The outsider (Modern / Forest)

[Duchess Marie]

Clover shook her head and covered his hand with hers. "Okay, I will help you. I do know where the village used to be. I have been there a few times. I do know that there was a battle, but it was before I was born." Clover bent down to retrieve her things. "The elders always told us that it was the humans, but they never made any moves to avenge th-your tribe that I know. The burial mound with your people is just to the South of the village. We hold a ceremony there every year to honor the dead."  

[Reciter5613]

Kire nodded and let her lead him to the area she spoke of. After a while of walknig Kire said "Well I can tell this is going to be a long walk. So tell me about yourself and your tribe."  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover thought for a minute, not sure where to begin. Then she realized that she had not given him her name. "Well, I am Clover, Greanleaf tribe, healer-in-training. That is what these are for." She held up the basket. "What else? Well, my life is pretty dull. I pick herbs for my teacher. My tribe has about 200 members, a moderate size for our kind. Ours is a peaceful tribe and at times has even considered making diplomatic contacts with humans." Clover sighed. "No has yet, as you may have guessed, there are tribes out there that would never allow that. What about you? I imagine your life has been far more interesting than mine." She was very eager to hear about how humans live.  

[Reciter5613]

Kevin thinks for a moment. "Where do I start?" He takes out a picture of him with the Davidson family. "I was raised within the Davidson mansion with several family members that took me in as one of them. I was of course kept secret from the outside world since other humans might not accept me. You won't believe how advance their civilization is. Anyway my family have been hoping to contact more of our kind and make peace. Of course we fear some humans might not think that way. They are actually debating for years of what they want to do with this forest. My family is on the side of preserving it while others wants to chop it down for resources."  

[Duchess Marie]

"Chop it down? They would do that?" There was concern in her voice and questions just poured out of her. "You were hidden? So humans do want to hurt us? What can be done to stop them?" Clover bit her lower lip. "Your family, the Davidsons, how do they plan to secure this peace? What resources do the humans want from us? Could we just give them some herbs to make them leave us alone? What if we cannot get along? How can they be defeated in battle?" Her words ran together and she finally paused to breathe.  

[Reciter5613]

"I ask those questions myself." He replied. "Most humans don't even believe we exist. But my family fears when they do they'll see us as monsters. If they try to harm the forest I'm sure the other centaur would attack them which would lead to a war. To prevent this from happening we came up with this plan. I would find perfect representatives of our people to speak with the humans and hopefully make peace with each other. It's a long shot but it's our best bet to prevent us from tearing each other apart."  

[Duchess Marie]

"That is going to be hard to do. The tribes that would help you with that are being pressured by more war-like groups to keep away from humans. Our chieftain tried to make contact with a human group a couple of years ago. Then, several other tribes came to meet with him and he 'changed his mind.' I think they told him not to." She thought for a moment. "You would have to start small and in secret. I know for sure that the Firemane tribe would try to stop you. They do not want anything to do with humans and would kill any of them who come into the forest." They were coming up to the Blackhoof village. Clover slowed her pace, she was not sure what Kire really wanted to see.  

[Reciter5613]

"I was not expecting it to be easy. I know It'll take me a long time but I'm sure we'll find a way. For right now let's focus on the fate of my tribe." He then sees her being hesitant of moving forward. "You don't need to worry of my reaction to whatever we find. I am already expecting the worst but hopefully I can find something out."  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover sighed, "yeah, I hope so." She looked toward the village. "There is not a lot left of the lodgings. I do not know if it is just in my head, but I was afraid of this place when I was younger." She began walking forward at a normal pace. "After the battle, I know that several members of my tribe were sent to bury the dead. To give them peace. It was reported to us that no one had survived, but I guess that we would not have been able to recognize if there was anyone missing. Lavender was planted on the mound and grows there still. It smells lovely in the spring."  

[Reciter5613]

"It was nice of your tribe to pay respects." Soon he saw the clearing. The only thing still there was a hollowed tree made like an alter. Kire approached it slowly. He then saw the ground in front of it. "Here. This is where the humans found me when I was a baby. This is truly...." But then he was interrupted by seeing what looked like battle scars on the tree. "Wait, how were they all killed? Could your tribe tell from the bodies the cause of death?"  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover was imagining the helpless baby Kire huddled in front of the alter and she had to bring herself back to answer the question. "I know that there was many sword and dagger type wounds. Horsetail speaks of it sometimes. I think that is why he wants to keep so much lemon balm. I also know that the cheif-" she cut herself off. He said that he wanted to know everything, but maybe that part was better left unsaid. "The cheiftain most likely died last; the humans wanted to him to see his people die. There were none of the attackers left behind or any tracks either. Some of the elders whisper that humans are souless and their bodies weightless and that is why there was no trace of them."  

[Reciter5613]

"Hang on. Swords and daggers? That's not what humans use in fighting." Kire then went into the bag he carried on his back and pulled out something. "This is what they use. It's called a gun. It shoots out sharp metal bullets as fast velocity to shoot right though skin. If humans attacked this place there should be bullets hole on this alter and the dead bodies would still have some of the bullets within them. Something is not right. What tribe first found out about the attack?"  

[Duchess Marie]

Clover froze and just starred at Kire. What he was implying was impossible, disgraceful! "Then they did not have any of these 'guns' with them at the time. The humans must have come here under a banner of truce, lured your tribe into their confidence and murdered them. They could have used the tribe's own weapons in the fight. After, they erased all evidence of themselves." Clover was near shouting and she was not sure that she believed what she was saying. "You do not know us; you were raised by them! We do not harm our own. No centaur would ever do this. It would not make any sense!" However, it would make sense as to why the humans never attacked her people. There were no humans. Clover was not about to say that out loud. She tried to look angry, but she was blinking back tears.  

[Reciter5613]

Kire raised his hand to make her stop yelling. "Calm down, Clover. I guess it is too soon to just to conclusions. It would be best to have more information about what happened. Maybe I should speak with the tribe that investigated the attack. Do you know which tribe that was?"  

[Duchess Marie]

"Investigated? There was no investigation, everyone just knew that the humans would be the ones responsible. No one questioned it. Why would anyone?" Clover sighed. Maybe someone should have asked these questions years ago. "I know that our tribe came to look for survivors. We were told that there had been a battle outside of our territory. A Firemane scout came to find help for the victims. I guess they would have been the first tribe that found out, but none of them stayed long. Once their wounded were treated in our village, they-" Clover shook her hands in a defensive fashion. "I am not saying they had anything to do with this. I am sure of that. They must of been in another fight; maybe they tried to help your tribe." The more Clover spoke the less she believed the story she was telling.