Tribal

9

It was getting late, and Ash was busy working on the plans for paved paths through the wastes. Merchants were having a hard time getting to the village and needed easier paths to move on. He was focused on working when Clover walked in behind him.

"Can we talk?" Clover was timid for once in her life. It made her uncomfortable.

"How is Reed?" Ash was speaking while still staring down at his papers.

"Fine, he's asleep right now. It's been a long day." Clover approached him and put a hand on the table. "Are you sure about allowing outsiders into the village?" Clover was still insisting that it was a bad idea.

"This again? I thought we already spoke of this." Ash was tired of the subject.

"The square was an act. I don't want Reed feeling like I love him less because he is a crossbreed. He looks like a mantis, I can look past his filth of a family." Clover loved Reed. The mantis half of him, at least.

"That line of thinking will push him away from you, you know. Eventually, you won't be able to look past his family. They will want to meet their grandchildren and will want to be around them often. What will you do then?" Ash had a tone of annoyance in his voice.

"Who are you to tell me how to manage my relationship? I love Reed, nothing will change that." Clover paused for a short moment. "Any word from Acacia?" Ash froze when she said that. He was trying to avoid thinking about her. He was furious at her behavior, but more importantly, why was she acting in such a way? What had driven her to act in such a way?

"No, nothing. And what's worse is that we've found a crime scene not too far outside the tribe's walls. Bugs reduced to unrecognizable pulps. Some think it was an animal, but I'm worried that it might have been her." Clover looked horrified at this revelation.

"No, it couldn't be, she wouldn't. Would she?" Clover did not want to admit that the cousin she grew up with could be so merciless.

"I think she would. Look at this." Ash handed Clover a piece of fabric. "It was found in the remains of the bugs. It's a piece of Acacia's cloak. Considering she walked into the throne room covered in blood, it's safe to assume that she killed them a short while before we spoke with her." Ash's voice was pained. He hated the thought but he had to be honest with himself. Acacia was a murderer. Clover slumped over on the floor.

"No, no, this can't be. It can't!" She couldn't believe that Acacia would do this. Ash was fed up with Clover, and he snapped at her.

"All the evidence is right in front of you! For the safety of the tribe, if you see her, kill her." Clover looked up at Ash, and tears were streaming down his face, and his voice was cracking. "You must. Now leave me be, I have work to do." Clover stood and quickly ran back to her own hut and gently lay in bed with Reed, holding him and the cloth close, silently weeping until she fell asleep. Ash did not sleep that night.

The next morning, Clover awoke and stepped out of her tent, beginning to walk down towards the kitchen. There she bumped into Haley again. "Oh! Hello, Clover! Good morning!" The pillbug was in high spirits, compared to her, but she decided to act as cheerful as she did yesterday.

"Morning, Haley! How is Markus doing?" Clover was tired and was having a hard time keeping up the facade of enjoying the weak pillbug's company.

"He's ok, keeps saying how he wants to see the 'tall mantis lady' again." She giggled. "He has grown quite fond of you."

"Oh, is that so?" Clover did not like the boy; he was rather quite annoying. He clung to her like a lost animal, it was pathetic in her eyes. "Well, we'll have to meet up more often, especially after my own clutch is born." In truth, Clover hated the idea of her children associating with the little brat, but she had to keep the facade up.

"Oh! What a wonderful idea! I'll be sure to let Markus and Stan know!" Stan was the name of the weak pillbug's husband and father to Markus. He was just as weak as the rest of them. Disgusting. She hated all of them and refused to accept them in her heart. But she would put up with them for as long as she needed to. Even if it took a few years. Clover began to get food while the two insects spoke to one another. Clover wanted to enjoy her food alone, but the pillbug insisted on sitting next to her. "Y'know, you made quite the impression on Stan. He thinks it would be a good idea to leave Markus with you if we ever needed to leave somewhere that he could not come with us." Clover mentally threw up at the idea; babysitting the small parasite? Absolutely not!

"I do not know how good of an idea that is. As a lord, I have many duties to attend to, and likely would not be able to keep as close an eye on him as you might like. We wouldn't want another situation like yesterday." Clover was very good at hiding her emotion when she needed to. Haley laughed.

"Oh yes! We wouldn't want him wandering off again! I'll be sure to let Stan know that you won't be available." Haley looked down at her food for a moment. "This place is wonderful, and very safe. I have considered possibly moving here; it would be a great place to raise Markus. He does love it so much here." Clover began to be enraged by this proposition. Live here? Absolutely not! The glory of the Mantis Village was not meant to be enjoyed by weaklings! She had to do something about this now! She could not be allowed to let this happen! She couldn't hold her frustration any longer and snapped.

"No. You should not be allowed to live here." Clover's voice was filled with hate.

"What?" Haley was confused.

"This place is for the purity of the Mantis Tribe. It was not meant for the weakness of your kind!" Clover stood. "You should not be allowed to live here. You should not be allowed to enter our walls at all! You would interbreed with our purity! You would make us weak!" Clover was letting all of her anger and frustration spill out on Haley. Haley, however, was no coward and stood against Clover.

"And what of your husband? He is a crossbreed!" Haley was incredibly frustrated at the words that came from her so-called 'friend.' She would defend her family.

"He is at least half mantis! I can look past the filthy half of him and love the part that is pure!" Clover shouted this, not knowing who was standing right behind her.

"What?" Reed was shocked at what his wife said.

"Reed?" Clover turned with a fearful expression on her face. Reed had tears in his eyes and ran off without a second word. "Reed, darling, wait!" She turned to Haley. "This is your fault!" Clover ran after Reed, but she could not keep up with him, and she lost him.