Author: So I have not seen Volume 4 episode 9, just an image showing Team RNGR with my beloved Qrow on a stretcher. So I blame Rooster Teeth for hurting my precious feathery drunken nutcase. Anyways Rowena has been in my head for a while and I just now figured out how to fit her into the the storyline. Summer only recently came to mind.
"Uncle Qrow... you're heavy." Ruby whispered, glancing over her shoulder at her unconscious uncle.
"Ruby? Is that you?" a voice called.
Ren pulled out Stormflower and aimed them at the shadows while Nora pulled Magnhild from her back.
A girl, about thirteen, stepped out of the shadows and said, "It's okay. I'm a friend. My name is Summer Lupin."
Ruby set Qrow's stretched down and ran over to the hug the other girl. "Summer! I've missed you." she chirped, hugging her friend tightly.
"I've missed you too Ruby. How's Yang and Uncle Tai?" Summer asked.
"Dad's great. Yang... lost her arm and isn't doing very good." Ruby admitted.
Summer's eyes widened and she whispered, "Oh... poor Yang."
"Sorry to interrupt... but who is she?" Juane asked.
Ruby smiled sheepishly and said, "This is Summer Lupin. She's a friend. Her mom used to visit a lot when we were little."
Juane and Nora looked the newcomer over as Ren knelt beside Qrow.
Despite being younger than Ruby, Summer was a few inches taller than her friend with long and thick dark hair. Her right eye was hazel and her left eye was red.
"These are my friends Jaune, Nora and Ren." Ruby told her.
"Nice to meet all of you." Summer said, nodding shyly.
"Ruby. Your uncle is getting worse." Ren called.
Summer moved to crouch beside the stretcher and looked at the purple stain on the bandages around Qrow's waist. "Home's not far from here. Mom's a skilled healer and Huntress. She should be able to help him." she called to Ruby.
"Okay." Ruby whispered.
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"Mama? Mama!" Summer shouted, throwing open the door to her home.
The house had been hidden amongst the trees and half covered in ivy... Ruby hadn't noticed it until they were at the front door.
"What is it Summer darling?" a voice called back.
"Ruby and some of her friends are here. They've got Ruby's uncle Qrow with them and he's hurt bad." Summer said, pulling off her jacket to hang it up. With the long jacket off, Juane noticed a long black tail that had previous been hidden.
"She's a faunus." Ren whispered to Nora.
"We both are. I hope that isn't a problem." a woman said, stepping into the light.
She was tall with dark hair that matched her daughter's and hazel eyes with large wolf ears that were covered in fur the same shade as her hair. She wore a caramel tunic top, hunter green leggings, brown boots and a long green jacket.
"Aunt Rowena... can you help my uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked, smiling shyly at the woman.
The woman stroked Ruby's hair and said, "I'll do what I can for him sweetheart. Who are your friends?"
"Juane Arc, Lei Ren and Nora Valkyrie. We all went to school together at Beacon." Ruby told her.
Rowena nodded to them and said, "Boys, put the stretcher down by the fireplace. Summer, go to the kitchen and get some stew started for our guests. Ruby, tell me what happened."
Ren and Jaune nodded before doing as she asked.
Qrow groaned and tried to sit up, looking around the room with glazed eyes.
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouted, rushing over to him.
"Rubes... you're okay?" he asked as she knelt beside him and Ruby let him drag her into his arms.
"I'm okay... but you're not. We met Summer on the way here. She brought us to her mom's house. Do you remember Aunt Rowena?" Ruby told him.
Qrow stared at her... then looked up as Rowena knelt beside him. "Wena?" he whispered.
"Hello you dusty old Qrow." Rowena smiled.
"Wena... what are you doing here? Did Tai invite you over? And where's the baby?" Qrow asked, looking around.
"We're at my home in Mistral. Not Tai's in Patch. You're very badly hurt and sick. Lie down." Rowena told him as she stroked his hair.
"What baby is he talking about?" Jaune asked.
Rowena looked at him and said, "Summer. Qrow, Tai and I all went to Beacon together. The boys were on a team together. I was on a different team but the eight of us were very close... a long time ago. After Beacon... most of us went our separate ways. Qrow, Tai, Summer Rose and I stayed very close. When I was pregnant with my Summer and after she was born, I actually lived in one of the guest rooms at house in Patch. Unfortunately shortly after Ruby's mother died, Tai shut down and I moved out. We were very close... she and I."
"You named your daughter after her." Ren added.
"Yes I did. Qrow must be hallucinating. Tell me exactly what happened to him." Rowena told them.
Ruby looked at Ren, Nora and Juane before telling Rowena about the fight with Tyrian and how Qrow had been injured towards the end of it.
"A scorpion faunus... I had heard of them from some of my elders growing up but I've never actually met one. Did you happen to grab the stinger?" Rowena asked, opening Qrow's shirt to examine the wound.
Ruby looked at her friends and whispered, "Um... no."
"Then I supposed I'll have to do my best... and hope it's enough." she sighed.
Summer stuck her head out of the kitchen and called, "Dinner's ready for everyone who's hungry."
"Go eat and relax. I'll start doing what I can for Qrow." Rowena told them.