Heart Like a Machine

Chapter 1

"There's a new member of the Nora tribe," one of the older tribe members said.

"But they're motherless."

"Motherless?"

"Yes. I heard their name is Aloy."

"Aloy? They're not allowed to be named when they're motherless."

"Well Rost took it upon himself to give her a name. And there was a naming ceremony and everything."

"What were the Matriarchs thinking? Allowing another outcast to name an outcast through a ceremony."

"I heard it was Teersa who allowed Rost to go through with the naming ceremony."

"She was always one to go against the other Matriarchs and the rules. We have them in place for a reason."

"Don't worry. Rost and this Aloy will be taken care of far from the tribe. The kids growing up within the tribe won't have to worry about mingling with them."

I was in the fields gathering some berries. I was with other kids that were near my age. We were picking them for the tribe. It was tough being part of the Nora tribe from what I heard. The older tribe members think they're slick with whispering behind closed doors. What they didn't know was that I could hear them, even if I was about ten feet away from them. They were talking about this outcast that tried to come around here every so often. It only made me more curious to know who this outcast was. It must be lonely for them, having no friends and having to be raised by another outcast.

"Kids, kids, come here," said a tribe member.

I picked my head up and looked around, seeing another kid standing before us. She had this bright, burning red hair. It was pulled back and had some feathers in it. I was the only one closest to her since the tribe member we were with was a bit farther than I was. The other kids there were by her.

"Y/N, Y/N, get over here," she beckoned. 

I looked between her and this girl that was in front of me. She extended her hands to show she had a bunch of berries in her hands. I went to take them, but the tribe member walked over to me and grabbed my arm.

"Come here, Y/N. We do not associate with outcasts."

The look on the child's face became a look of disappointment, sad even. She dropped the berries onto the ground and her head sank into her chest. I felt sorry for her. She was outcast just because she was motherless. Even this Rost the tribe members spoke of was an oucast because something happened to his family. I wanted to be friends with her, but I fear that whomever is around will continue to stop me, but I would like to see them try.

Some time seemed to pass because I watched her walk past the berry fields once more. I was with the other kids, who seemed to notice. Bast, he was the oldest out of the four of us, got an idea. He picked up a rock and pointed at this girl. The others followed his actions, but I declined to follow him. I didn't want to be another source of grief for this poor girl. She was already suffering enough with being rejected by the tribe. Bast waited until she got close and threw it at her head. It got right above her right eye. She let out a small yelp of pain before looking up at Bast.

"Stay away, no-mother," Bast said.

The other kids looked at Bast, regretting picking up a rock so they put it down. Bast picked up another one and threw it at her once more.

"Bast, stop it!" I said.

"What are you going to do? You can't help an outcast. You can't even speak to one. She's helpless," Bast picked up another rock to throw it at her a third time.

But before he could throw it, the girl threw the second rock that Bast threw. She knocked the rock from his hands and even he looked surprised she was able to do that. She gave him a smirk as he looked down in shock. 

"Come on," Bast said and walked away with the others.

I stayed and looked down at her. Her and I met gazes. I wanted to say something, but I just waved to her. A small smile appeared on her face and she smiled back. I think she was waiting to hear an insult to be thrown her way. 

"I'm not like the others," I said to her.

"I know," she replied. "You're more compassionate."

"Y/N, what are you doing out here? The sun is going down. Your parents are waiting for you."

I turned with the tribe member, but before walking away, I looked back at the girl. I waved once more before I walked out of the berry fields, not even looking to see if she waved back, which I presumed she did. 

"Y/N, there you are," my mother said and hugged me. "Where were you?"

"She was conversing with the outcast."

"Y/N, you know better than to speak with them," my mother said.

"They're nothing to the tribe," my father said.

"But what makes her any different than us?" I asked. "Just because she's motherless does not make her any less of a person."

"It's the ways of the Nora, Y/N. If you were born motherless, then they're an outcast."

"But she must have come from a mother. A baby can't be motherless."

"Y/N, we will speak about this when you're older," my mother said. "Now, let's eat dinner. Your father worked hard to get the meat we are having tonight."

I sighed and followed her inside. It didn't make any sense. For that girl to have been born, she would have had a mother to give birth to her. There couldn't be any other way for her to be born, right?

The next day, I snuck out early from the back of the house. My mother was tending to the flowers in the front while my dad was out hunting with the others. I walked back to the berry fields to see if I could find this girl. When I couldn't find her, I started to walk out towards where the machines were.