Disclaimer: The only people I own in this fanfic are Malinine, Kiarra, Philip, and basically everybody in the Couger gang. Everybody and everything else belong to Tamora Pierce. Don't sue!!

                                                              Magic in the Heart

“Why are we here again??� Pasco asked.
His teacher, Sandry, gave him a look. Pasco knew that look and knew it well. He shouldn’t have spoken.
Sandry looked around souk, or marketplace, to see if anyboy was listening.
"My cousin is getting married and she wants me to make her dress. Understand??�
“Well yes, but can’t she get an other stitch witch??�
Sandry grinned. His stomach went all bubbly,the way it all ways did when Sandry gave him a smile. She always tried to cover her smiles around other people, but he was lucky to be blessed with her goddess-like smiles.
“Come on Pasco. It wont be so bad. With in a month we will leave and go back to Summmersea and meet with my foster sisters and foster brother. Besides I hear Chammurian dancers are quite spectacular.�
“You’ve found my weakness me’ lady.�
“And you have yet to find mine.� With that she tweaked his nose and knocked on the door to her cousin’s house.
Rubbing his nose he walked up to Sandry and whispered, “That hurt you know.�
Sandry giggled as the door swung open.
A tall blonde lady stood in the doorway with a too tight, green dress on..
“Sandrilene fa Toren!!!!!!!!! Is that you??????� the woman shrieked.
“Yes Malinine, it is I.�  Sandry said.
Out of the corner of Pasco’s eye, he saw Sandry inch toward him. This lady scared her too.
“Wow you look so…so…different. You’ve changed sense I last saw you! How old were you then…ah that’s right 12!!! Man you’ve changed!! Who is this??�
“Pasco. He is my student.�
“Oh…� Malinine said while eyeing him, “I thought he was your husband!�
Sandry took out her handkerchief and put it up to her nose trying to hide her blushing.
Pasco was trying so hard not to laugh.
“No, just her student.� He squeaked.
“Well come in!!!! Come in!!!!!!� Malinine said.
Sandry and Pasco obayed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Briar?� Evvy asked her teacher.
“Yes?� Briar replied looking up from his book.
“What are your foster sisters like?�
Briar set down his book.
“Well all my foster sisters are very difficult. Sandry is the most.�
“Why?�
“Because Sandry is just… well Sandry.�
Evvy noticed a tint it his jade eyes. He looked a little mushy.
“Why do you talk about her so much?� she asked cautiously.
“Because she is the one that is in more contact with me.�
“Right.�
Why did Evvy feel like something was going on with Sandry?
“Well I got to go off and work with Rosethorn in the farm fields.. Go work on your charm stones. We will be selling at our booth in the Golden House first thing in the morning.�
Briar ruffled her hair and left.
Rubbing her hair, Evvy went to Briar’s desk and picked up his book.
“The Magic in the Weaving by Lady Sandrilene fa Toren…� she whispered, “Something is going on.�
Evvy dropped the book and went to work on her rocks.
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After leaving her cousin's place she and  Pasco went to go buy the fabrics and such.
Sandry looked around her. This alley didn’tlook familiar. How could she get lost from Pasco in five minutes? Something moved in the corner of her eye. She froze.
“Pasco??� Sandry whispered.
“Sorry…you got the wrong guy,� said a horse voice behind her.
Sandry spun around. A crooked faced boy stood behind her grinning impishly. He had a purple bandana around his knee.
She backed away.
“Who are you?’’ Sandry asked.
“You don’t want to know.� With that he leapt toward her. Sandry sent her magic into his shirt and told the cotton threads to tighten up.
Nearly choking the boy stopped and clawed at his shirt. Moving his hands in a complicated pattern the threads broke loose.Sandry called to them again, but nothing happened. It was like the thread was eating up her power, draining it from her. What was going on?
Then the boy leapt toward her again this time grabbing her wrist with an iron grip.
“Where is your Pasco now dear?�
Then three other boys came out from the shadows all bearing purple bandanas around their knees.
“NOW!!!!!!� the boy yelled.
The new boys jumped on her, each grabbing an arm or a leg with hard grips.
The vine connecting her to Briar sprung to life.
Sandry?!?!?!?!
Was that Briar??
“Help!!! Briar help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!�Sandry screamed out.
All four boys stopped. The first boy picked her up and shoved her against the wall. Sandry’s lip was bleeding and she had a deep scratch at the end of her right eyebrow. Big bruises where forming on her limbs. Her coller bone was the worst.
“How do you know Briar??� the boy spat ather.
Before she could answer. The four boys where up in the air. Dangling about six feet up. With nobody supporting her Sandry fell to the ground.
“Sandry!!!� Pasco yelled.
“Pasco!� as soon as he kneeled by her she was in his arms. His arms were so comforting.
“How did you find me??� Sandry breathed.
“Well I saw you go into the alley and when I heard you scream…oh are you ok?�
Helping her stand up they started to walk towards the exit of the alley.
“Hey!!!!! Get us down phahan!!!!!!!!!!!!�one of the levitating boys yelled.
“Forget about them Sandry. Let’s go home.�Pasco said soothingly.
Sandry nodded because she couldn’t speak.

Briar had forgotten about the magical thread connecting Sandry to him until a big blast of her fear hit him like a ton of bricks. He fell to the ground.
Sandry! Briar yelled magically.
No response. He just felt more fear coming from Sandry. Suddenly it stopped.
 While scratching his head and trying to figure out things, Briar saw Rosethorn run towards him.
“Briar are you ok?� she asked.
“I’m fine…fine…�
“You flew back five yards boy!!! You had me worried!!!�
Rubbing his sore and bruised stomach, Briar replied, “It was Sandry…she’s near by…she’s was in trouble…�
“Well I think it’s time to go home.� Rosethorn said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“How did you find me?� a very shaken Sandry asked.
It pained Pasco to see that beautiful face smothered with fear.
“Well I saw you walk into the ally…and…well from my knowledge of ally ways I didn’t trust it…and…well…I kind of used a listening spell…�
He never got to finish.
“You used a what?!?!?!� Sandry asked surprised.
“…a listening spell…well…I heard your conversation and it got pretty nasty so cameto help you.�
Sandry was trying so hard to walk faster, but it was a worthless battle. She ended up holding on to Pasco for dear life. When they were a couple blocks away from their rental house by the Water Temple, Pasco gripped all  of his courage and asked, “Would you like me to carry you???�
“Please.�
She felt so light and delicate in his hands. Ever since the horrible encounter with the poor mage boy and his two masters explode…the sight of the two of them drenched in their blood…Sandry never really got over it. You could see it in her eyes. She had lost some pounds, not a lot,but enough to tell. She never really gained them back. Pasco looked at Sandry and grinned. She was fast asleep.
 Looking at her body he found nothing wrong with it. Not to skinny…not to fat…perfect…just perfect.
Openingthe door with his arms full was easy, he had done this sort of thing before. It was tucking her in that was the hard part, he didn’t want to let go.
        After tucking her in he turned to leavewhen Sandry whimpered.
“Pasco?�she asked almost in a whisper
Pasco turned around and walked back to Sandry’s bed and asked her what did wanted.
“Briar…�she whispered.
He frowned. It had slightly bugged him that she had called out his name when shewas being attacked.
“What about him?�
“I heard him. In my head. Through our magical tie.�
“But you can only speak to him in that way when he is close to you.�
“Exactly. He was close. I felt it.�
He was sort of confused. How could Briar be here?? It is true that he was here 4 years ago, but he and his teacher Rosethorn, and his student Evvy had left enough supplies to last Chammur for a long time.
“But before I slip off into the blackness I want to thank you for saving my life.You did a very brave thing and you kept your head in a very tight situation…�she yawned, “You set your magic so that it would only hit you enemies, not the one you are trying to save. It looks like you have been taught well.�
“Well I have a very good teacher.�
Was it just him or did Sandry look extra graceful when she was tired.
She gave him a week smile.
“There is something else…� yawn “ when I tried to do magic on him…� yawn “ the leader,his power sucked mine up and drained me of my strength…� yawn “Pasco…�
“Yes?�
“Thank y…�
Beforeshe could finish, Lady Sandriline fa Toren fell asleep.
 
 

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