The dream started as it always had: in the dark, the sensations of one floating in the abyss without being able to see anything or touch anything. Suddenly, the ground formed under foot, Heatherly looked down to see a pair of cloven feet standing on the grass, her entire lower half covered in wool the color of her hair and the only thing she wore on the chest was a band of cloth. She looked forward to see a large forest that surrounded her, the birds sung a blissful melody from high atop the trees and the golden light of the sun bleeding through to give the Wood a mystical glow. Like many times before, the urge to run was incredible and took a starting step. She quickly built momentum and was soon running through expansive forest - passing through the large, arching roots that formed above the ground with relative ease.
Every step, every bound, gave her a sudden rush of adrenaline and child-like glee. Her face beamed with the sense of wonder and freedom. She dashed onward into the depths of the forest, her destination unknown.
The classical song set as her alarm blared through her scroll, awakening Heatherly from her slumber and back to reality. She rose to a sitting position, rubbing the sleep off her eyes before reaching for the phone and turning the alarm off. She sighed as she wished the dream had lasted a while longer, the throbbing on her left leg added insult to the injury that never seemed to cease. She unlocked the scroll to see two messages: one from Sherry and another from Amethyst, both important people in her life. She clicked on Sherry's message first:
"Good morning Heatherly, just wanting to make sure that you were okay on your trip. We miss you terribly and look forward to seeing you back in Vale. Make sure that you take your medication and please try to not antagonize anyone okay? See you soon. Love you 3."
Heatherly smiled at the heartfelt message. She scrolled to Amethyst's message and was greeted with a much longer message. Letting out a sigh, she began to read:
"Hey Heather, I know you would rather spend the rest of your time at that little village relaxing but, I need a favor from you before you come back: while studying, I came across this flower that's going to really help out my research with the Grimm. It's called the Calming Grace, a whitish-purple flower that looks like a lily. It's supposed to give off this scent that smells so pleasant that even the Grimm get relaxed from it, hence the name and it's supposed to be grown in mountainous regions similar to where you are located now (What are the odds! :D) If we got a sample of that flower then it could help us figure out ways to deal with the Grimm and perhaps even tame them!"
"Sorry for giving you a fetch quest after you only wanted to get a thing for the next classes yourself but, this is really important to me! Get this and I owe you one...along with the other favors that I owe you but, you get the point! Message me when you can go get it and thanks again!"
Heatherly let out another sigh though this time it was much more exasperated. It was always a thing with that girl but, she ended up replying her agreement anyway.
"Thanks babe! Love you!"
Of course Amethyst would be up this early in the morning, probably didn't even sleep during the night. Heatherly smiled, locked the scroll screen and swung her leg over the edge of the bed. She looked over to the mechanical leg sitting next to the bed shaped like a hoof, her "pride and joy" she liked to call it. When she had lost her left leg several years ago, Ozpin had offered to create a prosthetic for her – Heatherly took the chance and requested that it'd be made into something like the animal she was based on: the sheep.
She was proud to wear the animal-like leg, mostly because it pissed off the racist humans but, also because it was another way for her to celebrate her faunus heritage. Of course, putting on the thing sucked. She grabbed the prosthetic and took a deep breath: She shoved it into her leg, feeling the nerves connecting into the prosthetic and sending intense sensations through her body. A sharp intake of breath and she twisted the top to lock the leg in place
"Ahhh fuck!" It was like this every time she had to put on her leg, the nerves connecting to the prosthetic was the worst part and the most painful. She stood up and tested out her leg: bouncing on her toes and threw a few quick kicks into the air to make sure it worked properly. Satisfied, she stretched and got ready for the day
Heatherly stepped out of her little cabin and took in a breath of the fresh mountain air. The sky was blue, lush fields of green beneath her feet and the sight of the mountain range greeted her as she scanned around the small settlement that she called a temporary home whenever she would visit to collect pure dust for her classes. Compared to the villagers that lived her, her clothes consisted of a white blouse worn underneath a light-grey sweater vest, a black skirt that went stopped above the knee, a simple flat-heeled shoe on her normal foot and a black trench coat to help keep the crisp mountain from making her feel chillier than she would have liked.
"Ah, Huntress! Good morning!" A hoarse voice came from her left, she turned to see the village elder walking towards her: a ram faunus whose long-grey hair was tied into a ponytail. Despite his age, he still looked to be in top physical shape as his simple robes did little to hide the broad shoulders and hardened biceps that were scarred from years of battle.
"Good morning elder!" The two shook hands firmly. Despite the size difference, Heatherly gave off an aura that demanded respect and it was certainly earned as she had helped saved the village in the past from a Grimm attack. The elder eyed Heatherly's staff, the pot of dust crystals that hanged from the hook of the staff clacked together gently in the soft breeze.
"Off hunting are you?" The elder asked with firm eyes.
"In a matter of speaking, not looking to fight any Grimm though. A friend of mine wants me to look into some sort flower – the Calming Grace. Ever heard of it?"
"Ahhh, I do. Sometimes, our hunters venture out and gather these flowers to turn into medicine. They provide great relief for tired muscles" The elder said while stroking his beard, "We often gather them from a small clearing in a valley but, they are also available in the forest nearby. You can follow the landmarks on the trees and it will lead you there. I'm assuming if you know about the flower, you are also aware of that the Grimm flock to these flowers constantly?"
Heatherly nodded, "I'm aware, hence the staff." She pointed towards the dust crystals. "I'm more than equipped to blast the beasts if need be."
"Then I won't worry too much. Walk with caution huntress and may the Dark never take you." With that, the elder walked away to tend to his charges while Heatherly turned to face the forest. She drew a breath and started on her journey.
A feeling of deja vu was swelling within Heatherly as she followed the marked path within the forest. The beams of sunlight, harmonized singing of the birds and the amount of green that towered over her reminded Heatherly of the dream from this morning. She could still feel the adrenaline from simply running freely into the depths of the wood.
"Heh, I do that and I'll end up as Grimm food." Heatherly told herself with an amused smile. The pot clinked softly as Heatherly continued to hobble along the path. It wasn't long before the sound of rushing water reached her ears.
"Must be getting close, hopefully luck stays on my side and I can just pick up the flower and go."
Heatherly turned the corner to see a small grove in front of her: water fell from a hill that pooled itself into a small lake. The sun glistened brilliantly on the water's surface, a small mist blanketed the entire area and Heatherly could see the flowers that Amethyst was talking about this morning swaying in the calm breeze along with three beowulfs sleeping among them. Heatherly swiftly action rolled to the nearest tree for cover to plan her next action. She looked back to see if the Grimm woke from the noise that her pot made and thankfully they were still.
"Shit! Of course there's Grimm napping on the flowers." Heatherly snapped quietly.
"Okay, gotta think: how do I do this?" Heatherly looked back again to find a solution.
"I don't really see any spikes on them. Must be younger Grimm, normally fodder against my spells but, I don't want to damage the lilies."
Her eyes trailed to the flowers themselves, "I think I don't want to get into a fight in general if I wanna leave with a Calming Grace. Don't want to anger nature as well as the villagers. Gonna have to be stealthy."
Heatherly looked up at her staff, the heirloom passed down in her family for generations.
"Which means that I'm gonna have to leave you behind. Gods know that you make too much noise."
Heatherly carefully rested the staff against the tree. Taking a deep breath she slowly crept towards the lilies, focusing her attention on the slumbering beasts of the dark in case they start to stir as well as her prosthetic leg in the hopes that it doesn't make a loud noise from the joints. As Heatherly neared closer, she could see the Grimm more clearly now. The beowulfs were curled up together, their heavy breathing very audible to the faunus. It was a sight that Amethyst would enjoy for sure had she have been there.
Slowly did Heatherly knelt down to pick up a lily, keeping a careful watch on the Grimm nearby. Heatherly could see why the creatures enjoyed the flowers so much. It admitted the most pleasant scent that Heatherly ever known. The scent was enough to almost make Heatherly yawn but, she stifled it very quickly. Grabbing the stem, she plucked it off the ground and heard the nearest beowulf stir.
Heatherly was still for a moment, barely breathing and staring intensely at the creature. The Grimm's maw opened wide and images of her neck being broken by it's powerful jaws filled Heatherly's head. She shook of the dark thoughts and started to slowly creep away from the slumbering monsters.
Heatherly reached the tree where her staff rested and picked it up, quickening her steps until she felt that she was far out of the grove. She finally let out a sigh as her body began to relax. She looked at the lily that she was carefully holding in her hand, looking closely at the way the purple tips seemed to blend into the white petals. She lifted the flower closer to experience the scent herself, a pleasant sigh slipped through her lips.
"Smells almost like lavender but, sweeter. Can't blame the Grimm for liking this." Heatherly turned her attention towards the village, she was gonna need help with transporting the lily back to Beacon with her.
Night fell on the humble village outside of Heatherly's lodge. Early tomorrow, she would be on her way back to Beacon with new materials to cover with her classes along with the item that will assist Amethyst in her research. Her partner had sent numerous messages which were the equivalent of her saying thanks while happily crying. With the elder's help, the Calming Grace was presently sealed within a container that was enchanted with magic to help preserve it for months at a time. Dressed in a simple white top and grey shorts, Heatherly doubled checked that she had everything neatly packed away before plugging her scroll into a portable charger and sat on the edge of her bed.
A deep breath and Heatherly stifled a pained shout as she removed her prized prosthetic. She grabbed her medication from the table near her and downed it before climbing under her covers. She stared at the window while she waited for sleep, still smelling the sweet scent that the lily produced even when sealed up. Heatherly felt herself succumbing to sleep faster than normal and soon found herself in the expanding wood once more.