A/N: This chapter picks up right where the last one stops.


Toby turned and look at Tori closely, then asked carefully, "Not fit to be a Herald?"

"Never mind," Tori said and looked down at Teral. She had said to much. Way to much. For some odd reason she felt tears prick the corners of her eyes.

Toby nodded and watched her for a moment longer before looking at his own Companion's neck. There was something... something about her. He shook his head.

Why did Teral choose Tori if she almost wasn't fit to be one? Toby asked Ryu silently.

Because she was right then. And she needed help and... Ryu paused for a moment then chuckled, And because she is the kind of person who would disobey orders for the good of the country.

Disobey orders for the good of the country? Toby echoed, letting out a chuckle himself.

Yes, funny isn't it? Ryu asked of his Chosen.

If you say so... Toby said.

"You wouldn't want to know, anyway, Internee," Tori added on a moment later.

"Why not?" Toby asked softly.

Tori turned her head and glared at him, "I supposed I put that wrong. I don't care to tell you, Internee."

Toby sighed and looked at the countryside going slowly past, and said, "It's not good to keep thing bottled up, it increases the risk of a heart attack."

Tori gave Toby an odd look and paused before saying, "Seriously?"

Toby shrugged, "That's what the Stable Master always said to me."

"Stable Master? Oh right, you were a stable boy," Tori nodded, "That's interesting."

"You seem to be keeping a lot bottled up," Toby commented.

"You seem very nosy," Tori replied nastily, "And I might remind you that you should show some respect to your betters."

"Aren't all Herald's equal?" Toby answered.

"You are an Internee. I, on the other hand, have been a Herald for five years," Tori pointed out.

"Yes, I am an Internee, and you are supposed to show me what a Herald does on Circuits, and how a good Herald acts," Toby retorted, "And so far you aren't doing a very good job."

Tori didn't say anything. What was there she could say?

He sure showed you, Teral said with a smirk, Not so goody goodish now is he?

Shut up, Tori said, I never asked to be a Herald.

No one asks for it, Teral informed his Chosen.

"Do you want me, when I'm a full Herald, to treat everyone like they're lower than me? Do you want me to have an attitude of, I've been through so much you should all pity me?" Toby asked indignantly.

"I'm not- I don't..." Tori stumbled over her words, unable to protest, because to protest would be to lie.

"Sorry," Toby muttered, realizing he probably shouldn't have said that.

He's smart, Tori said unhappily to Teral.

Now you say it, Teral said, finding it all very amusing.

***

It was dark out. They were coming into the town of Redshores, called that for the red clay in the lake nearby where a few townsfolk made their living by fishing. Toby could barely see his hand in front of his face it was so dark out. The only thing he could see were the lights of the town, which looked to be another 50 feet away.

"No, Toby," Tori said suddenly, startling Toby, who was half asleep. He didn't even realize that was the first time she actually addressed him by him name, but he did wake up quickly.

"Yes?" he asked, reaching out to wrap his fingers through Ryu's mane.

"I don't want you to be like me," she said softly.

"That's not what I"- Toby started.

"Yes it is; and you're right," Tori said firmly, "And..." her voice wasn't firm now, "I'm sorry. Again."

"You really weren't"- Toby tried again.

"I was, now shut up and accept my apology," Tori ordered, sounding exasperated.

Toby grinned and said, "I accept your apology."

"Good," Tori answered grimly.

No more was said until they reached the Inn and were accompanying the two Companions into the stable, which, as Ryu said, didn't look as good as the last one. Toby followed the complaining Companion into a stall, the one next to Tori and Teral.

He untacked Ryu and got out the brushes to get the long day's dirt off his beautiful white coat. He was half way through curry combing Ryu when he heard what sounded like, but it couldn't be, muffled sobbing. As if the person was sobbing while they were covering their face with something.

He frowned and glanced at Ryu who blinked and gave him a look as if to say, "I don't hear anything..." (Suspicious glance around the stall.) Toby sighed and stepped outside the stall. He peered around the corner into the stall where Tori was, hoping he was wrong in the idea that the sobbing came from there. He wasn't wrong. He was right.

"Tori?" Toby asked gently.

The Herald was sitting and leaning against the wall of the stall, her head buried in her arms. Teral stood next to her, looking a bit helpless, something Toby had never seen a Companion look before. He spied Toby and gave him a despairing look then tilted his head at Tori. Toby knew what he meant.

"Tori?" Toby repeated again, a little louder.

"Go away," was the muffled reply.

Toby stepped into the stall and moved slowly to where Tori sat. He kneeled down beside her and after a moment's pause, reached out and touched her on the shoulder.

To his surprise Tori didn't try to shove him away but looked up at him, and she didn't look much like the Tori he knew, because her expression wasn't of anger or annoyance or sarcasm, but hurt, loneliness, and pain. She suddenly leaned towards Toby and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her face into his chest.

Toby, who had never held a girl before, wasn't entirely sure what to do, but he did wrap his arms around her and sit now all the way next to her.

A while later, and Tori had pretty much stopped crying now, she pulled away from him then looked over at him, her expression still hurt, but now more the guilty look of a child caught taking a cookie from the cookie jar.

"Sorry..." she said, "I was..."

Toby didn't say anything, just waited for her to finish, and noticed that she really looked a lot prettier when she wasn't shouting and glaring and being angry, even though right now her face was blotchy from crying and her hair was messed up.

"I was just thinking... I had a twin..." Tori winced, "I'm not really sure how to say this... but I was, am keeping things bottled up... and it kind of... exploded."

Toby nodded. Tori leaned back up against the wall and closes her eyes. Neither spoke. After a while Toby stood up, helped Tori to her feet, and they both went into the Inn to sleep. They'd already eaten dinner, on the road.

A/N: Um... the reason it says 8 chapters is because I stuck in a new Chapter Four, the Collegium Years of Toby. People were asking for it... and I didn't feel it fit quite right to stick it in right here. So go read it!