More of a warrior than a mentor

ㅤ It had to happen someday. No matter how far Nahato had distanced himself from the tribe, he was still a part of it. Which meant he couldn't run from his responsibility to raise the next generation. He tried not to think about it, confident that he could cope with guardianship more or less. Most Rufres were born conscientious and inquisitive, perfectly capable of taking care of themselves. They only needed to be guided onto the right path. Nahato looked coldly at the ward he'd been given, unsure what to do or why fate had so disliked him. Terun was cowardly and utterly helpless. 'And how am I supposed to fulfill my duties with such dead weight?' When the ward's fear outweighed his curiosity, it was difficult to command such a unit or explain anything to him. The first thing Nahato had to do was teach him to hide and not run too far. That meant not getting in the way, but also staying within the area where Nahato could protect his ward. 'There's no hope that this nuisance will one day prove helpful in battle…' Nahato thought sadly. But despite all his disappointment, Nahato approached the issue of upbringing with the utmost responsibility, trying in calm times to explain the world and social rules of conduct—which he rarely had to resort to—as clearly as possible. Terun rarely had questions. 'Afraid to ask?' Nahato worried at first, while Terun merely nodded his head in response to all his questions, not saying a word. Nahato's aura of strength, both in will and in body, weighed heavily on Terun. In the village where Terun was born, he had never seen anyone like him. All the tribe members seemed kind and friendly, smiling, genuinely happy to see him. Nahato never smiled once… Terun watched his mentor closely from the sidelines. He learned to notice what Nahato never told him: how difficult it was for him. How he poured everything he had into battle, into protecting the tribe and the people, ignorant of the danger nightmares could bring. Nahato never complained. Terun didn't either. It wasn't fear that made him hesitate to speak. He didn't dare… After all, Nahato had it harder. Partly because of Terun's presence. So Terun slowly began learning the skills of a dreamcatcher. He became inspired to become as strong as Nahato. "Please teach me!" he finally decided to ask. Nahato assessed him with a glance. Then he exhaled and turned away. "You're not ready yet," he said calmly. "But…!" "But you're already independent enough to live with the others." Terun froze. Nahato seemed to be pushing him away. After all, Terun was bothering him… One thing reassured him: there was no irritation in his voice, nor any dark feelings. Not even fatigue. On the contrary, Terun heard concern. Nahato believed Terun would be better off in the town. "Okay…" Terun resigned himself. He didn't want to be a burden anymore. But he firmly decided that he would do everything possible to become as strong a dreamcatcher as his mentor! After all, he had the best. ㅤ