Chapter 1: Reunion
It was the end of a long trip for the transfer student from Signal. The letter from Beacon Academy told her she'd been accepted a year earlier than usual, at the insistence of one of her instructors who thought she would benefit from the advanced courses offered there. She'd first made a detour, far into the northern islands, seeking something special. Now she stood in the large circular space just inside the main entrance of her new school, finding what she had been told to look for by her teacher, Qrow.
She stared down at the short stone monument, fighting back the tears.
'Edda Odson'
He'd been her savior, her mentor, and her friend. They'd met when she was nine and he had seemed a giant to her young eyes. Tall and strong, he'd been one of the greatest hunters of his generation. But he was also the kindest and gentlest man that she'd ever known, capable of caring for an orphaned faunas as if she were his own child.
Now she was seventeen and he was gone, leaving a hole inside her. She rested her left hand on the sword belted at her hip. 'Oathblade' she'd named it, for the oath she'd sworn to him when he'd given it to her four years ago, his last gift to her. The worn grip gave a measure of comfort, solid and reassuring, just as he'd been for her. Her right hand touched the light gorget that encircled her throat. A black hammer centered on a golden heart stood out against the dark bronze metal, his hammer and her heart, an earlier gift along with matching bracers and thigh protectors.
Lowering her hand to the bag at her hip, she retrieved the Snow Drop flowers she'd picked in his homeland. Squatting, she placed them in the center of the carving of his personal symbol. Three arms, each gripping an elbow, forming a triangle. Qrow had told her that he'd chosen it to honor the oath of brotherhood that he'd sworn with Taiyang and himself when they were young students together. She owed all three a debt, Edda for saving her, Qrow for protecting her, and Taiyang for his daughters who had befriended her when she desperately need them.
Velvet had some time between classes, so she decided to walk across the main campus instead of through the crowded hallways. The east side of the wide space was where the flowers she adored grew, the scent of them always made her think of home. Veering in that direction she paused a moment at the sight of a stranger by the monument.
Intrigued, she stepped closer, studying the girl. Long curly black hair held in a ponytail by a strip of white leather hid her face, but not the antlers that sprang from her brow or the ears. The girl turned and stood as Velvet approached, revealing a dark skinned oval face topped by bone-white antlers that curved across her temples, ending in two points each ,that seemed to form a tiara above deep green eyes. Her beauty was flawed by the small scar that marked the left side of her chin.
" Hi! I'm Velvet Scarlatina." She said, offering her hand.
" Hart D'Ore" came the reply as the handshake was returned firmly.
Velvet gestured to the stone. " Did you know him too?"
" He saved my life." came the sad reply.
Velvet clasped her hands in front of her, looking down. " I only knew him for a short time, but he changed my life."
Hart grasped the other's shoulder. " Tell you what. You find a place that serves decent coffee, and I'll tell you about my time with him!"
Velvet decided that her favorite coffee shop in town would be best place for her new friend to tell her story. She was delighted when she spotted Ruby and Weiss already there, deep in conversation.
" Hey Ruby, Weiss!" she called as they neared the two." I'd like you to meet someone!"
The girls turned their heads toward the faunas' approaching them. Ruby's eyes widened, followed by a happy squeal as she rocketed out of her chair. The impact knocked Hart to the ground while rose petals fell around them.
Velvet's ears quivered as she looked down at them, grinning. " So...you two know each other?"
Hart pushed the smaller girl to the side. " Get off me, you dope!" Both got up quickly, Ruby still hugging the taller faunas' arm. The two shared a fond smile for a moment before Hart replied. " It wasn't quite that exciting the first time we met!"
Ruby waved her hand towards the white haired girl seated at the table. " Hart, meet my partner, Weiss!"
She was surprised when her childhood friend turned on her with narrowed eyes.
" Weiss...as in Weiss Schnee!?" Hart took a step away from the table and deliberately put her hands behind her back. Weiss withdrew the hand she had held out, dropping it into her lap and looked down at it, troubled by the girl's response.
Ruby waved her hands, frantically warding off the glare directed at her. " Nonono! It's not like that!"
Hart felt a hand touch her shoulder. She turned her head and looked into Velvet's soft eyes. " It's alright. She met him too, and she's not like her father at all!" The words made her drop her own eyes, letting her shoulders slump in defeat. Looking up she saw the heiress' light blue eyes were filled with remorse.
" It's alright Hart, I understand. My family name isn't one that any faunas cares to hear."
Giving in, the dark haired girl stepped up to the table and held out her hand. "Then we'll stick with just 'Weiss' for now!" The smile she received was worth more than mere money.
They had hardly seated themselves when Ruby spotted a familiar pair. " Hey Yang! Guess who's here!" she crowed.
Yang vaulted the short railing and hurried to throw her arms around her old friend. " Hart! Long time, girl!" The tall blonde's dark haired friend arrived a moment later, having decided to use the gate instead of emulating Yang's acrobatics. "Meet my partner Blake!"
Hart took the proffered hand to shake while Blake smiled. The bow on the cat faunas' head moved as she twitched her hidden ears, followed by a wink. The two grinned at each other, delighted by the shared secret.
Yang pulled up two chairs, reversing her own and sitting with crossed arms on the backrest.
" So, dear girl, what brings you here!" Ruby covered her face at the old pun while her sister smirked at her.
Hart reached over and took Ruby's hand in hers. " Your uncle Qrow told me what happened to Edda. I had to come!"
" Thank you." the smaller girl replied quietly. She glanced towards her sister. " We know how much he meant to you."
Hart released the hand and sat back, smiling. " And, I start at Beacon this week!" she announced proudly, eliciting another happy squeal from Ruby.
Yang held her hand up for a high-five. " Alright! The gang's back together!" After slapping palms, she turned to Velvet. " So, what's your connection to this reunion!"
Velvet pointed to her new friend. " Hart was going to tell me about how she met Edda, but kind of got caught up in the moment!"
Yang turned and glared into the deer faunas' green eyes. Waggling a finger between herself and her sister, she announced " She hasn't told that story to us! I thought I might have to beat it out of her!"
Hart held her hands up in surrender. " I know..I know! You two have known me most of my life! Sorry already!" Dropping her hands, she looked around the table as all eyes turned to her. " It's not a really happy story, though!"
Ruby caught the girl's hand up again. " It's okay. We understand about 'not really happy' stories." The others nodded in agreement.
Hart closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. " We met the day my mother died..."