Wilt

Sherry was a normal person, well as normal as you could get in these troubled times. Surviving was easy. Living truly was hard. The days seemed to fall around her, never proving to be anything but indifferent. Maybe not pointless in the small term, but in the long stream of time, just a speck. She had no special talents. She was simple, grew up that way, stayed that way. Sure, she could grow crops. She could take care of cows and she knew how to ride a horse.

It just never felt like she was making a difference.

Here she was, forced to move back into her old home, to the childhood she thought she left behind. Her mother left it to her. It's not like either of her sisters would take it. Her oldest sister Chardonnay worked high up in the SDC security forces. Though most of the 'classified' information keeps Sherry in the dark, she knew that she worked under Winter Shnee and General Ironwood. She hated the farm. She much preferred the structured, ridged life of the military. Her other sister Asti, ever the cheerful one wanted to make a big difference. She ended up becoming a hotshot huntress with a nact for search and rescue. Always the persistent one.

So here sherry was, back from a dead-end job because she was clumsy, living off the farm inheritance passed down from her mother. The farm ever fertile because of the long river that came down through the center of the mountains before emptying into the ocean. Being so far north you would think that the crops would have a hard time growing. The mountains wrapped around the valley, keeping most of the bad weather out and enriching the land in between.

She was walking through the field towards the stream when she spotted metal piece of…something sticking out the dirt next to the river.

"Great, maybe a pipe broke, this place is so old" She grabbed the shiny part of the black metal. She pulled it out, revealing a sword. Though the handle was black the blade was crimson, the color of blood.

"This is a sword" she told no one. "Why is there a sword here? What, are you gonna tell me that my farmer mother was a secret ninja? Oh, maybe a huntress?"

Yea right like that could happen, sounds like the start of a bad action thriller.

She went back the farmhouse. It was typical for what you'd find of an old house. It was made of wood with one or two of the steps leading up to the front porch creaking. On the porch was a rocking chair, a favorite or her late mother, next to the porch swing that her sisters used to sit at. She remembered they would read about stories of life and love, hardships and princes and magic. Now it was just old, the rusty chains reflecting dreams and aspirations Sherry long since distanced herself from.

The inside was just as modest. Her mother loved simple things and a simple life. The wooden floor covered only with rugs around the dining room table and underneath the 'living room' area that had two chairs and a couch. Walking in she could remember reading when her mother would shout 'dinner time!' from behind the island counter separating the kitchen from the rest of the room. She would hear her sisters arguing over boys coming down the hallway from their room to taste the heavenly goodness of homemade cooking.

She took the sword and put it on the kitchen island, inspecting it. It had chips in it, but no rust. It was not broken, but it defiantly looked like it had been in a fight. "What's your story? Did you come down the river? Just for me?" She stared at the blade imagining a giant of a man with battle worn armour brandishing this sword. It started out white and golden, but as the brute fought through grimm and criminalit slowly turned red until it was the crimson color of those he slew.

And the man went up into the mountains to train with his fists. He fought grimm off bare handed. Finally the guilt of taking lives caught up with him. Even though the grimm needed to be destroyed, the people he killed had souls that reflected in his blade. In grief he threw it into the river. Soon he learned that he has to live with his guilt instead of throw it away, so he will come down the mountain, sensing the blade since he is its master. He will come up to the door, come inside and see her staring at the blade.

What do you want?

I've come for my blade, but I've wanted you all along.

Then he'll grab me and…"AHHHH! NO! NONE OF THAT!"

Pulling out of her trance like state she smacked he face. Realizing that she had been drooling over her own fantasy she grabbed a napkin and wiped her face off. "Next is a cold shower". Once done she got into her shorts she always slept in and went to bed.

The next day wasn't any better. She dreamed of encounters with extravagant hunters that would come sweep her off her feet all night. She wasn't stupid, she knew it would never happen. It didn't stop the dreams. Ever since her sister Asti got her husband and then a family she had been pressuring Sherry into 'find the one', even recommending dating sites and blind dates. Heck, even Chardonnay said that she was perusing a relationship with one of her fellow squad members.

There is someone out there for you! Don't give up yet sis!

But Asti, I'm not that old! I'm only 22! I have plenty of time. You weren't married yet when you were my age!

No, but at least I had been on a date sister. How many have you been on again?

I've been on plenty of dates! Plenty!

Right sis, right. With whom? Did he have a name?

Right, right….umm

~I'm waiting~

Carl! His name was Carl!

*Hahaha* Carl!? I bet he was tall?

Yes

Broad shoulders?

…Yes

And such the romantic~

Stop making fun of me!

*Hahahahaha*

Note to self: Apologize for hanging up on her…and refusing her call back…and the glitter bomb I sent in retaliation.

Really, there was no one. Not a soul that she considered datable at least. Some guys had shown some interest because working on a farm had not been bad for her body. It kept her in shape and gave her a nice golden tan that city girls just could not pull off in tanning booths. But they were so obvious that they didn't care about her that she refused to be with them. Her mother always said that love came with time, but time requires patience. Which I do not have.
_

She cooked eggs, loosing herself in thought she realized she had cooked way to many. She left them in the refrigerator, as a snack for later before heading out to do her daily farm duties. Once she got done she just started wandering around the property. Since her family was that only ones brave or stupid enough to farm here, she now had ownership of the whole valley. There used to be others, but that was back when the grimm were less active. Go figure that now that there were no people besides her, there weren't any grimm. Probably because there was not enough negative emotion.

"I wonder if I could attract grimm just with my thoughts". She was walking farther up the river, paying careful attention to see if anything else washed up. "Oh, if I attract a grimm I could take the sword and be like 'stay back' and then a man will come walking into the clearing seeing how awesome I am."

You fight well with my blade~. Truly you are the one for me~

NOPE! Not again! I am not that lonely! I don't need someone, I am perfectly fine on my own!

Still the thought of her being with someone strong ensnared her, the thought had her cheeks crimson. Soon she had picked up a stick, reliving the fantasy of the sword with the trusty wooden staff.

"UHE"

"Ahh!" She heard a noise coming from the river and threw her trusty wooden blade at its source. It struck true, destroying the evil demon and breaking apart on his head. Wait…his head…. HIS. The man who looked on deaths door already had a newly formed lump on his head with his face in the mud.

"Oh my god I just killed someone…"

She went down the small bank and pulled the broken stick off his head. She grabbed his arms and pulled him out, hearing the occasional grunt or whimper. He never opened his eyes, but she could see he was in pain. Though he wore black, and was soaked from the river, she could tell there were two places where he had been stabbed. One was on his front close to where she assumed the heart would be, and the other was a little lower on his back. So, being alone and out in the valley she did the only thing she could. She dragged him back to the house! Heroically! Or something…

Halfway back it started raining because of course it would. Why not? Its not like she was trying to save someone's life or anything! She found out that water tends to make dead weight even heavier, so she had that going for her as well. Hooray!

She managed to fight off the shivers that went through her body as the rain got heavier. She managed to get him up the second step of the house when a combination of water dripping on her back and the dead man shaking his head while grunting startled her. She promptly dropped him, hearing a loud thud of his head hitting the porch muffled by thunder.

Whelp if he wasn't dead before he is now, her brain told her as she again grabbed him and pulled him into the house. Her ranch-hand training came in, and though she was rusty she managed to wrap his now bleeding head in bandage tape. She took off his drenched clothes, which would have been embarrassing if she wasn't so scared that he was going to die. She went about dressing his wounds which seemed to have reopened in the trip back. He was losing blood. A lot of blood. She knew she would need to call a doctor from Argus to see to him.

Watch, you'll get the doctor to come out and he'll be like 'well he would have lived but it seems he had a major concussion that did him in…

Oh, that was not going to happen. She wanted excitement, yea. She did not want to be a murderer or spend the rest of her life in a prison cell.

She got a towel and dried him off before putting a pair of shorts on to hide his…modesty… before dragging him into the master bedroom. She put him in the bed and covered him with the blankets, making sure to put extra cushion around his head for…no reason what-so-ever. Just being courteous really. She then called the doctor. It was a miracle that she had a land line phone out here since the CCT service was always spotty in this area if you got any at all. The doctor said that it sounded serious, but that he couldn't get out to her until two days from now. Something about increase number of patients in Argus due to a grimm raid. Until then it was up to her to keep him alive. The doctor recommended that she keep him dry, make him drink, and change his bandages every so often.

It was getting late, but she stayed beside him. She had time to think. You wanted adventure! Here you go!

I wanted many things, one of them was not a dead man in my river

He is a man. He came down from the mountain.

I wanted someone to sweep me off my feet, not someone I literally drug home. The thought made her laugh a little on the inside. I did literally drag him home. Oh if my sisters saw this I would have died to their questions before he would have blead out. She could already hear he older sisters screaming 'this is not what we meant when we said you needed to be more assertive!'

She now noticed a few things about him that she missed in the panic and dragging. Mostly panic. He had a large scar, reminding her of the cattle brand scars the cows get across one of his eyes. It said SDC in big letters. He was a Faunus, with little horns poking out of his head, though the tip on one seemed to be broken. Maybe he was a mine worker that escaped and fell in the river? She didn't know of any mines out here, but she hadn't been here long. The last time she was out here was when she was 16. They could have put a mine here since then. Either way, she vowed she would save him if it was possible!

She looked up to the man staring

Hey, who are you?

I'm Sherry. Who are you?

I'm a huntsman, don't worry baby, my aura will heal me. I need to repay you though, for taking care of me.

No, really. Stop.

I mean it, I will give you anything~. Do you want rubies? Pearls? Me?

WHA? She woke up startled and slightly drooling to the man she had saved looking down at her with his one good eye. Its blue shining into her. Piercing into her very soul and digging out information.

"AHH!" Not thinking, still half asleep, and startled, she grabbed the closest thing she could, which happened to be the rest of the roll of adhesive bandage tape and hit him in the head with it. She instantly regretted it as she hit something like a shield. The man in question glowed red for a second before the light went out and her attack with a healing weapon sailed home, smacking him back down onto the pillows as he gave a loud whimper.

He would have lived if not for the concussion~

"I am so sorry! I didn't mean to! You startled me!"

"It hurts", he said. "Please don't do it again."

"Okay I won't, but can you answer some questions for me?"

"I can try, but first who are you?"

"I'm Sherry. You're in my house. I found you unconscious in the river. My turn. Are you a huntsman? My sister is a huntress, and that looked like aura…when I hit you…"

"I guess you could say that. My aura will heal me in time. I guess I have to thank you for saving me. I'll have to repay to somehow"

Whoa, deja vu.

She was about to back up and run. Her face just from thinking of the dream was as red as the sword still on her kitchen island, but his next few words stopped her.

"Oh also I have this pain in my head and a question for you?"

"What, pain. Oh that's probably from how I found you. A branch had fallen on your head in the river! Multiple actually! Hehehehe…yea"

"That explains the pain, but my question?"

"What is it?"

"Who am I?"

Sherry in all her life had never felt more afraid.