Elementals || Grishaverse

Chapter 2: Their Arrival

"Wait, what are you doing?" Adaline exclaimed when she saw the fellow soldiers set up a black-coloured tent in the middle of the training arena.

"Setting up the Darkling's tent," informed one of them, which they should not have, for it was inviting death upon themselves.

"But this is where we train!" She had been hoping to shoot arrows and improve her grip.

"We have our orders."

Orders. She hated that word. Adaline took a deep breath and walked the other way, away from the place she usually practiced with her friend in the entire camp. She started to search for the familiar tousled blonde head in the crowd that was starting to form for the arrival of the King's Army, but seeing that he wasn't around, she started walking in a different direction.

The number of tents had increased, and they were of three colours to represent the Orders of the Grisha - red, blue and purple. Adaline tried to learn everything that she could about Grisha when she was young. She was very fascinated by them but llost interest when she realised how they truly were. 

She also wanted to have a word with Kol, the little boy that helped around the camp, about the number of people that may appear that morning to try to catch a glimpse at the passing carriages, but he was nowhere to be found either.

Adaline stopped walking and turned around when she hit a woman that stood there. "Oh, I'm so sorry." 

"It was my fault really," said the woman, who had a very musical voice that anyone could sway to. She was wearing a white gown beneath her brown coat and had the hood over her head, as if to block out any unwanted attention. The basket that the woman was holding fell down and both of them sat down on their knees to pick up the contents that were exposed in the open. Adaline wondered why the woman would need an apple and eucalyptus oil in the same basket but that wasn't her business. The villagers were allowed to roam their camp that day and anything could be possible.

"I'm really sorry. I'm not in the right state of mind this morning." Adaline chuckled at her clumsiness.

The woman's strikingly hazel eyes held Adaline's deep brown ones in hers with a perplexed expression on her face. She took Adaline's hand in hers and gasped. "Can't be," she whispered too low for anyone to hear.

Adaline tried to pull her hand away but something surprised her. It very strange as well because she didn't seem to mind the sudden contact. "Is everything okay?"

"Y-yes," answered the woman as she stood up.

Adaline wondered why the woman looked so confused. "I hope you have a great time," she said, trying to change the topic. She rubbed the spot where the woman had her grip and started thinking about what came over her.

"You too," answered the woman, but it was more of a mechanical answer. It was as though she said it without knowing that she was doing so because her mind was somewhere else. And when Adaline started to walk away, the woman grabbed her arm gently. "Do not trust anyone but yourself."

Adaline heard the sound of hooves from a distance and a loud neigh that made her turn her head and when she turned back around, the woman was gone. She stood there for a second and pinched herself to make sure that she wasn't dreaming. 

Dreams could be realistic enough.

Once she was convinced that she wasn't half-asleep as always, she started walking towards the campsite. A huge black coach swirled past her with two coachmen wearing charcoal coats and her pace stopped almost immediately, as if a negative reaction took place. The coach was being pulled by four black horses. The door of the coach held the symbol that everyone was aware of and which they feared even more than the King's anger.

"Again with the black," she groaned. 

What was the Darkling's fascination with that colour anyway?

"Adaline!" Someone called for her from the opposite side of the path. She saw a hand waving at her through and recognised the tattoo on his wrist.

She was going to cross over but another set of coaches moved past her. First, a blue coach travelled behind the Darkling's coach, followed by a red one and then a purple one. The coachmen of the front coach turned to look at her but one look from his fellow mate had him turn his gaze back to the front. He had electric blue eyes and that was very hard to miss.

Once the dust settled down, she crossed the damp road and met her only friend - Simon Petrov. "Where were you?"

"I was searching for you," he answered.

"I went down to the training arena but obviously...." she beckoned the carriages that were making their way to the area of the field that was separated for them. "What's up?"

"No training for a week."

"What!"

"I was called to the General's office," he started, trying to change the conversation to avoid the scoldings that would usually be meant for the leader of the Grisha. Adaline was not happy about what she was hearing. "He wants me to give my name for the Army."

"Saints." She swore under her breath.

He snickered at that reaction. "Well, what do you think?"

Simon was her only friend because he was the only one that could tolerate her, not to mention the fact that he was the only one who had seen her cry apart from the General. All his life, he wished for something more than just training soldiers at the camp. He wanted more with life and the General was giving him a way out.

Although Adaline wasn't truly happy about it, she forced a smile on her face. "You should go." She tried to sound supportive but it was hard to think about when she would fall back into your isolation bubble.

"Really? I don't know how useful I would be and-"

"You would be wonderful," she assured him, despite her uneasiness. "I'm sure that there is a Grisha in the camp that would love to bat her eyes at you." She blinked continuously at him in a sarcastic way and made a joke in order to change the topic. She didn't want to think about him leaving because it hurt too much.

"Well, if I am going to be giving my name, I should stay away from the campsite. It is only better."

Adaline put her arm around his neck and started walking forward. "You know? You're not that bad," she reminded him.

"Not that bad, huh?" He chuckled at her attempt in trying to get him to socialise with people and not feel like he was stuck with her. "I take that as a compliment coming from you." He put his arm around her hesitantly and seeing that she didn't flinch, they made their way towards their camp to clear out the villagers that were gathering.

But before they entered the tent of the Mess, Adaline couldn't help but turn around and look at the Grisha camp. Her eyes fell upon the black coach that fascinated everyone where she caught a glimpse at the locks of black hair of the most powerful man in their country as he escaped into his tent.