wanderer's lullaby

Yang eventually cried herself out and remained curled against Qrow. She hiccuped, throat feeling raw and scratchy from how hard she’d sobbed. Why… Why had he betrayed her like this? Didn’t he love her? WHy wouldn’t he tell her about Raven? She didn’t understand. Everything felt wrong in the world. “Do you want to have that discussion now or wait till you’re feeling a bit better? Either way, I’ll get you some water.” He kissed her head and placed her on the couch then got up. For once, the house felt deafeningly silent. She could barely hear Ruby plucking away on the psaltery upstairs. Gods only knew what Winter was doing. But the usual comfort she got from the relative silence hurt. It reminded her of how broken and shattered the family really was. She put on a brave face, but she always felt a moment away from losing everything. Qrow returned a few minutes later with the water pitcher and a few glasses. He handed one to Yang and she was so tempted to guzzle it down. But she knew better. She’d watched Ruby chug water in the past and all it done was choke her. So she considered Qrow’s offer. She was upset and that was rarely ever the right time to talk about things like this. Digesting things was important. Making sure she fully understood them was paramount to advanced aura practice. But at the same time… It’d eat rather until she heard it. She’d agonise until she learned why Qrow talked to his sister when she had hurt Team STRQ so much. She still didn’t understand why people had kids if they didn’t want them. Not that she was complaining about being alive… She just didn’t understand why people could be so cruel to life they had created. Hurt was no excuse for ignoring children. They were supposed to be a family.Yet Taiyang and Raven had abandoned her… “I think I’d like to hear now,” she croaked. It hurt to talk.But she didn’t want to fully rely on aura either. If she could talk, she’d do it. Ruby still had so much trouble with it at times… She’d gotten better but she still struggled a lot. “All right, kiddo. I know it hurts for you to talk right now. But there’s something I need to know: how much have you learned about STRQ from Summer’s scroll?” Qrow kept his voice gentle as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She rested against him and closed her eyes. What an odd question to lead with. What did this have to do with anything? But, then again, advanced aura users could be a bit off beat with their points. “A lot, but I know there’s more she didn’t want us to see. There was a lot of weird stuff I glimpsed but I didn’t really understand it. And I know you worked for Ozpin for some reason.” She handed her glass back to him for him to refill. Her voice remained soft and scratch and she wanted to wince from the pain. But if she wanted to get to the bottom of theis, she had to play his game. Hopefully this wasn’t some massive redirection strategy. She was tired of being lied to. Qrow nodded and handed the glass back to her. “Yeah, there’s a lot of weird shit in the world most people don’t know about. I can’t tell you about it right now because it’s dangerous. It’s what led to Summer’s death. Please understand that. This time, it’s really for your own protection.” She gave him a weak glare but didn’t reply otherwise. More lies and secrets… She absolutely abhorredthis. “I get it, kiddo, but I’m not going and painting a target on a twelve-year-old’s back. Once you learn the truth, you’ll be isolated from the rest of the world. It’s a terrible secret to bear.” He shook his head and squeezed her shoulder. “But I’ll tell you this much: there’s true evil in the world that ain’t the Grimm. And that evil is what killed Summer and maimed Raven mentally and emotionally. I ain’t making excuse for her when I say she wasn’t in her right mind when she had you then chose to leave. It’s just what happened.” “So what does this have to do with anything?” She really didn’t get what was going on with this. Evil? Hurt? He was speaking so obtusely she really didn’t get it. He really needed to cut to the chase. “It’s the root reason of why Raven acted the way she did. It’ll be on her to fully explain what happened to her. But what happened made her afraid.She was afraid of seeing you die. That’s why she left. That evil instilled fear so deep it made hurting others seem rational to her. She didn’t want anybody to mourn her when she died. So she tried to push everyone away: you, me Taiyang, Summer… Trauma makes people act in ways that aren’t rational.” Qrow fell silent and Yang considered his words. Yeah, trauma did make people act irrationally, but she still felt like that was no excuse to abandon her. She was still her mother. Why would she try to push people away? Her brain was still fuzzy from crying. This wasn’t the best time to be processing this and she knew it. But she wanted to hear. She could work through things fully when she wasn’t so exhausted. She nodded for him to continue. “I’m pretty sure it was that same fear that drove her to share information with me. Despite everything…she still cares. So when she overheard things, she shared them with me. She doesn’t want to see harm come to anybody here.” Yang crossed her arms with a ‘hmph.’ “If she did care, she wouldn’t have left.” There were no excuse in her mind for this. It’d be one thing if Taiyang had raped Raven, but she didn’t get that vibe. Even for as useless as Taiyang was, she knew he wasn’t a rapist.Summer wouldn’t have stayed with him if he were. Or had a child with him. Though… “Why do you keep saying it’s up to her?” That…had implications and she wasn’t sure if she liked them or not. There wa sno way she was picking up on that right. There was no way… Qrow sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, you’re right on that hunch, Yang. I managed to snap her out of her stupidity. Once I get a house, she’ll be moving in with me. So she’s gonna be around whether you like it or not.” Her insides froze. Had she had anything left in her, she would have screamed at him. How could he accept her back so easily? She’d betrayed the team and her own family. She had left her own daughter. But she had nothing left to give. She was wrung out like an old dish towel. So all she could do was slump against her uncle and the couch. “…I hope you don’t expect me to accept her so easily.” She’d hate the woman forever. She couldn’t accept her. She’d leftwithout explaining why. “Nah, I won’t. You’re old enough to make that decision for yourself, Yang. You’ll be thirteen at the end of the year. I can’t force you to like her or give her a chance. All I can say is I hope you will. She’ll be living with us once I can get the house.” Us? Did he mean with him and Winter or— Her insides chilled again and she looked up at him, eyes wide. He couldn't know already, could he? How…? He nodded slowly, though he didn’t meet her eye. “Once I get things in order, I’ll be taking you and Ruby. How I learned isn’t important; the most important thing is I’ll actuallybe taking care of you from then on.” “How?!” She raised her voice and her eyes shifted hue. “Don’t shove me off, Uncle Qrow! This is important! You never noticed and now you’re going to upend our lives on a whim?! You can’t tell me that and not expect me to—” She cut off into a coughing fit, her throat rebelling at the raised tone. He couldn’t shove her off on something so important! How darehe think she was so stupid! Qrow sighed again and then refilled her glass. She started sipping it again as she stared at him hard. “I can’t tell you specifics other than it was Raven. She’s honestly always kept an eye on you and Ruby. But I can’t tell you how because it’s tied into the secrets we have to keep.” What? She kept an eye on them? She knew about all of this the entire time and did nothing about it? Why were the adults so useless?! They really didn’tcare about her or Ruby. “…Tomorrow. I wand to talk to her tomorrow.” She wasn’t going to leave this lying down. She needed to get herself together and recover first. She still felt like she’d been hit by a truck. She’d feel better after she got some sleep and another meal in her. She wouldn’t be calmbut she’d have her head on her shoulders a bit more once she had slept. “All right, Yang; I’ll tell her then let you know what she says. Want me to stay for a while or—” He paused then shook his head. “I’ll have Persia go back and stay with you. You know she’s here so I’ll have her pick me up later via portal.” “I’ll be fine.”She’d always dealt with everything herself. She didn’t need him here. Plus, she was pissed at him. Why he think she wanted him to stay? “Nope. You’ve had to hold things together on your own too long. I’m here now.” He pulled her against him and she practically collapsed against him. No… She was fine on her own… She didn’t need him or anybody else to feel better. Why was she accepting him so easily?

Ω

Qrow kept close while she rested against him though he felt her energy eventually drop off. Her head bobbed as she dozed off. He really couldn’t blame her for being so tired. Those were a lotof bombshells he’d dropped. Lots to process especially for a twelve-year-old. He hated not telling her the truth, but he couldn’t tell her about Salem. Everyone would have his ass on a silver platter if he did. It’d come one day but not now. He took the glass from her and put it to the side. He picked Yang up and carried her up to the room, surprised to see Ruby there. The soft plinking from the psaltery greeted him along with wide eyes. “Hey, kiddo. Yang and I had a…rough discussion. I’m gonna tuck her in for the night then stay for a bit. I know it’s early, but want me to tuck you in?” Ruby gave a soft hum and put the psaltery on the dresser, then scrambled back into bed. She really was her mother’s daughter in so many ways. If only Summer were still there to teach her more. Everything would be better if Summer were still with them… Now it was his job to pull the shattered remnants together as best he could. Although that did mean cutting Taiyang out entirely in the near future… He laid Yang in the bed then pulled the covers over her and Ruby. He kissed their heads, making Ruby let out a sound of contentment. She couldspeak now, but she mostly chose not to around family. It was all right, though; he could understand her just fine. He sat against the wall and watched the girls, softly singing uwepekere and a few kamuy yukara. Ruby bobbed her head in time with the rhythm, though the melodies eventually put her to sleep. It wasn’t even eight yet, but both girls were out for the evening. That much was obvious. He flicked the light switch off then knocked on the door to Summer’s room. Winter answered and looked up at him, bright blue eyes a little confused. “Is there something I can help you with, Mister Branwen?” So she was sticking to his last name… He had hoped she’d use his first one, but it was on her terms. He’d said she could use it until she was comfortable. “Nah, not really. Mostly wanted to let you know we might not get to go mattress shopping tomorrow. I had to drop a lot of bombshells on Yang tonight. She wants to talk to Raven tomorrow. I should be there as a mediator so things don’t get too out of hand. If we can’t go tomorrow, then Monday. That sound good, snowy?” She considered his words for a few moments then nodded. “I believe that’s fine. I can spend tomorrow working with my bike if that ends up being the case.” He did feel her aura drop a bit in disappointment, but it wasn’t like he could help it. It was important for somebodyto act as the go-between for Yang and Raven. She hoped that it wouldn’t get literally explosive, though… They didn’t need the forest to be damaged. “THanks for being so understanding. I wasn’t planning on this, but it’s how the chips fall sometimes.” He shrugged then held his arm open for Winter. “Mind giving me a hug before I go?” He sensed hesitation on her aura but she slipped into his arms. He wrapped them around her loosely, then gave her a gentle squeeze. “See ya tomorrow, snowy.” “I’ll see you tomorrow,” she whispered in reply. Her aura felt surprisingly comfortable and at ease, a stark departure from her discomfort in Atlas. But he pulled back after a moment then stepped out. He texted Raven and went through the portal. Oh, this was not going to be fun…

α

Winter closed the door and rested against it with a sigh. Damn it, that warmth he offered was so intoxicating. It made her feel calm and like somebody actuallycured about her other than the general and Weiss. She still didn’t trust him but she at least gave him the benefit of the doubt. She settled back on the bed and looked over at where Summer ‘sat’ in the chair at the desk. “So what do you think will happen tomorrow?” She normally wasn’t one to give into gossip, but she’d watched the altercation from the library. Even ‘livid’ was too mild a word to describe Yang’s feelings to the matter. She was curious what Summer though about the whole thing. Honestly? I can’t be sure. Yang is both logical and driven by emotion. She’s an advanced aura user. Part of her will be able to see and understand why Raven left, but, on the other hand… She’s a hurt little girl that’s extremely angry at her parental figures. She’s had to come to terms with the fact her biological mother didn’t want her. Now she’s learned that same woman kept an eye on her from a distance, yet never did anything to help. It’s a lot to ask of an adult to process, let alone a child.She heard Summer sigh then blow at something. Yeah, it was almost unfair to ask Yang to process all of this. She could only imagine what she had to be going through… She’d known Gelé was a monster from her youngest years as well as the fact Willow was broken. What must it be like to know people really did care and feel so betrayed by them? Honestly, she couldn’timagine it. She had no experience with it. She shook her head then grabbed one of the falconry books she’d picked up. What a mess of a situation…

≈

Raven watched as Qrow stepped through the portal and she blinked. What was up with him? Why did he feel like his soul had gone through a cheese grater? “Qrow, what’s wrong?” she asked softly. Even with as much as she poked and prodded, this was not the time or place. He was upset and needed an ear and shoulder. Some might see her as cruel, but quarreling was how they showed each other they cared. He sat on the couch, nursing his head in his hands. His emotions were so scattershot she couldn’t get a read on him. “I’m sorry, Raven; I had to tell Yang you were here. I would’ve lost her trust completely if I hadn’t.” HIs voice shook while he spoke and she rested a hand on his shoulder. Her stomach dropped through. So soon…? She’d only come back a bit ago… She needed more time… She was still readapting to Valian society. She couldn’t… She needed more… “And she wants to talk to you tomorrow. I don’t think she’ll forgive either of us if you say no.” “Oh ancestors…” So soon? But she needed more time. And Yang was angry from the sound of it. But she was fully entitled to that anger. She’d abandoned her daughter without a word to anybody but Summer. She couldn’t blame her but… “I’m sorry, Rae. I tried but she kept backing me into corners. If I didn’t tell her what she wanted to hear, she wold have never forgiven me. I’m sorry,” he croaked before breaking down into sobs. Qrow always had been loyal to his family to a fault… She couldn’t entirely blame him. Either betray his niece or his sister… There really was no in between. She at least understood. She kissed his head and squeezed his shoulder. “It was bound to happen sooner or later… I would’ve preferred it to be on my terms, but we don’t always get what we want.” She knew that alltoo well unfortunately. She hadn’t wanted her father to her or her brother. She hadn’t wanted the Maiden powers. She hadn’t wanted Summer to die. Hell, she hadn’t wanted children in the first place. But her life was cruel and unfair. Most people didn’t get what they wanted. She had no choice but to listen to what Yang wanted this time. If she wanted anychance with her daughter, this was the only chance. She wasn’t sure if she’d get it or not, though… It really was a toss up. “Let her know I’ll talk to her tomorrow. If she’d be willing, around noon or one. I can make us something to eat and we can meet out in the forest on Patch.” She did not want to risk the house or Persia’s house. Saturdays and Sundays were the busy days for the woman when it came to training kids. She didn’t want somebody to overhear and possibly lose the woman customers. That and she wanted to avoid Taiyang. That would devolve into a shouting match something awful. She’d probably have to deal with that at some point. But tomorrow would not be that day by a longshot. “Are you sure…? You can postpone—” “I’d rather not lose what’s probably my one chance. Let her know, Qrow.” She kept her voice quiet and gaze remained plastered on the floor. She probably already had blown it with Yang. She’d seen her watch for hours at a time after learning. But her mother had never come back. She was unloved and unwanted. Nobody had cared enough to come to the house. She was angry and confused. She couldn’t blame Yang one bit if she didn’t accept her. She was old enough to make that decision for herself. But, hopefully, she’d be willing to give her onechance to prove herself…