Hi.
Comet- Huh. Who's there?
Ok I think I might deserve that. I'm sorry for leaving you all hanging like that. Junior year was insane for me.
Comet- And I'm not sure she ment that in a good way.
Nope.
Comet- Well let's just get on with the fic and you can continue your sob story later.
Elemental Magic
Briar and Sandry sat in the room for a bit after Moonstream left. Each of them in their own thoughts about the threat.
"Why are they doing this?" Sandy finally asked breaking the silence that had fallen on the room. Briar looked up at her not knowing how to answer the question. "I mean we've already been though so much." Sandry continued standing up to go look out the window. "We never asked to have this power. We were just kids trying to stay alive. We never meant to have all this magic. And now we have people willing to hurt anyone just to get to us."
Briar stood up to stand next to her. Sifting uncomfortably from one leg to another he put his arm on her shoulder as he looked out to the rest of the city. "Hey, don't worry. We'll figure something out. If we could face earthquakes, pirates, forest fires, and plagues we can get though this."
Swallowing Sandry looked up at him. Taking a couple of deep breaths she smiled. "I just wish the others were here."
"They're coming. Daja should be here any day and Tris shouldn't be that far behind. We can't let them come home to a huge mess."
"You're right. We have to figure out what 's vision meant."
"That's the spirit."
"What's this world coming to if you're my voice of reason?" She laughed as Briar pouted. "Come on I should let the guards know that Daja and Frostpine are coming. We don't want a repeat of your fiasco."
It was three days later that Daja finally appeared. The two of them had been having lunch with their students.
"Hi satti." The dark skinned girl smiled as the smaller girl jumped up from where she was sitting to greet her.
"Looking good there trader." Briar smirked remaining seated.
"Can't say the same about you thief boy." She laughed and came to sit down with the rest of them.
"So I'm guessing these two are your students" She indicated with her staff to Pasco and Evvy.
"Unfortunately yes." Briar replied taking a bite out of his food.
"Evvy and Pasco… right." Daja extended her hand to shake.
"Yes." Pasco took her hand looking even more nervous. It wasn't every day an A Acalon spent time with such an assortment of people. Yet more and more frequently he found himself in the company of these people.
Evvy smiled innocently at the trader while appraising her. Daja leaned her trader's staff next to her chair as she sat down. Turning to her friends Daja looked between them interested.
"So what has been happening? I need all the details." Sandry and Briar went over all that had happened since the ball as the all finished their lunch. After they were all done Pasco had to leave for another dancing lesson and Evvy wandered off to explore the gardens. After they had left Daja's face contorted with worry.
"These mages seem like really bad news to me."
"Really?" Briar looked at the trader skeptically. "Tell use something we don't know."
"I'm worried about uncle. He's been through so much but he's always been there for me. And how do I repay him…" Sandry sighed bitterly. "You do realize they want me for some reason."
"No not only you they want to hurt all of us." Daja replied putting her hand on the girl.
"But I was names specifically in the prophecy."
"No they want to destroy our circle. It's just that you are holding the circle."
"And so it goes back to our circle."
"Yes that does seem like where all our troubles originate." Briar said sitting on the table looking at the two of them. "But I wouldn't give you our circle for anything." Sandry looked up at him at that comment. He turned away and looked out the window his cheeks coloring slightly.
Daja looked at them both once again. Smiling to herself she got up. "Neither would I. Well we can't do anything just sitting here. Come on would you say no to a visit to Winding Circle. I'm sure their libraries will have more information on Elemental Mages so we know what to expect."
"I haven't been there in so long." Sandy said wistfully. "I've been so busy with keeping everything organized and now this…"
"Well now's a good as time as any. There doesn't seem to be anything major happening today and we do need to learn more about these elementals. After all know it's always best to know thy enemy." Briar said with an encouraging smile. "They already seem to know a lot about us. It's only fair."
"Ok. Everything's fairly calm around here. I suppose I can leave far a bit." Sandry relented thinking about everything that had to be done around the citadel.
"Ok you two go and gather anything you might need and we can all meet by the front gate in… let's say a half an hour?"
"Alright. Are you brining Evvy?" Sandry asked Briar as the three friends walked out the door.
"Yah. I better. Who knows what kind of mischief she would get to around here?" Briar said turning off to head for the gardens.
"Yah that or he's tired of her asking to go check on her cats." Sandry whispered to Daja as they turned toward the noble's room. The two girls smiled at each other and started to catch each other up on what was happening in each other's lives.
It was almost 45 minutes later that the group finally left the citadel. Briar took longer than expected because Evvy had wandered off. He had found her near one of the walls of the citadel in a huge pile of rocks that had been piled in a corner.
When they reached Winding Circle it was already well past noon. After stabling their horses Briar suggested taking a detour through the kitchens. They decided to take the long path that circled the temple grounds that gave Winding Circle its name. Along the way they passed many cherished places of their time there.
"Look, Crane's green house is looking as good as ever." Daja pointed out to Briar as they walked past the Magnificent glass building that had caught Briar's eye several years ago.
"Yah. But it looks like he took some of what Rosethorn said seriously as he pointed out a new addition to the Air Temple dedicate's building. The three girls who were walking with him turned their eyes to see the opening where the Glass house opened to an open pasture where some of the plants could get natural sunlight.
"Oh what's over here?" Evvy asked as they continued their walk. Daja smiled and just increased her pace. Getting to the door of a closed building she rapped her trader's staff several times on the door before pushing it open to revel a large forge and a young man with blond hair tending the fire. As he felt the breeze from the open door he turned around. Immediately he spotted the trader. Smiling widely he turned back to watch what he was working on.
"Took you long enough to get back trader." The blond grinned as he took what he was working on out of the fire to cool.
"Oh you know you missed me Kirel."
"Only because with you here I had less to do." He smirked at her as he took of his apron and gloves. Stepping up to her he pulled her into an abrupt hug. A soft snickering from the doorway caused Kirel to let go of the metal mage and turn his attention to the other three standing in the doorway.
"Thief Boy. I hope your not back again to steal anything."
"Why does everyone insist on calling me that?" Briar fumes softly "I never stole anything from this forge, I'll have you know."
"Because if he did Frostpine would know and have his neck." Sandra whispered to Evvy who giggled.
"Well, it's good to have you back at least." Kirel turned to Daja. "I'm assuming you're going back to Discipline now?"
"Yep. It's been so long since I've seen Lark."
"Well I have some things to left to do. I think Frostpine went up there too. So you might meet him there."
"Alright. If he comes back tell him I'll stop by later."
"Can do." And with that the three left the forge to continue on their way to the Hub.
As they go closer the wonderful smells of baked goods floated thought the air. Briar led the way into the bustling kitchen getting ready for dinner.
"Well if it isn't Briar Moss." Dedicate Gorse slid up to the group holding a plate full of pastries. "I heard Rosethore was back and I was wondering how long it would be before you found your way back here." He passed Briar the tray and looked at the three girls. "Daja Kusibo, Dutchess Sandrilene, and… I don't believe we're met before." Gorse looked at Evvy questionably.
"This is Evvy. She's my student." Briar said with pride.
"Student. Well I thought it was amazing when Sandry here turned up with her student but you?" He chuckled. "This is a special event indeed. Wait here while I get you something to take back to Discipline. That is where you are going next isn't it?" The four of them nodded in agreement.
"Why does everyone seem so surprised when they learn I'm your student?" Evvy asked Briar. Briar just glowered and huffed. Daja grinned and explained to Evvy.
"It's because five years ago Briar didn't even believe in magic. And it was only three years ago that he finally consented to have an actual bed put into his room."
"Must you tell her that?"
"What good is having all this dirt on you if I can't tell it to your students?"
"Exactly Daja." Sandry grinned at her trader friend. "Did Briar tell you the time he picked poison ivy with out realizing it and got a nasty rash for several days?"
"It was an honest mistake." Briar wined.
"Yah but you're supposed to be the plant mage here." Luckily Gorse showed up at that moment to prevent the older girls from telling Evvy any more amusing details about her teacher. Giving Briar and Daja a hamper full of food Evvy a smaller basket full of some more baked good her ushered them out.
"Now don't any of you be strangers. No one goes hungry at winding circle."
Once they were outside Briar tuned to the smiling girls. "Oh just you wait until I get Pasco alone and I can tell him everything about you Duchess."
"Oh yah…" They went on arguing for a while until Daja interrupted their bickering/
"Guys." Daja looked over at them smirking. "
"What?" They both responded in unison.
"Stop bickering we're almost at Discipline." The two look around in surprise taking in their surroundings. Neither of them had realized they had been walking while quarrelling.
"Where's Evvy?" Briar looked around for his stray student.
"I sent her ahead. She was so eager to see Discipline and she was getting bored of you two. I understood, I still can't believe I spent almost four years listening to you two."
The only response either of the two could give the smug trader girl was the cold shoulder as they walked faster toward their old home.
"Lark" Sandry called out though the house. She could have sworn she had heard someone in the house before they entered.
"Rosethorn! Evvy!" Briar called out as well.
"Where could they be?" Daja wondered as she gripped her staff closer to her.
"The garden maybe?" Sandry asked as they walked into the kitchen together.
"No, we would have seen them before coming in." Briar responded sensibly.
"Then where…"
"SURPRISE!" The three young mages jumped in shock as they walked into the kitchen. Seated at the kitchen table was Lark, Rosethorn, and Crane. Gorse was typically at the stove and Frostpine and Kirel were standing next to the table and Pasco and Evvy were seated on the floor with a pile of rocks.
"What?" Sandry asked confused as they were led to sit at the table.
"It's a welcome back for all of you."
"But I didn't go anywhere." Sandry replied shocked.
"Maybe physically you didn't go very far but mentally you've grown away from this place." Lark said gently. "This is just a reminder to all of your that there will always be a place at Discipline for you."
"It only Tris and Niko was here." Daja spoke out loud the thought that was running though all three friends' head.
"Don't you know they should be back within the week?" Rosethorn looked at three children she had grown to care so much about.
"No." Briar and Daja responded.
"Things have been so hectic at the citadel. Tris's letter's probably sitting on my desk under all the merchant reports." Sandry sighed looking downcast. She couldn't believe she missed such an important letter. To think that just a week ago she would have given anything to here from Tris.
"Well. Don't dwell on it." Lark said gently to the young girl. "Now you know to prepare." Sandry smiled at her teacher as she was lead to a seat at the long bench. Briar took the seat next to hers and Daja want around to the other side.
"Come over here you two." Briar called to the two students on the floor. "I want to eat sometime soon."
"Thief-boy here wants to eat. Whose surprised by that?" Daja laughed at the face Briar pulled at her as they all sat down to enjoy their meal.
Done. Once again sorry for the wait. If you hadn't already read this from one off my other fics my English teacher thinks I need a tutor and it really put me off wrting for a while. Hopefully I'm out of my funk though.
Comet- Yes hopefully because I'm tierd of just sitting here.
Oh be quiet, you. Well. school's ending in less than a week and I have a weeksbreak before going of toGovenor's school for four weeks where I'm not sure I'll have a computerat my disposel to update fics with. So I'm doing an informalpoll with myreviews.Which ever of my fics gets the most reviews by Tuseday June 14,2005 I will promise to update before I leave.
Comet-This is a plot I know it.
Didn't I tell you to shut up.
Comet- Yes but bothering youis so much more fun.
rolls eyes- Aside form that I also am searching for aBeta forall my fics. If you'reinterested you canBeta jsut one story or an entire category. Ireally have no preference. Just leave in a reveiw what you want to beta and your e-mail and I'll try to get back to you asbefore I leave. I'll also happily plot beta anyof your fics if you wish to be my Beta.
Moonwolf (Now I can't even put my star in my fics)