Brother, are you listening? (PM for invite)

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

I have no choice.
-But you do have a choice.
I have to do this.
-You can't.
It's for the good of the clan.
-Is it?
He is holding us back.
-He is your brother
He is weak.
-That is why you need to help him.
I can't keep supporting him. It's dragging everyone else down. Look at us. We're all barely scraping by. At this rate, Clan Tal'verda will...

Her footfalls were heavy in the snow. She walked swiftly, with purpose through the village. All around her was eerily quiet. She carried nothing on her but her armor, chipped and scratched though it was. And she carried a promise. She would make her clan great again. She would bring honor back to clan Tal'verda. They would not just survive any longer. They would thrive! But one thing was needed for that.
Strong leadership.

She stopped dead in the middle of the village. He would hear her from here. She took a deep breath. Her white scarf whipped in the frigid wind behind her.

"I'm sorry, Ori'vod..." she whispered into the wind before looking back up. She breathed in once more before bellowing as loud as she could in mandoa:

"Corrin Tal'verda! I challenge you! Fight me! For the sake of your honor! Defeat me, or you are no suitable Alor of this clan!"

It was done. Her challenge had been issued. To her own Brother. The big brother that she'd always looked up to, had his back, secretly protected him when he wasn't paying attention. She'd challenged him for his place as their leader. And it felt so... bitter. So cold. It hurt to her very soul.
No matter how much they teased and picked on each other growing up, he was still her brother! Not just in blood, but in heart too. She loved him. But they needed a leader who could lead. And Corrin was too absent for that.

There was a part of her that hoped he would not turn up, because if he did, she would have to give it her all. And she had her doubts that he could defeat her. But then there was a tiny part that held a spark of hope. Maybe he would answer her challenge, and maybe he would win! She really hoped he would. She really wanted him to win. She wanted to know he was really strong enough. She needed to know that he was chosen for something more than the fact that he had been born first. But no matter how badly she wanted him to win, she would not go easy on him.

"Corrin!" she called again, "Face me!"

...She would give him until sundown. Then she would have no choice but to call him a coward and claim victory. It was weak. It wasn't the victory she wanted. But some things just had to be done.

[member="Corrin Tal'verda"] [member="Doctor Azure"]

 

[Doctor Azure]

Lor simply sat and watched, perched on top of one of the many houses strewn around the village. As much as he liked this place and the people who lived here, this whole bit of Rawnie calling Corrin out to fight her seemed unnecessary. If he was right, his brother in-law hadn't been here in several months. And, if Lor was right, his wife had been abandoned in the most complete way possible.​

​

Even if he was wrong, the guy probably still deserved a punch or two in the face for avoiding the rest of his family for so long. If he showed up, Lor would be pulling him aside and administering said punch. Zandra was one of his closest friends, and Rawnie was his wife. He could deal with either or both of them being angry at him, if it meant their only other remaining family member understanding his mistake.​

​

[member="Rawnie Tal'verda"] [member='Corrin Tal'verda']​

 

[Rawnie Tal'verda]

No answer. Not a one. Rawnie had been standing there for an hour now. No. She glanced up at the barely visible sun overhead. Two hours. The clouds were moving in. It would start snowing soon. She grit her teeth behind her helmet.

"Corrin!" she shouted again, "Corrin Tal'verda!"

He was here, wasn't he? He couldn't have just left. He wouldn't completely abandon them, would he? Rawnie felt a stinging in her very soul. She felt rage. She felt red hot anger. And she felt...
heartbroken.

She pulled her helmet off and threw it to the ground.

"Face me!" She removed her gloves next, "Will you face me if I remove my armor? Will you face me if I give you a weapon?"

She took her knife from her belt and threw it down into the snow in front of her. His weapon if he showed up to accept her challenge. She would fight him without. She would give him any advantage he needed. But just not showing up? It was unheard of, cowardly.
People stared at her, but were respectfully silent. If he had left, someone would have told her!
Was he hiding? Was he afraid? Or had he simply stopped caring?

[member="Corrin Tal'verda"] [member="Doctor Azure"]