#v tribe

They had no idea of what they were to eachother and what the future would bring them. But one thing was for sure. They did not want to be part of this ceremony.

“Elma!” A booming voice could be heard as Ario stepped into the tent. The elder hunter’s grizzled face was tense and his fists were clenched tightly. 

“I’ve trusted your decisions on many different things.” He approached her slowly, each step carried a thud of frustration. “Erek is clearly shaken by this though. As much as he stands by tradition, he seems set on seeking out a mate himself rather than accepting your decision.” Ario stood before her, his brows furrowed as he folded his arms over his chest. Elma shook her head, a simple smirk playing at her wrinkled lips. “And yet you let his frustration become your own?” She questioned, offering the seat in front of her as she looked up at Ario. His tail swayed back and forth impatiently, not amused at her initial response. “How would you react if you saw him acting in such a manner? His hunts were generally clean kills because of how he kept a level head. Now I’m getting beasts that are practically decimated. The bones are mostly rendered useless and it’s becoming difficult for the others to carve up.” Ario sighed and took a seat, looking over his shoulder towards the flap of the tent before facing Elma. 

“I know you’ve made good decisions in the past regarding pairings and guiding the tribe with your experience, but could we make an exception just this once?" 

"Ario, while you’re the newest elder you are by no means new to our traditions..” Elma raised a steaming cup of tea to her lips, blowing the steam away before taking a light sip. “Trust in the traditions of the tribe. Erek may not know it yet, but there are reasons that the two will work well together.”

“Damn right they’re gonna work well together!” A voice called out from the entrance to the tent as Tor walked in. “Ario, you can’t always spoil someone just because they’re whining about something. I know you can’t say no to giving your daughters new dolls when I bring them in, but you can’t treat Erek in that same manner.” He teased, quickly making his way to the table as well. With a warm smile he leaned down and kissed Elma’s forehead before taking a seat with them. 

“You know our tribe is very unique in our traditions, but there are reasons behind them. I understand you want the best for your best hunter, but you shouldn’t doubt our judgement.” Tor leaned into his seat as he looked at Ario. 

It was a moonless night in the Thanalan desert, yet the darkness only served to make the stars shine brighter. Smoke rose into the sky from the large tent as Erek lifted the flap and walked in. His expression was tense, but it was like that fairly often. Most would assume he was mad at something. In this case, they wouldn't be wrong.

"I was expecting you, Erek." The older woman said, motioning for him to take a seat by the fire at the center of the tent. The other elder's had gone to bed, which left the space quite empty. 

"You never seemed fond of this particular tradition of ours, and you haven't been shy about expressing this discomfort. Is there something wrong with the woman we've chosen for you?" She asked as her eyes trailed the young miqo'te. He took a seat on his knees across from her, looking past the fire as his eyes met hers.

"I don't understand.." He said, seeking the right words to explain his frustration as his brows furrowed. "I know that there are traditions in place for a reason, and I stand to support them as the tribe is lead into the future, but how do you know this Lana is the right one? Should I not have the right to choose based on my own preferences?" His tone was low, and he jumped straight to the point knowing he couldn't dance around the subject. "How can I lead the tribe if I can't even make a decision on who my spouse will be?" He clenched his fists, pressing his knuckles into the ground in his frustration. He had someone in mind, he always had, but he couldn't reveal that. "What if this one doesn't capture my heart?" He questioned, staring more into the fire than the elder as his gaze shifted downward. "What then?" The elder could sense the doubts that Erek had, but she didn't seem swayed by his frustration. 

"Erek..." She slowly got up from where she was sitting as she walked over to him. Her posture slightly hunched over as she leaned into her cane. Placing a withered hand on his shoulder, she sighed lightly before speaking.