In the seventh chapter of Briar’s Book, this won’t ever be okay. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Circle of Magic.
Trigger Warning: For talk of disease, death, abuse, and death of a child.
Christ.
Daja
There’s just so much hurt in this chapter, and what happens between Daja and Briar occurs BEFORE THE WORST PART. So it was already painful before it got TRULY PAINFUL. Exhaustion definitely plays a large part in that. Daja, finally done with her marathon box-making session with Frostpine and Kirel, learns what she’s been missing out on the entire time: the blue pox has spread throughout the city. These kids are at a point where they are undeniably emotionally attached to one another, so much so that Daja immediately needs confirmation that Briar is okay. Unfortunately, the timing of her call to Briar comes right as he finds out he’s still stuck in Urda’s House, and he lashes out at her:
I’m fine. Go away, Briar replied firmly. Daja was cut off as crisply as if he’d slammed a door in her face.
Within a few minutes (and after he puts on a mask/glove set that Lark/Sandry made), Briar realizes what he’s done to his friend. And I appreciate that Briar is aware of this so quickly after he does something that hurt Daja. That wasn’t his intention, but it still stung. So he reaches out to her to apologize, and both of them know that they’ve been worked ragged, that they’re tired and scared. It’s a really cool moment between these two friends, even if it is short, because it demonstrates the kind of bond that they have.
Flick
It doesn’t even matter that I tried to steel myself for Flick’s fever coming back. It doesn’t. Her death here is upsetting because prior to it, Rosethorn most likely had to argue that she deserved medical attention regardless of her social status. It’s upsetting because she was Briar’s sense of hope. It’s upsetting because even after she’s already passed, Briar still believes she is alive. And it’s in her final moments of life that, through her hallucinations, Briar learns more about the mother that abused her. There’s no closure or justice for her at all, and that may be the most brutal part about this. She dies with no family by her side. It was just Briar, who sat there, holding her hand, getting her to drink when no one else would, coaching her breathing until her chest stops rising and falling.
Look, I don’t think Briar has lived a life without death surrounding him. He grew up in the slums and in crime. He fought the pirates when they attached Winding Circle. Death is not unfamiliar to Briar Moss. And yet, why does this feel so particularly heartbreaking? Why does it seem so tragic, so much more so than anything else? I don’t know that Briar’s ever lost someone who was close. Which isn’t to say that Briar and Flick were super close, either; he didn’t even know about her childhood or upbringing. But this death was extremely personal for Briar. He believed in Flick, as if merely believing in a person’s capacity for resilience means that this will save them from a disease, particularly one that’s as brutal as the blue pox.
I don’t feel compelled to quote any of the parts surrounding Flick’s death. It’s too hard to read again.
Reunion.
Like the end of the last chapter, I can’t allow myself to get too excited because I AM STEELING MYSELF FOR THE INEVITABLE. But I think I can still sit here and enjoy the purity of happiness that comes from the reunion. It’s hard to because Briar’s ride back to Winding Circle is so terribly disturbing. He gets to see the effects that blue pox has had in Summersea, from the dead left in the street, to the buildings on fire, to the nervous populace who shut their doors and shutters whenever another wagon passes by. It’s a grim portrait of a terrible time, and I don’t imagine it’s going to get better for a long time. But I think I’ll echo Sandry’s sentiment here. As Little Bear made a racket, overjoyed at Rosethorn and Briar’s return, I felt like a little piece of this world had been repaired. These people belonged together.
CAN WE ALSO TALK ABOUT THIS:
Rosethorn had dismounted. Now she stood ankle deep in mud, arms wrapped tight around Lark, her face buried in Lark’s shoulder as the other woman held her. She didn’t seem to be crying; she just hung onto her friend for all she was worth.
THIS IS ABSOLUTELY 100% TOO MUCH TO HANDLE, OH MY GOD. Look, can I someday get a book about these two??? How did they meet? How did they become friends??? I’ll turn to fanfiction for the rest, but seriously, what an incredible moment, y’all. I don’t know what to expect from the rest of this book. I have no problem admitting that. I’m not even halfway through it, and it’s already stressing me out. It’s good that Dedicate Crane came up with detection oil to determine who has the blue pox or not, but what about a cure? My hope is that now that Rosethorn is out of Urda’s House, she can begin her work with crane to devise some sort of solution to this epidemic. It’s spreading rapidly, and I’m worried that one of the Discipline characters might catch it.
I’ll deal with that when we get it. Lord, what a chapter. Halfway through this book, and I’m already destroyed.
http://youtu.be/jGOunWIQAWM?a
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