A/N: Hi people! I've finally decided to write the next chapter! *sigh* If I don't update in a few weeks after this chapter email me with a kick in the butt! That might help me speed up my typing! Anyway I'd like to thank all those who have faithfully been reviewing and so Thanks To:

ali – Your reviews are a great moral booster!

Dragonsdaughter – Yes… I agree. Companions DO have a strange sense of humor. *shakes head*

Aristel – If I take that long again please kick me, hard!

Kouryou Sanomi – I actually based Tori off a character in this story I have on fictionpress.net…

DezzyBaby – Yeah… about that I'm actually lazy and didn't feel like writing collegium years…

Silver Magiccraft – You haven't noticed any mistakes? I have… *kicks self* Proofread Zoe, proofread!!

ElvenRanger – Er yeah… about that tear thing… my mistake!! *runs away and hides under pillows*

And now for the chapter! How should I start it? Hm….

"Hi," Toby said and looked at the Herald who was to be his teacher for the next year. She didn't look very happy.

"Hi. I'm Tori, that is Teral. Should we go?" she asked, jerking her thumb at a mysteriously colored Companion standing behind her all tacked up and ready to go.

Why is he blue? Ryu asked Toby, nudging him with his nose.

I haven't a clue, Toby replied staring at the Companion Tori said was called Teral.

He glanced back at Tori, who was checking over Teral's tack. She caught his glance and grinned wickedly.

"Like his color?" she wondered.

"I… er…" Toby found he had no idea what to say.

"It took more dye than I thought was possible to buy," Tori continued.

"Oh…" Toby managed to say and tried to look surprised.

Ask why she did it… Ryu prodded.

"Why did you dye him…?" Toby asked hesitantly and shyly, brushing his constantly growing longer blond hair from his eyes.

Tori whirled around and Toby stepped involuntarily back. She was now not only unhappy, but also mad. Her eyes flickered. She had an expression on that made Toby feel like nothing but a little piece of dung.

"One, that is none of your business. Two, don't you have more important things to be doing then interrogating me, internee?" Tori snapped.

"I… er… sorry," Toby stuttered and turned to Ryu.

What's her problem? Ryu wondered and Toby detected a trace of anger in his Companion's tone as well.

"I don't know. Maybe she's having a bad day…" Toby said, making sure his voice was low enough that Tori couldn't hear.

Her Companion seems nice enough, Ryu noted. Toby turned his head around and looked at blue-coated Teral. Teral was grinning at Ryu and rolling his eyes at Tori.

Toby hid a grin of his own while adjusting Ryu's stirrups for the fourth time. He jumped as there was a tap on his shoulder.

"Not ready yet, internee? I should think they trained you better then that," she gave him a disgusted look and then swung into Teral's saddle.

Toby scowled and replied, "I'm ready."

He grabbed onto Ryu's saddle and swung up into it, resting comfortably on it with the ease of an experienced rider. He looked over at Tori and Teral and winced as he found the older Herald looking ticked off.

"Ready?" she asked him and Toby nodded, "Let's go."

The circuit they had to ride was only a few days away, one of the ones a little closer to the border, but not quite on it. Their first stop on the way was a small town on a river called, ironically, Riverside.

The day had started out chilly, but promised to warm up later on. It was early autumn and the trees were just starting to change color. Toby was glad for the warmer clothing he packed, because the weather was obviously not going to stay nice much longer.

"So, um…" Toby said, trying to think of something to say to start a conversation with Tori.

Teral says she's actually a good person, Ryu piped up in Toby's mind.

I should think so, Toby said sarcastically, She was Chosen to be a Herald after all.

"Yes?" Tori asked, looking at Toby with a faintly annoyed expression.

"Um… how long have you been a Herald?" Toby asked, desperately grabbing at something from thin air.

"Ten years counting trainee years. I was Chosen when I was nine," Tori said quickly, and in a way that made it seem like the end of a conversation.

Ten years, Toby thought to himself as they jostled through the crowds of inner Haven, That would make her nineteen.

Give a round of applause for our mathematical genius! Ryu put in jokingly.

Ryu… Toby said exasperated, Please help me here. I can't stand spending a year with a person who hates me.

I'm trying. Teral is telling me the way to gain her friendship… Ryu trailed off as he listened mind to mind with the blue Companion.

Tell him I give him my thanks, Toby said with a sigh and tried to avoid people who looked like they might attempt to sell him something.

He says your welcome, Ryu told Toby, And to keep up a dogged persistence in being nice. He says that would be the best way to win her friendship.

Ah, Toby said, Does he know how long I will have to suffer under her until then?

No actually… he says he doesn't, Ryu said with a flick of his tail and a twitch of his ears.

I can't believe she dyed him blue… Toby said with another depressed sigh.

As if in answer to his thoughts, Tori spoke to him, "I dyed him blue because I was sick of white and they wouldn't let me dye my uniform."

"Ah, that's er… interesting," Toby said. He had never thought of white that way but… to each his own. He was wincing inwardly at his horrible reply, but he really didn't have anything to add to her statement, seeing as he thought white was a fine color and he'd never dyed a Companion.

White isn't a color, Ryu pointed out with a mental smirk, It's the absence of all colors. Didn't they teach you that when you were a Trainee?

No… Toby said, mystified.

Ah, you must have been asleep in Science again, Ryu chuckled.

I wasn't! Toby insisted then paused. Had he? It was entirely possible. Toby had found science the most boring of all the classes he was required to take, and he did remember one or two times when he woke up to find the classroom empty and the professor staring him right in the face. He blushed remembering those times…

You were, I can tell, Ryu said and his walk became a little more prancing, showing his smugness.

Are all Companions as annoying as you? Toby wondered.

What makes you think that? Ryu asked innocently, walking around a wagon full of baskets of apples. A little boy sitting on it saw the Companions and tossed an apple to each of them.

It's your lucky day Ryu! Toby said sarcastically, but the Companion didn't reply. He was too busy eating his apple happily.

***

Tori looked at Teral's ears. She was almost as depressed as Toby, although she didn't know it. She sighed and patted Teral on the neck.

What's on your mind, Chosen? Teral asked curiously.

He's worse then I thought he'd be, she said, glancing over to where Toby sat in Ryu's saddle, yawning.

He isn't really. You should give him a chance, Teral insisted.

What do you mean? To be my friend? I don't want a friend like him, he's the perfect image of a perfect Herald. He's also a goody good, Tori said with a small scowl.

You don't know him, Teral said, keeping up his attempt at making Tori see differently.

And I don't want to, Tori stated simply, looking at the gradually darkening sky.

I think you'd like him once you got to know him, Teral said.

And I suppose you know him very well? Tori snapped a bit.

No, actually I don't. But from what Ryu's told me… Teral told her.

Just shut up please, Tori said.

I will if you promise to make an attempt on friendliness, said Teral wickedly.

Forget it, Tori said, wondering when they were going to reach this Riverside place.

A/N: I am SO sorry people, I just realized like now that when I changed this to HTML half the story disappeared! Here is the rest of it... this might explain a few missing things and add to character development!