Briar: "So I guess I was the last to know."
Rosethorn: "Of course you are. You're a man, aren't you?

Evvy: "Is she going to eat Jooba-hooba? She looks like she's going to bite him, at least."
Briar: "No — if she bit him, he'd die.

Briar: "They never tell you some things. They tell you mages have wonderful power and they learn all kinds of secrets. Nobody ever mentions that some secrets you don't ever want to learn."
Rosethorn: "All you can do is learn good to balance the bad. Learn and do all the good within your reach. Then, if you wake in a sweat, you have something to set against the dream.

Don't let him upset you," Niko told the four softly. "He's old and he's frightened."
"You're as old as him, and you aren't scared of us," Briar pointed out.
Niko glared at him. "Thank you so much," he retorted waspishly.

She glared at him. "Why are you forever asking hard questions?"
He smiled. "Sooner or later you'll have to be able to answer one."
Daja shoved him, grinning.

At last Niko dropped his hands, and opened his eyes. His perfect tree illusion solidified and settled.

"Very nice," said Briar with approval. "Couldn't have done better myself"

"Couldn't do it at all yourself," muttered Tris.

Briar ignored her. "But you'd never find a cork oak in these parts. Too cold."

Niko looked down his nose at the boy. "I beg your pardon?"

Briar shrugged. "Just thought I'd mention it."

Niko glared.