Disclaimer: I don't own any of the charact—
Aelish: FORGET THE STUPID DISCLAIMER ALREADY!
Me: You stay out of this chapter!
Aelish: No!
Me: But I don't want all the characters after me again!
Aelish: Well, too bad! Besides, it's so fun to watch!
Me: But—
Crane: This is her?
Rosethorn: Yep.
Me: Umm…how did you get her back from being a ladybug?
Crane: Well, I'm a plant mage, aren't I?
Me: But I'm supposed to be all-powerful around here!
Rosethorn: Too bad. GET HER!
Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!
Chapter 2
"…and I came in and there they were, kissing!" Briar finished.
Sandry looked at him. "You have to be kidding me!"
"Nope." He shook his head, looking positive.
"Then you've been seeing things again," the noble insisted. "They can't have been…" She trailed off.
"She's right," said Daja.
"Why don't you believe me?" demanded Briar.
"Well, if they were kissing, that means they like each other," said Tris sensibly.
Daja looked at her in surprise. "You agree with him, then?"
"I didn't say they were kissing," returned Tris snappishly. "I just said if."
"Oi," Briar mumbled. "Why can't you trust me? She's my teacher, isn't she?"
"Yes, but you're a thief," Daja pointed out.
"I don't nick things all that much anymore," the boy protested.
"But does that have an effect on whether you lie or not?" Tris wanted to know.
Briar sighed. "You skirts are so picky!"
"How many times do I have to tell you? I am not a 'skirt'! I am a girl!"
"You'd think after all this time he'd have got away from his street talk," Daja commented.
Briar shook his head. "It's perfectly good talk. Better than what all you sniffers use. And…"
"Boy!" came a shout from below. "Come on down here! There's weeding to be done!"
He jumped to his feet. "Don't tell her I told you," he said. "She said if I did, she'd hang me in the well." With that, he ran out of the room.
rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn
Dinner passed in silence, for the most part, although there were some mind-to-mind comments from Briar about the fact that Rosethorn looked rather confused, and how she had been very out-of-it that afternoon in the garden.
I tell you, she was thinking about that kiss! he insisted.
If it even happened, said Tris.
"But it did!" he retorted, almost at his wits' end. Unfortunately, in his distress he said it aloud. Everyone turned to stare.
"What was that?" asked Lark after a moment. Rosethorn narrowed her eyes at him, and he looked away.
"Um…nothing. Never mind," he mumbled, at which Rosethorn looked even more suspicious.
"He was just telling us that his dusting did get done a few days ago. We've been arguing about it for a while, but we figured there was no need to disturb you," Sandry lied. Briar was surprised. She didn't agree with him, so why was she covering up for him?
When the adults resumed their conversation again, Rosethorn still looking slightly uncomfortable, he asked her as much.
You needed it, she replied. Whether I agree with you or not. Besides, I don't want you hung in the well. You might poison our water.
You're starting to sound like Rosethorn, he grumbled. In fact, she said pretty much the same thing to me once.
Sandry said nothing, only grinned.
rosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethornrosethornlovescrane&cranelovesrosethorn
After the meal, Sandry, Daja and Tris went up to their rooms. Niko and Frostpine left, saying they had things to attend to, and Rosethorn went into her workroom. This left Lark and Briar. The dedicate got out her spinning, and Briar set to memorizing yet another of Rosethorn's endless lists of plants.
It had not been quiet for very long when there was a knock on the door. Lark got up to answer it.
"Yes?" Briar heard her say, and then a moment later, "Oh. Hello, Crane. What brings you here?"
"I came to see…er…that is, I was wondering…if Rosethorn was here?"
At this, Briar sat up and listened hard. "Yes," Lark said. "She's in her workroom. Come this way." She stepped inside, and Crane followed her to the room. As he knocked on the door, she came back to the living room.
"Come in." That was Rosethorn. Briar jumped up.
"I have to…um…I'll be right back," he said, and ran down the hall after Crane.
The dedicate had just shut the door of the workroom behind him when Briar arrived. The boy quickly and silently opened it a crack and peered in. Rosethorn had her head down and was writing something at a table. Crane stood behind her, watching.
The man cleared his throat, looking slightly nervous. After a moment, Rosethorn looked up.
"Oh, it's you," she said.
"Yes," Crane told her, now looking distinctly uncomfortable. "I came to…ah…I mean, I…would like to apologize for…um…what happened yesterday…" He trailed off.
Rosethorn stood up and turned around to face him, then stopped as she realized how close she was standing to him. They both stood there for some moments, as Briar watched, waiting…waiting…
A hand touched his shoulder, and he whirled around, too well-trained in this type of thing to make a sound. It was Lark. She grinned at him.
"Spying?" she whispered. He nodded sheepishly, and she motioned for him to scoot over. This he did, and she put her eye to the crack that he'd been looking through.
After a moment, she looked back at him, her eyes dancing. "I think they're in la-la-land," she said.
He grinned. Street talk. "No, they're in love-love-land," he informed her. She raised an eyebrow.
"I saw it with my own eyes," he said. She shrugged and looked back through the crack in the door.
Barely a second later, however, she turned her head to look at him again. "I see what you mean," she told him, smiling mischievously, and gestured for him to look.
He looked, and laughed. They were kissing again. Unfortunately, he laughed a bit too loudly.
"Um," he heard Crane say, and then footsteps. Lark's eyes widened, and she dashed for the living room. Briar would have done the same, but he was still in a crouching position, and while he was nimble, Lark was the one who had been an acrobat. As he stood up, the door opened, and he found himself staring at Crane, with Rosethorn close behind.
He wasn't the only one in trouble, however. As fast as Lark could run, it wasn't quite fast enough. Rosethorn narrowed her eyes, and then walked out into the living room just in time to see Lark sit down on the couch, panting a little. Briar and Crane followed. Briar gave Lark a half-apologetic, half-sympathetic smile from behind Crane.
"Lark?" asked Rosethorn, with deceptive calm.
The other dedicate looked up. "Yes?" she said, sounding completely innocent. Briar made a mental note to ask her for lessons sometime.
Rosethorn sighed. "Were you, or were you not, spying on u—me?" For some odd reason, Briar had the feeling that the word she had changed partway through was 'us'.
Lark looked at her and sighed. "A little spying every now and then is good for you, Rosie."
To Briar's extreme astonishment, Rosethorn, after staring at Lark for a minute, smiled and shook her head. "Oh, you," she said. Then she made as though to go back into her workroom, avoiding looking at Crane as she did so. Halfway there, however, she turned around. "And as for you, my lad," she said, "you are forgiven this time too, I suppose. But if it happens again, I'll…"
"I know, you'll hang me in the well," mumbled Briar, sighing. "You could get some new threats, you know."
Rosethorn simply raised her eyebrows and went into the workroom, shutting the door with a bang that was somewhat louder than necessary. Crane left, looking highly embarrassed.
As soon as they were gone, Briar looked at Lark, who was spinning again. "How do you do that?" he wanted to know. "Act so…innocent?"
She shrugged. "It's not that hard."
He managed to remain silent for a minute before the question burst out of him. "Can you teach me?"
Lark looked up and regarded him with her head on one side. Briar waited impatiently.
At last, she gave him an impish smile. "You'll learn in no time."
A/N: (panting) Okay—review—et cetera—you know the—drill…phew!
Crane: LET ME DOWN!
Me: No!
Aelish: What'd you do this time?
Me: Turned Rosethorn into a well and hung Crane in it.
Crane: THIS IS THE MOST RIDICULOUS POSITION I HAVE BEEN IN FOR YEARS!
Me: Good. Maybe it will teach you not to chase me, because this is AELISH'S fault!
Aelish: No it's not!
Me: Yes it is! You're the one writing all the ridiculous parts!
Aelish: But YOU'RE the author! How can I be writing part of the story?
Me: Because you're my evil Cupid twin!
Aelish: Don't be ridiculous! I'm just a normal girl!
Me: No you're not!
Aelish: Yes I am!
Me: No you're not!
Aelish: Yes I am!
Me: No you're not!
Aelish: Yes I am!
Me: NO YOU'RE NOT!
Aelish: YES I AM!
Me: Why do I get the feeling this is going the same way all the arguments in my fanfics go?
Aelish: Beats me…
Me: Oh well…see you people next chapter!
Aelish: Now, where were we? Oh yes…YES I AM!
Me: NO YOU'RE NOT!
Aelish: YES I AM! …
