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Kind of a ramble from me here, sorry X_X
His protests continued and Ulilohi was not sure what to say or do about them, and the silence that followed his words proved her hesitation. Was she asking him to lead? She had come with the intention of asking for his help, whatever that may be, but Claudius seemed to somehow fear the task of helping her, and of leadership. It would seem that her admission of uncertainty, that she mirrored his concerns to an extent, mattered little in soothing his mind. She could perhaps understand this. Yes, she was a warrior, if not in rank then in heart, as she always had been. But she knew that physical strength was not leadership, and this was perhaps the largest flaw in Claudius' argument. She found herself sitting on the ground inside his home, her gaze shifting - not nervously - but as she thought, as if a representation of the gears grinding within her head. Finally, she found words that could describe her emotions in a better way, but they did not come easily. "Well, I think... What is strength? I am strong of body, but in mind... I do not know what to do, always. I do not have the answers that I need to have, and I do not hold their trust. Maska had the brute strength to guard these borders, but he led nothing but a disaster. If I am to lead us, I need strength of mind. And you have that advantage over me, and they will trust you over me, I'm sure."
His question was blunt and showed her his mind just as she tried to show him hers. The female gently shook her head. "Who is flawless, though? A leader will have flaws, but the only flaws that matter are those lacking of heart, and I see sincerity in yours." One brown hand touched her chest in a gesture she was barely aware of making. "But, I will not have you as a leader unless you wish for it yourself. It must come from the heart. It is no flaw to be unwilling - I was forced to lead here, and I sometimes long to flee my duty, even if I cannot. I do not want to push a similar situation onto anyone else." There was a pause. "...but I will gladly have your aid and advice, if you will give it. As friend and fellow." In essence, she merely needed someone to share something with. Here, there was just Ulilohi and the rest of them, not all of them together, or so she felt. There was an outsiderish feeling she had in the tribe, and Claudius helping her could be a way to step inside. Not only for this tribe's sake, but also for her own.
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