:Go-Dean Gallagher.: Kyocera Sent. Fallon's expectations were true, the longer she stayed in contact with her Companion, the stronger their bond, and the more words Kyo was able to string together in a sentence to Send at her.

"Hello. Newly Chosen?" the page inquired.

"Uh, yes. 'Cera wants me to go to see Dean Gallagher. Should I groom her first?" Fallon asked timidly.

"No. Your Companion will know the way to the stables, we can groom her. So if you will follow me, I will show you the way." Fallon gave one quick hug to Kyocera, and followed the page.

The page lead Fallon through the many twisting hallways of the Palace, and she was soon lost. "How will I ever find my way around here?" Fallon asked the Page.

"It takes awhile to get to know the Palace. There are always Herald- Trainees around who can help you. Where are you from?" the page asked. He was a tall boy of about fifteen years, with choppy blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Lineas. I was Chosen in the middle of the Autumn Fair. My parents don't know yet," Fallon said, and smiled. "My name is Fallon."

"I'm Elan. Nice to meet you, Fallon. Lineas. that is four days out of Haven, right?"

"Usually. I never knew how fast Companions could ride! I got here in two days," Fallon said.

"This is Herald Gallagher's office. Maybe I will see you later, Fallon," Elan said, and winked. He turned on his heel, and walked down the hall.

Fallon didn't think much of Elan's advances, she was used to guys acting that way around her. He only wanted her for her looks. She quickly knocked on the Dean's door, and heard a muffled, "Come in!"

She opened the door, and stepped forward into the room. The Dean sat behind a desk piled in paperwork. Herald Gallagher looked to be in his mid-forties, with graying dark brown hair and green eyes. Fallon nodded her head in acknowledgement, and sat down in the chair before the aging Herald's desk.

"Herald Gallagher. I am Fallon Harding. I am from Lineas; I was Chosen by the Companion Kyocera," Fallon stated plainly.

"Welcome to Haven, Fallon. You will be living in the Heraldic Wing. I need to ask you a couple questions, to see where you will be, academically," the Dean said, and proceeded to interrogate her on her learning.

Fallon's mother had taught her lessons in etiquette and diplomacy, so she fit in a class with Herald-Trainees a couple years older than herself. She didn't have a good hand at math and accounting skills, so she was placed in a class of Trainees a couple years her junior. Other than that, she placed average in the rest of her classes.

"You got to Haven just in time, tomorrow is this years Orientation for first year Trainees. Your schedule for tomorrow: breakfast, two candlemarks after dawn. Then you will have your Orientation, then Mathematics, then Equitation, then lunch. After lunch you will go to the salle to receive sword work lessons. See what type of fighting style suits you best. After that you will return to the Practice Room, and you will be tested to see if you have any magical prowess. After that you have a free period. After that, you should report to Gizelle, the cook. You will do whatever she asks of you. Then you have a candlemark to wash up before dinner, and then dinner. After dinner you may do as you please; as long as all your assignments from your classes get completed."

Fallon nodded in assent. She knew her schedule would be hectic when she arrived at the Collegium. She was going to have to work really hard to complete all of her assignments and still manage to have some free time. "Thank you, Dean."

"All in a days work. I have assigned you a mentor-" a knock on the door interrupted Herald Gallagher. "And there he is now. Come in!" Her mentor, a boy of about 16, entered the room. He was very tall, with messy light brown hair, and a mischievous look in his shocking green eyes. He was very attractive. She immediately liked him. Most people were taller than Fallon, but he towered over her.

The boy mock-bowed to Fallon, picking up her hand and kissing it. Somehow she did not think that he was advancing on her, because of the mischievous look in his eye and the wicked grin spreading across his face. "I am Nyxan, but you can call me Nyx. I will be your mentor here in Haven," he said warmly. His voice displayed that he was not mocking her, but was acting all in good fun.

"I'm Fallon. Nice to meet you, Nyx," Fallon said, smiling like a fool.

:Flirt.: Kyocera Sent at Fallon, and it was all she could do to not laugh out loud.

:I am not flirting. I am being friendly.: Fallon thought at Kyocera, and received a wordless wave of laughter from 'Cera.

"All right, you two. Better be off, dinner starts soon, and Nyx, will you show Fallon to her room? It's room 22, on the first floor of the Heraldic Wing."

"Y'sir." And with that, Nyx ushered her out into the hallway. "First I shall take you to see Reba. she is basically the Herald's housekeeper. She will outfit you in your stylish Heraldic-Training grays," Nyx said, smiling. Fallon groaned. She had seen the Grays. life as a Herald Trainee might get slightly monotonous wearing the dull gray uniforms.

"Good enough," Fallon consented, as they walked down the corridor.

"So where are you from?"

"I'm from Lineas," Fallon supplied shortly, as Nyx's eyebrow arched upwards. "And you?"

"Born and raised on Lake Evendim."

"So you're a good swimmer? There weren't too many lakes in Lineas. I never learned how to swim." Nyx's sardonic expression changed to one of shock.

"You don't know how to swim? Nariah and I will have to teach you. This is going to be fun. Do you want to learn?"

"I'd love to. Who is Nariah?"

"Another Herald Trainee. She is half Shin'a'in, but has a natural talent with swimming. She was 14 when she was Chosen. That summer she was supposed to decide if she wanted to be completely Shin'a'in, or completely not. She would either never leave the Plains, or could never come back. Kiran solved that problem for her. She is 16 now," Nyx explained.

"How were you Chosen?" Fallon asked.

Nyx smiled sarcastically. "I was out swimming on Lake Evendim, and I had a near-drowning accident. And then Zaida swam out to me, pulled me by my collar back to shore, looked into my eyes and told me that I was Chosen. Great way to boost your confidence in me as a swimming teacher, huh? It was an accident," Nyx mock-whined.

"Absolutely. I'll trust that Nariah can save us all."

"Here we are," Nyx said, walking through an already opened door. "Reba," he called into the room. "We've got a new Trainee."

"Hello Nyxan. Who do we have here?" inquired a plump woman with curly red hair, and smile lines stretching all the way to her eyes.

"May I present Herald-Trainee Fallon Harding? She needs some Grays, boots. hm. anything else?"

"I don't think so," Reba said. She was sizing Fallon up, probably for size. "I think a small would do." she muttered to herself, and walked into the back of the room. There were racks upon racks of the monotonous gray uniforms, ranging vastly in sizes. Reba grabbed one of the smaller uniforms, and brought it over. Fallon placed it to her own drab clothes, to check the sizing. It would fit nicely.

Reba went back to another side of the room, where there were boxes piled across the wall. She picked one up, and brought it over to Fallon. "Try these on," she said.

Fallon opened the box to see well made leather boots. She discarded her own shoes, and pulled them on. They fit flawlessly, with room to grow. "Perfect. Is that all?" Fallon asked.

"Yes. Let me get you some spare changes of your Grays," Reba said, rummaging through the racks. "Come back whenever you need more, or new sizes. I don't want to see you back here for at least a month!" she said, laughing. "Some of our Trainees grow very fast. Have fun, and good luck, Fallon."

"Thank you very much." Fallon accepted the parcels, tucked them under her arm, and exited with Nyx.

"I suppose you will be wanting to see your new room?"

"Yes," Fallon replied eagerly. As Nyx lead her down the twisting hallways, she became more and more lost. "Ah, I'm lost," she said, laughing.

"You'll get used to it." They went downstairs, and through a large double door. She found herself in a hallway with many doors branching off. "The Herald's Wing. Your room is the 22nd," he said, continuing to walk down the hallway. He stopped halfway down the hall, and turned to the door on the right. He opened the door, and ushered Fallon in.

The room was larger than she expected; it had a comfortable bed, a desk, a bookshelf, a closet, and a window looking out on a grassy field. Nyx saw the direction of her gaze, "That is Companion's Field." Fallon went to the windowsill and looked out, and surely enough, hundreds of the celestial white horses inhabited the field. There were many groves surrounding the turf, and what looked to be a chapel in the far reaches of the field.

"I will leave you to get settled in-the girl's bathhouse is at the far left end of this hallway. I will come back at dinner time, to continue showing you around," Nyx said, smiling.

"Thank you so much, Nyx. I would most definitely be lost without you."

"No problem whatsoever. I think that you are going to do just fine here."

"I do think I am going to like it here."