A strong breeze swept through the forest. Its strong gush of air knocked some snow off of the trees which revealed the dark leaves underneath. The snow that had been pushed off fell to the floor in clumps. It added more snow to the already snow covered ground. The entire forest was draped in a layer of freshly fallen snow that extended as far as the eye could see. It covered up the dirt and various grasses that lay underneath. Its white color reflected the rays coming from the midday sun and made it shimmer brightly. This made the shadows cast by the evergreens almost invisible despite the huge amount of trees in the area.
The forest, being a forest filled with animals and other critters, was relatively quiet. The occasional gust of wind blew over the trees making their leaves shake and rustle. However, the most prominent sound coming from the forest, was the sound of snow being crunched underneath footsteps. These footsteps belonged to a certain wolf eared girl who was heading home from a day full of hunting. Hanging from her belt were several white rabbits which were going to be used to make a tasty stew later on in the evening. Since there was no need to hunt any more, The girl didn't attempt to muffle her footsteps. She accomplished her goal for the day and the next thing to do was get home and prepare lunch.
As she walked through the forest that was so well known to her, she took the time to take in her surroundings to kill some time. The sound of her boots against the snow was the only audible sound in the vicinity. If she stopped walking and concentrated hard enough, she would be able to hear all kinds of things. The sound of winter foxes digging in the snow and the subtle movement of to her faunus ears, she was able to hear way better than any ordinary person
Looking down at the dead rabbits, she realized that some blood managed to leak out and stain her clothing. Her rugged pants that were usually a light brown now had a small blotch of red on them. Fortunately for her, no blood dripped on her shirt. Even if it did, its dark color would make it hardly visible. After a bit of walking, the girl realized that she was no longer warm and instead felt an uncomfortable hotness envelop her. She untied the red cloak that had been covering her body and exposed her head to the chilly air. Her black and red hair came into contact with the cold temperature along with the wolf ears that sat atop her head. They twitched while trying to pick up any sound that was nearby. As per usual, nothing interesting was picked up and supported her thought that she was alone as of now.
She carefully folded the cloak until it was small enough to be draped over her shoulder. Her experienced and calloused hands ran over the soft fabric and reached a spot where the lettering was stitched into the cloak. In golden cursive lettering, the words read Ruby Rose, the name given to her by her mother. She continued walking at her usual pace and observed the snow on the ground.
Even though the sun was at its highest it did little in melting the snow which appeared to be incapable of melting. After all the snowing that had happened a week ago, the amount of snow never increased or decreased. It stayed at a constant level that had been the same for as long as Ruby could remember. She looked up at the evening sun and saw that there were dark looking clouds looming in the distance. Judging from their size and amount, it meant that there was a blizzard approaching. From her past knowledge, the blizzard would turn into a major hazard if no precautions were taken. It would approach quickly and last several weeks.
The falling snow combined with harsh winds would make visibility very low. She would have to ration her resources if she wanted to have enough food to last the blizzard. Reaching a hand behind her back, she felt the arrows that were placed in a quiver. The arrows were made out of wood and had metal points that were dangerously sharp. The quiver was made out of leather and was strapped to her back by some string. Her fingers carefully ran over the metal points while she mentally counted the amount.
16 … Hmmm, I'll make some more later on just in case, She thought to herself. Her other hand took out the wooden bow that was next to her quiver. The red-haired girl placed it near her face and inspected to wood for any damage. Her hands ran along the rough surface of the wood and the bowstring. She pulled it back and felt how much power was behind it. Slowly putting it back into resting position, she took out an arrow and nocked it as if ready to fire. Feeling satisfied with what she saw, Ruby put the bow back to where it was and turned her attention to the path in front of her.
It seemed her attention had been drawn for quite some time because when he looked ahead, a pillar of smoke rose in the distance. The silver eyed girl smiled to herself, realizing that her log cabin was only a short distance away. Quicken her pace, the short-haired girl made her way home, feeling content after another successful day.
After a while, she stepped into a clearing where a small circle like-area was cleared of trees. In the middle sat a log cabin, its roof covered in slow and a billow of smoke coming out if its stone chimney. Despite its structure, the cabin was fairly warm on the inside. Some windows located on the sides provided a view of the inside. From her position, Ruby was unable to see everything clearly, but after so many years of living out here, she didn't need to see to know her way around. The entire layout of her home was etched into the back of her mind along with a fair bit of forested area. Surrounding the house was a wooden fence that kept any dangerous creatures from getting in and causing destruction.
On one side was a tree stump used to cut firewood along with a cutting ax placed on top. Behind it was a huge pile of firewood, waiting to be used. The red-haired girl walked up to the pile and placed several logs underneath one of her arms. She walked up to the door of the cabin and opened it, revealing the interior of the house. The transition between cold air to soothing warmth brought a smile to her face. She closed the door behind her and walked towards the fireplace located opposite of the door.
The fireplace was made out of gray stone while the cabin was made out of a dark type of wood. Her cabin was an adequate size, comprising of four main rooms. The biggest was a living room sort of area with a fur rug in the center, a leather couch, and other living elements. The second biggest was her room which comprised of a bed filled with warm and soft furs, a work area where she crafted arrows, and a dresser filled with different types of clothing. Next was the kitchen filled with cooking items and connected to the kitchen was a small storage room filled with preserved meats along with wild berries and edible plants.
As she approached, the heat radiating off of the fire was more prominent. The flames twisted and rose inside of its stone enclosure. The logs placed inside were almost completely white, meaning they were no longer able to be burned. The white ash settled at the bottom and almost looked like the snow from outside. Ruby remembered placing the logs before she left to go hunting which, judging by the current state, meant she'd been out for a good number of hours. Kneeling down, the silver eyed girl took the logs from under her arm and carefully place them into the fire. She made sure their position maximized the amount of time they burned and the heat they produced.
Once she was finished, she stood up and began placing her hunting equipment in on of the corners. The wooden bow was leaned against a wall while the quiver with the arrows was placed on top of a small table. Also on the table was her trusted hunting knife. The small blade was made out of a special enchanted metal. This type of metal forever stayed sharp and was surprisingly light despite its cutting strength. Next to the table was another pieces of equipment, except this particular item was rarely used.
The last tool in her arsenal was a scythe, made entirely out of metal. Even though it looked like any ordinary scythe a farmer would use it was actually far from it. The metal it was crafted from looked a lot like steel, but it was incredibly light and more durable. The scythe was made out of a different material form her hunting knife, but she knew it was no ordinary metal. The blade was sharp enough to cut through any type of material, be it rock or solid wood. Yet despite all of its benefits, Ruby had a good reason for not using it.
She picked it up from its resting position and placed her hands family around the handle. The way her hands fit around the shaft was extremely familiar as if her hands were completely used to it. The scythe, always kept inside and next to the fireplace, was still cold. No matter how close it went into the fire, the metal never heated up or was affected. Ruby raised the blade and saw her reflection staring back because of how smooth and polished it was. She saw silver eyes staring back at her and saw her wolf ears casually resting on her head. Taking a few practice swing at nothing, in particular, the short-haired girl could feel the familiar movements coming back to her.
She swung it diagonally and then straight down in a chopping motion. The silver eyed girl repeatedly he motion and added a spin at the end. However, she immediately stopped when she heard something heavy land on the floor with a thumb. On the wooden floor was a chunk of rock that had been cut by the scythe. The red-haired girl looked up and saw that she accidentally cut a piece of the chimney off. She stared at the piece of rock thinking about how she felt the scythe go through the material with no resistance.
This amount of cutting power was one of the reasons she rarely used it. It was incredibly dangerous and, to be honest with herself, made hunting way to easy. If she relied on it too heavily, she would eventually get out of shape, both physically and mentally. Feeling clumsy for accidentally cutting the chimney, the wolf-eared girl placed the weapon back in its place and could feel the second reason why she didn't use it. It was very subtle, but her body felt slightly tired all of the sudden. Ruby didn't know why but through experience, she noticed that the scythe's power came at a price.
Whenever she did use it, the weapon would somehow use up her aura, a type of spiritual energy that resided in all living things. Even though her aura was larger than most creature because she was a faunus, it still had its limits. When that ran out, it would instead use up her physical energy which could be lethal to herself if it was all used up. It may have seemed like a ridiculous disadvantage but the girl felt it balanced it overpowered capabilities. That's why she only use it on special occasions. Like when a big tree blocked her path or whenever a creature too powerful to be defeated by normal means showed up. One example where the creatures of Grimm. These beings were like embodiments of evil whose only intent was to cause havoc wherever it went.
Its hide was too tough to be punctured by her arrows and even her knife. The only tool strong enough to harm it was her scythe. Luckily, they rarely appear since they are only attracted to negative emotion. Ruby's way of life was a peaceful and happy one so it didn't generate any negative emotion. She never wanted to move out and since she was the only one there, it was relatively quiet. All in all, she was genuinely happy where she was. However, in some instances, she wished something exciting happened for once. A quiet peaceful life turned boring really easily and on some occasions, the red haired girl got fairly lonely all by herself. She craved for excitement and to feel a rush of adrenaline.
That's why she hunted. Not only did it provide food and leather used to make items, it also provided a small amount of excitement. The feel of tracking an animal and killing it in a single action was satisfactory. Her faunus features made tracking animals relatively easy, and her years of experience made traversing through the forest second nature. While she was lost in thought, the red-haired girl completely forgot about the rabbits hanging from her belt. It wasn't until she heard a droplet of blood land on the floor that she remembered they were there. Picking up her hunting knife, the silver eyed girl began walking towards the kitchen to prepare them.
The kitchen in her cabin wasn't much of a kitchen. It only had some tables, a small fire with pots and pans hanging from an iron rod used to cook, and some chairs. There was also some cabinets to store necessary materials such as bowls, plates, and eating utensils. However, most of the resources collected during a hunt would be stored in the storage room. The red-haired girl walked over to one of the tables and placed the three dead rabbits on it. She chooses one of them and began the procedure.
She skillfully made a cut along the stomach of the creature and took out all the unnecessary organs. Afterwards, she used the knife to remove the outer skin and fur leaving the meat behind. Repeating the process three times didn't take much time, mainly because this is what Ruby did almost every day. She discarded the organs in a bucket used to dispose of unwanted material and set the fur aside for later use. Once all the meat was collected, the silver-eyed began preparing the ingredients for the rabbit stew she was planning on making. She went into the storage room and took out some carrots, potatoes, and herbs.
Since it was too cold to grow any vegetables and roots, the wolf-eared girl would take a trip to an area in the forest where it was a lot warmer. It was really far away and in the best weather conditions would take a couple of days to get there. However, it was the only area that had naturally growing carrots, potatoes, herbs and other types of vegetables. For some reason, the forest she lived in always stayed cold and was always covered in snow. Even after all the years she'd spent living in the cabin, the seasons never changed and always stayed winter. Ruby didn't really mind since she had gotten used to the cold and it didn't really bother her anymore. However, she did have a feeling that the forest was magical in a sense after all the enchanted things she had found in the past.
She grabbed a pot and filled it with water while hanging it above the small fire. The water she used came from a geothermal hot spring near her log cabin. The mineral-rich water not only added a nice flavor when used in cooking but also felt nice when she used it to bathe herself. Since she didn't want to contaminate the water with soap, the short-haired girl would usually fill up some buckets and then put the water into a giant barrel used to store water. One interesting detail about the spring water was that its temperature would stay the same for a very long time, no matter how far away it was from its source. Eventually when the water began turning cold, Ruby would transport it to a different barrel that held cold water.
The next thirty minutes were spent preparing the stew. The ingredients were added to the boiling pot one after another until the delectable dish was ready. Ruby retrieved a bowl and spoon from the nearby drawer and served herself a hearty helping of stew. She scoped some of it up with her spoon, making sure to get a piece of carrot, potato, and rabbit meat. Blowing some air on the liquid to cool it down, the red-haired girl slipped the spoon into her mouth and savored the taste of her dish. The rabbit meat was cooked to perfection and the broth had an excellent taste thanks to the spring water. The taste made her tail wag out of satisfaction.
Even though she had eaten the same dish countless times before, she was still surprised at how enjoyable it was to eat. The silver eyed girl continued eating in comfort until she was satisfied with a full stomach. She placed the bowl and spoon to the side to be cleaned later and began gathering the material necessary to craft more arrows. These particular arrows were made out of wood, a feathery fletching, and a pointed arrowhead made out of metal scraps. Once all the materials were gathered, the short-haired girl walked into her bedroom and began to arrow making process.
The small area of her bedroom designated as the "work area" comprised of table, chair, and some tools such as hammers and saw. Ruby sat down on the chair which is where she would be staying for the next few hours. Making arrows wasn't a difficult process but it was tedious. Since the tip was so sharp, she had to be careful to not damage it and ruin its penetrating power. However, after all the previous time she had made arrows, the red-haired girl was able to zone out while also being careful with her movements.
In this state, Ruby was able to think about other things and essentially multitask. Her mind wandered towards the dark foreboding cloud she saw while hunting. She had predicted that the blizzard would arrive soon but now that she thought about it carefully, it would most likely arrive sooner than she had previously thought. This meant a checkup of her supplies and resources would be required. She wanted to make sure she was carefully prepared for the upcoming blizzard.
Next, her mind thought back to the events of the day, more importantly, the time she spent hunting. Overall, it was a fairly average day. It passed by like any other day and her hunt was no exception. There was, however, a certain moment that stuck out to her. About two hours after she left her home, Ruby spotted a pack of wolves doing their own hunting. She hid behind a bush and made sure to make her presence unknown. There were about three wolves in total and all of them were fully grown with grey fur covering their bodies. This spectacle confused the red-haired girl since wolves don't normally hunt this close to her house. There was something off about them that struck Ruby the wrong way but she didn't know why.
Being a wolf faunus, the silver eyed girl had good relations with the wolf population. She was able to communicate with them and understand their point of view. They agreed to stay away from her territory as long as she did the same for their territory. Despite this, there were still the ones that were rouge and refused to comply. This pack was usually comprised of delinquents who have yet to mature and understand their role in life. But the wolves she saw today were clearly old enough to be adults. She thought about making contact with them but decided not to, feeling it was unnecessary to interfere.
Before she knew it, a total of ten arrows had been crafted and she realized the sun had completely set, encasing the are in darkness. The only lighting was the fireplace that continued to burn in its enclosure. Ruby placed the finished arrows on the table, making a mental note to place them in her hunting quiver tomorrow. She stood up and made her way to her bed with tired steps. She was feeling tired after working so long and had probably been oblivious to it since her mind was elsewhere. The short-haired girl plopped herself down on the bed and wrapped herself in the many furs scattered around. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, feeling grateful for her ability to fall into a peaceful slumber at a moment's notice.
The next day, Ruby decided to investigate the area where she spotted the wolves from the other day. The feeling in her gut that told her something was off about those woves lasted all throughout the night. She awoke at the crack of dawn and made sure she had her gear all set up. She played several logs into the fire to ensure the cabin stayed warm while she was out. The red-haired girl grabbed some dried meat from the storage room to act as a quick breakfast. She would have a proper meal once she returned but for now, the dried meat would suffice. Sheathing her hunting knife beside her belt, the silver eyed girl made sure her cloak was safely wrapped around her neck.
Making a double check to ensure her boots were properly tied and her bow properly secured, Ruby set off from her cabin and began the hour-long journey to the area where the wolves had previously been. Stepping into the forest, the wolf-eared girl realized that the dark clouds were overhead and were covering the entire sky. Any moment now snow would start falling until they eventually blocked visibility. When that happened, trying to traverse the forest was ten times more difficult. Even with her sharpened senses combined with her faunus features, the silver eyed girl still had trouble navigating the wooded area. The blizzard would make everything look the same and cover up her tracks, thus preventing her from following them back home.
Ruby quickened her pace, not wanting to get caught in the middle of the snow storm out in the forest. Eventually she managed to find the area from the other day. The imprints in the snow left behind by the wolves were still there. The snow had yet to fall which made tracking them much more easier. The silver eyed girl stood there for a while, making sure the wolves were nowhere nearby. She freed her wolf ears from the cloak and directed her concentration towards hearing. Her ears swiveled around trying to locate any sound that was out of place like a distant howl or the snap of a twig. Her ears picked up nothing so she decided to follow the trail making sure to keep her body low and her steps silent.
The trail went deeper into her forest until it stopped at a clearing. The clearing had some more trails that circled around following the trees. Judging from the indentations in the snow, the wolves must have found some type of prey. Ruby walked towards the center and spotted a patch of snow that was a darker color than the rest. She crouched down and moved some of it aside, revealing a small puddle of frozen blood. Next to it were another set of tracks, except these were not made by a wolf. Instead, the tracks revealed that a lone caribou had wandered into the clearing, probably looking for food.
Since caribou normal travel in groups, it was out of the ordinary for a single one to travel on its own. However taking a closer look at its tracks revealed a trail that was a bit crooked. It was as if it was injured and had a limp on one of its legs, which meant it couldn't keep up with the others and was abandoned in the process. This made it an easy target for the wolves and, because of this injury, gave it a tremendous disadvantage against three of them.
Looking around the clearing, Ruby tried to look for a carcass that signified the creature's inevitable death. Seeing that there were no remains, the red-haired girl assumed that the caribou managed to put up some type of fight or perhaps ran away when it spotted its predator. The silver eyed girl then spotted a set of trails that were fresher than the ones before. They consisted of wolf and caribou marks along with some droplets of blood. Judging from the blood she saw earlier, the wolves must have been successful in harming the animal but was not enough to immobilize it.
She began following the trail, but not without realizing that snow was beginning to fall from the sky. A feeling in her gut told her that the blizzard was fast approaching and it wouldn't be long before went into full force. She needed to find out why there were wolves this close to her home before the storm hit. If she didn't, it would be weeks before she had another opportunity to find them. The trail she was following continued for quite a distance and it eventually ended in one particular spot. The tracks made by the wolves and caribou suddenly ended at a stack of bones that vaguely made out the shape of a skeleton. The bones were stripped of their meat leaving behind the uneatable remains.
Ruby observed the thin layer of snow covering the remains and reached the conclusion that the animal died a full 24 hours ago. The wolves responsible for this were probably long gone by this point which meant her journey was for nothing. Letting out a dissatisfied sigh, the red-haired girl took her time to observe her surroundings. One quick look made her realize that she was standing in a part of the forest that was unfamiliar. The new area was definitely out of her territory which meant she was out of her element. The idea left an uncomfortable feeling in her mind, not use to being in a foreign part of the forest. The silver eyed girl turned around and planned on going back before the snowfall worsened.
Before she was able to take a single step, an audible howl cut the air, the noise echoing through the area. The howl sounded very similar to a wolf's howl but there was something off about it. Ruby snapped her head towards the direction of the noise and used her hearing to locate its source. Before she was able to locate it, her eyes spotted some movement in the distance. Crouching down to minimize visibility, the short-haired girl ran towards the movement. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted some grey colored fur sprinting towards a direction perpendicular to the one she was going. Judging by the color and the howl from earlier, Ruby made the assumption that it was the three wolves from earlier.
What are these wolves up to? She thought to herself as she spotted the creature not too far from where she was currently standing. Form the way it was acting, it appeared to be unaware of her presence which is why it took off running in another direction. The wolf-eared girl was about to go after it but noticed a sudden decrease in lighting. The clouds overhead clustered together making a layer that blocked most of the sun's rays. The snow began falling faster and in larger amounts. A part of Ruby's mind told her to give up the chase and head back since the weather was getting too hazardous too quickly. She considered it for a moment and was about to head back before an unexpected sound suddenly came from the direction the wolf was running towards.
It was a sound she hadn't heard in many years and it made her tail stiffen when it reached her ears. It was a loud scream but instead of coming from an animal, this scream sounded human. Ruby's heart began to race at the thought of seeing another living person. Being the only non creature in the vast forest she lived in had its downsides. With no other being to communicate with, Ruby had forgotten what it was like to interact with another person. She couldn't even remember the last time she had encountered another person, so seeing one after so long filled her with a foreign excitement.
Before she could process it, her legs were already carrying her towards the noise. She ran as fast as she could, completely forgetting the idea of staying hidden. It wasn't long before she reached a stretch of forest that had a patch of dirt that cutting through it like a path.
The road-like path was almost empty except the two wolves that were on it. The third wolf soon joined, which was the reason it was running towards them since it heard the howl of its companions. The three predators were in an offensive position. They bared their teeth and let out hostile grows towards something Ruby couldn't see from her position. She moved closer and felt her eyes widen when she saw what the wolves were cornering. There, dressed in all white clothing, was a girl who looked to be about her age. She had snow white hair that had patches of dirt in it. The thing that surprised her the most was her dirty appearance and the fact that her clothes were stained with streaks of red. The girl had blood coming from her left eye. One of her hands was clutching the damaged eye while the other was holding a makeshift knife in a defensive way.
For a moment, the red-haired girl was too stunned to do anything. She was too shocked to move and couldn't even think about anything else besides the girl who was in clear danger. In her current state of mind, Ruby was unaware of the sky becoming increasingly dark, the snow that was falling harder and harder, and the wind that dropped the temperature to a biting cold. Her feet were unmoving as if glued to the spot. The only sound that did manage to reach her was the sound of something falling in the snow with a loud thud.