Tris, Briar thought with an internal smile, laughingly. She's my sister, too. And yet, he thought about how she had taught him to read, how she had defended them all from the pirates, how sometimes she would let herself show a little. Briar thought suddenly that he would be afraid to lose her, too.

Accidentally, due to the fact that he was oblivious to his dusting, Briar dropped his dusting cloth. He bent over to pick it up, and yelped as he banged his head on Tris's own.

She, in her gloomy thoughts about the antisocial Briar Moss, had not been paying attention and had crawled right into Briar's head while she mopped. She gasped as her skull contacted his.

She rocked back, sitting on her feet. She set down the rag with a wet plopping sound to the floor and rubbed her head.

"Sorry," said Briar with a sincere and apologetic voice. "Didn't see you."

Tris nodded in agreement while simultaneously accepting his apology. She then felt her face go red with embarrassment. She had made quite a fool of herself! She was angry at him and yet frustrated.

Tris, hoping Briar hadn't seen her blush, picked up her cloth and continued to scourge the floor. She pretended it had never happened, and wiped her forehead.

Briar, fortunately for his female companion, had not noticed her antics. He carefully bent over to retrieve his kerchief, which he had failed to pick up on the first attempt. Once he had it, he fingered the fabric a moment. It was quite tough, worn. He wondered if it might fall apart, the threads all scattered; he imagined Tris picking up the pieces. This amused him. He then smiled faintly and proceeded with his duty, silent as the dead of night, his thoughts not on his work at all.

He glanced off into the distance, pondering something as he worked.

Tris glanced up a moment at Briar. There he was, standing, looking very tall, his eyes fixed on something outside the window. His green eyes shone, and a small smile played across his face as he thought of something.

Tris's heart jumped a moment. Watching him standing there with the sun glistening all over him, Tris couldn't help but to smile. He had grown much more handsome than any of the young men at Growing Circle.

A slight humming sound approached the cottage. In the doorway appeared a rather mussed Sandry and a grinning Daja, the former being the one making the musical noise. Sandry was the one to notice something unusual in the room.

For once, Briar was very quiet. That in itself was a rarity. Even more so was the fact that he was wearing an especially thoughtful look on his face, as if he were in another world. Tris held a slight blush on her face in addition to Briar's strange behavior. A blush? thought Sandry, puzzled. The unaffected Tris? It was another once-in-a-lifetime moment. She began to wonder about the events of the past few moments that had caused such uncharacteristic behaviors in her friends.

However, she looked up to see Tris blinking at her, and she decided that she ought to ponder such questions later. Now was certainly not the time, when people were staring at her so.

"Yes? Coming in?" Tris asked Sandry. Tris was half-bent over her bucket, the rag in one hand.

"No. I don't want to muss up your pretty clean floor," Sandry said cheerfully.

Tris rolled her eyes. "Ha ha. Don't you have a job to do, too, rather than make fun of the fact that I was assigned the worst job?"

"I'm breaking for a moment. And, contrary to what you might believe, Tris, fetching food from Dedicate Gorse is a job that requires effort. Do you know how heavy that meat is? If I didn't rest, I'd be fainting in this heat." Tris grunted something about spoiled noble girls who didn't know what real work was. Sandry missed the comment.

"And are you so tired, too, Daja?" asked Tris aloud.

Daja growled, "You try sitting in that latrine house, which is stuffy and hot, scrubbing gods-know-what of the floor." Tris shuddered.

Perhaps there were benefits from mopping. She thought, It doesn't smell in here. It's not that hot, either. This place smells like honey and herbs and cool breeze. Besides all that, Briar's here. She paused in her thoughts. I wish he were talking. Again, she grew frustrated.

"Well, can I pass anything out since you aren't coming in?" Tris asked the girls.

"No; we were just coming to visit on the way to the water well," explained Daja.

"You want water, eh?" Tris snickered. "I'll give you water!" Tris flicked water droplets from her wet fingers onto her friends. Taken aback, Sandry squealed, while Daja gasped in mock horror. Then, Daja chuckled, her voice low, and Sandry followed suit, her laughter more like high bells.

Daja peered around Tris to watch Briar. He was staring aimlessly out of the window, not even rubbing the glass bottle with his fabric. He just stood and looked off into the distance. He hadn't made a sound the entire time the girls had walked in.

Daja waved at him and snickered. Briar still didn't move. "You there, statue? Liven up a little!" teased Daja. She expected a quick retort or a growl with thief-curses alongside it, or at least a glare, but Briar was still quiet and motionless. Only when Briar could feel six eyes boring into him as they stared hard for long moments did he blink, turn his head, and ask in a puzzled voice, "Huh?"

The girls suddenly surrendered to cries of laughter. Now assorted swear words were directed to them as they roared.

Daja, streaming eyes and all, exited the room, Sandry right behind her. "Briar's gone soft and silent," Daja giggled.

"Or he's insane," Sandry added. "He's so quiet and peaceful-looking. He acts like a lovesick teenager." Sandry froze, about to ask a silly question. But she supposed she ought to not put her foot in anymore and kept mum.

---

Given a chance at free time before midday, the four decided that they might take a walk through the grounds of Winding Circle. The roof could wait to be re-thatched.

Strolling through little groves of trees and streams, they couldn't have been more content. Daja walked with her valued staff, digging a small, shallow hole into the ground when the end touched the earth. Briar shuffled around, peeking at sick plants and shuddering with discomfort. He kept attempting to squeeze out of his shoes, but Sandry insisted it wasn't proper now that they were near adults. Sandry was giggling and whispering to Daja, while Tris made faces at them for discussing their love interests. She didn't have the time for that, did she? Briar snapped at them repeatedly to stop the "girl-gab."

As if on cue, a swooping dark red cape fluttered by. Sandry turned immediately, calling out the name of the figure. Raeldro swerved back to see her. His blood-red outfit brought out the reds and hazels in his eyes while clashing with his creamy light skin. She thought he looked exotic, heavenly, fantastic.

"Good day, Sandry," Raeldro said. "It's nice to see all of you, actually. Niko tells me you've been doing very well. Would you care to join me for a walk tonight, Sandry?"

"Of course! I'd love to go!" Sandry replied. Raeldro smiled and he swung away from them with a wink.

"Until then, my lady," he murmured. With that, he was walking hurriedly to the Hub.

All three sets of eyes turned to a pink-faced Sandry. "Friends, eh?" Tris challenged. "He likes you, Sandry."

"Nothing of the sort!" protested Sandry. She buried her face in her hands. "I didn't expect this ..." she told her palms. "This is so sudden..."

"You weren't expecting him to like you back, were you?" Daja asked. "You didn't think you were going to actually have to take action on this, right?"

"I didn't expect this!" she repeated, pulling her hands from her face and wailing as they walked. "I like Raeldro, I really do, but I was just getting to the point where I was getting over him, like Daja said I ought to do, and then he has to start being so dratted nice..."

"You asked for it," warned Tris.

"I did, didn't I?" cried Sandry. "I wanted this!"

Briar rolled his eyes at her. "And now you have it. What's the big deal?"

Sandry looked like she might explode with exasperation. "It's confusing! First, I can't get him off my head. Now, I'm trying to forget it, and he's coming after me now! What do I do?"

The others stared at her blankly. "I don't have an answer for you. Don't you have decide for yourself?" Daja asked.

Sandry sighed. "That's what I was afraid of."

Tris groaned. "Well, make your decision later. Right now, I'm trying to enjoy the nice day," Tris told her friend.

"She's right, you know," Briar said. "It's a beautiful day." The four gazed up. The sun shone brightly, making it overly warm, but that was alright. After all, they were all together. That was what they really needed to make it a beautiful day.

Daja's staff thudded as they walked, striking as the Hub clock drummed. She heard metals clinking in the background at some of the smith shops, the sound in tune with the many others. It was music to her ears. Sandry closed her eyes as she walked, letting a cool breeze wash over her face and through her loose hair. Tris gazed in admiration at the sky, peering at the clouds that swarmed across the expanse of bright, clear blue. The sight was one to behold.

Tris bumped into Briar as she walked, paying little attention to anything else. She hardly noticed, but Briar was shoved out of the way by her shoulder. Playfully, he pushed her back. She whirled on him. "What was that for?!" she gasped, looking angry.

"You bumped into me," Briar said.

"Well, excuse me," huffed Tris, narrowing her gray eyes at him. "But it was an accident. That's no reason to go touching me when I'm trying to look at the clouds."

"Don't like being touched, Coppercurls?" Briar asked, laying a hand on her shoulder.

She shrugged him off. "No," she snapped.

He grinned at her and grabbed at her waist with two hands. For a moment, she was shocked, perhaps excited. "Briar!" she cried. "Excuse you!" The emotion changed when he began to tickle her mercilessly.

Tris laughed against her will as his hands traveled up and down her sides. Sandry and Daja were laughing as well, and she thought she heard Daja say, "That's cruel of you, Briar."

Briar, stop! Really! Tris thought to him alone.

Try to stop me. She could sense the laughter in the voice of his mind. Did he sound a bit flirtatious to her? It was impossible. The look on his face was one of sweet satisfaction, like a child who has won a game of hide-and-seek. He was certainly not flirting.

Really, Briar! I want you to stop! Of course, her laughing cheeks betrayed her thoughts to him.

Oh, you don't really mean that, he replied. For a brief moment, she felt as though he had read her mind; perhaps she didn't want him to stop.

Perhaps she didn't mind his hands around her waist.

The thought infuriated her; she was not angry with him, only with herself for thinking in such a way about him. Why was she thinking this way? A part of her blamed him; if he hadn't gotten so attractive, she never would have looked at him with a degree of admiration and exhilaration.

Her frustration surfaced violently. The laughter stopped like a storm rushing upon the scene. He felt her fingers pry his away with strength unknown to him. His hands were off her before he knew what was happening. She shoved him back furiously. "Cut it out!"

"Sorry," he shot back in an exasperated tone, thrown off by her attitude towards him. Sandry and Daja eyed each other once before continuing with their walk in a normal fashion.

Mopping must have been miserable, thought Daja to Sandry.

---

In the men's baths, alone, Briar remembered the days of his past, when he did not bathe. He was disgusted with the thought of it, now; he scrubbed his arms with unusual ferocity, trying to peel off the layer of dust that had formed there after chores.

Yes, things had changed in three years. The girls were different in more than appearance. Now he was not living with other children; he was living with women, women who were sexually and emotionally developed. Hormones had begun to work their own magic. Daja had been kissing Kirel in the smith shop, and Sandry had developed her whimsical fancy for Raeldro Earthkin.

He didn't mind this. He had to listen to their chatter a bit more because of it, but he had learned to tune them out whenever he heard the words "love" come out of their mouths. Briar did wonder, though, how it would fit into their lives. For as long as he could remember, he had been the only male equal that the girls had known. What would happen to his position in their lives if those romances escalated? What would things have been like if Kirel and Daja had continued their romance? What if Raeldro became a permanent part of Sandry's life? Would he take backseat?

He did not think so, or he liked not to think so. After all, he would be sure to not let them wander too far from his protection; he wanted to be close enough so that he could defend the girls against unworthy men if need be. Briar knew that he had made a definite place in the lives of Sandry and Daja; other men would be temporary, but he would always be there.

It comforted him to think that at least Tris wasn't falling in love with anyone, not to his knowledge. That was one less voice to hear chattering at night about love.

---

Daja was in her room, cleaning her suraku as she often did. As she polished the brass straps, she saw her reflection in them and grinned her flashing white teeth at herself. The colors made her eyes look as hazel as Raeldro's own.

Daja's thoughts floated to Sandry. Daja had been thinking often about what Sandry had said at the well. Sandry, Sandry, dear saati, moaned Daja to herself. There was nothing wrong with romance; but Sandry, in Daja's opinion, was far too devoted to the man. No 18-year-old should ever be that obsessed with a man.

What are you getting yourself into? she thought to herself. You have fallen into a romance with Raeldro Earthkin, which isn't that surprising since he is such an admirable character. But I believe you've already come to push the limit between a little, innocent romance and a large, out-of-control fling, and I'm not sure where it will take you next. Oh, gods, be careful in your meddling, Sandry, saati. I hope you're going to be able to contain this yourself, because I just can't do it for you!

 
What scared Daja the most about Sandry's playful crush on Raeldro was the fact that her infatuation was getting to a point where the sense was being knocked out of her. She had noted the misty look in her eyes when Sandry had said that maybe she would follow Raeldro around the world. Later, it had made Daja feel better that she'd taken it back, but she couldn't stop herself from being uneasy.

Like Sandry had said, Raeldro was only a man, one man. Nobody could leave a place, a home, that he or she loved, for one simple man, no matter how gorgeous his eyes were.

But at once Daja wondered if she would leave Winding Circle for someone if she was forced to make that decision - could she? She thought of how she had been attracted to Kirel. Had he asked her, then, to leave Winding Circle, would she have gone? It was tempting. Kirel and Raeldro were both simply men, but they threatened Winding Circle's greatest mages.

Daja asked herself, Could I leave my home for a person? She could make herself a new home if the situation arose, but would it ever be the same? No, never.

Would she be willing to lose a part of her - the one place she'd ever belonged - in order to get back another part, the love of a human being? How could she make a choice like that? But if turning Kirel down meant she could lose him, then what might she say to the proposal? After all, Winding Circle was only a place. And, yet, at the same time, Kirel was only a man

And as simple as they both were, Daja loved them both. They meant so much more to her than a human and a place. They were the essence of her being, the fruit of her happiness.

She could never chose between two of the things she loved the most. She would never allow herself to lose either of them, especially to one another. And Daja hoped with a strange knot of despair in her stomach that she would never be placed in a situation where a choice like that was given to her. She would spend an eternity delaying her response.

But Sandry had spent half a blink in making her decision. How could she have said, "Maybe," with that misty look in her eyes when Daja had asked her? How had she said the word with such certainty?

Daja shook her head, letting water droplets fly. This was certainly out of hand!

And she then thought of Kirel, briefly, as she packaged the bottles neatly inside her survival kit. She thought of his kiss, and his taste. A part of her missed that experience with Kirel. But a kiss meant nothing, and it did not necessarily mean anything more than physical attraction. At times, she wondered if romance at age 18 was simply a game of curiosity being created and fulfilled in a cycle that meant little more than nothing. Daja wondered if there could have been anything between herself and Kirel.

As previously stated, she did not think on it long. There was no more door-making in Hajra, no more short kisses by the anvil with the bellows in her hands. There was not time for romance.

---

Tris sat in her special spot, the wooded area, tracing her fingers over the glass on the ground. She had a book, too, but it was open, unread. The words meant little while thoughts ran through her head like jackrabbits.

Her mind was wandering to and fro. First she kept thinking about Sandry and Raeldro. As much as she thought that he had to be good if he had Sandry's approval, Tris did not like Raeldro. She tried to convince herself that it was just her uneasiness at strangers, but something more tingled inside her.

Something flooded her. It was an idea, an inkling. She wasn't... jealous of Raeldro, was she? Nonsense! I am not jealous of him, she told herself. I am not jealous of the fact that Sandry thinks about him so much! I'm not jealous of the fact that she loves him...

And then it hit her. She was a little bit jealous, wasn't she? After all, all that Sandry talked about was Raeldro. She loved him, or so she claimed. She giggled over him, tried to include him in her life all the time. Didn't it hurt a little that her attention was away from their circle of friends?

Tris wasn't jealous of Kirel and Daja's kiss in Hajra. Perhaps it was because Daja showed little attachment to the events of the past, wanting to put them behind her. Tris only knew one thing: Kirel did not invade her life. Raeldro did.

While romance had bloomed with her two female friends, there was something else in Tris's mind that bloomed, too. She was certainly finding herself feeling warm and fuzzy inside when it came to a dark-haired plant mage. She certainly remember previously while mopping inside a little flutter that came inside her heart while she was with him. She felt somewhat weak to think on him. How could Tris be attracted to Briar? Dare she think it?

If the man in question were someone else, it would have been different. Romance with Briar was awkward. As much as she realized that Daja and Sandry were familiar with love, she knew that loving Briar was probably very strange to them. Daja and Sandry saw Briar as their brother. They all see each other as family. How could Tris destroy that  and do such a thing? She knew that Sandry and Daja might think it to be almost weird to be attracted to Briar, a person whom they'd all always viewed as one of the family.

He is like my brother, too! It's not my damned fault that he turned so beautiful on me in three short years. She dismissed the thought. There was a difference between being attracted to Briar and being in love with Briar. No, she was not in love. She did not think that any of them were in love at such an age. Briar would develop into a gorgeous young man with a sculpture-like body, as he already was doing, but some things were going to remain the same. He would always be a thief, laughing and easygoing in nature, fearless and shameless. She didn't love that.  

---

The girls all gathered for the next meal, meeting Lark outside of her dormitories; she smiled, wearing one of her many green habits. "Don't you ever get sick of those?" Sandry asked, pulling on a sleeve of the outfit.

Lark eyed her. "I'd be sick if I wore what you wear all the time. This is fine with me," insisted Lark. "Where's Briar?"

"Here," said a voice behind them. They turned to see Briar clad in loose tan breeches and a pale off-white shirt. He wore leather sandals, and his hair was wet from washing.

"C'mon, then. It's midday meal time," Lark told them. They made their way towards Discipline.  

Daja grinned at Tris. "Keep an eye on Briar and don't let him poison our drinks. I think he might, just for the purpose of having all the food to himself," she laughed.

"Poison would be too easy, and not painful enough," Briar reasoned, smoothing his hair back. "Besides, I fight fair."

Daja scowled and poked him with her staff. "Well, what are you going to make? I'm starving." She threw her braids over her shoulder.

"Tris, we haven't had salad and soup for a while. Can we make that?" Briar asked.

Tris nodded. "It's okay with me, as long as everyone else approves." The others nodded in unison. Tris began making a list in her head. "Do we need cream? No, that's in the cold box at the cottage," Tris said to herself. "I don't think we have any broccoli florets, so can we stop at the Hub and pick some up?"

"Kirel!" Daja cried, interrupting Tris. A pale head turned towards them. Kirel smiled when he saw Daja. His hair was made into seemingly millions of long white braids, whipping around his face likes small, lashing cords. He came towards them, very composed, smiling, his white apprentice garb trailing behind him.

"Hello," he said quietly. "How are you all doing? Dedicate Lark, it has been ages since I saw you."

Lark smiled at his manners. "It seems as though Hajra has treated you well, aside from a bit of sunburn."

Kirel flitted his pale eyes at her. Truthfully, they were set in a rather red face. "The sun and I don't get along well," he explained. "You all should come visit me and Frostpine. It's a little bit cooler in this heat, being under the shadows of the trees."

"We've got to re-thatch the roof soon," Tris complained. "We must, before it rains and floods us straight out of Discipline. It might be days before we can come."

"But I want to come to hear about your last three years. Did I tell you that I once lived in Hajra?" The two young men bonded; it was apparent to the women that perhaps Briar was starved to speak to a male his own age.

Sandry was glancing at Daja, who seemed unaffected. You seem quiet, thought Sandry. I thought you said that you were still friends.

We are, Daja responded quickly.

Then why are you so quiet around him?

Daja grew very still for a good moment as thoughts churned inside her head. She didn't know why, but her heart thundered. All she could think about was that one kiss, that one brief moment. It was all she could remember. And she remembered why she was attracted to him in the first place; it was not simply a wish to kiss him or to touch him. She felt – perhaps it had been deeper than that all along.

I just realized that I've missed him terribly.

The two young men were still talking. "Yes, that building is still there. But, it's not the detention center anymore. They turned it into a market," Kirel responded, his eyes flitting to Daja's. "They've strung up all sorts of things inside it."

"Really?" Briar said. "I was scared to death of that building. That's where they gave me my tattoos. Pretty little things, aren't they?" He showed off the small black crosses on his hands. They all laughed, and Daja still remained in silence.

"Well, I hate to go, but I have to get back home before Frostpine eats the meal without me," Kirel responded. He hugged Lark, Sandry, and Tris, and then shook Briar's hand. There was laughing, jokes about his sunburn and doors. Then, he came to Daja.

"Perhaps you'll come visit, too," he chuckled nervously. Suddenly, he leaned in, covering her mouth with his swiftly. The others heard her sharp intake of breath, and they gasped themselves. Lark even inserted a rather loud interjection. When Daja opened her eyes, Kirel was gone.

Daja stared ahead at where he had been standing, utterly shocked.

"Daja?" asked Sandry, interrupting the silence. But then the sound of nothing resonated again. All eyes were on the dark-skinned girl, who was more silent than a rock.

"Let's… let's go home," Daja said suddenly.

"Come, come," Lark said, shushing her softly. Lark always understood absolutely everything. Daja's staff trembled in her hand. "Walk proudly, Trader girl. Don't frown. We'll get you home, and you can have some soup and salad."

---

After the meal, the four retreated to the rooftop. All of them wanted some sort of explanation from Daja, but no one wanted to pressure anything out of her.

They sat on the thatching, staring at the sky. Sandry was the first to speak up, as usual.

"So, Daja..." Sandry began. She turned to looking at Daja and paused before she finished.

Daja didn't let her finish. "I don't know the answer," she said.

"I didn't even ask the question yet!" Sandry said, feeling somewhat slighted.

Daja glanced at her, managing a small chuckle. "It doesn't matter what the question really is, saati. No matter what you ask me, I still won't know the answer." She leaned back a bit. "I had thought it was just a kiss. I had been attracted to him – and I liked him, too, as a person. But I had gotten the kiss I wanted, that satisfaction. Perhaps it was more than physical attraction all along."

"Perhaps you should go to talk to him," Sandry suggested.

"Yes," Daja said. "I want to spend some time with him, and Frostpine. I miss Frostpine as much as I miss Kirel. Frostpine has been like a father to me for years. I think I'll go tonight, if no one minds."

Tris nodded. "I understand that." She somewhat did; Niko had been like a father to her as well. She hugged Daja around the shoulder. "Will you give our regards to them, please?"

"Of course," Daja said. She hugged Tris back. "Thank you for listening. All of you, thanks." They slipped easily back into relaxation again.

---

As Sandry, Daja, Briar, and Tris sat on the roof, a figure walked by Discipline. Sandry hopped up, saying a quick goodbye, and jumped back into the house. Her skirts made her look silly, floating like a puff down the stairs. The other three heard thudding down the steps as Sandry flew down them. They saw her run out of the house into her garden, through the gate and into the waiting arms of Raeldro.

"She's fast," said Briar, watching them hug.

Tris gave them a glance. She smiled faintly as Raeldro kissed Sandry's cheek, causing her to blush. After all, they were happy together. I can't grudge her that, she told herself.

Daja stood, leaning against the chimney and holding around it with one arm. "Did Kirel and I look like that?" she asked her companions. Sandry was giggling as she took Raeldro's hand.

Briar nodded. "Yes, only a bit quicker than that."

---

"It's been a beautiful day, hasn't it?" Raeldro said to Sandry, squeezing her hand.

Sandry looked up to him. A wind whipped around them as she did so, causing his loose hair to brush into his face. His eyes were kind and gentle, mellow and serene. His robe fluttered around him as he smiled at her.

"Yes, a beautiful day indeed," Sandry remarked.

Raeldro was chattering about the clearness of the sky. Sandry just liked to hear him talk. She listened and nodded appreciatively as she listened to the melody of his voice.

"You are very lucky, Sandry," said Raeldro quietly. "Your tie with the earth must give you a very special connection to what goes on in it. Does the beautiful day influence how you feel?"

Sandry smiled. "It does. But trouble brews beneath this pretty day." They did pass patches of brown grass, and many of the stones in the walkway were cracked in new places. But, to them, there was nothing but beauty, flowers, gaiety.

Raeldro's face remained unchanged. "I know," he said mournfully, his eyes down. "But the plan will work, if all goes well."

"I don't doubt you and your advice, Raeldro," Sandry assured him.

The dark-haired mage smiled. "You have faith in the goodness of this world, and that is very admirable," he said to her. She blushed at the praise.

They made their way to a small tree grove with a stream flowing through it. Sandry smiled. It was the same place where Sandry and Briar had reunited with Tris weeks ago. Trees made shady spots on the ground, while the glass that Tris had made there reflected the light of the sun.

"Look at right here, even!" exclaimed Raeldro, motioning to the grove they stood in. She had never seen him express any degree of emotion such as this. "Not all the spots are ruined…perhaps there is some grass gone gray, but there are trees standing still. The sun still shines. There's hope. That's beautiful."

Sandry sighed, "Is there anything that could make this scene more beautiful?"

He looked at her as the wind whipped through her hair. "You're the final touch," he said. He smiled and leaned in close. "But the question is, if I may touch you…" He looked into her face and saw her mouth trembling, and made his move to kiss her.

They broke apart after a swift kiss. Sandry's eyes were almost fogged over in her ecstasy. "Raeldro," she whispered to him, "I've wanted you like this ever since you came..."

Shyly, he asked, "Can I kiss you again?" She nodded and his lips came onto hers, more surely this time. Fire met fire there. His lips traveled down her jawline, right by her left ear. They heard people talking. Jumping back with surprise, Raeldro's lips left her skin.

Breathing heavily, Raeldro and Sandry watched two young dormitory members run by in a game of tag.

"Perhaps we ought to go somewhere else," suggested Raeldro. "Unless you want this to become a spectator sport?" Sandry grinned at him. They linked hands and slipped into the patch of trees, hidden from view. She giggled as they found themselves encircled by trees and encompassed in darkness. Raeldro's eyes linked with Sandry's as they whisked through the trees.

Sunshine dotted the earth in glowing tones. A large boulder sat at the base of a rather large tree. As soon as they were certain they were out of view, Sandry giddily collapsed to the ground, her skirts billowing around her. She leaned her back against the boulder, relaxing as she laughed.

A bird settled down a few trees away, watching them with interest. The chickadee's chirp was music to the ears. "Sit with me!" beckoned the young woman, holding out a hand to her standing companion. Raeldro smiled and fell to his knees in front of her. She patted her shoulder and her counterpart crawled over and laid his head there. Smiling, she ran her hands through his hair. They settled down a little as they laid together, Sandry stroking Raeldro's hair.  

Suddenly, Raeldro asked, "What happened back there?" He looked at the canopy of the forest, not at Sandry, as if he was afraid of what he might see in Sandry's eyes if he looked there. His lashes fluttered as he blinked repeatedly.

Sandry blinked. "You kissed me," she said softly. She wasn't sure what he meant.

"No, aside from that. Something more happened," Raeldro explained. He turned his face to meet her eyes. He looked almost hesitant, almost afraid. Sandry didn't like seeing him being afraid. That one glance shattered all her own self-confidence.

Sandry slid her hand across his cheek. "I think you fell in love with me," she said quietly, smiling faintly, but yet worriedly at once. Was he going to take back what he'd said before? The thought was a haunting one. "But I've already been in love with you."

"Have you? You've got to assure me of that, Sandry. I'm not a confident man," Raeldro begged. It was hard to envision Raeldro as lacking confidence, but Sandry knew she'd do anything to appease him, and if repeating herself would appease him and give him confidence, she'd do it.

Sandry bent close to his face. "I do love you," she confirmed. She pecked his cheek.

"I'm glad," he said, his voice melodious with obvious joy. The change in him was evident; his restraint had left him. "I feel the same, I promise you." Sandry smiled, her eyes bright with happiness, and she bent over to kiss his lips softly. When they broke, Raeldro drew her face down further so that his lips hovered by her ears.

"Didn't I tell you that there would be great things for us?" he said huskily, his eyelashes brushing her cheek. "I saw this moment in a vision, Sandry, I swear. At first I thought it was a dream, a silly fantasy. Now I see that the vision was a foreshadowing of the future, a future I am glad to accept." He paused for a moment. "You have restored my faith in dreams, Duchess."

Sandry's hair fell from her shoulders loosely to shield their faces from even the birds watching as they met in another passionate embrace.

---

They've been gone a while," said Daja half an hour later. Briar half-nodded; he was dozing, the warm air having lulled him to sleep. Tris glanced off of the edge of the roof to the garden below.

Daja headed for the stairs. "I'm going to go get a drink," she said as she went down into the house. Tris glanced at her and then down again.

"What do you think they're doing?" Briar asked sleepily.

"Who? You mean Sandry and Raeldro?" Tris asked, not looking up.

"Of course!"

"Probably being giggly all over each other," sighed Tris. She felt completely disgusted with both herself and them. She also wondered why Briar even cared; it was not like him to be concerned with the romantic interests of anyone. Briar grumbled something and rolled over to face Tris.

"You think he likes her?" Briar murmured.

"I don't know for sure," confessed Tris, turning to face him. "But he acts like he does."

"I think Kirel and Daja will get married," Briar offered.

"Married?!" exclaimed Tris. "But, Briar, he only kissed her. That's no proof of love."

"But you saw how he couldn't control himself," reasoned the young man. "That's real lover-like."

 
Tris shook her head. "You don't know anything, Briar. It's just instinctual because it's springtime. That's just lust. Since when do you think you know so much about love, anyway?"

"I don't know much," he admitted. "But don't you think something might come of it?"

"Yes," Tris said. "I wish them the best."

Briar stretched. Tris watched his back muscles rippling under the shirt he wore. "I hope she enjoys herself tonight. Maybe once she has a little bit of time with Kirel, she'll be more at ease."

"Hopefully," Tris added.

Briar paused. Then he said slyly, "But I'm glad Frostpine will be there. From the looks of it, they'll need a supervisor."

"A supervisor?" asked Tris.

"Of course! If he wasn't afraid to kiss her in public, what do you think he'll do in private?" Tris paused momentarily, thinking about that. Her mouth dropped when she realized what he was saying.

"Briar!" she shrieked. "Are you insinuating something?" She couldn't believe that Briar was making sexual innuendos. She ought to have expected him to do so; after all, he was an 18-year-old male, and the jokes came to him easily. Tris felt mildly uncomfortable. To hear Briar mention sex in such a casual manner both intrigued her and disgusted her. Somehow, she was more intrigued.

The initial thought resurfaced, and the latter faded. How dare he make sexual innuendos!

"I'm not going to say another word," he calmly replied. "Interpret it as you like."

Tris shoved him. "I hate to quote you, but shouldn't we 'keep our nebs out of their business'?" she snapped. "You wouldn't like it if someone was nosing into your affairs!"

Briar retorted. "No, I wouldn't, but I care enough to be a little nosy." With that he rolled away from her and closed his eyes, snoozing contently.

Tris looked at him briefly and then diverted her eyes to the garden. She grabbed a fistful of the thatching angrily and threw it. I don't like romance! she thought passionately to herself. I hate it! It's too confusing, and it makes messes.

---

An hour later, Tris was sitting in the kitchen, drinking some water and chatting with Daja. They heard light laughter outside.

Sandry! thought Daja, scurrying to the window with Tris right behind. A giggling Sandry pushed through the gate, Raeldro's one hand in her own. Tris noted right away that she and Raeldro were blowing kisses to each other and winking. Oh dear! she thought as she sipped her drink calmly in a very Lark-like fashion.

They touched lips briefly, to Daja and Tris's shock. Sandry went through the door into the room, smiling widely and glancing back at Raeldro. They were unable to take their eyes off of one another.

"You have some explaining to do," Daja told Sandry as the latter wandered through the kitchen. Sandry smiled knowingly at her friends and took out a glass.

"Now!" added Daja.

Sandry snickered and poured herself some water. "You were right, Daja," she giggled. Her voice was singing, and loudly, too. "Being kissed is nice."

Someone thundered down the stairs. Briar appeared at the base of the stairs, looking confused. "What are you girls gabbing about? You woke me up all the way on the roof!"

Sandry smiled at him. "Raeldro is wonderful. That's all you need to know – and you wouldn't understand, anyway."

Briar, Daja, and Sandry watched her with unblinking eyes. Lady Sandrilene fa Toren was changed.

---

Dinner was quiet. Daja was gone for the night. Because her afternoon had been so exciting, Sandry had promptly fallen asleep after much coaxing from her companions.

Briar and Tris were the only two of the four left to eat dinner with Rosie and Lark. Prayers were said, and the eating commenced. Niko joined them partway through supper. When he learned that Daja was away and that Sandry was also unavailable, he looked slightly worried.

"What's wrong?" Lark asked him as she set her glass of milk down.

"Oh, it's nothing," he assured her.

"If you insist," she said, sticking a fork in her salad.

Later, after Briar and Tris explained that something had gone on between Raeldro and Sandry, Niko's eyebrows creased together and he frowned. This time, Rosethorn was the one to demand a reason for his actions.

"It's just that, well, is that really a good idea?"

"What do you mean?" asked Briar.

"In the case that something bad happens, you four ought to be together," Niko responded simply. "Don't leave each other's company for too long."

"What's the sudden worry for?" asked Lark, laying a hand on Niko's arm.

Niko shook his head. His eyes were reddened with stress. "I think it's obvious why I'm worried," he said quietly. "Can't I be worried that our earth is sickly?"

"I thought it was getting better," said Tris fearfully. "It looked better the last time we went."

Niko flapped a hand at her lazily. "Oh, no," he assured her. "It's just general worry, that's all."

"There's something more!" Rosie said, pressuring him. "You know something we don't know. I need to know what it is! I have a right to know what you're hiding, Niko." It was hard for Niko even to refuse Rosethorn's threatening voice.

"Well," admitted Niko wearily, "Moonstream has found some very interesting information out."

"Is that so?" Lark asked.

Niko nodded, and the others noted how hollow his eyes looked. "You have all heard of Stone Circle Temple in Capchen, yes?"

Tris bristled. "That was where you found me," Tris said to Niko. "Those people said I was cursed."

Niko nodded to acknowledge what she'd said. "Yes, well, one of the dedicates there, a woman named Dedicate Gazelle, disappeared for about four days. They found her again in the woods outside of the city. She was dead."

"So, a dedicate died. What's so bad about that?" asked Briar.

"This dedicate was murdered. She had been fighting someone; she was slashed and covered in blood," Niko told them. Briar gulped hard. The older mage went on, "Dedicate Gazelle was a jeweler. She always wore a fine opal set in gold around her neck. It was gone when they found her body."

The dedicates gasped sharply. Niko nodded gravely.

"I don't understand. Her body was robbed, but that happens to people who are murdered," Briar said.

Tris said suddenly, "Opals store energy, power. The finest opals can store huge amounts of energy. Nobody knows how much power that they can actually store!" It was a lesson she had learned in her studies at Growing Circle. Turning to Niko, she said hurriedly, "Someone stole Dedicate Gazelle's opal with the intent of either selling it to someone or using it for themselves, using it to store huge amounts of energy. And there's certainly a certain someone who has been taking large amounts of power from the earth, large amounts that need to be put somewhere!"

Niko nodded. "That's right," he said.

"If this murderer could be traced, then maybe we could find who has been stealing the earth's power, right?" Briar asked.

"Exactly. But that's the hard part, especially since the murderer left no traces of the deed. There is nothing on the body that belongs to a creature other than Dedicate Gazelle. This was clean," Niko told them.

Briar swore under his breath. "If the person responsible went to the trouble of murdering a woman and stealing a fine opal from her in order to store power, then that person has got to be planning to steal more energy, a lot more energy!" exclaimed Briar worriedly.

"That's why I'm worried," said Niko with a grim nod. "We don't know, but our doomsday might be coming more quickly than we expected, if the mage responsible is planning something big. Therefore, I ask that the four of you be in close contact. In the case that something bad does happen, you'll all be together and able to support each other. Understand?"

"But Daja just went for a night," protested Lark. "And I think it won't for harm for Sandry to be with Raeldro Earthkin."

Niko nodded. "Well, I can't help that. We just have to make the best of things," he said. "Things certainly do look grim," Lark mumbled, her eyes wet with wear. "I don't know how I'll be able to make good of what we've got, but I'll certainly try." The rest of the meal was quiet.