My first thought was, Well, that was abrupt. Ash was still standing, staring at the place where Queen Ember had been a few seconds before, her shoulders tense. After a long moment, I got up and walked over to Ash.
"So... did she just..." I trailed off when Ash didn't turn around.
"Die?" Ash finished for me, her voice laced with uncertainty.
"I... I don't know. Can you... do something to make her reappear again?" I asked, peering into the embers. The coals smoldered against each other, melding together like miniature versions of lava.
"No! She made the recording, and cut it off!" Ash exclaimed.
"Ash, Queen Ember said that we need all the elementals, so that means we have to go and find Raine. Again, I might add." I kept the last part to myself, but Ash must have heard me. She bristled, her fists clenching and eyes narrowing. "Sure, sure. But I think we have more pressing matters right now, Aspen."
"Why don't you finish your trial and I will look for Raine? Personally, I think that she will be more comfortable with me, not someone who just yelled at her. Ahem, Ash." I put some emphasis on Ash's name and she grumbled something under her breath.
"Do I need to spell it out for you, Aspen? My trial could potentially blow up the area around the volcano, so you know, don't want to stick with the one person who could prevent it? Unless you'd like to be scorched to death, then by all means, go ahead and be an idiot." Ash rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
I felt like causing another earthquake and I pulled on the core of the earth, and the ground rumbled. "I would rather stick with someone who has manners and can't stop the volcano rather than someone who doesn't have manners and can stop the volcano." The earth quaked and I pressed down on my anger, but I still kept on a stony face.
"So you think that shaking a few rocks will freak me out enough to say''Fine"? And you think that blaming me for having "no manners" when I have LITERALLY SPENT THE LAST FIVE YEARS BY MYSELF BECAUSE OF SOMETHING I COULDN'T CONTROL!" Ash uncrossed her arms and I felt the rumbling stop. Instead, the volcano was beginning to quake. Not like an earthquake, but like the volcano was about to blow. "Well if you don't care about stopping the volcano from erupting and setting the world on fire, then fine! But I'm going to stop it, and if I don't, at least I had the decency to try! Go on then, go and make fun of someone else who lost her parents years ago and has barely made up for it over several years! GO!" Ash stormed out of the room, and a mere moment later, I could feel the volcano trembling, as if something was holding it back.
"Oh, I'll try." I whispered, and then I turned to go after our fish.
-♦-∞-♦-
"Raine!" I screamed into the trees, ignoring the thoughts about how pleasant it felt to cause an earthquake. But at least I was dignified enough to hold in my temper. Where had our fish gone? She couldn't have gone that far... Suddenly, I remembered that Elm hadn't been standing by the edge of the volcano. Had Raine... stolen Elm?
"Raine! Water elemental! Water girl! MERMAID!" I shrieked and the forest echoed back with my voice, mocking me, telling me that I'm not trying.
"SHUT UP!" I yelled to no one in particular and suddenly, golden antlers shot up from a bush. I scrambled back to find Elm's huge form rising like a huge raven. He regarded me with wary golden eyes and I patted his neck. It didn't reassure him. His eyes darted across the clearing, probably looking for Ash. Sorry, dude, but she's a bit tied up right now. I thought and a voice drifted to my ears. Softly.
"Aspen? Is that you?" I had never been more relieved. I burst through the bushes to find Raine sitting on the edge of the riverbank, her eyes puffy from crying.
A tear rolled down her cheek and splashed down on her tail. I felt bad for her. But I couldn't help but stare down at her tail. It was fascinating and not to mention, weird.
"I feel so bad for running out," Raine whispered, using that tiny voice that made it hard to hear.
"I hope that you know that it's okay." I muttered, staring down at a particularly interesting part of my flats.
"But it's not!" Raine wailed, "I ran out on Ash on her trial day! She must think I did it on purpose. She probably thinks I'm crazy"
"You?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Raine gave me a look and I sat down with her, trying to ignore the river water seeping into the corner of my dress.
"I hate fire," Raine repeated, fiddling with her still-aqua hair.
"Raine, don't say that. Ash... Ash has it hard, okay? She is fire and her personality... it's not entirely her fault. Entirely." I meant it as a joke, but I was glad that Ash wasn't around. Not that I hated Ash, but I don't want another argument.
"What? I don't hate Ash. I just... have a complicated relationship with fire." Raine confessed, tugging on her hair harder.
"I know you don't hate Ash. And I know you're scared. But we should go easy on Ms. Fire. I think that she needs some time... to herself." Okay, the water was bothering me. I sat down on a boulder, curling my feet away from the soaking sediments.
"This isn't about Ash," Raine stated bluntly, looking across the river.
"Then, what is it about?" I asked, thinking about my own family. Petal and Swamp. They were always there. There must have been a Father, and a Mother at some time. But where were they? I... It was so ironic that I had to remember.
Raine looked down, another tear falling from her eyes. "Well, you know how I used to live with my dad?" Her lip quivered as the sentence left her mouth.
"Yes, I do." I answered softly.
"It wasn't always that way. I was raised with both my father and my mother. Well. Until I was eight. Starting when I was seven, my mother always seemed distracted, and she always left the house. She started to kind of ignore me. On my eighth birthday, I woke up excited to hang out with her, since she promised she would take me to the pool. I woke up to flames. FLAMES. My house was on fire. Burning. Hot. FIRE. The smoke that floated up to my bed was suffocating. The flames danced up and down my bed, scorching and destroying everything in sight. The heat made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I fumbled out of bed as I made a run for the door. As I opened the door, I screamed in agony as I felt a burning hot pain on my arm. I could just feel it sizzling. I was sure I was going to die. I passed out after trying to reach the exit. I woke up in my dad's arms. I felt my arm burning."
She rolled up her sleeve, showing me the burn mark she received from that day. It was long, and I could see where some places were still black. Leaping lily pads... ouch.
"As I was hugging my dad and crying, I saw my mom slip out of the exit with what looked like a lighter in hand. She shot me a small smile and a grimace as she spotted my charred arm. Then, she slipped away into the woods. No one saw her but me. She did it, Aspen! It was her! She tried to kill me!"
I felt a loss for words. I couldn't say anything. I wanted to tell Raine that it was her mother that did it, and fire was only a weapon. Helpless, unable to do something. But at the same time, Raine is suffering! I couldn't disagree with her. I didn't want another argument!
She whimpered, "I know. It's no excuse. I shouldn't have run away from Ash. I was just so scared, all the memories were coming back. I wish I didn't have memories of that day."
I wish I could remember everything. I thought wistfully. Raine must have seen my expression change because she hauled herself out of the water and touched my shoulder, leaving a wet hand imprint.
"What's wrong?" she asked, looking genuinely curious. That's when I decided to tell a friend I had just met about my biggest secret.
"The thing is... ever since I was a child, I had every memory I wanted. I took memories for granted until... until the accident." My voice cracked and I cleared my throat.
Raine patted my shoulder again, encouraging me to go on.
"I was 5! I was 5 years old when... when I had an accident. I was climbing a tree with my older siblings. My brother, Swamp, and my sister, Petal. Maybe Father was there, maybe Mother as well, but I think that she left a long time ago. But I was climbing a tree and I couldn't get down. I then yelled down at... somebody to get the ladder and Swamp rushed to get the ladder. Suddenly, wind started blowing all over the place and I couldn't see. Then, it was either the wind or... someone behind me. But... I fell. I plummeted to the ground, which was around 10 feet away. I then lost consciousness. When I woke up, I found myself in the house, my arm broken, and I couldn't remember anything. I could only remember Swamp and Petal. No memory of Father, no memory of Mother. I didn't even know that I had a mother and father, until Swamp told me something about how I was starting to look like Mother and Father at the same time. Anyways, half my memory is gone and I don't think I'll ever get it back." I finished and then closed my eyes. It hurt that I had just told about the incident. It had scarred me. For life.
"Oh Aspen. I had no idea! That sounds awful..." Raine trailed off, staring at her tail as it became a pair of legs again. "Does Ash know?"
"She wouldn't want to. Even if she did, it's not like I can tell her. She's in a mountain full of deadly magma." I said, opening my eyes.
"Hey, I'm sure Ash would care." Raine said, looking confused at why she was defending Ash.
"What happened to the fire hater?" I teasingly asked and Raine huffed.
She rolled her eyes and said, "I told you. I don't hate Ash. Just fire." But fire is Ash. Ash is fire. They are melded together by destiny. They cannot be apart.
Raine must have again recognized the look on my face because she replied stubbornly, "I DON'T hate Ash. Just fire."
"Are you reading my mind?" I demanded, filling it with as many vines as I could, blocking my other thoughts.
Raine grinned, "Ash isn't that bad, she..." Raine trailed off as her gaze fell on Elm. The deer was stiller than stone and his eyes were wide, fixed on something on the other side of the river. It was a boy who looked about our age. He was in all black and his honey colored eyes met mine. He then crouched in the grass and he knocked an arrow into his bow. For a moment, I wondered if he was planning to shoot me, but then I realized he was aiming next to me. He was aiming at... Elm.
"WAIT!" I shrieked, but I felt frozen to the ground. Unable to move.
As the arrow soared through the sky, Raine's eyes opened ten times wider as she yelled, "STOP! NO! DON'T!"
Time started to slow. Every second felt like a minute and Raine's expression was filled with fear and shock. The arrow sliced through the air, wind whistling around it dramatically. The arrow then pierced straight. Through. Elm's. Neck. The boy then got up and walked towards us, crossing the river in a few neat strokes.
"Excuse me, ladies." He drawled, completely ignoring our shocked faces. He touched Elm's neck and smirked.
"Dead." He flung Elm's limp body over his shoulder and started to slink back towards the tall reeds.
I opened my mouth, about to say something. About to yell at the boy. What if he had been our pet? You would have killed someone's companion! I mentally shrieked and I winced. He was someone's pet. Someone's companion. He was Ash's. What is she going to do? I turned as I heard something come from behind me.
"Take one more step. I dare you." Raine growled, stepping closer to the boy.
He turned around and shrugged, looking nonchalant. He smirked at Raine's statement. The doofus.
That was the last straw for Raine. "YOU IDIOT! WHAT WAS THAT FOR? IS THIS WHAT YOU DO FOR FUN? KILL INNOCENT DEER? WELL GET THIS STRAIGHT. YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO. SO I SAY AGAIN. GET BACK HERE, AND DROP ELM. TAKE ONE MORE STEP, AND YOU'RE GOING TO REGRET IT."
It was as if I could see the steam coming out of her ears. The boy took one look at her and fled. He didn't drop Elm as he sped across the river. That's when my body unfroze and everything came rushing back.
"HEY! STOP!" I shouted and I fumbled for the earth's core. Shake. I demanded as I ran and the ground stirred like someone rising from their sleep. Shake. Harder. NOW. I thought about Elm, about Petal, about Swamp. About all the people that I remembered now. The ground then heaved, trees falling over and blocking the flow of the river. Vines erupted from the ground, wrapping around the tree in a chokehold. I imagined that it was the boy's throat and I tightened the vines so that the tree wouldn't fall from the river.
Raine didn't look like she was thinking straight. She dove into the river as the forest shook and in a few quick flicks of her tail, she had caught up to him, as he fell in the river because of my earthquake. She grabbed his shoulders and hissed, "Give. Me. That. Deer. NOW." Her tail flicked up to the surface of the water just for a second, but it was enough to make the boy drop Elm in shock.
"Good," Raine said, "Now get out." He leapt out of the river and fled, without looking back. Raine let out a huff and dove after Elm, who had sunk to the bottom of the river. I sat down on a rock, thinking about Raine's outburst. Maybe she isn't so shy after all. I thought. I then waited for Raine to resurface and when she did, I jumped off the rock and helped Raine drag Elm to the rocks.
"He's dead." I confirmed, touching Elm's neck, feeling for a pulse. There wasn't one. The deer was still, lying dead on the riverbed.
"What are we going to do?" Raine asked, her face a mask of horror.
"We can't do anything. Elm is-"
"Elm!?" Uh oh... It's- My thought broke off as Ash burst through the nearby bushes and froze, her eyes glued to Elm's still form.
"What happened." She asked, her voice flat and emotionless. It was worse this way, worse than if she had burst into tears and rolled on the ground in emotional pain.
"It was a hunter." I whispered, "He came over and shot Elm. He tried to take him away but Raine stopped him." I glanced over at the water elemental, who was looking down and crying.
"A hunter- who didn't know what Elm was?" Ash whispered, still standing a few paces away. "Didn't know he had sacrificed his way to the Spirit Realm to be in this world? Every hunter knows golden antlers means not to shoot. How old was he?" She asked abruptly.
"Like, around the same age as us," Raine replied, raising her head momentarily.
"Idiot..." Ash whispered, "it's the first thing you learn..."
"That's what I said," Raine offered.
"Are you saying that Elm... is a spirit?" I asked and Ash sighed.
"He is. Was. How hunting works- you set free the trapped spirits inside the animals to go to the Spirit Realm where they live peaceful lives. Elm-" Ash shook her head with a bittersweet smile. I was nearly surprised that she wasn't crying.
"He escaped?" I asked and Ash shook her head again.
"When I freed him, he decided to live here, on this world, instead of going to the Spirit Realm. I think he sacrificed that chance, so I don't know where he went this time... Maybe nowhere..."
"This is my fault," Raine whispered, "If I hadn't stolen him, Elm would still be alive." I was at a loss for words. Again. "I'm so sorry Ash." Raine whimpered, "I-I-I don't know what I was thinking. You have every right to hate me." She lowered her head again. I looked to Ash to see what angry response would come from the angry girl. But surprisingly, Ash only sighed.
"I guess I don't blame you..." Ash lowered herself onto the ground, laying on her back in the grass. "It was Elm's choice to be in this realm. Now..." She trailed off, closing her eyes and pressing her palms to her closed eyelids. Raine looked, well, miserable. I was wondering if Ash would really cry.
"Ash... I'm sorry that I made you feel like I was making fun of you, but to be honest, you shouldn't have yelled at Raine." Ash got up, glaring at me, but I held up a hand.
"You owe Raine an apology." I sternly whispered and Ash grumbled under her breath.
"I-" Ash cleared her throat, "I moderately regret raising my voice in your direction, Raine. Though I think we're even now because of... Elm,"
"That's probably the closest thing we'll get to an apology." I laughed and Ash frowned.
"Be grateful, I can always take it back," Ash said, sounding dead serious.
"It's kind of hard with that sassy tone of yours." I joked and Ash rolled her eyes. But, surprisingly, she didn't take away the apology.
"Are you mad at me?" Raine asked tentatively. I stepped forward, ready to stop a fight from happening.
"Aspen, stop. Raine, stop. You guys, I'm not a heartless monster. I understand it wasn't your fault Raine, although you did over-react a lot in the volcano. I don't really understand that." Ash was glaring at me, seemingly because I thought she was going to get aggressive.
"Raine has been through a lot. Specifically with fire." I defended Raine stubbornly.
Ash raised an eyebrow at Raine, "Oh?"
With her eyes still fixed on a clump of grass on the ground, Raine retold the whole story she had told me before the whole Elm tragedy happened. She then lifted up her sleeve, again revealing the charred scar she had received as a permanent reminder of that day. There was silence for a few moments.
Then Ash said, "Wow," her voice was quiet, the quietest I had ever heard her, which didn't exactly mean something, but still.
Raine pulled her sleeve back up. "I still can't believe my mom would do this to me," she stated, looking both sad and furious.
"Are you sure it was her?" Ash asked.
"Yeah, Raine. I know that it seemed like her... but what if it was someone else?" I asked and I put a hand up before Raine could fire something back.
Her eyes hardened immediately. "I don't know who else it could be. I SAW her run away." She sighed, "I tried telling my dad once, but he wouldn't believe me either."
"I KNOW!" Ash abruptly interrupted.
"What? You know who set fire to Raine's home?" I asked, shocked that she would know, especially with her isolated life.
"No, not that. I know what we can do next to make us all feel better. Vengeance." Her voice was edged in a creepy tone.
"I beg your pardon?" I asked, my face scrunched up.
"We must avenge Elm! AFTER THAT HUNTER!" Ash declared, then leapt into action without waiting for us. She was across the stream in one graceful leap, then stopped on the other side, waiting for us. Is she... enthusiastic? I thought to myself.
"How did you do that?" Raine asked. "I keep falling in."
"There's more to being an elf than having pointy ears, you know," Ash commented, "Now come on!"
Raine and I looked at each other and shrugged. In a second, we were both in the river, spluttering. Well, I was the one gasping for air. Raine was next to me, her strokes neat and precise. When we finally made it to the other side, Ash didn't hesitate to start through the forest. She was incredible, leaping and jumping and running, always graceful, always elvishly dextrous. Raine started panting, trying to keep up with me and Ash. She also started grumbling about how swimming was so much easier than walking. Ash suddenly stopped and dropped to the ground in a crouch. Moments later Raine and I caught up.
"Ah!" I yelped as I almost tripped over Ash.
"Shh!" Ash hissed, beckoning us to join her on the ground. We did. "Look, but be quiet." Beyond the bush we were now hiding behind was a deer. No golden antlers, I thought. The deer was normal. Then Ash pointed beyond the deer. Crouched in the brush, bow aimed, was the hunter. Ash pulled out her bow.
"What are you doing!?" Raine hissed.
I joined in by saying, "Don't SHOOT HIM!"
"SHH!" Ash said with emphasis. "Trust me," I found that a little hard to do, but it was hard to argue when she had a weapon in her hands. Ash pulled an arrow from her quiver and we backed up, giving her room to shoot. A moment later, the arrow was flying. As it arched, I saw that the tip was coated in fire, a small controlled flame that stayed in the tip, not burning the arrow itself. Wow, we must have missed a lot in her trial, I thought. The arrow hit. The deer collapsed. The hunter that shot Elm had been aiming the entire time. Now he stood up, glaring at Ash, who had walked over to the deer. Raine and I flanked her, and I saw the hunter stiffen in recognition.
"Listen ladies. I don't know who shot that arrow, but-" The hunter stepped forward, his voice pitying.
"I wouldn't move if I were you," Ash's voice was cold as ice. Her hand flicked up unnaturally and flames danced across her fingertips, not unlike Ember's trick in her recording.
"You don't know who shot that arrow, huh?" I taunted and I grabbed some vines, making them lengthen just by touching them. As soon as Raine caught one glance at his face, her eyes grew wide, then hardened like stone.
"You again," she hissed, opening her palm and letting a bubble form into existence, and aiming it right at his face, splashing it on his hair.
The boy wiped his wet bangs aside, and I saw his eyes grow wider and he whispered, "Wait, are y'all the freaks that made me drop the deer?"
"Freaks. Freaks?! Is that who we are to you?!..." I almost lunged forward and strangled the hunter right there and then, but Raine held me back, glaring daggers at the boy.
"Freaks? You want to say that again?" Ash stepped up to him and looked down, her elf body taller than the boy. He gulped. "Who shot that arrow? Me. I am the Flame Huntress, and you killed my deer." A flash of something crossed the boy's face and he backed up, hands up in surrender.
"Hold on!" Raine said. He halted, momentarily looking at her. "You killed Elm. You aren't getting off THAT easy." Another bubble formed in her open hand as she looked at him with a death glare.
He crossed his arms again, trying his best to look arrogant, "Look ladies, I don't want any trouble. I just wanted those antlers your deer had, so, I took what I wanted, or tried to anyway," He rolled his eyes, glaring at me and Raine.
"I swear, if you call us 'ladies' one more time..." Raine snarled, sounding... unlike Raine.
"Good thing you didn't. I wouldn't want to mess with Ash when she's in full rage mode." I allowed myself to give Ash a small smirk, and she grinned.
"Y'all are witches. You," He pointed at me, "can control the ground. You," He pointed at Ash, "can control destruction." He turned to Raine and gave her a lazy smirk. "And you can..." He laughed and I was so tempted to strangle the dude until he begged for mercy. "You're a fish?" The boy guessed arrogantly.
In response, Raine hit him in the face with another bubble of water, right in the mouth this time. I stifled a laugh. Good aim, Raine. Very, very good aim. He shouldn't have angered any of us.
"What sort of hunter are you?!" Ash yelled at him, her hair flaming, her hands coated in fire that raged with her anger.
"That's none of your business," he spat out, glaring at Ash, "I'm better than you'll ever be," he stated nervously, eyeing Ash with fear.
"If you're better than Ash, then why do you seem so intimidated? Also, we managed to stop you with just an earthquake and a threat. Yes, so much better than Ash indeed." I retorted and I rolled my eyes, crossing my arms.
"Do you know anything about a hunter or huntress' duty?" Ash snarled, her hands covered with flames, an orange streak in her hair glowing brightly.
"Well, duh. You see an animal. You kill it. End of story," The idiot replied, looking proud of himself.
"You..." Ash growled and I admit, I was a bit nervous. I had never seen Ash as mad as she was now. Her eyes were pure fire, her flames now white. We could all feel the heat radiating off of her in waves, making Raine and I back up.
"Look!" He said, holding his hands up to shield his face, "Sorry about your deer, or "Elm" as you call it. But it's dead, and I can't do anything about it." I felt a pang of sadness and I thought, He's right. There's no way that Elm can come back. No way.
"Do you know ANYTHING?" Ash yelled. "ANYTHING ABOUT THE SPIRITS? THE REALMS? ANYTHING!?"
"I'm guessing not." I muttered, mostly to myself, and Raine nodded silently.
He let out a small laugh, "Um, are you joking? I'm pretty sure if you calm down, you can think better. Realms? Yeah, right. As if they exist."
Surprisingly, Ash didn't get even more angry. Instead, she clamped her hands shut, snuffing the flame, closed her eyes for a moment before opening them, now normal colored, hair lowering down to normal.
"Then let me teach you what a real hunter does."
"And why would I let YOU teach ME?" He asked, regaining his arrogant behavior. I swear, I really, really, wanted to kill this arrogant hunter.
Ash didn't answer. She remained silent and she only turned around and stepped up to the deer she had shot.
"Wait a minute! Are you going to take that deer? Because I want to take it to-" He trailed off when he saw what Ash was doing. Ash lowered herself into a squat next to the deer. I watched, entranced, as Ash whispered something to the body of the dead deer. A wispy spirit essence sprung out from the arrow wound and floated up in the air in front of Ash and she stood up.
"Thats-thats-thats," The boy struggled to come up with a snarky response as the spirit rose up into the air. I would have laughed if I wasn't so enchanted. Holy mother of trees, it's a...
"A spirit," Ash said.
"Can I touch it?" Raine asked from the back, curiously.
"No!" Ash shot Raine a frown before turning back to the spirit. I stifled a giggle, of course Raine would say these kinds of things in these types of situations.
"Hello, Flame Huntress," The spirit whispered.
"Woah woah woah," The boy interrupted. "They actually call you 'Flame Huntress?" He let out a sharp laugh. What's wrong with that? I thought to myself, It sounds awesome! It would take me years to think of something that cool.
"Well, it's my name. What's your less mystical title?" Ash asked skeptically, her eyes still focused on the spirit.
"Um, I'll only tell you if you tell me your REAL NAME." He replied, sticking his tongue out immaturely. I rolled my eyes and thumped him on the shoulder. Hard. He let out a yelp and glared at me.
"So... um... Ash, sorry to interrupt the whole enemy vibe going on, but what about the spirit that just floated up in front of you?" Raine asked, prodding Ash's back. Ash looked at Raine and I could tell that Ash was growing slowly annoyed.
Ash sighed, "What's your name? I suppose you know mine now," The boy blinked, not knowing he was being addressed.
"Idiot... she's talking to you." I poked the boy sharply and Ash sighed again.
"Yes, I'm asking you, hunter boy. Don't make me repeat myself a second time. What is your name?" She asked and Raine looked a little sheepish.
The boy tilted his head to one side, "Well Ash, the name's Alder."
"Huh. Well, that is a terrible name." Ash barked a laugh.
"A lot coming from you, Ash." he retorted, trying to keep some of his dignity.
"What's wrong with her name?" I asked and Alder closed his mouth, unable to answer.
"Whatever. I'm not telling you." Alder shot back and I tightened my grip around the vines.
"Careful. Aspen can be quite murderous at times." Ash warned. The boy named Alder winced for a second, but his gaze held steady.
"Flame Huntress..." The spirit whispered, directing our attention back onto it, breaking up the fight for now.
Ash turned, "Hello..." She trailed off without a name.
"Cedar, call me Cedar. Thank you for freeing me. Is there anything I can do to repay you before moving on to the Spirit Realm?"
"Okay! Um... WHAT?" Alder interrupted loudly, "She ended your life! How in the world did that free you?"
"Shut up, Alder! Keep your mouth shut and stop interrupting so rudely!" Ash shot back offhandedly.
"Okay, MOTHER, whatever you say" He said pointedly at Ash, grumbling.
Ash rolled her eyes, then straightened, "Cedar, I normally wouldn't ask anything of you, but could you... could you see if a spirit named Elm is in the Spirit Realm?"
The spirit spiraled and thinned out, becoming a buzzing white line.
I grabbed Alder by the arm and hissed, "If Elm isn't there, I'm sending you to the spirit realm." Alder tried to wrench his arm away, but I held onto his arm firmly. He struggled and then gave up, looking miserable at having to stay longer than he intended.
The spirit fizzled back to normal and whispered, "The spirit called Elm has recently traveled into the Spirit Realm. He says hello,"
"So MOTHER, terribly sorry to interrupt again, but er, Cedar, what are you?" Alder asked.
"I swear..." Raine growled and I held her back this time, whispering about how Alder wasn't worth the fight.
The spirit didn't seem to hear him.
"Cedar can only hear me, you idiot. Because I'm honorable." Ash said offhandedly, still staring at Cedar.
Alder stamped his foot against the soft mossy terrain. "Well, how was I supposed to know that?"
"I warn you, don't stamp on the ground. I will command the earth to throw you up if you don't stop being annoying." With effort, I made the ground quake slightly and Alder made a growling noise, but he held his ground.
"Whatever. You aren't my mother." He rolled his eyes.
I snorted. This guy was seriously starting to get on my nerves. I huffed out a breath and turned to him. "Just listen to Ash."
Alder glared at me, then turned his attention again to Cedar.
"Thank you, Cedar. I hope your new life in the Spirit Realm is filled with wonder," Ash put her hands in a spiral form, splaying her fingers to create a symbol that I couldn't even think to attempt to recreate. She even added fire to wreath the symbol in flames. The spirit spiraled again, and then vanished. Ash undid the symbol and turned back towards us.
"You looked ridiculous," Alder informed her, "And will any of you witches tell me why you guys can do your magic things. You can make fire, you can make things grow, and YOU better stop splashing me with water." He pointed at Ash, me, and Raine in turn.
Raine flipped her hair in indigence.
"I warned you." I whispered and I let my anger loose for a second struggling to control it, but it was enough to make the ground beneath Alder spring up. Alder flew into the air with a shriek and he landed into a bush. I huffed as I tried to regain control of my powers. He got out, rubbing his back, and Raine splashed him, grinning.
"Ughh," Alder grumbled, rubbing his back and his face, "Now, explain. This is getting weird."
"Why should we? Why don't you go back to your terrible and pointless life and forget we exist in a minute because you're an idiot," Ash shot at him, unflinching.
His eyes filled with sadness for a split second, and it looked like tears were going to fall, but then returned to normal. "Look, I sat through your spirit thing, and you all can't just sit there and judge me."
"Why not?" Ash countered.
"Because-because, well, you don't know anything." Alder turned away.
"Seems to me she knows plenty." I muttered to myself.
"Don't know anything?" Ash scoffed, her barking laughter harsh to my ears.
"Look. Just because you have powers and know all this spirit stuff, doesn't make you better than me. You don't know what my life is like either, so stop judging me. You don't know how hard it's been for me," Alder retorted, slumping down on a nearby rock.
"Oh? Do tell us your sob story before I get bored," Ash yawned for effect, and I saw Raine wince at the harsh retort.
"Forget it. Not like you would care. Keep the deer, I'm just gonna go." He walked away, then paused. He went over and grabbed his bow and arrows. "Keep them. Hunting was my only escape from reality. But it's yours now." He then left without another word.
"Fine by me, though that bow is flimsy and the arrows are tiny," Ash called to his back. Then he vanished from view.
"Ash..." I warned her.
"What? Are you going to lecture me about my manners again?" Ash asked. "Because if you are, Aspen..."
"Hold on. Ash... I'm glad that you showed Alder the right thing to do. But... maybe you should give Alder another chance. Which is a lot coming from me, considering how I treated him earlier," Raine said, patting Ash on the shoulder. I nodded in agreement, suddenly feeling bad for Alder.
Ash pulled away from Raine's arm and went over to Alder's equipment. She kicked them each once, before deciding to walk away, back towards the stream. Her walk was fast, and we watched until we couldn't see her anymore.
"Is that a yes?" I asked skeptically and Ash returned moments later, dragging a flailing Alder behind her.
"Here. To be clear, this is against my will," Ash threw him onto a rock, making him wince as it jarred his sore side. "Tell us your story, since my partners here made me drag you back."
"I did most of the work." Raine chimed in and I rolled my eyes with a laugh.
"Well, extremely thankful to you, fish." Alder shot back and I instantly regretted agreeing with Raine. My hands clenched up as I prepared to defend Raine, but before I could say anything, Raine conjured another bubble and Alder put his hands in front of his face.
Ash, however, burst out laughing, "Fish, oh wow, I think I might be able to stand you for a few more moments," She leaned on a tree trunk to support her as she said this.
"Quickly, before we all lose our sanity." I growled and Alder sighed.
He sat down on the rock again.
"Do you even want to know?" He grumbled, staring uncertainty at us.
"Considering that mysterious temper tantrum back there, then yes. Yes Alder, enlighten us." I said, crossing my arms and staring down at him.
"I want to know since you called her fish," Ash laughed, still leaning against a tree as she did.
"Is that the only reason that you want to know?" I asked skeptically and Ash shrugged.
"I saw her tail. She looks like a fish," Alder said, shrugging his shoulders. The next thing he knew, the bubble of water was splashed onto his face.
"I think you should stop talking like that to Raine, unless you want to drown by water in your face every few seconds." I snorted a laugh, picking at my braid.
"Well, is there a reason you suddenly want to know?" Alder questioned, "After you called me an idiot and useless?"
"Oh scorching suns, just tell us already so we can move on!" Ash shouted, crossing her arms and glaring at Alder.
Alder gave her a look. "Fine." He said reluctantly. "I lived with both my parents until I was six. Then, one day, I saw they had packed up their bags. I asked them what was going on. They said they were leaving because they didn't want to deal with me anymore. With that, they turned and left."
Goodness, and I thought parents were supposed to care about their children. I don't know if mine did, but I really hope so. Another part of my mind hissed back, If they did, then where are they? Where is Mother? Where is Father? There was only Swamp and Petal. Your parents don't care about you. I growled and Raine gave me a look.
"Shh, pay attention,"
"Everyday after that, I kept wishing on stars and dandelions that they would be back, or that I would have someone in my life who would actually care about me. But that didn't happen. From that day forward, it was just me against the world."
Kind of like us. It's just me, Ash, and Raine against the world. But we have powers and we can keep our dignity just fine. I muffled a snort.
"Hunting was my only escape. No one taught me how to act, or how to be, and I taught myself how to hunt. Whenever I needed a break, I could just escape to the forest, and away from all my troubles. For years I just did what I wanted to, because I had known of no other life."
Sounds like someone I know. I glanced at Ash, who caught my glance and spread her arms in a 'yes?' gesture. I looked away and Alder continued,
"So.. when I met you guys, and Ash offered to teach me, I didn't want to admit it, but that felt good. No one has ever offered to teach me before."
"To be clear, I never-" Raine shoved Ash's shoulder hard enough to knock her next words from her mouth. Ash glared at her, but didn't continue.
"But then," Alder continued, "I got on someone's nerves again. I never really mean to do it, but I always do. So when Ash hinted at me to leave, I just left." Alder sighed again, "Maybe I just wasn't meant to have friends."
"Well, I never had any friends." I offered and Alder perked up.
"Neither did I," Ash muttered.
"I never had any real ones," Raine offered
"Really?" He asked.
"Wow, you're that happy we didn't have anyone to hang out with?" I asked sarcastically, making Alder's face redden.
"No... t-that's not what I'm trying to say..." Alder stuttered and I saw Ash roll her eyes. "I just... I just thought I was the only one," Alder explained.
"Well, you're not." I said promptly, sitting down next to him. "It's not that I didn't want friends, but I just never put the time in to have them. I only had my older brother, Swamp, and my older sister, Petal. Everyone else... was the enemy. The town bully and such. Also, I don't remember if I had friends back then. Even if I wanted to, so badly." Ash gave me a queer look.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked and Raine looked down at the ground, staring intently into a patch of grass.
"I lost all my memories from before I turned 6 years old in an accident." I then told the same story again and Ash... had some type of reaction. Alder, on the other hand, had his eyes open so wide I thought they were going to pop. Now I have a gross image in my head...
"Oh," Ash raised her eyebrows for a moment before shaking her head, "Well I didn't really want friends for a long time. And I didn't have any family to rely on,"Ash shrugged, unbothered. Huh, and Raine said she would care. I thought semi bitterly.
"You guys have each other." Alder said, "I only have the trees, and the pebbles by the stream."
"Great friends. I've met them too," Ash commented, not in a mean way, but it still made Alder wince.
"They were better than most people. At least they didn't judge me," Alder responded, regaining some of his snarkiness.
Ash sighed, "And there goes any hope of mentoring,"
"Mentoring?!" Alder straightened, his eyes wide with excitement and hope, "Really?"
"NO! I take it back! No no no! You didn't hear anything!" Ash wildly waved her hands in a shooing gesture.
"Oh..." Alder replied, "I- I, sorry. For a second there I was stupid enough to believe someone would actually want to hang out with me." He backed up a few steps. Yikes, I don't want to seem like that kind of person. That's when I decided to stand up for the idiot.
"We should at least vote, Ash. I think Alder deserves a chance." I inquired, "We're a team. There is no 'I' in a team."
"What? I did not agree to this! I would be the only one to teach him hunting anyway! Nope. No way," Ash crossed her arms in a defiant gesture.
"Pleaseeee!" Raine begged, putting her puppy eyes to work again on Ash.
"NO NOT THE FACE! NOT THE FACE!" Ash turned away, covering her eyes.
"Again with the puppy eyes, Raine. Good thinking." I smirked at Ash, who groaned.
"Please.." Raine whispered, sinking to the ground. She let a tear fall.
"I can't even tell if you're actually crying or not," I whispered to Raine, who grinned at me. "Okay, never mind."
"UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Ash groaned, but her voice wasn't necessarily angry.
"Please, Ash? For me and Aspen?" Raine pleaded again.
"What Raine said." I offered.
Ash groaned again, then muttered, "fine."
"What was that?" I leaned forward, putting a hand around my ear. "I couldn't hear you!"
Ash swatted at me, "FINE!" She yelled, "You happy?"
Raine bounded up from the ground, giddy from excitement.
"Huzzah," I said and Raine gave me a look.
"Why do you sound so sarcastic?" She asked.
"You haven't figured out that sarcasm is like, my everyday tone?" I asked and Raine shrugged.
"Guess not." She responded and I laughed, shaking my head.
We all turned to Alder, who just gave us a shaky smile.