Chained In Servility

Raven closed the door to Corma’s room and swallowed when she bumped into her father. His crimson eyes bored into hers and she pressed against the door, trembling fingers searching for the knob again. “Raven.” She froze, entire body tense as he spoke. Oh ancestors, she’d finally messed up. It’d been a wildly successful season and she hadn’t gotten on his bad side once, but in the final, most important moment, she’d mseed up. She flinched when he put his hands on his hips, color draining from her cheeks as she waited. “I’m disappointed.” With that, Fallon walked away and she slid down the door, burying her face in her hands. Relief flooded her to the roots of her hair. She had a feeling the strike would come later, but at least it hadn’t for now. She forced herself to her feet as the warm scents from the kitchen tempted her. She peeked in and smiled a bit when as she saw her mother move around, poking at the fire on the hearth. Her mouth watered as fresh fish wafted toward her and she stepped around the doorway. Immediately Dove turned and face her, opening her arms. Raven ran over and embraced her mother, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. “Welcome home, Raven. I missed you so much.” Dove’s grip tightened and Raven clung to her, unable to stop the tears from falling freely. “I missed you too.” She hadn’t been able to return home this past active season, so she hadn’t seen Doven since that spring. With her of age, she had to learn how to be the chief and chiefs had to lead. There was no returning home during the active season for them. Dove ruffled Raven’s hair and the teen smiled up at her, receiving a light poke to the nose. “You got here just in time to help me pull everything out.” Raven smiled warmly and nodded, brightening immediately when she saw the cloth in the boiling water. “A pudding! What kind?” Raven was pretty sure she already knew but… Dove poked her nose again and she felt the love radiate from her mother for the first time in nearly three months. “Your favorite, of course.” Raven just nodded as her mother pulled away. With that, she helped set the table, settling with her legs beneath her on the cushion. Dove sat to her left with Qrow to her right. Dove just tutted as she looked at him. “Honestly, Qrow, do you everwash your hair? You look like you just dumped a pot of grease on your head.” She reached over and ruffled his hair a bit. He rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t hide the small, affectionate smile on his face. “Sorry, Mother; it’s just so hard to wash my hair enough during the active season. Not like you would know, though.” Despite the jab, there was no heat to it and Dove just chuckled. Raven could only smile as she filled her plate and started to eat. It felt good to be home after the rough season. She’d missed her mother immensely and no words could describe how happy she was to to be with her whole family again. Fallon came in late and settled down, turning to Dove. “So how many births have there been while I’ve been away?” “Ten, though we lost one of the twins and Masi died shortly after having her little boy.” Raven winced at the revelation. Masi had been one of their most gifted medics, so losing her was a huge blow to the tribe. She’d planned on returning the following active season since her son would be old enough to stay with someone else but with this… Fallon’s expression fell and he nodded. “Her loss is a great one and a huge blow to the tribe. She will be missed by many. May her soul soar free.” Everyone bowed their heads and gave a moment of silence in Mesi’s memory before conversation returned to normal. Crop yields, loss of cattle to predators, and other mundane details floated in and out of Raven’s consciousness as her attention to what Qrow had mentioned. Fallon wanted to ask something of the two of them? What was it? Fear and anxiety orucjked her scalp and she closed her eyes while she ate. She knew she needed to listen to the conversation going on but… A hand on her shoulder made her look over at her brother. He offered a small smile and then glanced at Fallon, his expression begging the topic he was avoiding. The man sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose before putting his bowl down and squaring his shoulders. Calm radiated outward from Dove as she tried to keep things mellow before it even started, but it only put Raven more on edge. Fallon let his hands fall into his lap and he sighed. “Qrow, Raven, this is something I was going to wait about a month to ask, but since it seems Qrow overheard somewhat… On behalf of the tribe, I’d like you two to attend Beacon.” Raven’s silverware clattered to the table as she and her brother exchanged looks. Leave the tribe? Wouldn’t they be exiled if they left for four years ? Nobody had everdone that as far as they knew! A million other protests formed in Raven’s mind, but her hand trembled at the thought of speaking up against her father. “Hunters have become increasingly belligerent over the past ten years. We have strength in numbers, but their advanced weaponry and tactics make it hard for us to fight back at times. I know Haven Academy is closer, but Beacon is said to be the best of the Hunter Academies. We need you to learn from the best, so this is the logical option.” Raven’s lips quivered as she swallowed the protests, knowing Fallon would strike her in private if she did so. She’d already screwed up by checking on Jia over making sure the tribe was settled. She really couldn’t risk angering him further since this was for the good of the tribe. From the look on his face, he dared her to speak up and she knewwhat the consequences would be if she did. So she just nodded and bowed her head, closing her eyes. “Yes, Father; we’ll attend Beacon.” Qrow’s grip on her shoulder tightened and she glanced at him, his pale red eyes sharpened as he looked up at Fallon. She winced from the pressure, but said nothing. “It’s only because you’ve become more belligerent toward Mistral itself. Hunters are paid to keep the kingdoms and surrounding areas safe. Attacking villages unprovoked is going to put everyoneon edge. Yeah, the past five or so winters have been harsh, but that’s hardly justification. You seem to have lost your sense of honor.” Tension crackled in the air between Fallon and Qrow, causing Raven to retreat into Dove’s arms. A gentle, calm warmth swept over the room and attention turned to her. Her red eyes swept the room, making both men settle back into their seats. “Both of you relax. Qrow, you have a point and the elders will meet with your father over the issue in three days. The past few active seasons have been unacceptable. Unfortunately, they’ve already convened and decided that you going to Beacon is the best course of action for you and your sister. Your father agrees, so raising protests won’t do any good.” Dove’s sharp tone left no room for argument. Despite Fallon being feared for his cutthroat tactics, nobody dared cross Dove. Her tongue lashings were worse than any sword strike. Raven shivered and pressed into her mother. She didn’t want to leave the tribe, but it was majority rule. They had no room to argue. Qrow just pushed himself to his feet and stalked out of the room, leaving a a tension in the air despite DOve’s best attempts to clear it out. She kissed Raven’s head and the meal finished in silence until Fallon looked at her. She stiffened and she caught her mother’s eyebrow raise out of the corner of her eyes. “Raven, when you leave, you and your brother will have seven years to return. Beacon will teach you much, but it’s just a school; you’ll need to get field experience. Any time longer than that and you’ll be considered a traitor to the tribe.” Raven nodded, inclining her head down. That seemed like a long time away, but she knew it would pass in the blink of an eye. Plus, with her Semblance, she could return and see her mother, grandmother, Jia, and anybody else on a whim. It wasn’t like she’d be away forever. Thankfully, dinner wrapped up after that and Raven headed to her room. She took down her hair and flipped on her bed, forearm covering her eyes. She sighed, thankful for the mattress after the hard cots for the past six months. What had been a promising day had quickly gone downhill due to yet another one of her poor decisions. She’d wanted to make sure her friend was okay, but she’d neglected and abandoned her tribe despite her responsibilities. She’s almost argued with her father in front of her mother. The rift between her father and brother had grown even wider. A soft knock on her door made her look over and Dove slipped in, bearing a small piece of cake. She sat it on the nightstand and sat next to Raven, pulling her head into her lap. Raven closed her eyes and curled into a ball as her mother threaded her fingers through her hair. “I’m so sorry this is being forced onto you, dearheart. It won’t be forever and you’ll get a perspective that no other tribe member has before.” She kept her voice soft, but Raven could tell she didn’t agree with the decision. Even though she acted as village chief during the active season, Fallon was ultimate sill the chief and the elders had agreed. There was no getting out of this. Raven rolled over onto her stomach, looking up at her mother. “Yeah… I amcurious about the outside world…” She’d been in the trading party two years in a row and it’d finally exposed her to outsiders in a way she wasn’t used to. There were plenty in the tribe, but to actually experience the world more or less on their level was eye opening. She wanted to learn more and this was the perfect opportunity. She just wished it wasn’t like this. Once again, gentle warmth settled over her and she allowed her mother’s Semblance to wash away the worry. She smiled and closed her eyes, glad to be home after so long.