Desert Rose

Disclaimer: Me? Tamora Pierce? Sadly, no. Sorry!

Here goes the second chapter! :) yay!

Yes! Thanks to my first reviewers! Reviews make me happy! :)

Lady Arianne Of Ambers Valley: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like it! :)

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ami: Ha, nice reference to my authors note! I didn't know if people ever actually read mine…they tend to get rather long sometimes. It's good to know people put up with my babbling! :) Here's your update you asked for! Stickers!

Oh, and can anyone tell me what the Bazhir look like? It's been a while since I've read about them. It'd be greatly appreciated!

Chapter 2: Veils

I walk hesitantly into my family's tent, waiting for my father to bark out my name and for his wife to sneer at me, thinking herself way above me in every way.

"Jezmen Ka'eere!" Papa barks, right on schedule with our normal nightly routine.

I hold back a sigh and in my sweetest voice say, "Yes Papa?" I turn to him, keeping my eyes neutral and patient. I used to not have to fear my father's requests. But then he remarried after my mama died and now I must be more careful of how I act.

"Jeire Lemeor stopped by earlier," Papa states, watching me closely. I manage to hold back a groan. Great. There's no way that this can be good. Inwardly I moan, feeling sick.

"He wants you to dance with him at the dance tomorrow night. He asked my permission." Papa goes on, pride in his voice. My papa is a traditional man and is proud when young men follow the traditions of the tribe.

The news stresses me, however. Now that Jeire has my papa's permission, he'll be able to use it against me all night. I won't have any fun because he'll crowd me so.

"I said that he certainly could. What an honorable young man he is. Most men won't ask the father's permission now these days. They ask the girl herself," Papa sniffs. "So…untraditional. It's just not honorable, as so many are these days."

I nod, because I know my papa wants me to agree. "Yes, Papa," I curtsey before excusing myself to the section of the tent set aside for me. I then close the flap and bury my face in my hands.

Moonlight shines down on my family's tent as I open the flap of my room. Next door, I hear my papa snoring and Leora Gemo sighing in her sleep. Probably wishing papa was richer.

Silently, I slip from the tent, stepping out onto the soft sand. Hurriedly, I make my way down to the small stream, east of our tribe's camp.

There I sit down, cross legged before lifting my veil from my face, so I can steady my breathing. In and out. In and out. It becomes a rhythm for me, until I am completely calm. Taking a deep breath, I look inside of myself, at the spring of magic inside of me.

It comes out in pools of deep ocean blue and it calms my nerves, causing me to relax even more. I do a little cleaning, despaired at finding that it is very untidy, before mentally pinching a tiny bit, and pulling it out of my body with me.

I open my eyes to see an explosion of light and sound. My senses are opened widely to the world around me, now that I have magic controlling my sight.

It seems I can see everything now, a desert mouse, a rattle snake, a cactus (cacti?) bird. (Someone really needs to tell me which to use. Cactus or cacti. I'm not sure about that one. Anyone???)

I sigh, content with just sitting there forever. I know I can't, though, no matter how much it pains me. So instead, I begin my practice with my magic.

I'm very inexperienced when it comes to magic, I am sad to say. Six months ago I managed to steal a magic book from our ex-shaman and that's helped me a lot, but really, I don't know much. I make myself content with casting shield charms (which…not to brag…but I am AMAZING at.) and a couple of defense spells. I can also magically enhance my vision and light a small fire.

Tonight I decide to practice my shield charm that hides me from others view. I'm a lot better at the one that protects me from others magic and this kind of shield charm just frustrates me.

On the edge of my vision I can see a storm coming. Rain would ruin the dance. I can't help but get distracted. I spin the thin thread of magic into a hoop around my finger until it has reached a decent size.

Moving quickly, I release its power, sending it directly at the storm. I watch as it flies through the air and lands on the storm. I ring it around it like a lasso around the storm and push my magic into it.

The storm sweeps away, moving faster than the eye can see. I grin, my job complete.

"Whoa, I've never seen anyone do that before!" a voice exclaims, right next to my ear. I jump, accidentally letting lose a handful of my magic. It flies into the air and explodes in fireworks.

I turn to see someone I can only assume is Prince Roald. I gasp, wide-eyed at him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you!" he says, raising his hands to show no weapons.

Oh no! I leap up onto my feet and flee into the night. I don't have to look behind me to know he watches me as long as he can, a puzzled look on his face.

I reach my families tent, gasping with fear. I slip into my room noiselessly and lay in my bedroll, regaining my breath. This isn't good.

Prince Roald…saw me. Not only did he see me doing magic, but he saw me without my veil. Two of the greatest sins of my tribe…punishable. Not only punishable, but punishable by death. Death to the girl whose face was shown to a man, not of her blood. Death, to me.

Yes, yes, yes! Obviously if you read my summary, Shinko doesn't exist. I'm sorry to any of you who like her, but…I wanted the original characters of Tamora's books to still be not old people. So, I couldn't use Roald's son, obviously. I hope you can forgive me! I give you all stickers in my mind! (hee hee…I love stickers!) Reviews are greatly loved!

Oh, and if you haven't been on my profile, I will state it here: I vow to respond to EVERY SINGLE review I receive, in one way or another. I know I hate it when writers snub my reviews so I promise I won't do it to any of you. If I accidentally miss one of you, just leave me a message kindly stating that I'm slacking on my promise! Thanks! Stickers, stickers, sticker!