“I think I want to get down now,” Riley said, doing her best to keep her anxiety out of her voice. Her perch on Bruno’s shoulders was suddenly feeling unsettlingly high up and she wanted to feel her feet firm on the ground. Her first day at Ms. Purple’s was turning out to be far more stressful than she had anticipated. After the prank in the auditorium and now being lost in the forest, all she wanted was a bit of normalcy.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Elliot said as Bruno put Riley down. Elliot had a worry line that creased the spot between his eyebrows, but the optimism in his eyes did help soothe her. At least she wasn’t alone. Nobody was hurt, Herbert was safe, and she was in good company. As long as they didn't accidentally wander across the Albacian border and cause an international incident...
“I’m sure the teachers will notice we’re missing and send someone out to find us,” Elliot said confidently.
“Or we could just walk around to the front,” Bruno stated. “I mean, it’ll take a little while, but it’s probably faster than waiting.”
“Wait,” Elliot said. “You know where we are? Then why did you say we were lost?”
“I didn’t,” Bruno said simply.
Riley blushed, embarrassed at her hastily drawn conclusion. “Oh, sorry,” she said. Herbert sent her questioning energy at the shift in her emotions. I’m fine, she reassured him. I was just being a little silly.
“If you know where we are, why can’t we just go back?” Elliot asked.
“Because of the cloaking,” Bruno said. Riley was starting to get used to Bruno’s short explanations and rhythm of speech.
“What cloaking?” Elliot said, his voice slow as if he were straining to remain patient.
“For the school,” Bruno explained. “You know, for safety. Keeps it hidden from anyone who doesn’t have the right invitations. They were probably going to grant us the invitations at the orientation, but that got a little off track… So we’ll have to take the long way. Come on, I want to get back before dinner.”
With that he started walking, picking a direction that seemed completely random. Elliot looked hopefully at Riley as if she might provide further explanation or a different option, but she had neither. She shrugged at him and hurried to catch up to Bruno, whose long legs had carried him fairly far despite the leisurely pace he was setting. Elliot’s only choice was to follow or get left behind.
“Bruno, how do you know so much about the forest?” Riley asked, taking her turn to ask him questions.
“I grew up here,” Bruno said.
“Woah, at Ms. Purple’s?” Riley asked, her mind swimming at the thought of having so much time and access to so many magical books and scrolls. She hadn’t seen the school’s library yet, but it was top of her list of things she couldn’t wait to explore.
“No,” Bruno responded. “I mean here. In the forest.”
Now Riley was picturing a young Bruno with mud on his face, scrambling through the trees as he hunted a rabbit with his bare hands. Herbert joined in, sending Riley an image of Bruno on all fours, lapping up water from a creek with his tongue.
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“You were raised by wolves, huh?” Elliot said, having caught up to them, clearly of the same mind as Riley and Herbert.
“Something like that,” Bruno said, flashing a smile that showed off his long canine teeth. Neither Elliot or Riley had the guts to ask him more and the conversation died off.
Riley found that she was actually enjoying their walk through the forest. She decided to make a game of it, doing her best to mimic how Bruno moved, stepping where he stepped and dodging branches the same way he did. She was sure that she hardly came close to the gracefulness of his movement, nor his silence. It was surprising at how effortless he made it look even though Riley guessed he must be at least six feet tall.
Elliot was closer to Riley’s height, only a couple inches taller, but seemed to have to exert twice the effort to duck under branches and trudge over the uneven terrain. His face was scrunched up in irritation and at some point a twig had gotten stuck in his hair, painting a somewhat comical picture. He caught Riley looking at him and his face loosened from annoyance to a smile. He may not be in his element, but Riley admired that he kept moving, no complaints.
Herbert, on the other hand, was starting to complain. He was starting to get hungry and every few minutes was interrupting Riley’s thought process with images of flies and his favorite snack - aphids. Yes, I get it, you’re hungry. Riley thought to Herbert. When the images started coming even more frequently, Riley called her companions to a stop.
“I’m sorry, but we need to stop for a bit. Herbert…” Riley started to say, but then realized hurriedly that Elliot and Bruno didn’t know about Herbert yet. She wasn’t sure if she should introduce them, but more images of bugs were clouding her thoughts, making it hard for her to think through the decision.
“Yes, I get it, Herbert!” she said aloud out of frustration, holding her hand near her hair so that Herbert could jump onto it. She then lowered him down and Herbert sprung eagerly to a nearby log, already in hunting mode. Don’t go too far, Riley reminded him. We’re in unknown territory.
“The spider!” Bruno exclaimed. Riley braced braced herself for disgust, but when she looked up at Bruno and Elliot they had a mix of curiosity and delight in their eyes.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen something so adorable,” Elliot proclaimed, making Riley flush with pride. “And trust me, I am not usually a fan of crawly critters.”
“I knew you had a spider in your hair!” Bruno said triumphantly. “He’s like your bird!”
“My bird?” Riley asked, confused.
“Yeah, like the Headmaster had!” Bruno said.
“Oh, yes, Herbert is my familiar,” Riley agreed.
“A familiar,” Elliot said. “So you’re a witch? Or a witch in training, I guess?”
“Mhmmm,” Riley said.
“So cool,” Elliot said. “If I had any magical aptitude I would love to be warlock. Sadly though, I don’t have a good feel for magic.”
“Did the spider need like a bathroom break or something?” Bruno asked.
“No, he was hungry,” Riley explained. “Speaking of which, are you guys hungry?” She had completely forgotten until now that her mom had packed her some cookies. With all of Herbert’s hungry energy, she certainly could use a snack. When Bruno and Elliot saw her pull the cookies out, the two of them smiled.
“I think you’re my favorite person at school,” Bruno said as he accepted the baked good.
“Not fair,” Elliot countered. “I was going to say that. Riley is my favorite person.”
His mouth already full, Bruno held his hands up in mock defeat, a bemused smile on his closed lips.
“Well, I haven’t met anyone else yet, so you guys are my favorite people for now,” Riley teased. She felt relaxed and excited, relishing in the company of her new friends.
“Hey, did you guys happen to hear those professors? Back in the hallway? Something about the school getting shut down,” Elliot asked, carefully breaking off a piece of his cookie before eating it. Bruno nodded, his face growing serious.
“I hope it’s nothing serious,” Riley said quietly. She had a lot riding on her attendance to this school. If it were to close before she had gotten the education she desired… She didn’t even want to think about what that would mean for her future.
Elliot’s face shifted as he tuned to Riley’s reaction. “I’m sure it’s no big deal,” he said, trying to reassure her. “And even if it is, we’ll figure it out.”
Which character(s) are you excited to see more of?
