(A/N) This chapter kind of skips around a bit. I hope you can follow. And I
forgot about Comas, so I'm not going to bother putting him in. So deal with
it. Oh, yeah, since I forgot it in the last chapter... Disclaimer: All
characters belong to Tamora Pierce, except Phantasma (which is a kitten).
Chapter 2: Reunited
There, halfway between Briar and the edge of the roof, was a sleeping Sandry. Briar's breath caught when he realized how truly beautiful Sandry had become. Briar had always found Sandry pretty, but 'pretty' didn't describe the girl in front of him now. Beautiful was the first word that came to his mind. Radiant, enchanting... Breathtaking. All Briar could think about for a full minute were words describing Sandry's beauty. Briar shook the thoughts away. This was Sandry he was thinking about. There could never be anything between them. They were best friends; nothing more.
Suddenly nervous, Briar crept toward the sleeping Sandry. Why am I so nervous? Its just Sandry. Slowly, Briar let a tendril of his magic reach towards Sandry. He watched as Sandry's eyes snapped open and she sat up. "Hey Duchess," Briar greeted her; using the long-since-used nickname he had given her.
"Briar?" She jumped up, ran to him, and flung her arms tightly around Briar's neck in a big hug that nearly sent them both to the ground. "I'm so glad you're back! I missed you so much."
"Same here, Duchess." Awkwardly, Briar returned the hug by wrapping his arms around Sandry's waist.
Without relinquishing her hold on Briar, Sandry pulled back to look at him. His jet black hair was a little longer now, but his emerald eyes were as captivating as ever, not to mention his even more dazzling smile. Dazzling? Since when have I thought of Briar as dazzling? Or captivating?
Sandry was even more beautiful up close. Fleetingly, Briar wondered what it would be like to kiss her. As soon as he thought it, Briar shoved it out of his mind, remembering that Sandry was his foster-sister. Nothing more. At least that's what Briar kept telling himself.
"Pahan Briar? Are you up there?" Evvy's voice floated up to them, breaking the moment.
"Yes, Evvy. We'll be right down." Briar and Sandry let go of each other and climbed back into the house. "Sandry, this is Evvy, my student. Evvy, this is Sandry."
Evvy looked from the noble to her Pahan and back again. If Briar trusted her, Evvy supposed she could too. "Nice to meet you , Lady." Evvy attempted a clumsy curtsy.
Sandry hid her smile. "It's nice to finally meet you , and it's Sandry. No formalities, please."
Evvy nodded. "You really aren't like most nobles."
Sandry laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment." Evvy blushed slightly and walked back downstairs.
"Well," Briar said, "I think she likes you. Ladies first." Sandry punched him playfully and followed Evvy downstairs. Briar watched Sandry. She walked with such grace it seemed as if she was floating down the stairs. Finally, Briar followed the girls.
Throughout dinner, Sandry could barely take her eyes off of Briar. Every once in a while he would glance over at her and meet her eyes. She was surprised at how much he had changed. He was much more mature; he talked about more serious subjects, every once in a while, instead of joking and complaining all the time. He had grown to be a very handsome young man.
Briar and Rosethorn were telling Sandry, Lark, and Pasco about one of their adventures they had had on their journey. Briar was making wild gestures as he described miscellaneous things.
Pasco Acalon, Sandry's student had joined them for dinner. He didn't seem to like neither Evvy nor Briar, and he practically told them so. After only being there for a few hours, Rosethorn had already made Pasco thoroughly fear her.
Evvy's cats mewed all around the table, begging for scraps. One kitten, in particular, took a liking to Sandry. Evvy had told her earlier that the kitten was another stray, and had refused to let anyone touch her. Evvy named that one Phantasma because she was like a phantom in the way she acted. Phantasma had been following Sandry around all afternoon, and was now sitting patiently beside Sandry. Sandry noticed that Evvy was slightly hurt by Phantasma's actions.
After the evening meal, the group retired to the sitting room to talk some more. Soon, Sandry, tired form the events of the day, fell asleep in the chair she was sitting in. Rosethorn had gone to bed just a little while before, and so had Evvy. Pasco had left shortly after the meal.
Lark smiled, seeing Sandry asleep. "I hate to wake her. She's been having too many nightmares lately. She needs as much sleep as she can get."
Briar was confused. He knew that, for the most part, Sandry's fear of the dark had dissipated. He wondered what had happened to renew her nightmares. Just then it occurred to Briar that Sandry hadn't said anything about what she had done while he, Tris, and Daja were away. He mad a mental note to ask Sandry what she'd been dreaming about lately the next day.
"Briar," Lark said, interrupting his thoughts, "Would you carry Sandry to her room? Try not to wake her, please."
"Sure Lark." Briar stood up and walked over to where Sandry was sitting. Gently, he picked her up and was surprised at how light she was. 'I've got to make her eat more,' he told himself, carrying her into her room. He placed her carefully on the bed, took off her shoes, and pulled her blackest over her. Briar brushed some loose hair out of her face and was once again frozen by her beauty. Briar gulped and glanced toward the door to make sure no one was watching, and, light as a feather, kissed Sandry's lips and quickly retreated to his room.
Chapter 2: Reunited
There, halfway between Briar and the edge of the roof, was a sleeping Sandry. Briar's breath caught when he realized how truly beautiful Sandry had become. Briar had always found Sandry pretty, but 'pretty' didn't describe the girl in front of him now. Beautiful was the first word that came to his mind. Radiant, enchanting... Breathtaking. All Briar could think about for a full minute were words describing Sandry's beauty. Briar shook the thoughts away. This was Sandry he was thinking about. There could never be anything between them. They were best friends; nothing more.
Suddenly nervous, Briar crept toward the sleeping Sandry. Why am I so nervous? Its just Sandry. Slowly, Briar let a tendril of his magic reach towards Sandry. He watched as Sandry's eyes snapped open and she sat up. "Hey Duchess," Briar greeted her; using the long-since-used nickname he had given her.
"Briar?" She jumped up, ran to him, and flung her arms tightly around Briar's neck in a big hug that nearly sent them both to the ground. "I'm so glad you're back! I missed you so much."
"Same here, Duchess." Awkwardly, Briar returned the hug by wrapping his arms around Sandry's waist.
Without relinquishing her hold on Briar, Sandry pulled back to look at him. His jet black hair was a little longer now, but his emerald eyes were as captivating as ever, not to mention his even more dazzling smile. Dazzling? Since when have I thought of Briar as dazzling? Or captivating?
Sandry was even more beautiful up close. Fleetingly, Briar wondered what it would be like to kiss her. As soon as he thought it, Briar shoved it out of his mind, remembering that Sandry was his foster-sister. Nothing more. At least that's what Briar kept telling himself.
"Pahan Briar? Are you up there?" Evvy's voice floated up to them, breaking the moment.
"Yes, Evvy. We'll be right down." Briar and Sandry let go of each other and climbed back into the house. "Sandry, this is Evvy, my student. Evvy, this is Sandry."
Evvy looked from the noble to her Pahan and back again. If Briar trusted her, Evvy supposed she could too. "Nice to meet you , Lady." Evvy attempted a clumsy curtsy.
Sandry hid her smile. "It's nice to finally meet you , and it's Sandry. No formalities, please."
Evvy nodded. "You really aren't like most nobles."
Sandry laughed. "I'll take that as a compliment." Evvy blushed slightly and walked back downstairs.
"Well," Briar said, "I think she likes you. Ladies first." Sandry punched him playfully and followed Evvy downstairs. Briar watched Sandry. She walked with such grace it seemed as if she was floating down the stairs. Finally, Briar followed the girls.
Throughout dinner, Sandry could barely take her eyes off of Briar. Every once in a while he would glance over at her and meet her eyes. She was surprised at how much he had changed. He was much more mature; he talked about more serious subjects, every once in a while, instead of joking and complaining all the time. He had grown to be a very handsome young man.
Briar and Rosethorn were telling Sandry, Lark, and Pasco about one of their adventures they had had on their journey. Briar was making wild gestures as he described miscellaneous things.
Pasco Acalon, Sandry's student had joined them for dinner. He didn't seem to like neither Evvy nor Briar, and he practically told them so. After only being there for a few hours, Rosethorn had already made Pasco thoroughly fear her.
Evvy's cats mewed all around the table, begging for scraps. One kitten, in particular, took a liking to Sandry. Evvy had told her earlier that the kitten was another stray, and had refused to let anyone touch her. Evvy named that one Phantasma because she was like a phantom in the way she acted. Phantasma had been following Sandry around all afternoon, and was now sitting patiently beside Sandry. Sandry noticed that Evvy was slightly hurt by Phantasma's actions.
After the evening meal, the group retired to the sitting room to talk some more. Soon, Sandry, tired form the events of the day, fell asleep in the chair she was sitting in. Rosethorn had gone to bed just a little while before, and so had Evvy. Pasco had left shortly after the meal.
Lark smiled, seeing Sandry asleep. "I hate to wake her. She's been having too many nightmares lately. She needs as much sleep as she can get."
Briar was confused. He knew that, for the most part, Sandry's fear of the dark had dissipated. He wondered what had happened to renew her nightmares. Just then it occurred to Briar that Sandry hadn't said anything about what she had done while he, Tris, and Daja were away. He mad a mental note to ask Sandry what she'd been dreaming about lately the next day.
"Briar," Lark said, interrupting his thoughts, "Would you carry Sandry to her room? Try not to wake her, please."
"Sure Lark." Briar stood up and walked over to where Sandry was sitting. Gently, he picked her up and was surprised at how light she was. 'I've got to make her eat more,' he told himself, carrying her into her room. He placed her carefully on the bed, took off her shoes, and pulled her blackest over her. Briar brushed some loose hair out of her face and was once again frozen by her beauty. Briar gulped and glanced toward the door to make sure no one was watching, and, light as a feather, kissed Sandry's lips and quickly retreated to his room.