The Strength of the Heart
By: Kuroyami Fukaikuro
Author's Note: Happy Valentines Day!
The sun beat down on your face as you lay in the dirt. Your muscles ached with exhaustion, and your bones ached from all the hits you'd taken in the last spar. And even then, you knew that this ache wouldn't even compare to the pain you'd feel in a few hours, once the adrenaline wore off.
"Hey."
You heard a voice call out to you. You knew that not answering immediately would have repercussions, but you were so sore, you thought maybe it'd be fine if you rested a second longer-
"I said 'Hey', you fucking parasite!"
Your skull flashed with pain as something – probably one of the wooden sparring swords – smacked against it, bouncing off behind you. Wincing, you forced your eyes open and sat up to look at the man who had commanded you.
Corvo Branwen, chief of the Branwen Tribe, glared at you through his thick eyebrows. Qrow and Raven, his two children, stood behind him. They were a year younger than you, but their combat skill surpassed your own long ago.
Qrow, your best friend, offered you an apologetic expression, knowing full well he couldn't do or say anything to change how you were treated. Raven, on the other hand, merely turned her nose up in scorn. In her eyes, your treatment was simply the result of you being too weak to demand better.
For some reason, it hurt even more knowing that Raven thought less of you.
Mustering all the strength you had left, you forced yourself up – wincing a bit as you placed weight on your left leg, the recipient of a rather harsh hit from Raven – and bowed low to your master.
"I apologithe, thir," you began, before realizing that you had taken perhaps one too many hits to the head, affecting your speech. You coughed and tried again. "Excuse me. I apologize for keeping you waiting, sir."
"You had better be, leech. Would you care to explain the colossal fuck-up that was your ability in the last match?"
"Simply put, sir, your children are far stronger than I-"
"Well of course they're stronger than you, you fucking troglodyte. That wasn't my question. My question is this – why are you so fucking weak?"
"I- I don't know, sir."
"You don't know? You don't know!? You've been training longer than either of my children, leech. Longer, harder, and I know for a fact you've fought better opponents than them. So why are you so pathetic when you face them?"
"I- perhaps I lack the same level of talent as-"
Faster than you could perceive, Corvo approached you and delivered a backhand that sent you flying. You landed hard in the dirt, before once again rallying your strength and standing up – you knew that in this camp, staying down would make things worse.
"Don't you talk to me about talent, you scum. Talent is nothing more than the excuse that the weak, uninspired, or undisciplined use to try and justify their own worthlessness in the face of their betters. It is the lazy man's explanation for a lack of results. Try again."
As you struggled to gather your words, he sighed and said, "Qrow, Raven, you're dismissed."
"Sir," the two replied, and then set off silently. Once they had gotten a few steps away, however, Qrow couldn't contain himself any longer and began joking with his sister, who offered a quip back of her own every now and again.
Once they had left the training area, he looked down at you, and his tone changed.
"Look, kid, you're better than this. We both know that. You haven't earned your place at Qrow's side for nothing, especially since you don't have your Aura awakened. So be straight with me. What's going on? Normally, I wouldn't care, but… since it's affecting your combat ability, I need to know."
Knowing that you'd be here all night until he got a satisfactory answer, and knowing that trying to hide the truth would just create more problems, you decided to come clean.
"Well, sir… The thing is, when I face off against Raven- that is, your daughter-"
"Yes, Raven is indeed my daughter, now get on with it, boy."
"Well, I tend to- freeze up, against her. When I look into her face to try and read her, I just- I get stunned. I don't know why."
Corvo was silent for a few moments as he processed what you had said, and it appeared as though a revelation had struck him. He sighed, before nodding slowly, an incredulous expression on his face.
However, you were still facing off against the strongest man you'd ever known.
"Look me in the eyes, kid."
After a few moments of hesitation, you did so, only to avert your gaze after a mere moment. Looking him in the eyes was probably the most frightening thing you'd ever done, even if it was by his own command.
Corvo sighed. "How old are you?"
"Fourteen, soon to be fifteen, sir."
"And you weren't informed about-? Right, of course not." With another sigh, Corvo rubbed his face with his hand as he thought about the situation. When he finished thinking, he continued. "Okay, here's the thing. Go talk to Old Lady Penarddun, and ask her to explain- ugh, ask her about puberty, sex, and childbirth."
You blinked. "What are-"
"I said ask her!" He roared.
With a bow, you scurried off to ask Old Lady Pernaddun about the subjects your master had described, limping a little on your left leg. As you did so, you thought you could almost hear Corvo say, "Thank the Good Brother I don't have to deal with that…"
Well.
Your conversation – and subsequent lecture – from Old Lady Pernaddun had been… enlightening, to say the least.
Who knew childbirth was such a horrifying experience?
Also, you apparently had a crush on Raven Branwen? You weren't sure if that was the right idea, but then again, this was an entirely new feeling for you, and the elders had never steered you wrong before.
Still, with this knowledge in hand, you could work past this mental weakness, and finally claim victory against the Chief's children!
"Hi-yah!"
"Huuuuu-"
On pure instinct, you desperately sucked in air to replace what your lungs had lost from Raven's last strike. As you heaved on the ground, however, she offered you no respite, getting behind you and locking her arms around your neck, choking you out.
In your last moments of consciousness, you couldn't help but feel oddly good about the sensation of Raven choking you.
…
You awoke later, in your small tent outside of the significantly larger tent that belonged to Qrow Branwen. That had been your tent's position for the past few years, since you'd bested the last tribe member appointed as Qrow's bodyguard. As you regained consciousness, you looked out to Qrow's tent and contemplated your job.
You enjoyed the position. For one, it kept you close to your best friend. On the other hand, guarding the Chief's child gave you a certain level of prestige among the tribe that someone of your age wouldn't normally receive.
Sometimes, you even got to eat food with the Chief's family. And they always got the best stuff. Fresh meat, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and fresh milk- hell, sometimes Qrow would even share his stock of soda with you.
Of course, serving as Qrow's bodyguard wasn't all fun and games. The position was prestigious, yes, but the work you had to do to keep it was equivalent to its benefits. In fact, considering how little danger Qrow was in on a regular basis, it would be more apt to describe your position as his butler, really. Most often, your duties consisted of cleaning up his tent and training with him to make sure his strength was up to the Chief's standards.
Considering your recent string of losses to both Qrow and Raven in tandem, you felt that their strength was sufficient. And since the Chief had not stripped your position from you, you were probably fine on that point.
Still though, you couldn't help but wonder why Raven didn't have her own 'bodyguard' protecting her tent. It wasn't a matter of being strong enough to not warrant one – even the Chief, strongest of the tribe, had his own guard. Though, in his case, it was more like the second-in-command having their own place next to the Chief's tent.
No, in Raven's case it was an issue of socializing with others that caused her diversion from the norm.
You weren't sure if it was your 'crush' on Raven making you think this, but you thought that maybe, if you worked harder, and got strong enough to beat Raven, she might then accept you as her guard.
Some part of you thought that that was arrogant, but… no one else seemed to meet her requirements, and as far as strength went, you were top of the list outside of the Chief's family, so it wasn't like anyone else was going to get the position.
Considering that she was Corvo's favorite, and the one most likely to inherit the title of Chief, she needed a good bodyguard.
A good second-in-command…
A few years had passed, and you were no closer to beating Raven. You'd grown much stronger, however, to the point that you even beat Qrow sometimes. Occasionally.
…
One out of every three fights. It was still better than everyone else in the tribe. Well, everyone whose last name wasn't 'Branwen'.
And you hadn't just gotten better as a fighter, either. In your desire to prove yourself to Corvo, and prove your potential worth as a second-in-command to Raven, you'd strived for new heights as an intellectual, as well. Whenever the tribe raided a village, you grabbed every book you could on every topic imaginable. You read books on philosophy, economics, psychology, military science, mathematics, Dust chemistry, the natural sciences, religion and mythology, classical literature, even contemporary novels and popular fiction. You considered nothing to be beneath your time. You read whenever you could – whenever you weren't training or working, you were reading.
While your efforts went unnoticed by Raven, you hadn't worked in vain. Corvo had noticed your increased intelligence, and occasionally discussed various scenarios with you regarding problem solving within the tribe as well as presenting you with combat scenarios that he expected you to work through, involving the whole tribe.
He was exceptionally impressed whenever you solved a problem without the direct use of force on the intended target. Some members of the tribe would consider that sort of thinking to be the philosophy of the weak, but Corvo, and his second-in-command, were smart enough to see the value in your suggestions.
Your proudest hypothetical solution was to bypass the issue of Grimm showing up during a raid by sending a smaller strike team to another village. That smaller raiding party would cause some sort of disaster – you recommended a series of fires set upon buildings of importance, such as the village doctor, town hall, school, or other such place. The negativity spawned from this would attract the Grimm to that village – away from the village the tribe would raid an hour or so later, when the strike team had returned. Furthermore, by strategically choosing the targets for the strike team's arson (to say nothing of the ensuing Grimm attack), the team would weaken the other village such that the tribe could raid them later for much less effort.
Eventually, he began including you in the strategy meetings involving the Chief, his second-in-command, and the Elders.
Walking into that tent for the first time was the proudest moment of your whole life at that moment.
Walking out, followed by the Chief and his advisors congratulating your insight, and seeing Qrow and Raven's shocked faces?
Priceless.
…
Speaking of Qrow and Raven, you'd gotten closer to them in the past few years. After the incident with the elders, Qrow started treating you with more respect. Not that he disrespected you before. It was just that now, your suggestions and advice carried actual weight when talking with him.
Raven, for her part, actually began associating with you publicly among the tribe – which was a shock for the tribe as a whole, not just you. Although, unlike your friendship with Qrow, the time you spent with Raven could technically be construed as 'training' as opposed to 'friends hanging out'. From chess, to Atlesian Squad Leader, to other strategy and tactics games, as well as puzzles, IQ tests, and philosophical debates, Raven had taken to challenging you intellectually, not just in the training ring.
Thankfully, while Raven was still undefeated in combat, you couldn't help but be proud of the fact that you had never lost to her in any of your mentally focused duels.
All the time you spent with Raven also allowed you to really, actually get to know her better. Up until this point, the most she'd ever said to you was the occasional taunt or criticism during your spars.
Now, though? You'd learned that she was so much more than a strong warrior with a beautiful face.
She was the strongest warrior with a beautiful face you'd ever met, who was also the scariest woman you'd ever known. In all likelihood, you'd probably never meet another woman who surpassed Raven in any of these qualities.
And yet, your fear of her wasn't the sort of fear one had for, say, a Grimm. It was the sort of fear founded on respect- respect for her strength, intellect, and personality.
You first felt that fear one night, about a year after your first talks with Corvo and Old Lady Pernaddun about your crush on Raven. You were playing chess, and idly discussing the value of the game as a method to teach strategy.
"All I'm saying," Raven stated, positioning her knight to threaten both your queen and bishop, "is that chess is completely outdated as a method to teach combat strategy or tactics. Strategy has evolved since the olden days of lining up troops on a battlefield and then sending them crashing into each other in turns until one side wins."
"I agree with you that true combat strategy has evolved, and will continue to evolve as time goes on. However," you argued, moving your queen to threaten her rook diagonally, "the game still has value in introducing people to basic strategic concepts."
"How so? Real combat is nothing like this. Here we sit, tyrants with absolute power, waging a war without logistical concerns."
Her knight takes white bishop.
"We don't have to worry about a coup or spies, or for the enemy to discover our plans."
Your pawn takes knight.
"We take turns to order one unit at a time, making them move with predetermined patterns, on flat, unvaried terrain with no environmental concerns."
Her Queen's black bishop checks king.
"The units all have set strengths and weaknesses, and yet no unit is definitively stronger than the other in a combative sense, since any unit can capture any other unit-"
Your King's rook takes black bishop and checks king.
"-with the exception of two units, and arguably the most egregious example, considering all the times in history where leaders have faced off against each other… Kings can't capture kings."
Her Queen's rook takes rook.
You looked at the board. You were a rook down, a bishop down, and out of knights. On the other hand, you still had your Queen and the remaining pawns. Your diagonal threat potential was limited to the black squares thanks to your black bishop, and you still had your leftover rook since you decided not to castle early in the game. On Raven's side, she still had both of her rooks, though she had lost both of her bishops and one knight. She had lost her Queen early in the game thanks to the sacrifice of one of your knights.
It wasn't looking good for you, all things considered, but… With the slightest bit of misdirection, you might be able to-
"Well? Say something."
Oh, right. You were debating, too.
Your rook moved up to threaten her knight.
"Look Raven, I'm not arguing that chess is a realistic depiction of combat."
Her knight countered, threatening both your rook and Queen, this time. "So what are you arguing?"
"I'm arguing that chess still has value as a method for teaching strategy. Even if it's not a one-to-one comparison. Through chess, one can learn-" Your bishop moved up and threatened both of her rooks.
"-to balance the difference between strategy and tactics;" her knight took your queen.
"-to balance offensive and defensive maneuvers;" your bishop took her forward-most rook.
"-how to effectively manage units with specific strengths and weaknesses;" her knight moved to threaten your rook once more.
"-basic unit formation, and the strengths and weaknesses of formations;" your bishop moved up a few spaces to protect your rook and set up your checkmate.
"-the importance of keeping an eye on the entire battlefield and not focusing on one specific section;" as though reminded by your words, she moved her last rook to threaten the area near your king.
"-and the significance of tricking and outmaneuvering your opponent," you smirked, moving your rook up to trap her king behind some pawns. "Checkmate. Oh, and all that on a time limit, if you play speed chess."
Raven stared at the board, flabbergasted by the turnaround, before looking up and glaring at you. "That was cheap," she growled.
You chuckled. "Of course it was cheap. That's the point of strategy and tactics – to outwit your opponent, and achieve the easiest victory possible. And chess is perfectly capable of teaching such things."
"…Fine, I'll concede on that point. Still, relying on strategy and trickery to solve all your problems will leave you weak. And the tribe doesn't need weak members. We need our fighters strong."
"I'm not saying to just stop training or growing strong, Raven. No matter how good a strategy is, it still needs people strong enough to put it into action."
She nodded, satisfied. "Good. No matter how smart you are, that intelligence is worth nothing if you don't have the strength to back it up."
"Strength isn't everything, Raven."
She stared at you, as though she couldn't comprehend what you'd just said. To be fair, what you'd said basically counted as blasphemy in this tribe.
"…Explain yourself."
"All things considered, I'm probably the most learned person in the tribe, if not the most experienced or wise." While a boast, what you said was true- even Raven, Qrow or Corvo didn't study as much as you. "And something I've come to realize is that strength – or, more accurately, combat ability – is just a subset of Power. It's Power that really matters, but it has many more aspects than just combat ability. Intelligence, charisma, the wisdom of experience, varied skills like medicine or cooking ability, wealth and resources, all sorts of different things can tip the scales in a conflict between two or more parties. Combat ability is, naturally, the most important, but even the strongest Huntsman can lose to a common criminal if they've been poisoned, or haven't eaten in a week. All sorts of factors affect the outcome of a conflict, and Power is something that all the parties involved can control for their own side – and they can negate the Power of the other parties through sound strategy."
"Hmph. Logically, you're correct, but you've neglected a single weakness in your argument. In fact, you said it yourself."
"What was it?"
"'Combat ability is, naturally, the most important.' Your own words. And they're true. The most intelligent scientist cannot improve his country's weaponry if he dies in a firefight. The wisest, most charismatic politicians or elders cannot maintain control of their people if they die to assassins. The wealthiest businessman cannot change a thing if he cannot protect himself, and hired help is hardly an effective replacement for one's own strength. The greatest strategist in the world will fall if does not have the strength to put his plans into action. Combat strength is not merely an aspect of power. Combat strength is the foundation of all other forms of power."
"So what? Might makes right, and all that?"
"Well yes, dumbass. Of course might makes right, especially out here. But even in the Kingdoms it's like that. After all, what's the point of laws without people who enforce them? If there weren't Huntsmen and Huntresses and cops, then there'd probably be way more crime in the Kingdoms."
"I suppose, then, that that puts us even above the Kingdoms, since we operate outside their laws?"
Raven paused, considering your question, before shaking her head. "No. Realistically, if any of the Kingdoms devoted just a bit of time to wiping us out, we'd probably be gone in a matter of weeks, maybe even a few days if Huntsmen got involved. We're not strong enough to match a Kingdom… not yet."
"Yet?"
"If we're too weak to face off with a Kingdom, then we just need to get strong enough to do so. We just need to seek greater power, greater heights, until no one can deny that we are their equals. No, their superiors!" Raven stood up, eyes upward as she gazed at the peaks of power, resting upon mountains so grand, you couldn't even begin to comprehend their bases.
"You're talking about… Establishing the Branwen Tribe as an independent nation!"
Raven looked down at you. She grinned, her mouth split wider in an expression you'd never seen on her face before.
She was beautiful.
"Exactly. But it's not going to be easy. Like I said, it starts with strength… which is why Qrow and I are going to attend Beacon Academy."
You blinked. "What?"
"If we're going to grow as a tribe, and then a nation, we need to be able to compete on the world stage. And that means being able to compete with Huntsmen. Father might be strong enough to match a few student Huntsmen, but full-fledged Huntsmen are too strong for him. Which is why we're going to study their ways, how they fight and think… as well as their weaknesses."
"A sound plan… I guess I'll have to pack my bags, then-"
"You're not coming with us."
You looked up at her. "What?"
She breathed in, uncertain, as if deciding whether to let you down harshly or kindly.
Raven being Raven, she decided to be harsh.
"You're too weak. You can't even beat Qrow or me individually- what makes you think you could match Huntsmen students?"
"I can get stronger!" you roared, standing up and glaring at her. "Even if I'll never be as strong as you or Qrow… I can settle for third place. Being the third strongest person in the world doesn't sound so bad."
Raven shook her head. "The fact that you're willing to settle proves that you can't come. But… I suppose it wouldn't do for me to lose access to my greatest intellectual challenger for four years."
"Well, you won't, since you can just use your Semblance to visit the Tribe whenever you like, through your Father."
"Yes, but I might need something more immediate than that."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, would you just come here?"
She grabbed your hands and held them together with hers. The contact made you feel immensely awkward and aware of yourself, and thankfully Raven had closed her eyes to focus better, or she'd have witnessed you shiver and shake from the contact.
"For it is through force that we seize immortality. Through this, we become paragons of power and will to surpass all others. Infinite in potential and unfettered by struggles, I release your soul, and with my hands, grant thee strength."
In an instant, a power you couldn't comprehend flooded through you. It spread from Raven's hands into you, filling you with strength and making you aware of your senses in ways you hadn't thought possible. After a moment, you understood what she'd done.
She'd awoken your Aura.
"Raven… Does Corvo-?"
"No, I didn't tell my father I was going to do this. I just know I'm going to get an earful for it… But it's necessary. Without Aura, my Semblance won't work with you."
"You already understand it that well?"
"It's not too useful, as far as combat goes, but I prefer it that way, honestly. It means that all my strength is something I will have earned. Anyways, my Semblance allows me to create a portal to people I have a bond with, or at least that's how the Elders explained it. Really, I just have to connect my Aura with someone else's, and set them as a sort of anchor point."
"So basically, now you can just… hop through a portal to wherever I am, whenever you feel like it?"
She smirked. "Basically! Try not to get into any embarrassing situations, or I'll know- and you'd better believe Qrow will find out, too."
Huh. She was teasing you. That was new. It felt oddly good, though- or perhaps it was the realization that she teased you because she felt comfortable around you in a way no one else made her feel.
You'd strive to keep up with her standards. If not for your strengthening feelings, then for the sake of the tribe, once she returned.
It was the eve of Qrow and Raven's journey to leave the tribe. You faced off against Raven in the training ring.
Corvo was not happy that Raven had awoken your Aura. Or at least, he wasn't happy that she hadn't asked for his permission beforehand. As it was, he was more than happy to have another skilled warrior serving the tribe with their Aura awakened.
And you were glad to have it- you were faster and stronger than you'd ever thought you could be. Now, your enhanced senses could actually keep track of Raven's movements- to an extent. She had had her Aura for longer than you, and she was much more experienced with its effects, uses, and limitations.
Quick as a flash, she struck you with her sword. You managed to block it, but with your newfound enhanced strength, you accidentally overstepped, and Raven took advantage of your opening. With ease, she stepped into your guard before throwing you to the ground and holding the tip of her blade above your throat.
"…I yield."
Corvo sighed as Raven silently sheathed her sword before helping you up. Qrow was astonished both by the fact that Raven was helping someone, and by the fact that that someone was you, and proceeded to drop his jaw on the floor.
Corvo pointedly ignored the change in his daughter's behavior in order to better critique you.
"You're definitely stronger and faster than before, thanks to the Aura. With time, you'll only improve. However, it seems like we're going to have to start from square one with you. Until you can fully control your body's enhanced physical abilities, I forbid you from sparring within the tribe. Fighting outsiders is still acceptable, of course, but until you have proper control over your new strength and speed, I won't risk harm coming to another tribe member. Understood?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Begin a physical training regimen tomorrow, and report to me once you feel you've achieved control of yourself. Until then, however… Qrow. You haven't fought them yet, and it's your last chance before you leave for Beacon. As for you, get up. Qrow can take a hit, so don't hold back, even with your Aura active."
"Ugh… Ready when you are, Qrow."
"Uh, you sure? You look pretty beat."
"Funny time to start feeling merciful, man. Me looking pretty beat's never stopped you from cutting me to shreds before, and that was when I didn't have Aura to protect me."
"Fair enough." With a cry, he launched himself at you.
Still sore and tired from your last bout, your body was slow to react. Regardless, you forced yourself to keep pace, maintaining a defensive stance with your weapon and blocking or dodging Qrow's attacks, waiting for an opening in his defenses.
It finally came when he decided that he wanted to finish the fight with his weapon in its altered form. Since he and Raven were going to Beacon, Corvo had paid an underworld weapon smith an incredible amount of Lien to create custom weapons for them. Raven had simply asked for a sword that could switch out different types of Dust blades, as well as one regular steel blade as a backup. Qrow had requested a great-sword that could become a scythe, with a shotgun somewhere in the mechanism.
While it would no doubt be powerful and deadly once he mastered its use, Qrow was still a much better swordsman than scythe-wielder. While his weapon's altered form had much better range than your sword, he tended to swing further than he should, leaving him open for-
"Hyaa!"
-a quick strike past his defenses. Though, his toughness wasn't for nothing- it took quite a few hits before he went down, and you won.
"Damn!" Qrow groaned. "That's a downer. The day before I leave, and you start to catch up on our score."
"Ah, quit whining, you big baby. By the time you come back with all your fancy Huntsman knowledge, I bet you'll be able to kick my ass up and down the road."
"Heh. True enough. You'd better train hard, if you wanna keep up."
"Didn't need you to tell me that. If anything, I'll have more free time for training since I won't be attending classes- so I guess I'll finally be able to close the distance in our skills."
"In your dreams!"
With a laugh, you helped him up from the ground. You spent the remainder of your evening talking with Qrow, to make sure you used up what time you had left.
After Raven and Qrow left for Beacon, you didn't hear from them for six months, until they returned from the end of the first year. Officially, at least. As it was, Raven occasionally took time off to visit you, only occasionally bringing her brother along for the ride. She tried to avoid letting her father see her whenever she did this- after all, she would seem weak if the tribe saw her as being lonely or homesick.
In any case, she came back every few weeks to visit you. Primarily, her purpose was to challenge you to games of strategy or skill, as usual, but now she also began comparing the knowledge she was learning at Beacon to what you knew- and, to your displeasure, she occasionally tutored you on subjects taught at Beacon, like Huntsman laws and legal procedure.
You thought about your displeasure- why was it that being taught by Raven was bad? Surely the fact that she was superior to you was nothing new. Was it then that she was, for lack of a better word, surpassing you in knowledge as well?
You'd have to work hard to keep up, and training and studying within the tribe was no longer conducive to your growth.
So, about two months after Raven and Qrow left for Beacon, you approached Corvo Branwen with a request.
When he granted you a private audience, you immediately knelt down and bowed your head such that it was touching the ground, before voicing your desire.
"With your permission, sir, I'd like to leave the Branwen camp temporarily and study at a civilian institution in the Mistral capital."
"Granted."
You almost snapped your neck with how quickly you raised your head to look at him. "What?"
"Do I need to repeat myself?"
"N-no, sir, it's just… I had expected to have to argue the benefits of my doing so, in order to convince you. I didn't expect you to grant your permission so easily."
"If you were anyone else in the tribe, I'd probably have said no," he stood, taking a swig from his hip flask before continuing. "However, you've consistently proven that you excel at intellectual and academic studies. You're probably the most brilliant mind our tribe has ever produced. To be frank, you're smarter than even myself and my second. But I know better than most people what it's like to hit an insurmountable wall… to find yourself facing your limits, with no way of knowing how to overcome them."
He coughed.
"In any case, you'd just stagnate here in the tribe without any way to improve. So go. Listen well, study hard, and come back better able to serve the tribe. Just don't major in something stupid like, what do they call 'em, the fine arts, okay? I'm allowing this with the idea that you'll learn something useful. Oh, and your time limit is five years. If you aren't back in that time, I'll send someone to get you. Hell, I'll send Raven to get you."
You nodded. "Of course, sir. I'll prepare my belongings and leave immediately." As you stood up and turned, you stopped when Corvo called out to you. You turned back in time to catch a bag that he threw to you, and you were surprised by its weight. When you opened the bag, you were shocked to discover that it was filled with Lien.
"S-sir?"
"Consider it a going-away present. You're gonna need some cash to pay for an apartment or something, won't you?"
You bowed low before exiting the tent.
…
It was hard going, getting settled in Mistral. As it turns out, regardless of your intelligence, few people will willingly associate with a member of a bandit tribe, and fewer still will allow you to rent space from them.
Still, you had been taught well by the tribe, and it wasn't long before you made contact with a small – but growing – underworld group- the Spiders. Their leader was an odd, enigmatic young woman, but you quickly made a deal- in exchange for the occasional bit of work 'enforcing agreements', then she'd allow you a free space to live in. They were even willing to provide a false identity and false credentials with which to apply to your institution of choice, free of charge!
Apparently, being from the Branwen tribe goes far in Mistral.
Still, you weren't one to slack off just because you were getting free stuff. You had left the tribe with one goal in mind, and so you would accomplish it.
With the false credentials provided by the Spiders, you quickly got to work applying to a civilian institution. You attended classes as a full-time student, quickly working your way through multiple curriculums due to your intense work ethic and the fact that you took classes all through the year, refusing to take winter or summer breaks like the civilian students would. It also certainly helped that you took a few online classes once you had purchased a computer with which to do so.
Within a year, you had accomplished several associates' degrees for subjects that you considered somewhat useful, but not worth studying seriously- philosophy, sports and health science, and paralegal studies.
In that time, Raven visited you twice – the first time, she was shocked to discover that you had left the tribe. However, when you fully explained yourself, she approved, and recommended a few fields of study that she felt would be useful in achieving the long term goal she had envisioned.
With her recommendations in mind, you chose to work on degrees in history and economics, while also taking the occasional course on political science, sociology, and psychology. In your free time, you also studied medicinal knowledge, learning from underworld doctors; the tribe was very far behind in terms of medical treatments, to the point that they still used herb poultices and such to treat sickness and injury. And while such things did work – to an extent – you felt that by combining traditional knowledge with modern medicine, you could greatly improve the quality of life for your fellow tribesmen and women, which would in turn improve their combat ability.
You had taken your discussion with Raven to heart.
Over the next four years, while Raven and Qrow studied at Beacon, you toiled diligently for their sake, and for the tribe's sake. In that time, to your dismay, while you never abandoned your goals, and even sent messages to the tribe via scroll, Raven and Qrow became more and more… distant. Not only did they gradually visit you less and less, but even in how they conversed with you, there started to appear a sense of misunderstanding, as though you constantly looked at the same subjects from two different angles, unable to comprehend the other's position.
You started to notice a trend in conversation when speaking with them. At first, you spoke about the tribe, and the tribe's plans for the future, but over time, they spoke more and more about their team at Beacon.
Team STRQ, headed by Summer Rose. Based on their descriptions, she seemed like a naïve, and yet, genuine young woman. Someone who truly believed that with enough effort, all the problems in the world could be met with a peaceful resolution. And yet, something about her had changed both Raven and Qrow. It was clear from the way they spoke about her. You just couldn't pinpoint what, exactly, had changed.
Their other new companion was a man, Taiyang Xiao Long. Qrow seemed to have found a second rival in him, one that actually equaled him in combat better than you ever had.
Though you knew well that you were weaker than them, you couldn't help but feel disheartened by this development. Even with your work as an enforcer for the Spiders and your own training, you were nowhere near as strong as Raven and Qrow were quickly becoming thanks to whatever training they were receiving at Beacon.
Still, you were determined in your endeavors. After all, you weren't only doing this for yourself. You were doing this for the tribe, which you loved.
Speaking of love…
With Raven's growing absence, your youthful feelings for her had waned, somewhat. Deep in your heart, some part of you still wished to be with her, but- the tribe came first, and she seemed to be increasingly distancing herself from them.
If your knowledge of her school life was anything to go by, she seemed to have feelings for her teammate, Taiyang. Though much like you in your youth, she took quite some time to come to terms with them.
In any case, you felt that you could move on, somewhat. In your free time, you tried to explore your capacity with romance, even successfully bedding a few partners. However, none of them truly impressed you, and so in time you eventually ended your relationships with them.
Eventually, after three more years of non-stop work, you managed to graduate from the civilian institution with bachelor's degrees in military history and economics, with minors in political science and sociology. With a great deal of pride in your heart, you strode across a wide stage and received your diplomas, retiring that night to celebrate with the Spiders, who had come out (in civilian clothes) to congratulate you.
They were immensely grateful for your service to their cause, and, knowing that you had planned to leave, were sad to see you go. Or, at the very least, they were sad to lose one of the strongest enforcers they had.
In any case, you made your way back to the tribe, fully expecting to put your knowledge to good use to better your family member's lives.
Your return to the tribe was a momentous occasion. A feast was held in your honor, as you celebrated with your adopted family late into the night – and then into the next week. After all, this was a first – the first time a member of the tribe had left to pursue higher education, and return even more successful than they had originally estimated you to be.
Once the celebrations were over, however, you got to work. Shoring up defenses, balancing accounts, adjusting training regimens, altering raid protocols, and changing medical procedure – you initiated multiple reforms to the tribe's methodology, in an effort to improve your family's living situations, and make the tribe stronger.
Corvo was enormously pleased with these improvements, and granted you special privileges and a stable position for your work. He praised your growth in power, and privately expressed that he would put in a good word with Raven, who he decided would be his heir to the title of chief.
Things went well, for a few months.
Until Raven and Qrow graduated from Beacon, and decided not to return to the tribe.
It wasn't immediately apparent, of course. Corvo held faith in his children, insisting that they would come back, but that they were just completing some missions in order to gain more strength and experience.
But as the months dragged on, it became increasingly clear that Raven and Qrow were not going to come back to the tribe.
As the months turned into half a year, Corvo grew increasingly distressed with the knowledge that his children had abandoned the tribe, and fell into a depression.
Eventually, pushed beyond the breaking point, Corvo announced his retirement and named you his successor, as the only one he deemed capable enough to pick up where he left off.
Naturally, your first act as chief was to officially declare your superiority in the traditional Branwen manner.
By killing Corvo Branwen.
It was a private affair. Most of the tribe expected the result as soon as Corvo announced his retirement.
He barely put up a fight. After everything he had done, to know that the children he so loved had abandoned their family – he was defeated long before the fight began.
Once you had finished with him, you performed his last rites personally, in the traditional Branwen manner – a sky burial.
As you looked down on the Branwen tribe from atop Mount Binogi, you laid Corvo's naked body out, all his possessions stripped from him, and watched silently as he was returned to the birds from whence the tribe was descended… or so the legend went.
In any case, even as you watched serenely, your mind was racing with possibilities and plans. The tribe was yours, now, and while people would no doubt spend the next few weeks obeying you without question, thanks to Corvo's recommendation, you would need to show serious results if you wanted.
You would rest for tonight, but come tomorrow…
You would have to get to work.
The next months passed in a blur. You enacted change after change, and while some in the tribe felt that you were changing too much, they eventually settled down when your changes led to improved circumstances for the family.
Unfortunately, you ultimately threw the tribe into chaos again when you decided to adopt a child. She was young, hardly ten years old, and a victim of one of your raids – in that the tribe had burned down the orphanage she lived in by accident.
You made sure to punish that bumble fuck with a thorough refresher lecture on the tribe's new assault protocols and tactics involving fire, as well as two years of latrine duty.
As for the girl, she impressed you when you set out to stop the fire. She had been the sole survivor of the fire, and attacked you specifically on sight.
You rebuffed her rather easily, of course, but you respected her bravery and grew curious about her.
"Girl," you asked, "why did you attack me?"
She said, "Because your people set my home – what little I had – on fire. And I knew you were the leader because you were telling the others what to do, so I thought if I could beat you, then they'd all go away."
"I see. You were correct in deducing that I was in charge, but you were foolish to think my tribe would leave if you killed me. They would simply go on a rampage and kill you, and do who knows what to your fellows in retaliation."
Her eyes widened. Clearly, she had not expected that answer. To be fair, the most she probably understood of situations like this is what she'd read in whatever passed for a library in the orphanage.
"In any case, you have guts for trying to attack me, girl. Even if you had succeeded, I have to ask… What did you think would happen to you once we had left? Do you think the town would be thankful and perhaps a couple would adopt you?"
"No!" She shook her head forcefully. "No, I'm… I'm not that naïve. If it had succeeded, I know I'd probably be passed on to another orphanage in another village, or something."
You nodded. It was a common result, and one reason you began enforcing a protocol banning the assault and destruction of certain locations – orphanages and medical institutions mostly.
In any case, you felt sufficiently impressed by the girl's display of bravery and intelligence, and so made your offer.
"Girl. Would you like to come with us?"
"What?"
"I won't repeat myself. Simply know that I am offering you an alternative to another orphanage."
"But why?"
"Because you have impressed me, and I am curious as to how you might develop with proper training and education. Make your decision quickly, however, for this offer will not last for long-"
"I accept!"
You looked down at her. She had jumped up and was looking at you intently.
"Understood. Welcome to the Branwen tribe, girl."
"I have a name."
"Not now, you don't. Not until you earn it. Until you do, you are nothing more than a common girl, and so that is what you will be called." You turned around. "In this tribe, the strong survive, the weak die, and everything is earned, not given. You'd best stay sharp and disciplined if you want to last long amongst us."
"Thank you."
"You're not put off by that? Interesting. Well, come along then."
The girl's presence was a surprise to many in the tribe. It wasn't often that the tribe accepted outsiders into its ranks. In fact, the last time it knowingly did so was with your parents.
In any case, you had warned her, and she seemed to be rather talented for one her age. She kept to the training regimen you prescribed for her, and diligently studied whatever you decided she should learn.
Of course, you had to teach and train her yourself, in your own free time. She was your responsibility, after all.
Eventually, however, she truly earned her place in the tribe when another child challenged her and was summarily beaten, thanks to your teachings.
In the aftermath, you decided that she had earned her name, and asked her what the tribe should call her.
Without missing a beat, she announced the name that the tribe had forced her to hold back all this time.
"Call me Vernal."
Things continued normally for another few months. The tribes-people got healthier and stronger, collected more capital and better weapons, and began to grow as you even started to assimilate small villages who no longer wished to be taxed unfairly by the Mistral government.
Vernal grew stronger and smarter under your tutelage, to the point that you started allowing her to teach the younger tribe's children by herself, both in combat and academics.
And then everything went to shit when Raven came back.
It was late one night, when most of the tribe had gone to sleep, save yourself and the exterior sentries. You were finishing up a basic plan for a new training regimen when you heard a tearing noise behind you, and then a rush of wind as a portal connected your locations.
You turned your chair around and looked at her, a bored expression on your face, as though you'd been expecting this meeting.
"Well. Never thought I'd see you again, Raven."
It was an act, of course. Inwardly, you were a hurricane of emotions. Surprise, anger, joy, and deep down inside of you, the last embers of your love for her began to grow hot once more.
At the forefront of those emotions, of course, was fear.
Oh shit oh fuck, what's she doing back here, by the brothers I thought she'd given up on the tribe oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck-
"I… I've been busy."
Okay, so she's uncertain too. Calm down, just see what she wants.
"That's for sure. It's been what… two, three years since we last met? And even longer since you've talked to anyone in the tribe?"
"I-"
"Why are you here, Raven?"
She looked down for a moment before looking back up at you. She was crying, something you'd never seen before.
You hated it. Raven was strong, steadfast, invulnerable, implacable. She'd never cried, groaned, or given any indication of pain or weakness before.
You wanted it to stop; you wanted to make it stop, no matter what it took, to make her feel better-
Ah, shit, you realized. I do still love her. This could be a problem.
"I need… I need to get away. From Taiyang, and Summer, and Qrow, and Oz-"
Her face clouded over with rage, her eyebrows furrowing together as she likely recalled some memory.
"Damn… Damn him! Damn that Ozpin!" She began to rage, pacing around the tent, having apparently forgotten about you. "That liar, that schemer, he never cared! He's just… prancing around, waging a war without end, using all of us as his pawns! But he can't act himself, can't put himself on the line, oh no, he's too goddamn important-"
"Raven Branwen!" you roared, catching her attention. As she looked into your eyes, you glared at her, doing your best to cow her into calming down a little. "Sit down," you gestured towards an extra chair in your makeshift office. Once she did, you spoke again.
"I'm going to ask you one more time, Raven. Not as your friend, or your intellectual rival, or even as a tribe member. I'm asking you as the acting chief of the Branwen tribe to tell me why you've returned, when as far as we're concerned, you and Qrow have decided to abandon the tribe."
Her eyes widened and she gasped. "Acting chief? You?" She stood up and reached out for you. "What happened to my father? I- Our bond was severed so long ago, I couldn't sense him for years-"
"I ki-" you paused. As angry as you were for her disappearing act, you couldn't bring yourself to be quite so blunt and cruel. "I performed his last rites, according to custom."
"No…"
She collapsed onto her knees, and began sobbing.
"Gods, no… I didn't even get to- and with everything going on, I…"
She stopped moving; her shoulders slumped, and leaned against the leg of a table before going still. After a moment, you got up and checked on her, only to find that she had succumbed to her exhaustion and fallen asleep.
Gingerly, you picked her up and carried her over to your bed, laying her to rest in it before taking your own rest on a couch.
The new training regimen could wait until you got all the answers you wanted from Raven, in the morning.
…
Soft rays of sunlight filtered through the flaps of your tent.
With a yawn, you woke up and-
Oh, right. Raven.
She looked down at you, confused and uncertain, her hands clasped together. Her weapon hung at her waist, but it remained in its sheath.
"…So, you're acting chieftain?"
You sat up, made space on the couch, and motioned for her to sit down. After a moment's hesitation, she took her weapon off her waist and sat down.
"What happened, Raven? Why did you and Qrow abandon the tribe?"
"I… We-" she stopped, before composing herself. "We didn't mean to- no, that's just an excuse. I- I fell in love. With Taiyang. We got married, and I had a child- a daughter. Yang."
"Imaginative name," you muttered, to Raven's consternation.
"He chose it."
"So why'd you leave them? You had it all, there- loving friends, and a loving family. What made you want to come back?"
She shuddered, and drew a breath. "Ozpin," she finally spat out.
"The headmaster of Beacon?"
"He's more than that. There's… an underworld even beyond the criminal one. Secrets and conflicts going back centuries, maybe even millennia. And he wanted to use us- my team, and- and the tribe. To fight for him, as this generation's pawns, in this never-ending war." Her voice hardened, grew more resolute as she looked up into your eyes. "I'm not going to let him do that."
"So, what? You came back to the tribe in order to protect us from this war?"
"Yes."
"…As if I'd believe that," you growled, standing up. "Did you come here to sell us out, Raven?"
"What? No, I-"
"Ozpin wouldn't know about our location, not without help. And even if he did, he wouldn't be able to force us to fight for him without some sort of leverage… Which I presume is you."
Her eyes widened as she realized the mistake she had made. Still, you couldn't help reaching a realization of your own – for all that she'd abandoned the tribe, she still held it dear to her. Otherwise, she wouldn't have reacted so emotionally about Ozpin's plans.
She might play the role of the cold, conniving, calculating mastermind, but deep down, she was rash and emotional when it came to things she cared about.
You sighed.
"Well, regardless… I suppose I believe that you care about the tribe. I don't know about Ozpin or this shadow war or whatever, but you wouldn't have acted rashly if you didn't care."
"So then-"
"However, that doesn't mean the tribe will take you back so easily, Raven."
"What?"
"You and Qrow abandoned the tribe. You might have the Branwen name, but no one around here will still respect you like one."
"Are you sure?"
"Do you know where your father was returned to the sky?"
"No…"
"I do. Do you know what his last words were?"
"No."
"I do. They're not mine to share, though, so don't ask. But do you see my point? You abandoned the tribe – having the Branwen name doesn't make you any less of an outsider. Your father made me chief in your absence, and I've earned my place as chief. If you want to be accepted back into the tribe, then you have to start from the bottom like any outsider would."
"Then I'll do it."
"Why?"
"What?"
"Why bother? You being here is just fuel for Ozpin to interfere with us, and you left behind a husband and child. Your presence here is detrimental for both yourself and the tribe."
"I can't go back," she muttered.
You narrowed your eyes. There was something she wasn't telling you.
"Why can't you go back?"
"I just can't! I can't trust any of them! I can't trust Ozpin, and since everyone else is just- eating out of his hands, I can't trust them!"
"But you trust your husband to take care of your daughter?"
"That's different."
"Don't give me that shit!" you roared, grabbing her by the front of her shirt and hauling her up to face you. "You're running away from something, and it's not just Ozpin. What is it, Raven? Why can't you go back? Why can't you just- talk to your team?"
"Because I can't!" She cried out.
You threw her back onto the couch and scoffed. "Fine. If you don't want to tell me, whatever. It's not like I don't have secrets. But understand that if you're serious about this, then you get no special treatment."
She nodded. "Right. I understand."
"Good. Hand me your weapon."
Raven picked up her sword and stared at it for a solid minute. Then, reluctantly, she placed it into your waiting hands.
"Thank you," you said. "To be honest, I doubt it'll be long before you earn the right to have this back. But you still have to earn it. Now, get to work, girl."
She nodded, and then stepped outside, heading towards the camp latrines. It was where all tribe members started their journeys.
With a sigh, you returned to your work. You still had a few hours before breakfast, and now you had to make some new edicts regarding Raven's place in the tribe, where she would bunk, yadda yadda…
By the brothers, you could use a drink.
As you predicted, Raven suffered quite a bit in the first few weeks of her return to the tribe. Not physically, of course- she was a fully-fledged Huntsman, and stronger by far than just about everyone in the tribe, which allowed her to quickly work her way up the servile ladder. But for once, Raven was the one being avoided and ostracized, not the other way around. And for all that she tried to stoically bear it, you could see how it wore on her.
Eventually, however, she finally earned the right to her name and weapons. Some upstart named Shay challenged her, believing that she had grown weak and soft in her time way from the tribe, and hoping to claim the privilege of besting someone with the Branwen name.
She had been weakened by the emotional pain of her situation, yes, but just about anyone with half a brain would be able to tell that she wasn't that weak.
The fight lasted only a moment- he raised his revolver to fire, and the next moment she was behind him, smashing his skull into the ground.
You granted her name and her weapon back and declared that she had earned the right to participate in raids.
You assigned her to work with you personally, so that you might learn her Huntsman techniques and to try and figure out what she was hiding.
You also assigned her to personally train Vernal, and the two grew relatively close, despite a rocky start. Inwardly, you felt that Raven was projecting her motherly feelings onto Vernal since she had abandoned her own daughter.
Part of you thought about correcting that, but you decided that since it benefitted you, you might as well leave well enough alone.
Eventually, after a year, you decided that she had earned the right to perform solo assignments.
It was after one such assignment that everything finally came to a head.
It was late one evening. She was supposed to have been back a few hours ago, and despite yourself, you were growing worried.
And then you didn't have to worry anymore, as Raven flew through a portal, crashing into you and knocking you over your desk.
After you picked yourself up off the ground, you noticed that she was bleeding rather profusely, and was unconscious. She had probably used the last of her energy to create the portal.
You picked her up and carried her over to the medical tents, getting Vernal to follow you along the way. Once you were there, you began to treat her yourself.
It took some doing, but eventually you managed to stabilize her, after which you ordered Vernal to clean up your tent and keep the other tribe members away from it.
You opted to stay with Raven, as you needed to know exactly what she fought that was powerful enough to leave her in such a state – something of that level would be far beyond anything the tribe could handle.
After a few hours of waiting, in which you killed time by reading, she began to stir. Her eyes flickered open, and-
Maroon fire.
Those were the only words you could use to describe what burst out of her eyes when she opened them, flaring up as she gasped awake.
And then she was unconscious again.
…
The next day, she woke around noon. You were by her side in an instant, reassuring that she was safe and healing. Once she calmed down, you began to ask her what had happened.
"There was a Huntress at the village. A strong one. A… A Maiden."
"Maiden?"
"It's part of the shadow war going on between Ozpin and his enemy. Maidens are… Well, to put it simply, it's like a special Semblance that passes down from woman to woman. The exact rules aren't specific, but the common theory is that it's inherited by the last woman thought of by the previous Maiden."
"I suppose she thought of you as she died, then."
"What do you mean?"
"You opened your eyes last night, for just a moment. And when you did, your eyes burned with a maroon fire, before you passed out again."
"So you mean-" she stopped herself, and then closed her eyes and concentrated. After a moment, she opened them again, and her eye burned with the maroon fire before flickering out. "I suppose you're right," she said.
You nodded. "Raven," you decided to bite the bullet. "Tell me honestly. No more secrets. Why did you leave your family behind?"
She looked at you for a moment and then laid down onto the medical cot. "I spent the last year thinking about that. Struggling to find the answer, to word it in a way that makes sense. And I think I have it." She breathed a moment before continuing. "I… I don't love them. I don't know if I ever did, or if I was just trying to convince myself that I did. Even when I looked at my newborn daughter, I… I felt nothing." She began to cry. "I didn't feel anything. Anything! And I didn't understand. And it frightened me, and I couldn't bring myself to say anything, so… I left. I didn't want to hurt them with my indifference."
"I think it's a bit late for that," you replied. "Even if you left to avoid hurting them, that doesn't mean they didn't get hurt. Especially if you left without any warning. Still, I suppose that's an answer that makes sense… But tell me this, then, Raven."
"Yes?"
"Why come back to the tribe? Of all the places you could have gone…"
"Where else could I have gone? Who else would know me? Who else would be willing to put up with me?"
"Fair enough," you muttered. "Still, I don't think you're as uncaring as you believe yourself to be."
"And why's that?"
"If you didn't care at all, you wouldn't beat yourself up about it. I think you do care, and you just don't know how to express it, either to yourself or those around you."
"…Hmph."
Well, it was something. You supposed you could work on it. It pained you to see her so broken.
"And why do you care?" she asked, sitting back up.
"Hmm?"
"Why do you care about my wellbeing? Why did you let me sleep in your bed, and take me back into the tribe? You didn't have to."
"Well, since we're being honest… It's because I love you."
She blinked. "W-what?"
"I've loved you since we were kids, honestly… But after everything that happened, I figured it was better to just leave well enough alone."
"And you're telling me now!?"
"You asked. In any case, you don't have to give me an answer, or anything. We're not children. And I know you just got out of a relationship, so… I dunno." You stood up. "I'm just going to continue living my life the way I please, for the sake of my family." You walked over to a table and grabbed a clipboard as well as some blank sheets of paper and a pen, bringing them over to Raven. "I'm still going to need a comprehensive report of what happened," you said, handing them to her.
"Wh- you're going to drop a bomb like that and then just leave me with work?!"
"Yes."
With that, you walked out of the tent. Or at least you tried to. She grabbed your hand as you began walking.
"Hold on!"
"What is it?" you turned back to her.
Her cheeks were red as she asked, "When you said that you'd live for the sake of your family…" she coughed. "Am- am I included in that?"
"Well, of course. Is that all?"
She nodded meekly and let go of your hand.
As you walked outside the tent, you sighed. Things were only going to get more complicated, since Raven had now apparently interfered in whatever Ozpin's plans were, and now she knew how you felt.
They would get harder. But you and the tribe - you and your family – would get stronger to face these new challenges.
It was the way of the tribe, after all. And now that you were together with Raven, working together with the same goals?
You doubted anything would be able to stand in the tribe's way.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I started writing this in the Christmas season of 2018, and didn't finish until Valentine's Day 2019. I actually intended to finish it by Christmas day, but, well... As you can see, the story got a bit out of hand.
It began as an experiment - a test of my capacity to write a romantic relationship. While the story didn't end with clearly defined romantic intent between Raven and "You", I do think it ended in the most cohesive manner I could make it.
Still, this was my first serious attempt at writing romance. Criticism and suggestions for improvement would be greatly appreciated.
Side Note: For those of you who've been waiting for the next chapter of Sins of the Forefather, this is why you haven't had any updates in a while. Sorry. I'll be getting to that asap once this goes up.
In any case, I hope you enjoyed the story. Please leave reviews! They're the only way I can really tell how you felt about my abilities.
Have a nice day/afternoon/evening!