wanderer's lullaby

Yang listened as the car pulled away and sighed. She wished she could have raced to greet her uncle, but she had responsibilities to attend to. She had so much cooking left to go… This was always such a drag but it beat scrambling to cook every night. It was so much nicer to be able to heat things and cuddle with Ruby than slaving away on meals everyday. “It really is amazing how things can come around in ways you never expect.” Sienna chuckled a bit and Yang glanced over her shoulder. What did thatmean? She really didn’t understand. She did see Sienna’s ears twitch slightly before she turned her attention back to cooking. “Oh, it’s strange how things you think are one-offs can turn into something more important. I met Dove Branwen and part of the tribe once when I was a kid. Now we’re here, helping offshoots of the tribe.” She chuckled again and Yang could feel her eyes shift color. She wasn’t some ‘offshoot’ of the tribe She only had blood through her biological mother. That didn’t mean anything. The only thing she cared about was through them was her uncle. And he didn’t want anything to do with them either.  “I have nothing to do with them,” she replied flatly. She wanted nothing to do with them. They weren’t her family or her heritage. She was a Valian citizen through and through. Yes, both sides of her blood had roots in Mistral, but that didn’t mean a damnthing. It wasn’t like Taiyang had brought her and Ruby up with his own ties. And Summer had been Valian through and through. The only connection she had with the Branwens was knowing the language. Hard as Summer, Qrow, and Taiyang had tried, she and Ruby had still picked it up. But that didn’t mean anything. People could speak languages in isolation from the culture without too much trouble.  “Maybe you should consider learning a bit. From what little I know, it’s a pretty rich culture. But it is ultimately your decision.” No, she had no desire to learn about it. Why wold she? It wasn’t like she’d ever go visit. She had no plans ot leave Vale even as a Huntress. She hadn’t grown up there or anything. What would the point even be?And it wasn’t like Qrow had any desire to teach others about the tribe he hated so much. With that, Sienna went back to talking to Kali until something hit the kitchen window. “Huh?” She looked at the two older women who shrugged. Again came the sound. A slight, soft noise. It sounded like a pebble hitting the window.  She hopped off the stool and walked out onto the porch, blinking when she saw a mound of white on the ground. One of Qrow’s birds was tossing pebbles at the window. She knew aura breeds were smart, but this was still pretty next level. It was a falcon.A parrot she could maybe see doing this. But a falcon? These things really were damn smart. But what could she do? It wasn’t like she’d understand what it would say. But Kali and Sienna could understand energy… Maybe they could communicate through aura. She went back inside and Kali stood up. “I’ll see what I can do.” She smiled warmly and Yang nodded. If anybody could discern what the bird wanted, it would probably be Kali.  Yang went back inside and resumed cooking. Kali came in a few minutes later, with the pure-white bird balanced on her arm carefully. “They’re hungry. Apparently they’ve exhausted a lot of the prey around here to the point of it becoming wary. They haven’t eaten in a few days because of it.” She frowned at that. “Well, it’s not like I can do anything to help it.” She didn’t know how to hunt with birds of prey. And it wasn’t like she could afford to feed them on her budget. That and she doubted they’d be able to eat superstore meat. She didn’t care about the birds. But they were important to her Uncle Qrow, so letting them go too long without food wasn’t good.  She sent him a quick text. Your birds are hungry.She wasn’t sure what to do about it other than let him know. He’d know what to do. The bird let out some soft chitters before leaning into Kali. “They really are beautiful birds. I’ve never been so up close and persona l with such an amazing creature.” “I guess,” Yang replied. What could she say? She had no interest in the birds. But she couldn’t deny the were extremely beautiful creatures. She should probably be more appreciative. Most people would killto be so up close and personal with such amazing creatures. But it was interrupting her cooking time, so she really didn’t care at the moment. She needed to get this done before too long and she was already behind something awful. Maybe she could talk to Qrow or Winter about showing her a bit more later. For now, though, she had a much more important task at hand for the time being… However, she blinked when the second bird swooped inside and then started chittering up a storm. Kali stared at the new arrival who had more black banding along its wings. “Oh, oh my.” “What is it going on about?” Seriously, what was going on here? Where had this bird come from? It was obviously upset but why? Could Kali make anything from its no-doubt chaotic emotions? What fresh hell was her life now? Would she be assailed by birds for the rest of her time? “Oh dear… He’s not happy with you for upsetting somebody. I can’t make out who it is, though.” So it was upset at her for going after Winter? She’d ask if anybody could blame her, but this bird obviously did. She didn’t need adults, let alone some random woman her uncle had married on a whim. She could see she was wrong, but she hadn’t expected her uncle to take Winter’s die over hers at first.  “…Can you ask it what languages it knows?” It really was a long shot. The only other language she knew aside from Valian was Branwae. There was no way in hell it would know that language. There was no easy way to communicate with it other than Kali’s aura.  A few minutes passed and she saw Kali’s ears perk up. “Apparently these birds belonged to Dove Branwen before she passed them onto Qrow.” The spatula clattered to the floor as she turned to face Kali fully. “What? Are you sureabout that?” There was no fucking way. How could he get birds from Dove to Atlas? Unless he’d already had them for quite some time… But he’d said his ‘buddy’ had lent them to him ‘for Winter’s protection.’ And that he’d released them onto the island earlier in the week. None of this was adding up. She didn’t understand how the birds could get from Mistral to Atlas to Vale in just a few days. THere should’ve been quarantine periods from country to country and more.  Something was fishy here but she didn’t know what it was. “I’m positive. That was clearly the Branwen tribe she was with. So they no doubt know at least Branwae, possibly Standard Central Mistrali…” Kali trailed off., voice rather quiet. She probably was reading her aura and the anger that came with the absolute frustration that permeated her. Qrow was keeping her in the dark over something. Again. What was he hiding now?  But she sighed and turned to face the fluffed up bird that practically glared at her. She slipped into the best Branwae she knew, though it was still limited in capacity. “I’m not going to be able to understand what you say. I don’t know why you’re so upset over me going after Winter. To me, it looked like he preferred her over me. He helped raise me. He still barely knows her. Wouldn’t you be angry if Dove took a new person to the tribe’s side over yours? Someone that joined only a few months ago or less? And she’s known you all your life. Wouldn’t that make you upset?” The bird seemed to process her words for a few minutes before its head bobbed. Its feathers flattened but it still didn’t look happy.She was doing her best in a language she mostly knew only from Summer’s videos. “Plus, I don’t like adults. All of my parental figures left me to fend for myself. I was six. Uncle Qrow left to get drunk. Summer died. Taiyang, my father—” For lack of a better term in the language. She wasn’t if there was an equivalent to ‘sire.’ “—left to do who knew what. I had to take care of my little sister. Nobody cared about us. I don’t need somebody to try to tell me what to do. I’ve been fine on my own for the past six years.”Hopefully it would help explain things better. The bird’s head bobbed again though it still looked unhappy. It twisted its head to look at Kali. Her ears pricked as she rested a hand on its back.  “He says he’s seen Winter afraid and doesn’t want her to feel like that anymore. You yelling at her like you did wouldn’t have helped matters.” That…did make sense for what Qrow had told her. She was fearful of anger, so yeah, it probably hadn’t helped. She had dug her grave so now she had to lie in it… Would there be any hope for relationship between them now? She’d basically already shot herself in the foot… Her eyes fell back on the bird. “Do you think you could act as a bridge between me and her? Would you be willing to maybe help us connect?” They would be living together for a few months, so if he could help, it’d make life easier. She couldn’t get along with Taiyang. That one would never change. And she would alwayshate Raven. But she really should try to have a relationship with Winter especially if they stayed married until they kicked the bucket… The bird’s head bobbed again but he did remain tense. So she’d have to win him over too… Boy she sure had a tall order ahead of her. But she needed to get back to cooking, so she did. 

☼

Kali and Sienna eventually left, leaving Yang alone with Ruby. THey curled up on the couch, Yang playing a video game to help pass the time and keep Ruby entertained. However, her scroll chimed in her hands as she played, so she paused the game whee she was. “Be back in a bit, Rubes.” She kissed her sister’s head and slipped into the kitchen to take the call. “What’s up, Uncle Qrow?” He could’ve texted her instead of calling. Not that she was againsthearing his voice but still. “It’ll be short, but I wanted to let you know I’m gonna have to take up some room in the garage with a freezer. The birds need food, so I’ll have to have that delivered tomorrow. It’ll hold quail, rats, and some other things. Won’t make you feed them since that involves gutting ‘em. I’ll make WInter learn since she’s gonna volunteer at an aura breed rescue with some birds.” Her grip on the scroll tightened as she gave a terse nod. She should probably ask him about the inconsistencies in his story. But that would be best saved until they were face to face. Calls weren’t the best places for confrontations. “I won’t mind learning. Plus, I’ll be a Huntress one day. That might involve needing to hunt and having to prepare the animals, so some hands-on experience isn’t a horrible thing.” It’d give her and Winter something to bond over, gross as it would be. It was also good enough to lie to cover up her real intents until she could confront him. She would get to the bottom of this. Why did he keep lying to her…? Why didn’t he trust her enough to let her know the truth? Even he blew her off half the time like so many other adults… Adults really were the worst… And she’d be one in a few short years. She didn’t wantto become something as wretched as the Grimm… She wiped away the tears as Qrow spoke again. “You have a good point there, firecracker. It won’t be as thorough you’ll want, but it’ll be a good starting point. And once I get my new house, you can get actualhunting practice. If you want to learn with the birds, then you can. But we can do bow hunting and gun hunting, trapping, and more. It’ll be up to you, kiddo.” She could practically hear the grin in his voice. He was so excited to teach them… If only he had stayed after Summer had died… “All right, Uncle Qrow; it sounds like a plan.” She forced some cheer and grinned. She was looking forward to rounding out her Huntress skills, but it’d take time for him to find a house and property. Until then, she could practice butchering on what prey the birds would have. “Will I see you later tonight?” If he’d be there, she’d confront him them. She was not going to rest on her laurels for this.It was too important. “I was just gonna drop Winter off since Tai’s prolly there. But if you wanna talk outside for a bit, we can. Sound good?” Her grip on her scroll tightened again and she nodded.  “Yeah, it does. See you guys then.” It was getting a bit late in the day, so it was best they head back soon. If they didn’t, they’d miss the ferry and be stuck on the mainland till morning. “See ya in an hour or so, firecracker. Love you.” She replied she loved him too, then hung up. Yeah, this was gonna be explosive. It would be best for Winter to be inside before she confronted him because she was liable to literally explode on him. She didn’t want Ruby to see but she probably would. Maybe if she set her up with the psaltery and Summer’s music, it’d be enough to keep her busy. She wasn’t looking forward to it, but she had no choice. She was tired of the secrets and lies. Summer had restricted thirty percent of her videos. STRQ had dark secrets and she would get to the bottom of them whether Qrow wanted her to or not.

☼

It was around an hour later that Yang heard a car pull up to the house. She handed the psaltery to Ruby and headed downstairs, letting a breath out. This wasn’t going to be easy, but it needed to be done. She blinked when she saw a bike attached to the back of the car. “What’s with the bike?” She looked at Winter who visibly tensed a bit. Yeah, she’d have to work to gain her trust… It’d take time, but maybe the bids could assist in it.  “It’s mine. Is…it okay for me to keep it in the garage?” Hesitant to ask but it made sense. After the harsh welcome, she couldn’t blame her.  “Yeah, that’s fine. I didn’t expect you to come back with a bike is all. Do you know how to ride?” If she needed help, then maybe she could teach Winter. “I’m…getting a handle on it.” That sounded like she might be struggling. She could easily help. She’d learned to rise as a kid and knew how to ride a motorcycle. It wouldn’t be hard for her. It would take time for Winter to get the balance she needed, but she was skilled enough to be in the Atlas military. Learning a bike would be a breeze.  “I can help you on weekends and after I get home from school if you’d like.” She smiled brightly at Winter who didn’t respond. She pulled the bike into the garage then headed inside. That left her alone with Qrow (minus the old lady missing around the scroll in the driver’s seat).  His eyebrows shot up as she turned to face Yang. “Woah, what’s up with the foreboding attitude, firecracker?” Oh he had noidea what he was in for. “So who was the ‘buddy’ the lent you the birds?” Even lacking aura sensing, she could feel Qrow’s blood turn to ice. His face turned a deathlypallor as she looked at him . Hook, line, and sinker. He knew exactly where thiswas going.  “W-Where did this come from, Yang? I didn’t think you’d be interested in them… But where they came form doesn’t matter…” He was sweating bullets. She could see the sweat tracing down his temple. And of coursehe was attempting to redirect her. But she could see through his ruse. It might work other times but not now. “Oh, I beg to differ. Kali was the one to let me know the birds were hungry. Apparently she saw some…interesting things about where they came from.” Qrow flinched and looked away. Yeah, there was no point in trying to hide it. “How did you get these birds from your mother, Uncle Qrow? And don’t you dare try to deflect or lie to me.” Her voice hardened, making his head bow. She was so sick of adults lying to her and brushing her off. She wasn’t some stupid kid that could easily be ignored. She understood connections even a lot of adults couldn’t. She could easily navigate systems considered nigh impossible. She could see exactly what was going on a lot of the time even when people thought she was blind. “I…I don’t want to lie to you but I also don’t want to say anything because it’ll just make you angrier.” He ran a hand through his hair. She could feel her eyes burningred. She’d thought he was better than other adults, but he wasn’t. He really wasn’t. Adults shrugged her off like she was nothing and he was doing the same. She felt her body started to shake as she barely held herself together. She wanted to trust him, but if he wouldn’t be hones with her, how could she? Qrow sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “…All right. It…was Raven who facilitated the transfer of the birds.” Yang’s insides turned to slush as she looked at Qrow blank. What…? He was still in contact with her? But she’d left… What?  “It’s not like I go seeing her out or we spend hours chatting. She usually dropped some info on me then left. Took a few years after she left for me to see her again. This was one of the first favors I asked her. I needed good, steady birds that I could trust that wouldn’t take weeks to adapt. And the only person I know that produces birds like that consistently is my mother. So I hadto talk to her.” He’d been in contact with Raven for years. And he’d never told her. Raven had been able to return at any point. She knew that much. She knew the woman’s Semblance. She’d watched the STRQ training sessions. But she’d thought Raven had completely cut ties. She’d left without a word to anyone but Summer. Why would she continue talking to Qrow? Why would she be so close yet not visit her own daughter?Nothing about this made sense… “All right, Yang; let’s go in—” “No! Go away! I don’t want to talk to you right now!” she shouted, the tears spilling down her cheeks. He’d betrayed her trust so badly. Why did he think she wanted anything to do with him anymore?! She could have Raven see her the whole time… But she’d chosen not to…yet she’d seen her brother… Qrow ignored her defiance and placed a hand on her shoulder. She wanted to shout, scream, and cry, but she was simply numb. He sat on the couch and pulled her into his lap. Her body refused to listen to her and, instead, her arms wrapped around him and clung like her life depended on it. Tears rolled down her cheeks and he let out a body-wracking sob. She’d never felt more betrayed in her life… Somehow, this felt worse than the fact she hadn’t been born a Rose… Even Taiyang telling her that she and Ruby were only half siblings didn’t sting as much as this…