{ELEMENTISTS OF WILLOW FOREST BOOK II} The Pain of Earth

L and M

15:  L and M

After her brother's speech, Sasha was ushered to Tent Fourteen.  The tent was the same as all the other human tents (excluding Felix's and the communal tents).  It was khaki, so if an unsuspecting non-elementist was to look down the valley they wouldn't notice that there was a group of people and Wolves illegally living there.  Even if this non-Elementist was to try and climb down, they'd find that the rock face of the gorge had become completely smooth.  And, say they managed to overcome all that; the Death Wolves would be waiting for them.

The inhabitants were already there, waiting for them.  They both were female, and looked around Sasha's own age.  One was reasonably tall and Asian, the other was much taller.  When she spoke, Sasha recognised her accent as Russian.

"Hello."  She began.  "I am called M.  This is L."

"What are your real names?"  Sasha asked.

"We're not allowed to tell anyone."  L said nervously.  She perked up a bit.  "I don't know about everyone else here, but I don't exactly have a clean record.  The great thing about Echo Valley is that nobody cares about your past.  We're not allowed to ask personal questions.  And we are given new names."

"I think it's good like that."  M continued.  "I like it."

"So... What am I then?  S?"

"No.  There is already a boy called S.  And we all already know your name.  So you'll stay as Sasha."

"Okay..."  Sasha was sort of thankful.  Being given an Echo Valley name would like being marked with 'You belong to us now.  Good choice!'

"What's it like at Willow Forest?"  L asked eagerly.  "How does the Nemesis keep her followers loyal?  Does she brainwash them?  Does she tell them a load of lies?"

More like 'How does Felix keep his followers loyal?'.

"L!"  M hissed.  "We're not allowed to ask her that!  We have to wait until she tells Felix and it comes out officially!"

"Oh."  L blushed.  "Sorry."

*

Rock was pushed into a Death Wolf tent.  One of the tents that were around half the size of one of the ones made to house humans.  The usual tenants were out.  That's all the information they'd been given.  Out.  Probably scouting England for more Elementists.

The tent reeked of dog.  Not the nice, homely sort of smell but the really, really, foul sort of smell.  The straw, which may have been comfortable for wolves, itched like crazy and had been rejected almost instantly, shoved to one corner.  The tent was locked in every way possible, and was always guarded by at least three wolves.  The toilet was a pan.  The tap a bowl.

Pebble was sitting in a corner, hugging her knees.  "Don't like it."

"Yeah sis, I know.  I don't like it either.  But we're Rock and Pebble, right?  As strong as stone."  She shared the joke, hoping for a flicker of a smile from her sister.  None came.

"We're not Rock and Pebble."  She mumbled.  "We're Emily and Ella.  And we're not as strong as stone.  We can do magic with it, but we wouldn't be able to carry it otherwise.  And stone can be hit and punched and cut and it's fine.  We bleed and get bruised when we're hit and punched and cut."

Rock sighed.  "It's a metaphor, Pebs."

"So?"

"So, it means that you're describing something as something that it's not."  Olivia had given her a better definition once, but she couldn't remember it word by word now.

"So?"  Pebble repeated.

"It means that we can be as tough as stone if we try.  We'll still bleed and get bruised, but mentally, we won't break."  Her voice wavered.  "We'll stay hopeful.  Whatever happens.  If we're pushed down a hill, eroded, scratched, we'll still keep believing."

"I still don't get what that has to do with stone."

"You do, you know.  Deep down."

Pause.

"Pebs, I'm sorry.  This is all my fault.  If I hadn't screamed for you, then..."

"It's not your fault.  I would have done the same."

"Really?"

"Yeah.

"Why is Sasha being mean to us?"  Pebble asked suddenly.

"Because she has to be."  Rock was reassuring herself more than her sister.  "Otherwise, Felix would know that we're lying and he would kick Sasha out.  She was to wait for the prime opportunity."

"And until then, she has to be mean to us?"

"Yes.

"Now, shouldn't you be going to bed now?"  Rock teased.  It was getting dark, but not that dark.

"Okay."

Wow.  Pebble was really, really messed up.

"Shall we use the straw?"

"I guess so.  If you lie down, I'll pile half of it on top of you.  Like a blanket."

"Just itchier."

"Just itchier.  But I'll leave your face out, so it only touches clothing."

"And my hands."

"And your hands."

Rock made two beds of straw.

"Night sis."

"Night Rock."

*

Sasha snuggled down into her sleeping bag.  She had learnt a bit more about L and M in the last hour or so they had spent together in the tent, explaining things to her.

M was, as Sasha had suspected, Russian.  She was a water Elementist, but she could only control ice and snow.

There was a girl at Willow Forest like that.  Emma.  Another one of Sasha and Rock's group of friends.

She discovered her powers in Moscow, when she accidently froze the whole city over in her sleep.  Apparently, she hadn't done anything that major since.  The most she could do was form icicles and snowflakes with a wave of her hand.  M had a gift for languages.  She already knew some English before she came to Echo Valley, but her English had improved greatly since her arrival.

L was an Earth.  When she went to an English school in Singapore, she fell down an old well.  She found a tunnel which hadn't been there before, and had corresponded it to her will, shaping and changing as she wished.  She knew her exact location when underground, and had managed to resurface above ground in her back garden.

That was all the information they were allowed to tell Sasha.  Apparently, even the snippets of their life from just now were too much.

Sasha rolled over and drifted off to sleep.