It took the girls a long time to wake him. Eventually Daja forced herself awake, got out of bed and came up the stairs in her nightshirt to shake him out of it. He was sweating and wild eyed, and if she hadn't put out a strong hand to stop him, he would have attacked her in panic.

"Calm down," she hissed. "We've all been yelling at you for Gods-know how long."

"I… I was…"

"We know where you were." She looked grim, but she kept a firm hand on his shoulder until he had convinced himself that he was, in fact, home again. He had thought he was going to be trapped in that nightmare forever, it had seemed to go on and on and on, like an endless corridor of terror.

Oh Briar. Sandry's mind-voice sounded like she was about to burst into tears.

He didn't even have the strength to tell her not to blub. He felt like crying himself, but he'd be damned if he was going to, in front of Daja.

We have to do something. This was Tris. You have to go see the mind-healer again. Tomorrow. Today. Whatever. She spoke firmly, but Briar could sense that she was just as frightened as the rest of them.

Seconded, said Daja, speaking through her magic so they could all hear, but looking straight at Briar, her dark brown eyes very serious. I never, ever want to go through that again.

Neither do I, said Sandry, the girl who had lived through plague and fire and seen people torn apart by magic.

Promise you'll go, Briar, said Tris, an edge of pleading in her voice. Tris never begged for anything.

I will, he promised. He knew it was time to put his love of privacy aside, and his pride, and ask for help. He never wanted to have a nightmare like that again, either.

~*-BBB-*~

~*-BBB-*~

Daja made sure that he went. She stopped a boy in the street and sent him to the Healer with a note to save time for him for that morning. Briar couldn't help resenting the time he could have spent at the market after such an unsuccessful day yesterday, but he knew there was no choice. If he didn't go, all three girls would tell on him to Rosethorn, he just knew it. She technically wasn't his teacher anymore, but she could still deliver a dressing-down like no other.

He decided to walk, not wanting to subject a horse to just current state of distractedness.

"I'll have the maid make your bed fresh for when you get back," Daja said. "You can sleep all day, if you want. I know I will."

He nodded acknowledgement and did his best to pull himself together long enough for the hike up to Winding Circle Temple. It was a long walk, but at least it would probably exhaust him to the point where he wouldn't care when the Healer started poking around in his head. He had to admit to himself that it would be better sooner than later. He kept thinking he saw glowing red eyes out of the corner of his eye, and jumping at noises just on the edge of hearing.

He reached out to the plants around him, craving comfort, and they made him feel a little better. There were some nice tall grasses near the path up to the temple, and he stepped off the path to walk among them, letting his fingers brush them as they leaned towards him as he passed. Eventually, though, he had to step back onto the path, and when he did, all the green things around him clamoured in protest.

What? he demanded irritably. The plants replied that there was something on the path they didn't like. Don't be silly - Briar started to tell them, but then a flicker of magic caught his eye. He stared down at the ground ahead of him, wondering how on earth he could have missed it before. A tangled rope of magic lay threateningly across the path - a mage trap. But who would put a mage trap on the path that led directly to Winding Circle? It might catch anyone from the High Dedicates to the lowliest novice….

No, he realised, his blood suddenly running cold. This is for me. Someone knew I was coming this way. This realisation dawned on him like a spout of ice water being trickled down his spine. Someone was after him. He whirled around, hearing some imaginary sound, and

the great dark beast, eyes glowing scarlet, bore down upon him.

He turned, and without knowing why, started to run.

He ran, not knowing where he was going or why, only that he had to get away.

He ran blindly, his mind shrouded in darkness and chaos. His footsteps echoed on stone, his senses were cut off, he couldn't feel any green things no matter how much he tried.

Suddenly he stopped dead, unable to move an inch.

He realised later that there must have been another mage trap. He struggled, both physically, kicking and tearing at the spell with his hands, and with his magic, but he hadn't felt so magically useless since before he had learned how to use it. He knew the grasses were only a short way away, but his senses, even the magical ones, were all clouded by fear. He heard a great roaring above him and clapped his hands to his ears. He shut his eyes, certain that death was only seconds away.