Chapter 6

“Wake up.”

The harsh voice shook Elaina from her sleep, lamely she fumbled around for the lamp on her nightstand. Once she found it she flinched from the harsh glow.

Charise stood beside her looking very serious, her hands on her hips.

“What are you doing here?” Elaina mumbled checking her clock for the time. “At, may I add, the time normal people sleep.”

“I was woken up by Chase who insisted that I needed to come talk to you immediately.” Charise said, yawning.

Elaina took in her pink pajamas and wild hair. Dark circles still under her eyes, it was obvious that she hadn’t woken up too long ago.

“He’s standing out in the hall isn’t he?” Elaina asked instead. “Chase!” She called loudly, “Come on in, you might as well tell us both why in the world you think we should talk.”

Her door opened and Chase stepped in wearing nothing but a black t-shirt and grey sweatpants, his hair sticking up around his head, it looked like he hadn’t woken up too long ago either.

“What is this about?” Elaina asked, sitting up.

Chase sighed, running a hand over his face. “I couldn’t stop thinking about your freak out during meditation; I went to Charise and asked if you had possibly talked to her after I told you to.”

“No, actually I didn’t. Instead I did like any normal person would do, I locked myself in my room and decided to try to sleep.” Elaina snapped angrily. “I figured I could bring it up at lunch tomorrow, but I guess that isn’t an option anymore.”

“Freak out?” Charise asked, looking hard at Elaina. “You said that something happened, something serious.” She turned her gaze on Chase who flinched ever so slightly. “You made it seem serious, Elaina has random freakouts all the time.”

“Hey.” Elaina yelped, turning on Charise who raised an eyebrow daring her to try to argue. “Nevermind.” She said after consideration, turning her attention back to Chase.

Both girls watched Chase now waiting for him to say something. When he didn’t Elaina flung herself back down.

“Well, if you aren’t going to say anything I do believe we are done here, I’m going back to bed.”

“Elaina had some type of vision during meditation and it freaked her out pretty bad. She said something along the lines of ‘why are they with him’, then she started shaking really badly.” Chase finally was able to find his voice. “Despite her acting like it wasn’t that big of a deal, I think there is something she isn’t telling anyone.”

Elaina shot him a look of rage before turning to Charise to study her reaction.

For a moment she kept her expression so blank that Elaina was almost sure that maybe Charise didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but then her eyes narrowed and she felt herself flinching.

“Care to explain?” Charise asked, keeping her glare steady.

“I saw my parents, that is all.” Elaina responded shrugging. “I see them pretty often in meditation, it is the reason I stopped meditating on my own.”

“Is she always this difficult?” Chase asked Charise conversationally.

Charise nodded, “Ever since her parents died, yeah pretty much. Although she has been acting strange since the attack, that could be due to the fact she didn’t complete her task of running away.”

“Hey!” Elaina growled shocked at her friend's words. “I wasn’t trying to escape, I was trying to do everyone a favor.”

“You’re lucky Chase was around to talk some sense into you.” Charise snapped. “Otherwise we would have probably already found your body somewhere.”

Elaina bristled, “I wouldn’t have gotten myself killed.” If there was one thing she hated more than anything, it was being thought of as helpless. “Maybe I would’ve already found the mastermind behind the attack and killed him.”

Both Chase and Charise laughed at that leaving Elaina staring from one to the other open mouthed and hurt.

Seeing her look they stopped, but continued smiling.

“You may think that nothing can hurt you, but I already saw firsthand that you are capable of being hurt just like the rest of us.” Chase pointed out. “If I hadn’t been around that first night I’m sure you wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Yes I would.” Elaina grumbled sitting up again. “Although, I’m pretty sure that thing wouldn’t have gotten away.”

“I’m pretty sure it would have and it would’ve taken you with it.” Chase countered. “Just admit that you aren’t indestructible so we can get somewhere and go back to bed.”

A yawn escaped Elaina’s lips, “You’re more than welcome to go back to bed, personally I would like to do that myself.”

“Elaina Marie Mason.” Charise snapped, sounding too much like her mother. “You need to answer my question.”

“What was it?” Elaina tried not to act offended by Charise using her full name, but wasn’t doing a very good job of it. “I hadn’t realized a question was even asked.”

Shaking her head, Charise muttered something that sounded offensive before taking in a long breath, “What did you see during meditation?”

At first Elaina didn’t respond, instead she gauged the expressions of the two people staring at her. Charise looked annoyed, but interested, Chase looked relaxed, his arms crossed across his chest waiting patiently.

Finally she spoke, “I was in a field, the same field I see everytime I try to go to my happy place like a good little girl. You know the brothers make you find your inner peace, so I always end up in this field.” She looked from Charise to Chase, they were both waiting for her to continue. “Anyway, my parents were there talking to someone, but I was too interested in this stupid white rabbit, it was like I had never seen one before. I played with it while my parents talked to this person, I couldn’t make out anything that was coming out of their mouths, but then again I just didn’t care. Then he gave my mother something that caught my attention.”

“What did he give your mother?” Chase urged. “Did you see what it was?”

Elaina shook her head, “No, it was wrapped in silk and my mother hid it pretty quickly. Then she looked back and caught me watching. The person they were talking to, was in fact a dark warrior. I saw the red eyes, the teeth, and then he grew wings. He watched me and then flew away, no big deal. After that I was back in the meditation room and everyone was staring at me. I do believe you can tell the rest from there Chase.” She added for effect.

Charise remained quiet looking thoughtful, “Do you know if that actually ever happened when you were a child?”

“I don’t think so, I’m pretty sure I would remember something that serious. It is very bad juju for a warrior of the white to interact with a warrior of the black.”

Despite her words Elaina had begun racking her brain for a memory of something similar happening, but all she could see was the vision.

“Have you talked to the brothers about this?” Chase piped up. “Maybe they could tell you if it is irrelevant or something you should try to look into.”

Elaina glared, “I told you my parents would never do that. Chances are I’m just stressed out and that is why it pops into my head. Ask Charise, I have a very overactive imagination; most of the time I can’t tell what is real from what is imaginary.”

Beside her Charise let out a long breath of irritation, “You know something Elaina?” She said looking a little pleased with herself.

“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.” Elaina said, waiting.

Charise smiled sweetly, “Usually you get very sarcastic when you are worried. That right there tells me that you think this might be something serious instead of some vision.”

Too shocked to respond, Elaina opened and closed her mouth trying to come up with something to say back to Charise.

On her other side Chase let out a bark of laughter, but covered it with a cough when Elaina shot him a look. Instead of meeting her eyes he looked around the room and his eyebrows rose as he began to take everything in.

“Is there any reason the monks put you in a child’s room?” He asked, studying the flowers on the wall. “I know they are short on space, but they could have done better.”

“This was my room when I was younger.” Elaina said indignantly. “This was how I wanted it to look.”

Chase’s eyes grew wide, “I really cannot imagine you in this room, not even a little version of you, it’s so.” He flailed for a word gesturing around. “It’s so…”

“Girly?” Elaina asked sweetly. Chase nodded. “If you haven’t noticed, I am a girl.”

“I know that, but I kind of pictured you having a room with black walls, red floors, black bed stuff, weapons all around. I can’t really see you in this.” Chase continued irking Elaina’s last nerve.

“You don’t know anything about me, maybe I enjoy the color pink and fluffy things.” Elaina snapped. “Maybe I still have an imaginary friend who happens to be a unicorn and this unicorn pukes up rainbows and only eats laughter and smiles.”

Now it was Charise’s turn to break into laughter. “You weren’t even into that stuff as a kid, Elaina quit making Chase uncomfortable.”

Sure enough Chase was watching her with wide eyes, maybe he actually had believed that she did do all those things.

“If you look in the closet.” Charise said, patting Chase’s arm. “You will find all the weapons you were expecting, and I’m pretty sure you will find the remains of dolls that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The girliest thing Elaina ever did growing up was take ballet and that was because her mother insisted.”

Elaina let out a whoosh of air at Charise’s words. She hadn’t thought about taking ballet in so long that it caught her off guard. When she had turned three her mother had enrolled her in ballet classes insisting that they would do her good someday. At that age she hadn’t known very much about the warrior lifestyle, but she knew that they were strong, flexible, and fast.

She took ballet seriously knowing that if her mother had wanted her to do it, it was the most important thing in the world. The classes helped her perfect her balance and hand eye coordination. It also made her graceful and quick on her feet. At the age of five her mother had begun to teach her how to incorporate ballet into her fighting. She twisted and leaped her way through the obstacle courses her father would erect, never once having to start over.

For a while after her parents died Elaina had kept up with the ballet, but when the brothers had insisted that it took up most of her time she had dropped it and instead focused only on combat and weapon techniques. As far Elaina knew she probably wasn’t even capable of completing any of the moves that had once been engraved in her head.

“….Picture her doing that.” Chase was saying now as she snapped back to reality. Elaina had missed the first half of his sentence. “I guess there is a special side reserved only for her dearest friends.”

He had begun to look through Elaina’s closet pulling out daggers and loose arrows, throwing them into a stack on the floor. He pulled out a doll's head with a throwing star stuck in the eye and gave her a look before going back to snooping.

“Woah, jack pot.” He said heaving something out now. “Are these real?”

Elaina studied the two long swords Chase held carefully before her. The blades were clear and a little scraped up, the handles black with places around the end to slip her hands through. Above the holes were brass knuckles, that way if anyone ever got too close she had something to defend herself with.

“The brass knuckles detach.” Elaina said simply scooting over so that Charise could sit beside her. “Honestly, I forgot those were even in there. It was the last thing my father gave me before he died.”

“They’re pretty badass, but they are really dull. You need to invest in a sharpener.” Chase said, clutching one of the swords and slashing it through the air a few times before lifting it to look again.

Elaina could see his reflection in the sword's smooth surface; they were still almost pristine as she hadn’t gotten the opportunity to actually test them in battle. She had practiced on her dummy a few times, but decided that daggers were more her thing and shoved them back in the closet.

With the way Chase was looking at them like a child on Christmas morning she almost considered telling him that he could have them, but then a jolt of sadness stopped her, her dad had given them to her for protection and she simply couldn’t part with them.

“So, does this mean we are having a sleepover?” Charise asked, interrupting Elaina’s thoughts. “I mean we are all here and all.”

“You can stay, but Chase has to go.” Elaina responded sternly. “I’m sure the brothers wouldn’t appreciate you being here. I can only imagine what they would think about me letting a man stay in my room.”

Charise giggled, “I’m sure the brothers wouldn’t even understand what it meant. They live here their whole lives, I’m pretty sure they’ve never had any interaction with the opposite sex.”

“Maybe the same sex.” Elaina offered, unable to suppress her own giggle. “They have to get lonely and since they are all here.” She trailed off before she went too far.

“Stop that.” Charise laughed, hitting Elaina with a pillow.

“I’m sorry my dear friend you have begun to wear off on me and I can’t seem to keep my head where it needs to be.” Grabbing a pillow, Elaina hit Charise back.

“So she is capable of laughter.” Chase said, dropping the swords he was holding. “I figured she had never learned.”

“Shut up you.” Elaina snapped, throwing a pillow at him. “One more smart remark and I will personally hurl you out of this room.”

“Sure you will.” He didn’t seem the slightest bit phased, easily batting the pillow away.

“Is that a challenge?” Elaina asked, her adrenaline starting to pump.

Before Elaina could make her way towards Chase, Charise jumped up, stepping between them. She held her palms out on either of their chests holding them where they were.

Elaina glared at Chase who simply looked amused. Growling, she went and sat back down.

“You’ve been told what you wanted to know, could you please go now?”

Chase feigned looking hurt, “And here I thought we had reached some threshold and would start being friends.”

“You guessed wrong.” Elaina quipped, “Now go.”

She pointed to the door and looked at him sternly.

Shrugging he sighed before waving goodbye and disappeared out into the hallway.

Elaina continued watching as the door closed, the sound of Chase’s footsteps making their way down the hall. When she finally looked away she found Charise studying her calmly.

“What?” Elaina asked, flopping back down against her pillows.

“Nothing.” Charise said simply shaking her head.

Yawning she climbed underneath the covers with Elaina turning her back to her.

Elaina yawned herself and closed her eyes, but the look on Charise’s face remained frozen in her head.

She didn’t know what it meant, but she knew that it wasn’t anything like Charise had said.