This chapter is Briar's side of the story and everyone's reactions minus Pasco, he's only mentioned in passing. Why? I don't know and if one of you has an idea I'll sure appreciate it. I just realized that on the top of the last of the chapter I forgot to change the title of the chapter. It is called the legend and the pirates.
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me.
Chapter Four: A Knife through the Heart
Briar-
Sandry. Her name resonated in his mind over and over again as he raced through the streets of Summersea. Within in moments they had caughtened up with Crane and Skyfire, a short and sticky brown skinned man with flaming red hair, native to Sotat.
Skyfire noticed them within seconds. "Moonstream!" he boomed back to her in his gruff voice. "Did you three warn her?" he asked looking back at the three friends. Tris glanced at Briar and slowly and sadly shook her head. "Strange." He muttered shaking his head; no one asked what was strange, because they knew he would just tell them in his own time. "Sandrilene had stopped near where the pirates were, but not in a place where she could see them, she demounted for a few minutes, and then they turned around and started galloping like the devil himself was after them." Daja snorted, in a way the devil is after her.
We can still make it in time! Tris exclaimed through their connection, saving each and every breath for the ride.
"Why?" Moonstream demanded.
"No idea." He paused and rubbed his beard ion thought. "The dedicates from home say it looked like she bent down and picked something up. Don't know what because she put that stone of hers away." Silence fell after that was exchanged each locked on his or her own thoughts about what would happen if they didn't get there in time.
Racing through the east gate the six rounded the last of the road and began to ride down the beginning of the trail. They were in time, but barely. They could make out Sandry and her guards dangling from nets and slowly being dragged up by those damned pirates.
Briar, even with the distance between them, saw the fear in her eyes, growling in anger and muttering what he will do to these pirates once Sandry is safe, Briar urged his horse forward, past Crane and Skyfire, till he was directly beneath the net that held Sandry. She was only half conscious. He doubted she would remember this part of her mini "adventure". But that didn't matter as long as she was safe. He unsheathed one of his wrist blades and reached up to cut the net apart and pull Sandry down onto he saddle with him, but as soon as the tip of the knife touched the net his horse and him were repelled to the edge of the trail almost into the sea itself.
Magicked! Briar said in outrage to his two friends. We got to… a scream cut through the air, like a blade through skin, before Briar could finish his thought. Whirling around on his horse he was just in time to see Clover begin to slide. He was the closet one to her and the only one who could get there in time. Should he save his beloved or Clover? Get Sandry! He shouted to his friends making his decision in a split second. He jumped off his horse and slide on the ground grabbing Clover at the last possible second. He pulled and pulled her up, not even looking back once to see if Tris, Daja, and them had gotten to her. Finally Clover was up and shivering, Briar made sure she would suffer no more than nightmares before turning back into his nightmare.
Sandry was gone. It looked like the five mages had tried every spell they knew, but to no luck, like the gods themselves wanted Sandry gone for some reason or another. Briar stood up with grieve edged on every line and plane of his face. Clover behind him started to cry. "I'm sorry."
Moonstream, the only one still able to talk, everyone else was either too shocked or magically drained, came over and placed an arm around the girl. "I doubt if you weren't here it would have made a difference." She turned to glare at Briar, who was staring at the sea with a gut-wrenching look on his face. "Right Briar?" she asked kindly, more for his sake than Clover's.
Coming out of his shock he nodded, "It wouldn't of." But he still had that dead look in his eyes. Tris came over with tears streaming, for once, freely down her face and put her arms around him. Daja came a placed her brass capped hand on his shoulder, she, too, was crying. The three friends watched as there forth and final friend, their saati, being dragged away from them by ship and dirty pirates. They knew it was no use going after them, the ship was heading too far out into the ocean and by morning would be out of sight completely and there wasn't enough time to get a ship ready, they would need supplies, food, and, of course, medicines. Not to mention a crew and healers. She was gone and there was no way to save her.
Sandry.My duchess was gone. Briar thought as Tris and Daja led him away from the spot where his love was stolen away and back towards Summersea. It was time to tell His Grace the bad news.
Evvy-
She had sat on the edge of the wall and watched Moonstream, Crane, and Skyfire rush towards Summersea and splitting up once there, Moonstream heading to Number Six Cheeseman street and the two men heading to the trail where Pahan Sandry was. Evvy had half-watched the battle down there as she lit the stones, with Rosethorn and Lark praying behind her for Sandry's safety. When they saw the ship leave, with Pahan Sandry, Kwaben, and Oama, Evvy couldn't use her magic anymore. Lark had started to dry cry behind her, and it was making her and everyone else want to cry. Rosethorn ordered her take Lark off of the wall and back to discipline. Evvy was more than happy to oblige, it was better than being up here where everyone could only talk about what had happened.
Dedicate Rosethorn was going to stay and watch the progress of the ship and what the general direction it was going in, saying maybe they could go after them later and save her. Evvy could tell, after years of knowing her, that she was just as upset about Pahan Sandry as Lark was, Briar wasn't the only one of the four she loved, even if she didn't show it, and that she was still praying as hard as she could to Mila of the Grain, Green Man, and every other god out there for Pahan Sandry's safe return, as was everyone of the dedicates that had ever met her, even if the meeting was just for a brief moment.
Evvy half-carried Lark back to the cottage, because she was half delirious. There, putting on a pot of tea, was ten-year-old Glaki and eighteen year old novice Comas, who was cutting up a loaf of bread, quietly, so as not to disturb anybody, as he so put it. It seems the runner who had come to get Lark and Rosethorn had woken them up. And, at least in Glaki's case, had begged to come with and see what was going on. Rosethorn would have, of course, put her foot down and threatened, if they decided to follow, to hang them in the well by their ankles or thumbs.
"Is everything all right Lark?" Glaki asked coming over and pulling the Earth dedicate over to the table and forcing her to sit down, Glaki could be pretty persistent when she wished to be otherwise she just stayed to the shadows like Comas.
Lark, who was still numb with shock and terror, didn't so much as glance in the girl's direction, but stared open-mouthed, with tears beginning to brim in her eyes, at Sandry's old bedroom now occupied by Glaki. Glaki turned her wide fearful brown eyes, she had never seen Lark so close to crying before, on Evvy asking her what had happened. Evvy shrugged telling her it wasn't something she wanted to talk about in front of the already distressed Earth Dedicate.
The too shy Comas continued to cut the bread ignoring this exchange between his younger housemates. Even after two years with living with the two girls he barely ever said a word to either of them or at all unless Pasco, Sandry's student, or Sandry herself was around.
Glaki pressed a warm mug of tea into Lark's hands. Lark, acting if she just suddenly coming out of a coma, looked at the girl in surprise and murmured a thank-you. Instead of drinking the tea she stared deeply into its murky depths, maybe trying to scry to find Sandry. Evvy grabbed a piece of bread off of the cutting board and sat down in front of Lark and began to nibble on it, wandering why Sandry had been on that deadly trail at midnight. Some of the dedicates had muttered about her possibly being upset, saying how she rode back and forth for days after that incident with un-magic. And that led her into thinking about what un-magic was.
Glaki was shifting from foot to foot; she wanted to know what was going on. She hated not knowing what was going on, she was old enough to help. Glaki opened her mouth to ask, but snapped it shut as fast as she had opened it because Lark began to cry, her shoulders heaving as each sob tore through her body unmercifully.
Comas stopped cutting up the bread and came up behind Lark and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to his body, he could always use his magic to dry it off later. Lark clutched his robes and cried and cried. She sobbed out, "She's gone! She's gone! I can't believe she's gone!" Glaki took the mug out of her teacher's hands and began to rub her back in soothing circles.
Evvy looked at Lark and at Comas and Glaki. She needed to leave, so she left the cottage and stopped in the middle of the front yard. She looked out at the starry sky and at the heavens, where the gods were said to live. "Why?!" she shouted, at the gods, starting to cry herself. "What'd she ever do to you? Nothing!" she used a twist of her magic to call a shiny rock from the side of the road and into her arms. She wrapped her arms around it and pressed it into her stomach. "She didn't deserve it!" and holding the rock even more tightly, putting her grieve in it, she didn't want to Lark to see her so upset, Evvy collapsed to the ground, her tears falling off her face and onto the rock, disappearing into it. Vaguely she felt someone wrap strong arms around her and it wasn't until she felt the other's tears mingling with hers did she looked behind her. It was Rosethorn who had just returned from the wall. Seeing Rosethorn cry was worse than seeing Lark cry. Dropping the rock on the ground, Evvy threw her arms around the older woman drawing comfort and giving comfort all at the same time.
After awhile the woman drew from the warm comforting embrace. "Sandrilene didn't deserve it, and a curse on anyone who thinks otherwise, god or no god." The woman stood up and offered a hand to the girl, Evvy scooped up her "grieve" rock and one arm and with the other she grabbed the offered arm and hoisted herself off. "Go pack You Glaki, Lark, and I are going to Summersea, His Grace wishes us, meaning Lark and I, there. And since we can't eave the two of you alone, your coming with us." Evvy opened her mouth to ask about Comas, but Rosethorn, who knew the girl's mind as well as her own by now, said, "He is a novice, he stays out of trouble, plus he likes being alone. He's staying." Evvy nodded and the two entered the house. Glaki and Comas both sat at the table, tears streaming down their faces. Standing behind them, rubbing their backs as they cried, was Dedicate Gorse. He had told the young mages what had happened. Lark was nowhere in sight, but Evvy could hear her rummaging about in her workshop, muttering about how she had to get buttons for Sandry. Rosethorn pushed past the stone mage and entered Lark's workshop, all signs of the tears she had shared with Evvy were gone, and she didn't even have red eyes. The three housemates could hear harsh Rosethorn gently urging Lark to go to her room and pack.
Glaki, not wishing to hear anymore of the gentle encouragement dashed into her room. Evvy could hear her pulling clothes out of her dresser and hastily putting them into a bag. Evvy stumbled over to her door and through the threshold. She threw her "grieve" rock onto the bed. She hadn't changed the room much since she had gotten it, it still looked like Briar's room, except there was no "nest" there was a bed and on the shelf instead of a shakkan were rocks from all the different countries she had visited with Pahan Briar and Rosethorn.
Not wishing to stay in one place so long Evvy threw all of the clothes she pulled out of her dresser into a bag, unfolded. They wouldn't wrinkle; Pahan Sandry had made them for her recently, for Long night. As Evvy stuffed the rocks, they weren't common in Summersea and she didn't want them to get stolen, into the bag, wrapping them tightly in the clothes, Evvy thought about very time she had seen Pahan Sandry. She had always been laughing and joking with whoever was around. Evvy remembered when just a year ago Pahan Sandry had tackled Pahan Briar to the ground because he had been teasing her about her out fit. Evvy racked her brain trying to remember what her outfit had been. Oh yes, she thought. Pahan Sandry had been wearing those ridicules wide breeches that looked like skirts in bright pinks and yellows. She had been mad had Pahan Briar for a month
"Evvy?" Glaki asked solemnly walking into the room. Evvy nodded her head as she closed the bag. Glaki stepped in the room, with her companion Little Bear right behind her, and firmly closed the door. "How?' Evvy didn't ask what she meant she already knew. Pahan Sandry.
"She was out riding. There is still so much we don't know about how."
"Why?" Glaki sat down on the bed by the rock-creature Luvou, who didn't so much as roll over. Evvy shrugged in response. Turning the girl left the room, Glaki followed with Luvou cradled in her arms and Little Bear on her heels. Lark and Rosethorn stood by the door, bags at heir feet, waiting for their two distractible charges to appear, looking out at the road, both lost in their own thoughts or prayers. "They stay!" Rosethorn said, noticing them a few moments later when one of Winding Circle's rickety carriages, normally used to lug products to sell in Summersea there. The dog sensing the Earth dedicates mood crawled over to her and shyly licked her hand. The dedicate smiled a little, caved, and agreed to allow Luvou and Little Bear to come. "Just don't get in the way!" she had called as she helped Lark into the carriage.
"Oh wait!" Glaki said as she began to climb in. Pushing the rock creature into his owner's hands she ran into the house. Leaving Rosethorn and Evvy vexed and Lark staring into space not caring.
Little Bear tried to follow his charge put was pulled back up sharp command from Rosethorn. "Dog! If you leave this carriage you don't come back in!" the dog slunk back into the carriage and hid under one of the wooden benches. While waiting for the girl, Rosethorn settled into the driver's seat, getting angrier with each passing second. After ten minutes the ten-year-old bounded back into sight carrying a miniature version of Sandry and a black lacquer box.
For a moment the young girl hugged the doll tightly to her chest praying with tears running freely down the house. Then she pressed the doll into Lark's grasp with a murmured, "For Luck." Lark hugged the doll and looked at the girl gratefully.
The doll had Sandry down to the last freckle. It had her usual sun-streaked hair curled and pinned under a thin blue veil, her dancing (the doll's eyes were literally dancing with happiness) cornflower blue eyes, a light blue gown etched with embroidering of waves at the bottom, and blue silk slippers. The clothes could be removed. Glaki had three other such dolls. One of Tris perfect from her stormy eyes to her simple gowns, one of Briar with his moving vine tattoos (Sandry had bewitched the simple threads to move.) wearing an light green shirt, an over robe with little embroideries of leaves, and dark green breeches, and a Daja with her brass capped hand (a metal mage from Winding Circle had done it in real brass after much begging.) wearing a brass colored shirt and breeches. And with each letter the young mage sent to her redheaded friend she sent a package of clothes for the dolls causing Glaki to love and adore her before she even met her. The girl used to force Tris to replay silly stories of her childhood using the dolls as representatives of her missing friends. After hours of searching frantically Tris had given her a small white dog doll, so she could tell the Little Bear story.
Lark gave the small girl a sad smile and hugged the doll close as Rosethorn cracked a whip above the horse's head causing it to begin to trot and carry them towards Summersea.
Briar-
They sat in Duke Vedris's study, Briar sat in one of the two chairs across from him, slumped down. Tris sat in the chair by Briar and leaned on the wall by the door, scowling at everything and nothing. Crane, Skyfire, and Moonstream stood by the balcony doors/windows, waiting for him to react to their horrible news. But he just sat there, staring at his desk, ashen faced. Subconsciously, Moonstream set up a quick healing spell, she was ready to jump forward and heal him if his heart started to give out.
"We had sat here…" he began after twenty minutes of anxious waiting, "just a little while ago. She had been scolding me. How can she be gone? Like that?" the Duke croaked out. Briar looked at him, startled, His Grace was crying over Sandry like she was already dead! "If she as so much as a scratch on her…!" he began to shake with uncontrollable rage. "I'll kill those bastards! I'll make them wish they were never born! As Shurri as my witness I…!" he shouted this at the desk, ranting on for another ten minutes what he would do. The desk shook with each word he bellowed, but no one tried to calm him, his anger was just even if it was bad for his health. "I will send out all of my best ships and they will find her!" he ended slamming his fist down onto the desk and a letter opener, making it bleed as the letter opener he, also, hit dug into his skin.
"Your Grace?' a small calm voice asked as the door swung open to reveal Sandry's cool headed maid Gudruny. She knew what had happened, as probably everyone in the citadel knew, but she was determined not to let her emotions be seen by her children. "Dedicates Rosethorn and Lark are here. As well as Ravvikkis Evvy and Glaki," Ravvikki was the Normonese word for miss, and in her distress she had slipped into some of the more comfortable words of her native country, "are waiting in the west wing sitting room."
Finally, Briar sighed as he and the rest of the group stood in the room, it was time to find a way to save Sandry. Once this is over they can go on with their lives and all will be…
Briar stopped his thoughts, not willing himself to think about the future, without Sandry it all seemed bleak. The six mages and his Grace entered the room as weary as soldiers returning from the front line. Those from Discipline stood or sat at odd intervals in the room, most (the exception being Lark) sipped the tea that Gudruny, practically being the only servant still up, had set in the room before coming to fetch them.
Little Glaki was the first to notice their presence and upon seeing Tris she dropped the half full china teacup she had been holding and ran to her foster-mother crying. Tris held her close, crying herself, and held on tight, as if her crumpled world could never be put back together again.
His Grace gave half filled chuckle at the sight of the puddle of dark tea on his carpets. It loosened most of the room up considerably, not enough to be called comfortable, but enough. Rosethorn, who had been sitting stiffly and upright, leaned back into the coach. Lark stood by the window, clutching the little Sandry doll, her back turned from everyone; her shoulders slumped in a defeated way. On the table in between the two coaches and the two chairs was the coffee table and on it sat her untouched cup of tea. She couldn't bring herself to drink it. Not knowing if Sandry was in pain or even alive.
"Lark? Come sit down." Evvy called from her seat by Rosethorn. But Lark just ignored the stone mage and continued to stare dejectedly out of the window. "How are you, Pahan?" she asked turning her eyes and concern on Briar. He must be as upset as Lark, the girl thought, looking him up and down from where he stood by the door. Maybe even more, considering they were engaged and in love and all thatUnlike Lark Briar actually answered her, well more or less. He shrugged and sagged down into the lowest chair, which was across from her own seat on the coach. He propped his elbows on his knees and cradled his head on his hands.
"If I may have all your attentions?" the rage from earlier is all gone or at least buried inside himself for till later. Everyone besides Lark scurried into seats or got him or herself comfortable. Tris once again in the chair by Briar's, Daja sat on the floor in between her friends, and Glaki settled herself onto Tris lap. Moonstream, Skyfire, and Crane leaned on one leg or another comfortable as they were. "Lark?' he called gently out to the jumpy dedicate, Sandry's foster mother and mentor. "Will you please sit down?" Sandrilene wouldn't want any of us discomfort," he smiled for a moment, remembering her anger and sadness at Briar from earlier, "most of us anyway." Briar blushed, knowing he meant him. Had Sandry told His Grace her version of last night? Lark ambled over to the coach and plopped herself down on it by Rosethorn, leaning against the woman, who started rubbing her back, she clutched the doll closer to her then ever. His Grace's eyes softened for a moment as he gazed at the doll before going on, "Now that everyone is more comfortable I believe I shall tell you of my plans." He paused gathering strength staring at the replica of Sandry. "As I have told some of you," he nodded to the three dedicates behind him and towards Sandry's two sister-saatis and her lover/fiancée. "I'm sending troops after the ship top find, and kill, the bastards. Sandry will be save at home in days." He faced Rosethorn, the second of Sandry's two foster mothers, "I have been informed that you know the direction that damn ship took. Correct?"
The woman, still rubbing Lark's back, nodded absent-mindedly. "Northeast. The ship was heading northeast."
"I hate to ask this, but would you mind…?" he began to ask, but the sharp-tongued dedicate cut him off.
"Sandry is my daughter. I won't abandon her. You needn't even ask because I was going to go regardless as long as you care for Lark." The dedicate snapped gently at his Grace, paying heed only to Lark. "Boy! What are you doing?" Briar had stood up, back straight and proud, like a man resolved to face his destiny without any qualms.
"I'm going as well." He pronounced to those around and subconsciously to Sandry, so she knows he, at least, hasn't abandoned her.
"As are we!" Tris and Daja shouted raising quickly to their feet as we'll.
"I thought as much." Was all Duke Vedris said on the matter of them leaving to find Sandry. "You are all welcome to stay here for the rest of the night," he meant the three young mages and the intuitive dedicates, not Sandry's foster mothers and the two girls who were going to stay here till Sandry was returned. Moonstream immediately declined with the excuse of "preparing". Crane and Skyfire used the same excuse. "Ok," he said, as the three intuitive left, "The three of you," meaning Briar, Tris, and Daja. "will be in your usual rooms. Glaki, will be in with Tris." The girl nodded and leaned tiredly against the redhead. "Evvy your room is the second door on the right of the main stairs. Dedicate Rosethorn yours is to the right of Evvy's and Lark's is on the…"
"Your Grace?" Lark asked quietly, causing all in the room to jump, it was the first time she said anything in hours and her voice was a little hoarse from the lack of use.
"Yes?" he halfway saw where this was going.
"Might I stay in Sandry's room? I wish to be closer to her."
"Of coarse." He slowly walked up to her and patted her on the shoulder. "Let us retire now. I have already sent men to get everything ready and we all need our rest for the long days ahead." Slowly and solemnly the group left the room and went up the stairs, splitting at the top of it to go to their separate destinations.
Briar was almost to the door of his room, which is three doors down from Sandry's, when Lark came barreling out of the room and running to him. She waved a ring in front of his face shouting nonsense at him. It was the engagement ring he had given Sandry, A crack was down the middle of the green stone.
So, that's it. What do you think? Good, bad, need of something more. Cruel comments are welcome! Review please.
Thanks again to all who reviewed. Especially A. Skyhawk.