Young Writers Society

He nodded enthusiastically. She was starting to get it!

He drew a "U" in the air, hoping that she'd get it. Just in case she didn't, he decided to take a safer route and point at her. It wasn't spelled the same way as the letter, but it had to help at least a little.

Then he made an "x" with his arms, crossing one over the other as he held them out in front of him.

She sounded it out in her head, mouthing the sounds as she did.

"Kirux?" she guessed. She'd never heard that name before. He didn't appear to be any kind of nymph, though. Her heart rate sped. Is he human? She pushed that thought away. He couldn't be. Bush liked him. Bush didn't like humans.

Killa watched this, her hair changing to a blond color.
"Is there anyone else here?" She asked, really wishing the cave didn't amplify her musical voice so much.

Rose jumped, and Bush darted in front of her and Kirux defensively, hackles raised, only to calm when she saw Killa.

Rose looked her up and down. She was strange. She looked like, a birch tree, maybe? Or maybe some new kind of oak tree.

"I'm Rose," she introduced herself cheerfully, stepping forward to pat Bush on the head, "This is Bush."

"That's a pretty name. I am Killa." She looked at Bush. "I'm not going to hurt any of you." She said, her hair changing to the black and red that she usually wore. With her knee high brown leather boots, the dark green long sleeved shirt and light brown cloak was probably an odd sight here. She pushed her hair back behind her ear, revealing that they were pointed.
"What is your name?" She asked, pointing to Kirux.

Rachel looked at Anvar. There was something odd about him. She narrowed her eyes.
''How did you come to be here? Why did you as a stranger like me for help.''
Anvar rolled his eyes.
''It's a loonnngggg story.'' He took a deep breath.
''Long story short I was abandoned here by my parents, left to nearly die, and ever since I've been trying to help people get out of this cave before the thing gets them.''
Rachel studied him.
''And you suddenly decided you wanted help with that?''
''NO!'' Anvar exclaimed a little to quickly. ''I...'' he coughed. ''I did it because of the...value of team work, yes, that's it. I realized that it would be better to have two people on the job then one.''
Rachel grinned.
''In other words you decided you needed help.''
Anvar did not dignify the comment.
''We need something to make a warning with...'' he muttered instead
He was staring at a pile of stones.
''Let's give those idiot children a warning in stone.''
He grabbed a bunch of the stones, and used them to form the letter L. Then E. Then A. He glanced at Rachel. Was this idiot going to help him or what?
''Are you going to stand there like a dummy, or are you going to help me?''
Rachel complied and soon they had spelled out in stones the message
''LEAVE OR DIE.''
Rachel grinned when she saw it.
''A bit drastic don't you think?''
Anvar gave her a long look.
''It's the truth.''
He crossed his fingers and hoped that the children would see it.

He didn't give a reply for a moment - he was too in awe of the change Killa's hair had undergone. Her pointy ears were cool, too, but he really liked what she did with her hair.

Then the question registered, and he quickly gave a reply. He both signed and mouthed his name, just in case Killa knew sign language.

"K-I-R-U-X!" he enthusiastically told her. He looked over at Rose and gave a nod to let her know that she had said his name right earlier.

Then his gaze turned to the cave they were in, and he faltered.

"...Have you seen Riku?" he asked, both through mouthing and signing. He had his notebook on him, too, but he really hoped they'd know what he was trying to convey without having to get it out.

Rose's face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to figure out what he was trying to say.

She gave Kirux an apologetic look and turned to the new girl when she couldn't figure it out, "I don't know sign language, do you know what Kirux is trying to say?"

"His name is Kirux, and he's asking if we've seen someone named Riku." Killa translated. "I haven't seen anyone else besides you and the boy back at the entrance." She told Kirux. "Do you want me to help you find him?" She asked, tilting her head a little.

He grinned when he realized Killa knew what he was saying. He wasn't sure if it was from the signing or the mouthing, but she definitely knew it! Giddy with joy, he gave a big, eager nod - and quickly launched into an explanation of why he needed to find Riku.

"Riku's my heart," he informed her. "I heard the cave was strange and scary, and Riku likes places like that."

He glanced around, posture growing smaller as he shivered and hugged himself.

"I don't," he clarified.

Killa's hair turned to blue-with a few blond streaks. She was a little confused over the whole "Riku's my heart" sentence, but she ignored it and her hair became completely blue. She laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'll stay with you and help you find him. I promise. In fact, we should stay together. There is something in the air here that doesn't feel right."

Rose tapped the girl on the shoulder, "Are you, uh, fae? You look fae, no offense, if you're offended by that. Not that fae are offensive..." She shook her head.

Bush, sensing her anxiety, came to lean up against her.

Killa tilted her head back and laughed and the cave was flooded in musicalness. "I am not offended. I am 90% fae, or elvish and 10 percent human. As you can see, the fae is the most dominate."

Rose's eyes widened and Bush crouched in front of her protectively. "Oh, nonono Bush, it's okay," Rose knelt down to calm Bush, "She's not like the bad fae...I think. She's a good fae."

Bush still eyed Killa suspiciously, and she stepped cautiously toward her, hackles raised.

Killa just smiled slightly, and put her hand down for Bush to sniff.
"She is correct Bush. I do not blame you for being suspicious and distrustful though."