Board Thread:Episode Discussion/@comment-34633327-20180112214926/@comment-4010415-20180115171328

BenRG wrote: SpiritedDreaming wrote: The previous Maiden was described as very young and disappeared over a decade ago. She was also living in Anima at the time and receiving training for her powers, but fled the responsibility. I thought that was talking about the Spring Maiden, in other words, Raven. In which case that's even more of a retcon unless Vernal's Semblance was some kind of illusion capability that made everyone think she had Maiden powers, thus keeping Raven unmolested by the two big power factions.

Lionheart said the previous Spring Maiden was a child and that she ran away "over a decade ago".

Qrow said that Team STRQ graduated Beacon, so we know that Raven didn't get pregnant while at Beacon and then drop out and leave or something. Students graduate Huntsman Academy at about age 21. They start at 17, and in the initiation, Ozpin said they'd be partners for the duration of their time at Beacon and then proceeded to clarify that they'd be partners for "the next 4 years". In other words 17 + 4 = 21 = the graduation age.

This means Yang was born likely sometime after Raven turned 21. Even if Raven and Qrow got in one or two years early, that'd still be 20 or 19. A decade ago, Yang was 7 years old, so Raven was somewhere in her 20s. 15 years ago, Raven was somewhere in her earlier 20s.

If Lionheart was talking about before Raven went to Beacon, then he more likely would've said "two decades" not "over a decade" to make it clearer to the audience.

Besides, if Raven was the Spring Maiden all along, he would've known that and wouldn't have been sitting around going "I don't know where the Spring Maiden is. Oh, the Branwent Tribe? I know them, they're led by Raven Branwen."