Disclaimer: I do not own Circle of Magic

Thank you Rosethorn for being my beta reader!

Not Where I Belong

Chapter Five

From last time:

The two stargazers climbed down the ladder and then went down the staircase. They both stopped at Sandry's door. G' night Sandry," said Briar awkwardly.

"Good night Briar. Sweet dreams." Sandry disappeared into her room and Briar continued to his. Settling down in his heap of blankets he too went to sleep hoping for good dreams.

Briar woke up feeling very refreshed and ready to start the day, which was a good thing because at that moment Rosethorn decided to burst in without knocking. "Get up, Boy. We are leaving in twenty minutes whether you are ready or not."

"Leaving where?" Briar asked sleepily as he climbed out of his nest. Rosethorn was already gone, but Briar could hear people banging pots and pans around in the kitchen, so after getting dressed, he went in to find Sandry making porridge, Tris setting the table, and Daja coming down the staircase.

Lark came bustling in from the front yard. "Everything is packed, we just need to eat and go." With that the porridge was carried over to the table and everyone sat down and started to eat.

"So where are we going?," he asked around a mouthful of the cinnamon flavored mixture.

Rosethorn gave him a disapproving glare. "Ask that again when your mouth is not full."

Briar swallowed and repeated his question. "We are going to Emelan," said Lark, "to sell some of the temple's wares."

"Oh." Briar finished and cleared his bowl and started collecting everyone else's as Daja began to wash the dishes, five minutes later they was ready to go. Or so they thought.

"Boy, go put some shoes on. We do not walk around barefoot in town."

"Aww do I have to Rosethorn?" whined Briar. Rosethorn gave a curt nod and Briar disappeared back into his room and came out wearing shoes that Lark had found for him. "These things are too tight," he grumbled as he followed the rest of the household out to the waiting wagon.

"All right kids, go climb in the back. Rosethorn and I will be up front if you need anything." All four children climbed into the back where all the items for sale were being kept. Briar looked around in awe of what was there with them. Hand woven baskets, jars filled with medicines and balms, soaps, metalwork, the place was packed to the point of exploding.

"Do we really need all this stuff?" the black-haired boy asked. "There's so much of it."

"Of course we need it," replied the merchant girl. "The temple does need to get some income so that they can continue to work and improve their magic skills."

The ride to town was very uneventful. When they arrived, the children helped to unpack the merchandise and set it up under a canopy so that people could come and look in the shade.

After about two hours, the children, especially Briar, were getting restless in the hot sun of the day. They had already eaten lunch the that Dedicate Gorse had given to Lark to bring with them, but now they were bored.

Lark noticed this and decided that she had to do something. She walked over to where the children were sitting on the edge of the wagon. "How about you kids go have some fun?" she said, handing each child some money. "Be back in an hour, we should be ready to go then. And be careful, all of you!"

Sandry smiled, Daja grinned, Tris looked happy to be moving, and Briar was beaming at the prospect of getting to go explore the town. The four took the offered money and headed off in different directions.

Tris went to go inspect a book stall that they had passed on their way into the bustling city. Daja and Sandry walked off in a random direction, and Briar caught sight of a pair of street rats standing in a corner. He decided to go talk to them to see if they knew anything from Sotat.

Approaching them, Briar held out his hands to show that he wasn't carrying weapons. The two boys looked him over and seemed to come to a silent agreement that Briar was okay to talk to. "Hey, you kids hear anything 'bout Hajra recently?"

The two boys seemed surprised that a nicely dressed boy was talking just like they did. "Look," exclaimed one, pointing to Briar's hands. "He's a thief! Did ya steal those clothes, kid?"

Briar grinned. "Actually, these are mine. Gift from some people I live with. He held out both hands so that they could see both black X tattoos. "I've been caught all three, and went to a mining camp in Hajra. Got stuck in a cave-in and was brought to Winding Circle. Seems that they think I have magic."

Both boys gaped. "You do know that magic is fakery," the one who hadn't spoken yet stated. "And yeah I heard somethin' 'bout Hajra."

"I thought it was too, but they told me I tried to strangle them with plants." Briar shrugged. "So what did ya hear 'bout Hajra?"

"There was an escape actually. Can't remember if it was the docks or a mining camp, but two of 'em got loose. People said that the guy in charge lagged off and they just left. No one has found 'em yet."

Briar opened his mouth to speak. Escapes were so rare; one he could believe, but two getting loose at the same time, that was crazy talk He was interrupted by yelling coming from a back alley that sounded quite a bit like Sandry.

"Aren't you gonna go take a look?" he asked, wondering why these boys weren't making a move to see what was going on.

"Naw, doesn't concern us, so we don't get involved."

"Well I'm gonna go check it out." Briar gave them a friendly wave and raced off to the alley. He saw Sandry and Daja attacking some street boys, who seemed to have the upper advantage. Briar didn't know what the fighting was about, but these girls were sort of like a new gang and if they were in trouble then he had to help.

Diving into the fray, Briar began to punch anyone who tried to punch him. What he wasn't expecting was Sandry to punch him in the face. "God bless it Sandry, I'm on your side!"

"Briar! When did you get here?"

"Talk later, fight now." Briar was just finished getting one out of the way when he met with a very familiar face. Ironically, it was also the only boy still standing and uninjured. "You! I'm going to kill you!" Briar lunged at the boy and tackled him to the ground and started to punch him.

The other boy's dawned recognition and he threw Briar off of him. "Roach? What the heck are you doing here? I thought you were sent to the mines?"

"I'd like to ask you the same question, Slug. What are you doing in Emelan?"

"Getting away from the Bags."

"Do you even realize what you did? You sent me and half the gang all over the blasted country because you couldn't keep watch correctly! And were you sent away? No, 'cause you only got your second then."

Sandry and Daja were just watched this exchange between the two boys, not really understanding what was going on. Tris, who had seen them fighting, had just gotten back with Lark, and they too stared as Briar and the new kid yelled insults at each other.

The young noble covered her ears. she had no idea that Briar could curse in five different languages. Briar and Slug were once again grappling on the ground, trying to punch each other's lights out. "You're getting rusty, Roach," sneered Slug, who was on the bottom. "Seems you forgot what you should always carry with you." Briar felt a sudden pain flare through his stomach as Slug pulled a dagger out of his arm sleeve and jabbed it into his abdomen.

Sandry and Tris screamed as Briar fell back, clutching his stomach. Slug took this moment to get out from underneath and run. And run he did. No one cared about him, though, because Briar was in trouble. Lark rushed over and scooped Briar up in her arms, not caring that she was getting blood all over her robes.

Sandry picked something up off the ground and then they all ran back to the wagon. This time the roles of the two dedicates was reversed. "Rosethorn!" yelled Lark, "get me bandages and water now!"

Rosethorn, who had been packing up what they hadn't sold, which wasn't much, looked up to see her friend and the three girls running towards her, Lark carrying Briar. She quickly disappeared into the back and came out with what Lark had requested.

Lark set Briar on the wagon seat and removed his shirt so that she could get a better look at the stab wound. "It's just a scratch, Lark, you don't need to worry about it." Briar said trying to pull away from the help they were trying to give him.

"That is not just a scratch, Briar Moss, that is a very serious wound that needs treated immediately. Now hold still, I need to clean it." Briar lay quiet as Lark applied a cleaning solution to keep the infection out, and then wrapped the injury with a bandage. "There now, that's better, isn't it?"

Briar just winced in reply and donned the new shirt that Sandry handed him. Lark had packed a change of clothes for everyone just in case they got dirty. "Now, I want to know what happened," said Rosethorn sternly. "What were you doing to get stabbed?"

Sandry looked at her feet. "I'm afraid that it is my fault," she replied guiltily. Eyebrows were raised around the group. "Those boys were beating up a puppy so I told them to leave it alone. Then Daja showed up and we started fighting. Briar popped in sometime and I didn't even know until I actually punched him in the face." Here she looked up at Briar and said quite sheepishly, "I'm really sorry about that, I thought you were on their side."

"No big deal, Duchess, I'm fine."

"Please continue, Sandry," said Rosethorn. "You still haven't told me how he got stabbed."

"Well, we were doing pretty well, Daja and her staff were causing major damage and so was Briar. But it turned out that the last boy left standing was the one who got Briar sent to the mining camps in the first place. I think his name was Slug."

Briar nodded in confirmation. "That no-good little rat got us all caught and then he gets off with nothing except another X. If I see him again he will be dead." Briar clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palm, leaving little drips of blood from the scratches he gave himself.

Sandry grabbed another roll of bandages and a wet rag and tried to clean out the new injuries Briar had inflicted upon himself, but he angrily shook her off. Lark looked worried at this behavior and decided that it was time to change the subject. "I think that it is time we start heading back. It will be getting dark soon," she said quietly.

The children nodded and headed towards the back of the wagon, Briar walking slightly slower than normal as not to further injure his wound. The puppy that Sandry had rescued also joined them. When they reached Discipline, Lark and Rosethorn went around back to see how the children were doing. All four were fast asleep, sprawled out on the floor with blankets that the adults kept in the back. The do g was curled up on top of Sandry, his breath blowing her hair away from her face.

"How sweet," whispered Lark. "How do you want to get them back into the house? I don't have the heart to wake them."

Rosethorn did have the heart to wake them. "All right, all of you get up! You can go back to bed once you get into the house." Groans of protest were heard as they were pulled from their sleep. All four climbed slowly out of the wagon and made their way back to their rooms, Daja and Tris barely making it up the stairs and into bed before they were fast asleep again.

Sandry made it to her bed and even got changed into her nightgown before she collapsed on her bed and was fast asleep. The new pet of the house curled up on the floor and also went to bed. Briar was another story. Now that he was awake he wasn't sleepy anymore. Instead he was wide awake so he just sat in his blanket heap and thought over the events of the day. It had started out okay, and then he had ran into Slug. Oh, how he wanted that kid dead. If Slug had just been a good lookout, he would never have been sent to the mines and would still be running around Hajra. 'But,' a little voice in his head responded, 'if it wasn't for Slug, you would never have been brought to Winding Circle.' That thought in mind, Briar now suddenly tired, fell asleep.

Author's Notes:

Yay! I wanted to update today and I did! I want to let you all know that I have been grounded due to an F on my geometry test, so I can't be onm as much, meaning that I can't type my fics. Hope to get the grade up and get my time back though n.n

Also, because many of you have asked, this will be a Sandry Briar fic, but that won't really start until later, seeing as they are only ten years old at the moment.

For any aime people out there, Wolf's Rain is on tonight! And Toboe dies. I'm going to be crying buckets!

Well I have to go babysit in 20 minutes so I better get on with the comments!

Reviewer's Comments:

IcyPanther: Hopefully, I won't have any grammar mistakes this chappie! Sandry rolling off the roof would be funny, glad she didn't! I might not have gotten 32, but I did get 31. n.n

warrior of tortall: I talk to everyone, no matter how much they write. And this is going to be a S/B fic. (see above)

Emma Lee18: No, I couldn't help putting Draco in, but I also couldn't remember any other names. They all had the general idea they had magic when weird things happened around them. I know he shouldn't have met everyone at once, but that's the way it worked. At least he met Sandry first, ne?

Liarra: Well it's not going to be a completely angsty fic, but I will see what I can do. I have an idea of something in later years, but not now.

Dreamerdoll: Kirel is cute, but I would have Briar over him any day! 50 million? Wow that is a lot! I think Sandry and Briar make such a cute couple. The street rat and the noble. Sort of like Aladdin and Jasmine.

This-Is-Not-A-Flame: Thanks so much for being my beta! I left the last line how it was because I really liked it like that. Don't ask me why, I just did. Glad Rosethorn is back in character and yes, we are somewhere in the middle of Sandry's book. We have met Little Bear, who is still unnamed at this moment. n.n

SoraMiko: Thanks so much! I should be getting the books soon, so hopefully I will understand it better. I believe the cresecents are in Emelan, the astrels are when we are in Daja's Book, and the majas are in Street Magic? Guess I'll have to read them again! Hope to see you next chappie!