Lark walked wearily down the well-worn path through Rosethorn's garden. Rosethorn's garden wasn't nearly as beautiful as it had been. Despite all the work she put into keeping it nice she didn't have the touch that Rosethorn had had. Sandry only came every once in a while from her uncle's. Pasco had finished his training and was no a fully qualified dance mage.

She looked around and thought to herself, almost ten years since Rosethorn last stood here. Even after nine years it still hurt. She supposed the ache would never leave; Rosie had been the best friend Lark had ever had.

If only she and Crane had just not gone to the jungle. None of this would have happened. After those stupid jungle tribes had gone to war Rosethorn and Crane had gotten caught in the middle apparently. The last letter Lark got from Rosethorn had been smuggled to be sent, it had told Lark to not write to them as a enemy tribe had captured them with the accusation of them being spies. After eight years Rosethorn had not written and Lark could only assume the worst. Winding Circle had sent a few search parties into the jungle but all they'd found was smoldering wreckage of the war. No sign what so ever of the two dedicates. Lark sighed and changed her thoughts to Briar, Sandry, Tris and Daja.

Briar was off traveling around, Lark wondered if Briar would ever settle down, he'd taken to wandering after Rosethorn had 'died'. Tris and Daja were also off on their own wanderings, Tris to some stormy northern place, Daja in some southern desert place. There students long trained and gone off on their own. Pasco though had stayed in Summersea with Sandry. 19, Pasco was 19. How the years had past. And Sandry was, Lark thought for a moment, 23. Pasco and Sandry had seemed to be getting closer, especially after that mangy street performer had dumped Sandry. Lark smiled briefly, Sandry and Pasco would make a good match if they ever got together.

Suddenly a novice came running up to Lark.

"Honored Moonstream wishes to see you," he said then tugged on Lark's robes for her to follow. She followed him curiously to a sitting area where Moonstream sat. The novice quickly scampered off as Lark sat down near Moonstream.

"Hello Lark," Moonstream said, "How are you?"

"I'm good," Lark replied, "You called me here?"

"Yes, we've been brought a girl with peculiar magic," Moonstream said.

Lark nodded, all the kids with strange magic where often sent to live at Discipline cottage and as Lark did not have a student right now…

"She's different thought than most girls," Moonstream told her carefully and Lark's curiosity was aroused.

"Her magic?" Lark asked.

"She has green magic, but that's not what is strange," Moonstream said, "You see she came to Winding Circle as no one else could handle her, she's a wild child Lark."

Lark raised her eyebrows, now this was interesting, "Where is she from?"

"Some place over the sea," Moonstream said, "she is only about 6. Somewhere around there, she doesn't speak at all though. She just growls and screams. They think some animal in the forest raised her up, or maybe the plants took care of her. She does have quite strong plant magic."

Lark was reminded with a pang of Rosethorn again, if only Rosethorn were here, Rosethorn could have taught this girl as the girl had the same kind of magic as Rosethorn.

"I'll teach her," Lark told Moonstream.

"All right, be warned though she is like a wild animal, you'll be teaching her to speak and to act like a human as well as getting her magic under control. She tore down a wall the other day with some vines when she was scared. She gets scared easily," Moonstream explained to Lark.

Lark nodded, "Where is she now?"

"Follow me," Moonstream said and stood up.