The Stalker and The Would-Be-Spy
It all started one morning after a light storm, when the ground was still laden with puddles and the smell of freshly cleansed fruit. As he was the early riser of the household, Kennet had stolen away into the calm just as the clouds were dispersing above the canopy, in order to pick some of the ripest fruits from the trees nearby. He didn't know why fruit always tasted better after being doused with rain, but it was always a treat he loved to wake up to. After pouring himself a cup of tea and checking in on his sleeping family, he set off for the closest fruit tree. It was a tree not more than a stretch away, making it a popular pick for the youth of the village, but as he neared the crossroads, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge.
It was too quiet, even for a morning after a rain storm. Was something following him?
The young man spun around several times, each time moving an inch or so towards the trees, and eventually scampered into the safety of their boughs. He would watch, but keep moving, as he was hungry, and assured that whatever it was would grow tired of following him. It wasn't long until he found the tree he had come looking for and gathered himself a basket of fruit. He smiled to himself, while he bit into the flesh of one of the ripest pickings, and mused about bringing the rest of it home for his family to enjoy, until, yet again, the sheer silence of the area grabbed his attention. He swallowed, placed the half-eaten fruit back into the basket, and scurried up into the trees again. From there, he pinned himself to one of the branches and snaked along, observing the ground for anything suspicious. The bushes remained stable, animals began to make noises, but as Kennet leaned up from his space against the branch, there was a tap upon his shoulder.
"Who are you and why are you following me?" He snapped, aiming his training spear at his stalker. His defense was met with a larger spear and a pair of dark eyes, not unlike his own, not that it was much of a surprise. He watched the Alkidike curiously, before hopping down from the branch and crouching upon the ground, to which she followed almost like a mirror. This unnerved Kennet, even as she sheathed her weapon and approached him, and he took to the trees again.
"Crazy woman, it's dawn! Can't she wait until after I've eaten?" He thought, racing along the vines and branches as his father had taught him. He could hear her chasing him not too far behind and swooped consecutively onto the branches below in hopes he would throw her off. Eventually, after being chased for well over a mile and finding himself facing the shoreline, the hybrid swung towards the stalker and groaned.
"Alright, alright, you've cornered me. But only because I really don't feel like swimming." He grunted. "Now, please, tell me why you've chased me all this way, I was only picking fruit, it's not a crime."
The Sister approached him, visibly out of breath, and gave a full-hearted laugh, which only threw Kennet's mood off further. Was this woman mental or something? She had been chasing him for an HOUR and she was HYSTERICAL ABOUT IT? He half-reconsidered fleeing into the ocean as she closed the gap between them and tapped him on the shoulder with her spear.
"You're right, Kennet, it isn't." She began, her demeanor growing more serious as she spoke. "But I have to say, running away from an elder makes you look as though you've done something wrong."
"And I haven't, you're the one who startled me." Kennet replied, leaning away from another tap from the spear. "Now what business do you, as an elder, have with chasing me around like some lunatic? ...Not that I assume you are, of course, but, still, why?"
"I was chasing you around like a lunatic because you were running around like one, too." She said, giving her head a shake. "But, what else can I expect from the son of a Sister as honorable as Yaholo? You're far more careful about where you step, though, which is why you must be very keen with your spying."
"Well, you were- ...My spying?" Kennet stammered, blinking. Spying? What spying? He hadn't been spying on anyone! He gave the elder a pensive look, before taking a step backward. "What do you mean by spying? I've told you that I haven't done anything wrong. If there's anyone out here that's spying, it would be you, not me."
The elder paused, her brows moving into a furrow. Kennet tensed and made a jump to the side, fleeing along the beach, until he found himself against a pile of rocks. The elder grabbed his shoulders, sighed, and forced him to sit down.
"Will you quit running?" She barked. "I've been sent by the elders on the Isles to talk to you about the Oban you've been seeing. We thought you had been trying to gain information off of him, but by the way you're reacting, I'm not so sure anymore. Are you planning on deserting us, Kennet?"
Kennet's eyes grew wide as she spoke and he quickly wriggled up against the rock. They knew about Xilarn. His eyebrows furrowed and grimace formed. How did they find out? His gaze snapped towards her as she finished speaking, his fists clenching the sand.
"Of course not, and you can tell the other elders the same!" He growled. "But what I would like to know is how you found out about him! I've only told my brother about him and if that idiot squealed when he vowed to keep him a secret, I'll give him a throttle he'll never forget!"
"Your brother hasn't told us a thing, I've been keeping an eye on you." The elder said, coldness in her voice.
"Oh, that's wonderful, so my privacy has been breached for exactly how long?" Kennet replied, grabbing the sides of his head. "Were you watching me while I was bathing or doing any other personal things?"
"No, Kennet, I wasn't." The elder responded.
"Well, at least now I know my tribe hasn't gone completely out of their minds, their common decency is still intact!" He spat, moving into a cross legged position. "...I just... I just feel so violated, thinking that someone was following me all this time! This is... I don't understand!"
He leaned forward and let out a long growl, before looking to the elder again. The way she sat so dignified and poised while he sat mortified and outraged made him sick, but to take his rage out on her would cost him quite a lot of respect in the future, so it was favorable for him to find a way to calm down.
"This... This really just makes me so angry." He sighed, once he leaned upwards again. "But I can tell you have something to say, or, otherwise, you would have left by now. So, go on, while I try to keep myself calm."
The elder gave a shrug of her shoulders, as if shaking off what he was saying, and nodded.
"While I understand why you're angry with us, Kennet, we felt it was necessary." She began. "We need you to get information from this Oban you've met. You seem to be very friendly with him and you might be able to trick him into simply giving you locations and details on their battle plans. If you can do this, you would be helping us survive in this war."
Kennet lowered his head and leaned his hand against it. The elder's words were... Somewhat painful, in all honesty. Asking Xilarn these things while he felt so much for him, it would nothing less than betrayal. His mind went in loops as he thought of all the possibilities, and it left him with little choice either way. Refuse, be treated like a traitor, or agree, and betray the man he had fallen for. It was a terrible space to be in, and eventually, all he could do was give his elder a helpless look.
"...You've got me stuck." He said, curling his knees onto his chest. "This Oban... He's taken something from me that I can't get back."
The elder appeared shocked, then gravely concerned, and placed her hand upon Kennet's shoulder.
"I know this look." She said, moving to comfort him. "I've seen many a Sister fall into this position, Kennet, and though I can't feel the confliction that you do, I must assert that you can't allow it to consume you."
"What look?" Kennet grumbled, a bright red blush glazing over his cheeks and nose. He watched, stiffly, as the elder brought her fingers across his face, mapping the blush as it made itself known. He shuffled to the side, gasping, and buried his face in his knees. "Oh, Aisha, why did you make me so damn sensitive?"
"Mind your words when you speak of our Mother, Kennet." The elder reprimanded, before placing her hands on Kennet's shoulders again. "While your position is difficult, she isn't the one you should blame, but she is one of the most beloved things that we, as her daughters, need to protect! Kennet, she gave you life, what has this Oban given you?"
Kennet stared at the elder, tears forming behind his eyes, as he thought about what she was saying. Aisha had given him the greatest gift of all. She had kept the lotus that held him safe and healthy while his father awaited the birth of he and his brother, and here he was thinking of the eyes and the body of a boy he barely even knew. How could he think for a second about embracing Xilarn when all of Tendaji was in danger because of this war? To choose him over Aisha was wrong, and it was something he knew he could never do. The shock in his face melted down into calm as he found his answer, and he gazed to his elder confidently.
"I will do anything for Aisha, even if it means betraying the man who has stolen my heart." He stated, his voice firm and clear. "As you said, Aisha gave me life, and I can't imagine turning my back on her, not even if I were to lose my life. Thank you, elder, for reminding me of this. You've helped me in ways I don't think you'll ever understand."
The elder smiled broadly at Kennet's reply and patted him on the shoulder. It was meant to be a gesture of comfort, but to the young man receiving it, it held layers of sympathy and solidarity. He had done the right thing, and it was conveyed in that simple pat upon the shoulder.
"I'm glad, Kennet, I really am." She said. "If your father were here, I'd bet he'd be just as proud, you'll be helping us all. Now, I just want to let you know that they'll expect reports from you with any information you gather, so don't be startled if someone other than me pops up from time to time. It's for the sake of our tribe, not for any other reason, alright?"
"Alright, I understand." Kennet replied. He moved to stand with the elder and dusted the sand off of his legs. He could do this, he could get information from Xilarn. It was for his tribe, for the safety of everything he held dear to him. He could do this... He could do this...
As the pair turned to walk back to where they had first encountered each other, Kennet paused and heaved a sigh. The basket of fruit he had gathered was empty, his haul had likely been stolen by animals in the area once they had left, but it really didn't bother him that much. He could always gather up another basket of fruit tomorrow, it just wouldn't be as good as the rain kissed ones from today. But, as he bent down to gather his basket, there was yet another tap upon his shoulder.
"Here, I'm sorry I interrupted your breakfast." The elder said, offering him a fruit from the tree. It was ripe and rain-kissed, which drew a smile from Kennet's face as he took it from her hand.
"Thank you, but, it's alright." He said, taking a quick bite. "I'm sorry for running off. I should've stopped before we got so far out. We could've enjoyed the fruit together."
"Perhaps another time?" The elder inquired. "I will be coming back every so often to ask you for any information you might have gathered. We could share a basket of fruit then."
"Ha, yeah, sounds good." Kennet chuckled, giving a nod. He waved to her with his free hand as she moved away and turned to make his way home himself, only to pause and make a sudden turn around. "Wait!"
"Yes, Kennet?" The elder asked, peering back through the trees.
"...Please don't tell the other elders about my feelings for this Oban, okay?" He pleaded. "I'm working it all out on my own, I'm not sure of myself yet. It could all just be confusion, but I'm unsure. I would be grateful if this could remain a secret between you, my brother, and I, until I figure things out. Please?"
There was a moment of silence between the pair until the elder nodded and went along her way, a wave of relief passing over Kennet's features. He hoped she would keep her word and let this secret remain the way it was. After all, if he was going to be the one gathering the information, the elders couldn't know he had romantic feelings for the enemy, now could they?
(Word count: 2326)
OOC 
