Chapter 5 The Trials and Tribulations of Guild Membership and Adventure Planning

"Grey exclaimed, "Selena! You're already finished?" as she held up her form triumphantly.

Selena grinned and placed the form on the table. "Yes, I am. And now I just need your signature."

Grey hesitated, "Maybe I should fill out my own form. I'm not sure I want to be associated with that thing."

Selena smiled and drew a large "X" next to Grey's printed name. "No worries, you're signed. I'll go get Bo's signature."

Wendy gasped in shock, "That's not even a signature."

Grey sighed, "As I mentioned before, many members can't read, so 'X's' are quite common. But I have a signature on file just in case they decide to be picky."

Wendy watched nervously as Selena took the form to Bo for his signature. It was her recommendation form that Selena was compromising.

Noticing her concern, Grey advised her to start filling out her own forms. As she began, Wendy asked Grey about his travels.

"A few years back, I escorted a caravan to Walmon before joining Bo and Selena," he explained. "After that, I tried to get a job with a caravan returning to MJ. But I had to apply to be a temporary guard just for that. I couldn't go unaccredited. They have as many forms as the guild does here, but they're really picky about how you fill them out in Walmon. They don't accept 'X's' over there."

Wendy frowned as she looked at her form, noticing that the lines and checkboxes weren't quite square. "Organizing all this paperwork must take a lot of effort," she remarked.

Grey nodded. "They have sorcerers making copies and doing most of the filing."

Wendy was surprised. "Sorcerers? Really?"

Grey's lips quirked up in a smile, causing Wendy to blush and quickly look away. Selena and Bo joined them after finishing their forms.

"I'm all sorted," Bo said as he approached Wendy. "Did you have any trouble with your forms?"

"No, I'm just waiting," Wendy replied, scanning the room.

"Ah, your membership card. Don't worry, if you forget your number you can just make it up, Selena does it all the time," Bo chuckled. Selena pretended not to hear and then asked, "I'm going to see if I can find a caravan heading to Sontmor. Wendy, do you want to come with us?"

Wendy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "If that's okay."

Grey interjected with a serious tone. "Are you sure you're alright going to Sontmor? It won't be like this."

Wendy felt frustrated that he was doubting her again, but held back an angry frown. "I would like to go to Sontmor. It's the last untamed land left in Mance-Jolune. If I'm going to have any real adventures here, it'll be in Sontmor."

He sighed. "Alright, do you have any warm clothes? We won't be able to have many fires."

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see when we get there."

After shopping and sorting through clothes with Bo and Grey, Wendy spent the rest of the day relaxing by re-sorting and packing her bags. She wrote a quick note to her family, informing them she was alive and committed to her new profession. The little folded bird flew out her window and into the night.

Later, she joined her companions for dinner, taking a seat next to Bo at a round table just big enough for four. As they ate, Wendy asked about Selena's job, and Bo asked about her interests.

"I'm not really sure what I'm interested in. I just want to see more of the world and have adventures," Wendy admitted.

Selena replied, "There's plenty of work to be done. It just depends on what you're interested in."

Bo added, "We'll find something that suits you. And if you ever want to try something new, just let us know." Wendy smiled, grateful for the support of her new friends and eager for the adventures ahead.