A/N: Story takes place in between the time gap of RWBY volume 3 and volume 4. Each chapter will tell the perspective of one of the characters on their journey. Enjoy
Ruby P.O.V.
The harsh chill of the winter air blew bitterly through Team RNJR as they headed on their way to Mistral. The snow hadn't been too bad at first, but the farther they went, the heavier the snowfall became. They were now in a heavily wooded area which thankfully wasn't full of many Grimm and they were able to swiftly deal with what came their way. Unfortunately, Jaune had been injured in their last battle and they needed to find shelter fast.
"Ren, can you see anything?" Ruby called out to her teammate high in the trees.
"No, not yet! The snow is too thick to see through." Ren shouted back as he descended back to his team.
Damn. Ruby thought to herself. She shifted Jaune further onto herself to support her injured comrade. His upper leg had been cut from the claw of a Beowulf and his aura was weakening, so his wound hadn't been healing. Every now and then, they would stop if they could and try to redress the wound. It wasn't much, but it was all they could do for the time being.
"How ya doin Jaune?" Ruby asked.
The blond replied with a quiet groan. His footsteps became heavier and slower and his body sagged as his consciousness began to fade.
"Nora! On his other side!" Ruby called out behind her.
"Right!" Nora yelled as she quickly ran up and lifted the blonds' other arm for support.
She had arrived just in time as Jaune passed out as soon as she came. The ginger and rose-tinted ravenette exchanged a look of exasperation as they lifted the full weight of their injured friend. Ren was waiting up ahead, surveilling the area for any Grimm that could be lurking in the forested area. Once they had reached him, they sat Jaune up against a tree as Ruby took off her cloak and draped it over him.
"The area up ahead is clear for now. We should make camp soon, it's getting too dark." Ren reported.
"I agree. We won't be able to very far with Jaune like this." Nora added.
Ruby pondered for a moment, trying to decide the best course of action. She knew two things that needed to be done. One, Jaune needed medical care, and two, they all needed rest. She knew that rest right now was the most important thing to do, but she also knew that Jaune wouldn't make it much longer out in the cold.
"Well, for now, if we can find a cave or something, we can set up camp there. Then I think one of us should search for a town or something and get Jaune some help."
"It's too dangerous to go alone though!" Ren countered.
"But Jaune will need at least two of us to protect him and carry him." Ruby explained.
"Well," Nora interjected. "This is just a thought, but if you and Ren go together, I'll be strong enough to protect Jaune and I can carry him on my own if we need to move. Also, if you guys do find someone to help, one of you can head back and help get Jaune while the other stays with the person willing to help us."
"That's… actually not a bad idea." Ruby said as she went through the plan in her head.
"It's still risky though. Are you sure you could handle it Nora?" Ren asked worriedly.
"Yup! I'll be fine!" Nora exclaimed with her usual big grin.
"Then it's a plan. We find a place to rest tonight and then first thing in the morning, Ren and I will head out. If we find any more caves that might be safer and closer to a town, we'll contact you and help you get there." Ruby explained.
"Sounds good to me! I'll be fine travelling there by myself, so don't worry too much." Nora reassured.
The three nodded in unison and began to search for a cave. Ruby retrieved her cloak as Nora picked up and carried Jaune on her own. Ren scouted in the front while Ruby defended from behind as they traveled as quickly and as quietly as they could as to avoid Grimm and dodge the winter wind. After a couple hours of walking, the skies grew dark and the forest became nothing but shadows. Luckily, the team had found a small burrow to fit inside from the cold. Ruby went first to inspect it for any Grimm, but found none. The burrow was only about 4 feet high and maybe 7 feet wide, but it was dry and warm. She signaled to her friends that it was safe to enter as she headed back to the opening.
Nora slowly made her way in with Ruby's help keeping Jaune steady as the ginger descended. Jaune mumbled a bit as they carried him inside but went quiet once again after they laid him on the ground. Ren stayed above on guard as the girls worked on getting the blond comfortable and began to set up a fire. The silver eyed huntress handed the bubbly ginger her cloak to lay over their sleeping friend. As Nora cared for Jaune, Ruby took out a pouch of fire dust that she saved for these kinds of emergencies. She gathered a few twigs in the burrow and set them towards the front as she lightly sprinkled a small amount of dust over the small sticks.
"Hey Ren, can I borrow one of your weapons really fast?" the rose-tinted ravenette asked.
"Sure. Here."
Ren reached down and handed Ruby one of his guns, keeping his eyes fixed on the outside. Ruby turned back and worked quickly as she struck the bladed end on a small rock, attempting to create a spark. After a few tries, the young huntress was successful and the dust ignited into a small fire.
"Hey Nora, can you keep the fire going for a bit?" The young huntress asked.
"Sure can do!" The ginger turned from Jaune and tended to the fire by feeding it small twigs to keep it alive.
Ruby then turned back to Ren and handed back his weapon.
"Thank you Ren. How's it lookin' out there?"
"Very quiet. I haven't seen anything yet, but we can't let our guard down." Ren replied sternly. "Is there anything we need from out here?"
"Yeah, we need more sticks for the fire. Are there any on the ground?"
"I see a few. I'll grab them if you watch the front."
"Ok, I've gotcha covered."
Ruby lifted herself from the burrow as Ren headed for the wood. Crescent Rose was taken out in sniper form as the young huntress scanned the area. She kept her gaze focused on the raven as he hastily picked up any sticks he could find without travelling too far from their camp. After a few minutes, Ren returned with an armful of small sticks.
"I'm sorry, this was all I could find." Ren apologized, casting his eyes downward.
"Don't worry about it. This is plenty for now. You did well." Ruby praised as she rested her hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. "Go on inside for now and get warm. I'll take first watch."
The raven nodded and quickly entered the cramped space, Ruby following suit, but keeping her head outside to keep watch. Nora greeted him warmly and invited him to sit next to her against the wall. He gladly accepted and relaxed next to his best friend, the other quickly striking up a conversation. Ruby listened to their soft chatter as it faded into gentle breathing as they fell asleep, holding onto each other for warmth and comfort. The young huntress let out a relieved sigh as she gazed at her sleeping comrades. She closed her eyes for brief moment and took a deep breath before turning back to the outside. Her silver eyes scanned the immediate perimeter, searching for any signs of a few hours, Ruby's eyes began to droop as she yawned. She retreated back inside and gently shook Ren awake.
"Hey, your turn for watch."
"Alright, was there anything that happened?" Ren yawned as he stretched.
"Nothing that I could see. We should be fine for the rest of the night."
"Sounds good to me. Get some rest, Ruby. I'll wake you in the morning."
"Thanks Ren."
At that, Ruby went to sit beside Jaune and check on his wound. She lifted her cloak and removed the bandage from his leg, inspecting the injury. Thankfully, the bleeding had stopped. Now it was a matter of keeping it clean and preventing it from opening. The rose-tinted ravenette reached for her pack and retrieved a small canteen of water along with a clean cloth. She lightly wet the small cloth and gently patted at the wound, cleaning it as best she could. Jaune stirred a bit and Ruby froze. The blonds' eyes fluttered open as he lifted a hand to his throbbing head.
"Morning sunshine." Ruby said quietly. "How do you feel?"
"Ruby? Where- Ah!" Jaune groaned as he attempted to sit up.
"Hey, take it easy." Ruby instructed as she gently forced the blond back to the ground.
"Where are we?"
"In a burrow. We're stopping for the night to rest. Tomorrow, Ren and I are going to seek help for your wound." Ruby explained as she continued to clean Jaune's leg. "Nora will be staying with you here while we're away. If we come across more caves or burrows, we'll navigate you guys there."
"Wait, you guys can't do that! I can travel just fine! I-!" Jaune protested before Ruby placed a finger on his lips.
"Shh. Nora is still sleeping. And Jaune, your leg isn't ready for you to be back out there. You need to rest and recover."
"But I can't let you do this."
"It's already decid-"
"I can't lose you too!" the blond cried, tears forming in his eyes as he sat up and hugged his friend. "You were the first friend I had. I couldn't bear it if I lost you like… like…"
"I'm sorry, Jaune." Ruby knew who he was talking about, and no one had the courage to say her name. She lifted her arms and returned his embrace, comforting her sorrowful friend. "But I'll have Ren with me, it'll be ok. I promise."
The blond pulled back and looked into Ruby's eyes. He understood what she needed to do, and he knew that she was more than capable, especially with Ren at her side. But he didn't want to chance losing anyone else he cared about.
"Alright, but you call us if you need help, ok?"
"Sounds good. Now lay back down and let me finish cleaning your wound." Ruby said as she gave him a small smile.
Jaune listened and let her continue as she hummed quietly. Her voice was gentle and pure, allowing the blond to quickly fall back asleep in a matter of minutes. By the time she had finished redressing Jaune's leg, he was sleeping comfortably with a faint smile adorning his resting face. Ruby gazed happily at him as she brushed a few hairs out of his eyes. She knew how hard these past few months had been for him and she was proud at how well he had been handling it, but everyone had their limits. Looking around one last time, seeing Nora sleeping peacefully, Ren standing guard, and Jaune fast asleep, Ruby settled next to her friend and closed her eyes. As she drifted to sleep, she thought of her happy memories from Beacon. The time they had a food fight, the time they all danced together, the time they had all eaten giant bowls of ramen… She dreamed of happier times.
And of how she wished she could have them back.
A/N: Until next time…