It began with the Stalk. The raiding party spreading out amongst the crimson trees of the forest, their breathing was slowed, movements were calculated and quiet. Eyes focused on the prey ahead.
They blended in perfectly, becoming one with the dirt and the bushes, becoming one with the forest. Their presence was unnoticed by the birds, and the wildlife that milled about aimlessly.
Ahead of them, students from beacon walked to and fro, tapping trees for their rich sap. All manner of colors walked about, red, dark, blonde, black, brown. An entire buffet from which to choose, not a single one of them looked weak or sickly, some were a bit stringy, yes, but that just made them easier to break.
The party closed the noose, inching closer and closer to the students. Where the wind moved the grass, they crept forward, where it moved back, they retreated with it. Slowly, they tightened the ring, getting to the point where they could make out faces.
The time would soon be upon them, she had to make a choice, choose a target. Her eyes spun from one boy to the next, some were too far away for her to take, and some looked too strong.
'Come on, come on! There has to be one! I am not going back empty handed.'
Finally, her eyes settled on bright mop of blonde hair, just a few yards into the group. He looked a bit scraggly, and he was a bit skinny, but that wasn't a problem. She could fatten him up, or work some muscle onto his bones. He was tall, so he had that going for him, he looked like good stock.
He turned around, and she had to stifle a gasp. His eyes were a deep cobalt blue, absolutely beautiful. She had never seen someone with eyes so stunning before, so lovely and bright. They looked like starlight on freshly fallen snow, or the moon reflecting on the ocean.
She licked her lips, having made her decision.
Once everyone was in position, the Panic would begin, everyone attacking from different directions at different times, weaving confusion and unbalance into the student's ranks.
Finally, with a cry, someone from the other side of the ring came crashing out of the bush, his hammer already swinging for some poor students face. The students exploded into activity, some issuing shouts of alarm, others roaring to defend their fellows. More raider's popped out of the bush, engaging in the vicious melee.
She leapt out of her spot soon after, her mouth staying silent as her feet pounded the ground and carried her to the back of the throng. She spied her prey, his back to her as he tried to help in the fight. Hefting her axe in both hands, she slammed the flat of it into the back of his head, a vicious wound opening up as his scalp split. He fell forward with a grunt, blood spurting from his head. Some red-haired cunt a bit away from him noticed, and she began to shout warnings and struggle through the packed crowd towards her.
It was too late, and the raider whistled for her horse, the beast storming into the clearing soon after. She piled his limp body onto the horse's flanks, ripping his sword and sheath from his belt and tossing them to the ground, he wouldn't be needing those anymore.
She climbed into the saddle, her boots planting themselves into the horse's haunches, speeding away from the clearing and weaving between the trees.
She ran the horse hard, doing her best to guide him from the trees and the worst of the underbrush. Soon, the crimson trees gave way to pines and mud wet from the icy runoff from tthe nearby mountains. She clambered up slopes and boulder pastures. The tension in her body that had built up during the mad scramble to snatch the boy finally abating as she released a sigh.
She had done it. She had successfully brought back someone, on her first try too.
She glanced over her shoulder at the unconscious student, her hand reaching back to give his rear end a squeeze. She felt her cheeks warm up when her fingers met firm resistance coupled with an underlying softness. She traced her fingers over his back, delighting in the feel of taught muscles beneath the skin. He was lean, but in a good way, he had some muscle to him, but wasn't overly muscular.
Her eyes glanced to the wound on the back of his head, its angry torrent of blood had petered down to barely a drip. She frowned as the possibility of him never waking up dawned on her, or him getting an infection. The village didn't have the supplies to treat him, so his getting an infection would have to be cured the painful way, waiting until the flesh began to ooze and dropping a handful of maggots into the wound.
She shrugged, the wound didn't look fatal and he looked strong enough to survive, so what happens didn't really matter.
She crested a ridge, a village being revealed just down the cliff face. She smiled, the thought of getting home and out of this bitter snow and cold wind sounding better and better the more she thought about it.
Kicking the horse into a slow trot, she made her way to hers, and the boys, home.
(@)
"Is everyone alright?" Glynda called out, her eyes bouncing from student to student as she counted off heads. "No one seriously injured? No bones broken?" She shouted.
There was a chorus of muttered affirmations and sarcastic answers. Glynda nodded, glad that they had driven back such scum with nary a casualty. Everyone was here, and no one was hurt.
"Jaune! They took Jaune!" Came a cry from the gathered students, Pyrrha pushing her way to the front. She doubled over when she reached the front, her chest heaving as she struggled for breath.
"They took mister Arc?" Glynda questioned, her chest knotting up with unease. Giving Pyrrha a worried look when she saw the blood streaks on her body. "Are you injured? "
"They took Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted when she gained her breath back, ignoring the teachers question. "They took him after the fighting started." She whimpered. "One smashed him in the back of the head with an axe and then stole him, I tried getting to him, but.." She closed her eyes, taking in a shaky breath. "..I ccouldn't get to him in time."
She handed Glynda Jaune's sword, the teacher taking them without a word.
"Everyone, back to the bullheads, this assignment is canceled." She shouted after some time.
"Aren't we going to look for Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.
Glynda shook her head. "No, with those bandits still around, we can't risk it. We'll alert Ozpin and see what he decides to do from there."
"But.." Pyrrha began. "..But he could be around here!"
"Along with whoever took him." Glynda said, placing her hand on the champion's shoulder. "We'll find him, I promise. Don't worry."
Pyrrha whimpered as the headmistress walked away from her, her leader's sword clutched in her hand. Ren and Nora appeared next to her, each exchanging a worried glance.
Finally, Nora spoke. "Jauney...Is gone?" She whispered, her tone filled with concern and worry.
"He'll be coming back Nora, I promise." Ren whispered back to her. "In the meantime, why don't we go get some pancakes? I know they're your favorite." Ren said, gesturing to Pyrrha as well.
Pyrrha nodded, but kept her eyes downcast.
'I couldn't reach him...I'm the best there is and I couldn't save him. He needed me most right then and I failed him..'As they shuffled their way back, Pyrrha began to cry.
(@)
When Jaune woke up, he felt as if someone had buried a knife in his skull. His head throbbing painfully with every beat of his heart. He opened his eyes, and sat up, quickly wrapping his arms around him when a cold breeze kicked up.
With a yelp, he realized he was naked, the only thing left on his body was a thick iron chain wrapped around one ankle. He ignored the chain and quickly covered himself as he looked about for his clothes. He was in some kind of log cabin, though it was a bit long to be called that. There was a bookshelf lined with various things, and a partitioned off corner with a stool and a bucket. The walls were furnished with hides and animal skins, and a fire burned in a hearth off to one side.
He didn't find any of his clothes, so he moved a thick quilt off the bed he was on and used it like a robe to cover himself. He stood off the bed, wincing when the action caused a spike of agony to shoot through his head. He stumbled and fell, his hand shooting to his head to keep him from hurting it further, noticing that it had been bandaged with thick strips of cloth.
"What...are you doing?" Came a slurred voice from the door, freezing Jaune in place. "You trying...t-to run from Sheeza? You can't do that...I got you fair and...uh..square." She said drunkenly, leaning against the doorframe with a mug of foul smelling liquid in her hand. She tipped it back in her mouth and drank deeply, before throwing it against the wall and belching loudly.
"Come here, loverboy, let me get a feel of ya." She slurred, advancing on Jaune with a hungry look.
Jaune scrambled off of the floor, and backed to the wall, his eyes glancing rapidly around the room as panic set in.
The woman advanced closer and Jaune's eyes fell upon a stack of wood on the far side of the room. He dived across the bed, his arms outstretched.
A strong hand caught him by the foot, keeping him from going any further and causing him to crash down onto the bed. He struggled as her hands clawed at him, forcing him to turn over and pinning his arms above his head.
"Hmmm..." The woman licked her lips, the stench of alcohol on her reeking breath. "Momma likes what she sees."
"Please, stop!" Jaune shouted as he struggled to get out from under her body. He cried out when a powerful fist collided with his jaw, busting his lip.
"Shut up!" She hissed. "I own you now boy!" She slammed another fist into his nose, blood spurting from his face as it crunched under the blow. "You'll do what I say, when I say, and how I say it!"
She rained more blows on him, before standing up off of him and retrieving a thick log from the pile near the fire.
"I guess that I have to teach you how our new relationship works." She said, smacking the log into her palm.
"P-P-Please. S-Stop." Jaune whimpered, his arms held protectively over his head as he curled his body up.
"Shut up." She growled, the log slamming into his ribs. She brought the log down on him again and again, eventually breaking through his aura and bruising his flesh. Jaune cried out at every strike, tears pouring down his face as he grit his teeth against the pain.
She continued to beat him, moving to his legs when she decided that his ribs had taken enough. She slammed the log into him again and again, over and over.
With one final swing, she planted the log into his groin, Jaune howling in pain. His hands reach down to cup himself, feeling blood pour out from between his legs.
The woman kicks him out of the bed, sending him sprawling on the floor. "Fucking go to sleep, you killed the damn mood!" She shouted, pointing off to a small cot next to the wall. He crawls in it quietly, the chain around his ankle just long enough for him to reach it.
The blanket is threadbare, and moth eaten, and the mattress is just an animal skin on the floor.
Jaune sobs as he pulls the blanket up over him, shivering as the cold wind spills in from under the door.
He lays down, and begins to cry
A/N:I bet that you thought they were going to fall in love, huh?W R O N G.So this here is another story, it's just to help me get a better grip on writing, and no, I haven't quit Primus, just writing some more.As always, review and Fav. Peace.