After days of negotiating, I scowled, still unwilling to give in to Isolde’s plea for an alliance, even if it was temporary. She sounded so desperate, which made it annoyingly hard to ignore her and Storm off.

“Caliban, please-“ Isolde’s plea echoed through my mind, sticking like a parasite. But the way her voice broke like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown. I can’t believe I’m saying this, the vulnerability she laid bare in that plea pulled at my heart strings.

Forcing myself to turn away, I growled, “Stop trying, Isolde. It’s pointless and a waist of breath.” I said in a low, warning tone.

“My clan is dying-“ she insisted, unrelenting. her voice was hardly more than a trembling whisper, laced with desperation, and her legs seamed ready to give out under her.

“Yours will be next. It’s inevitable-“ Isolde continued, wiping her tears. It proved futile, however. They were streaming down her face too fast for her to keep up.

I looked back at her with slightly less reluctance than before, which I tried not to show. What did she want me to do? Suddenly break the norm and agree to unite the clans?

Suddenly, while I was still contemplating everything, I reacted on instinct when Isolde collapse, her body unable to support her weight any longer. My arms hooked under hers, catching her before she fell. Her sudden fall took me by surprise.

She felt limp. Her skin had grown pale, her breaths came short and labored, and her body was trembling. And to my own surprise, it worried me.

We remained like that for a few more silent moments, my arms supporting her weight. Her vulnerability was slowly chipping away at my reluctance. Besides, if what she said was true, I’m not cold hearted enough to let an entire clan die off, rivals or not.

If I did turn a blind eye to this, if the clan did die, would it not be partially my fault? Wouldn’t their blood be on my hands too for not taking action while I still could?

“Alright,” I relented with a sigh, surprisinging myself at the gentleness in my usually cold toned voice. “Please, Isolde. Help me understand. What exactly is threatening you and your people?” I asked, trying a gentle approach, hoping to coax the details out of her seemingly fragile form.

“We’ll try to unite the clans,” It wasn’t a promise, and yet it wasn’t a rejection either. And Isolde seamed to accept that. She managed a small nod, her tear stained face downcast as I continued to support her limp form.

(Not my best, but hey. Its something.)