Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tamora Pierce.
Briar looked out of the kitchen window in Discipline, where he was watching dishes, to see a figure on a horse coming through the rain. Joy surged through him, only one person he knew, beside himself, would be crazy enough to ride through a storm like this, Tris. He tried to calmly wipe his hands but it wasn't working so he gave up and left them soapy. He ran out of the kitchen to the door and stood there watching a water logged Tris struggling to get something off her horse.
"Hey Thief Boy," she yelled when she saw him, "have you lost all you're manners since I've been gone?"
"Just when they concern you Copper Curls!" He exclaimed without thinking. After watching how peaceful she looked in the rain for a second longer, he went out to help her. "What can I carry for you, ooh master," he teased.
Tris stuck her chin up at him. "Here," she said and gave him a small body, "could you carry Glaki inside for me? I need to bring Majesty to the stables, then I'll be right back." It took Briar a second to figure out who Majesty was, then he carried the wet form of Glaki inside.
He set her down next to the fire that was blazing, "Wait here, I'll get you some blankets to warm you up." He went into the attic and rummaged around for a few seconds before finding a white fleece blanket small enough for Glaki. When he returned, Tris was already back and she was taking out fresh clothes for Glaki.
She smiled at Briar then looked back at Glaki, "Take these clothes up the stairs and change in any room, you want. Then come back down please so Briar can tell you where to sleep." Glaki ran upstairs taking her clothes and the blanket with her. Now Tris turned to Briar, "So, how have you been?" Tris really looked at Briar for the first time in the five minutes she had been there, and a wave of happiness spread through her, she had really missed this boy. She couldn't help it, she leaned forward and gave him a huge hug.
Briar sat debating for a few seconds before giving into the urge to hug her back. He surprised himself when he felt hot tears filling his eyes, he had really missed her. "God, I missed you Tris." Those simple words expressed more than Briar was usually willing to show in fear of going soft.
Who knows how long they would have stayed in that position, had not Glaki come running down the stairs. "I'm finished!" She chirped, "now, Tris, you have to introduce me to Briar!"
Tris raised a delicate eyebrow, "What has gotten into you child? Are you sick? You never act this perky when you meet someone for the first time."
"I know, but it's like I already know him because of all the stories you tell me about him! Introduce us already."
As Glaki had said this Tris had blushed but now she cleared her throat, "Briar Moss, I would like to introduce you to my charge, Glaki." She said this all very serious like, but the smile on her face showed her amusement.
Briar smiled mischievously at Tris then looked at Glaki and said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss. Glaki. Now why don't I show you where to sleep and I'll tell you a story about when Tris and I were kids that is about the things that Tris did." Tris shook her head at him but Briar took it as saying that she was allowing him to tell his stories. He picked up Glaki and carried her up to Daja's old room.
~
Tris lay in her old room, about to got to sleep when there was a knock on the door. She rolled over, "Come in." When she opened her eyes, she saw Briar standing in the doorway.
"I hope I didn't wake you up, but I just wanted to catch up with you." He said, sounding a little hesitant.
She smiled at him, "If you had come two seconds later I would have been asleep. Don't just stand there, come in! So what should I tell you?"
Briar walked in and sat down on her bed, he casually placed one arm between her back and the wall. "Did you visit Sandry before you came here?"
"Yeah, she was really excited. We had to leave before the storm came, not that it mattered much." Tris smiled as she recalled how happy Sandry had been. "You know, Briar Moss, I think you should be the one to tell me what you have been doing. I always wrote, but you didn't send me half as many letters as I sent you! So, tell me!"
He grinned at her, "I suppose I could tell you what Rosethorn and I have been doing since we got back." He described to her how they helped Crane with his greenhouse, how they saved the garden when a huge storm came, what new plants they had planted, and various other things. Tris listened willingly to the sound of his voice, and she was eventually lulled to sleep.
Briar watched as Tris fell asleep, a small smile lighting up his features. He bent down over her and whispered in her ear, "I missed you," and kissed her cheek. He straightened, got up, and walked to the door. He gave her once last glance before closing the door and leaving to get himself some sleep.
~
Tris was the first to get up that morning, she went downstairs to make breakfast. By the time Briar and Glaki had gotten up she had fixed oatmeal for breakfast and set the table. She smiled as everyone sat down, said their prayers, and started to eat.
What are you thinking Coppercurls? Briar mind spoke to her. How nice it is to sit down like a family for breakfast. It's been awhile. He gave her a nod before commencing to stuff his face.
"What are we doing today?" Glaki asked, breaking the silence.
"You and I are going to go to the seawall to meditate. Then you are going to take Little Bear on a walk while I wind scry." Tris answered, still looking at her plate.
"I forgot you where able to do that. I'm going to be working on the garden today. Glaki, if you get bored, you can come and help me."
"Maybe after I finish my meditating, and then you can tell me more stories about Tris!"
Tris shook her head in amusment, "Come on Glaki, lets let Briar clean up today." Before Briar could react the two women were gone.
Tris led Glaki up to the sea wall, stopping every once in awhile when Glaki saw something that caught her attention. When they got to Tris's favorite spot Tris drew a protective circle around them and they sat down to meditate.
After half an hour of meditation Tris opened the circle so Glaki could get out. "Glaki I want you to give Little Bear a walk and then you can stay with me or Briar. Just try not to let Little Bear distract me while I'm scrying."
Glaki ran off to get Little Bear for his walk and Tris began to sift through the colors in the wind. First she saw blues, they always came first, then purples and reds were added to the blues. Different colors were added until it was like looking at a painters pallet. Slowly the colors began to take form. The pictures they made were going by too fast for her to see them but if she grabbed one it became clear. She picked pictures out without any reason for picking them, but she noticed that one blur had gone past her more than once. She kept trying to pick it out but each time she was a second too late. She could tell that it was about time for her to stop but didn't want to quit until she had gotten the picture, it called to her and she felt it was important.
She almost started untying one braid but tried one last time before she resorted to that. She caught it and held on, it cleared slower than usual but what she saw shocked her. The wind had revealed to her a wedding ceremony, Sandry and Pasco's wedding ceremony. The picture startled her so much that she lost her concentration and was pulled out. She blinked once and saw Glaki running toward her before her eyes closed and she fell into darkness.
Briar looked out of the kitchen window in Discipline, where he was watching dishes, to see a figure on a horse coming through the rain. Joy surged through him, only one person he knew, beside himself, would be crazy enough to ride through a storm like this, Tris. He tried to calmly wipe his hands but it wasn't working so he gave up and left them soapy. He ran out of the kitchen to the door and stood there watching a water logged Tris struggling to get something off her horse.
"Hey Thief Boy," she yelled when she saw him, "have you lost all you're manners since I've been gone?"
"Just when they concern you Copper Curls!" He exclaimed without thinking. After watching how peaceful she looked in the rain for a second longer, he went out to help her. "What can I carry for you, ooh master," he teased.
Tris stuck her chin up at him. "Here," she said and gave him a small body, "could you carry Glaki inside for me? I need to bring Majesty to the stables, then I'll be right back." It took Briar a second to figure out who Majesty was, then he carried the wet form of Glaki inside.
He set her down next to the fire that was blazing, "Wait here, I'll get you some blankets to warm you up." He went into the attic and rummaged around for a few seconds before finding a white fleece blanket small enough for Glaki. When he returned, Tris was already back and she was taking out fresh clothes for Glaki.
She smiled at Briar then looked back at Glaki, "Take these clothes up the stairs and change in any room, you want. Then come back down please so Briar can tell you where to sleep." Glaki ran upstairs taking her clothes and the blanket with her. Now Tris turned to Briar, "So, how have you been?" Tris really looked at Briar for the first time in the five minutes she had been there, and a wave of happiness spread through her, she had really missed this boy. She couldn't help it, she leaned forward and gave him a huge hug.
Briar sat debating for a few seconds before giving into the urge to hug her back. He surprised himself when he felt hot tears filling his eyes, he had really missed her. "God, I missed you Tris." Those simple words expressed more than Briar was usually willing to show in fear of going soft.
Who knows how long they would have stayed in that position, had not Glaki come running down the stairs. "I'm finished!" She chirped, "now, Tris, you have to introduce me to Briar!"
Tris raised a delicate eyebrow, "What has gotten into you child? Are you sick? You never act this perky when you meet someone for the first time."
"I know, but it's like I already know him because of all the stories you tell me about him! Introduce us already."
As Glaki had said this Tris had blushed but now she cleared her throat, "Briar Moss, I would like to introduce you to my charge, Glaki." She said this all very serious like, but the smile on her face showed her amusement.
Briar smiled mischievously at Tris then looked at Glaki and said, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss. Glaki. Now why don't I show you where to sleep and I'll tell you a story about when Tris and I were kids that is about the things that Tris did." Tris shook her head at him but Briar took it as saying that she was allowing him to tell his stories. He picked up Glaki and carried her up to Daja's old room.
~
Tris lay in her old room, about to got to sleep when there was a knock on the door. She rolled over, "Come in." When she opened her eyes, she saw Briar standing in the doorway.
"I hope I didn't wake you up, but I just wanted to catch up with you." He said, sounding a little hesitant.
She smiled at him, "If you had come two seconds later I would have been asleep. Don't just stand there, come in! So what should I tell you?"
Briar walked in and sat down on her bed, he casually placed one arm between her back and the wall. "Did you visit Sandry before you came here?"
"Yeah, she was really excited. We had to leave before the storm came, not that it mattered much." Tris smiled as she recalled how happy Sandry had been. "You know, Briar Moss, I think you should be the one to tell me what you have been doing. I always wrote, but you didn't send me half as many letters as I sent you! So, tell me!"
He grinned at her, "I suppose I could tell you what Rosethorn and I have been doing since we got back." He described to her how they helped Crane with his greenhouse, how they saved the garden when a huge storm came, what new plants they had planted, and various other things. Tris listened willingly to the sound of his voice, and she was eventually lulled to sleep.
Briar watched as Tris fell asleep, a small smile lighting up his features. He bent down over her and whispered in her ear, "I missed you," and kissed her cheek. He straightened, got up, and walked to the door. He gave her once last glance before closing the door and leaving to get himself some sleep.
~
Tris was the first to get up that morning, she went downstairs to make breakfast. By the time Briar and Glaki had gotten up she had fixed oatmeal for breakfast and set the table. She smiled as everyone sat down, said their prayers, and started to eat.
What are you thinking Coppercurls? Briar mind spoke to her. How nice it is to sit down like a family for breakfast. It's been awhile. He gave her a nod before commencing to stuff his face.
"What are we doing today?" Glaki asked, breaking the silence.
"You and I are going to go to the seawall to meditate. Then you are going to take Little Bear on a walk while I wind scry." Tris answered, still looking at her plate.
"I forgot you where able to do that. I'm going to be working on the garden today. Glaki, if you get bored, you can come and help me."
"Maybe after I finish my meditating, and then you can tell me more stories about Tris!"
Tris shook her head in amusment, "Come on Glaki, lets let Briar clean up today." Before Briar could react the two women were gone.
Tris led Glaki up to the sea wall, stopping every once in awhile when Glaki saw something that caught her attention. When they got to Tris's favorite spot Tris drew a protective circle around them and they sat down to meditate.
After half an hour of meditation Tris opened the circle so Glaki could get out. "Glaki I want you to give Little Bear a walk and then you can stay with me or Briar. Just try not to let Little Bear distract me while I'm scrying."
Glaki ran off to get Little Bear for his walk and Tris began to sift through the colors in the wind. First she saw blues, they always came first, then purples and reds were added to the blues. Different colors were added until it was like looking at a painters pallet. Slowly the colors began to take form. The pictures they made were going by too fast for her to see them but if she grabbed one it became clear. She picked pictures out without any reason for picking them, but she noticed that one blur had gone past her more than once. She kept trying to pick it out but each time she was a second too late. She could tell that it was about time for her to stop but didn't want to quit until she had gotten the picture, it called to her and she felt it was important.
She almost started untying one braid but tried one last time before she resorted to that. She caught it and held on, it cleared slower than usual but what she saw shocked her. The wind had revealed to her a wedding ceremony, Sandry and Pasco's wedding ceremony. The picture startled her so much that she lost her concentration and was pulled out. She blinked once and saw Glaki running toward her before her eyes closed and she fell into darkness.