Son of the Branwen

Chapter 37: New Beginning

It had been a week since Hawk left the Patch with Raven. Hawk had begun to train with Raven, as well as with Vernal at the Branwen tribe's camp. Raven had been telling him some of the secrets that she had learned while working for Ozpin. She told him about the Maidens, and told him about the relics that were guarded under each academy. Then, Raven showed him how to better control his growing power by showing him how to meditate.

Raven and Hawk were sitting outside of camp in the woods that surrounded the camp. The two were facing each other as Raven guided him through meditation.

Raven: "Remember Hawk. You must let your mind drift away. It will be drawn towards you're soul. Then, you'll be able to see everything in a new way."

Hawk took slow deep breaths with his eyes closed while Raven watched him.

Raven: "You'll begin to feel a pull. At first, you'll instinctively want to ignore it. But instead, you need to focus on it."

Hawk felt it. A small pulling sensation on the back of his mind. It was barely noticeable, and he did have the urge to ignore it. Hawk furrowed his brow as he concentrated on that feeling, letting the sensation grow through him. It began to grow stronger until Hawk felt as though he was floating in the air. He could feel the air blow through him, he could feel the leaves blowing in the wind. He could feel the earth all around him and sense the creatures that were living inside the dirt. Hawk noticed how there were birds in the surrounding trees, feeding their young or roosting in the nests.

Hawk opened his eyes in amazement as Raven sat there looking amused. He placed a hand on his chest, catching his breath from experiencing something so profound.

Raven: "Tell me, what did you see?"

Hawk: "I saw birds around the camp. Some were feeding their chicks while others were roosting."

Raven: "Mhm. What did you feel?"

Hawk felt himself smile as he began to explain all the sensations he experience. Raven gave a small smile and nodded in approval.

Raven: "Good. So my final question. Do you see how that helps you understand your power?"

Hawk gave her a confused look and shook his head. Raven sighed but motioned around them.

Raven: "You're semblance is nature, Hawk. And nature requires a balance in order for it to remain strong. You need to find balance in yourself. If you fear what dwells inside of you, that fear will feed itself and you'll lose control. Don't fear the change, embrace it."

Hawk nodded slowly as Raven rested her hand on his shoulder.

Raven: "Come. I have a gift for you back at camp."

The two got up and walked back into the camp, heading towards Raven's tent. Vernal was standing outside the tent, waiting for the two to return.

Vernal: "About time you finished, I thought we were going to miss our sparring match."

Hawk: "You that excited to get beaten?"

Vernal scoffed with a smile as the three walked inside the tent. Raven walked over to a stand that had a cloth draped over.

Raven: "You lost most of your equipment during the fall of Beacon. And because you are with us, it would do no good to have you defenceless. Therefore, I had this built for you."

Raven pulled the cloth off, revealing the armour. The suit was a black combat armour, with similar designs to Raven's. The chest piece stood out the most as it was decorated with two blue ravens on the chest. There were also feather designs just below the shoulder guards. Hawk smiled as he closely examined the armour. He took the chest piece and rotated it, seeing his own symbol printed blue on the back. The arm pieces were outfitted with platting on the forearms. And the pants that came with the suit were matching the black and blue design, being made to grant the wearer swift mobility over heavy armour.