Young Writers Society

James continued to gawk at the hole in the ground as Bo began to descend down into it with Runi. Bo laughed at Runi's reaction before pausing about halfway down the ramp of earth, looking back at James and the two horses, a lead in each hand.

"You coming?" he asked.

James blinked, then gave a terse nod. He walked forward, leading two equally wary horses behind him.

She sent a glance back at James, sensing his apprehension as they started to descend down the tunnel. But Bo had already reassured them multiple times that he was telling the truth, and Runi didn't know how to comfort him without drawing attention to James's current opinion on Bo and the situation.

James followed behind them quietly. Bo turned to Runi and created a small ball of sparking electricity in his hand to light the tunnel before them faintly.

"Do you get to shift into your were form much, Runi, or do you stick to your human form most of the time?" Bo asked.

"Mostly human," she replied. "I don't get a chance to, most of the time - it's usually every few weeks, though the last time was more recent than that."

"Oh?" Bo asked, looking over to Runi with a curious smile. "When was the most recent time?"

Runi froze.

"It's, er, not important," she blurted, casting a glance back in James's direction. She couldn't give an honest answer, or Bo would realize there was more to "Erimor" than there seemed to be.

Bo couldn't help but smirk, but he tried to subdue it. It didn't really work. It just ended up looking goofy.

"Ah, yes," he said, feigning understanding with a voice that betrayed his act with a layer of sarcasm. "Yes, yes, I understand. These unimportant things that must be swept under the rug."

"It really isn't important," Runi insisted. She didn't want to seem like more of a liar, but it wasn't right for her to tell a stranger something that would reveal the truth about James. And, sure, Bo was part of a group that liked mages, but James wasn't a mage. He was wanted. Someone there - even Bo - could theoretically turn him in.

She didn't think it was likely. She didn't want to think that it was likely.

But she had to play it safe.

"I just needed to stretch my legs a little," she added. "Feline legs, not the human ones. I stretch those enough as it is."

Bo shrugged, tilting his head to the side and closing his eyes for a second as he did so. "That's fair, that's fair. So that makes you a were-cat, then? That's really cool. I've only met werewolves so far."

James only briefly faltered in his steps. He... he didn't know there were were-cats as well. There were more than just werewolves?

"I guess so!" Runi cheerfully replied, beaming. She glanced over at James - she hoped he wasn't getting overwhelmed by everything. "So how many people are there here, anyways? Like five, six?"

Bo laughed. "Oh, there's quite a few more people than that!" he said with a smile. "We've got 49 members as of now? But I guess 50 now, if we're including you." He winked and elbowed Runi in the shoulder.

Her eyes widened.

"There's forty-nine people?" she repeated, her voice a surprisingly quiet incredulous whisper. "That-That's amazing. I never thought I'd ever be part of something so big..."

She turned back to James.

"I can't believe it, Ja-"

Her euphoria was dashed the moment his name started to slip through her lips. She should have been more careful, but she had been so excited - she had completely forgotten to call him Erimor instead.

And now he was probably going to hate her for figuring it out.

James's face twitched at the half-spoken name, but he quickly composed it. He looked to Bo for a reaction, but Bo only looked mildly curious, and the look in Bo's eyes seemed to indicate he wasn't alerted to any reason for alarm. Runi hadn't said his full name, and it wasn't like "James" was the name on the wanted posters.

"Something caught in your throat?" Bo joked, giving Runi a pat on the back, before laughing a little. "It is a lot of people. Your friend Erimor will probably be the first non-mage to enter down here for a while though. You should feel real special," he said, looking back at James with a wink. James just stared back at him, then looked to Runi.

So she'd figured out his real name. Or assumed her guess was correct. It wasn't the end of the world. Annoying, sure, but... he was more concerned with being taken to an underground guild for mages than his name.

"Yeah!" Runi agreed, perhaps a little too quickly. But if Bo wasn't pressing it and James wasn't addressing it, she thought she was doing a good job.

Still, the way his face twitched didn't escape her notice, and neither did the way his gaze returned to her after he watched Bo for a second.

"It's just a lot to take in," Runi added. She felt horrible for lying to someone who was being so nice to them, but felt just as bad at the thought of revealing a secret James had never entrusted to her. "And I guess Erimor really is special - not that I didn't think he was. He has been letting me hang around him, which isn't a small accomplishment."

She gave James a smile - hoping that she hadn't just ruined the first friendship she had in years.

James's gaze drifted ahead of them, but his eyes flickered back to Runi when she smiled.

He didn't quite know how to respond to that, or why she was smiling, or what she could've thought to cause the sudden shift in emotions, but at least she was more relaxed. She was going to a guild where she would hopefully be a home, after all.

Then he could leave... or that was his assumption.

Bo smiled down at Runi, glancing between Runi and James for a moment briefly as he spoke.

"I mean, I don't know Erimor very well, but I have a feeling if he lets anyone hang around him, it's an accomplishment. So don't think it's just you," he said, giving her a small pat on the shoulder. "I personally find you very enjoyable."