Tyrant in the Shadows

Part 21

Aya hated this outpost almost as much as the last one. 

At least there no one bothered her. Here, they left hate filled notes anonymously or tripped her during training. It was small things but she hated it. Her partner was supportive, she was grateful. That was another thing. No one understood that just because her partner was a female, didn't mean she was a lesbian. She loved her partner, but that didn't mean she loved her in the other way. 

She liked Miriam though. Miriam may have gotten mad a lot, but she cared. And Calla had a point when she said she might be annoyed at the behavior of the rest of the outpost and just took it out on them without realizing. Miriam cared about them. Even if she sometimes made Aya feel like she was very out of place.

"Aya!" the red-head looked up to see her short partner, "Miriam said we're going over the obstacle course again, come on."

Aya nodded at the energetic girl, "Ok. Just let me grab my brace." 

The air weaver was also made fun of for how weak she was. Some of it was friendly, that was mainly from the other elementals and their partners, but she still hated it. She was sickly, and there weren't enough healers at the old outpost to care about the overpowered girl who kept almost killing people when she got upset.

Miriam thought it may have been because of the low quality of life at the outpost she was at. It was tiny and unsanitary. Or maybe it was because when they actually tried to train her, they pushed her too hard. So Aya and Calla were started at the very beginning. What they should have been doing three years ago. Luckily, Miriam made everyone start at the beginning. The food was better too. Everyone but the earth elemental's partner struggled with the training.

It seemed like whatever outpost they were at preferred her to him.

His partner joked that it was unfair because they now had mountains around the outpost to protect from attack so they owed Lupa. He'd just laughed and said something sarcastic.

Aya wrapped the brace around her knee and jogged to the course, standing beside Calla. Calla stood on her toes and rested her elbow on Aya's shoulder, "You ready?" she asked quietly, grinning.

Aya smiled back, the petite girl's energy was contagious, "Ready as I'll ever be."

"Ok!" Miriam called, "Now that everyone is here, let's get started. Go to the beginning, and get through however you can. Partners, help each other out. Don't skip any obstacle, I will make both you and your partner restart. Rhodes and I will be going along with you, of course." The fire elemental nodded to Rhodes as she mentioned him, and he straightened from his slouched position. 

Aya tilted her head at the slight hint of worry in Miriam's voice. There was something going on there. She'd have to watch them. Maybe she'd eavesdrop. Or just ask straight up.

"Well?" the girl lifted her brows. How was her hair always so perfect? "Are you going to start?"

The group muttered their apologies—they had all been waiting for someone else to move towards the beginning of the course—and began walking. Then they sprinted when Miriam yelled at them for their slow pace.

Was this girl really the same age as them? Aya didn't think she'd ever respected someone this much.