Toby tried once more, just for good measure, to push against the barrier. But still, no matter how hard he tried, he remained firmly on one side of it, on the border of the Forest with the others.

Javy was talking again, and Toby looked up at him, nodding along automatically. The sound of that cry before had sent chills through him, and the feeling of dread wasn't going away any time soon. He didn't even want to ignore it now, not when it clearly meant something was wrong.

Okay... yes... find Truebridge, and maybe... Dakest. DAKEST! Yes, YES! GREAT IDEA. And the best part was that his office was on the way up to the Headmistress' office, though he might already be wandering the grounds anyway. "Okay, we'll, yeah... Do that. Yeah." Toby spoke very quickly, already taking a couple of steps back, fixing his mind firmly on the prospect on HELPING.

Now hurry, we don't have a lot of time left from the sound of that.

.................................

Did he just...? 'Don't have a lot of time left'? What did that.............?

... Toby's eyes widened as he involuntarily imagined the many scenarios that that phrase had prompted in his imagination, all of which involved a hurt Henry, or Groundskeeper, or worse. He watched the professors disappear into the gloom of the Forest and stared for a few moments more, rooted to the spot. Then, remembering exactly what it was that had stunned him into inaction, turned to the others. "Truebridge, we need to get... and... and Dakest, yeah," he said to Soph, Adi, and Beverly, really very flustered and distressed but trYING TO KEEP IT TOGETHER but hardcore failing. "I'm gonna run to Dakest's office. But someone should... should go straight to Truebridge, yeah?"

He didn't wait around long enough for any answers, or to see if anyone was going to come with him, because Javy had said to hurry. Toby turned back and ran off towards the castle, sprinting as fast as he could go, trying to simultaneously convince himself that everything would be fine while another part of his brain was screaming that everything was not okay. It hurt his head, so he just focused on running.