by Max Jager
"No!" Jess argued. "We are staying here. End of story."
Carley looked uneasy, but it was Brooke who spoke up for him again. "Carley, do whatever you want to do. She doesn't run your life."
"No, she doesn't, but she is my girlfriend and I need to appease her." Carley quietly murmured.
Elliott shook his head. "Carley, no. You appease her enough she needs to appease you once in a while too. You know what the right thing to do is, so she needs to just deal with it." When he saw Carley lower his head in a submissive manner he looked concerned. "If she really cared she would be supporting you, not trying to block you from the things you feel are important." He added.
"No, you people have no say in this." Jess shot back at them. "You're not in this relationship, so keep your damn noses out of it. We aren't coming."
Carley shook his head "I need to go, I must be prepared for this world. Things won't always be safe, it's obvious, you either learn to fight or depend on those who can and I don't want to be dependent on protection from others. It could put us in danger. You really should stay but I won't stop you from following."
"No! We are staying here." Jess insisted.
"It isn't my choice to make, I'm just doing what I have to do." Carley quietly replied, lowering his head a little. "Let's get going everyone, Jess if you're coming then tag along." He said.
The group was awkwardly watching and hesitantly started walking out into the forest with Carley when they were told to go.
"No! Carley get back here!" Jess called out. "We're not going!" But Carley kept walking. "Carley! I need you come back! Carley!" She hesitated, seeing that Carley wasn't listening she begrudgingly followed along behind the group, with a rather pissed off expression on her face.
The group would reach the dungeon before nightfall, but they would set up camp just outside of it to rest for the night before going in. That night, Brooke and Elliott would spot George just outside the camp talking to two people. They were just a little too far away from the light to see clearly, but he was talking to someone a tall person who was wearing heavy spiked armor, and someone else who was wearing a hooded cloak that covered their face. After their conversation, George left with these people and would not return.