The first person to sight the thing was, predictably, Tris.

She had been sitting on the wall around Winding Circle, waiting for the sun to rise. She hadn't slept well in a very long time. Most nights found her here, pacing, when she woke up out of one of THOSE dreams.

She was living back at Discipline Cottage at Winding Circle, with Lark and Rosethorn. No one could think of anywhere safer. Nor could anyone think of anyone whom Tris wouldn't frighten half to death when she had an attack. Only her foster mothers and her siblings could bear to be with her when she brought the wind and lightning down. Tris had never hurt anyone--always waking up in time to realize that she wasn't fighting for her life. Only her family trusted that this would always happen.

At the Cottage, she felt safe enough, except when she woke up screaming that the moon had fallen from the sky, and she dreamed of the white haired girl that put it back.

Tris didn't fear she was mad, as she had when she was a child. She knew the dream wasn't just a dream. Niko had the same dream. And worse.

At least she didn't dream of the demon that stole people's faces.

All the Seers had terrible visions. Four years ago it started. Some, who could, burned their Seeing out of their heads. Some spent all their time in the temples praying. Some went mad completely.

On the night of The Eclipse--they called it The Eclipse, although the astronomers said it happened out of season and the Seers swore the moon had fallen from the sky--one Seer had thrown himself out of Winding Circle's tower, shrieking that the moon had died.

For a year now, the visions had decreased in number and intensity, but not the dreams. The dreams hung on like Tris' pirate dreams or like Briar's war dreams. It was as though the visions were really happening, not just something seen far off.

Tonight, Tris had dreamed of the yellow eyed man with sharp features who laughed as the world burned. Others had seen him too. And a red standard that fluttered from a ship that floated in the air.

A grey eyed young man--hardly more than a boy-- figured prominently in these dreams. His head was shaven as some temple dedicates did. He had strange markings tattooed on his head and hands. Tonight he had banished the yellow-eyed man (this had happened before). This time he seemed to see her. The yellow-eyed man faded away. The young man looked at her, smiled pleasantly, "Hello. I didn't know anyone lived here. What's your name?" He stood smiling at her, waiting for an answer.

And then suddenly, there was an elderly bearded man. He looked trustworthy. He stood behind the young man. When Tris looked closer, she realized that behind the young man was a long line of people with the same serene expression and the same glimmer of magic in their hands and their eyes.

Tris stumbled backwards, falling onto her backside on the ground, as their magic flared, blinding her mage sight, "STOP IT!" she shouted, throwing up a hand. Angrily she realized frightened tears were spilling from her eyes, "You need to stop this! You're making everyone crazy."

The young man started forward, concerned, "What's wrong?" he asked. The others behind him had the same expression as he, still. It seemed that they copied whatever expression he had. He reached down to help her to her feet.

She woke up screaming.

So that was why she was here, watching the sun rise from the wall above Winding Circle's beach. As she stood there, she realized that there was a far off mote occluding the sunlight. It moved strangely to be a bird. Tris took off her glasses, wiped them and looked again.

"Do you see something, out there?" she asked the guard who was stationed at the wall. The guards were used to her nightly perambulations and seemed to even welcome it as a distraction to the monotony of night watch.

"Is that a bird?" the guard, a Fire dedicate, asked slowly, following Tris' pointed finger.

Carefully, Tris sent her awareness out on the wind, calling for the wind to bring her back a picture of the thing.

The vision the winds brought back terrified her, "Stay here. Watch that." she barked at the guard, pointing at the thing, "I'll be back with help." She turned and fled down the stairs as fast as her legs would carry her, making for the Tower rather than the Cottage. Niko would be there. He was always there these days. He slept no better than she did.

When she reached the Tower, she had her winds carry her up.

He was meditating in the inner chamber. He looked up startled when she threw herself into the room, "Tris, what...?"

"It's the flying ship--with the red standard...!" she panted.

Niko stood, his expression worried, "Dreams again, Tris?"

"No, you idiot." she snarled, sounding just like Rosethorn for a moment. She dragged him to the window that faced the beach "Right. Out. There."

Niko's face turned ashen as he saw the same mote Tris had. He sent out his own awareness, swearing in several languages when he received the same vision as Tris.