In the name of elephants

Chapter 2

Laonaglia loooked at Crymentave with shock. She hadn't seen her in years. "Crymentave... Wha... how...?"

Crymentave hugged her abrubtly. "I thought you left me forever..."

Laonaglia ducked out of the hug. "You didn't come with me! How should I trust you?!"
"I-" She sighed. "I stayed behind to protect my family. But that was a mistake... I should have came with you."

They locked eyes.

"I'm sorry..." Crymentave whispered. There were tears in her pale blue eyes.

"You should be..." Laonaglia turned away from her and her gaze. "They captured every single one of us. They wouldn't have, if you were there."

"How do you know that?!" Crymentave shot back.

Laonaglia sighed. "They were looking for you. They talked about this... 'Tanofire' or something like that...?"

Crymentave's eyes widened and blossomed with tears. She dropped the firewood and ran. Laonaglia was stuck standing there, all alone in the dark.

~~~~

Laonaglia opened her eyes only to see pale blue eyes staring back at her intensely. "Oh, you're awake..." The girl said, releasing her gaze and bouncing back a few metres. She had light pink hair tied back in a braid and her pale blue eyes blinked quickly.

Laonaglia peered at this mysterious girl intently. Why does she seem like she could be a friend, she thought. Maybe... Laonaglia reached out to her. "Who are you?" They locked eyes for a moment. "Why are you here?"

"Mentavia." The girl said.

"What."

"Mentavia." She said it with more force.

"What?"

"Mentavia."

"What do you mean by 'Mentavia?'"

She sighed and shook her head. "Call me Mentavia." There was a long pause and Mentavia kept staring at her.

"What?!"

Mentavia sighed again. "What's your name?" She said it like it was really obvious. "Geez, you are really terrible at conversing."

"I am Naglisha. Uh- my name is ac-"

"Nice to meet you Naglisha!" Mentavia put her hand out and smiled.

Laonaglia stared at Mentavia for a while as if she was crazy.

"You, uh, shake my hand." Mentavia raised an eyebrow.

"Oh." Laonaglia reached out and shook her head and an image flashed into her mind. She was looking for something but she didn't know what it was. Laonaglia tried to recall this image but couldn't. She couldn't remember at all.

"You wanna come back to my village?" Mentavia asked, eagerness in her eyes.

Laonaglia hesitated "Oh, uh... sure...?"

"Yeah! No one there is scary! C'mon!" She got up and gestured her hand. "I know the way back!"

"Okay!" Laonaglia got up and heard whispers.

"Laonaglia..."

"Don't leave us."

"Don't go..."

"You're not-"

"I need-"

"If you go-"