[ Perhaps if a different clan had found him in the wilds, things would have been different. Had he stumbled upon kindness and warmth instead, he might just be another Xaela of the Steppe, a warrior for the sake of being a warrior with no real purpose to guide him. ]
I didnβt think I had a choice. When my tenth summer came, I took my turn.
[ He extends a hand, indicating a lone tree in the far distance, still green and strong despite the sharp angle the winds of the Steppe have lent to its trunk. ]
They bound me to a tree, leaving me as the clan packed up its things to migrate to their next home. Children who free themselves and return to the clan are welcomed with open arms. Children who do notβ¦ just werenβt strong enough.
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I didnβt think I had a choice. When my tenth summer came, I took my turn.
[ He extends a hand, indicating a lone tree in the far distance, still green and strong despite the sharp angle the winds of the Steppe have lent to its trunk. ]
They bound me to a tree, leaving me as the clan packed up its things to migrate to their next home. Children who free themselves and return to the clan are welcomed with open arms. Children who do notβ¦ just werenβt strong enough.
Twice in just ten summers, I was abandoned.