Chapter 2.1 A Boy From the Others

"You'll be fine just stay warm and don't stray", Mother told me as she led me towards the stones of worship.

"I know Mother stay out a day and night. Realise I can't live without men, become a women, simple", I said sarcastically.

"Arcadia it's one of our most sacred rituals. How dare you mock it", Mother exclaimed.

"Sorry", I whispered, but of course I didn't mean it.
We walked the rest of the way in silence.
"Arcadia I love you, despite our differences. Please try hard to rethink your thoughts on things, You are only making your life harder", she said gently as she left.

No way I thought I was not going to become a weak women, no matter how difficult it made my life. Look at my Mother she had conformed to their rules and she still had a horrible life.

So I decided I would stray, I was going to see the river I had heard so much about. I made my way with excitiment listening to the sound of the river to know my way.
"Your beautiful", I murmered as I stood at it's bank.

A cough from behind startled me, I spun around, just a little scared.
"Sorry", a tiny squeak said.
There before me stood a boy from the Others.

"What, why, who?", I managed to stutter.
"I'm sorry. I... was trying to find my papa. There was a fishing accident, I woke up here. Why are you on our side", he asked me tiredly.
"This is our side", I told him slowly.
" What, then how can I get... ho, ho me", he said his voice shaking.
"You can't", I said slowly.
"Do you have food?", he asked.
"Here", I said handing him an apple, watching silently as he devoured it.

"I'm cold.... and and tired", he muttered.
"Come with me", I say leading him back to my stuff, which I had dropped halfway.

I set him up in my tent and pondered what I was going to do. What had I done? Our people hated the Others, they were never going to help him, but I couldn't just leave him. He would never be able to go home, so he was going to have to come home with me, to the village. No matter what the consequences, my life was going to get really hard.

 He woke up sometime later.
"You can't go home", I told him.
"I... know, our people... use to, I mean... tttthh ey try. Cause, it it would be help.....ful", he stuttered sadly.
"I'm Arcadia", I murmered.

"Shark of the River Tribe", he said and I detected just the hint of pride in his voice.
"You came from the people called the Others, on the other side of the river", I say, hoping he would confirm it.
"We're called the tribes", he said back.
"Oh", I said.
"What are your people called, your just Them to us", he asked quietly, gaining in confidence.
"The villagers and you are going to come and live with us", I said determined that he would.
The only problem was I had no idea how to convince the people who hate the Others, to take one of them in.

Shark nodded, "So what are you doing out here", he asked,
"Having my womanhood ceremony", I replied confused. What else would a woman be doing?
"Oh I thought you might be on a hunting trip", he replied.
"Woman don't hunt here", I said, the tribes let woman hunt, they were getting alot more appealing.
"I didn't know", he said meekly.
"Well it would be best not mention your people or their ways. The only way to allow you to stay, is if you pretend not to know the tribes", I told him.

"I don't want to forget my people", he protested.
"I won't let you, you can talk to me about them. I promise", I told him quietly.
"Yes then I'll come, its not like I have a choice", he said, and then to my great suprise he hugged me and to my greater surprise I hugged him back.

"Your not nearly as bad as they say", he whispered in my ear, so quietly I only just heard him.
Was it wrong that I was glad I found him?

Chapter 2.0 My Unanswered Questions

"Life is like a game of cards. The hand that is dealt you represents determinism; the way you play it is free will."- Jawaharal Nehru

Sometimes I pretend I'm a bird soaring over the land we call home.I can see everything so clearly, then I awaken from my daydream and things are as blurred as ever. Lies or truth, my fault or not. I've known for a long time I'm different, one special star out of all the stars, thats what Mother says.

I have endless questions about life. Does the river hold fish because the ones above drew them there, or do they just come?

 Are the stars really our ancestors or are they just lights like our fires?

I've started to question so many things why why why, the only thought ever swirling through my head. Why this why thst? Endless questions that will never have answers.

Hephastion always talks about the river, it's meant to be clear and beautiful and amazing. Was it really just put there to mark a dividing line? Was it just made to divide from those evil ones only known to us as the Others? Is it simply just the river that divides us? See what I mean with the unanswered questions, unwomanly thoughts indeed. Even Tais is a better woman than me and shes only in her weaning year.

Now that Hephastion is a man he thinks he's so above me, ordering me around.

 I hate it, I hate that I have no choice, I will mate him, because it's been decided by our parents. Noone would dare ask me what I want.

I am different, I will always be different, but I have come to believe I will not destroy the people in a literal sense. That what these scared villagers fail to see, is that it is possible I will destroy their precious ingrained beliefs and traditions, that are never changed. Now that is one thing I will gladly do, some things have governed our people for to long, things must change...

Chapter 1.8 A Memory In Time

The Memory Told by Aristander on the Wooden Blocks

Many have wondered about my Leptine and why she was chosen to bring into this world our destroyer. Yet this story does not start with Leptine it starts much before Leptine's time with an act of disobedience to those above. It was back in a time that many don't know of and those that do chose to forget, the time when the villagers and the Others were one.

It starts with a boy and a girl and a friendship that would tear there world apart.

"My fish is bigger than your fish", I told my best friend Lion as we sat together roasting our food.
Lion didn't answer to preoccupied with eating.
"It's not right to eat that much", I teased.

"Well then I better keep you quiet, right Brook", he replied.
"Na, ah", I said running away.

It was our favourite game, we called it chase. The other people in our camp, looked on with disapproval but we didn't care not when we were having fun. Lion and I stood catching our breath and I spied a michevious twinkle in his eye, I ran.

"This is not right", I whispered to Lion.
"It'll be fine", he said giving me a hug.

"Nobody will ever notice us, just walk", he told me.
"I don't know, we're children you know we are not allowed to leave camp", I worried.
"Brook, it's going to be fine", he told me.

I nodded and because it was Lion I trusted him after all he had never let me down before and I'm so glad I did.

Never in my life before have I felt such freedom, we did whatever we wanted that day and nobody told us no. I didn't know how I could ever go back to the restrictions of the people, but of course I had to. We returned to find nobody had noticed our abscence, were we really of that little value.

"Brook, come here", I heard Lion call.
I walked over to him with my head down smiling, I had just had my womanhood ceremony and Lion had just manhood ceremony. So we weren't really meant to be talking, but Lion always found something he needed to do for him.
"How are you?", he asked as soon as I walked over.
"Well I was wonderful until you called", I teased with a smile on my face.

"Why you disobedient woman" he teased back returning the smile.

So we had grown up it didn't mean we had to lose the joking of our youth. Lion was still my best friend and nothing and noone will change that.

"How long does it take", Lion asked me as I walked up behind him.
"It's not my fault, people were asleep", I told him in annoyance.
"Okay, don't be grumpy", he said, pulling me towards him.
"Lion, I'm worried about something", I say quickly.
"Tell me, you can tell me anything Brook", I smile, my heart beating.
"Well, Rock will be unoffical leader of the people soon and Lion he wants me to be his woman", I say looking down.
Lion and I had it all planned, he would ask for me to be his woman, and then we could be together, but Rock had already asked.

I had no idea how I could live without Lion. I loved it every summer, when the rest of the people left to live in their summer places, and their was hardly anyone around to check on Lion and I. We were always sneaking out, but it seemed this summer I would be another man's woman.

Lion hugged me, "It will be alright, we can leave go to the other side of the river, they won't catch us we can make our own people call them the tribes. We could start fresh say a woman can chose who she mates. Nobody could ever tell us what to do we would be free. Come on what do you say", he askes eargerly.
I backed away as if he had slapped me.
"We can't, who will look after my parents they will lose all their status, become a burden to the people, I am their only child. How dare you ask me such a thing", I snap at him.
He shook his head"Sorry I didn' think. You will become his woman but we will sneak off like we always have. I will always find a way to see you."
I kissed him hungrily, passionately, because I loved him with all my heart. I had since we were children. Lion never broke his promise, we saw each other often, sneaked off. Those are the days I will cherish as my most happiest.

One day when Lion and I sneaked off, someone must of spotted us, because soon our little place was filled with angry men.
Rock grabbed Lion angrily yelling, "Back to the camp now."

He basically dragged Lion and I followed like a lamb to the slaughter. There was an immediate seperating of the people when we got back. Those looking like Lion on one side, those like me on the other. I had never noticed it before but there had always been tension between the two groups.

Rock was so angry,"I want you and your people out", he yelled at Lion.
There was a gasp he couldn't could he?
River our link to those above shook his head and said,"If you do this you will bring down the wrath of those above on everyone following you", he said.

Rock growled," Be quiet old man, look at us we're different, if we were meant to be one people we would look the same."
To my suprise people were nodding.
"If you do this, a descentant of Brook, because of her sin and your disobedience will destroy the people", River shouted, I felt a wave of guilt wash over me.
"We're leaving", Rock yelled at him.
"I will not come", River warned.
"Good, you'll corrupt us", Rock replied.
"Remember the ones above are not so cruel as to not give you a chance to change things, but sometimes you must believe in the impossible", River said, but his reminder fell on empty ears. Rock and those like is were leaving. I turned around once and saw Lion's sad expression that was the last time I ever saw him.

River's warining was not meant for Rock, it was meant for those that came after him. As for Lion he brought the Others over the river, bringing River himself with him. He established new traditions and beliefs, that the tribes still stand by today. A year after Lion was found drowned in the river, most people believed it was of his own free will. As for Brook she gave birth to a healthy dark skinned dark eyed baby, Lion's no doubt. After seeing the baby she died, who can doubt it was of a broken heart. The girl named Meadow suffered as much as Arcadia because of how she looked. I feel the woman of that line know suffering very well for Brook was Leptine's ancestor. As for River's prophecy we know it has come true. I only hope those above allow Arcadia not to fulfill it.