Chapter 13 - Tribe

Third Person's POV (4 yrs. old)

He dare not say the word.... hehehe, but for now, he'll just observe the two. He walks towards his parents and stood beside them.

"Now that you're back in good shape, would you care to join us for tea?" Lyn said.

"I would love to, thank you." replied Celine politely.

"Okay, come along everyone." gestured Lyn. After an exhausting day, a few minutes of relaxation is all Ken needs.

They all walked outside of Ken’s room and proceeded to sit at the round table at the kitchen, near the sink, having six chairs, Alfred sat at the one near the sink while Ken sat at his right, the other two children lagging behind,

Wilbert gently assisted Celine to the table, and sat her down at the chair next to the chair at Ken’s right, and then sat at the chair next to his friend, Lyn quickly offered everyone a cup and then going back to get the teapot, she poured everyone tea,

As the liquid poured out of its container, steam drifted upwards, cascading an aroma that calmed the nerves.

"I want to ask, if it's not much of a bother, where do you live Celine.....?" asked Wilbert, all the while Ken’s brain started turning. A proud glint flashed through his eyes.

"O-Of course, it's okay, I-I live at the forest, near the place where you practice, or train." She replied.

‘Awww, her stutters are so cute, and I could feel that Wilbert is being a gentleman to her, wait, I assume too much, I still have to observe first how their relationship will develop.’ Ken took a sip of his tea.

"What do your parents do for a living?" This time, Ken asked away, to know more about her... livelihood, life, or anything near that part.

"Both of my parents are hunters, they go out to the woods to hunt, and by the time it’s nearing meal time, they would be back with a catch either a boar or a big fish, we cook it first and then share the food with one another." Ken nodded, but stared at the girl’s outfit.

She was wearing something similar to that of a tribes clothing, which, covered her upper and bottom part of her body, but it's not the same like a robe just being draped around her shoulder and hips, they also have good design, making the upper clothing look like a shirt, and the bottom a skirt.

"Wait, are you and your parents part of the Forest tribe?" Alfred exclaimed suddenly in a very, very loud voice, -the others turning to him in shock-, with gleaming eyes.

Good thing Ken and his mother got used to this kind of attitude his father has, but he couldn't say the same for the other two, their faces looked so hilarious, as if they saw a ghost -all bloody and creepy- for the first time.

"I-I-I-I-I... Y-Yes sir!" Celine closes her eyes then lowering her head, concealing her face from Ken's father, shaking visibly. Ken Huffs and Puffs at his father furiously and then…

*SMACK!!!*

"Why did you do that papa, now she looks scared to her core!" he exclaim, furiously.

"I-I'm sorry Celine, please forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you, hehe (scratches the back of his neck)." Ken could only sigh helplessly.

"I-It's okay s-sir, no harm done." she replied.

"Alfred, what have we talked about with that attitude of yours when in front of a guest?" an imposing aura in the form of Ken’s mother, dawned down on Alfred and his son, even though it was not particularly directed at Ken, Ken still felt the shiver run down his spine.

But as quickly it appeared, it disappeared just as fast too. His mother’s too scary, brrrr.

"I'm sorry my dear, please accept my dear husband's apology." Lyn said bowing her head slightly towards Celine.

"Y-You don't have to bow down at me ma'am. I-I accept sir's apology." Celine flailed her hand in an embarrassed state, while Lyn raised back up her head to look at Celine.

"Thank you my dear." She exclaims.

"I-It's not a problem at all ma'am." Celine replies, all flustered, looking so cute with her reactions and Ken could tell that his friend is thinking the same too as he has a faint smile on his lips while looking at Celine,

‘awww if only he could see himself right now, hahahaha.’ gushed Ken to himself, so far he’s taking this fanboying too seriously.

"Please, do call us Aunt and Uncle from now on." Celine looked reluctant for a moment, she gulped down her saliva and said…

"Yes M- Auntie." Lyn smiled at Celine and walked to Alfred, embracing him in a hug, hahah, the man pouting like a child, Lyn chuckled and kissed her husband on the cheeks, and immediately, Alfred turned into a plushy mess -don't know where that came from-, and here we go *smooch, smooch, giggles*.

The two were at it again, acting like teenagers despite being adults now. Ken doesn't even wanna describe how his parents are very touchy feely right now, it cringes him, sprouting a disapproving blank look at his parents.

"AHEM!" Ken's parents looked back at the three and immediately straightened themselves, as if caught red handed. That seems to catch their attention. Ken looks back at Celine and Wil and asked...

"If your parents are hunters and you guys belong in a tribe, how come you're out of the woods and near our training ground? Correct me if I'm wrong, but you just look like you don't go out from your house that often." a hunch, he would like an answer to.

"Yes, I do prefer staying inside our home than being out in the woods.... but, during those times, I felt really lonely, so I asked my parents to bring me along with them when they go out hunting at the forest....

They refused me to go, but I pleaded with them to bring me, they confessed that they are growing apart from me so they agreed. Right when we were at the middle of our journey at a high place, I think it was a hill?

Father was talking something to my mother while I was in the middle, both of them carrying weapons, I caught on the edge of my vision, at my left, a spark, so when I went to inspect it again, both my parents didn't notice, and I witnessed a ring of fire, rising into the air,

Radiating the most vibrant light I could have ever seen, so when it stopped, I looked back around me to find that my parents weren't at my side anymore, I grew anxious and scared, but when I heard, sounds coming from the place where I saw the fire ring,

I decided that it'd be wise to go ask for help since, their location was reachable, so I climb at a tree not too far from my right and started hopping from tree to tree, it took me a while to get to the place where you guys are training, but when I jumped to the tree near the field,

I slipped and that's how you saw me fall down to the ground." She finished embarrassment evident on her tone, and the way she averted her gaze from the people before her, a shade of pink caressed her cheeks, fairly visible, because she's partially white and brownish in color after all.

Her confession left Ken dumbfounded, who would have thought that a semi skinny girl could jump from a tree branch to another tree branch?

"And how are you able to jump from a tree branch to another?" he asks curiously.

"Oh, I always used to jump inside our home, as I live at the top of a tree." Is this girl even a real girl? Hearing it with his own ears, really blew his mind out. As for the other three people, Ken can't say it didn't surprise them too, Alfred as the first one to recover from the shock.

Sensing that his father wasn’t all that excited from the revelation, made Ken question whether his father turned cynical, he gave his father a questioning gaze.

"The forest tribe, are very agile people, they should also not be taken lightly as their strength are comparable to that of a wild grizzly bear, they are born with such strength, hence the capabilities of their children." explained Alfred.

"Then why are you not all over her asking her questions... about... everything about them?" Lyn exclaims.

"That's because I already knew about them before. This was introduced to me by the Tribe themselves. At first I didn't believe it, but when one of them showed me an example of what they are capable of, especially the children, I was left dumbfounded. hehe." Alfred replies, sprouting a sheepish smile at his family.

"Okay, I give up, I'm going out." Lyn exclaims, having been overloaded with information.

Alfred chased after his wife outside, trying to talk to her, but Lyn just kept ignoring his attempts, haha, poor Alfred.

"Oh, I want to ask, are you strong enough now for you to go back home? I think your parents must be worried looking all over for you." Ken asks. Realization immediately sprung from her face and...

*GASPS*

"I completely forgot! I better hurry home before they become too worried trying to find me." She exclaims getting up, startling the silently observing -and quite possibly lost in thought- Wilbert, Celine turned to Wilbert and... dare Ken confirms this,

Blushed

At how she reacted, and if Ken’s hunch is right, because she did it in front of him.

Ken could see that both of them are blushing furiously.

"I-I better go, m-my parents m-must be worried, looking everywhere for me, and it's getting kind off dark now." Stuttered Celine, fiddling with her fingers.

"S-sure." Now Wilbert's stuttering too,

‘They look sooooo cuuuuuuuttttttteeeeeee...... I just want to squish them together! Okay, I am calm, I am calm, breathe in *inhale*, breathe out *exhale*.’ so is Ken’s thoughts.

"Let's go." said Ken beckoning the two to start on their journey to bring Celine back to her tribe, because if he didn’t, he was sure the two would be having a staring contest, but with feelings.

‘Supportive best and childhood friend here, but right now, our main concern is to bring Celine back to her home, who knows, their tribe might be very overprotective of their members and are not willing to risk losing even one of them, and then would start looking out for the lost one.’

*SLAM*

"WAAAAHHHHH." Ken looked at the person who slammed the door before his face.

'uwaaahhh, that scared the hell out of me.' White chuckles.

'You didn't have to laugh at my poor reaction you know' -Ken-

'Yeah, but I did anyway, as it was fun' -White-

Groaning internally, he pushed back those thoughts and noticed his father hurriedly walking inside, where is he going? Lyn also hot on his heels. They looked serious too. They stopped at a person and....

"Celine, your tribe is here." What?! Ken hurriedly went outside and saw, men and women wearing tribal clothes, the men are topless while wearing a clothing resembling that of a pants on their lower bodies,

While their women wore clothing both on their top and lower parts of their bodies.

'HUH?!?!!?! They really are Celine's Tribe!' and they're carrying weapons too, ranging from spears, to swords, bows, and to torches. 'Are they planning to-‘

Thuds of footsteps echoed behind him, and when he turned, Celine dashed in front and to the man and women at the center of the tribe, the man at the center kneeled and opened his arms wide, Celine lunged herself to the pair of arms, hugging the man in a tight embrace.

Celine's dark long hair swayed and settled at her back after stopping her hurried motion. The woman near the man followed suit and hugged Celine too.

"Father! Mother! I'm so glad you're here!" She exclaims, while hugging.

"We were so worried about you our dear princess, we thought we lost you." her Father said, hugging Celine tighter, tears were now rolling down on her mother's cheeks, hugging her affectionately.

Once they stopped hugging each other, the man slowly stood up at his full height, towering even the tall ones at the back.

"Who are these people?" asked her father to her.

"They're the people who helped me when I got lost and separated from you." Celine looked at his father, almost teary and said in a sad voice...

"Please forgive me for getting lost in the woods." Celine lowered her head, and by the end of her statement, it would seem as if it's a mumble if one weren't paying attention.

"It’s okay princess, what matters now is that you are safe and well." said her mother, whom hugged her again.

"Thank you for taking care of our daughter, allow us to introduce ourselves my name is-."

"Vin Edelgard! The Chieftain of the forest tribe, and Kel Edelgard the Chieftain's wife, it’s been a long time." Alfred interrupted, a feint blush caressed Ken’s cheeks, embarrassed for his father.

"Alfred! It's good to see you again." Exclaimed Vin, Chieftain Vin.

"My, it's been a long since we've met Alfred, how is Lyn?" said Kel, Chieftain Vin's wife.

"Doing well and good Kel, thank you for asking." Lyn replied.

Lyn and Alfred approached the parents of Celine, and conversed with one another, turning the heavy atmosphere earlier to a lighter one, Ken’s surprised, his parents are very well known on these parts. hehe.

Amidst their conversation, the other tribesmen and women, started to gather around their leaders and conversed with one another too, the Chieftain introduced Ken’s parents to his men, and they all had a good conversation afterwards, leaving Ken and Wilbert at the sidelines.

After awhile, the tribesmen decided to settle down for a bit, groans exclaiming that they're tired of searching for their Leader’s daughter, from far and wide of the forest, Ken can fairly understand their situation, as some others were visibly tired, and some are literally laying on the ground.

Can't blame them for worrying for their precious daughter of the chief, wait, Ken only realizes now, he’s friends with the chief’s daughter............ THEY’RE FRIENDS............ Even when he says it to himself, he can’t believe it.

*chatter*

*groans*

*mumbles*

*laughter*

*chuckles*

The night turned out to be bustling with noise as the Chief told his tribe to settle and camp for the night for it will be a long time before they could get back to their home, so he said to the tribe that they will celebrate tonight and have some fun, of course, the response wouldn't be silence but a chorus of cheers and yells.

Ken thinks his eardrums erupted from that, -notice the sarcasm-.

-------