The Other Daughter

Chapter 4

The raid was imminent, and Yang had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach.  Numb to everything around her, she suited up as she had countless times before.  She tightened the straps on her gear, listening to her friends' idle laughter with little interest.  They joked and chatted about various subjects, grabbing for their weapons of choice.  24 hours earlier, she had also been one of them - a bandit with a single-minded mission, eager to get the present task done and hurry back home to the spice-filled aroma of a hot stew, or sizzling slabs of seasoned meat on a grill.  Of course, these were meals prepared with mostly stolen goods from ransacked homes of people she never knew, and likely never would.

It was easier that way.  Not paying attention to their frightened stares, never getting a good view of their faces or learning their names.  Whenever she did, Yang found it that much harder to compel her body to move and carry out what was asked of her.  However, over the years, she'd become a master at lying to herself.  Ignoring that nagging sense of unease that always crept up when she had to push wild Grimm closer and closer to settlements, then watch as they wreaked havoc, leaving innocent people with no choice but to run or die.  But it never mattered, because after all, those who were strong would live.  The weak were bound to die anyway.  At least, that's what she used to believe.  Now, everything her mother taught the tribe for so long was called into question.

She took her first excruciating steps on the march out of camp.  Anyone watching her might think of it as a day like any other, but the battle going on inside her was a great and terrible one.

"Halt!" Raven shouted from in front of the camp's large wooden gate.

Each of the tribe members fell into place in neat rows, a perfectly synchronized unit.  Everyone apart from Yang, who stumbled on a rock as she planted her feet.  A few people stared at her in confusion, but then promptly turned their attention back to Raven.  She boldly faced the tribe, her weapon out at her side.

"Let me make one thing clear," Raven said, brandishing her sword. "I want this done quickly, efficiently, and with as little engagement as possible.  Lop off a few limbs, kill a few, but make sure you leave most of the Grimm alive.  Once we stir up their survival instinct and push them across the river, they'll do the rest of the work for us."

"Yes, ma'am!" came the chorus of voices.

Yang shuddered, hoisting her backpack up onto her shoulder when it slipped.  She looked down and noticed the tangled mess that was her hair.  In all of the commotion, she hadn't even noticed that it needed a good brushing.  That was beyond rare.  She needed to hurry and get a handle on this situation before it drove her crazy.  Figure out a course of action.  Sooner or later, her mother would be ready to have that talk they were overdue for, and would probably force her hand.

A couple more instructions from Raven were met with equally fervent shouts of obedience.  Yang did not join in, instead withdrawing into herself.

Shay stood proudly in Vernal's usual spot at the very front and center of the procession, a rifle strapped across his back.  Vernal was Raven's most loyal follower, and the person Yang looked up to most.  However, they still needed to mend their relationship.  Maybe there would be time for that during the tribe's reconnaissance of the Grimm's territory.

The tribe clustered together, trailing behind Raven as she led them out of the camp and down the familiar dirt road.  Once the tribe was out in the open, she signaled for everyone to stop and held her sword out at arm's length.  Raven inhaled, then forcefully sliced horizontally with her blade, tearing open a red vortex that swirled and breathed with life.  It hummed, fueled by the tribal leader's aura reserves.

A day's walk reduced to mere minutes.  Sure, she was used to this by now, but the idea that such a thing was possible still amazed Yang.  On the other side of the portal, Vernal stepped back to let the large procession of tribe members, equipment, carts and wagons enter.  Yang knew what awaited at the end of their short journey.  She wasn't sure she was, or would ever be, ready.