Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tamora Pierce.
Briar looked up when he heard Glaki screaming his name as she ran up to him. "Calm down and then tell me what's wrong." He said, putting his hands on Glaki's shoulders.
She took a few shaky breaths before saying, "I was taking Little Bear on a walk on the seawall and just when I got there I saw Tris fall over." Her voice started to tremble again, "I ran over to her and couldn't wake her up."
Glaki started to cry and Briar hugged her, "Come on. Show me where she is and I'll make her better, I promise." He said this with a calm voice but inside he felt cold. They left Little Bear in Discipline and Glaki led Briar to where Tris lay.
When they reached her Tris looked serene and was surrounded by some of her most favorite things; the wind, waves, and sky. Briar waved Rosethorn's herbs under Tris's nose and her eyes fluttered. She looked up at him with her sea blue eyes and mind told him Sandy's married before trying to get up. He gently restrained her thinking Let me carry you, you're too weak. He could tell by the way she stiffened that she didn't like this idea but he knew that she knew that he wouldn't back down so she gave him a tight nod.
He lifted her up, surprised by how light she was. (I'm not saying he thought she was fat) As he carried her back to Discipline, with Glaki leading the way, Tris started to relax and fell asleep in his tight hold. When they reached Discipline he carried her up to her room and gently set her down on her bed. As he started to leave Tris's eyes opened again, Thank you. He just gave her his usual thief grin and walked out to go check on Glaki, who was making tea for Tris.
As he reached Glaki the full impact of what Tris had said hit him. Sandry had kept something very important from them, something the foursome had promised not to do. If she had at least hinted that something that big was going to happen it would have been a little better, he didn't even have the vaguest idea of who it was.
Glaki tugged on his sleeve, breaking him out of his thoughts, "Should I bring the Tea up to Tris?"
He shrugged, "If you want to, but she might not wake up. She's going to be all right. I'm going to visit Rosethorn, has Tris told you who she is? Anyways, I'll be back in a few minutes. I have to ask her if there is something special I should do for Tris. If you have a problem just send Little Bear out, he'll find me. All right?" Glaki nodded and Briar took off.
As he walked over to the Dorm where Rosethorn and Lark stayed he thought about what Tris had said. When he reached the tall brick building where Rosethorn lived he went in and also sent a wave of his magic to one of her many plants. He chuckled; it was his and Rosethorn special joke.
When he got to her room Rosethorn was standing in the doorway waiting for him. "Very funny Briar. Now what did you want so much that you had to come here and give one of my plants a growth spurt?" Her voice was harsh but Briar knew she wasn't angry.
"Tris fainted today and I just want to make sure that I am doing all the right things."
Rosethorn smirked at him, "So she's back and didn't tell me? Briar you have had your mage badge for seven years and you still need me to tell you these things? Or do you just not want to make a mistake on, not to mention in front of, a certain special girl?" This caused Briar to blush, sure Tris was wonderful but he didn't think of her that way did he? "Don't just stand there blushing kid! Tell me what happened."
Briar tried to alter the direction his mind was going in and answered Rosethorn's question. "She was wind scrying for a long time and then I guess she just fainted. She did find out that Sandry got married, maybe it as the shock."
Rosethorn looked at him questioningly for a second. "I suppose Sandry was always the one I thought would get married to first. Tris is always over exerting herself so I wouldn't worry about it much. Just do the normal things."
"Thank you Rosie. I know you would hang her by her toes in the well but I doubt that would work. Do you want to come over for dinner?"
Rosethorn smiled, "Thanks for actually thinking of me, but I'll leave you two kids to goggle over each other." Briar was blushing again when he left. Twice in a matter of minutes, he hadn't blushed since those girls had left six years ago. He tried not to think too hard about what Rosethorn had more than hinted at.
When he got back to Discipline Tris was sitting at the table in the kitchen with Glaki. She was holding a cup of tea in her hands. He smiled, "Are you doing better?"
"Yeah, I feel a lot better now. So much better that I would like to go to visit Sandry and Pasco. I think they deserve to know that we know and I want to meet my friend's husband."
Briar noticed her face was set with determination but still asked, "Are you sure you want to go?"
"Yes."
Briar looked up when he heard Glaki screaming his name as she ran up to him. "Calm down and then tell me what's wrong." He said, putting his hands on Glaki's shoulders.
She took a few shaky breaths before saying, "I was taking Little Bear on a walk on the seawall and just when I got there I saw Tris fall over." Her voice started to tremble again, "I ran over to her and couldn't wake her up."
Glaki started to cry and Briar hugged her, "Come on. Show me where she is and I'll make her better, I promise." He said this with a calm voice but inside he felt cold. They left Little Bear in Discipline and Glaki led Briar to where Tris lay.
When they reached her Tris looked serene and was surrounded by some of her most favorite things; the wind, waves, and sky. Briar waved Rosethorn's herbs under Tris's nose and her eyes fluttered. She looked up at him with her sea blue eyes and mind told him Sandy's married before trying to get up. He gently restrained her thinking Let me carry you, you're too weak. He could tell by the way she stiffened that she didn't like this idea but he knew that she knew that he wouldn't back down so she gave him a tight nod.
He lifted her up, surprised by how light she was. (I'm not saying he thought she was fat) As he carried her back to Discipline, with Glaki leading the way, Tris started to relax and fell asleep in his tight hold. When they reached Discipline he carried her up to her room and gently set her down on her bed. As he started to leave Tris's eyes opened again, Thank you. He just gave her his usual thief grin and walked out to go check on Glaki, who was making tea for Tris.
As he reached Glaki the full impact of what Tris had said hit him. Sandry had kept something very important from them, something the foursome had promised not to do. If she had at least hinted that something that big was going to happen it would have been a little better, he didn't even have the vaguest idea of who it was.
Glaki tugged on his sleeve, breaking him out of his thoughts, "Should I bring the Tea up to Tris?"
He shrugged, "If you want to, but she might not wake up. She's going to be all right. I'm going to visit Rosethorn, has Tris told you who she is? Anyways, I'll be back in a few minutes. I have to ask her if there is something special I should do for Tris. If you have a problem just send Little Bear out, he'll find me. All right?" Glaki nodded and Briar took off.
As he walked over to the Dorm where Rosethorn and Lark stayed he thought about what Tris had said. When he reached the tall brick building where Rosethorn lived he went in and also sent a wave of his magic to one of her many plants. He chuckled; it was his and Rosethorn special joke.
When he got to her room Rosethorn was standing in the doorway waiting for him. "Very funny Briar. Now what did you want so much that you had to come here and give one of my plants a growth spurt?" Her voice was harsh but Briar knew she wasn't angry.
"Tris fainted today and I just want to make sure that I am doing all the right things."
Rosethorn smirked at him, "So she's back and didn't tell me? Briar you have had your mage badge for seven years and you still need me to tell you these things? Or do you just not want to make a mistake on, not to mention in front of, a certain special girl?" This caused Briar to blush, sure Tris was wonderful but he didn't think of her that way did he? "Don't just stand there blushing kid! Tell me what happened."
Briar tried to alter the direction his mind was going in and answered Rosethorn's question. "She was wind scrying for a long time and then I guess she just fainted. She did find out that Sandry got married, maybe it as the shock."
Rosethorn looked at him questioningly for a second. "I suppose Sandry was always the one I thought would get married to first. Tris is always over exerting herself so I wouldn't worry about it much. Just do the normal things."
"Thank you Rosie. I know you would hang her by her toes in the well but I doubt that would work. Do you want to come over for dinner?"
Rosethorn smiled, "Thanks for actually thinking of me, but I'll leave you two kids to goggle over each other." Briar was blushing again when he left. Twice in a matter of minutes, he hadn't blushed since those girls had left six years ago. He tried not to think too hard about what Rosethorn had more than hinted at.
When he got back to Discipline Tris was sitting at the table in the kitchen with Glaki. She was holding a cup of tea in her hands. He smiled, "Are you doing better?"
"Yeah, I feel a lot better now. So much better that I would like to go to visit Sandry and Pasco. I think they deserve to know that we know and I want to meet my friend's husband."
Briar noticed her face was set with determination but still asked, "Are you sure you want to go?"
"Yes."