Chained in Servility

Chapter 2

Raven looked in the small mirror, fiddling with the long pins. It was the one downside of returning home for the inactive season; dealing with her hair was a pain in the ass. While out with the combat group and on the trail with the trading group, she could just stick her hair up in a ponytail for ease. Nobody cared since they didn't have hours to waste in the morning getting their hair just right. She knew the routine by now, but it was still some of the most annoying things about the inactive season. Regardless, she smiled and nodded, looking forward to feeling her mother's arms around her again.

The tent flap rattled and she stiffened as cold hair leaked in. "Qrow, close the damn flap!" Her brother walked in and rubbed the back of his neck, plopping down in the nearby chair. "Damn; if I didn't know better, I'd swear you were trying to freeze me to death." The comment earned a snort from her brother and he folded his arms. "So why're you in here?" It was rare he bothered her while on the trail unless they were meeting to discuss things with their father.

"Just wanted to let you know Pa's got something to ask us soon. I overheard him talking with Chief Warrior Elga about it. He won't ask us right away, but expect it soon." He blew at his bangs and Raven raised an eyebrow. He had something to ask of them in the inactive season? They were of age, sure, but it was a rarity for such young warriors during this time of year. Qrow just nodded as if sensing her thoughts. "My feelings exactly. Anyway, I should let you finish dolling up for Ma and Grandma. Just wanted to warn you." He left the tent and Raven shivered.

"You could've at least let me put my coat on before you left!" She loved Qrow but he was utterly insufferable at times. With a huff, she grabbed the green coat off her chair and wrapped it around her waist, the sash keeping it in place.

She left the tent and her aura activated against the harsh wind. It threatened to take her tent with it and she looked at her brother. Together they battled the wind for the next half hour, winning the war as they stuffed it into a bag. She pulled herself into Dena's saddle and shivered against the near-galeforce winds, but a small part of her smiled with a Goliath stepped right over them. A huge Nervermore sheltered in a nearby tree, dwarfed by the herd of Goliaths that crossed the path.

Home was indeed very near.

The tribe continued moving despite the bitter winds, the large Grimm relatively unfazed. She caught sight of a Deathstalker the size of a tree scuttling about, catching a tiny Nevermore mid-divebomb that aimed at the party. The tiny Grimm had no doubt sensed the fear from the survivors, but the elder Grimm knew better than to attack the tribe.

She turned her attention from the massively oversized Grimm to ahead of her, smile brightening further as the huge wooden gates stood in front of them. They opened just enough for the envoy to pass and she broke away, galloping Dnea over to the stable. The warmth and familiar, earthy scents tempted her to stay in there for awhile, but she handed the reins to Ibis and ran into the house.

She skidded around the corner into her grandmother's room and brightened, wrapping her arms around Jia. Tears sprang to her eyes and she buried her face in her friend's neck. "Oh thank the ancestors you're alive... I was so worried..." Even though her Semblance was to make portals to people, she didn't know if they'd died unless she tried to seek them out and felt nothing. It'd only happened once before with her grandfather and it had really jarred her. She knew in theory it would have happened but still...

Jia pulled back and smiled at her, brushing some hair out of her face. "I was worried about you too. With as cold as it's been, I was afraid the snow would hit and lock you out of the village." Relief flooded Jia's expression and Raven couldn't help but chuckle, making her raise an eyebrow.

"Just because you only saw us during the warmer months doesn't mean we're useless in the snow. But that's not important right now. How have you been?" Raven smiled and looked at her friend, letting her hands rest on her shoulders. It was always a relief when one of the rescues survived. They'd lost numerous people over the years, so it was important at least a few survivors stay with the tribe.

"Honestly, I've been going nuts. Your grandma's been driving me crazy, keeping me in bed." Despite the levity in Jia's tone, her gaze drifted downward and Raven blinked. What had happened? Corma could be overbearing, sure, but to keep someone in bed for three weeks? How much damage had been done?

Jia sighed and settled back on the pillows, blowing at her bangs. "She said something about the damage to my leg muscle being too much for her to heal after dealing with my internal injuries. I can walk since she healed the bone, but there wasn't much she could do about the muscle." Raven's heart dropped through her stomach and she bowed her head, closing her eyes. And here she thought she'd saved her friend's life entirely... But her grandmother's magic dwindled and she needed to conserve it. She was one of the last remaining tribe members with it...

She shook the thoughts away and managed to smile regardless. "How have things been otherwise?" She seemed almost a bit too upbeat considering the loss of so much. She really couldn't help but worry.

"It's been rough, Rae. I-I'm not sure what to do after I'm healed... My entire family—" Jia cut off and buried her face in her hands, body shaking. Raven rested a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into a hold, letting her friend sob. Just from her behavior, she'd probably ignored everyone until she had someone to leaning.

She just ran her fingers through her friend's hair, tone dipping low. "It's always a difficult thing to face, Ji. Countless people have been in the same situation. We won't force you to stay with us if you don't want to, of course; it's your decision." The familiar words rolled off her tongue as she held her friend close. Jia just continued to sob and she hummed softly, the fire crackling in the nearby hearth.
--

I just wanted to touch on the size of the Grimm near the village quickly. These things are possibly some of the most massive on all of Remnant. They make the Mountain Glenn ones look like smallfry. These things are thousands of years old. The reason they and the tribe exist in a state of odd coexistence is because it's been this way for hundreds, possibly a thousand or more years. The Grimm won't attack the tribe because they know how dangerous the tribe is. The tribe doesn't attack because they know how dangerous these Grimm are. Therefore, there's an unspoken truce between the two.