Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to Tamora Pierce.
The next morning dawned bright and warm. Briar arose, yawning. He pulled a fresh tunic and trousers on and hurried down the stairs. Lark already sat in the dining area, her back to him, immersed in a book. "Ah, Briar." She said, stretching. Briar always expected her to purr when she did so. Her features were catlike and golden, with ebony eyes and close-cropped black hair. Formerly a tumbler, she still possessed the wiry, tall frame of one.
"Are we going to market today?" he inquired, almost too eagerly. It had been so long since he had been to the Emelan market, and the girls were excited too. Lark grinned impishly at him. "Excited, hmm?" "Beyond reason." admitted Briar. "I know how you feel." the woman answered kindly. "Get Tris and Daja up. Oh, and Sandry's due back tomorrow. Be ready, she'll be all over every one of you."
Within a few hours, all of the mages were ready to go out. They wandered through the marketplace blissfully, drawing the scents and sounds of food, merchants crying their wares, and music. Tris pointed. "What's going on down their?" she demanded, her grey eyes attentive. A crowd had gathered around a raised platform, and the lively sounds of drums and flutes drifted down the road faintly. "C'mon," Daja urged. "Let's go see."
The three mages ambled down to the platform. On it, a woman, roughly their own age was dancing. She was clothed in a green, belly-baring, silky top that clung to her toned, slim figure. The sleeves were long and full, the collar low and embroidered with gold thread. Her trousers were the same material, full and bell like, with cuffs that were tight around her ankles and waist. A sheer gauze veil covered her face from the top of her nose down to her chin. She moved seductively, smoothly, her ebony hair in its pined up mass of curls swaying with her. A man several years older than her danced with her, their touches fleeting and subtle. She flipped, standing on her hands. The male knelt, and she lowered her feet to his back, her body now in a bridge over the ground. The female dancer shoved backwards to stand on his shoulders, extending one leg up and behind her vertically. From there she leapt, ending in a leg spread, her legs straight out from her body and flat to the ground. The crowd cheered as the male dancer passed around a hat for people to drop coins in. Briar and Daja both did, but Tris stood there grumpily, a disapproving look in her stormy gray eyes.
Much to Briar's surprise, the girl flipped from the platform to land before them. Now that she was closer, he could make out her features beneath the veil. Her skin was creamy olive, and completely unblemished. Her full lips were painted with red rouge, and her eyes- they were the golden of fire. Rimmed with red, fading into orange, yellow, and the heart of a flame, blue, Briar could see fierce, unnatural wisdom in those twin lamps, lined as they were with black kohl. The dancer smiled at all of them. "Are you new here?" she asked, in a light, slightly amused tone. Tris glared at her, but Daja smiled. "No, but we've been gone for almost two years. Who are you?"
The dancer grinned widely. "Yarasu Marako." she said with a bow. "And my dance partner over there-" (Here she gestured towards the brown haired young man making his way towards them.) "-Is Zakarias Salimar." Briar extended his hand. "I'm Briar Moss. This is Tris Chandler and Daja Kisubo." Zakarias reached them at last, a grin parting his attractive, tanned features. His eyes were warm hazel, his hair dark chestnut. He was broad shouldered and muscular, with a cat-like air of confidence about him. "Made some new friends, eh, Yari?" he inquired laying a hand on her shoulder. "Hush, Zak," she ordered. She introduced the mages to him and stood back, satisfied.
Suddenly, a voice could be heard drifting through the dispersing crowd behind them. "Briar! Tris! Daja, what's going on?" It was Lark, winding her way through the people now milling around. She stopped short. "Yari?" she said incredulously. "None other." Said the dancer, reaching out to thug the older woman. "It's been years, Lark." She said, releasing Lark reluctantly. "Only six." Lark said, her black eyes twinkling. "So, you finally did choose a career as a dancer." Yari nodded, ember eyes dancing lightly. "After your encouragement." She glanced up at the clock, her eyes widening. "Oh, gods, my pets need feeding!" she exclaimed. "Zak and I have to go." With a last hug for Lark and a bow to the young mages, she darted away, Zakarias in tow.
A/N: This chapter is slightly longer. The next chapter should be even longer, as I get the hang of this. Thanks for reading!