Tris: "I was reading."
Sandry: "You're always reading. The only way people can ever talk to you is to interrupt."
Tris: "Then maybe they shouldn't talk to me.

We can't just act without thinking anymore, Tris. They've been trying to teach as that all along. I guess if we're mages, we can't exactly be kids, can we?
- Sandry after the pirate attack

The bravest person I know is afraid of the dark. She sleeps with a night lamp always, but if her friends are threatened? She suddenly thinks she's a bear twelve feet tall and attacks whoever scared her friends.

Daja doesn't exactly need to be tested on whether she's honorable or not."
"Doesn't she? Don't all of you? This is your first taste of the things which may come from your being powerful mages. People will offer you gold, status, even love. I want to know how you will react. If want to know if your teachers will release greedy, thoughtless monsters into the world.

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.

Waves are the voices of tides. Tides are life," murmured Niko. "They bring new food for shore creatures, and take ships out to sea. They are the ocean's pulse, and our own heartbeat.