Strangely, Liz and Ana joined them for lunch. Normally Natalie, Sofia, and Jordan sat off in a corner of the cafeteria, alone. Sometimes Liz would join them in class to chat or hang out, but not usually to eat, as she did now.

She slid her tray onto their table with a big smile, and Ana followed a second later.

“So!” Liz started the conversation with. “Me and Ana have been talking. You three wanna make it official?”

Which, of course, came as a surprise. Natalie had been planning to broach the subject to Liz sometime today, but she had expected it to take some convincing—not for Liz to come asking.

“The team, right?” Best to make sure she wasn’t misinterpreting anything.

“Yep! What else?”

“It’s clear we work well together,” Ana said. “Most of the students worth forming a group with had their teams planned years in advance. This five,” she waved around the table, “is one of the best that can be made of ‘free agents’. So, it’s obvious we should work together.” Ana pursed her lips. “My other trials proved that.”

Natalie agreed. The other members she, Jordan, and Sofia had trialed had been uninspiring.

Though, one puzzle piece still needed to be slotted.

Natalie, Jordan, and Sofia looked at Liz as one, all having the same thought. Maybe Ana and the three of them didn’t have better options, but her? Elizabeth Beaumon?

Liz fidgeted under their attention. “So,” she said. “It’s official, then? What should our team name be?”

“Why not group with Johanna?” Natalie asked. Best to be direct. Though it was good for them, getting one of the best free-agent healers in their year, she wanted to know why. “Or anyone else your family put together?”

“I have been curious as well,” Ana said.

Liz sighed, shoulders slumping. “Well, first, because I like you all. Friends make good delving partners—you need to trust each other with your life.”

Natalie was flattered by that, especially the earnestness Liz said it with, but she knew there was something more. “And?”

“And … I’m tired of relying on my name,” Liz said. “I want to succeed on my own merit. Obviously Johanna’s group is going to be one of the best of the year. But so can we be!”

“The nobodies,” Sofia said.

Liz turned a distraught look her way. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I’m not offended,” Sofia said. “But it’s literally how you meant it.”

Liz seemed like she would protest further, then she hesitated. “I … guess that’s fair.”

“We’re happy to have you on the team, either way,” Jordan said, sending a mildly reprimanding look Sofia’s way. Sofia shrugged in response.

“And me?” Ana asked.

Natalie and her friends shared a look. They’d already agreed Ana was better than the other mages they had trialed, so it didn’t need an explicit discussion. Plus, since she’d come with Liz, clearly they’d already talked it out themselves—and Liz wanted Ana on the team. Which was the slightest bit odd, in Natalie’s opinion, because it didn’t seem like the two girls meshed well. Liz seemed to be hyper sociable and empathetic, and Ana, the comical opposite.

“Seems like we have a squad, then,” Natalie said. “Though we all have another team, tonight, don’t we?” It was the second last day of the week, and, as the enterprising students they were, they’d arranged delves for each day. “Assuming we’re not ditching them, right?”

“Right,” Liz said, “and I guess it’s bad form to not give them a real shot by agreeing beforehand, but …” she shrugged. “I doubt they’ll change any of our minds. And I wanted to start talking about tomorrow’s delve.”

Because tomorrow would be their first multi-day one. Their first ‘real delve’, for a sense of the phrase. It would start after class, then bleed deep into the next night, possibly into the morning of next week’s classes—so long as they returned in time. Curfew was suspended on the weekend so long as you were in the dungeon; the city remained off limits at night, but you could spend them camped in the dungeon without reprimand. Not the easiest thing to enforce, for obvious reasons, but still technically the rule.

“Sure,” Natalie said. “What about it?”

“We’ve got all our supplies sorted out?”

“Well in advance, yeah.”

“And we’ll be going straight through tomorrow and the next?”

“That’s the plan. We’re hoping for a boss, I’m assuming.”

Liz seemed satisfied at that, and she nodded in agreement. “A bit risky, but nobody’s ever gotten anywhere always taking the safe path. We’ll retreat if things get scary. You all have your gear sorted out?”

“Working on it,” Natalie said. “Stopping by a blacksmith after class today. Have enough ore and credits to commission something, finally. Rush order. Thinking breastplate and boots.” Sammy’s main suggestions. “Probably have my full set in time.”

“That’s good,” Liz said. “Everyone else?”

A collection of nods.

“Perfect. Can’t wait. It’s going to be fun.”

Natalie agreed, though it was a bit amusing seeing Liz, the bubbly, innocent girl, excited for life-threatening adventures.

A short lull settled over the table as they picked at their food.

Sofia cleared her throat. “Not related, but I have a small announcement.”

Everyone turned to her.

“The semester’s first dueling tournament is happening in three days,” she said. “Start of next week. Can’t do a nightly delve then. And I know everyone’s busy … but if you want to come watch?”

Natalie stared at Sofia, or more specifically, the nervous looks the white-haired girl shot around the table. Was she being bashful?

“Of course we’ll be there,” Jordan said.

“I’ll try my best,” Liz replied brightly. “And don’t worry about not being able to delve. We don’t have to head out every day. Also, I didn’t know you were in the dueling club. If healers weren’t so useless, I might’ve joined too, but …” she laughed. “Well. You know.”

Sofia’s tense posture relaxed, and she smiled. Natalie continued to be baffled at the insecurity that had been in her voice a moment earlier.

“I wouldn’t say useless,” Sofia said. “Though maybe a full healer, like you …”

“What would I do?” Liz said. “Buff them to death? Wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Sofia covered a smile with her hand, and Natalie’s irritation spiked. Why was this girl so cute? It drove her insane.

Blue eyes turned to Natalie, a silent question.

“Obviously I’m coming,” Natalie said. “Don’t be stupid.”

Sofia blushed, then looked away. “Right.”

Blushed??

“Just checking,” Sofia added.

Jordan smiled at Natalie, and Natalie found herself immensely confused by the sequence of events.

“And you, Ana?” Sofia asked. “I realize everyone has better things to be doing, but I’d like if you joined us, too.”

“There’s value in analyzing the competition,” Ana said. “And I can study in the downtime.”

It was a rather clinical acceptance, but Sofia smiled at that response, too.

“It’s a plan, then.”