A Surprising Ally

The orchard settlement stirred under a pale sunrise, watchtowers crowned with flickering torch stubs from the night watch. Orchard workers gathered near the courtyard, discussing infiltration concerns and the minor thefts that had put everyone on high alert. Tamsin's watchers made their rounds, eyes scanning every corner for signs of a hidden mole. In the midst of this hush, the orchard donkey—tethered to a newly reinforced post—offered a soft bray, punctuating the early morning tension.

Not long after daybreak, a low call came from one of the watchers perched atop the orchard's primary gate. "Someone approaching on foot! Alone. Arms raised." Instantly, orchard staff and Harriet's group halted their morning routines, orchard donkey flicking its ears. Tamsin's watchers hustled to the gate, weapons at the ready, infiltration paranoia twisting their faces into grim lines.

Leila, only half-finished with her daily orchard walk, rushed to the gate. A hush fell as watchers unbarred the gate just wide enough to see a figure standing outside—a traveler wrapped in dusty, tattered clothes, arms indeed raised to show no immediate threat. The orchard donkey let out another bray, orchard watchers shifting uneasily. Harriet's group hovered in the distance, orchard staff whispering about infiltration as Tamsin's watchers parted to let Leila through.

She stepped forward, eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

The stranger lowered their arms, voice hoarse. "Name's Rowan." (A new Rowan, or rename? Possibly a new traveler. Let's rename them to avoid confusion with Redwood's earlier 'Rowan'.) Let's call them "Luca" to avoid confusion. The orchard watchers remain cautious.

The figure—a lean, weather-beaten man—cleared his throat, carefully removing a battered scarf from his face. "Luca," he said, voice rough from thirst. "I… parted ways with Jace's band not long ago."

A ripple of tension spread among orchard watchers, orchard donkey stamping its hooves. Harriet's group exchanged worried glances—any mention of Jace's band conjured memories of betrayal and infiltration. Tamsin's watchers stiffened, half-lifting their weapons. Leila's heart lurched, recalling how trusting Jace once cost her everything. "Prove it," she demanded.

Luca lifted empty hands. "I have no illusions that you'll trust me easily, but I know infiltration is one of Jace and Ellie's main tactics. I can help if you let me in—there's more you should know about Ellie's approach to blackmail or bribery."

Leila motioned for orchard watchers to keep the gate partially closed. The orchard donkey brayed as if to underscore the tension. "We're listening," she said curtly. "But infiltration concerns run high here. Tamsin's watchers will search you for weapons. Understood?"

Luca offered a shaky nod. "I'd expect no less." He allowed Tamsin's watchers to pat him down thoroughly, orchard donkey flicking its tail in mild agitation. No hidden blades, no suspicious devices, only a small battered notebook. "I want no trouble—just safe harbor, maybe some water. In return, I share what I know about Ellie's infiltration tactics."

Leila studied him, remembering how infiltration efforts once shattered the orchard, orchestrated by Jace/Ellie's cunning. She forced her voice steady. "Alright. We'll hear you out. But if you're a spy, you'll find no success here."

Tamsin's watchers led Luca inside, orchard staff parted warily, orchard donkey letting out a low snort. Harriet's group stood aside, orchard watchers closing the gate behind them. Tamsin stepped forward, arms folded, tension radiating. "You parted ways with Jace. Care to elaborate?"

Soon, orchard watchers escorted Luca to the courtyard. A small impromptu council formed—Leila, Tamsin, Fiona, Darren, Mark (freshly returned from orchard duties), Harriet's group observing. Orchard donkey remained tethered in the background, orchard staff whispering about infiltration risk. The battered orchard walls seemed to loom overhead, near-completed watchtowers reminding everyone of their ongoing expansions and vulnerabilities.

Luca sipped water from a tin cup, orchard watchers never letting him out of sight. He looked around, nerves evident. Then he spoke: "Jace and Ellie have grown more cunning since the last siege. They prefer infiltration over direct assaults, or they combine infiltration with small undead hordes. Ellie bribes or blackmails survivors in enclaves she targets, turning them into inside agents."

Leila's stomach twisted—the memory of infiltration that once nearly destroyed them flared. She forced composure, orchard donkey braying softly in the courtyard. "Why share this?"

Luca inhaled shakily. "Because I can't keep living like that—helping them sabotage enclaves from within, staging infiltration. Jace is ruthless, Ellie is cunning. She threatens families, offering bribes or blackmailing with personal secrets. I escaped when I saw them planning to strike enclaves near farmland expansions, possibly including you."

A hush fell. Harriet's group exchanged anxious looks, orchard watchers tensed. Tamsin's watchers scowled, orchard donkey flicking its ears as though uneasy. Mark glanced at Leila, tension evident. "We suspected infiltration might resurface. This confirms it."

Fiona folded her arms. "But how do we know you're not infiltration yourself, here to sabotage us further or feed Jace info?"

Luca's eyes darted about, clearly expecting distrust. "I'll undergo any screening, watchers, infiltration checks, anything. Ellie's blackmail approach is what keeps so many enclaves silent. I want out of that system."

Leila's mind whirled. If infiltration had indeed revived, Jace/Ellie might already have contacts inside the orchard. But this traveler's story might also be infiltration in disguise. She forced a calm tone. "We'll screen you thoroughly, keep watchers on you. If you're telling the truth about infiltration tactics, you could help us build defenses."

Tamsin scowled, orchard watchers behind her ready to pounce if infiltration flags rose. "He could be lying. This might be a new sabotage angle."

Mark half-shrugged, orchard donkey braying behind him. "He might be genuine. Redwood and Willow Bend reported odd small-scale raids, too. If Jace's infiltration is stepping up, we can't ignore the intel."

Darren spoke quietly, gripping a notepad. "We can implement infiltration protocols: question him thoroughly, cross-check details about Jace's band, see if he matches orchard watchers' intel. Then decide."

Leila exhaled, orchard donkey's occasional snort underscoring the tension. "Yes, we do that. Meanwhile, Luca stays under watchers' guard. No free roaming. No infiltration chance. Clear?"

Luca nodded, orchard watchers pinning him with suspicious glares. Harriet's group whispered, orchard staff parted, orchard donkey flicked its tail. The orchard donkey's mild presence offered a strange normalcy in the midst of infiltration paranoia.

Once the council concluded, orchard watchers led Luca to a secure bunkhouse for thorough questioning. Tamsin's watchers posted guards outside, orchard donkey calmly munching feed in the courtyard. Survivors dispersed, orchard staff returning to farmland tasks, Harriet's group continuing expansions. The orchard bristled with quiet tension—fear that infiltration might be real once more.

Leila remained behind, arms braced on the table where Tamsin and Fiona lingered. The orchard donkey brayed softly, orchard watchers guiding it aside. She rubbed her temples, the old memory of trusting Jace slicing through her mind. I died once for that trust. A pang of regret lanced her heart. "I hate that he might be telling the truth," she murmured, voice hushed. "That infiltration and sabotage are looming again."

Fiona set a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "You're not the naive person you were before, Leila. We have watchers, alarms. We won't let infiltration catch us off guard."

She nodded slowly, orchard donkey's mild snort pulling her from the gloom. "Yes, we'll screen him thoroughly. If infiltration is indeed on the rise, we'll meet it prepared."

Later in the afternoon, orchard watchers gave Leila a partial update: Luca's details about Jace/Ellie's infiltration tactics matched scraps of intel from Redwood. He described blackmail or bribes—Ellie approaching vulnerable enclavers, threatening or paying them to sabotage from within. Tamsin's watchers hadn't found contradictions yet, though suspicion remained.

Leila, standing near a watchtower under construction, orchard donkey dozing in its pen, listened to Mark summarizing the questioning. Then she sensed Kai's approach—the familiar presence that had once soothed her dread. She turned, swallowing the swirl of her emotions.

He offered a gentle nod, orchard watchers stepping aside. "He seems genuine, from the bits I've heard. If infiltration is creeping back, this might be our warning to fortify further."

She let out a shaky breath, remembering the betrayal that once cost her life. "I hate that we must rely on intel from a possible infiltration suspect, but… if he's right, we have to prepare. Jace/Ellie… they never give up."

Kai placed a hand on her arm—a subtle gesture of support. "You're doing the right thing, being cautious. I'm here if you need me. I know it's painful, the memory of trusting Jace too easily."

Her throat tightened, orchard donkey braying in the courtyard behind them. For a moment, she let the warmth of his presence seep through her hardened walls. "Thanks," she whispered, voice thick with the weight of her old heartbreak. "I… appreciate your stability." Her words were brief, awkward, but an admission that she needed his calm presence.

He nodded, orchard watchers calling for infiltration screening updates behind them. She quickly stepped away, orchard donkey braying once more as orchard staff strolled by. He read the boundaries in her posture—she accepted his support only in small measure.

Night crept over the orchard settlement with a tense hush. The orchard donkey settled in for the evening, orchard watchers finishing infiltration checks. Tamsin's faction posted watchers outside the bunkhouse where Luca was kept under guard, Harriet's group parted to their assigned quarters. Leila directed orchard watchers to redouble alarm system checks, orchard farmland expansions overshadowed by infiltration fears.

As the final rays of dusk vanished behind farmland rows, the orchard's battered walls and watchtowers glowed under torchlight. The orchard donkey dozed, orchard staff whispered about the traveler's intel. Many remembered how infiltration once nearly destroyed them—Jace/Ellie's cunning had no bounds. If Luca's warnings were true, blackmail and bribes might loom, and infiltration sabotage could strike.

Leila retreated to her quarters, heart weighed by the memory that trusting Jace had cost her life once. She felt relief that she had Kai's quiet steadiness behind her, but remained resolute in not leaning on him too heavily. We must stay vigilant, she told herself, orchard donkey's final bray echoing as watchers rotated shifts.