A Scrap of Waffle

I forgot I had already decided how Niva picks her name, and I thought up this whole other scenario. I can't get away from it so I'm writing it up.

A name?
Niva bit her lip. How could she just pick a name for the rest of her life?
"I. . .I choose-"
Suddenly, a memory blossomed across the girl's mind.
"You're like a rose, Niva. Just perfect and beautiful."
Niva carefully smeared ointment across the scars on Lise's face and worked for an answer.
"Beauty fades, Lise, dearest. The rose eventually wilts."
Lise looked up and smiled through her tears. "Eventually."
"Besides if- when- you marry someone, they want you, your personality and ideas and feelings. Those stay forever, not like beauty. You watch, in sixty years, we'll be sitting here and you'll have your childrens' babies all around you and I'll have to love them too, since I'll have poked any potential husbands with my thorns." Niva grinned. "They'll all have bloody fingers after me."
Lise smiled back. "What about Anders? He was looking at you at the festival. Don't deny it!"
"Novice Niva?"
"I choose. . . to be Rosethorn."

The Last Night Part 4: Becoming One

 A/N- Niva's last name is going to be Andersson, and she has three brothers, Evan, Lars, and Dai. She also has her father, but no mum. Sorry, but I've never pictured her as a mum girl. And thanks to Winterrain for reviewing, muchos gracias!

Niva spread her arms across the ground. "Stop spinning the merry go round, Dai." When she still felt herself spinning, she frowned. "I mean it! There's going to be a whole lot of pavement pizza in a minute!" There was still no reply, so Niva open her eyes and tree-tops waving across the sky. Niva gagged at the sight threw up in the long grass at her side. 

"I hate ambient magic," she mumbled into the ground. "Hate, hate, hate it. Why couldn't I have just been a stupid academic or something?" She knelt in the grass until the world stopped moving under her, then pulled herself up and looked around.

Slender, young cinnamon trees had grown up in a circle and they intermingled with scrubby bushes and a few leafy sprouts. Niva twitched her fingers towards the plants and they began to drop their seeds and bits of bark on her. She giggled loudly, then laughed almost hysterically in joy. Mila truly was on her side today.

The girl set to work gathering the supplies she needed. Soon she had a small heap of herbs and spices on a large rock in the middle of her green circle. She sorted through the ingredients, tossing the imperfect bits aside, until she had a good combination.

Niva narrowed her eyes. How can I make it into tea? I need to grind it up somehow and get a teabag. She looked about, and saw a large, smooth rock. It was the perfect fit for her hands. She gripped its sides and mashed it into the heap of herbs on the first rock. She could hear crunching noises and pushed harder. A little bit of rock dust won't hurt anyone.

After several minutes, she lifted her rock to reveal a gritty reddish powder. Perfect! I just need a bag now. An idea flashed into Niva's head and she grinned wickedly.

"I'm sorry for ripping your handiwork, temple seamstresses!" She ripped a large section off the bottom of her cotton undergown and relished the ragged edge that was left.

A quick brush of her hand, and the tea was gathered in the strip of cotton. Niva folded the fabric up and reached deep into her magical self. A glimmer of magic was returning. The girl gripped it and used it to carefully weave the edges of her tea-bag together, before falling back to the ground. The small act of magic was hard to do.

Niva toyed with a bit of cinnamon as she thought about what to do next. I'm ready to go back, except I don't had anything to wear. Not that I care, but Papa would appreciate it if I dressed up. What can I do? She tried to remember what she had heard other novices say about dedication ceremonies. Illena said that a lot of people just paint themselves up with mud. And Norris said some people make clothes out of leaves. . . She snorted and shook her head. The best way to represent the Earth Temple was to be natural. She looked down at the remainder of her undergown, which was streaked with dirt and grass stains. It isn't quite scandalously short. She glanced around surreptitiously, then- seeing no one- stripped out of her dress.

She smoothed it across the ground and held her hand in the air. "Can any of you give me some berries? Or leaves. . . or anything that stains?" She closed her eyes. I must sound ridiculous.

Something dropped into her hand, and then a whole barrage of plant matter showered her. Niva looked at her treasure. "Thank you!" The plants rustled as though a wind had blown through, and the girl felt a wave of acceptance from them.

She grinned and grabbed a fistful of red berries, squishing them in her palm. Sticky juice ran down her fingers and Niva began to paint her dedication dress.

A/N- I hadn't really planned on having the novices make their own clothes. That was accidental. I was sitting here forever, and then the idea for Niva's dress hit me. What did you think?

The Last Night Part 3: Overused

I just realized I never posted this. Oops, sorry. The tea Niva makes, btw, is loosely based off Celestial Seasonings' "Sugar Plum Spice." Bon lit! (Is that what I mean to say?)
 

Someone grasped Niva's shoulder and gently shook her. The novice moaned and rolled over, further entangling herself in her blankets.

"Niva, dearest, you need to get up now. It's just past the seventh hour of the morning." Silverleaf pulled Niva's blankets away and draped them over the end of the bed.

Niva shivered in the sudden coolness, sat up, rubbed her eyes, and swung her feet to the floor before shuffling to her pine wardrobe. She had just opened it when Silverleaf placed her hand on the porcelain doorknob.

"You don't need a robe today. Dedication is about getting as close to your element as you can. Besides, no one wants to spend hours scrubbing grass and grime out of a white robe," Silverleaf smiled. "Use your water pitcher and handkerchief to wash up, then meet me outside, alright?"
Niva glanced at the other girls in her dorm room. "What about them? Aren't they coming too?"

Silverleaf shook her head. "No, this is just the seventeen to nineteen-year-olds' room, remember? You're the only one in here to be dedicated so young."

Niva blinked. She had assumed there were at least a few other girls her age taking vows and that just hadn't mentioned it. "Oh."

"There's five or six girls in the twenty-and-over dorm room, and a few boys as well, but you're the youngest," Silverleaf paused. "It's fine to be the youngest. You know Dedicate Moonstream, right? From the Water temple? She was the oldest in her group to take vows. I think she was. . . . about twenty-four."

Niva gasped. "No! She's so good, though!"

Silverleaf shrugged. "It's all in the hands of the gods." She gave Niva a last smile, then turned and headed out of the room.

Niva walked over to her small bedside table. She poured a thin stream of water into her bowl and watched it sparkle in the early dawn light. She dipped her kerchief into the water and hurriedly washed her face and neck. She paused when she finished, and slid the square of fabric into her pocket. It might be useful. She knelt to reach under her bed and pulled out a smooth wooden box. It was dark Anderran cherry with strips of zebra-wood. She pulled the key from the ribbon around her neck and opened the box.

A cloud of herb-scented air rolled out. Several carved and painted god and goddess figures nestled in the box, along with bags of herbs, letters, and other mementos of Niva's old home. The novice drew out a small drawing in a gilt frame. There were two girls, one red-haired in an emerald-green dress and the other blonde with a faded pink dress. They were smiling widely.

Niva kissed the picture for good luck and laid it back in its place. She pulled the necklace Isas had given her out of a little drawer in the box and clasped it around her neck. She locked the box again, put it away, and joined Silverleaf outside the dormitory.

Four girls and five boys waited with the dedicate in the pre-dawn light. They were all a few years older than Niva, and she looked down, blushing.

Silverleaf counted the novices quickly, then turned and led them down the main temple road, towards the hub. "I believe you all know what's going to happen today," the dedicate said as she walked along. "Generally. It's my duty to tell you what you should expect today, and wish you luck and the gods' blessings."

Niva shivered. Why did you have to say that, Silverleaf? You're making it sound like we might die or something.

"I'm taking you to the Heartfire chamber, under the Hub. You'll be anointed and blessed and given instructions for your. . . . dedication."

They walked in silence until they reached the Hub. Silverleaf lead the novices off the temple road and around the side of the building. She stopped, part of the way around, and stepped up to the Hub's stone wall. Niva frowned as the Dedicate drew a symbol on the wall with her finger. Magic flared like silver paint and a door-sized section of the wall swung open, as if it was hinged. Silverleaf held the door open and ushered the novices into the Heartfire chamber.

Niva blinked in the sudden darkness, trying to regain her vision. A bonfire burned in the middle of the room, but it was pouring thick, herb-scented smoke into the air, which effectively cloaked the room in shadow. The room was divided into quadrants, three of which were already filled with novices sitting on the floor.

Silverleaf lead the Earth novices around the edge of the circular room to the last quadrant, before walking up to the Heartfire, where several other dedicates of assorted temples were waiting.
Niva glanced around, then sat on the floor like everyone else.

"Today is a very special day in your lives," a Fire dedicate called in a deep voice. "Today you will take vows that will bind you to your chosen god or goddess-"

"For life." A tiny Water dedicate continued. "You will vow to serve the poor, your gods, and your temple in any way you can."

"Your dedication starts here, in the Heartfire." This time, Silverleaf was speaking. "You will choose which temple to join and be marked with its element."

"Then you will go into the fields around the temple and find the meaning of your dedication," an old Air dedicate finished. "It is different for everyone."

A tall, pale woman in a gold-bordered yellow habit stepped forwards. Niva gasped. The woman was Froststar, the head dedicate of the temple. Niva had only seen the woman on two other occasions: the day Niva had arrived at Winding Circle, and the day she took her novitiate's vows.

"Decide now where you want to be," Froststar called loudly. "Go to the quadrant of your choice and be marked. Then go to the fields. Return to the front of the Hub, after you have found a meaning for your vows. Use your magic and create something to give to your god or goddess upon your return. The dedication ceremony for your families is directly after you have all arrived back, so find something to wear." She smiled at them turned, and raised her hands to the Heartfire. It roared and flames licked the ceiling. Then the fire gave a burst of smoke that turned the room to blackness.

Niva coughed, then looked back at the fire in shock. It was now made up of twisting flames in blue, green, yellow, and red. Each color flame streamed from a quarter of the fire-pit, then rose to spiral around other flames.

A green-robed dedicate stepped up to Niva. He held a copper bowl in his left hand. "Do you choose to serve the Earth?"

Niva nodded, speechless.

The dedicate dipped his finger into his bowl and knelt next to the girl. He had a large glob of pale brown cream on his finger. He painted the cream in a straight line down the middle of Niva's face. It was cold and gritty, and Niva shivered as the man painted a horizontal line across her cheekbones. The lines formed the symbol of the Earth temple. The dedicate stood and moved onto the next person.

Niva forced herself not to run her fingers over her face. She stood up and picked her way between novices and dedicates to the door Silverleaf had brought her through. A few other novices were leaving too. Niva didn't look at them. She was afraid that one of them might be Isas. She didn't want to know which temple he was joining. She still had a small spark of hope in him joining the Earth temple.

She slipped out the door and into the already warm morning. The sun was rising, casting a pink glow over the periwinkle shadows. Niva looked around at the roads that spread through the temple.
Go to the fields around the temple. Niva chose the main road, one she knew would lead out the South gate and began to jog along it. To her surprise, the gate was open, flanked by a pair of Fire dedicates who merely nodded to her as she hurried out.

Start with the easiest thing to do. Make something for Mila and the Green Man. I can make. . . um. . . Niva thought deeply. Something to benefit people. After all, isn't that what Mila does with all of her plants? But what am I good at?

Tea, said a little voice in Niva's head. You can make tea. You and Isas had plenty of practice with tea at Lightsbridge.

I can make an endurance tea! I could make it and take it to the poor, just like Froststar said. What will I need? I want something strong, that can keep people awake. Niva began to compose a list in her head. Chicory, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves, nutmeg. If I can find black pepper, that would make it even better. Niva stopped dead in the middle of the field, tall grass licking her legs. None of that stuff is wild out here though. The temple orders it all from other places. The girl bit her lip and frowned. Then she grinned. "This is what magic is for!"

She sat down in the field and carefully grasped a blade of grass. They never taught us this in class. She reached deep into herself, grabbed a rootlet of power, and twisted it around the grass. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I can do this." Magic began to pour into the grass. Niva grasped it gently and tried to shape it into cinnamon trees and scrubby chicory plants. The grass resisted; Niva could feel it twisting away from her. She gripped the magic harder and slammed her will into the plants.

It was as though she had broken through a door. Bits of dirt and roots were blasted into the air as Niva's tree and bushes exploded into life. Magic roared around her and swam in her veins. She gasped at the power. There was a loud creak and rustling noise as the new plants settled.

Dirt and leaves rained down around Niva. She watched her plants bud, bloom, and grow fruits. The bushes shivered for the last time and Niva could see a little ginger plant under one of the bushes. She smiled. Now she could start on the tea itself.

Suddenly, the power Niva held vanished. It was as though the magic had lasted as long as she needed it and not any longer. Niva's smile slid off her face as she realized her magic was gone too. She had overused herself. Again.

"Mila bless me," Niva mumbled as the ground rushed up to meet her.

Chapter Seven- You Can't Turn Back Now

 A/N- Thanks to everyone for commenting on/adding the story. Does anyone remember how the war is in WotE? I think at that point it's still going on, correct me if I'm wrong.
Dyslexic Nerd- I think the farmer will be fine. Do you think he should come back in?

Briar, Evvy, and Rosethorn joined the end of the line of travelers waiting to get through the gate. Briar stood on tiptoe and examined the people at the gate.

"There's a pair of hedaxi, questioning people or something. And a whole troupe of soldiers." Briar watched intently. "The hedaxi are sending a soldier down the road every once in a while. They aren't- oh, wait, one of them is coming back!" He watched a soldier trot his horse to the gate from the Gygonxe side and say something to the hedaxi. "I guess they're patrolling the road."

Rosethorn frowned worriedly. "The emperor set them out to find us, I bet. He wants us more than I thought."

"What does he want us for?" Evvy asked impatiently. "I know he wanted an audience with you, but so did everyone else we ever met."

Rosethorn pulled a crinkled paper out of her pocket and passed it to Evvy. The girl smoothed it and wrinkled her nose at the words. "He wanted us to assi. . .as. . . he wanted us to help him do magic, right? He sounds just like Jooba Hooba. Big words and stuff no one can read." She snorted and shoved the paper back at Rosethorn.

"I suspect he wanted to use us against Living Circle, whether as hostages or magical protection, I don't know."

Briar gasped, a look of mock horror spreading across his face. "You don't know?"

"Boy, the next well we pass has your name inscribed on it." Rosethorn smiled crookedly, then turned serious. "What's our whole story about getting into Gygonxe anyways? We can't just be going on a joy-trip."

"We did tell that farmer you were sick. . ."

Rosethorn nodded curtly, then swung her pack to the ground and rummaged through it. She came up with a bag of hot, green peppers that Evvy had stolen from a tree the day before.

"This isn't really an appropriate time for a meal."

The dedicate snorted, grabbed a single pepper and replaced the rest. She snapped the pepper in half and dribbled the juice across her fingers. She raised her hand to her face, but Briar grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?" he hissed softly.

"We ought to at least seem convincing. I figure the pepper will make my eyes tear up, and that would enforce our story. We need all the help we can get," she said firmly.

Briar sighed heavily and released her hand.

Rosethorn traced her eyes with her wet finger and exhaled sharply. "That stings." Before Briar could say anything else, she smeared the remainder of the juice across her nose. And sneezed explosively.

Evvy peered at Rosethorn curiously. The dedicate's eyes were already dripping with tears and her face was splotchy. Evvy giggled. "You look awful!"

Rosethorn blinked hard and glared at Evvy. "Thank you ever so much. Now," she glanced at Briar. "Let's get through that gate."

They swung their packs back over their shoulders and began walking the last hundred yards to Gygonxe.

BfLC Chapter 6

A/N- I am soo sorry I haven't updated in so long. My calendar seems to hate me, but I've been keeping the storyline in the back of my head. Here goes nothing! Oh, btw,  I've typed up a Chammuran dictionary.

Chapter Six- Gift of a Friend

Several days later.

Evvy gasped as the border gate of Yanjing and Gygonxe rose up on the horizon. It was a monstrous creation of gray granite. Evvy could feel the rocks' hard magic call to her. She lunged over the edge of the wagon she was riding on and reached out.

"Whoa, dalaga. You'll fall right out of my cart," said the farmer in the front seat.

Briar grabbed the back of Evvy's tunic and hauled her back into the cart. "Apologies, tao," he said in smooth Chammuran. "She's never seen the border gate."

The man smiled sagely. "My son was like that the first time he saw it too. I started taking him along to the souk with me as soon as he was old enough to help the customers. Say," he added. "What are you doing around these parts? I've never seen you and I've made this journey enough to know most of the regulars."

Briar let the lie roll off his tongue. "We're taking my aunt to the Circle temple. She's been unwell for a while now." He nodded to Rosethorn, who was sleeping in the back of the wagon. Even with dye on her face, she was still paler than either Briar or Evvy. This worked to an advantage, however, as Briar could explain why they were traveling across the border. 

The farmer frowned. "The Circle Temple? I've heard that there's a war brewing between the emperor and the Temple. You didn't hear it from me, but I'm told the emperor wanted the Temple to. . . to swear some sort of fealty to him. He wanted them to. . . back his army, and they refused." He shivered, then kissed his left thumbnail for luck. "You never heard that though."

Briar nodded and climbed into the back of the wagon with Evvy and Rosethorn. He pulled Evvy close and whispered in her ear. "We're going to get off soon. I don't want the border guards to remember us riding through with the farmer. Wake Rosethorn." He clambered back up next to the farmer. "Tao, my family and I are going to get off soon, if you could stop. You don't need our trouble."

The farmer blinked in confusion but nodded and steered the wagon to the edge of the road. "Alright friend. I've barely known you, but you have a good feeling about you. I'm rarely wrong about such things. May Lailan bless you and yours."

Briar hopped off the seat and helped Evvy and Rosethorn down before grabbing their packs. He hurried back up to the man and slid a gold cham across the seat. "Many thanks." He thought for a moment and them pulled a small iron token out of his pocket. It was stamped with a spiral on one side and a leafy plant on the other. "If you're ever in need of help, go to a Circle Temple and give them this. They will help you as best they can." The token was a miniature copy of a mage medallion, and it could be redeemed for services and goods at the Circle temples.

Them farmer held the token to the light and paled. He knew the token's meaning. "Gods' speed and blessing," he murmured before his horse began trotting down the road.

Rosethorn glanced at Briar. "What did you give him, boy? It was something special by his face."

"A gift. . . in case he needs help."

Rosethorn frowned, but accepted Briar's answer, then swung her pack over her shoulders. "Let's go. I want to get into Gygonxe before dark."

Chammuran Dictionary

Words with an astrick (*) are words I've made up for my own usage in fanfictions. The rest are legitimate from Tamora Pierce's Street Magic.
Amir- prince, ruler of Chammus
Belbun- four-legged rat
Bindi- paint, metal, or jewel placed between the eyebrows
Bunjingi- miniature tree in which the trunk is long, with a few branches balanced at the upper end
Cham- large sum in Chammur; silver equals twenty copper davs; gold equals twenty siver chams
*Dalaga- girl
Dav- copper is the smallest coin in Chammur; silver dav equals three copper davs
Doa- daughter of (noble house only)
Doen- son of (noble house only)
Eknub- foreigner
Hammam- bathhouse
Hedax- rank similar to lieutenant
Mutabir- head of law enforcement and courts in Chammur
Pahan- teacher, mage
Shakkan- miniature tree form like and elongated S pointing to right of viewer
Souk- market
Takamer/Takameri- rich person
*Tao/Tae- sir/ma'am 
Tesku- leader of a street gang
Thukdak- slang for street rat
Zernamus- parasite like a tick, one that survives by living off the rich

The Battle for Living Circle

I realized I've never shared the Battle of Living Circle on here with you. So here it all is. If you want, you can read it all on Fanfiction. Hope you like it, please review.

Chapter One- Of Listening and Leaving

I obviously don't own any of this, it's all Tamora Pierce. This is just my imaginings of the new Circle book. I decided a) not to put much thought into how the trio knows about the Emperor's plan and b) I'm going to keep Evvy's cats out of this. I like animals, so we can just pretend she gave the cats to a nice, loving family. This is a really short segment, but it's been in my head. I'll post more soon.

Rosethorn crammed jars into her pack. She layered bits of clothing between the jars to keep them from clinking together.

There was a loud crash. "Mila damn it," Briar muttered. "It was just a jar of aloe," he called to Rosethorn. "Nothing big."

"Hurry up, we need to get out now. The faster we leave the better," she told him. "The Yanjini Emperor is going to know we overheard his meeting soon enough. We need to let Living Circle Temple know before he does."

Evvy trotted up the stairs. "I have all the food packed. I think I have all my rocks too."

Rosethorn tied her pack shut and swung it onto her shoulders. Briar did the same, and then put on the sling for his shakkan tree. "I guess we're ready," he said. "Let's go."

Chapter 2- Knowledge is Power
Sorry for the shortness of chapters. I hope you like it. Please review. As everyone knows, it's not mine. :/
Rosethorn pulled her hood over her face as they walked away from the house. "The last thing we need is someone figuring out where we went. You two," she nodded to Briar and Evvy, "blend right in. I am like a stick in the mud. A pity there isn't a good way for me to blend in."
Evvy frowned. "There are some shops that sell hair dyes and paints for people. We could probably find one. Here." She tossed her pack to Briar and melted into the crowds of people in the street. Briar and Rosethorn could hear her high voice over the city noise.
"Doa, do you know a place that sells paints and dyes? My aunt likes to look her best. On Spicer Street? Over there, okay, thank you very much doa."
The girl trotted back. "On that street over there, there's a place. How about I go in and get the stuff? The lady said there's a used clothes store too. We should get some of that too, because habits and fancy stuff don't look normal on the road. Let's go."
Evvy picked a jar up off the shelf. "Anleigh's Color- Starry Night Black. Five davs? That's a rip-off!"
A cool hand touched her shoulder. "I can sell cheaper if you can tell me a few things." Evvy turned around. A tall woman in a blue sari stood behind her. "Is there anything else you need? Once you know what you want, come up to the counter and we can…negotiate a price." The woman winked, then walked away.
Evvy grabbed a few jars of inky-black dye before another label caught her eye. Cinnamon Sugar Brown. I bet Rosethorn could dye her skin with that. That would really help us hide from the emperor. She picked up a couple jars of brown dye, then walked over to the counter.
"Who's this all for?" the lady asked. "Pretty colors, they aren't especially cheap either."
Evvy licked her lips. "They're for my auntie," she said in her most little-girl voice. "She's….mmm…..getting on in life and she likes her hair to be one color."
"Oh, yes. Just like so many people. The total cost is twenty davs, but I'll settle for twelve with the right information. Do you happen to know of a pair of mages, a young man and an older woman? The man is native-looking, but the woman is small and fair."
Evvy frowned. "Those pahans from Em-ah-lahn? Aren't they here to meet the emperor?"
The woman shrugged. "They were supposed to have an audience with him this morning, after his private meetings, but they never showed up. The guards said they were there."
Evvy tried her best to look calm, but her mind was racing. How she know about this? How did the emperor know? We said Rosethorn was sick and we couldn't make it. I didn't think anyone saw us. "I was on Acadia Lane and I saw the pahan on the roof. There were plants crawling up his arms. It was weird," Evvy shivered as she pushed her coins across the counter.
"If you see anything more, don't hesitate to tell me. I'll make sure the right people hear of your cleverness, and you will be rewarded. Good day." The woman handed Evvy the bag of goods, then slid behind a beaded curtain. Evvy walked away as fast as she dared, not looking back.

Chapter 3- Multiple Reflections

A/N- Thanks to Rosebud in Amber for being the first to do anything other than view my stories. I hope you like this. Nothing really happens, but it was written during my Algebra 2 class. Let's hope it stays easy so I can keep writing. Please review.

Rosethorn and Briar stood at the side of the market square. Evvy hurried over. "The emperor knows what we heard and he knows we're gone!"

Rosethorn turned pale. "What do mean? Who told you that?"

"There was a woman in that store. She lowered her prices for information. I said I was buying things for my aunt and I said I saw you at our house. I think she believed me. I hope so."

"Mila! What do we do now?" Rosethorn ground her teeth. "I suppose the best thing to do is get out as soon as we can."

Briar held up a large bag. "We bought some clothes and there's a hamman around the corner. We can change our clothes there and dye Rosethorn's hair."

The three mages walked to the bathhouse and paid their entry fee. Briar went into the men's section, while Evvy and Rosethorn entered the women's part.

A short while later, Rosethorn and Evvy stood by a private bath. Evvy pulled the jars of dye from her pack. "How are we going to do this?"

"I think these are plant dyes. I can just ask it to stain my skin until I want it to come out, I think," Rosethorn said. The dedicate turned away and pulled her green habit off, over her head. Even though she wore a thick, cream-colored under-dress, Evvy could see the woman was thin and bony. This journey will be hard on her.

Evvy turned around, stripped off her clothes, and slid into the foamy water. Rosethorn had already cleaned her hair and was rubbing in the black dye.

"I'm going to miss being a redhead," Rosethorn snorted. "I'm going to miss seeing my own reflection." She finished with the black dye and climbed out of the water. She was still wearing the under-dress.

Rosethorn caught Evvy's look and smiled crookedly. "Ever since my town was raided by pirates, I've tried to always wear something. This dress, it's a wonder in a way. Lark, at Winding Circle, made it. It doesn't rustle, it has loads of pockets, and it stays clean. At least, for the most part. Lark made it before I could grow any tomatoes."

Evvy sank into the water and scrubbed herself clean. By the time she was done, Rosethorn was painting her skin gold-brown. The woman was almost unrecognizable.

Except her eyes. They were large and brown, not almond-shaped and almost black. Oh well. People can have different eyes. Briar's are green after all…

Rosethorn finished. "I suppose we should keep this dye. Will you help me wash out my hair?"

Evvy walked over and poured water over Rosethorn's head. Only a little dye washed away. "I think you're magic is keeping your hair black. We can dry off, then get dressed, I suppose. What should we do with your habit? We should keep it, I don't think…"

Chapter 4- Trouble Brewing
This was actually written during French. We're studying passé composé. At any rate, have fun, please review.
Briar washed and dressed quickly, then left the hamman. He and Rosethorn hadn't brought much with them from Chammur, and Evvy had never had much to begin with. There was plenty of empty space in their packs, and Briar intended to use it.
He wandered down the street to a souk and found the food market. We'll need bread, and probably some fruit or vegetables, he thought. I should probably buy some water flasks too.
He slid into a bakery. It was empty, so Briar walked up to the counter. "I'll get six loaves of your freshest bread and a bag of rolls."
The baker raised his eyebrows but didn't comment. He set the order on the counter. "Anything else?"
Briar thought. "Do you sell any of that mix for biscuits or pancakes?"
"I sell both. You can buy a bag with five, ten, or fifteen cups. Which would you prefer?"
"I'll get two fifteen-cup bags of each, please," Briar said.
The baker turned away to fetch the bags. This is strange. Either he's planning a party or something has happened. Either way I want to know.
The baker set Briar's purchases on the counter and tallied up the cost. "25 davs, sir." As Briar pushed the coins over, the baker leaned towards him. "Sir, I am only a baker, but I would like to know what has happened. To my knowledge, there are no festivals or weddings soon, but you are buying enough to supply one. You don't need to tell me, but I would appreciate if you do."
Briar glanced over his shoulder. "I have word that there is trouble brewing in the palace. I've heard of a war against Gygonxe and its Living Circle Temple. If you have family there bring them home now. Don't spread the word, it will just cause panic." He slid a silver dav into the baker's apron pocket. "I trust you will be most…confidential." The mage gathered the bread into his pack and left the shop.
The baker didn't waste a moment. He started setting his goods on the counter, a sign that he was closing early and his prices were cheap. I will take my money and belongings and leave. I can stay with my brother in Chammur for a time. He won't mind. He and his wife will appreciate the company.
Unaware of the baker, Briar finished his shopping and hurried back to the hamman. He looked around. Evvy and Rosethorn ought to be done by now. Two people leaving the bath-house caught his eye. The younger girl was Evvy. Briar stared at the older woman. She had gold-brown skin like a local and choppy black hair. Her pink and orange dress just touched the ground. Briar frowned. Something wasn't quite right. Her eyes aren't slanted. Briar rolled his eyes. It was Rosethorn. How couldn't have figured that out?
Evvy saw him and skipped over. Rosethorn glared at him. "Don't make any clever comments, boy, or I'll string you up in the first well I find."
Briar grinned. "I haven't said anything….yet."

Chapter 5- Stuck in the Mud

A/N-Sorry this took so long, all my activities just barfed events all over my calender. I'll try to get some more out soon. Thanks to sliz225 for reviewing. :)

Briar licked his lips then spat on the dirt road. "I hate having my mouth taste like dirt." They had been walking for most of the afternoon in a large crowd of people streaming out of the city. Some were farmers, going home to a night's rest; some were travelers, headed for their next stop.

Evvy skipped ahead. "Get used to it! It's not that bad, after a while." She turned back to Briar. "Where are we sleeping tonight anyways? It's going to be dark in a little while and we still need to eat."

Rosethorn rolled her eyes. "We're on the road, girl. Meals won't come regularly. But I suppose you're right. We might as well have a hot meal on our first night. I heard someone say there was a stream around here. We could kip near it and catch fish."

They turned off the road and hurried towards the stream. It was getting dark quickly, and the temperature was dropping. Briar knew it wasn't cold enough to snow, but the temperature would be there soon.

He left Evvy and Rosethorn at the campsite and continued to the water. He set his pack down and pulled out his string and hooks.

Rosethorn dropped her pack and rolled her shoulders. "Well, I suppose we ought to get everything set up." The woman took a large oil-skin out of her pack and shook it open. "Evvy, get the other end. Drape it over the big branch there and find a rock so we can hammer the spikes down."

Evvy closed her eyes. She could feel a large rock, a piece of granite, near a patch of mud. She opened her eyes and picked up the rock. Rosethorn was adjusting the oil-skin over the branch. She pinned the tent down with the spikes, and then moved back so Evvy could hammer in the stakes.

"What do we do now?" Evvy stood up. "I mean, I know we're going to Living Circle, but what then?" She sighed. "When do we go home?"

Rosethorn smiled sadly. "I don't know. I'm not sure I even remember what home is. We may just pass through Living Circle, but we're probably going to be there for a while. It won't take the Yangini emperor long to get his army over there, and when he does…."

"We're going to be stuck. Just like rocks in mud."

Drabble #2 + BoLC bits

The woman leaned back into her dark corner. She was almost fashionable, wearing a dark jacket and trousers, with her coppery hair coiled back. She wore tall, heavy boots that were more what you'd expect to see on a Grundholt engineer.

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I'm thinking Rosie, Briar, and Evvy will get to LC and be in the bathhouse when young dedicate Hwangwalker finds them...from there, I don't know. But it's something.

Drabble #1

She could feel the wind at her back. It chilled her skin and whipped her blue surcoat about her knees. But it felt good. It kept her awake, kept her concentration sharp as she padded through the field.

She felt more alive than she had in quite a while.

Vignettes/ Drabbles

Vignette: vin'yet: noun: a brief evocative description, account, or episode.
Drabble: drah-buhl: noun: essentially the same, at least 100 words

So that's my new idea. I'll give you vignettes of ideas I have. They'll all be labeled under "Drabbles" and whatever genre they are. The post title will be "Drabble #___". I think about titles way too much, and they distract from the general theme.

Meaningful Question #1

This isn't fan-fiction either. It's creativity. I'm going to ask a question, maybe something I've been thinking about, maybe a random idea. I want EVERYONE who reads this to comment an answer. I mean, I suppose you won't get tracked down if you don't. . . but. . . anyways.

#1 If you had cancer, who, outside your family, would you tell first?
I was watching Battlestar Galactica and Laura Roslin is forced to tell everyone in the galactic fleet that her cancer is back. How would you do it? I think I'd talk to my French teacher, honestly. She had cancer once, and she's really understanding. She's supportive, the kind of person who will give you a shoulder to cry on, if you need one, and a kick in the. . . yeah. . . if you need one.