The Exiled Gem

The Master and the Stalker

Doveland was a circle. Idgard was a square. And so were the natures of the people living in the two countries. But Alexandra knew from firsthand experience, that when it came to people: squares were most preferable. 

She then had the strangest of feelings all of a sudden. Alexandra felt the back of her neck tightening up and shuddering uncomfortably. 

She felt she was being watched: maybe not from behind, from anywhere, but she was definitely being watched. The heavy sensation of dread settled down on her and Alexandra's first instinct was to turn back. After a second of mulling over the idea, she couldn't contain herself any longer. She whirled back. But there was no one.

'Just my imagination.' She muttered. But she still felt it wasn't so. There WAS certainly someone following her. Her intuition wasn't as weak. So, just to make sure, Alexandra slowed down her pace. She couldn't hear footsteps, she just felt it. And it was frustrating to have to depend on intuition that much: for all Alexandra knew, the mind could play the dirtiest tricks on people.

She was just about to give up the idea and relax. Look around again and compare her surroundings to Doveland. But just then, as she turned her head to push a stray of tress of hair behind her ear, Alexandra saw it.

From the corner of her eye. If she had been a second late in her turning her head, she would have missed it. But now she was quite sure there was someone else here - at three in the morning. She had seen a dark, uncloaked figure right behind her, caught its action in jumping behind a huge tree just as she had turned her head. Uncloaked, in the freezing morning. And it was an agile jump. Like the person was used to making long leaps.

Who can this be, now? She wondered.

It wasn't someone on a normal morning walk. Why would they hide then? And if someone was following her, Alexandra couldn't possibly go to the Council. It was supposed to be a secret, nobody was supposed to enter it uninvited. And especially, the baldheaded Head already suspected her to be a spy! Wouldn't it make her position compromised?

Alexandra thought for sometime, then she changed her path. 

She looked around, acted as though she was a stupid, confused and lost girl. Then she turned, and walked straight back the way she had come. From the corner of her eye, Alexandra saw someone crouching low. Looking at the figure, she felt as though her heart had dropped three inches down her rib cage. It was scary enough to be alone in a street, at three in the morning. Now she was also being stalked.

Maybe I should tire him. If he means harm, he will come out. If he doesn't, and wants to hide, he will make a mistake. Walk in circles, Alexandra.

It was a good idea. Alexandra walked back, almost a mile. Then looked at the houses around her, entered a thin walkway. Master George might be angry at her for coming late (he expected her to be there by three thirty), but her own safety was Alexandra's first priority. She knew she would have to change that if she was accepted at the Council, but that was far away now. For now, she was just a seventeen year old, who had to look after herself.

From the walkway, she took the path to the council again. All the while knowing she was being followed: the frown never lifting off her face. In fact, her face ached with the effort of holding a frown. Her waist ached slightly and she hated the idea of more confrontation. Alexandra wanted to just lie down and catch up on her sleep.

Then, the follower made his mistake. He perhaps thought Alexandra had lost her way, so he grew sluggish.

Whatever the reason, when Alexandra abruptly turned back, he was so slow that she caught a full view of him. Black hair, left ear pierced, bushy eyebrow and a deadly dagger strapped to the belt. Just for a second, they both froze, then the stalker turned and ran promptly into the road to his left. Alexandra followed, she didn't knew what she was doing, but she followed. She saw him running - at this rate - he would easily outrun her. Waiting for a moment, Alexandra pounced upon the boy and landed right on him, flattening him to the ground. 

Now that was funny, but it was desperate too. Had she not done that... what was the point of running away and telling ten, useless people that a dark-haired, bushy-eyebrowed and one-ear-pierced guy was following her with a dagger? Master George, since she was already running late, would consider this an excuse. And for making her even later, Alexandra was going to teach this stalker a lesson, her way.

'LEAVE ME!' He spat, meanwhile. Alexandra was half scared she could kill this one too, but she wasn't leaving him, in any case.

'Who are you?!' She asked, her eyes fell on the boy's hand, he was trying to reach the dagger strapped to his belt. Alexandra slapped the hand aside and pulled the dagger out for herself, she pulled his hair, forcing his neck up and put the dagger right to his neck. 'I said, WHO ARE YOU?!' She repeated. A lonely crow cawed in the distance, in the same tone as her, as though it was demanding from her, who are YOU?

'A Secret Agent in training!' He divulged. Writhing to get free, 'Master George sent me to follow you! Move the knife away, it is touching my neck!' He added, frantically. Alexandra was so shocked that she got off him.

It made sense, yes it did. Uninformed tests were the first thing she could expect.

'If you really are,' Alexandra nevertheless frowned, 'come with me, let's see. I have to go to the Council anyway. And,' she added, 'I will keep this dagger anyhow.'

'Do you even know how to use it?' The boy demanded. Getting up, he thrust his hand at the dagger, but missed by an inch, catching Alexandra's wrist instead. But he didn't leave it, he twisted her carpus, trying to prize off the dagger with his other hand. Alexandra, in a moment of panic, thrust up her knee, hitting him in the gut. His grip slackened and she broke free.

'Look, I know how to use it. Stay away!' Alexandra warned, brandishing the knife like a broom, because she did not know how to use it.

'Give it back, girl!' 

'Did your Master George tell you why you should follow me?' Alexandra cross-questioned, still dancing out of his reach.

'Of course, to test you!' He replied in a scorn. Alexandra was scared he would grab her arm and wrench it out of the socket, because he seemed to love the dagger too much. It was best she made things clearer.

'Don't you think I have passed the test?!' She asked finally, implying that they weren't supposed to fight anymore. The boy was so surprised, he stopped going for his dagger.

'I ... I think ...yes. I think you did.' He stammered, bending his head slightly, in acknowledgement.

'Nice.' Alexandra smiled, 'So now, I think I can meet Master George. And we aren't supposed to be enemies, you know.'

'Your accent isn't Idgardian.' The boy noted, ignoring the "enemies" part. 'Where are you from?' He asked, eyes narrowed. Not going for the dagger, but still eyeing it.

'I can't tell you that.' Alexandra declared, reservedly. 'Master George already knows.' She added.

They completed the rest of the journey in silence.