The outsider (Modern / Forest)

[Duchess Marie]

It was Clover's turn to blush, "you want to know if he is courting me." She smiled sheepishly, "I like Kire very much, but I am supposed to be married. Well, I hope that I will not have to, but that is not settled yet." So girlfriend was a romantic title; there was so much to learn. Clover decided to take the focus off of her; she looked at Kire. "So your 'new' girlfriend? You must court a lot, leaving broken hearts throughout your village." Clover giggled.  

[Reciter5613]

"What? I never dated anyone before. I've never met another centaur before. These guys are always wanting me to find a girlfriend. Partly to make fun of me but mostly to make sure I'm always happy."

Alan went back to Clover. "I'm guessing who ever your courting is not someone you prefer."  

[Duchess Marie]

"I- I did not have any say in it," she admitted. "I do not love him and recently discovered that he is an enemy to my people. I do not want to spend the rest of my life with someone who can be so heartless." She stared at the grass intently. "His people are stronger than mine, rule over us. If we can break their hold over the other tribes, I am hoping to benefit personally." She looked up and added in a defensive tone, "not that I would choose myself over the good of the village."  

[Reciter5613]

Alan looked at her concerned. "Alot must have been happening. Let's set up a base camp and you can explane everything."

The human teams started setting up tents. Kire led Clover to a tent.  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover let out a sigh, "they seem nice, not a frightening as in our stories. How do I address them? Just by name or does you father have a title I should use? I should have asked earlier, but I was not thinking of that." She especially liked Kire's brothers and sisters, it was lonely being an only child.  

[Reciter5613]

"Call him Master for now. You need to earn the right to call him Alan."

Alan met up with them in the tent where they explaned what was happening.

Alan was thinking a bit. "My dear, I can understand. My wife had a fiancee she didn't like before she met me. I great reason why you should pick your boyfriend. But now it might not be important to keep it since it won't guarantee your tribe's safety anymore."  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover nodded, "I understand, Master. I wish that I will never see him again, but it is very hard to unlearn something that you have been told you entire life. If I had never met Kire, I would not have known the truth at all. You have done a great service to all centaurs, keeping him alive. Not many would have taken in a child so alien to their own kind." She watched the campsite grow from the ground up. "Your tribe is very efficient."  

[Reciter5613]

Alan nodded. "That was our intention with taking in Kire. Of course I took him in as a son while others would have treated him as a experimental animal. I think he turned out good this way."

Kire chucked. "What would be awesome is if a centaur tribe raised a human baby. I would like to see how it turns out."

Alan looks at his team. "My group here is perfectly trained in what they do. Now about this book your looking for. I was told you couldn't bring a map with you. So I have one right here so you can point out the river we need to find." A squad member lays down a map of the area for Clover and Kire.  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover joined in the laughter and looked at the map that was laid before her. It did not look anything like a centaur map and the symbols were strange to her. She looked Kire for any help. "I can find the dry river bed easily, Master. The trouble I am having is with finding the place that the human stepped on. I do not know that means or even what to look for. Do your elders tell any stories about this area?"  

[Reciter5613]

Kire looked at the map. "Hardly anyone comes around here human or no."

Alan nods. "Let's just find the river bed and we'll find whatever that is. I'm thinking it's a riddle or a marking."

"Wait." Kire says. "I think this line here could be it. Isn't it, Clover?"  

[Duchess Marie]

"We could go check right now." She looked West, "there is still some light left in the day. We have time if we move quickly."  

[Reciter5613]

Alan then radioed the team. Soon Kire and Clover went off with the team to the area. Kire decided to have a race the jeeps to the area.  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover was not about to be left out. She went into a full gallop and chased after Kire. She laughed with sheer joy. The meadow was so open, so unlike the forest. For a moment, she could even forget the threat that her people faced. She smiled at Kire.  

[Reciter5613]

Kire smiled back as they kept up with the jeeps. One jeep had Alan and the siblings cheering at them.  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover was laughing and panting from running so hard. She was having such a good time that she forgot to look for the riverbed. The bank was not too steep, but the grass hid it from the rest of the landscape. By the time that she realized that the ground was eroded, she was already falling. "Look out," she shouted. Clover reared on her back legs and tried swing her front ones back to prevent herself from falling.