{ELEMENTISTS OF WILLOW FOREST BOOK IV} The Day of Death

Goodbye

10:  Goodbye

 

 

 

Winter passed.  Spring came.  I introduced Leo, Sandy, Haider and Leandra to the other lions.  They formed a pack.  Unfortunately, both Leo and Sandy still referred to their offspring as Cub One and Cub Two.

Oh well.  At least I'd tried.

My tenth birthday came.  I spent so much time up my tree that I could climb all the way to the very top blindfolded without slipping as fast as I could with my eyes open.  Thankfully, Mama never found out that I'd tried to do that.

However, my Mama and Gama both became more and more wary of me.  I was once promised that I could go into the town when I was ten, to see the outside world.  When the time came and I asked if I could, both Mama and Gama quickly played it down, and said the town was dangerous at the moment, and I was much safer at home.

I wasn't sure about this, because surely it was safer to walk in a town with Mama and Gama to climb up an extremely tall tree blindfolded?  I didn't understand why they didn't want me going into town.

One day, I found out why.

For once, I was in the kitchen reading a book, when the doorbell rang.  I got all excited, because we scarcely had visitors, and as I mentioned they usually fussed over me and gave me sweets.  Gama took one look out of the window.  "Olivia, you must go to your room and stay there.  Do not come anywhere the visitors, do you understand?"

I nodded, and scrambled upstairs just as the door opened.

It was so unfair!  Why couldn't I go near the visitors?  Were they contagious?  I decided to spy on them, to see what was wrong with them.  Mama's bedroom was above the kitchen, and there was a small hole in one of the floorboards, just big enough for a ten-year-old to fix her eye to so she could see downstairs.

I gasped as I saw the visitors.  I'd seen them before.  Except, this time, there were four of them, not ten.  All teenagers clad in black leather, with weapons on them and all acting as if they were older.

I recognised all four of the ones that were there.  Pierre, the leader; Isabelle, the one who I thought was normal until I saw the knives, Caroline; the slightly scary one with a bow; and Daniel, the only one Caroline listened to.

"Pierre," Gama said coolly, "What is the purpose of your visit?  So close to the end of your century, too?"

"We came to introduce you to next century's batch."  Pierre answered.  "I imagine we'll be back in a few months to say our farewells."

"And to console you about Olivia."  Isabelle added quickly.