Briar's Book Read Online Free PDF

now!”
    “That’s
enough,”
ordered Niko softly. “I am sorry I questioned you.” He fell silent for a moment. When he spoke again, he did so in a whisper. “My dear, I admit that you will be needed desperately for your ability to unravel an illness and find its cure. Unfortunately, the gods placed you here. I know you dislike nursing above all things – but there is nothing we could have done to prevent it. Which do
you
think is more important: immediately isolating the few who were exposed to this child, or letting you go, possibly to bring infection to others?”
    “Don’t lecture me on the need for quarantine, Niko,” Rosethorn snapped. “In case you’ve forgotten, I wrote the quarantine instructions for Summersea! I know I have to stay here!”
    Niko sighed. “Have courage. There are other experts in this kind of work. I am sure that Dedicate Crane will find a way to identify the ailment and its cure.”
    “Yours is a happy nature,” retorted the woman. “Crane will need help. With that lordly manner of his, I doubt he’ll manage to keep anyone else for more than a day.”
    Niko shook his head. “You can’t be that worried, if you can take the time to insult your colleagues. I’ll come back with these things as soon as I can.”
    Frowning, Briar stepped back as Niko closed the grating and Rosethorn turned away from the door.
    Somehow the boy had always known his teacher was uncomfortable with others. She seemed to like him well enough; she adored Lark, and enjoyed the company of Niko, Frostpine, and the duke. He even suspected she’d come to like the girls, but when it came to outsiders, she hid her softer nature and showed only thorns. Watching her handle Flick, he’d been surprised at how gentle she was. To hear she disliked working with people was no surprise. But Rosethorn was frightened?
    That frightened
him.
    When the duke and his escort came to a halt at the gate of Discipline Cottage, a curly-haired dog two and a half feet tall at the shoulder burst out of the open door, barking wildly. Sandry and Tris dismounted with a splash, hurrying to get to their pet before he could terrify the horses. The soldiers grinned as the big dog raced around both girls, shrieking at the top of his lungs. Behind him came a tall, broad-shouldered girl with mahogany-colored skin – Daja Kisubo, another of Briar’s housemates. Rather than go to tea with the duke or visit the market that day, she had chosen to stay home and assist her teacher Frostpine with a particularly complex piece of metalwork.
    “How did it go?” Sandry called over the dog’s noise.
    “Fine,” Daja shouted. She bore no sign of time spent in the forge, but wore a clean russet tunic and dark leggings. “The shield will be grand, once it’s cleaned and polished.” Her dozen braids were still wet from the bath; her round face was freshly scrubbed.
    Out of patience at last, a scarlet-faced Tris yelled, “Little Bear,
down!”
    The dog Little Bear dropped to the ground and rolled onto his back, pawing the air.
    “I’m not washing him this time,” Daja informed Tris calmly.
    “Young ladies,” said the duke. The girls looked up at him. “Tell only Dedicate Lark what Rosethorn said – no one else. Once rumors get started…”
    “We understand, Uncle,” replied Sandry. Tris dipped a small curtsey. Daja looked from them to the duke, frowning.
    “Aren’t you coming in, your grace?” asked Lark from the cottage door. Like Rosethorn, she wore a green habit to show she served the gods of the earth. Unlike Rosethorn, Lark was tall and willowy, graceful rather than crisp. Her dark bronze face was catlike, with its small chin and wide cheekbones, and was framed with short-cropped black curls. The girls saw worry in her dark eyes as she glanced from them to their escort.
    The duke shook his head. “I need to speak with Honored Moonstream on a matter of some importance. Good day to you, Dedicate.” He bowed slightly in the saddle, then