The Ridgerunner in the Durgan Guild 10

After a few minutes, Jireh joined his mother and Keya to eat. For breakfast, Mrs. Nissi made a fruit based oatmeal with cinnamon. The smell was wonderful to both children but Keya was particularly excited to try it. She ended up discovering her new favorite food!

When breakfast was over, Mrs. Nissi took the kids by wagon into town. She was in the front guiding the horses while the two were in the back.

Keya watched with wide eyes, taking in everything she could. She was eager to learn more about the culture and the humans living there. However, the moment she accidentally made eye contact with a human passing by, she shrank back and huddled close beside Jireh.

"Keya, are you okay?" Jireh asked, a bit surprised at her sudden action.

Nelly glanced over her shoulder upon hearing her son's reaction. "Is something wrong?"

"Y-yes... I-I mean- No- I mean-" Keya stammered as she tried to answer Jireh's and his mother's questions at the same time. She also made some space between herself and Jireh upon realizing her own cowering. "I-I'm okay, n-nothing's wrong..."

"It's alright, Keya." Mrs. Nissi softly chuckled with her eyes on the road. "Everyone has first day jitters, but you'll have Jireh with you."

Jireh nodded when Keya looked to him for verification. "I won't leave you, don't worry."

Keya looked in Jireh's eyes to be sure he was sincere and determined he would keep his word. "I-I'm sorry..." She looked to the school slowly creeping into view. "I really shouldn't be so worried with you around... I'm just not used to this..."

Jireh gently patted Keya's hand that was resting beside him and whispered to her. "I promise."

A brief feeling of relief swept over Keya when she heard his reassurance. In that moment, she fully believed he would be there for her. She knew how helpless she was without him. She would be in trouble if he didn't keep his word... And then the wagon halted in front of the school and the fear quickly returned.

The sound of children filled the air. Some were rough housing. Some were running around playing tag. A few were actually standing still and talking.

Unfortunately for Keya, her first impression of the school was seeing two rather beefy looking kids wrestling on the front lawn. She didn't care for that at all and it only made her more anxious.

"Alright. Here we are." Nelly turned and looked at the two kids in the back of the wagon. She got one look at Keya and realized she was petrified. "Keya?"

Keya slowly looked over at Mrs. Nissi with wide eyes.

"Are you sure you want to go?" Nelly asked with worry in her voice.

Keya looked at Jireh once again and then looked at Nelly. "Y-yes."

Mrs. Nissi nodded. "Well, I will be going. I need to pick up Mr. Nissi but after that, I'll be back to talk with the Headmadaam." She looked at Jireh and held him a small piece of paper. "Take this to her for me. I love you, son."

"I love you too, mom." Jireh replied and smiled as he carefully hopped out of the back of the wagon with the paper stuffed into his pocket. He looked up at Keya and offered her his hand. "You coming?"

Keya slowly took Jireh's hand and hopped out of the wagon.

Once the kids were heading toward the front door, Nelly road off down the street.

Jireh and Keya watched her leave before Jireh looked at Keya. "Come on, let's go."

Keya walked with Jireh toward the entrance. She kept her eyes down, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone. In fact, she was so anxious about interacting with the other children that she didn't realize she was still holding onto Jireh's hand.

Jireh didn't comment on this because he was instinctively holding her hand in return. However, another kid in the yard noticed when the two of them were oblivious.

"Hey, Jireh! Who's your tiny friend?!"

Keya felt Jireh flinch and she ended up flinching as well.

A taller ginger boy with freckles and bushy eyebrows came over to the two of them.

Jireh looked slightly up at the boy. "Her name is Keya, Brandy. Is that any way to greet a new guildling?"

The tone Jireh used caused Keya to think maybe he didn't like Brandy very much.

"Well, she looks puny." Brandy sized Keya up as he walked around the two, causing Keya to start hugging Jireh's arm without realizing it. "Skinny with a big head..." Brandy mumbled to himself.

"Does that matter?" Jireh asked, not caring for Brandy's rudeness.

Brandy looked at Jireh and crossed his arms. "It sure does if she's gonna be in our guild."

"She's with me." Jireh insisted.

Just as Brandy was going to make a cruel comeback, a tall woman with long dark hair and a porcelain doll-like face came outside and spotted the three of them. She proceeded to ring a bell in her hand and shout, "School is in session! Get to your classes!" Her voice was so sweet that Keya wondered if she was even real.

Nevertheless, the children headed inside on command despite the Headmadaam's strangely beautiful voice.

Jireh looked over at Keya and realized she was clinging tightly onto his arm. "Keya? Are you ready to go inside?"

Keya looked slightly up at Jireh and gulped nervously. "I-I don't know..."

"It's okay, we're going to the Headmadaam. She's actually very nice... A little strange but she's never been cruel." Jireh tried to reassure Keya but Keya was on high alert and couldn't turn her ridgerunner instincts off.

"O-okay..." Keya muttered before Jireh led her into the school to find the Headmadaam who had just entered with the other children moments earlier. The two of them found her walking to her office when Jireh stopped her.

"Headmadaam Alva," Jireh took out the paper his mother gave him as Alva stopped walking, "My mom is coming back to talk with you about Keya here..."

Headmadaam Alva slowly turned to the two children. Her face was rather stoic as she reached down and took the paper from Jireh and read it silently. After reading it, she folded it and looked down at Keya in silence.

Keya started shaking when the Headmadaam's eyes fell on her. Something about her gaze frightened her more than the crowds of human children she was just in.

Alva only nodded to the two children and proceeded to turn and walk away- though it didn't look like her legs were moving under her long dress.

Jireh seemed mostly unphased by Alva, having gone to the school for a few years already. He looked at Keya. "Keya, you're shaking like you're having mini earthquake inside you."

Keya smiled nervously. "I-I'm sorry..." She stammered.

Jireh sighed and wondered how he could calm his friend down enough so she could make it through the school day. He looked down at how tightly she was hugging his arm and thought of something. "Can you let go of me a second?"

Keya, who up until this point was oblivious to her own actions, quickly let go of his arm. "I'm... I'm really sorry..."

"Don't be." Jireh replied and gave her a tight hug like the one he had given her the night she went home. "I'm right beside you, okay?"

Keya went from shaking to being still within a few seconds of being embraced. She didn't say anything, feeling a little silly for being so anxious in the first place.

Jireh pulled away and looked at her. "Are you ready?"

She looked at the ground and then back at Jireh. "Ready as I'll ever be."

And with that, Jireh led Keya to their class.