Ready for our yearlong internship? Ryu asked Toby, with a shove of his nose.

"No," Toby moaned, "Why a year earlier then the rest? I don't feel old enough!"

You're special, Ryu said with a horsy grin. He pawed the straw in the stall.

Toby snorted, "I am not."

Yes you are. You were a stable hand, and you rose to Herald, and you have a gift no one's ever seen before! Ryu looked up and spoke in a soft dreamy voice.

"Seriously, Ryu," Toby said and poked him with a hoof pick.

Actually, the REAL reason is because you, being around Herald's so much, new half the stuff when you got there, Ryu winked.

"Not half," Toby insisted, pulling some mud from Ryu's mane. The mud was very light in color, "Ryu? When did you last get muddy?"

Ryu stared at the mud, Am I bleaching things again? Heh heh...

Toby yawned and leaned up against the tall, sturdy Companion, closing his eyes and relaxing. Ryu reached his head around and nudged his motionless Chosen. Toby mumbled and shoved Ryu's nose.

"Lemme sleep..." was all he could make out.

Go to bed. I'll be here in the morning, Ryu said. Toby nodded and hugged Ryu then walked up the Herald Collegium.

***

(Meet the Herald who's going with Toby!)

Tori glared at her reflection in the mirror. A young woman of nineteen glared back, her dirty blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, deep hazel eyes shadowed by frowning light colored eyebrows. She leaned down and pulled off her soft leather boots and threw them on the floor.

She was thoroughly sick of the color white. It was driving her insane. It was so pure, so untouched, it was sick. Nothing is that pure. She suddenly grinned. What would Teral think if she dyed him a different color? Of course, it would only last a day or so, but still... He would call it her disturbed mind trying to create differences where everything was the same. Silly Companion.

Her disturbed mind. Tori wasn't disturbed, it was just a joke she and Teral had, it was because Tori once was labeled disturbed and dangerous when she accidentally dropped a match she was using to light a candle and it burned down the schoolhouse. Of course, since there weren't supposed to be candles in the schoolhouse, no one believed her story, and the teacher would never admit to having used candles there. The wax was expensive in that town, candles were only for special occasions.

So, Tori was labeled "disturbed and dangerous" and stuck in the local nut house until Teral came to rescue her with his shining blue eyes and stuck up way of holding his tail up all the time.

So, the reason Tori was really glaring at herself was because she had to go on some stupid internship with a kid who got his whites early because apparently there wasn't anything more to teach him. Kid used to be a stable hand.

He isn't a kid, Victoria, Teral said in her mind.

Yes he is. He's only fifteen, she told him back, her thoughts a little sharper than they could have been.

And you're nineteen. Wow. Big difference, Teral said with a sigh in his thoughts. Tori could practically hear his tail swishing and him prancing about thinking he knew everything.

You seen his Companion? Teral asked, there was something in his voice Tori couldn't recognize.

She sighed and flopped back on her bed. Teral believed in talking about stupid things, like the color of the grass. Said you could tell the true personality of a person once you heard them talking about stupid things. He should have been a shrink and not a Companion. Silly Companion.

I hate trainees, Tori muttered to Teral.

You were one once, Teral pointed out.

Yes, but I wasn't like them. They're all so happy and cheerful, 'Mommy I got Chosen by a white horsie!' Tori said with a sarcastic chuckle.

No, you were depressed and still grieving over a loss that happened, what, fourteen years ago? Teral asked with a snort. Tori could hear him chewing.

It was only five when I was Chosen, Tori said and stopped laughing.

You still miss her, Teral said, prodding. His favorite hobby.

Trish... Tori echoed softly, then said it out loud, "Trish..."

Twins should never be separated, Teral stated, his voice calm in her mind. Tori knew what he was doing. He was comforting her. Tori would have told him to back off, but after being with him for nine years, she was used to it.

You're right. But you aren't a twin. How would you know? Tori asked, being sharp again, "You'll never be anything like Patricia Ridge."

I heard that. You're echoing it in your mind, you still do that when you're upset, Teral said, And Tori? I know I'll never take the place of Trish. I don't want to. That's a bond that even the Companion-Herald bond can't interfere with. But know this, Chosen, I love you too.

Why do you have to be so god damn sentimental? Tori asked. Tears were leaking out of her cheeks.

It's my job, Teral said, and stared up at the night sky, wishing he could go into Tori's room and let her hug him or something.

I know, Tori whispered and blew out the candles.