When It Rains

Chapter Five - Fall Into Line

After a change of clothing, I find Crinae sitting in her bunk.

"Any signs that Trunken is still here?" I ask.

"No," Crinae says. "There's not a trace of him except the stuff he left in the toilets."

"It's strange that Trunken comes here only to write a few words on the wall. Why didn't he try to take me or you?" I ask.

"He's a Waterstealer," Crinae says. "They're stupid, brutish sorts. Who knows what he's thinking."

I plop down beside Crinae on her soft bed.

"I wonder what he means by In changing nature, the man now solely feeds on the natural."

"Cadet," Crinae says, pointing at me. "You're getting too familiar. The other cadets are arriving soon and I don't want them to see me talking to you like this."

"Really? They don't know I'm your sister?"

"That's not the point. It'll undermine my authority."

"Fine," I say with a huff. I get up and go outside. It's mid-afternoon and there's a wind blowing west, across the snow fields. I shiver and then wrap my arms around myself. Off in the distance to the east, I notice black dots moving towards the camp. Vehicles bringing the other cadets. I hope a couple of them are cool and not duds like my sister.

About 20 black SUVs stop in front of one of the barracks. Cadets of all shapes and sizes but all dressed in the same light blue trousers and tight-fitting tunic start climbing out of the vehicles. They form into lines immediately. I almost want to clap.

Should I be in one of those lines?

Criane and Captain Mahihkan come out of their barracks. Crinae is trailing slightly behind the senior officer. When they get to the front of the 120 people, Crinae nods at the cadets.

"Thank you for joining us," she says. "The next few days will be tough but rewarding if you stick with the training."

She starts walking up and down the rows.

"As President Sebastian says, we're in this together. It is us who will turn the tide of the climate. It is us who will bring earth back to nature."

Crinae stops in front of a trainee.

"Why are you here, cadet?"

"We put the 'We' in weather!"

"Correct."

My sister suddenly wheels around, startling the student and almost knocking her off her feet.

"Why are you not in formation?" Crinae calls out and then points, straight at me.

"I wasn't sure where to go," I quickly say.

"Please join the end of the last line now."

"Sure," I say, walking over to the sea of blue.

lease join the cadets at the end of the last line now."

"Sure," I say, walking over to the sea of blue.

"Run, Cadet," Crinae says.

By the tone of her voice, I know it's an order. Feeling everyone's eyes on me, I jog over to the end of the line and stand as straight as I can without being on my tiptoes.

Crinae slowly walks over to me.

"I hope we will have no more insubordination out of you," she says, stopping in front of me and staring into my eyes.

"No," I say with a bob of my head, breaking her gaze.

I feel my skin itching to unleash a wave of hot water into my sister's smug face. But if I lose control here and show her that I don't have control over how my emotions affect my abilities, she'll lose it on me. All the cadets must think I'm some sort of joke. Crinae owns me.