My first lesson was labelled E.M, but I had no idea what it was. Apparently it was held outside, in a clearing near the gardens. There was already a couple of people there, including Eirlys, Aneira's sidekick from earlier. She was in a circle with two boys and the Bastille girl. Brooke had told me her name... Jussinta! Jussinta Roberts. Brooke had said she was quite nice when she wasn't around Aneira and her friends, but Aneira and her were best friends, and always had been. Apparently she used to be friends with Brooke, and another girl named Branwen Williams from Water Tower. But Brooke and Branwen didn't like Aneira, so Jussinta wasn't friends with them any more.

Jussinta stared at me a minute too long as I perched on a tree stump, and Eirlys and one of the boys spotted me. They both came over to me, but Jussinta and the other boy stayed where they were. Eirlys shot them an irritated glare, but carried on walking. The boy that was with Eirlys was quite tall, with the customary brown hair and green eyes. He walked with a swagger, and his clothes were notably nicer than everybody else's.

"What are you doing here mouse? You don't belong here." She shoved me off of the stump. I frowned, rising to my feet.

"Why did you call me that?" It was one hell of a coincidence, and like Gibbs from NCIS, I didn't believe in them.

Eirlys shrugged arrogantly. "Aneira says that you carry diesels cause your family is mortal, and you speak real quiet." I had the feeling that she was simple.

"Oh. And I am here for E.M, what ever that is. Why do you say I don't belong here... Another thing your snarky leader says?" I grinned at  her enraged face.

"I'm gunna tell Aneira."

"You do that. What about you? Are you going to throw petty insults at me like your girlfriend?" I asked the boy who had not said anything. He laughed, but it was not kind.

"Stay away from Brooke, she will only cause you trouble. I am Aeron Baglen."

"Should I be impressed, Aeron Baglen? I don't like the way that you are speaking about my friend. I would appreciate it if you went away-"

"Aneira Robinson is my girlfriend. My Uncle is Master Bryn. Don't cross us." And with that, Aeron and Eirlys strode away.

"Charming."

"Talking to yourself is a sign of madness." A cheerful girl in a blue cloak bounced over to me, and Brooke tailed her, smiling ruefully at me. I wondered why a Water Weathemental was here. A glance around told me that she was the only one.

"But if you were talking to those idiots, or as Brooke would say, 'mindless sheep', then I suppose you aren't mad, which would be a shame. But then again, they wouldn't be able to hear you, so maybe you are mad after all!" I waited for her to finish before greeting her.

"Hi, I'm Cariad." That appeared to trigger another bout of speech.

"I know, Brooke told me. She said, 'Branwen, I met Cariad Galon-Gwyn today.' At first I didn't believe her, I mean, who would? She is Brooke, after all. But obviously you are! " She barely paused for breath before carrying on. "I mean, you don't look like Earth Weathementals, nor Fire or Air or Water, yet you are here, you have powers, and you have already annoyed mindless sheep!' I'm Branwen, by the way. Do you want to be friends?"

"Okay." I laughed along with Brooke.

"I guess I talk too much. Sorry!"

"Its part of your unique personality." Brooke commented dryly.

"So I am not a mindless sheep as well then?"

"If you were, I would not be standing here, talking to you."

"I'm hurt Brooke."

"Shoo, you don't want to be late for your class."

"Fine. Bye Carrie-arrie!" Branwen bounced off into the forest, her blue cloak floating behind her.

"Alright you lot, gather round. We have a new Weathemental with us today, hopefully she isn't as pathetic as you."

I inwardly cringed as everybody looked at me. The teacher was short, middle-aged and wore his green hood up to leave his face in a shadow.

"He reckons it makes him look mysterious and powerful." Brooke whispered to me loudly. I smiled nervously as the man looked at notebook in his left hand.

"Cariad...Cariad Galon-Gwyn" He sounded unsure. "Please come up and talk about yourself as little as possible." I walked up on shaky legs, all too aware of the group of green cloaks behind me with brown hair and green eyes.

"Um, Hi, my name is Cariad, and to be honest I had no idea I was a Weathemental. Um... I'm sure that you're all nice and I look forward to becoming acquainted."

"We are not in English class, and you are not Brooke, so there is no need for fancy words here Miss...Miss Galon-Gwyn." I nodded, shamefaced, and scrambled down to hide behind Brooke.

"Don't worry, Master Wren is a jerk. He thrives on younger Weathemental's uncomfort."

"We are just waiting on Miss Brooke to stop showing off her extensive vocabulary..."

"See what I mean?" I suppressed a giggle just in time.

"Is your family really mortal?" Someone asked me. I turned to look at her as I nodded.

"Cool."

"Eirlys?" She looked just like her but kinder, and with longer hair. Much longer, it went all of the way down to her waist in a braid. She laughed.

"No, thank the Red Dragon. I'm her twin. Nothing like her, don't worry!" I laughed.

"I'm Cariad." I held out my hand.

"I know. I'm Eluned."

"Lets see how much... or little, you have improved. Miss Brooke, since you and Miss Galon-Gwyn have become acquainted" at this there was a ripple of  laughter from Eirlys and her cronies. "-then you will work together outside of my lessons to catch Miss Galon-Gwyn up. That shouldn't take much time. Where have you been Mr Evens?" I turned around to smile at Finch, but his cloak was dirty and his cloak matted. He walked up to Master Wren and handed him a note that was surprisingly clean given his state. The teacher frowned, nodded, and carried on as if nothing had happened as Finch stood beside me. I threw him a questioning look but he shook his head.

"Later."

"I will put you into groups of three. You are going to play 'phoenix in the centre' I am sure that even you can handle that."

I was put with Eluned, Finch and another girl who I hadn't met yet.

"What is Phoenix in the Centre?" I whispered to Finch. He grinned down at me. "It's basically Piggy in the Middle. The Weathemental in the middle tries to escape from a circle while the other two prevent him or her from doing so. But you can't touch him, or at least physically, only with trees and plants you manipulate. That's why its called Earth Manipulation." I nodded.

"But I don't know how to control plants! I don't even know how I controlled the air, or the fire!"

"Air? When did you do that?"

I told him.

"Okay, just close your eyes, and visualise Zoey in the circle. Good. Now pretend the trees are your arms, and the branches are your fingers. Good. Move them around the circle, enclosing Zoey."

I fought the weight of the plants as I forced them to go round the circle. And they did, with surprising ease now that the weight had eased off. It went suddenly, so that the trees snapped into place quickly, whipping everyone in the face and throwing them back, including me. I opened my eyes to see Zoey, looking scared, peeking out from between branches, and everyone else on the floor, either glaring or staring at me, depending on where they landed. Eirlys had landed on a thorn bush, much to my satisfaction.

"Control your powers! You are too strong, too wild!" Master Wren picked himself up off the ground.

"But Master, that was amazing! It was her first try with her Earth power! She has only tried Air and Flame once before too! Give her a break!...Sir..." Finch defended me.

"You forget your place Mr Evens"

"Did you say she can control Air and Flame too?"

"Is she the Galon-Gwyn? As in the White-Heart of th e lost prophecy?"

I sighed. I had been right to be so apprehensive of my strange powers and unusual name.